Ch. 411: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life Chapter 411

Chapter 411

A child spotted Baimo and immediately lit up with excitement.

"Teacher Baimo!"

Norah turned her head at the sound.

Baimo was dressed in a black shirt, the top two buttons undone, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He stood in the sunlight, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, the other holding a few books. His dark eyes, framed by gold-rimmed glasses, carried an unreadable depth, but a subtle smile played at his lips.

The next moment, the children around Norah swarmed toward Baimo.

"Teacher Baimo! She said she pronounced the word wrong!"

"Teacher Baimo, didn’t you teach us last time that this word was a beckoning gesture?"

"Teacher Baimo, we only trust you!"

"Teacher Baimo, we don’t know her! Who is she?"

Their voices overlapped in a flurry of chatter. Some of the children even shot Norah sharp, unwelcoming looks.

Suddenly, a young boy grabbed a rock and hurled it at her.

Norah reacted quickly, dodging just in time. But in that instant, Baimo rushed forward.

The stone struck his thigh instead.

His expression darkened. "Ahshan," he said firmly, "what have I always taught you?"

The boy, Ahshan, lowered his head. "Teacher Baimo, you always tell us to be kind to others and never use violence to solve problems."

Baimo didn’t just teach these children—he guided the entire village through his actions. If not for his presence, Norah and Kokura wouldn’t have even been allowed inside.

Ogura, after all, was a member of the Yi tribe.

Ahshan, still defiant, frowned. "Teacher Baimo, you’re our only teacher. Who is she to us?"

He spoke in the Yi dialect.

Strangely enough, Norah understood him. His resentful gaze made his meaning clear, and though Ogura had only taught her basic phrases, she had studied the language on her own the night before. She hadn’t expected to comprehend it so soon.

Baimo’s voice was steady but firm. "Even if she isn’t your teacher, if she corrects you, you should listen with an open mind. I won’t always be here. Now, apologize to her."

Ahshan hesitated but eventually walked up to Norah, lowering his head. In broken Chinese, he muttered, "I’m sorry…"

"It’s fine," Norah said gently. "Maybe you just confused one gesture with another. But now that Teacher Baimo is here, he can explain it to you properly."

Since Baimo had chosen to stay and teach these children, it was clear he carried a deep sense of responsibility. He wouldn’t defend them blindly.

Still, there was something about him that didn’t quite fit.

She couldn't reconcile this patient, bookish teacher with the rumors surrounding Pharaoh.

But she couldn’t let her guard down.

Leaving the scene, Norah followed their host and helped Ogura repair the school. Ogura worked in silence, avoiding conversation.

Before long, the sound of children reading filled the air.

Hearing it in the midst of such chaotic times was almost surreal. It was a reminder of how well this village had been shielded from the outside world.

"This is our lunch today," a voice suddenly said beside her.

A man handed her a small roasted potato.

"Thank you," she replied in Yi dialect.

Sitting on a tree stump, she started peeling the potato.

A shadow fell over her.

Looking up, she saw Baimo standing in front of her.

A gentle smile tugged at his lips. "The children are young, and I’m the only teacher here," he said. "I’m sorry for earlier."

Without another word, he sat down next to her, peeling a piece of food of his own. Then, he extended a cheesecake toward her.

Norah didn’t take it. "The boy already apologized," she said.

"He only did it because of me," Baimo replied, maintaining his relaxed posture. "If you hadn’t dodged in time, he would have hit you." He paused. "I don’t know your name."

Norah hesitated, sensing the weight behind his words. But she still answered, "Norah White."

She knew she was being watched. Pharaoh’s men were searching for her. If revealing her name could serve a purpose, then there was no reason to hide it.

Baimo’s smile remained, unreadable. The next moment, he placed the cheesecake in her hand.

"The situation here is unstable," he said. "What brought you here?"

His voice was calm, almost too smooth—another test.

Norah met his gaze and smiled faintly. "Just passing through. I happened to pick up some of the language along the way."

A breeze swept past, lifting strands of her hair. She instinctively raised a hand to brush them back.

As she did, the string of emerald-green beads on her wrist caught the sunlight, shimmering brilliantly.

Baimo’s eyes flickered slightly before he looked away, still smiling.

"You heard the children call me Teacher Baimo," he said. "I’ll be leaving for a while, but since you’re here, you can teach them Chinese in my place."

Before she could protest, he added, "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re paid. If you need anything, let me know—I can bring supplies back when I return."

Norah’s instincts told her that "Baimo" was just an alias.

He seemed to be a good man in every situation.

But Pharaoh was a monster.

And now… Baimo was leaving on purpose.

She kept her expression neutral. "You saw what happened earlier. The children only recognize you as their teacher."

"That’s fine," Baimo said. "I’ll explain it to them. You don’t have to worry about that."

"Alright," she replied. "You don’t need to pay me—as long as I can stay and stay safe from the war. But I do need a charger for my TPC."

If Baimo could leave so easily and return unscathed in this dangerous region, then his influence ran deep.

And he wasn’t just acquainted with Pharaoh.

"I’ll get it for you later," he said smoothly.

Everything about him seemed kind, almost too perfect.

No wonder the children adored him.

"Thank you," Norah said automatically.

Baimo stood up and left.

Norah finished her roasted potato.

Ogura approached, and Norah instinctively offered her the cheesecake.

But Ogura’s expression hardened.

"You heard him say he knows Pharaoh," she snapped. "And you still dared to eat his food? You even sat there, chatting with him like it was nothing!"

Before Norah could react, Ogura smacked the cheesecake out of her hand, sending it tumbling to the ground.