Chapter 225: Teach Him a Lesson, Then Drive Him Away!

Chapter 225: Teach Him a Lesson, Then Drive Him Away!

Wu Chen’s cough immediately put He Xinxin on edge.

She even glared at him, her expression clearly warning him not to meddle.

At the entrance to the residential complex, the anxious He Shiqin heard the soft cough and turned toward him. She naturally did not recognize Wu Chen, but she nevertheless hurried several steps closer.

“Excuse me, have you seen a girl about this tall? She’s my daughter, fourteen years old. She should have just run out…” she asked, gesturing as she approached.

Wu Chen smiled without saying a word. He merely raised a hand and pointed behind the Mercedes.

He sold He Xinxin out on the spot.

He Shiqin turned to look, and He Xinxin immediately ducked around to the other side of the car.

“He! Xin! Xin! You still dare to run?!” He Shiqin shouted, hurrying over.

He Xinxin crouched low and circled the car to avoid her mother. After making one full circuit, she tried to bolt again, but Wu Chen had already moved to the side of the car.

He reached out, caught the hood of her oversized jacket, and hauled her upright by it.

He Shiqin had just rounded the rear of the car. When she saw what had happened, she hurried back and grabbed He Xinxin by the wrist.

“You wretched girl! What is this, a game of hide-and-seek? You’re going to drive me crazy…” He Shiqin was furious.

He Xinxin’s eyes reddened again, but she did not argue with her mother. Instead, she glared at Wu Chen.

She still had no idea what was going on with this young man. He clearly knew her, yet he had betrayed her.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” He Shiqin said repeatedly to Wu Chen.

She had truly been terrified. Never before had she fought so fiercely with her daughter, and this was also the first time Xinxin had run off wanting to leave home.

“No need. It was nothing.”

Wu Chen had already released He Xinxin’s hood. With one hand in his pocket, he smiled and asked, “Did you two argue about drawing again?”

“Yes… Huh?”

He Shiqin answered instinctively, then froze.

She did not know the young man before her, yet he seemed to know both her and her daughter. He even knew about the drawing.

“You are…?” He Shiqin asked uncertainly.

She looked him up and down. He appeared to be the son of a wealthy family. One glance at the brand of his suit and the watch on his wrist was enough for her to tell that much.

She also noticed the Mercedes key in his left hand.

But no matter how closely she studied him, she could not remember who he was.

“Haven’t you sent me quite a few of Xinxin’s sketches over the past few days? There was also her self-portrait and the sketch she drew of you…” Wu Chen said with a smile, deliberately prompting her.

He Shiqin stared at him for a moment. Then realization dawned.

“You… You’re Xingchen…”

She was astonished and delighted, yet still found it a little difficult to believe.

Wu Chen was simply too young.

“Xinxin draws very well. I recognized both of you at a glance,” Wu Chen said with another smile.

“Teacher Xingchen, it really is you! You’re so young!”

“Let’s formally introduce ourselves. I’m Wu Chen.”

“Teacher Wu, hello. I’m He Shiqin, and this is my daughter, He Xinxin…”

They shook hands, formally meeting for the first time.

He Shiqin was especially pleased. When she finished speaking, she gave her daughter a light tug.

“Xinxin, this is Teacher Xingchen, the one I told you about. Hurry and greet your teacher…”

He Xinxin said nothing.

She merely stood there in a childish huff, her eyes still red as she glared at Wu Chen as though she wanted to burn a hole through him.

She was even angrier now.

Far angrier.

After all, the sudden argument between her and her mother had begun because of Wu Chen.

More than ten minutes earlier, after speaking to Wu Chen on the phone, He Shiqin had begun making preparations. It was the teacher’s first visit, and whether he would actually agree to teach Xinxin was still uncertain.

Naturally, she wanted her daughter to make a good impression.

Not only had she told He Xinxin to rummage through the drawers and cabinets for all her old sketches, but she had also warned her not to anger the teacher again—or else. She had said several rather harsh things.

He Xinxin, however, had long since lost all interest in learning to draw.

She was going through a rebellious phase.

She argued with her mother, one thing led to another, and before long, the two of them were fighting.

That was how the scene Wu Chen had witnessed outside the residential complex had come about.

