Chapter 75: Marvel At Aunt May!

Chapter 75: Marvel At Aunt May!

Velvet Tower, 39th floor, inside a dark office with many monitors...

May Lee grinned at the glowing screens, keeping one eye on her nephew and the other on her bosses' developments as she sipped her drink, working her remote Central Government job in the quiet dark.

A separate feed caught her attention, showing the arrogant challenger and rival to her nephew hitting on yet another trophy wife candidate. "Alex Renaldo and Hope Song? And you two are right near them... Well, their date would be lame and boring without some stimulation, right? Little Vicky and Ricky won't make any progress without some challenge. Let's see... Oh, that will work."

Tap. Tap. Tap. The gossipy aunt played the part of a demented Cupid, the monitor lights reflecting off her glasses as she sent out a targeted notification.

Alex Renaldo pulled his Ford Mustang up to the apartment of his latest crush, taking massive pride in his skills to charm women as a self-proclaimed playboy. He lowered the sun-visor mirror to adjust his hair, taking out a mint spray to shoot two quick blasts into his mouth before giving his reflection a wink. "Alex, just remember, you're handsome, rich, well-hung, a successful CEO, and gosh-darn-it, people like you! You won't stay handsome forever, my man, so live a life enjoying the finest women while you can!" He saw the stunning figure walking toward his car and sighed. "But every hot woman you can get lacks a good personality, sigh..."

The car door opened, and Hope Song slid her sexy figure into the luxury passenger seat, closing the door and leaning in close to catch his scent. "Well, my Alex, tell me how I look..."

Alex flashed his charming playboy smile, delivering his signature line without missing a beat while looking over her sleek outfit. "Love at first sight. Your sexy black dress is breathtaking and makes me love you more."

Hope smirked with a man-eating grin, running a manicured nail along his collar to tease him. "Not bad, I think I might let you stay over tonight. You're looking yummy, fufu. Where are we going?"

Alex shifted into drive, answering smoothly as he checked his mirrors, "I made reservations at—"

[Employee 321: Just saw Victoria Long enter BBQ House across from Star University, thats all.]

Alex stared at the smartphone text message, a sharp grin spreading across his face as he thought of that cold, sexy business woman and how amazing her soft body would feel underneath him, already planning to knock her up the first chance he got to secure his hold on her. He quickly pivoted his plans to match the text. "I made reservations at BBQ House. I have to eat at my favorite low-class eatery before a big fight, but they have an event tonight called ladies' night, so you can drink more, my lover."

Hope drew back immediately, her sneer turning venomous at the mention of the place. "Long is Wrong! You expect this Song young miss to eat at a Long-owned restaurant? I would rather eat with pigs."

Desperate to get close to his true crush, Alex enticed her with a different angle, maintaining his smooth tone. "I did not want to say it but... I wanted to flaunt your beauty right in front of Victoria Long."

Hope smiled like a true villainous noblewoman, instantly liking the sound of that petty victory. "Oh? That cocky, proud azure-lizard my rival is eating there? Hmmm, yes, let's show her that my man is good. Fine, Long might be Wrong, but seeing her stuck-up face frown will be a delectable appetizer, hohoho."

Inwardly, Alex facepalmed at his terrible luck with high-maintenance women, thinking about how that tight-ass Ana Zi was another bitch who wouldn't let him score, but he kept his smile flawless for his passenger. "Just remember, my Hope, I am keeping my first spot open just for you. Now let's go eat."

He slammed on the gas, the Mustang tearing down the street toward his destined rival in love.

James and his date gave the waiter their drink orders, and my good buddy immediately started the night off with a loud, excited bang. "Wow, I am surprised we are on a double date!" Victoria and I sat completely speechless at his ecstatic face, prompting me to shake my head and quickly point over at Victoria to correct my misguided wingman before he made things weird.

"Teacher Long and I are not on a date, Jimbo. She is only treating me to a meal after I helped go over the students' workload. We only came to eat with you guys to help your first date feel less awkward, and it's close to the University, so don't go spreading rumors around campus."

James gave me a look of pure disbelief, his eyes darting between what Victoria was wearing and my own outfit, especially since the fact that she had touched up her makeup far more than she ever did for class completely failed to escape his dirty mind. James was a total nerd, but he had more actual love-life experience in terms of years than me and could easily tell when a woman was putting in real effort, giving me a grin I knew all too well.

"No, I won't say a thing about it, in fact we never even saw you two tonight, right Ashley?" Ashley, completely new to boy-and-girl interactions, only found her aunt's guilty expression funny to look at, unknowingly partnering up with Jim's teasing.

