Chapter 7

Sun Bo's face darkened, almost on the verge of an outburst, but he knew he had to appear gentlemanly in front of Tao Ruoxiang. So he put on a calm facade and said, "So, you're going to have dinner with Teacher Tao?"

"No! Teacher Tao is inviting me to dinner!" Qin Lang corrected Sun Bo, then looked at Tao Ruoxiang, "Right, Teacher Tao?"

"That's right," Tao Ruoxiang smiled, "Teacher Sun might not know, but I'm Qin Lang's aunt. His mother asked me to take care of him. Since he just arrived, I was planning to take him out for a meal."

"Teacher Tao, so you mean my invitation to have dinner with you today is off?" Sun Bo said with a bitter smile. He hadn't expected his carefully prepared date to be ruined by a student.

Qin Lang thought to himself, "If it's not off, are you going to pickle yourself? If you want to pursue Tao Ruoxiang, not in this life or the next."

"Here's what I suggest. I'll take Qin Lang out for dinner outside the school tonight. If you don't mind, Teacher Sun, you can join us as a thank you for your invitation," Tao Ruoxiang said, giving Qin Lang a small setback just as he was secretly rejoicing.

But Qin Lang quickly understood Tao Ruoxiang's reasoning. As a female teacher, dining alone with a student might invite gossip, but having Sun Bo join them would eliminate that concern. Additionally, Qin Lang believed Tao Ruoxiang wanted to use this dinner to make Sun Bo give up. Even if she didn't have that intention, Qin Lang would help her achieve it.

However, what Qin Lang didn't realize was that Tao Ruoxiang's decision had a dual purpose. She didn't have a good impression of Sun Bo, but she also didn't want Qin Lang to develop feelings beyond a teacher-student relationship.

"Teacher Tao, I'd be delighted to have dinner with you," Sun Bo beamed, "But I'll pay for the meal!"

"Oh, Teacher Sun, why are you so concerned about the bill? Don't worry, I won't fight you over it," Qin Lang said, holding the bouquet of flowers, "Let's go together, or we'll wait until the flowers wither."

Tao Ruoxiang smiled and got up to walk outside. Sun Bo hurried to follow and, once out of the office building, said to Tao Ruoxiang, "Ruoxiang, wait a moment, I'll go get the car."

Sun Bo had bought a Honda Accord on loan, and owning a mid-range car was quite impressive among the teachers at No. 7 High School. So, of course, Sun Bo wanted to show off in front of Tao Ruoxiang to prove he was a capable man.

Who would have thought that Qin Lang would be such a "troublemaker"? As soon as he heard Sun Bo mention the car, he quickly said, "Teacher Sun, I don't think we need the car—after all, it's not far to go outside the school."

Sun Bo thought to himself, "I'm driving for Teacher Tao, not for you, you little brat. Who do you think you are? I bought this car to pick up girls. If Teacher Tao often rides in it, it will be worth it." So, Sun Bo said with some dissatisfaction, "Qin Lang, what are you talking about? It's a bit hot now. Do you want Teacher Tao to sweat... no, to exude fragrance? Anyway, if you want to walk, go ahead!"

"Teacher Sun, don't be angry," Qin Lang said with a smile, "I'm just thinking about Teacher Tao's safety."

"My driving skills are excellent, no need to worry!" Sun Bo huffed.

"It's not about your driving skills—let me be blunt, Teacher Sun, you bought a Honda Accord, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Sun Bo asked.

Qin Lang thought, "How could I not know? Zhao Kan gave you, the homeroom teacher, the nickname 'Accord Guy.' I heard that Sun Bo used the sentence 'I have an Accord car' twice in English class, making it well-known at No. 7 High School." But Qin Lang didn't have time to explain, so he said, "Teacher Sun, as a teacher, you should be more aware of international affairs. Now, every Chinese person is boycotting Japanese goods. Even if you don't boycott them, you bought a Japanese car. If it gets smashed, that's one thing, but don't scare Teacher Tao."

