Rumor Has It I Don’t Follow A-Class Morals - Chapter 29

It was the weekend, and the mall was still pretty crowded.

Ming Muyao was on the phone with Aunt Chen when a little kiddie train from the mall came chugging past. She instinctively pulled Su Yin into her arms.

“Yeah, we’re not going home to eat. Just out shopping,” Ming Muyao said as she walked deeper into the mall, holding Su Yin close. “You don’t need to cook for the two of us.”

Su Yin clung tightly to Ming Muyao, her palms starting to sweat.

It’s not even hot today… Why do I feel like my whole body’s burning?

It must be because there were too many people in the mall.

The train was long, with several parents and kids riding it. Su Yin didn’t dare look at Ming Muyao’s face and could only stare at the passengers on the train.

The colorful lights on the kiddie train flashed as it slowly rolled by, and Ming Muyao’s voice sounded in Su Yin’s ear.

“Is there anything we’re running low on at home? There’s a supermarket here—we could pick some stuff up.”

“Really? Nothing at all?”

“How about some snacks for you? Want some peach crisps?”

Ming Muyao gave a soft laugh, like a flower blooming right in Su Yin’s ear.

“Okay,” she said to Aunt Chen. “Got it. I’ll hang up now.”

After ending the call, Ming Muyao realized the kiddie train had already passed. She finally let go of Su Yin and said, “Aunt Chen told us to lay off the junk food and come home early tonight.”

Su Yin’s ears were bright red, and her cheeks were flushed. She didn’t look at Ming Muyao, just stared silently at a nearby store.

“What are you looking at?” Ming Muyao thought Su Yin’s red ears were too cute, like a little bunny, so she reached out and gently touched one.

The moment her fingers brushed Su Yin’s ear, the girl jumped like she’d been struck by lightning. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at Ming Muyao. A few seconds later, she turned bright red and covered her ears.

Ming Muyao’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly withdrew her hand and awkwardly rubbed it behind her back. “Sorry, I just thought your ears looked really red and cute, so I wanted to touch them.”

Seeing Su Yin looking at her like she was facing down an enemy, Ming Muyao asked gently, “Did I scare you?”

Truthfully, Su Yin really was startled.

Not because Ming Muyao had done something like this before—she hadn’t—but the sudden touch had genuinely startled her.

The little bunny in front of her covered her ears, eyes full of alarm, and even her rims were red. She really had been frightened by that small gesture.

Ming Muyao rubbed her nose and gave a wry smile. “I really did scare you, huh?”

Su Yin shook her head and slowly lowered her hands. Ming Muyao noticed her ears were even redder than before, and that red hue was spreading from the base of her ears across her whole face like red dye blooming in spring water.

Ming Muyao blinked slowly, and it suddenly clicked—this girl was embarrassed.

Nineteen and just discovering love, and she was her first… Of course she’d be shy about intimate gestures like this.

So bashful.

Ming Muyao felt her heart grow soft and sweet, like she’d just eaten honey. She looked at the blushing little bunny, bent down, and said with a smile, “I’m sorry, I was just teasing you earlier. But if you keep blushing like this, people might think I’m bullying you.”

That word—blushing—must’ve triggered Su Yin. Her eyes immediately turned red. She looked like she was mad but didn’t dare lash out. Instead, she turned away and stomped off ahead.

Ming Muyao chuckled softly and quickly followed, sticking close behind her like a little tail. “Don’t walk so fast. We’re shopping, not making deliveries. That shop over there looks cute—come in with me and take a look.”

Su Yin was just about to refuse when she felt the woman behind her pick up the pace, grab her hand, and pull her into the store next to them, not giving her a chance to say no.

After browsing a few stores, Ming Muyao picked out two shirts. She had her own sense of style, and while the original Ming Muyao’s clothes were a mixed bag, some of them weren’t bad. Aside from a few over-the-top pieces, there were some with decent taste.

She also picked out two pairs of black dress pants that would go well with a few suits already in her wardrobe.

Most of the stores she browsed had a mature vibe—not really the kind of clothes that suited Su Yin.

But Su Yin’s legs were seriously something else. Long, slender, and perfectly straight—she’d look amazing in a pleated skirt that showed off her waist and legs.

An academic-style dress would be perfect for her, and there happened to be a few casual shops nearby. Ming Muyao picked out a white sailor-style shirtdress and shoved both the dress and the girl into the fitting room.

While waiting, Ming Muyao sat on a couch across from the dressing room and scrolled through her phone.

An Jinyao had been busy lately—her social media was full of dinner parties and drinking. All her photos were either taken at restaurant tables or in hotels. Just yesterday she posted about getting so drunk she passed out in a hotel bathroom all night—wasting a six-hundred-yuan suite.

Ming Muyao had nothing to say, so she just gave the post a like.

As for the people Yao Jiang had poisoned, they’d all been discharged recently. Compared to their old social media posts, they were now either completely silent or sharing poetic quotes about peace and healing. Much easier on the eyes.

