Being a Tutor to a Rich, Psychopathic Young Lady - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Although Shi Mingyue was tormented by Xiao Dengqu every day and couldn’t sleep well, she wasn’t so tired that she was hallucinating. The housekeeper confirmed again and again that the two of them were kissing. The housekeeper tried to remain calm and politely asked, “Excuse me, can you two stop for a moment?”

Xiao Dengqu showed no sign of stopping. She continued to kiss Shi Mingyue as she pleased. Shi Mingyue was a mix of grief and indignation. She pushed her away with force. “Get out!”

The housekeeper initially thought Shi Mingyue was talking to her and frowned. When she got closer, she realized Shi Mingyue was talking to Xiao Dengqu. She went up and pressed down on Xiao Dengqu’s shoulders.

Xiao Dengqu’s eyes glared angrily at her. The housekeeper’s face remained stern. “Young Lady, you need to get down.”

Xiao Dengqu smoothed Shi Mingyue’s long hair. The messy hair framed Shi Mingyue’s face, making her look beautiful and fragile. The corners of her eyes were a reddish-pink, as if a cool, elegant flower had been horribly ruined and was about to shed tears. Her appearance was truly pitiable. Shi Mingyue didn’t appreciate her pity. A blush appeared on her fair face. “Get out—”

Xiao Dengqu reluctantly got down. She followed the housekeeper out. Shi Mingyue closed the door. Xiao Dengqu glared at the housekeeper like a small panther. The housekeeper’s stern expression didn’t change. “That act doesn’t work on me. Why did you do that?”

Xiao Dengqu retorted, “Why did you come in?”

The housekeeper naturally couldn’t say that the maids in the house heard her talking to herself, worried that something had happened to her, and came to report it. The housekeeper was about to say, “I came to get the teaching plan from Teacher Shi,” when Xiao Dengqu squinted. “Someone snitched, didn’t they?”

Xiao Dengqu scrutinized her, not looking at all like an 18-year-old, but more like a malicious judge who saw through others’ secrets. “It’s true, isn’t it? Who was it? Xiaoyue? Or Yangyang? Mm-hmm, they saw us kissing at the grape trellis. One of them brought me a fruit platter and stared at me. How annoying…”

“Xiao Dengqu!” the housekeeper said in a low voice, looking at her. “I need to have a serious talk with you. Come to the study.”

Xiao Dengqu said, “I don’t want to.”

“Really?” the housekeeper retorted, her eyes threatening.

Xiao Dengqu gritted her teeth and followed the housekeeper upstairs. On the stairs, she turned back and looked at Shi Mingyue’s room. The door wasn’t locked from the outside. The teacher could run away at any time. She should add another lock on the outside.

Shi Mingyue listened to the silence outside and lay down on the desk. Every cell in her body was filled with shame. She desperately wanted to turn back time to an hour ago.

She was trembling and wanted to cry.

Shi Mingyue looked up again, opened her computer, and wrote her resignation letter. This time, she was sure. She couldn’t continue to be Xiao Dengqu’s tutor.

The housekeeper took Xiao Dengqu to the study and asked seriously, “When did you two start? I think you two can’t continue this way. Mr. Xiao will not let you be together.”

Xiao Dengqu said, “Did you ask her about it?”

“What do you mean?” The housekeeper didn’t understand, but she quickly did. She said, “Is she not in a relationship with you? You…”

“We’re very sweet and happy,” Xiao Dengqu said seriously. “We won’t break up.”

The housekeeper recalled how she came to find her last night and tentatively asked, “Were you dumped?”

Xiao Dengqu’s expression changed drastically. She looked at her coldly. “Yes, she won’t be in a relationship with me. She wants to break up.”

She then said, “She said there’s no love between us. Think of a way to make her feel there is.”

The housekeeper was silent. She had no way to do that.

Xiao Dengqu asked, “What if I lock her up? Do you think that would work?”

“I think that wouldn’t be love. That would be hatred,” the housekeeper said. “Why were you rejected?”

Xiao Dengqu said, “She said I don’t understand love.”

“You really don’t,” the housekeeper nodded.

Xiao Dengqu frowned. “What did you say?”

“You understand a little, but not much.”

The housekeeper’s frown softened a lot. “Are you two together or…” She thought for a long time but didn’t say it. “Okay, I understand.”

Xiao Dengqu asked, “Are you going to talk to the teacher?”

Of course she was going to talk to her. Since the housekeeper had found out, how could she ignore it? Xiao Dengqu didn’t leave. She found a sofa and sat down. “Go ahead and talk to her.”

