Chapter Thirty-Eight: My Beautiful Teacher

Chapter Thirty-Eight: My Beautiful Teacher

Xu Yun eased off the accelerator, glancing at Guoguo through the rearview mirror. Her rosy, mischievous face showed no sign of motion sickness. "If I were driving a Ferrari, I bet you wouldn’t feel dizzy at all."

Guoguo pouted, making up an excuse to change the subject. "Daddy, Wan’er told me my homeroom teacher is a real beauty."

"Really?" Xu Yun’s eyes lit up. Beautiful women were always a good thing; a gentleman loves a fair lady, after all. "Does that mean I’m underdressed for the occasion?"

"What do you think?" Guoguo was exasperated. Driving a second-hand Citroën was embarrassing enough, but pairing it with flip-flops, a tank top, and baggy shorts—seriously, was her dad deliberately trying to make her lose face?

But Xu Yun was never one to lack self-confidence. "I think I look great. Everything’s freshly washed, and we have a car. That puts us solidly in the middle class, right?"

"Give it a rest. These days, even those driving Audis hesitate to call themselves bosses. Only those with S-Class Mercedes dare say they’re middle class." Guoguo shrugged, holding out her soft little hands. "Dad, where do you get your self-confidence?"

Xu Yun was at a loss for words. To himself, he thought, I may not have much, but I’m surrounded by beautiful women. Not even the richest bosses have such luck. That alone makes me prouder than any of them!

Ruan Qingshuang remained silent. They were only going to register at the school—how did it end up sounding like a matchmaking event for Xu Yun?

"We’re here," Qiu Yan interjected, always straight to the point.

Xu Yun calmly flicked on his turn signal and steered towards the school gate. One after another, luxury cars rolled into the gates of Bilingual International School, a clear sign that the tuition here was anything but modest.

"Hey, what’s your business here?" After the luxury cars passed through unhindered, the security guard dropped the barrier in front of Xu Yun’s Citroën. "This is a school. What are you doing here?"

Xu Yun smiled. "I’m here to enroll my child."

The guard gave the car a once-over, then took in Xu Yun’s casual attire. "Buddy, are you sure you’re at the right place? This is a private school. You sure you want to enroll here?"

Xu Yun narrowed his eyes, itching to teach the guard a lesson. The BMWs were let through without question, but his Citroën was being stopped.

Guoguo sighed, thinking that the guard wasn’t entirely to blame.

Just as the guard was about to say more, a confident young woman with a ponytail appeared at the gate, walking toward Xu Yun’s car. "Excuse me, are you friends of Qin Wan’er?"

Xu Yun nearly stepped on the gas in excitement, only to be stopped by the stiff pedal of his old car. What an elegant beauty—willow-leaf brows, skin like jade, and a slender figure clad in black capri pants and a khaki collared blouse tucked smartly at the waist. Her slightly open collar struggled to contain her impressive curves.

Xu Yun’s eyes were glued to her. He almost wanted to ask about the school’s enrollment age—maybe, with the right connections, he could attend classes here too. What a blessed life that would be!

At some point, Ruan Qingshuang and Qiu Yan had already helped Guoguo out of the car.

"Hello, I’m Ruan Qingshuang, a friend of Wan’er’s," Ruan Qingshuang said with a smile. "This is my daughter, and this is her sister, Qiu Yan."

"Hello, beautiful teacher!" Guoguo’s sweet words tumbled out effortlessly. "My name is Guoguo. Teacher, you’re so beautiful! I used to think my mom and sister were the prettiest, but you’re absolutely stunning!"

The teacher with the ponytail couldn’t help but laugh. What an adorable little girl—by far the cutest and most charming she’d ever met. "Hello, Guoguo. You’re so sweet. I already like you a lot."

She turned to Ruan Qingshuang and Qiu Yan with a gentle smile. "My name is Su Xiaoran. I’ll be Guoguo’s homeroom teacher. Let’s head inside and get you registered."

"Miss Su, are these friends of yours?" The school security guard’s attitude softened considerably.

"Um, they’re acquaintances of Principal Dong," Su Xiaoran replied quietly.

The guard’s demeanor changed instantly, a broad smile replacing his earlier sternness as he quickly raised the barrier. "Ah, you should’ve said so! Friends of Principal Dong—please, come right in!"

Yet the car didn’t budge. The guard stiffened nervously. Had he offended someone important? Losing his job over this would be a disaster.

With a sigh, Guoguo walked up and tapped on the car window, whispering, "Daddy, stop staring. You’re embarrassing me! She’s my teacher now—you’ll see her plenty."

Snapping out of his daze, Xu Yun put on his best "I dote on you for a reason" face. "Hop in!"

"I think I’ll pass…" Guoguo laughed awkwardly. "I’m going to register!"

She dashed off, while Su Xiaoran gave Xu Yun a polite smile before leading the group toward the administration building. Xu Yun quickly parked the car outside and hurried after them.

