Forcibly Taken by My Student’s Mother - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Her Entire Ear Burned, Spreading…

Tao Yao hesitated outside the study for five minutes.

The door was ajar, revealing a crack through which Lu Xuelan’s voice drifted out. She seemed to be in a video conference, her tone carrying an unquestionable sense of authority.

She should leave and come back after the meeting ended.

As if possessed, she stole a glance through the crack in the door.

Lu Xuelan was sitting behind a large solid wood desk, her back to the floor-to-ceiling window.

She wore a light gray suit jacket with a white silk shirt underneath. The collar wasn’t fastened primly to the very top, leaving her chest partially visible. Her long hair was pinned up as usual, revealing a slender neck and a sharp jawline.

The light from the computer screen reflected on her face. Those eyes, usually calm and waveless, were now focused intently on the screen, blinking occasionally as her lashes cast faint shadows beneath them.

Tao Yao watched, somewhat dazed.

Setting aside all the messy entanglements, Lu Xuelan’s appearance while working… was indeed very charming. That sense of total concentration, the confidence of controlling the whole situation, and an aura that sat right between calm and sharp.

“Teacher Tao?”

The voice suddenly came from inside.

Tao Yao jumped, nearly crying out in fright.

Lu Xuelan had turned her head at some point and was looking straight at her.

The meeting seemed to still be going on, as she was wearing Bluetooth earphones, but her gaze had already landed on Tao Yao.

Tao Yao’s face instantly flushed. Getting caught red-handed while peeping was too embarrassing.

“I, I…” she stammered incoherently. “I wanted to talk to you about Su Xiaowan’s studies, but since you’re busy, I’ll come back later…”

She turned, wanting to slip away.

“Wait a moment.” Lu Xuelan spoke up. “The meeting is ending soon. You can come in and wait.”

Tao Yao froze.

Go in and wait? Stay in the same room as Lu Xuelan while she was in a video conference?

Thinking about it, sitting there like an idiot waiting would be quite awkward.

“No, no need, President Lu. I’ll just…”

“Come in.” Lu Xuelan had already turned back to the screen, her tone allowing no refusal.

Tao Yao gritted her teeth and pushed the door open, forcing herself inside.

The study was large, decorated in a minimalist modern style. A wall-to-wall bookshelf was filled with hardcover books. Near the window sat a set of deep gray sofas and a coffee table, which held a geometric vase with a few sprigs of fresh white iris.

Lu Xuelan pointed toward the sofa, signaling Tao Yao to sit, while she continued to focus on the meeting.

Tao Yao walked over lightly and sat on the edge of the sofa, trying her best to minimize her presence. She pulled her lesson plans and textbooks out of her backpack, pretending to read intently while her ears were actually perked up, trying to catch what Lu Xuelan was saying.

She would pause occasionally to listen to the other party, then give concise and powerful responses.

Not a single wasted word, not a shred of hesitation. As expected of a president of a listed company; she really had a commanding presence.

Tao Yao stole a glance toward the desk.

From this angle, she could see Lu Xuelan’s profile—her high nose, distinct lip shape, and a sharp, clean jawline. She looked every bit the high-powered career woman, the kind of “imperial older sister” with flaming red lips who looked very dominant. Her posture was very proper—back straight, shoulders relaxed—an embodiment of long-cultivated poise.

The sunlight shone from behind her, making the silk shirt shimmer with a delicate luster as it rose and fell slightly with her breathing.

Tao Yao couldn’t help but think back to that post on the forum again. L said it was love at first sight.

She found it increasingly unbelievable, even absurd. What kind of scenes hadn’t a person like Lu Xuelan witnessed? What kind of outstanding people hadn’t she met? How could she fall in love at first sight with a perfectly ordinary tutor?

It had to be boredom, looking for fun, or…

“So we need to see the final proposal by next Friday.” Lu Xuelan’s voice interrupted her stray thoughts. “If there are no other questions, that will be all for this meeting.”

She said a few more words and then ended the video.

The study fell silent instantly.

Lu Xuelan took off her Bluetooth earphones and rubbed her temples, her movements betraying a hint of fatigue.

But she quickly returned to normal, turned her chair, and looked at Tao Yao.

“Sorry for the wait.” She stood up and walked toward the sofa.

Tao Yao stood up quickly as well. “No, no, it was I who interrupted you.”

“Sit.” Lu Xuelan sat in the single-seater sofa opposite her, legs crossed, her posture composed. “What’s the matter with Xiaowan now?”

She cut straight to the chase without small talk or preamble, clearly having guessed Tao Yao’s purpose for coming.

Tao Yao’s prepared opening lines were forgotten in an instant.

She looked at Lu Xuelan; the woman’s expression was calm, her eyes held an inquiry, but no readable emotion.

“It’s… about her attitude toward learning.” Tao Yao took a deep breath and began her statement. “Student Su is very smart. If she’s willing to learn, she can actually progress very quickly. But the problem is, she is completely unwilling to put in the effort.”