The housekeeper looked at her helplessly for half a minute. In the end, she pretended that nothing had happened and continued to look at a spreadsheet. Xiao Dengqu sat on the sofa. Xiao Dengqu was very patient. She didn’t feel bored even though the housekeeper wasn’t talking to her.

Housekeeper: Are you and the young lady in a relationship?

Shi Mingyue: We were never together.

After a few seconds: The young lady doesn’t understand these things either. She’s just very curious. She doesn’t have a correct understanding of love.

Housekeeper: You don’t have to make excuses for her. That’s not what she told me.

The other side was typing. After a long time, the message came through: She’s just young and doesn’t know what feelings are. I also forgot to maintain a distance from her. The misunderstanding happened in the middle, and that’s why she’s like this. You don’t have to scold her too much.

The housekeeper stared at the words and suddenly remembered the question Xiao Dengqu asked her at the beginning. “What is favoritism?” At that time, she had only given a simple explanation. Now, favoritism had been concretized.

The housekeeper was about to type again when her finger paused slightly. She turned her head and saw Xiao Dengqu standing next to her, staring at her chat interface. Xiao Dengqu said, “Let me chat.”

The housekeeper quickly closed her laptop. She didn’t let her have her way like before. After a quick thought, the housekeeper said, “Do you know why Teacher Shi won’t be in a relationship with you?”

Xiao Dengqu’s gaze was originally on the laptop. When the housekeeper asked her that, her gaze shifted to her. She asked, “Why?”

The housekeeper slowly said, “Because you’re willful, insecure, and too forceful with her. You go back first. I’ll talk to her later and ask her what she thinks, okay?”

Xiao Dengqu didn’t move. “I’m not that easy to fool.”

She said, “Turn on the speakerphone. I want to hear what you say.”

The housekeeper nodded. “You go back to your room and do your homework.”

At Xiao Dengqu’s request, the housekeeper turned on the speakerphone now. Xiao Dengqu left the study. The door was ajar. The housekeeper’s back, which was straight, slumped down. She let out a heavy sigh. She was truly tired.

The housekeeper massaged her temples. She quickly thought about whether she needed to report this to Mr. Xiao. It was a big deal for Xiao Dengqu to want to be in a relationship with her tutor. Mr. Xiao had explicitly forbidden it. The housekeeper quickly made a decision. It was the first time Shi Mingyue was facing a relationship. In the face of Xiao Dengqu’s intense, domineering, and unreasonable pestering, she didn’t compromise and still rejected Xiao Dengqu. Shi Mingyue was a student, after all. If this matter could be resolved well, there was no need to tell Mr. Xiao and escalate the situation.

The two of them were still young. There was no need to make things ugly. It was best to have a good start and end and not leave any trauma.

The housekeeper went downstairs and knocked on Shi Mingyue’s door. Shi Mingyue didn’t open it immediately. The housekeeper said in a gentle voice, “The young lady isn’t here. It’s just me.”

Shi Mingyue opened the door. Her hair, which was down, was now tied up.

The housekeeper suggested they go for a walk. Shi Mingyue agreed. The two of them looked at the door next door at the same time. Xiao Dengqu didn’t appear at the door.

As they went down the stairs, the housekeeper took out her phone and ended the call. “Let’s walk faster. She’s definitely going to throw a tantrum later.”

At 4:30 p.m., compared to the morning, the weather was now cloudy. The clouds weren’t white, and the sky wasn’t a clear blue. The villa was filled with a sense of gloom and oppression.

The housekeeper asked her, “What are you thinking?”

Shi Mingyue repeated what she had said to Xiao Dengqu. Xiao Dengqu had a wrong understanding of love, which was why she had developed romantic feelings for her. And she herself was in a difficult situation everywhere. She couldn’t be in a relationship for the time being.

She promised the housekeeper that she would make Xiao Dengqu understand and normalize their relationship. At the same time, she wouldn’t delay the teaching.

The housekeeper didn’t scold her. She considered her words and pointed out a more important point. “Teacher Shi, you should stop and think carefully. Is your pressure coming from your family?”

Shi Mingyue hesitated for a long time before nodding. The housekeeper said, “Don’t belittle yourself. Don’t underestimate yourself. It’s not easy for you to have come this far from that situation. Apart from your family, you are a very outstanding person.”

