Forcibly Taken by My Student’s Mother - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Truly… Both Closet Pervert and Direct…

Tao Yao suppressed her excitement, trying hard to make her voice sound calm. “During university, I focused more on my studies, part-time jobs, and writing nov—just writing things casually.” She almost let it slip about writing smut; that was close.

“Is that so?” Lu Xuelan chuckled softly. The laughter was faint, but it brushed against Tao Yao’s eardrums like a feather. “But Xiaowan told me that during university, you were a star in your department—popular, good at sports, very much in the spotlight. There must have been many pursuers.”

Tao Yao cursed Su Xiaowan’s big mouth in her heart. Next time she came for a lesson, she would definitely give her some “special attention”!

“Su Xiaowan is talking nonsense; she just loves to joke and exaggerate.” Tao Yao gave a couple of dry laughs. “No one really pursued me, honestly. I’m usually… quite low-profile.”

In truth, it wasn’t that there were zero pursuers, but she had politely declined them all. Part of it was having no mood due to the mess at home, and part of it was that she genuinely hadn’t met anyone who made her heart skip a beat. Besides, most of her spare time was spent writing and working part-time—

Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud.

Lu Xuelan didn’t press further and turned her head back to look forward.

With dozens of seconds left on the red light, the cabin fell back into a silence occupied only by the sound of rain, music, and the breathing of two people.

Tao Yao was pondering whether to find a topic to break the awkwardness when suddenly, Lu Xuelan leaned over again.

Tao Yao’s body tensed instantly, her heart leaping into her throat, and all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her brain.

Lu Xuelan’s hand reached toward her—right next to her shoulder.

“The seatbelt is a bit loose.” Her tone was natural, as if merely stating a fact. Her fingers grabbed the seatbelt beside Tao Yao and gave it a light tug, adjusting it to a more snug position.

With her movement, her hair almost brushed against Tao Yao’s cheek, enveloping her in that cold fragrance.

The distance was extremely close.

Tao Yao could see her long, thick eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes, her straight nose, and her beautifully shaped lips that looked very moist. That surrounding scent almost boxed her in, making her feel dizzy.

This old woman… is really good at this!

Tao Yao ranted wildly in her mind. Lu Xuelan’s actions were incredibly natural, and her reason was perfectly dignified.

Good thing she was straight, otherwise, who could withstand this close-range critical hit of beauty and atmospheric harassment?

She felt her cheeks starting to heat up again; she knew they must be red without even looking in a mirror.

Lu Xuelan seemed to confirm the seatbelt was adjusted, yet at the moment she withdrew her hand, her fingertips seemed to accidentally graze the exposed skin below Tao Yao’s collarbone, which was heaving slightly due to tension.

The cool, soft touch was like a weak electric current, instantly surging through Tao Yao’s entire body.

Tao Yao shuddered, her scalp tingling, and her breath hitched.

What made her blood surge even more was that as Lu Xuelan retreated to the driver’s seat, her gaze landed on Tao Yao’s chest, which was rising and falling slightly from nervousness. In that calm, waveless voice that sounded exceptionally ambiguous at this moment, she said unhurriedly:

“Teacher Tao’s heartbeat… seems a bit fast. Are you nervous?”

This sentence was like a fuse, instantly igniting the frustration Tao Yao had suppressed all day.

Her head heated up, and almost without thinking, she lunged out and grabbed Lu Xuelan’s wrist before she could fully retract it.

“President Lu.” Tao Yao raised her head, staring directly into Lu Xuelan’s deep eyes, which now flashed with a hint of surprise. Due to excitement, her voice was a bit tight. “Doing this… isn’t very appropriate, is it?”

She was going for it!

Rather than being teased and toyed with like this in an ambiguous way, she might as well take the opportunity to lay it all out!

She wanted to see how this closet pervert, who was one way to her face and another behind her back, would explain. Even if she lost her job, she had to let out this bit of resentment! At worst… at worst, she’d just quit!

The air in the cabin froze instantly. There was only the sound of splashing rain and the lingering tail of the piano piece.

Tao Yao could feel the wrist she was holding—slender, with delicate, cool skin and a clear wrist bone. But it seemed… there was no struggle? Instead, following Tao Yao’s force, Lu Xuelan leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them.

So close that Tao Yao could see her own exasperated yet forced-calm face reflected in Lu Xuelan’s eyes.

At the corner of Lu Xuelan’s lips, that subtle, almost imperceptible smile deepened slightly, carrying a certain dangerous allure.

“Teacher Tao, what are you talking about? Where… is it inappropriate?”

