NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 76:
Chapter 76: The Heroine’s Office! Learning Foreign Languages! The Protagonist’s Mental Breakdown:
[Ding! Xiao Wanling feels shy, mood value +555]
[Ding! Xiao Wanling is curious, mood value +666]
[Ding! Xiao Wanling is extremely shocked, emotional points +888]
After an hour, Xiao Wanling left the study room, returning to the courtyard to continue practicing tea art.
“Sister Wanling?”
Just as Xiao Wanling’s thoughts were racing, recalling what had happened earlier, she found herself too distracted to make tea properly. A voice suddenly called out from behind, causing her to freeze. It felt as if she had been caught doing something wrong.
Xiao Wanling turned around and saw Xu Shiqing. Immediately, her eyes darted nervously, and she hesitated.
“Oh, Shiqing…what’s the matter?”
She had just been with Xu Hao, and now, seeing his daughter made her anxious that she might give something away.
“Do you know where Dad is?” Xu Shiqing asked.
“Uncle Xu? No… I don’t know,” Xiao Wanling replied with a nervous laugh.
Xu Shiqing raised an eyebrow, noticing something off about Xiao Wanling today.
“Sister Wanling, why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, no! It’s probably just the heat,” Xiao Wanling quickly replied, glancing at the clear sky and fanning herself.
Xu Shiqing found it strange since the villa was cool, and the heat outside wasn’t that bad.
“… Are you sure you’re not sick? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Xiao Wanling shook her head. “I’m fine, really. It’ll pass.”
Although still worried, Xu Shiqing let it go for the moment. However, just as she was about to leave, she noticed something else.
“Sister Wanling, what’s wrong with your legs? They seem to be shaking. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Xiao Wanling glanced down and noticed her legs trembling slightly. Flustered, she quickly waved it off.
“It’s nothing, just a little numb from squatting too long.”
Xu Shiqing asked puzzledly, “But don’t you make tea while standing? Why were you squatting?”
Xiao Wanling’s heart skipped a beat at the question, internally groaning at how curious Xu Shiqing was being. She quickly made up an excuse.
“I was just resting after standing for too long.”
Xu Shiqing found this odd but didn’t press further. Unable to find her father, she decided to move on.
Once Xu Shiqing left, Xiao Wanling finally relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. She patted down her wrinkled clothes and felt like she had just escaped a near disaster.
[Ding! Xiao Wanling is terrified, emotional points +999]
The day passed quickly. Xu Hao spent half the day at the company, listening to a work report from Xia Qingge for over an hour. In the afternoon, he made his way to the school, accompanied by his personal bodyguard, Bai Ling.
Now that Bai Ling was handling security, Xu Hao’s secretary and driver, Li Kun, had more freedom. An investigation into Li Kun’s suspicious activities had already begun, and once enough evidence was gathered, action would be taken.
According to reports from the bodyguards monitoring Wang Xueying, she was currently alone in her office, working on some lesson plans. Despite some resistance, she had not been fully won over by Xu Hao.
Xu Hao decided it was time to act and planned to win her over once and for all. The office, to a dedicated teacher like Wang Xueying, was a sacred place. But what if something more personal happened there?
Conquest felt close at hand.
He stood before the office door and knocked.
Wang Xueying was at her desk, busily working, when she heard the knock. She looked up, curious about who could be visiting her at this time.
The door opened, revealing Xu Hao.
“Director Xu, why are you here?” Wang Xueying asked, surprised.
“I missed you, so I came to see you.” Xu Hao said, stepping inside.
Her heart raced. She had been trying to forget what happened between them, but now, seeing him again, those memories came flooding back.
“Director Xu, please don’t. We agreed to go back to being just friends…”
Xu Hao sat down in front of her, gazing at her with affection. He reached out and took her hand gently.
“Xueying, I tried to forget you, just as you asked, but I can’t. The more I try, the more I think about you. You’ve become a part of me.” He said, his voice full of emotion.
Wang Xueying’s heart pounded even harder.
What he said mirrored her own feelings. Could she really mean that much to him?
Sensing her hesitation, Xu Hao pressed on. “If you don’t believe me, I’ll announce to everyone right now that we’re together.”
Wang Xueying was shocked.
What if he actually did that?
She was his daughter’s teacher, and he was a married man. If people found out, their reputations would be ruined. No one could know about their relationship.
“Director Xu, you have a family, and I am your daughter’s teacher. I don’t want to destroy your family.” Wang Xueying said softly, trying to pull her hand away.
[Ding! Wang Xueying is deeply moved, emotional points +694]
However, her strength was no match for Xu Hao.
In the end, she had no choice but to let him catch her.
Xu Hao knew that the beautiful teacher, the female lead, wouldn’t tell anyone, so he deliberately pushed his luck. If she were a more unpredictable, dangerous woman, he wouldn’t have dared. But the character he had built up was well-suited for the situation. Until he gained enough strength to handle potential crises, he needed to keep a low profile.