It was also why He Shiqin had rushed after her daughter the moment Xinxin slammed the door and ran out. Naturally, she had not brought her phone with her. It was still at home, which was why she had not answered Wu Chen’s calls.

He Xinxin continued glaring at Wu Chen.

Her impression of him had already been terrible. Now it was even worse.

Her little mind was already working furiously, plotting how to drive this annoying teacher away.

No.

First, she would teach him a lesson.

Then she would drive him away!

“This child…” He Shiqin murmured when she saw that Xinxin refused to speak.

She did not continue scolding her. After all, they were standing beside a public road.

“Teach—Teacher Wu, why don’t we go upstairs and talk? I mean… sigh, I’m sorry you had to see this mess,” He Shiqin said, then sighed.

“Sure.” Wu Chen nodded.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Building 3, Apartment 702, in Century Garden Residential Complex.

The apartment covered a full 120 square meters and had three bedrooms and two living areas. It was finely renovated. Although it lacked the luxurious, immaculate appearance of a model home, it was warm and filled with the atmosphere of everyday family life.

The apartment was large, but only He Shiqin and He Xinxin had ever lived there.

After stepping inside, Wu Chen glanced around.

In truth, he did not need to look.

He already knew the apartment inside and out. He had visited it many times during the loop.

Two of the three rooms were bedrooms.

The remaining room…

was He Xinxin’s art room.

“Teacher Wu, here are some slippers…” He Shiqin said, taking out a pair for him.

The moment they entered, He Xinxin yanked her hand free from her mother’s grasp. Still fuming, she marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.

Bang!

The sound was very loud.

“This child…” He Shiqin murmured again with a sigh.

But she did not go after her daughter to lecture her. Wu Chen was there. If mother and daughter launched into another huge argument right in front of him, there would be no hope of persuading him to become Xinxin’s private tutor.

“Teacher Wu, please sit over here…” He Shiqin said courteously, inviting him into the living room.

Over the next hour or so, He Shiqin poured tea for Wu Chen, brought him fruit, put in a good word for her daughter, and showed him a large stack of He Xinxin’s older drawings.

She was exceptionally warm and courteous.

In her eyes, Wu Chen was either a well-bred young man from a wealthy family or a gifted young artist. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to appear so rich.

There was also a very strong possibility that he was both.

He Shiqin had no doubts whatsoever about Wu Chen’s artistic ability.

She believed that, like those famous older masters, he was someone who wanted for nothing. Whether he was willing to take on a student would surely depend on whether the student was worth teaching, not on how much money he was offered.

“Teacher Wu, look… Xinxin painted this when she was five and still in kindergarten. She hadn’t taken any lessons then, but she already painted better than the other children. Even her teacher praised her…” He Shiqin said, handing Wu Chen another sheet of paper, slightly yellowed with age.

It was not a sketch, but a watercolor, naturally full of childlike innocence.

Wu Chen took it and studied it.

“She really does have talent,” he said with a smile. “This is very imaginative.”

By then, He Shiqin had shown him almost everything she wanted him to see.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, then rose.

“Teacher Wu, if you don’t have any other plans, why don’t you stay for lunch? I’ll start cooking now, and we can continue our discussion after we eat. What do you think…?”

“All right.” Wu Chen nodded.

He Shiqin immediately smiled.

“Then please make yourself comfortable, Teacher Wu. Feel free to look around… The art room is that one over there. I’ll go start lunch…”

With that, she went into the kitchen.

Wu Chen stood and took out his phone. After scrolling and tapping several times, he slipped it back into his pocket.

Then he walked toward the art room.

The room was not large, though it was certainly spacious enough for an art room. It was slightly messy, with chairs, easels, drawing boards, and boxes full of pencils on the table.

Wu Chen stepped inside and looked around casually.

At the same time, the door to the bedroom next door opened a crack.

He Xinxin watched the living room for a moment before opening the door fully and stepping out.

She could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. After looking around briefly, she spotted Wu Chen standing in the art room with his back to the doorway.

She entered and immediately shut the door.

Then she leaned against it as though blocking Wu Chen inside.

Wu Chen turned and glanced at her.

“Ow! Why are you hitting me?! Stop hitting me!” He Xinxin suddenly cried in a frightened, aggrieved voice.