Chapter 129: One Can't Always Trick the Pavilion Master, Can They?

A high school campus is naturally not that vast. Even though she had deliberately slowed her pace, it did not take her long to reach the exit. Yuezhen Ling turned back to look at the school gate with a complicated expression; it seemed Luo Chen was not going to follow her after all.

Hmph, and here she was, sticking up for him, yet he couldn't even offer a word of thanks.

The young girl instantly forgot that she had previously claimed it "wasn't really helping," instead nursing a bitter resentment in her heart toward the ungrateful jerk who didn't know how to return a favor.

Since Luo Chen was not coming, Yuezhen Ling lost the desire to linger. She gave a light stomp of her foot and turned to leave.

By the street not far from the school gate, a sturdy, middle-aged man in his thirties or forties bowed slightly. He opened the door of a stretched luxury car and said to the girl before him, "Miss, please step inside."

"Uncle Wang, I’ve told you already, just call me A-Ling."

Yuezhen Ling looked helplessly at the rigid-looking Wang Yan. She had no idea where her father had found this bodyguard; despite it being years, his form of address remained just as distant.

A hint of warmth flickered across Wang Yan’s stern, stoic face, but as a driver and part-time bodyguard, he felt he had no place to be so familiar.

"Sigh..."

Yuezhen Ling sighed softly and said no more; no matter how she tried to persuade him, Wang Yan would never listen.

"Wai... wait..."

Just as Yuezhen Ling was about to enter the car, Luo Chen, having finally shaken off Li Hua, came rushing over in a hurry.

"Luo Chen?" Upon finally seeing the person she had been waiting for, a flash of joy crossed Yuezhen Ling's eyes, though she quickly masked it with a look of feigned confusion as she watched him catch his breath.

"I’m sorry, I was held up for a moment. I intended to thank you in person as soon as class ended, but I didn't expect..." Luo Chen took a few deep breaths, managing to steady himself.

"There’s no need to thank me. I didn't really help with anything anyway." Seeing Luo Chen’s disheveled state, Yuezhen Ling felt her lingering dissatisfaction dissipate like the wind.

"If you hadn't spoken up this morning, I wouldn't have known how to handle Yuan Kuozhong. When that guy loses his temper, I wouldn't dare argue with him. Even if I detest him, I’d have to just bite my tongue."

Luo Chen retorted with a light laugh. If Yuezhen Ling hadn't intervened, he wouldn't have provoked Yuan Kuozhong at that moment; he would have simply waited for a future opportunity to settle the score. When conflicts arise between teachers and students, the teachers usually hold the absolute advantage. Luo Chen vaguely remembered that in his past life, because he couldn't stand a certain teacher's conduct, he had impulsively reported him to the school administration.

The consequence was that, under the "analysis and persuasion" of the vice principal, he had been forced to obediently write a thousand-word letter of apology.

Hearing this, Yuezhen Ling was slightly stunned before she reacted. "I don't believe that for a second. If that were really the case, I’m sure Yuan Kuozhong would have been disgraced within a few days, just like Professor Yuan, right?"

"It’s not that dramatic. How could I be so impulsive as to make him lose his job just because he said a few nasty things? If you hadn't helped me vent my frustration, I wouldn't have thought of a good solution."

Although Yuan Kuozhong hadn't committed any major crimes, he often engaged in corporal punishment and verbal abuse. Even Yuan Kuozhong knew that such behavior was excessive, but once his temper flared, he would forget all about it.

If Luo Chen wanted to, given his influence and with a bit more evidence, a viral video of Yuan Kuozhong’s unhinged behavior could spread across the country in two days. Even if the school didn't fire him, he likely wouldn't have the face to stay.

"Oh? So you’re saying you owe me a proper thank you, then." Though she didn't fully believe Luo Chen was helpless, she was quite pleased by his words. Her wine-red pupils regained their luster as she stared straight at him.

"Gratitude is only natural. How about... I treat you to a meal?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Luo Chen regretted them. Wouldn't this make Yuezhen Ling misunderstand his intentions?

But the girl seemed to lack nothing; other than treating her to a meal, he couldn't think of any other way to show his appreciation.

Standing nearby, Wang Yan’s tightly set face twitched violently upon hearing this. How shameless could this guy be? After accepting the young miss's help, he was now using it as an excuse to ask her out. If Yuezhen Ling hadn't spoken yet, he would have already tossed the brat aside.

However, Wang Yan wasn't worried. Yuezhen Ling wouldn't be fooled by such low-level tactics. Countless men had pestered her in the past, and not one had ever succeeded, or even seen a glimmer of hope.

Yet, to his astonishment, Yuezhen Ling only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

"You said it yourself. Since it’s a thank you..."

Luo Chen hadn't expected her to agree so readily. He had been prepared to smooth over the awkwardness after being rejected. He glanced at the girl, who looked perfectly composed, and wondered: hadn't she realized there was something improper about it? Or was she just so confident in her own integrity that she didn't care about the misunderstanding?

"Well, tell me what you’d like to eat, and we’ll go there. You wouldn't have the heart to bankrupt me in a single meal, would you?"

Since Yuezhen Ling didn't seem to care, Luo Chen saw no reason to be restrained, though he did try to steer the conversation away from the slightly ambiguous territory.

"Playing poor won't work on me. If I wanted to bankrupt you, I could probably rent out the entire China Pavilion for days," Yuezhen Ling retorted, ignoring his feigned poverty. As the most popular streamer on the Star platform, there was no way he was short on cash.

"But we can't go to the China Pavilion. It wouldn't be right to keep taking advantage of Uncle Qiu. I’m not familiar with other restaurants, so why don’t you decide where we should go, Luo Chen?"

Aside from the China Pavilion, she couldn't think of any suitable place. Rarely participating in social gatherings, she wasn't very familiar with the restaurants in Qingshui City, so she passed the choice back to him.

At the mention of the China Pavilion, Luo Chen felt a bit sheepish. After all, he had been there so many times without ever paying a cent. If he even brought a guest there to treat them, the owner would probably be in tears.