The heat was rising. Shi Mingyue focused on the housekeeper. The housekeeper was wearing a well-tailored, light vest suit. The unique design elegantly outlined her figure, adding an indescribable touch of grace and nobility. She looked very mature and charming, like a beautifully blooming lily, flawless and with a faint fragrance. Each petal contained the essence and strength of life. One couldn’t help but be drawn to her demeanor and her words.

Shi Mingyue didn’t know about the housekeeper’s life experiences, but putting aside the housekeeper’s lecherous inner thoughts, the housekeeper’s appearance had a confidence that Shi Mingyue envied. Shi Mingyue said, “Thank you.”

It was more of a heart-to-heart talk than a conversation. The housekeeper helped Shi Mingyue solve her confusion, talked about relationships, and told her not to imprison herself. She also talked about Shi Mingyue’s studies and future choices.

“The reason you were able to tutor here isn’t because of your connection with Cheng Jin. I received your resume a long time ago and was quite surprised by your choice of major. Your GPA immediately showed how hard you work. Keep walking your own path. Don’t turn back for anyone. Because if you turn back, the person in front of you won’t cry, but the person behind you and your future self will be sad.”

The housekeeper said, “I hope you’ll think carefully. From a rational perspective, it’s a good thing for you to tutor the young lady. The young lady can study well, and you can have a stable job.”

Shi Mingyue nodded. “I will think about it carefully.”

She looked up. The window on the second floor was open, and Xiao Dengqu was looking down. Shi Mingyue met her gaze and then looked away.

The housekeeper could also tell that Shi Mingyue wasn’t lying. She was indeed very restrained and wasn’t swayed by Xiao Dengqu’s fervor.

The two of them walked another lap and arrived at the door. The housekeeper told her to think about it again. She gave her the day off and told her to continue class tomorrow.

Shi Mingyue said, “I gave her homework.” In response to the housekeeper’s surprise, she added, “I gave it to her before we came down. It won’t delay her studies.”

“Okay,” the housekeeper said before leaving.

Shi Mingyue walked many laps in the yard by herself. She would look up at the second floor and would occasionally see Xiao Dengqu. Sometimes, Xiao Dengqu would immediately pull her head back in.

Shi Mingyue went to the first floor. It was already dinner time. The maid notified Xiao Dengqu to come down for dinner. The two of them didn’t talk much. Xiao Dengqu picked up a shrimp for her. Shi Mingyue was silent for a moment. Her coldness was sometimes a form of emotional abuse. It was a torment for passionate people and would hurt others. She peeled the shrimp and ate it.

Xiao Dengqu said softly, “I finished all my homework.”

Shi Mingyue nodded.

The two of them went upstairs together. Xiao Dengqu followed behind Shi Mingyue. As Shi Mingyue was about to enter her room, she quickly stepped forward and grabbed Shi Mingyue’s hand.

Shi Mingyue pulled her hand away firmly. “Do you have to be this way?”

Xiao Dengqu pouted and retorted, “Then does the teacher hate me now? Does the teacher not want to talk to me? The teacher said we could be friends.”

Shi Mingyue said, “Friends can’t be this way either.”

“But you and Cousin Cheng Jin were friends, and you still kissed,” Xiao Dengqu said, her eyelashes fluttering. She took a step forward and reached out with both hands to grab Shi Mingyue’s wrists. Shi Mingyue didn’t let her and shrank back. She took another step forward, getting very close. Shi Mingyue said, “Don’t be like this.” Xiao Dengqu’s voice was low and full of grievance. “But I wasn’t smart at first. Cousin was like that, so I was like that. I thought the teacher liked it, so I kissed you to please you.”

Shi Mingyue looked at her inky black eyes and initially believed her. Xiao Dengqu looked very obedient, so obedient that it made her heart soften, and she couldn’t help but feel for her. But darkness was too easy to breed fear. Shi Mingyue had an excellent memory. She said, “You’re lying. You were clearly curious at the time, so…”

“What time? So what?” Unknowingly, Xiao Dengqu had gotten close to her again. The distance was only an inch. Their noses were almost touching.

Xiao Dengqu was very pretty, pure, and clean. She had just turned 18 and hadn’t shed her childlike innocence yet. She was a quiet jasmine flower that looked harmless, but the fragrance of this flower would make people feel suffocated.

Shi Mingyue said, “You were clearly awful at that time…”

“Awful?” Xiao Dengqu thought about it and then nodded hard. “Is it very annoying? Then I’ll try my best to change for the teacher. But I was just curious. I just wanted to know what kissing tasted like. I thought if Cousin Cheng Jin could kiss, I could too. The teacher forgot to teach me at that time…”

A month had passed. Shi Mingyue didn’t remember if she had taught her or not. Maybe she was too scared at the time and really did forget to teach her. But indeed, it was very bad that she saw that.