While waiting for Su Yin to come out, Ming Muyao casually gave likes to all of them.

When Su Yin stepped out wearing the white sailor dress, it was like the outfit had been made just for her. Even Ming Muyao’s first reaction was that she looked exactly like the sweet heroine from a school romance drama.

Pure and adorable—like a little princess.

Even the store clerk was surprised. She rushed over with a hat, adjusted Su Yin’s hair, and tilted the hat on her head at just the right angle.

Su Yin looked like a delicate porcelain doll. She gently adjusted the hat, turned to Ming Muyao, and asked, “Does this look good?”

“Very good.” Ming Muyao pulled out her phone and said, “Su Yin, look at the camera.”

Su Yin seemed a little shy, looking awkward and stiff in front of the lens.

Normally, photo-taking wasn’t allowed in stores, but Su Yin looked so stunning that no one said anything. Even the shop assistant couldn’t help but want a picture for herself.

“We’ll take the dress and the hat too,” Ming Muyao said as she got up, walked over to Su Yin, adjusted her hat again, and looked closely at her face. “You look really beautiful in this.”

Su Yin lowered her head and touched the hem of the skirt, the tips of her ears burning red.

Ming Muyao turned to the clerk. “Do you have more like this? Bring over a couple more for her to try.”

The assistant perked up immediately and brought two more outfits for Su Yin. One was a casual set with printed sweatpants and a hoodie—very stylish. The other was another academic look, and both looked great on Su Yin.

Ming Muyao bought them both and took a few more photos. By then, Su Yin seemed more relaxed.

After the clothing stores, they went to buy shoes. Ming Muyao picked up a pair for Su Yin and grabbed a pair of black work shoes for herself—something practical for the office.

The number of shopping bags kept growing. Ming Muyao dropped them off in the car first before bringing Su Yin back into the mall. They found a Thai place and sat down to eat.

Su Yin seemed pretty tired. Shopping really did take stamina. Usually, she barely ate anything, but today she polished off a whole bowl of rice, plus lots of fish and shrimp—and even managed to eat three spring rolls.

Maybe I should take her out more often. At least she eats better this way.

When they got home, Aunt Chen was stunned to see Ming Muyao come in carrying so many bags. The three of them sat in the living room unpacking everything. Aunt Chen took all the new clothes to wash, saying that with a night of air-drying, they might be ready to wear tomorrow.

Su Yin was so exhausted she couldn’t even talk. She went upstairs before nine. When Ming Muyao checked on her later, the girl was already sound asleep.

Ming Muyao bent down, gazed at the girl sleeping on the bed, smiled softly, and gently turned off the light.

Ming Muyao went back to work Monday.

The company’s finances were in bad shape, and a few capable department managers were already looking for new jobs. Ming Muyao hadn’t even warmed her office chair when HR brought in three resignation letters.

She read through the stack of polite, formal resignation requests without much expression. Then she looked up and said calmly to the HR director, “Follow the standard procedures. Have them complete their handovers—they won’t need to come in after a month.”

The HR director, a young and pretty woman, looked uneasy. “President Ming, it’s not easy training these senior managers. If they leave, what happens to their teams?”

Ming Muyao thought for a moment and said, “If they want to go, I can’t stop them.”

The HR director hesitated, her expression practically shouting this company’s doomed.

“Don’t worry too much,” Ming Muyao said with a smile. “If leadership doesn’t move on, how will anyone else step up? Send out a notice to those departments—the new managers will be promoted internally. If you see any good candidates, feel free to bring them to me.”

The HR director nodded. “Got it, President Ming. I’ll handle it.”

Once she left, Ming Muyao leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter… The company isn’t even bankrupt yet, and people are already jumping ship.

Of course she was worried. The three million she’d squeezed out of Su Hong wouldn’t last more than a few months. If she didn’t want to end up as a pawn in some marriage alliance, she needed a cash cow to invest—fast.

With that in mind, Ming Muyao called An Jinyao.

She’d been away for two weeks already. Had she found the right investor or not?

The phone rang for a long time before An Jinyao finally answered, sounding like she really didn’t want to take the call.

“Hello, President Ming,” she said vaguely. “What’s up?”

“Nothing urgent,” Ming Muyao said gently. “Just wondering how your search for investors is going.”

An Jinyao: “…”

Straight to the money talk, huh? Seriously?

“Uh… still working on it,” she stammered. “I’ve been reaching out to some familiar business owners to ask for advice, but they all seem a little hesitant…”

“If they have concerns, you should talk to them openly,” Ming Muyao said in a sincere tone. “No matter how big the problem is, you can sort it out if you put it all on the table. The company’s struggles are temporary—if you explain things clearly, I’m sure there’s hope.”

An Jinyao: “…”

You evil woman. What’s the point of painting me pretty pictures? You know damn well how bad things are around here.