Mai Ge looked down and saw that the Ugly Duckling, who had been sleeping for a while, had woken up at some point. After meowing once, it looked at Amy and meowed a few more times, each meow louder than the last. Mai Ge inwardly cursed.
The classroom fell silent. Luna looked towards the window, puzzled, thinking some stray cat had wandered into the school and attracted the students' attention.
However, her gaze quickly fell on Amy. Her eyes lit up, and she walked quickly towards the door, somewhat surprised.
"It's Amy! Long time no see! Wow, your hair looks so pretty!" A little girl with a mushroom hair cut sitting by the window looked at Amy, her eyes lighting up as she happily exclaimed.
"Shh, Daphne, you're not allowed to call me by my name or talk to me during class." Amy quickly said.
"Why are you here again? You're causing me a lot of trouble, you know that?" A little devil with messy hair and a tiny green sprout growing from his head looked at Amy seriously.
"Shut up, Ignaz, or I'll pluck that sprout out of you again!" Daphne turned and glared at the little devil, speaking aggressively.
"I'm not afraid of you." Ignaz leaned back, his tone fierce but his words weak.
"Ugly duckling, don't squawk! Or I'll roast you and eat you!" Amy turned around and glared at the ugly duckling in the basket, scolding it.
The Ugly Duckling, traumatized by those words, seemed to have been born from its egg. It immediately cowered, huddled in the basket, trembling, and dared not utter another sound.
Mai Ge gently stroked its fur, trying to soothe it. This trauma would likely stay with it for life.
"Amy, come here…" Luna, holding a piece of chalk, walked out with a smile. She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Mai Ge standing behind with the small basket, looking slightly surprised.
"Teacher Luna, I came to listen to your lesson and see you. I even wanted to sing for you." Amy looked at Luna, her little face full of a happy smile. However, glancing at the classroom, she added with a hint of disappointment, "But, I think I've disturbed everyone's class again."
"I'm sorry, I brought my child. The cat meowed a couple of times, disturbing Miss Luna's class." Mai Ge patted Amy's head, looking at Luna apologetically.
Today, Luna was wearing a light blue dress, and she still had the silk scarf embroidered with a golden lily draped over her shoulders. It seemed she really liked that scarf, and she had a gentle smile on her face when she looked at Amy.
"How could that be? The kitten's meows aroused the children's curiosity, and everyone has missed Amy who hasn't come for so many days." Luna smiled, looking at Amy's dejected expression and Mai Ge, who was taking all the blame upon himself. She reached out and took Amy's little hand, saying softly, "Bring your new friend along, introduce it to everyone, and then sing the song you want to sing for your teacher so everyone can hear it together."
Mai Ge looked at Luna. For a moment, her face seemed to be shining. This gentle encouragement touched him, she truly was a good teacher.
"Really?" Amy's eyes lit up again. Seeing the encouraging smile on Luna's face, she climbed down from the rock, reached for the ugly duckling in the basket, and looked at Mai Ge, saying, "Daddy, then… I want to…"
"Go ahead, Little Amy, you can do it." Mai Ge smiled, his face full of encouragement.
Luna glanced at Mai Ge with a hint of surprise. It was rare to see a father so perceptive, understanding his daughter's feelings and knowing how to encourage her.
Thinking of the Rou Jia Mo she ate that day, Luna's heart skipped a beat. Although she felt a little embarrassed after eating it, the Yang Zhou Fried Rice and Rou Jia Mo were really delicious. If she hadn't already spent all the money her family sent her this month on food for the children, she probably would have gone back to eat it again.
This man's cooking was simply amazing, she had never tasted anything better, and even now, thinking about it made her mouth water.
"Mmm." Amy said, her face lighting up with confidence after Mai Ge's encouragement. She took Luna's hand and walked into the classroom.
Mai Ge stood by the window, smiling as he watched Amy, dressed in a purple dress and holding the Ugly Duckling.
Standing here again, she was no longer the little girl in tattered clothes, and he hoped she would become more confident.
"Our Amy hasn't been to class for many days. Doesn't everyone miss her?" Luna said with a smile, looking at the children below the podium.
"Yes! I missed her so much!" Daphne was the first to shout, looking at Amy in her new clothes and with her beautifully styled hair, she seemed like a completely different person.
"Just so-so." Ignaz shook his head, his eyes fixed on Amy, unable to look away. How could she suddenly become so beautiful, so delicate, like a porcelain doll?
The other children also looked at Amy with curiosity. The half elf they remembered, always wearing tattered clothes and with messy hair, had suddenly become so pretty and cute, much cuter than the little elf in the next class.
When their gazes fell on the Ugly Duckling in Amy's arms, their eyes lit up. Fluffy, tiny, so adorable! They wanted to hug it, to touch it, and it was white and orange! Unlike the black and white cats outside, it looked even cuter.
This was the first time Amy had received so many admiring and envious glances. Amidst her nervousness, she was also overjoyed. It felt so good that no one was looking at her with disgust and pity anymore, and a smile involuntarily spread across her face.
Luna also smiled. Although she had always wanted Amy to be more confident, but the little girl would become even more frustrated and insecure after being bullied.
But after just a few days, Amy seemed like a completely different person. It wasn't just a change in her clothes, more importantly, she had become stronger and more confident, no longer bothered by being different from others.
The only one who could bring about this change was Mai Ge.
This made Luna a little curious. Why had Mai Ge suddenly become like a different person, suddenly showing Amy such care and affection?
"Amy brought a new friend today and even prepared a song to sing for everyone." Luna said with a smile, looking at Amy with encouragement.
"This is the Ugly Duckling, my…" Amy introduced, holding the Ugly Duckling, but quickly stopped, seemingly conflicted about its role. After a moment, she said, "My Daddy said it will grow into a white swan. Until it grows up, it'll be my pet."
"A white swan?" The children's curiosity was immediately piqued. Looking at the orange kitten in Amy's arms, they wondered what was so ugly about this cute little cat, and why it didn't look like a duck at all. And would it really grow into a white swan?
"Why is it called the Ugly Duckling?" Daphne asked curiously.