“Mm-hmm…” Xiao Dengqu’s fingers hooked onto her clothes. “No one taught me how to be in a relationship. I don’t understand it. I’m sorry, teacher.”

Shi Mingyue parted her lips. Xiao Dengqu lowered her head, and her forehead hit her shoulder. “But teacher, if it weren’t for that bouquet of flowers, I wouldn’t have misunderstood that we were in a relationship. I thought we were in a relationship for a week, and now you’re telling me we’re not. I’m so sad. I can’t get over it. I’m so uncomfortable. Can you save me?”

“Of course, I don’t blame you. I blame the florist. But I’ve already planned to be in a relationship with you, get married, have a future, eat together, sleep together, hug and kiss every day, and live in our house…”

She sniffled. “Suddenly, you said you don’t want to be in a relationship. I’m so sad. I’m so heartbroken. Save me, teacher. I’m such an idiot.”

Shi Mingyue didn’t know what to do. She clenched her hands. In a state of confusion, she said, “Let me think of a solution… You go back and take a shower first…”

Xiao Dengqu’s look of grievance hardened, and her eyes turned cold. Her voice was still low and had a crying tone. “Then, can I still find you tonight?”

“No,” Shi Mingyue said, unmoved. She still drew a line. Xiao Dengqu wanted to get closer and hug her, but Shi Mingyue backed away, creating a distance and telling Xiao Dengqu to stand up straight.

Xiao Dengqu said, “Okay, I’ll go back and do my homework all night. But, teacher, can you keep me company while I do my homework for a little while? There are so many questions I don’t know, and I don’t dare to ask you…”

Shi Mingyue was silent.

Xiao Dengqu whimpered.

Shi Mingyue compromised. “I’ll come get your homework at 8:30 p.m.”

Xiao Dengqu didn’t kiss her before leaving like she had before.

She went back to her room and closed the door. She bit her lip hard. Under her long eyelashes was a shadow. The light from her phone screen illuminated her cold face. This act didn’t work on the teacher, but the teacher was afraid of her crying. She had to sleep with the teacher tonight.

Xiao Dengqu sent a message to the housekeeper: I want to install a monitor in the teacher’s room.

The housekeeper didn’t reply. Xiao Dengqu: I know you’re looking!

Housekeeper: No money. We’re poor.

Xiao Dengqu sent a voice message: “How can that be? My dad is so rich.”

Housekeeper: Screenshot

Xiao Dengqu clicked to see that the household expenses were over budget.

Housekeeper: We are rich, but young lady, you ruined the art studio and are redecorating. You ruined the flower room and cut up the roses. This month is not a good time.

Xiao Dengqu still didn’t believe her. The housekeeper was indeed lying. Some small requests could be granted. She used a laissez-faire approach to managing the young lady. She turned a blind eye to some things, but some things crossed the line.

Xiao Dengqu sent a message to another person: Dad, I don’t have any money. Can you give me a million yuan? I miss you so much, Dad.

The phone rang immediately. It was noon in London. Mr. Xiao’s voice was calm and cold. “What do you need the money for, Dengqu? Have you been a good girl lately?”

“I’ve been a very good girl. I’ve been studying hard, and I’m very smart in tests. The teacher said I’m almost a genius. I’m even smarter than Fu Wanxing.” Xiao Dengqu babbled on, talking about her recent scores, and how much she missed her dad. She also said, “Mm-hmm, I’m too smart. I’m not an idiot anymore. Can Dad give his genius a million yuan?”

Mr. Xiao said, “I’m asking if you’ve been good to your teacher.”

Xiao Dengqu pursed her babbling lips. Who snitched? The housekeeper? Or Yueyue? How annoying that Dad found out. So annoying.

Mr. Xiao said, “If you’re with her, I might not be your dad anymore.”

Xiao Dengqu bit her lip hard.

His voice was cold. Mr. Xiao: “Did you hear me? Dad won’t find you cute anymore, and he won’t love you anymore.”

“Okay,” Xiao Dengqu said obediently. “Got it, uncle.”

After hanging up, Xiao Dengqu took out a key from the small box on her bedside table.

Shi Mingyue took a shower and used her computer for a while to continue reading the essay she had found a few days ago. She wrote and revised her notes. Shi Mingyue wrote a page, rewriting the difficult concepts into sentences Xiao Dengqu could understand.

