Chapter 1629

Xiao Qingqing always considered herself quite tough. Yet, every time she faced Samuel, his overwhelming presence left her flustered and uneasy. Just like now. Samuel’s fingers, which had been tilting her chin up, slid to the back of her head, pressing her forward as he leaned in. Their lips were mere inches apart—so close she could almost feel his breath. At the last second, panic surged through her. She shoved him away, pressing herself against the bookshelf, her words stumbling out in a rush. "N-no need! I... I remember what happened that night." As if she could ever forget... A faint smirk curled at the corner of Samuel’s lips. He didn’t push further, but his voice was firm. "If you remember, then listen carefully. I won’t tolerate anyone humiliating my woman. Even if this is just a contractual arrangement, you don’t take insults lying down. Understood?" Xiao Qingqing knew his words were meant to protect her. Yet, the phrase "Xiao Qingqing is Samuel’s woman" sent an odd discomfort prickling under her skin. With a hint of sarcasm, she muttered, "I wasn’t bullied. I fought back, didn’t I?" A low chuckle escaped him. "Oh? Then why are you sitting here looking so miserable?" "I—" Anger flared. Who said she was miserable? She wouldn’t waste a single tear over a mother who never loved her! "Uncle Samuel, didn’t we settle everything last night? Why did you even come to my school? If you needed something, you could’ve just called—" Watching her struggle between defiance and restraint, Samuel’s mood lifted. A quiet, amused scoff escaped him. Before he could respond, her phone buzzed to life. It was an unknown caller. In the past, Xiao Qingqing wouldn’t have answered, but right now, she wanted to avoid Samuel. She stood up from the tree she’d been leaning against, stepped aside, and picked up. "Hello?" Whatever the person on the other end said, it clearly didn’t sit well with her. "I made myself perfectly clear yesterday—I’m not interested in joining. Why did you even track down my number? Don’t call me again!" With that, she hung up and turned around—only to find Samuel standing right behind her, his expression dark. "Someone bothering you?" "No, just... a club I don’t want to join," she muttered, rubbing her temple. "Uncle Samuel, I have class soon. If there’s nothing else, I should get going." Samuel saw right through her attempt to escape. He wasn’t about to push too hard—not when he had other matters to attend to. "Don’t forget about tonight. Go on." As if she could forget—not that she’d dare. She nodded and immediately turned on her heel, practically fleeing the scene. Watching her flustered retreat, Samuel let out a rare, quiet chuckle. One day, she’d... His phone rang, cutting off his thoughts. He answered without hesitation. "Speak. Did you find them?" "We found them, but they turned us down again. Won’t even meet in person. Stubborn, aren’t they?" Samuel hadn’t expected Haida University to harbor such a tough nut to crack. After all, the terms they were offering were among the most generous in the entire capital! On the other end of the line, Feng Zixiu seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, by the way, I made a really surprising discovery during that call just now. That Mr. Bu... is actually a girl! And a fierce one at that. She told me not to call again." Hearing this, Samuel's eyes suddenly lifted with suspicion. "When exactly did you call her?" "Just now. Right after hanging up with her, I called you." "Send me the number. You can go now." Without another word, Samuel ended the call. Feng Zixiu chuckled to himself. *So persistent!* Well, he might as well see how the unflappable Old Ye planned to handle someone this difficult. Soon, Feng Zixiu's message came through. As Samuel glanced at the phone number on the screen, his gaze drifted toward the slender figure disappearing into the distance, his expression deepening with intrigue... Xiao Qingqing sprinted all the way back to the school building entrance, where the crowd of onlookers had long since dispersed. Gasping for breath, she wiped her forehead, relieved to have narrowly escaped disaster. She checked the time on her wrist—lunch hour. *Food first!* Just as she turned toward the cafeteria, her phone rang again. The moment she saw Samuel's name flashing on the screen, the device suddenly felt scorching in her hand. It was strange. Although she had Third Uncle's number saved in her phone, they'd never contacted each other directly before. She often bumped into him when she was with Nuannuan, and while she found him stern, she'd never felt this level of fear before. But after last night's incident, she finally understood Nuannuan's unease around him. Her skin prickled with dread—she even considered throwing her phone away! The ringing stopped. She didn’t answer. She thought she could just pretend she hadn’t heard it. But then, a text arrived. Unsurprisingly, it was from Samuel—just two short words: **"Turn around."** Xiao Qingqing stiffened before slowly pivoting. Across the field, beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient banyan tree, stood Samuel. Calm and composed, he lifted his phone slightly, giving it a casual wave in her direction. Her stomach dropped. *He saw me ignore his call...* Another chime. Another message. She immediately unlocked her phone. **"Lunch. You can walk over yourself—or I’ll carry you out."** Xiao Qingqing frowned. *Didn’t he just let me leave? Why insist on eating together now?* Her pulse spiked as Samuel started striding toward her. The last thing she wanted was for him to make good on his threat. Then she'd truly lose all face. She immediately lowered her head and typed out a reply: "No need to trouble yourself, Uncle. I'll grab my bag and come right out. Please wait for me in the car." Send! Samuel paused mid-step, glanced at his phone, then looked back at Xiao Qingqing in the distance before finally turning away with long, unhurried strides. Xiao Qingqing exhaled, but a nagging suspicion crept into her mind—was she just having a streak of bad luck these past couple of days? She slipped out of the school, waiting until the coast was clear before ducking her head and darting toward the car. The moment she yanked the door open and slid inside, she urged the driver, "Step on it, quick, let's go!" Samuel eyed her furtive, guilty demeanor with displeasure. "Am I some kind of disgrace?" "Of course not!" Xiao Qingqing clutched the back of the driver's seat but twisted around to face him, her tone syrupy sweet. "Uncle, you're practically untouchable in all of Dong'an. I just didn’t want people seeing me in your car and thinking less of you—after all, my reputation isn’t exactly stellar." Excuses. Samuel scoffed. "The only thing that walks sideways is a crab." Xiao Qingqing rolled her eyes internally. Even flattery wasn’t good enough for him—what a pain. Of course, she’d never dare say it out loud. Just then, a pedestrian darted across the road. The driver slammed on the brakes. Xiao Qingqing, already turned toward Samuel, lurched backward into the seat before pitching forward from the momentum. Samuel instinctively reached out to steady her, preventing her head from smacking into anything. But in the rush, he hadn’t paid attention—his hand ended up cupping her chest...