"I understand and won't tell anyone we saw you two tonight. Oh, Jimbo, what will we get as an appetizer? Should we share some?" James glared at me like he wanted to punch me into next week for teaching her that old childhood nickname, but he quickly turned a warm smile back toward her.

"I love your idea, we can try different foods that way!" I turned my head to look at Victoria, offering an apologetic smile that she kindly returned with a soft look of her own, the two of us practically sharing a silent language with our expressions—a strange, natural gift where I just instinctively got her, which felt incredibly weird for a student and teacher—right before we placed our appetizer orders with the waiter.

About twenty minutes later, our table was piled high with appetizers, including buffalo wings, a deep-fried onion flower, stuffed mushrooms, and mini veggie egg rolls with dipping sauces.

Ashley and Jim immediately started sharing, trying a bit of everything and double-dipping into the same sauce containers without a single care in the world, while I sat there in a daze watching this obviously blooming couple act all cute until Victoria interrupted my thoughts by placing a mini egg roll directly onto my small plate. "Student Lee, this recipe was brought over by my Long clan two thousand years ago, and I tailored it to modern tastes for this restaurant, so try some and let me know what you think."

With Cooking hardwired into my muscle memory, I took a bite without any sauce first to judge the base execution, finding that it tasted incredibly light and completely avoided the greasy texture that usually ruins standard egg rolls. Spotting the faint char marks on the wrapper, I realized the kitchen had half-fried and half-grilled it to balance the oil, so I dipped the remaining half into two different sauces and nodded in genuine appreciation.

"Good call for an appetizer, it gives a great no-meat option so when the heavy main dish comes, you aren't completely stuffed with grease. This is really good, Teacher Long. Are you actually a professional cook?" Victoria took an elegant sip of her water before expanding on her background.

"All noblewomen are trained in the arts of running a kitchen, but as a young child, I truly enjoyed the art of cooking. That is why one-third of my Victoria Long Inc businesses are food-related." I pointed a finger at her with a knowing grin, leaning forward across the table to match her closeness.

"You capitalize on things humans literally can't live without. I noticed your businesses sell food, homes, and entertainment. Your products target things the common folk absolutely require to survive, guaranteeing your successful rise far beyond the other members of the Long family." She smiled warmly, leaning back in her chair with genuine surprise written all over her face.

"So you researched my businesses? I am surprised you looked all that up." A sudden wave of shame washed over me because I hadn't actually researched anything, since her company profiles were plastered all over major financial articles, meaning Victoria Long Inc was just part of the Business Management knowledge shoved directly into my brain by the system, forcing me to throw out a quick smile and blame my insight on academic preparation.

"As the teacher, I expected you to throw your personal experiences into the upcoming test, so I needed to know exactly how you think about business."

Who the fuck knew those casual words would sound like a romantic poem to a hardcore businesswoman, causing Victoria's eyes to soften completely, so that by the time our main dishes arrived, our table had unknowingly split into two separate worlds—one turning a bright, clear pink, while ours remained entirely ambiguous but deeply intimate.

James had zero shame going straight for the most expensive dishes on the menu, happily digging into a massive slab of grilled salmon while Ashley focused entirely on tearing into a full rack of pork ribs.

Victoria, however, completely bypassed the high-end options, practically forcing me to order her absolute favorite dish in the house—the classic BBQ pork sandwich piled high with crunchy coleslaw and a side of seasoned steak fries. I didn't mind ordering it at all, but her intense insistence that I try a bite completely caught me off guard.

She had apparently eaten this exact same thing during her last visit, and it only now registered in my mind that this heavy, messy sandwich was one of the very rare finger foods she personally allowed herself to enjoy. Naturally, she leaned in closer to await my immediate thoughts on the flavor as I did my best to judge the seasoning, knowing exactly how much my raw critique meant to her whenever it came to her food and commercial businesses.

I made sure to put the absolute best professional spin on it to keep her spirits up, and her excitement level instantly spiked, making her look less like a cold CEO and more like a total geek geeking out at a comic-con. She became so thoroughly engrossed in our fast-paced talk that she didn't even notice our shoulders were pressed tightly together, leaning her head down to speak directly into my ear over the loud ambient music thumping through the restaurant.

That was when the overwhelming warmth of her floral scent, the soft cadence of her voice, her natural charm, and her striking beauty hit me all at once, drawing me completely into Victoria Long's personal space. It forcefully reminded me of that very first day I met her, bringing back that distinct, heavy feeling of finally encountering the one person I had spent my entire life waiting for—that specific, deep-rooted desire to just grow old together.

I was completely sinking into her presence, right until a melodious, sinfully alluring voice cut right through the chatter as the exact same sexy succubus I had spotted last Sunday night stepped up to the table, her tone dripping with venom. "Hohoho, if it isn't the prideful Victoria Long, slumming it with peasants. I see your tastes are as crude as ever."