1: First, when you like someone, you have to be sure that their good qualities won’t make you feel inferior or cause you to be silently drained. You shouldn’t have to constantly guess what they’re thinking, getting caught up in the anxiety of “do they love me or not?” Love can be troublesome, but it shouldn’t be a torment that drains you.

2: Make sure they have good qualities, that they’re genuine, that you’re in their heart, that they give you exclusive favoritism, and that they express their love for you directly. Love needs certainty.

3: They love you, but they can’t hold you hostage. They can’t bind you in the name of love. You have absolute freedom. They can’t hit or curse at you. They should guide you, not despise you. If they hit you, call the police immediately and leave them…

4: Love doesn’t need self-validation.

Shi Mingyue had wanted to look up the definition of love, but she found that everyone’s feelings were different. Shi Mingyue was an engineering student and only believed in theoretical knowledge, so she didn’t write that part. She continued to write: “5: Love can be born from lust, but it’s not just the indulgence of lust. A normal love life has a sense of normalcy and an inexhaustible, mundane existence. Love can’t only exist in a beautiful appearance. They can accept your flaws and also discover your little lovable quirks. You don’t have to bear all the burdens of life, and you don’t have to be a people-pleaser. You won’t feel lonely and won’t need to constantly find spare time to pass the time. You don’t have to give your all to please them and be given a little bit of love. When you’re sick, injured, or feeling wronged, they can respond to you, and you can also handle the problems they encounter.”

Shi Mingyue wrote about all aspects and incorporated Xiao Dengqu’s weaknesses. She felt that what she wrote wasn’t good, so she used it as a draft and started over. Later, she also looked up the steps of a relationship but decided to delete it. Xiao Dengqu needed to learn the process of a relationship, not find answers from a template.

Perhaps she would have more than one relationship in the future, but she needed to learn how to protect herself and understand the beginning and end of a relationship.

Her phone alarm went off. Shi Mingyue saved her notes and got up to find Xiao Dengqu. She stood up and froze.

Xiao Dengqu was lying on the bed with her eyes pressed against the back of her hand. She was crying again. She was secretly wiping her tears and biting her mouth without making a sound, so Shi Mingyue hadn’t noticed.

Shi Mingyue had wanted to ask her how she got in, but seeing her cry, she could only ask what was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

When she was found out, Xiao Dengqu burrowed into the blanket, not wanting to be seen. But soon, a choked sob came out. “Uncle said he doesn’t like me anymore.”

Shi Mingyue didn’t understand. “You have an uncle?”

“I just got one,” Xiao Dengqu said, muffled.

“Come out from under the blanket first,” Shi Mingyue said.

Xiao Dengqu didn’t come out. Shi Mingyue lowered her voice. “Don’t be like this. Why do you always go back on your word?”

“I’ll come out right now.” Xiao Dengqu crawled out and sat on the bed, wiping her tears. She looked up.

Her eyes were wet. She was really crying just now. Just now, Xiao Dengqu had said she was sad, but she hadn’t had a concrete feeling about it. Seeing her tears…

“You go back first. I’ll go over and teach you. We just agreed on that.”

“Mm,” Xiao Dengqu nodded. The tears in the corners of her eyes fell out again. She was holding her phone. Shi Mingyue saw the chat history. She had sent many messages to “Dad,” telling him she was a good girl and humbly calling him “uncle.” “Dad” hadn’t replied to any of her messages.

“My dad said I’m not obedient, and he doesn’t want me anymore. He said I’m not cute anymore, and I shouldn’t call him Dad anymore. As long as I’m not a good girl, he won’t love me anymore…”

Shi Mingyue felt like she was a horrible person. Just now, she had also indirectly said that she didn’t like her when she wasn’t a good girl.

Xiao Dengqu was choking back sobs. Shi Mingyue was dumbfounded. No, did things like this really happen in the world? She asked, “Why is your dad like that?”

Xiao Dengqu shook her head. She didn’t understand.

She said, “Teacher, can you wipe my tears for me?”

Shi Mingyue walked to the side of the bed. Her fingers rested on the area under her eyes. The pad of her finger was wet, and the sensation traveled along the lines of her fingerprint to her heart.

A tear happened to roll onto her fingernail, feeling hot. Shi Mingyue knew tears were salty, very salty. She pulled her hand back and secretly pinched it hard.

Thump.

Another thump.

Xiao Dengqu just happened to hug her waist.