"What are you talking about! Smashing cars! Only a hot-headed youth like you would say that!" Sun Bo said in a lecturing tone, "Japan has many things we can learn from, like... the Accord car's performance is quite good..."

Sun Bo was so angry that he almost said a swear word.

But what Sun Bo didn't expect was that Tao Ruoxiang would side with the hot-headed youth, saying calmly, "Teacher Sun, if you don't mind, let's walk. It's not far anyway."

Sun Bo's cheeks twitched. He suppressed the urge to strangle Qin Lang and nodded lightly, "Alright, let's treat it as a walk. A little exercise before dinner will improve our appetite."

The pre-dinner walk didn't improve Sun Bo's appetite; it just made his stomach bigger, all because of Qin Lang!

Sun Bo had never taken Qin Lang, a mere student, seriously, but he had seriously underestimated Qin Lang's ability to cause trouble. Now, as Qin Lang, Sun Bo, and Tao Ruoxiang walked together in the campus, Qin Lang, holding the bouquet of flowers, stood on Tao Ruoxiang's left side, looking radiant and cheerful, smiling and greeting passing classmates, making him seem like the star of the evening.

In contrast, Sun Bo looked like he had a dark cloud over his head. Despite his well-dressed appearance, he seemed to be having a bad day and was completely out of sorts.

Sun Bo was so angry at Qin Lang. He had planned this dinner as a date, carefully preparing his image and making detailed plans, such as which restaurant to go to, which seat to choose, and what jokes to tell to bridge the gap. But Qin Lang's sudden appearance not only ruined his efforts but also left him seething with anger.

If it weren't for the need to maintain his dignity as a teacher, Sun Bo would have wanted to strangle Qin Lang.

But no matter how malicious Sun Bo's thoughts were, Qin Lang remained completely unaffected. He was secretly delighted, "I have the flowers in my hand, the beauty by my side, and I don't even have to pay for the meal. What a life, so exhilarating!"

"Hey, Teacher Sun, you seem unhappy. Why haven't you said a word the whole way?"

As they stepped out of the school gate, Qin Lang suddenly asked, which was like rubbing salt in Sun Bo's wound.

Sun Bo's lips twitched. He thought, "You've been talking non-stop the whole way, did you give me a chance to speak?" But he still managed to force a smile, "I was thinking about where we should go for dinner."

"That's too complicated," Qin Lang said, "Where we eat isn't important; what matters is who we eat with. Having dinner with Teacher Tao, even at a street stall, would be delicious."

"Alright, Qin Lang, you're such a smooth talker," Tao Ruoxiang laughed, pointing to a restaurant ahead, "Let's go to 'Spicy House.' I heard the food here is good and the spiciness is just right."

Since Tao Ruoxiang suggested it, neither Qin Lang nor Sun Bo objected.

Sun Bo took the lead and walked into the restaurant, instructing the girl at the counter, "Get us a good private room!"

"Private room?" The girl, chewing gum, looked at Sun Bo with a sarcastic tone, "Sir, this is an off-campus restaurant, not a five-star hotel. If you really want a private room, I can set up a screen for you."

While saying this, the girl inwardly despised Sun Bo, "What a show-off! If you want to put on a show, go to a city hotel!"

"Never mind, it's just a meal. We don't need a private room," Tao Ruoxiang thought it unnecessary. Since they were eating at a restaurant outside the school, they shouldn't be too particular.

"Right, Teacher Sun, don't be so fussy. Just like Teacher Tao, enjoy the feeling of 'being among the people,'" Qin Lang said with a smile.

Hearing the word "fussy," Tao Ruoxiang gave Qin Lang a glare, realizing he was secretly insulting Sun Bo. One of the top ten internet buzzwords of the year was "a cheap person is fussy"!

Seeing Tao Ruoxiang's expression, Qin Lang knew he had been seen through and quickly laughed, "I see a good spot over there, I'll go and take it!"