Hope Song stood right beside the four-person open table directly to my left, covering her mouth with the back of her hand like an iconic, villainous noblewoman straight out of a classic movie. Five full glasses of wine and my total entrancement with Victoria had completely dulled my awareness, causing me to completely miss the notification from my Cat and Mouse app warning me that these two had crossed the one-mile perimeter.

Apparently, Victoria was also far too distracted by our conversation to notice her own phone vibrating inside her heavy jacket pocket, though I knew that if any real physical danger had been approaching, Mei would have intercepted it immediately.

In reality, my crazy aunt was currently up on the thirty-ninth floor playing puppeteer, a massive grin on her face as she watched the trap spring while Alex Renaldo flashed his handsome playboy smile across from Hope, focusing entirely on ordering an expensive bottle of wine from the waiter.

I couldn't help but curse inwardly, wondering why the fuck all of my romantic rivals had to be so ridiculously good-looking compared to me, right as Victoria's building joy shattered like glass at the sight of the annoying woman she had gone to university with.

This particular girl had been a massive pain in her ass for years as a self-proclaimed rival, but Victoria managed to maintain her composure, staring right back with a cold, sharp smile that pinned her enemy in place. "I never thought I would see the day that you of all people would willingly step foot into a Long business. I thought you only supported the Tang and White State factions."

Alex, desperately not wanting his arrogant date to completely piss off his main conquest target before he could even start charming her, quickly raised his hands to intervene with a smooth tone, interrupting the glaring contest. "Hello, Vicky, I am actually glad we ran into you tonight. Tomorrow night I have a major match, and I would absolutely love it if you would come out to support me as a business partner. What do you say? I actually have the tickets right here for you."

He smoothly pulled out two premium VIP seating passes from his breast pocket, showing off the exclusive guest invitations that only the main contender received while James, Ashley, and I just leaned back in our chairs, chilling out completely as we watched the high-society drama unfold right in front of us.

Victoria only smiled back at him with standard corporate etiquette, knowing well enough that Alex wasn't a malicious guy, just an overly confident playboy who needed to be managed, and she handled the situation with perfect execution by using me as her shield. "Sorry, Alex, but my student Rick Lee already offered his second ticket to me so I could go and experience real fighting for the first time, so I will be accompanying him to the event instead."

I looked over at Victoria with a completely blank expression, knowing damn well that I didn't own a single ticket to my name, while James stared at me with pure, unadulterated scorn, his eyes practically screaming about us not being on a date.

My hardwired skill of Acting instantly kicked into gear, locking my facial muscles into a state of perfect, unbothered calm so I didn't look surprised by her lie at all, which left Alex blinking in absolute confusion as his handsome face dropped, totally derailed by her response. "How is that possible? Rick wasn't even on the official VIP ticket list. The Deng family released the registry earlier today, and his name definitely wasn't on it."

The realization hit me that Tony's wealthy dad had deliberately decided to withhold my invitations as petty revenge for what I did to his arrogant kid at school, making the missing clues make complete sense. Victoria, instantly guessing that Alex had likely pulled some underhanded strings behind the scenes to ensure I was blacklisted from the venue, didn't back down for a second as she reached into her clutch to display her countermove, letting out a soft sigh. "Mr. Lee already gave me my VIP ticket personally, see?"

She confidently held up a single, official tournament pass that I had never seen before in my life, laying the deception on incredibly thick to shut him down, which instantly caused Hope to seize the opportunity to mock her with a sharp laugh, her eyes narrowing as she looked at my casual clothes. "Oh my, so you couldn't even secure a real date and had to beg for pity from your own student, Lee? Hoho. Hey, Rick Lee, how about you dump her and come with me to the match instead?"

I decided to mess with her head a little bit, leaning forward with a lazy grin to deliver a sharp jab that would completely derail her ego. "Wait a second. Are you that cousin Scott spoke about? No thanks, I wouldn't be caught dead associating with anyone tied to that literal piece of trash, sorry."

Her eyes twitched violently at the sudden insult, her tone instantly rising as she began sounding exactly like her annoying cousin, her fingers gripping her purse until her knuckles turned white. "You're nothing but a Tang bastard! How dare you speak so rudely to me?"

"Hmmm? Sorry, lady, but if that garbage attitude is the absolute best you've got, I am not impressed at all. Frankly, I refuse to go anywhere with you because I can faintly smell a literal sewer line coming off your body. Actually, now that I think about it, Scott has smelled exactly like that all week. Have you two been riding horses out in the mud or something?"

