Chapter 132 - Father-in-Law (Part I)

"Xiao Qiang, is there something you've been wanting to tell me?" Su Xin asked as she watched me in class, noticing how I had opened my mouth to speak several times only to stop. I let out a helpless, bitter smile. "Xinxin, I do have something to tell you, but not today."

"Oh, alright then. But Xiao Qiang, don't keep everything bottled up inside. If there's anything I can help with, you must tell me," Su Xin said with a nod, flashing a sweet smile. "You're coming to my house after school today, right? My father told me. What is this matter that requires you to see him? Isn't it still three months away?"

"Yes, I am going to your house." I smiled at her and nodded. "Counting it up, this will be my second time. Heh, Xinxin, the three-month deadline hasn't arrived, but plans can't keep up with changes. I now have the capability to make your father accept me."

"What? You mean..." Su Xin looked pleasantly surprised. "Xiao Qiang, do you really have a way to make my father agree to us being together?" Seeing my confident smile, she nearly jumped for joy, and the sway of her chest left me feeling dizzy.

"Alright, alright, calm down. We're in class," I said with a laugh, taking her fair hand in mine. "Xinxin, believe in me. I will definitely bring you happiness. You are my woman—today and for the rest of our lives! I will never allow anyone to take you away from me."

"Mm..." Su Xin nodded obediently, a radiant smile of happiness blooming on her beautiful face. As I looked at her, a wave of inexplicable restlessness washed over me. My mind suddenly drifted to that other soft, delicate figure—the girl who left me feeling such deep guilt.

"Xiao Qiang, are we leaving after the evening self-study session? Father said you should bring me home with you." Su Xin didn't notice the strange look on my face; she was too excited. My words had made her incredibly happy. If her father agreed, she could finally be with me openly, without needing to hide anymore.

"No, we won't be attending the evening session. The first time I went to your house, I went as a classmate. But this time, I'm going as a future son-in-law. How could I go without bringing some generous gifts?" I joked. I couldn't possibly show up at Su Xin's house to meet her father without bringing something of substance.

"Oh, there's no need for that. My father isn't the type to be swayed by money. So many people have given him gifts in the past, and he didn't even blink." Su Xin seemed to know her father well, implying that Su Guohui was an upright man.

"Oh? That's different. My gifts will definitely make him beam with joy," I said confidently. "Heh, whether your father is swayed by money or not, we'll see once I pass his test." I knew that for an old hand in official circles like Su Guohui, he wouldn't care for the usual cheap gifts. Besides, his future son-in-law was a billionaire; it would be embarrassing for me—and for Su Xin—if I showed up empty-handed.

"Tch, you're just bragging. Fine, I'll wait and see if my father reacts the way you say." Su Xin rolled her eyes, still clearly skeptical, though she begrudgingly accepted that I had the money to buy gifts.

At that moment, I felt a cold gaze from the diagonal direction and couldn't help but sneer. It was undoubtedly Xia Jianren. Ever since I taught De Guangqing a lesson, this kid had been much better behaved. Aside from glancing at me boredly in class, he hadn't dared to cause any trouble. I slowly turned my head and offered him a sudden smile—a smile filled with malice. Just wait; once your uncle falls, you'll be next.

It was the end of November, and the cold of December was approaching. Su Xin was wearing a white sweater paired with light blue jeans, a look of pure, innocent beauty. Her ponytail made her face look even more delicate. If we weren't in class, I would have kissed her right then and there. Truth be told, I had always wanted to be with her, but at first, Su Guohui's opposition had stopped me. By the time I had the power to make him accept me, the events of that night in Beijing left me filled with such guilt toward her that I kept putting it off. Now, I had come to terms with it; I would let nature take its course.

People say middle and high school are a student's hell, and university is their heaven. But that didn't seem to apply to me. Whenever I saw my classmates studying so hard, I felt a sense of melancholy. Why must society make people so exhausted? Is rote memorization really the only way to get ahead? I couldn't agree with the Chinese education system. Why must youth be spent in endless, mechanical study? This method might help students acquire knowledge, but they forget it just as quickly. Often, a person graduates and starts working only to realize they've forgotten everything they learned. That is the flaw of the system. But looking at my classmates, heads buried in their books, I wondered if the Chinese were born to memorize.

Lost in thought, the afternoon session ended quickly. Su Xin, filled with excitement, packed her bag and pulled me toward the door, sparking suggestive teasing from our classmates that made her face turn bright red.

"What are you looking at? What are you shouting about? Haven't you ever seen a handsome man with a beautiful woman?" I glared at them and, laughing, wrapped my arm around Su Xin's shoulder, walking out boldly under their envious gazes. Even the teacher, who hadn't left yet, just shook his head helplessly without saying a word. After all, I was the most influential student at No. 4 Middle School—top of the grade and a national champion. Even if I slept in class, no one bothered me. If I skipped a full day, my mother would scold me to death, so I had to show up every day to avoid her nagging.

As we walked along the campus path, students from other grades looked at us with envy. Once we reached the gate, I called Li Dabiao to pick us up, and we sat on the lawn to wait.

"Tell me, brother, is that girl from your school? So beautiful! No wonder they say No. 4 Middle School is full of beauties. If she came to our school, she'd definitely be the campus queen," a student from another school said to a student from ours, while I overheard them despite the distance thanks to my advanced Ziyang Divine Art.

"Heh, you don't know? That's our freshman campus beauty, Su Xin. Pretty, right? I can see you're staring. There's another beauty in the freshman class, Chu Qitong, but she's not as shy as Su Xin—her temper is pretty fiery. She's the daughter of the boss of the Dynasty Group in C City. She's got quite a background," our schoolmate said proudly. I couldn't help but smile; both of these beauties were linked to me. Being beautiful really was a kind of trouble.

"Oh? That much of a background? I haven't seen Chu Qitong, but if she's anything like Su Xin, she must be stunning," the other student said, glancing at me with a greedy look. "Brother, that guy next to her looks so scrawny. Why don't we go and snatch the beauty away from him? My family has status and background, too. Su Xin would be a good match for me..."

I felt a slight annoyance. Appreciation is fine, but having designs on her? You'd better not try it, or I'll make you regret it.

"Don't even think about it, brother. If you knew who that guy was, you wouldn't say that," the student from our school warned, shaking his head. "That's Xiao Qiang. He's got a massive background. You know Xia Jianren in our class? His dad is the president of Xia Wang Construction, and his uncle is Mayor Xia Guomin of C City. Even he couldn't get anywhere with her! And that's not all—Xiao Qiang is famous for his grades. Didn't you see the TV? He represented C City in the national computer competition, won the championship, and even shook hands with the President!"

"What? He's that big a deal? No wonder..." the other student muttered, deflated. "Looks like there's no chance with Su Xin. But maybe I can pursue Chu Qitong? She doesn't have a boyfriend, right?"

"She doesn't, but she's strange. Countless guys have chased her, but she hasn't accepted a single one. If it weren't for her spoiled attitude, people would think she was an immortal."

"Tch, I'll give it a try anyway. She's just a rich girl, right? Watch how I win her over!"

"Beep-beep!" Just as I was listening in, a blue Audi A8 screeched to a halt in front of us. Su Xin happily grabbed my arm as Li Dabiao leaned out of the window in his sunglasses, waving at us.

With a roar of the engine, the Audi A8 sped away, leaving the other students stunned.

"See that? An Audi A8. That's what you call a big shot," our schoolmate said with envy, while his friend looked on with lingering fear, likely realizing how close he had come to a disaster by planning to mess with me.