She described today’s class situation in detail: from how Su Xiaowan openly played on her phone and gave perfunctory responses to her total lack of interest in the material, ending with her own helplessness.

“Previously, I could barely maintain her attention by using topics she’s interested in to guide her.” Tao Yao felt more helpless as she spoke. “But now even that trick doesn’t work. She has no interest in learning Chinese itself. As soon as it involves basic knowledge that requires effort, she immediately zones out.”

Lu Xuelan listened quietly, her fingers lightly tapping the sofa armrest, seemingly lost in thought.

Tao Yao hesitated for a moment but decided to speak her truest thoughts.

“President Lu, I know it might be inappropriate for a tutor to say this.” She chose her words carefully. “But I feel… ordinary preaching and admonition might be useless for Su Xiaowan. She knows all too well that I can’t do anything to her.”

Lu Xuelan looked up at her. “Your meaning is?”

“My meaning is…” Tao Yao grumbled inwardly: I can’t exactly say I want to beat your daughter!

She could only hint vaguely, “Perhaps some… stronger measures are needed. For example, if she plays with her phone in class again, we could… confiscate her phone or adopt stricter disciplinary methods.”

After finishing, Tao Yao looked at Lu Xuelan with some trepidation.

She knew these words might cause offense. After all, Su Xiaowan was Lu Xuelan’s daughter, and it’s human instinct to be protective of one’s own.

But to her surprise, Lu Xuelan wasn’t angry.

She just remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. “Teacher Tao, I understand what you mean.”

Tao Yao was stunned.

“I know Xiaowan’s personality very well.” Lu Xuelan’s voice was calm, as if stating an objective fact. “She has been spoiled and lacks self-discipline. During these years abroad, we also neglected her upbringing, which led to her becoming like this. I will seriously consider the issues you raised, but before that, I will talk to her first.”

“Talk to her?” Tao Yao blurted out. “But President Lu, I feel that just talking might…”

She didn’t finish, but her meaning was clear: it wouldn’t work.

Lu Xuelan curled her lips almost imperceptibly; the smile was so faint it was nearly invisible.

“Teacher Tao, I know what you’re thinking.” She said. “But she just returned to the country after all. Perhaps she isn’t quite used to it yet. I want to give her another chance. If she’s still like this after our talk, I will support you in taking necessary measures.”

The words were polite, but that unquestionable tone resurfaced in her voice.

Tao Yao sighed inwardly: As expected, this President Lu is still protective.

But what could she say? She could only nod. “Alright, President Lu.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Tao.” Lu Xuelan stood up, clearly intending to end the conversation. “Xiaowan has caused you quite a bit of trouble lately.”

“No, no, it’s what I should do.” Tao Yao stood up quickly as well.

Just then, Lu Xuelan suddenly took a step closer to her.

Tao Yao was startled and instinctively backed up, but her heel hit the leg of the sofa, making her stumble.

Lu Xuelan reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. That hand was warm and powerful, its heat transferring through the thin fabric of the shirt.

“Be careful.” Lu Xuelan’s voice sounded above her head.

Tao Yao’s heart hammered instantly. She steadied herself, but Lu Xuelan’s hand didn’t release her immediately.

“Don’t move,” Lu Xuelan said suddenly.

Tao Yao froze.

Lu Xuelan’s other hand rose and reached toward her hair. Tao Yao could feel the faint air current as that hand approached, and she could smell the cold fragrance on Lu Xuelan, mixed with a tiny hint of coffee.

Then, she saw Lu Xuelan’s fingertips pinching a small piece of white lint, removing it from the ends of her hair.

“Something was stuck.” Lu Xuelan explained, her voice casual.

But Tao Yao felt it. As she removed the lint, the pad of her finger had grazed Tao Yao’s earlobe, seemingly by accident. It even seemed to pause intentionally, the hot pad of her finger lightly grinding over it.

The touch was light and brief, like a feather sweeping by.

But Tao Yao felt her entire ear burn, and that heat rapidly spread to her cheeks and neck.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out.

Lu Xuelan had already stepped back proactively, her movements so natural it was as if nothing had happened.

“I have to go back to the company in a bit.” She checked her watch. “When I return tonight, I’ll talk to Xiaowan about her attitude toward learning.” She said this while walking toward the door, her pace unhurried.

As she reached the door, she suddenly looked back and added, “Teacher Tao, thank you for your hard work.”

Then the door closed softly, leaving Tao Yao standing alone in the study, her heart beating like a drum.

She instinctively raised her hand to touch her ear.

The sensation of being touched still lingered there—subtle, itchy, and carrying a certain indescribable throb.

“Lu Xuelan…” She whispered the name, her mood complicated to the extreme.

What exactly was this woman thinking?

On one hand, she played the role of the stern parent talking about disciplining her daughter, but on the other, she touched her with such intentional ambiguity. Was she truly concerned about her daughter’s studies, or… was she just using this opportunity to have more contact with her?

Tao Yao didn’t know.

She only knew that her heartbeat still hadn’t returned to normal.

Truly a scheming old fox spirit.