"You're laughing at me?"
Meng Yao could tell the mockery in Gao Teng's laughter. She was completely stunned.
She had never been treated like that in her entire life.
"Ha."
Gao Teng laughed again, the mockery in his voice even more pronounced.
Meng Yao's face flushed red. "What's so funny, anyway?!"
Gao Teng shot back, "You tell me."
"I..."
Meng Yao bit her lower lip. For the first time, she felt ashamed of the things she'd said.
"Are you two getting out or not? I still have to work. I don't have time to listen to you flirt!"
The driver watched them in the rearview mirror for a while before finally losing his temper.
Meng Yao immediately pulled a hundred-yuan bill from her pocket and handed it to him. "Shut up!"
"Of course, miss."
The driver broke into a broad grin. "Want me to step outside and give you two some privacy?"
"Sorry for the trouble, sir."
Meng Yao flashed him a sweet smile.
"No trouble at all."
The driver helpfully rolled up all the windows, then opened the door and got out.
Gao Teng gave her a strange look. "What are you planning to do?"
Meng Yao sprang up from her seat, grabbed Gao Teng by the neck, and shook him hard. "You were deliberately trying to upset me, weren't you? What's wrong with the way I look? What's wrong with me being cute? What are you laughing at? You think I don't have a temper? I'll strangle you!"
Though Meng Yao was petite, she was astonishingly strong. As a Level Four martial artist, she had Gao Teng pinned down so firmly that he couldn't break free.
At first, Gao Teng struggled. Then he simply gave up resisting and let Meng Yao torment him, going limp as a piece of wood.
"Hmph!"
After a while, Meng Yao let go.
She straightened her clothes, sat down, and bared her tiger-like canines in a menacing grin. "Are you going to laugh at me again?"
"Ha."
"You little bastard!"
Meng Yao leaned over again and grabbed Gao Teng by the neck.
Her full breasts occasionally brushed the tip of his nose, their faint fragrance making him feel slightly intoxicated.
It wasn't the scent of perfume. It was more like the aroma of her skin itself, warmed and released by her body heat.
Gao Teng gave a light cough. His body felt a little strange.
To avoid an awkward moment, he quickly apologized. "All right, all right. I shouldn't have laughed at you. I was wrong."
"Do you really know you were wrong?"
"Mm."
"That's more like it."
Still fuming, Meng Yao sat down and folded her arms, turning her head toward the window.
Gao Teng coughed again. "Weren't you going to treat me to a meal? Let's go."
"I don't want to give you that chance anymore."
"Oh."
Gao Teng said, "Then I'll head home. Are you getting out now, or...?"
Meng Yao whipped around, her eyes blazing with anger.
Gao Teng raised his hands in surrender. "Please give me one more chance. I really want to have a meal with a pretty, cute girl right now. I might not survive otherwise."
"You ungrateful jerk!"
Meng Yao opened the car door and called to the driver, who was some distance away. "Sir, we're ready. Take us to Hongyun Residence."
"Coming!"
The driver took a deep drag on his cigarette, tossed the butt aside, and hurried over.
He got into the driver's seat and started the car. As he drove toward Hongyun Residence, he said, "Your family must be pretty rich, huh?
"The food at Hongyun Residence isn't something ordinary folks can afford. Even a simple meal costs a few thousand yuan.
"But the ingredients there really are good. Everything's all-natural, so it's especially healthy."
The driver was quite the talker. He rambled on about this and that the whole way, never once falling silent.
Meng Yao replied now and then, and about ten minutes later, the taxi stopped outside Hongyun Residence.
"Thanks. Keep the change."
Meng Yao pulled out another hundred-yuan bill and handed it to the driver.
The driver took the money and said sheepishly, "Thanks. But what is this? You're paying me this much for such a short ride."
"Don't mention it."
Meng Yao got out first, and Gao Teng followed her.
Hongyun Residence stood in the middle of the bustling downtown area. Its antique-inspired architecture made it stand out.
"We're only having lunch. We don't need to come somewhere this expensive, do we?"
"My maternal grandfather owns this place, so it won't cost us anything. Just follow me."
Gao Teng shrugged. Just as he'd guessed, Meng Yao was filthy rich!
The two entered Hongyun Residence. Meng Yao greeted the attendant behind the reception desk like an old friend, then led Gao Teng straight upstairs.
The staff they passed greeted her and gave Gao Teng curious looks.
Meng Yao came to eat here often, but she'd never brought a friend before.
Judging by Gao Teng's rather shabby clothes, he clearly didn't come from a wealthy family. Maybe he was one of her classmates?
"Here."
Meng Yao glanced back and led Gao Teng into a tastefully decorated room.
As soon as they sat down, a pretty waitress came over.
Meng Yao didn't even look at the menu. She rattled off more than a dozen dishes, all of them Hongyun Residence specialties.
"Miss, please wait a little. The food will be ready soon."
After committing the order to memory, the waitress smiled and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
Only then did Gao Teng ask curiously, "Meng Yao, what kind of family do you come from? You seem to have quite a lot of influence."
Meng Yao looked surprised. "You don't know who owns Hongyun Residence?"
"No," Gao Teng said. "A place like this is somewhere I could never afford to go in my life. Why would I pay attention to who owns it?"
"Good thing you have me." Meng Yao grinned. "I brought you here to broaden your horizons. You must be really grateful, right?"
"Very grateful. Very grateful."
Meng Yao lifted her chin proudly. "That's more like it."
Then she explained her family background.
Her father had founded Fuxing Pharmaceutical Company, her grandfather was the chairman of Taihe Mining Company, and her maternal grandfather ran the nationwide Hongshan Residence chain. On top of that, she was an only child—in short, she was doted on by everyone.
Learning about Meng Yao's background, Gao Teng finally understood why she had such a mischievous personality.
When you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth, who wouldn't do as they pleased?
"That's strange."
Gao Teng suddenly realized something didn't add up. "With a family as powerful as yours, why didn't you go to First Middle School? Why come to Fifth Middle School instead? It's the worst high school in the city!"
"My dad told me to keep an eye on Teacher Chen and make sure no one bullied her.
"Where I go to school doesn't really matter to me. I've always had private tutors to guide my studies.
"Fifth Middle School may be terrible, but it won't affect my grades."
Gao Teng's mouth twitched. The rich really were infuriating. They not only got the highest-quality pills, they also hired private tutors for one-on-one lessons!
If he couldn't steal other people's cultivation, what right would he have to sit down and eat with Meng Yao?
After silently lamenting his lot, he said, "I heard you mention Teacher Chen just now. Is there something special about her background too?"
"Teacher Chen's husband was a distant relative of our family. He used to work at the Public Security Bureau.
"But not long after they got married, he sacrificed himself to save someone.
"Teacher Chen didn't want my dad's financial support, so she became a teacher at Fifth Middle School.
"My dad was worried she might get bullied, so he sent me to keep an eye on her at school."
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