The enrollment process went smoothly. Once everything was settled, Ruan Qingshuang pulled out her phone. "Miss Su, Guoguo is a handful. Could I have your number in case I need to reach you?"

"Of course," Su Xiaoran replied, exchanging numbers. "But I think Guoguo is delightful and very bright. Don’t worry about a thing."

Xu Yun chuckled. "That’s just because you don’t know her yet."

"Dad, what did you say?" Guoguo shot him a glare.

"I said you’re the best," Xu Yun replied with a helpless smile.

Su Xiaoran was genuinely surprised. Such young parents with a daughter this age? Did that mean they’d married as teenagers? Compared to them, she felt slightly embarrassed—she hadn’t even started dating. She made a mental note to ask Qin Wan’er about this family later. It also bothered her that Qin Wan’er had approached Principal Dong about Guoguo’s enrollment instead of just coming to her, especially since she’d already told Wan’er she was teaching here.

"Miss Su, it’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t you join us at the herbal restaurant?" Ruan Qingshuang invited sincerely.

Guoguo chimed in, "Please come with us, Miss Su! My dad’s herbal dishes are delicious!"

"Yes, let me show off a little," Xu Yun volunteered enthusiastically. "I’ll make my specialty—American ginseng and Dendrobium pork soup!"

Su Xiaoran smiled politely and declined. "School starts tomorrow, and there’s still a lot to prepare. Maybe another time—I’d love to try your cooking, Mr. Guoguo’s Dad."

"In that case, we won’t keep you," Ruan Qingshuang said, understanding that Su Xiaoran was busy. "Thank you so much for your help today, Miss Su."

"It’s my duty," Su Xiaoran replied with a gentle smile. "Principal Dong personally entrusted me with this, and I’m friends with Wan’er too. I won’t see you out—goodbye."

They had already stepped outside the administration building.

"Goodbye, Miss Su!" Guoguo blew her a kiss. She knew she’d be spending the next few years with this teacher, so she wanted to start off on the right foot.

"Goodbye, Guoguo!" Su Xiaoran smiled. What a lovable child.

After bidding farewell, they left the school. Xu Yun drove them back to the herbal restaurant. A milestone like Guoguo's school enrollment deserved a proper celebration; he’d cook up a few specialties.

With a screech, the Citroën parked stylishly at the restaurant’s entrance. But the place was deserted—Qiangzi, Xiaofei, and the gang might be out having fun, but where was Pang Gang? He’d promised to work overtime on the renovations, yet there was no sign of him.

"That’s not very professional," Guoguo said, hands clasped behind her back as she shook her head in disappointment.

Ruan Qingshuang was puzzled too. Pang Gang didn't seem like the unreliable type. Why would he just disappear?

Xu Yun walked in. The leveling tools, air compressor, nail gun, and a heap of plasterboards and lumber were all left behind in the restaurant. If Pang Gang had quit mid-job, he would never have abandoned his tools—those were his livelihood.

"Something’s happened," Qiu Yan said softly, sharp eyes catching subtle details.

Xu Yun nudged a pile of wood shavings with his foot. Among them was a dark, reddish stain—unmistakably blood. Xu Yun’s brows knit together as his keen gaze swept the renovation site. Faint blood spatters could be seen everywhere.

What on earth had happened?

Could it be retaliation from the Four Wolves Gang? Xu Yun’s fists clenched, veins popping. Those bastards!

A chill crept over Ruan Qingshuang. Those people were truly beyond their means to handle. How could Qin Wan’er have rounded up all of them by herself?

Xu Yun glanced up at the nearly finished ceiling, his mind racing. Something wasn’t right. If this were the Four Wolves Gang, they would have smashed the place and destroyed everything.

But nothing had been damaged—not even a single plasterboard. Only the people had vanished.

There was clearly more to this than met the eye.

Qiu Yan, like Xu Yun, was troubled by the same question. Neither wanted to worry Ruan Qingshuang unnecessarily.

"Xu Yun, stay here and watch over them," Qiu Yan said coolly. "I’ll go take a look around."

"Be careful," Xu Yun replied, not trying to stop her. Qiu Yan had far more experience tracking down trouble in the underworld. Besides, he still had to get lunch ready. "I’ll start cooking—come back and eat with us."

Qiu Yan nodded and left without another word.

"Xu Yun, I have no appetite," Ruan Qingshuang admitted. One crisis after another—would she ever get a moment’s peace?

Guoguo, ever considerate, said, "Mom, if you’re not eating, then I won’t eat either."

Thinking of her daughter, Ruan Qingshuang relented. "Alright, I’ll eat so you can eat too."

"Great, I’ll make something light today," Xu Yun said, giving Guoguo a thumbs-up before heading into the kitchen. It was lunchtime, after all—people needed food to keep going.