Xi Yan had been hanging around at the entrance, too, waiting for Yao Tang.
In the end, she had decided to stay in the car until the examinees were let out.
To her horror and surprise, Yao Tangfainted the moment she came out of the campus, Worse, she was picked up by a strange man and taken away.
Xi Yan wasted no time and chased after them.
She was staring Cheng Yandown now, wary and alert. She had the vague sense that they had met before; she just couldn’t remember where.
What she knew for sure, however, was that this man was no one to trifle with.
When he met her gaze, she felt the urge to avert her eyes, and her body instinctively stiffened.
Thankfully, Qin Hao walked over and stepped between them. “Teacher Xi,” he greeted amicably. “Oh, have you forgotten who w are? We were present during the incident withYang Ronglast time. This man is currently here asYao Tang’s guardian. Please rest assured—we are not bad people.”
He turned to Cheng Yanthen. “IsYao Tanghypoglycemic by any chance? Take her back to the car.”
Xi Yan finally pieced things together after hearing Qin Hao’s explanation.
She recognized the strange man to be the one who had attended a previous teacher’s meeting on Yao Tang’s behalf. She had no reason to be alarmed, after all.
“Ah, so you are Yao Tang’s guardian. Thank you for looking after her, but I don’t thinkYao Tangis in a condition to be carried around. Let’s just bring her to my car, shall we? I have a stash of candy in my glove compartment.”
As she spoke, Xi Yanmade to takeYao TangfromCheng Yan’s arms, but the man deftly dodged her attempt.
The teacher froze in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
Cheng Yan’s suddenly lit up with a warm smile, as if he hadn’t acted aggressively just now.
“Nothing is wrong. It’s just that the family wants me to bring Yao Tanghome. They are waiting for her as we speak. I have candy in my car, too, so we won’t be bothering you anymore,Teacher Xi. We need to bringYao Tanghome as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I will have her call you once she is rested.”
“Yes, yes, we have candy and some snacks as well,” Qin Hao added cheerfully. “A dinner is also waiting for us at the family residence.”
A voice at the back of her head was telling Xi Yanthat something was not right here, but just as before, she couldn’t figure out what it was. Moreover, she felt compelled to give in under the pointed gaze of bothCheng Yanand Qin Hao.
“All right, then please take care of Yao Tang. Be careful on your way home.”
With a brief nod, Cheng Yanturned around and carriedYao Tangto his car. He deposited her into the backseat and followed, slamming the door shut behind him.
Qin Hao hurried after them and went on to retrieve his personal bag of candies, but he was beaten to the punch. Cheng Yanhad already unwrapped a bar of chocolate and was gently pushing a piece throughYao Tang’s lips.
“Brother Cheng, I have the candy here, do you still need it?”
“No, chocolate is better.” Cheng YancradledYao Tang’s head in his large palm carefully. Not once did his eyes wavered from her face.
Qin Hao was about to comment on the remarkable scene the painted, but he stopped short as Yao Tanggained consciousness.
The first thing Yao Tangsaw upon opening her eyes was the smooth line of a man’s jaw.
“You’re awake?” Cheng Yanasked in a hushed voice.
He raised his other hand to block the beam of afternoon sun that filtered through the window and fell on her face.
“Hmm.” Yao Tangsquirmed and tried to sit up.
“You didn’t eat properly during lunch again, did you?” Cheng Yansaid, his tone turning wry this time. He retrieved his hand from the back of her head and handed her the milk tea.
“I forgot,” Yao Tanganswered guiltily. She plunged the straw into the drink and took a sip, making a point of avoiding his gaze.
Cheng Yan didn’t seem bothered, though. He grabbed one of the throw pillows in the car and placed it behind her so that she could lean back comfortably. Then, he took another one and put it on her lap.
“Lie back and rest. We’re going straight to the restaurant.”
“Okay,” Yao Tangmumbled.
She didn’t have the strength to protest. Even now, she was still a little dizzy.
Qin Hao turned around from the passenger seat. “Here, Yao Tang. I have some mints. Would you like some?”
She glanced at the tiny box he offered and shook her head. “No, thank you.”
When she looked up at him, he noticed the dark circles under Qin Hao’s eyes. The poor man must be sleep-deprived.
“Drive,” Cheng Yanbarked at the driver.
The engine came to life, and they were soon speeding away from the school.
Xi Yan watched the sleek car pull into the highway. It finally hit her then—those two men looked too young to be a high school student’s guardians.
They might look successful and accomplished, but they certainly weren’t Yao Tang’s elders. They were probably just a few years older than her.
Xi Yan spiraled into a panic. She had let those men take her student away! If anything bad happened toYao Tang, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