“But… I really can’t let you go. I can’t.” Xu Hao insisted, playing the rogue.
The poor, beautiful teacher felt like a helpless little rabbit in the office. “Teacher, I don’t know any English, please teach me…”
…
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Nancheng Prison, a figure emerged. It was Gao Qiangsheng, the leader of the Brotherhood. After receiving some news the previous day, he pulled some strings and arranged to be let out for a few days.
“Brother, I finally see you!”
“Brother, it’s been a while!”
Even though Gao Qiangsheng had been in prison for four years, his aura hadn’t changed.
“Brother, was anyone bullying you inside? If so, I’ll break their legs!”
As four figures greeted him outside the prison, Gao Qiangsheng smiled, hugging his brothers. But soon, his smile faded, and his expression became serious.
“Old Liu… Is he really…?” he asked in a deep voice.
The atmosphere grew heavy. His brothers lowered their heads, visibly sad. They weren’t just mourning Old Liu’s death, but also because of the backstab they were about to commit.
The second brother recounted what had happened in recent days. Gao Qiangsheng thought they were sad about Old Liu’s death, so he didn’t dwell on it. But when he heard the details, his anger surged.
“What? Old Liu was killed by a hitman hired by the Liu family?” he asked, furious.
No matter how things had gone down, they had killed his brother—an unforgivable offense.
“Brother, the Liu family and their son are dead…” the second brother explained. They had been targeted, and as they fled, both were killed. Unfortunately, the Brotherhood had become scapegoats, and Chen Mo was now a prime suspect.
Gao Qiangsheng was silent for a moment, processing the information. Then he asked, “What about the massacre you mentioned? How was the Brotherhood wiped out?”
The second brother explained further. While they were busy dealing with the Liu family, a secret massacre had occurred. The Brotherhood’s higher-ups were captured, and their enemies seized the opportunity to strike. It seemed likely that the Liu family had framed Chen Mo, using the Brotherhood as scapegoats.
“Damn it…” Gao Qiangsheng clenched his fists, releasing a powerful energy that shocked his brothers.
“Brother, have you made a breakthrough?” one asked, impressed.
Gao Qiangsheng nodded. The second brother’s eyes brightened for a moment, but then dimmed. In the end, it didn’t matter if the Brotherhood was gone. As long as the core group of brothers stayed together, they could rebuild. Especially now that Gao Qiangsheng had reached the peak of his martial skills, starting over would be easy.
However, there was still the problem of Butcher Mo. He had no honor and was watching their every move. Any attempt to retaliate would trigger swift action. Because of this, the second brother decided not to tell Gao Qiangsheng the full truth.
“Brother, we’ll avenge Old Liu, but for now, let’s celebrate your release. There’s no rush for revenge.”
Gao Qiangsheng nodded in agreement. “Let’s go. I’m starving. The prison food was terrible.”
“Brother, aren’t we going to pick up Xiao Mo?” Brother Wu asked.
When Gao Qiangsheng had arranged his own release, he’d also used his connections to free his apprentice, Chen Mo. While Chen Mo was the main suspect, there wasn’t enough evidence to keep him locked up, so the police had let him go.
“No, just give him a call and have him meet us at the restaurant. I only have a few days out of prison, and there are many things I need to discuss with you all.”
The second brother hesitated but said nothing.
Old Mo had instructed them to bring both Gao Qiangsheng and Chen Mo along, but the guilt of the looming betrayal weighed heavily on their minds. Forcing Chen Mo to come along would only raise suspicion.
If Xu Hao were there, he’d probably laugh at the turn of events. The protagonist’s aura had worked again—Gao Qiangsheng was supposed to meet with his apprentice to share heartfelt advice, but instead, fate had intervened, causing a delay.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo had just walked out of the police station, taking a deep breath of fresh air. Freedom felt so good. Looking back at the station, it seemed like a beast, ready to devour anyone in its path. He vowed never to return.
Just as he was about to leave, his phone rang. It was the second brother calling.
“Second uncle, where are you? I just got out of the police station.”
“Come to Tianyuan Restaurant. Your master is out, and we’re all here waiting for you.”
Chen Mo, unaware of the Brotherhood’s downfall, assumed it was business as usual. Excited to meet his master, he flagged down a taxi and eagerly watched the city pass by.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. His pupils shrank as he recognized two familiar figures: Xu Hao and his beautiful teacher, Wang Xueying.
“Stop the car!” he shouted.
He quickly paid the fare and got out, running toward the alley where they had disappeared. It led to a private restaurant, hidden in a quiet part of town. Such places were known for their exclusivity, offering privacy and fine dining to those who preferred a more discreet setting. For most people, getting a reservation was impossible, but for someone like Xu Hao, no reservations were needed.
As Xu Hao and Wang Xueying approached the restaurant, Chen Mo caught up. He stared in disbelief at his beautiful teacher. Her eyes were soft and moist, her cheeks flushed, and she exuded the mature charm of a young woman.
At this moment, Chen Mo’s mind shattered.