James, operating like an absolute idiotic genius, actually took my words seriously and visibly started sniffing the air in her direction, genuinely trying to catch a whiff of manure.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud at the sight of my buddy accidentally playing along with the bit so perfectly, pushing Hope over the edge as she stood up from her chair with a face flushed in pure shame and burning anger, ready to burst. "We are leaving right now, Alex! I refuse to eat another bite in this disgusting restaurant owned by the Long family. Let's go!"

She turned on her heel, her tight dress hugging her backside as she stormed past the tables and headed straight for the exit, proving that the woman definitely knew how to make a dramatic exit. Alex looked completely embarrassed by the scene, rubbing the back of his neck as he offered Victoria a weak, rushed apology, completely abandoning his smooth playboy persona. "Sorry, Vicky, my date is on her period right now and the cramping is making her crazy. Well, make sure you cheer for me tomorrow night so I can take the win. See you there, bye."

He quickly turned around and chased after his date, leaving the four of us staring dumbly at the empty space until James shook his head, looking completely puzzled as he picked up his fork again to finish his salmon. "I honestly don't know why she got so pissed off, man. I couldn't smell a single horse on her."

Victoria ignored his confusion entirely, shifting over to slide the crisp, single VIP ticket she had just displayed straight into my hand, her eyes locked onto mine. "I was actually intending to invite you earlier when we were discussing the tournament, but would you be willing to see the fight with me? I really wouldn't like the idea of sitting alone in an arena surrounded by all of those rowdy men."

Since it was currently the only viable way for me to get past security, and she was being genuinely sweet about it, I wasn't going to turn her down, so I slipped the paper into my pocket with a nod. "Sure, just text me the final plans and the pickup time tomorrow."

James immediately leaned across the table, his gossipy face lighting up as he pointed a finger between us, completely ruining the quiet moment. "Is that an official date? OUCH!"

He cut himself off with a loud yelp, making it completely evident that a smiling Ashley had just forcefully stepped on his foot under the table to punish his insensitivity. James winced, quickly shifting to a goofy, pained smile to cover his tracks while trying to look normal. "Ah! No, I mean, it's strictly bodyguard work, right? Ha-ha!"

Victoria smiled warmly at her niece, clearly pleased with the girl's intervention on our behalf as she leaned back into her own seat. "Correct, Mr. Lee will be handling the heavy lifting to keep those unwanted men away from me. Thank you for agreeing to guard me, Rick."

"Sure thing, Miss Long. And speaking of rides, I think my maid has just arrived out front to pick me up, so let me walk you out to your car first. Jimbo, Ashley, keep having fun on the rest of your date, and I'll see you two back in class on Monday morning."

Victoria quickly settled the bill with the waiter, and the two of us stepped out of the warm restaurant, heading into the cool air of the concrete parking lot toward her sleek black car.

We both immediately noticed the two angry nobles standing under the streetlights near Alex's sports car, staring down at four high-end tires that had been slashed completely flat while they frantically called for a tow truck. Victoria took one look at the deflated rubber and let out a soft chuckle as she unlocked her doors, totally unfazed by the vandalism. "It seems those two managed to piss off the wrong person tonight and karma came back to bite them instantly. Well, it's not our problem. Anyway, who will be handling the driving tomorrow night?"

The sight of the ruined tires brought me out of my confusion, and I turned back to face her. "Probably me, but let's figure out the exact logistics tomorrow. I still need to run it past my wives to see if I can actually clear the schedule first, sorry about that."

Right on cue, Mei pulled our vehicle up directly behind us, smoothly stepping out to open the passenger door for me while Victoria looked slightly surprised, though her expression remained elegant as she prepared to leave. "I am actually quite impressed that you make it a point to ask your wives first. But don't worry about it too much, I am scheduled to see them at the private spa tomorrow afternoon anyway, so I will personally explain to them how I managed to pull you into this arrangement. Well, I am off. Goodbye, Rick Lee."

She slid into her driver's seat and pulled away into the night, leaving me to climb into the back of our car where Mei caught my eye in the rearview mirror with a massive, teasing grin, shifting the car out of park. "Did my wonderful master have a fun little date tonight?"

"Sigh. Let's just go straight home, Mei."

She shifted into drive, steering the car slowly past the two stranded idiots who were still arguing with a towing company on the sidewalk, giggling softly as she tapped the steering wheel. "I really am one lucky bunny. The master goes out on dates, but I still get to go home with him, Ufufu!"

I slapped my palm against my forehead in a full facepalm, wondering who the hell had assigned this absolute idiot to be my handler. The entire night, my internal Spidey-senses had been tingling non-stop, and something told me tomorrow was going to be an even bigger headache.