Chapter 16: The Cold School Beauty’s Fierce Love
Ever since he was officially recognized as a Nangong, who dared refuse him? Xu Qiuyi was one, which was irritating enough, and now there was Tao Ning.
He couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way. In his mind, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. But reality was cruel, making him stumble where he usually excelled.
He couldn’t touch Tao Ning. Remembering the warnings still ringing in his ears, Nangong Yunfei forced himself to suppress his anger. He was about to speak, but when he looked up, Tao Ning was almost gone.
Nangong Yunfei gritted his teeth and strode after the retreating figure: “Stop! Tao Ning!”
Tao Ning walked briskly, ignoring him.
But his shout still attracted attention, and many curious heads turned towards the source of the commotion. Even the cleaning staff in the distance looked over.
After seeing who was shouting and who was being chased, they all let out curious “ooh”s.
Wasn’t that Nangong Yunfei, who had recently risen in status? And the one in front was indeed Tao Ning, her red highlights unmistakable.
Nangong Yunfei caught up to Tao Ning, reaching for her shoulder but missing. He lowered his voice: “You’re not allowed to use money to force Xu Qiuyi to tutor you.”
Tao Ning stopped, turned around, and looked him up and down, sizing him up with a critical eye before saying, “What’s it to you?”
For some reason, under Tao Ning’s scrutinizing gaze, Nangong Yunfei straightened up involuntarily, a faint pain throbbing in his stomach.
Damn, Tao Ning’s female bodyguard hit hard. He almost suffered internal bleeding, his stomach throbbing throughout the banquet while he made toasts.
Nangong Yunfei took a step closer, his voice heavy: “I’m warning you, no matter how you try to obstruct me and Xu Qiuyi, I will never like you. The stench of money on you disgusts me.”
After saying this, Nangong Yunfei regretted it, but that regret was quickly suppressed by his pride.
Lu Weiyu had suffered a lot to keep him. To be honest, Nangong Yunfei hadn’t had an easy childhood, but that didn’t justify his words to Tao Ning.
Tao Ning understood the underlying meaning: “You think I’m insulting Xu Qiuyi’s noble character by paying her to be my tutor?”
Nangong Yunfei sneered, his eyes filled with disgust: “Isn’t that the case?”
“So good at giving warnings,” Tao Ning crossed her arms and smiled. “Then I’m warning you too, stop pestering Xu Qiuyi.”
Nangong Yunfei: “I’m pursuing her properly, not pestering her.”
Hearing this, Tao Ning looked at him strangely, as if puzzled by something.
What puzzled Tao Ning wasn’t Nangong Yunfei’s strangely confident logic that she was playing hard to get even after being beaten up, but the phrase “pursuing her properly.”
Hearing those words from him was truly rare.
She asked 520, “What was the first description of Nangong Yunfei in the original worldline?”
520, thinking it had a chance to shine, perked up: [Because of his turbulent and difficult childhood, he didn’t understand what it meant to love and be loved. After experiencing a heart-wrenching romance, he finally realized he loved Xu Qiuyi. His initial feelings weren’t just youthful competitiveness and possessiveness.]
Tao Ning said, “You’re a senior in the Matchmaking Department, Zero Zero. Analyze his words just now, what did he mean?”
Now it was “senior” 520 again. Flattered, 520 actually played along: [He’s admitting he likes Xu Qiuyi.]
Tao Ning said, “Did he ever say anything like that before the engagement?”
520 paused: [After checking, no. He was always being tsundere. His most frequent line was ‘My woman.’]
Tao Ning suddenly understood: “Tsk, being clueless isn’t hateful, but pretending to be clueless for personal gain is. Stepping on one fiancée after another, then forcing his youthful white moonlight into a relationship, ruining her reputation, and then he’s forgiven for everything because of his ‘deep affection’.”
Nangong Yunfei saw Tao Ning’s brief silence after his words. Just as he thought she would back down, she reacted.
Raising her eyelids slightly, Tao Ning’s face turned cold: “A word of advice, stay away from me. Otherwise, I’ll find all your father’s illegitimate children and send them to your house.”
What a vicious scheme, how did it escalate to this level?
“…” Nangong Yunfei was furious. “Are you crazy?!”
Tao Ning: “Are you afraid?”
Having poked his sore spot, how could he not be apprehensive?
As the saying goes, the fierce are afraid of the reckless, and the reckless are afraid of those who don’t fear death.
Tao Ning belonged to the reckless category. This stubborn heiress meant what she said and dared to go home and complain to her mother that very night.
Everyone watched as the arrogant Nangong Yunfei’s face turned from red to green, then to white, finally settling on a shade of purple.
In his blue school uniform, he looked like a large eggplant, about to faint from anger.
Then he spat out viciously, “Tao Ning, just you wait!” and stormed off.
His words were loud enough for many to hear.
Tao Ning didn’t linger, walking away first without a glance back.
As for what they had actually said, no one could hear clearly, only guessing from their expressions.
Around the corner, a slender figure was hidden behind a flower bed. Xu Qiuyi stood there with downcast eyes, just as the enraged Nangong Yunfei stormed off.
Nangong Yunfei blurted out, “You heard and saw it too, how vicious she is.”
Xu Qiuyi actually responded, the gloom in her eyes dissipating: “How is she vicious?”
It turned out Xu Qiuyi hadn’t heard their conversation. Nangong Yunfei was relieved, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell the woman he wanted to conquer about his embarrassing situation.
Nangong Yunfei said, “It’s nothing, she just wants to use her family’s power to ruin me. Stay away from her, she’s spoiled by her mother and only knows how to use people.”
Hearing this, Xu Qiuyi was actually a bit disappointed: “You don’t dare to say it.”
After a moment of thought, Xu Qiuyi added, “But there’s one thing I want to make clear. Tao Ning didn’t throw money at me. I’m being compensated for my work. Stop trying to persuade me to break the contract. Young Master, don’t be so arrogant and condescending.”
Nangong Yunfei had thought they were the same kind of people, even though he was now a respected young master: “Don’t you think…”
Xu Qiuyi interrupted him calmly: “Young Master Nangong, if I cared, I wouldn’t have stayed at Ming Rui for two years. I would have transferred schools long ago, like my classmates.”
For a teenager who had never experienced such extravagance, there was no place more glamorous than Ming Rui. This place was filled with prominent figures, every brick practically oozing with the wealth of young masters and misses, making it both loved and hated, often inducing feelings of inferiority.
Xu Qiuyi’s voice was soft but firm: “I don’t care.” I don’t care about her motives, I only care about my own.
With that, she walked down the familiar corridor towards her classroom, bathed in the morning sunlight, radiating a gentle glow.
The person standing in the shadows didn’t move, his eyes fixed on the scene. After a long moment, he sneered.
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