Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Most Dazzling Entrance

The milky-white, three-door, extended Cadillac was covered in pink roses as abundant as a sea of flowers, leaving only the windshield bare—if not for the need to let the driver see the road ahead, even that wouldn’t have been spared. Atop the car sat a giant basket adorned with a heart motif made of red and pink roses entwined together. Each door was tied with long streaming ribbons that fluttered in the wind as the car moved, making it far more dazzling than even a wedding procession’s lead vehicle.

“Are you going to fetch a bride or heading out for a picnic?” Chu Dong asked Qiangzi, who was still brimming with excitement.

“Isn’t it great? If we spot the right one along the way, I’ll just marry her on the spot, ha!” Qiangzi grinned, almost foolishly.

“Who’s driving?” Chu Dong suddenly remembered.

Qiangzi pointed to his own nose. He felt that after putting so much effort into this arrangement, he couldn’t let anyone else steal the limelight, so he hadn’t even brought a chauffeur today.

“Very ambitious,” Chu Dong patted his shoulder, expressing his utmost respect.

The pair drove off to pick up Xiao Yu’er. To avoid being spotted by Tan Xue, they parked some distance away and called the impatiently waiting Xiao Yu’er to come out.

“Wow…” Xiao Yu’er was utterly stunned by the dazzlingly beautiful Cadillac. As soon as she saw Chu Dong, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you! Thank you, brother-in-law!” She finished with a fierce kiss on Chu Dong’s cheek as a reward.

Qiangzi looked on, nearly drooling. “Such a beautiful wife, and this lively little sister-in-law—what did Dongzi do in his past life to deserve this?”

Qiangzi was thoroughly disgruntled—yes, extremely so. He’d organized the car entirely by himself; Chu Dong hadn’t helped at all, yet Xiao Yu’er paid him no mind whatsoever. Suddenly, he recalled the meaningful look Chu Dong had given him earlier while patting his shoulder and realized his mistake.

He’d only been thinking about not letting anyone else benefit, but now, as the driver, he was even less likely to be noticed. Regretful, he pinched his own thigh hard.

Tian Hai and a few cronies had gathered at the school gates. Two luxury coaches festooned with colorful balloons waited as groups of people boarded. Some of the Brotherhood were lying in wait, hoping to give Xiao Yu’er a dramatic entrance—they were, after all, young men eager to catch her attention.

“Let’s see how the little beauty reacts today. With this kind of show, she’s bound to be impressed. When she starts admiring us, I’ll make my move—I can’t wait another minute,” Wang Yue snuffed his cigarette out and glanced toward the direction Xiao Yu’er usually approached from.

“It’s my money today, so why should you get the girl?” Tian Hai protested with a glare.

“I’ve spent money before too! What’s your problem?” Wang Yue wasn’t about to back down.

“Stop arguing! May the best man win. What matters is that we can’t let this girl get too cocky,” Bian Feng tried to mediate.

Time passed, and most of Xiao Yu’er’s classmates had already arrived and boarded the bus. Only Four-Eyes and Zhu Dawei lingered, hesitant to leave without seeing her.

“Call the boss—what if everyone leaves and we get stranded?” Four-Eyes fretted.

“You call. Last time the boss gave me a scolding, now it’s your turn,” Zhu Dawei, chubby but far from dumb, retorted.

“You’re the one with padding—a little pinch from the boss won’t matter. Look at me, I’ve barely got any meat…” Four-Eyes often tried to reason with Zhu Dawei, leveraging his own disadvantages as bargaining chips. “If I get another scolding, I won’t be able to show my face.”

Just as they were debating who should call Xiao Yu’er, a gentle saxophone melody drifted over from afar, and the extended Cadillac glided slowly into view.

Two high-end mini speakers mounted outside delivered clear, crisp music. The previously bustling campus fell silent. All eyes widened at the stunning vehicle, or listened to the alluring music, everyone more or less awestruck.

“What the hell? Who is that?” Tian Hai muttered, clearly displeased at having his thunder stolen.

“Zhu Dawei?” Bian Feng guessed.

“Not a chance. Look at that coward—he could never pull this off,” Wang Yue dismissed the idea.

The answer revealed itself quickly. As soon as the Cadillac came to a halt, a door opened, and Xiao Yu’er flitted out like a butterfly, waving at Four-Eyes and Zhu Dawei, who were still dithering over whether to board or call her.

“Get in! We’re not riding with the clowns.”

Xiao Yu’er was pleased with her two underlings and rewarded them by letting them board her car.

Four-Eyes and Zhu Dawei weren’t exactly poor, but this was their first time in such a car. They wanted to refuse but didn’t dare defy their boss, so with some trepidation they did as she wished.

Once inside, they sat obediently in the last row, hands primly on their knees, hardly daring to move.

At that moment, Xiao Yu’er could have grown a tail and held it high with pride. Tossing her hair with a haughty flick, she ducked inside. The interior was fitted with a circular sofa; though there was plenty of space between Chu Dong and Four-Eyes, she squeezed in next to Chu Dong, wrapped her arms around his, snuggled against him, and pointed ahead. “Let’s go! Go, go, go!”

“Wait a second.” Chu Dong suddenly spotted a familiar face—the reason he’d had to send his newly repaired Audi back to the shop. “Who’s that?” he asked Xiao Yu’er, pointing to a girl organizing Wang Yue and Tian Hai’s group.

“Our homeroom teacher, Miss Xiao,” Xiao Yu’er replied with a glance. Before Chu Dong could say more, she opened the door again, calling out to her teacher in a showy voice, “Teacher, come over here! There’s plenty of space!”

Chu Dong was nearly moved to tears—what a considerate sister-in-law, always knowing what was on her brother-in-law’s mind.

“Heh, you go ahead. I’ll stay with the students,” the elegant and poised Miss Xiao smiled sweetly at Xiao Yu’er and waved her off.

“Come on, Miss Xiao! It’s so noisy over there with all those people,” Xiao Yu’er pressed on, oblivious to Chu Dong’s eager expression.

“All right, you go back and sit down. I’ll check if there are any seats left,” Miss Xiao stepped onto the bus but backed out after a moment. “Looks like there’s still room, but I’ll stay here. Remind your driver to be careful—there’s a long mountain road ahead.”

“Oh, I know,” Xiao Yu’er replied, disappointed, and shut the door. She was about to settle in when she noticed Chu Dong’s eyes still fixed on Miss Xiao—and, mischief sparkling in her own, she leaned in and whispered something that snapped him back to reality: “My sister’s here.”