Playing dumb? You closet pervert, you’re still playing dumb with me!

Tao Yao was stunned by this role-reversal posture, and then her sense of grievance grew even stronger, mixed with the shame of being outmaneuvered.

Fine, you asked for it!

Exasperated, she wanted to open her mouth and prepare to dump out everything—the forum posts, the late-night smutty videos, the lace camisole—to question her thoroughly and tear off this facade of ease and sanctimony.

Suddenly, Lu Xuelan’s other hand moved.

From somewhere, as if by magic, she pulled a bank card out of her trench coat pocket.

Then, under Tao Yao’s bewildered gaze, she gently tucked that card into the pocket on the chest of Tao Yao’s dress.

The cold edge of the card scraped against her skin through the thin fabric, giving Tao Yao another jolt and instantly clearing most of her head.

Lu Xuelan maintained that close posture, looking at Tao Yao’s instantly stunned expression. She gave a light chuckle, her voice returning to its usual calmness, carrying the composure of someone in full control of the situation.

“Teacher Tao, I heard Xiaowan mention once that your family seems to have some special circumstances and is in urgent need of money?”

Tao Yao opened her mouth, and all the questions and fury that were about to burst forth were suddenly frozen.

“Inside is an advance on next month’s tutoring fees, plus a little bonus.” Lu Xuelan released her grip on Tao Yao’s wrist, her gaze still locked onto her. That gaze was deep, as if it could see into the most vulnerable parts of one’s heart. “I hope this can help you relieve the immediate crisis.”

Tao Yao: “…”

Fck!

In an instant, all her words were crushed to dust by this lightweight bank card.

Money.

It was her Achilles’ heel, and Lu Xuelan had pinched it with pinpoint accuracy.

That impulse to “expose the truth and take revenge” from just now was like a balloon pricked by a needle—with a “pfft,” it went flat. Tao Yao cursed “old fox” and “capitalist sugar-coated bullets” a hundred times in her heart, but the reality was—she needed this money.

What could she do? Throw the card back forcefully, scream at her, resign with a flourish, and never see her again?

Then what about next month’s loan? What about her parents’ distressed faces?

She couldn’t do it.

Besides! Tao Yao thought on second glance, this money was the tutoring fee she deserved; it was just an advance. As for the bonus… Lu Xuelan gave that voluntarily. She taught the lessons with her own ability; why shouldn’t she take it? Yes, that’s right!

Thinking this way, she immediately felt much better.

She lowered her eyes, her long lashes hiding the surging emotions within, and struggled to squeeze out a standard smile.

“…Thank you, President Lu.” She intentionally slowed her speaking pace, articulating every word clearly. “You… are very thoughtful. Then I… won’t stand on ceremony.”

Lu Xuelan looked at her sudden change in attitude and smiled, seemingly very satisfied with Tao Yao’s “understanding of the situation.”

“You’re welcome.” She turned back, restarted the car, and her tone returned to its usual flatness. “Sit tight, let’s go.”

For the rest of the journey, the two of them didn’t have any further conversation.

Tao Yao leaned her head to look at the blurred light and shadows distorted by the rain outside, calculating in her mind.

As for Lu Xuelan’s little schemes… Tao Yao snorted in her heart. Old woman, we’ll see.

Anyway, I’ve taken the money and I’ll continue the lessons. You want to flirt? Fine, let’s see what tricks you can pull.

Once I figure out your secrets and expose all your closet pervert business, let’s see who’s embarrassed!

Thinking this way, her mood suddenly brightened.

The car drove steadily through the rainy night, the street scenes outside blurring into flowing spots of light. Tao Yao stole a glance at Lu Xuelan’s profile with her peripheral vision. That cold and glamorous face had no expression right now, focused on the road conditions ahead.

But Tao Yao knew what kind of turbulent thoughts were hidden beneath this calm exterior.

A woman who would post on a forum asking how to chase her daughter’s teacher, an old fox who wore a black lace camisole to test her, and a closet pervert who would send smutty videos at midnight for her to “filter”—now she was using a bank card to shut her up.

Truly… both closet pervert and direct.

So contradictory it was maddening.

Tao Yao suddenly remembered that post on the forum where L said it was love at first sight.

Love at first sight? Bullshit. There’s no such thing as love at first sight; it’s clearly lust at first sight, or… being bored and looking for fun?

Yes, it must be that. A wealthy and powerful female CEO like her has a life that’s too boring, so she’s having fun with a poor student like me. Flirting a bit, testing a bit—seeing her panicked and at a loss is probably very interesting.

Tao Yao sneered in her heart. We’ll see who plays who in the end.