Volume One, Chapter 12: Undermining the Foundation

As the girl’s figure vanished completely from sight, he lowered his head to continue checking his phone.

[Maple Leaf]: Boss, you have no heart.
[Maple Leaf]: Boss, I was wrong.
[Maple Leaf]: Boss, I will always support your choice. I approve of this match.

Gu Nanxiao frowned. What was Xie Yangfeng going on about? He swiped up, blocking the relentless stream of messages from the "Husky." He then focused his attention back on heavy-duty Lolita fashion. How on earth was one supposed to pick these things? Looking at the prices, if he had to rely solely on baking cookies to pay off his debts, he would be working for Mu Yao for the rest of his life.

"Teacher Mu, when can we head downstairs?"

When Mu Yao entered the classroom, she was met with a sea of eager, impatient eyes. The school was holding a large-scale science popularization event today. The children were excited, and so was Mu Yao—she didn't want to work, either. These kids were usually quite lively, and with something like this on their minds, they were even more restless, leaving Mu Yao feeling utterly exhausted.

"Everyone, settle down! Look at the state of you! If you can't control yourselves, stand up and recite the lesson. Gu Nanqing, you go first!"

Gu Nanqing, who had been sitting obediently at his desk—having neither spoken a word nor joined in the chaos—was the first to rise. He cast a resentful glance at Mu Yao on the podium, thinking of his older brother’s earnest instructions, and resigned himself to his fate. His brother, who usually only cared about suspects, seemed to have taken a special interest in Teacher Mu. As his younger brother, he had to learn to be supportive.

The event was mandated by city officials, and every school was trying to outdo the others. The playground was packed with countless fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances. The last time Mu Yao had seen such a bustling scene was in a TV drama... or perhaps that one anime convention. The audience today included not only students and teachers but also parent representatives.

Mu Yao stood at the back of the line, letting her mind wander. A sharp, pungent perfume hit her nose, giving her a headache, followed by the sound of high heels clicking against the ground.

"Teacher Mu, could you come with me for a moment? I have something to discuss with you." The voice sounded as if it had been forced through a nose, dripping with disdain.

Mu Yao curled her lip, looking for an excuse to brush her off.

"Go ahead, Xiao Yao. I’ll keep an eye on the class for you," said Gao Mingyu, who had sidled over.

Mu Yao smiled at him, but the woman on the other side continued to urge her impatiently. Mu Yao’s fists clenched. The woman was wearing a tight red dress that left nothing to the imagination, her ear-length hair styled with meticulous precision. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was attending a business banquet.

"Mrs. Zhao Zihan, is there something I can help you with?" The school had only held one parent-teacher meeting this semester, and besides Gu Nanxiao, this woman had left a deep impression on Mu Yao. She was far too memorable. It was no exaggeration to say that for the past six months, every bit of trouble Mu Yao had faced while managing the class had been instigated by this woman.

"Teacher Mu, my Zihan told me that you’ve been paying significantly less attention to him lately, and instead you’re busy dealing with that... class monitor. Is he more important than my child?! Let me tell you..."

Here it comes, again. Mu Yao rolled her eyes internally. For the past half-year, she had heard the story of Zhao Zihan’s upbringing so many times she could recite it backward. It was as if her child were the only golden nugget in existence and everyone else’s children had to clear the path for him. The woman seemed to think Mu Yao should revolve solely around Zhao Zihan.

"Understood, I will keep that in mind. Mrs. Zhao, if there’s nothing else, I must return. They need the teachers over there."

The woman reached out to stop her, but Mu Yao offered a thin smile and slipped away with the grace of a fish in water, leaving the woman standing there with her hand still raised in the air.

When Mu Yao returned to her spot, she nearly let out a shriek. More than half the children in her class were gone! The kids were missing, and so was Gao Mingyu. Most alarming of all, the children from Gao Mingyu’s class were still there! She scanned the area in panic. She couldn't even see Gu Nanqing, who usually listened to her every word!

...

Mu Yao sat on a small chair and let out a long sigh of relief. The event had concluded, and the children returned to their respective teachers. Gao Mingyu’s students looked at him with anticipation, while Gao Mingyu looked at Mu Yao with the same expression. Mu Yao pressed a hand to her forehead. She just wanted some peace and quiet.

"Teacher Mu! Teacher Mu! There’s a young man looking for you over there!"

The most energetic children in the class quickly surrounded her, chirping and pointing in a certain direction. Mu Yao followed their gestures and saw a police officer in uniform standing there. She looked over, confused, and the young officer gave her a shy smile. She recoiled as if she had been electrocuted.

"Teacher, teacher, this is the contact info the young man gave me. He said to give it to you!"

Mu Yao, who had been about to stand up, froze. It couldn't possibly be what she thought... could it?

"No! Teacher Mu belongs to my brother!"

Gu Nanqing had appeared at her side at some point, snatching the note from her hand and delivering an explosive declaration. Mu Yao’s attention was instantly snapped back to reality.

*I am not, I don't have that, don't talk nonsense!*

"Teacher Mu belongs to my brother!"
"She’s mine!"
"She’s my daddy’s!"

Mu Yao was gradually giving up on struggling until she heard that last sentence. Her eyes widened. *Child, that is... not something you should be saying!*

Beside her, Gu Nanqing was frantic. Gone was his usual little-gentleman demeanor; he rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump in and argue with his classmate. He had put in so much extra work memorizing those lessons—if Teacher Mu ended up belonging to someone else, wouldn’t he have lost everything for nothing? Seven-year-old Gu Nanqing refused to accept this outcome.

Mu Yao swiftly scooped the child up and whisked him away. It was time to flee this scene of chaos!

"Is it a good show? Why don't you stop going back?"

The young police officer who had given Mu Yao the contact information turned around, the smile on his face freezing instantly. "Boss Gu, I was wrong."

His attitude toward admitting fault was impeccable. Gu Nanxiao stared at him, and the young officer lowered his head further and further until it was almost buried in his chest. "Don't let it happen again."

As Gu Nanxiao’s figure receded into the distance, the young officer let out a sigh of relief. The boss was in a rather foul mood today.

...

It was Friday. Four days had passed since Gu Nanqing last came to her place. Habits were truly a terrifying thing to form.

A loud rumble echoed across the sky, followed by a downpour of dense raindrops drumming against the window. The sweltering summer heat was not alleviated by the storm; if anything, it only brought a greater sense of agitation. The TV in front of her finally began playing the closing credits. Mu Yao stood up, thought for a few seconds before leaving the room, then stepped back to grab a book at random. She needed a reasonably decent excuse to investigate the situation next door.

"Teacher Mu! Why are you here!"

The moment Gu Nanqing saw Mu Yao behind the door, he threw it open and rushed over to hug her. Mu Yao reached up and touched the tip of her nose. Fortunately, the child wasn't actually looking for answers to any questions.

Mu Yao settled into her familiar spot, sitting close to Gu Nanqing as they went about their routine. The heart that had felt empty for a week was, at this moment, finally filled.