Chapter 76: Linda Outsmarts The Vulture Maids!

Chapter 76: Linda Outsmarts The Vulture Maids!

Last night was interesting to say the very least. I really had a hard time getting Victoria out of my head. I even had a dream of making love to her on her desk in our classroom, and it was unexpectedly nice.

"I think I have a teacher-fetish, sigh."

Currently changing in Mary's walk-in closet, I talked to myself in the standing mirror as I picked out a black pair of swim trunks. Remember when we moved in, Mary made me put most of my wardrobe in her bedroom to assure I spent more time with her by default. It was a smart plan, actually.

Why am I wearing my trunks? Because Linda wanted to swim in her heated indoor pool while we studied. I like swimming, and Hana's pool, though big, is outdoors and not as warm as an indoor pool.

Finally, my dress was finished with my light-blue Star University tracksuit. I packed my beach towel, getting everything ready to go next door. My wives had already gone out for their spa day, leaving the house quiet. Then Mei followed me over as I headed out.

Knock. Knock. As I announced I was here, Linda opened the door, but unlike normal she was wearing a tasteful, full-length white robe. She looked straight into my eyes, offering a quiet welcome. "Greetings Rick, please enter."

So we both entered, and she nodded to Mei but did not chat with her any further. Yeah, I could easily tell she was pissed at both maids for acting like lightbulbs in an interrogation room.

I found her petty side kinda cute, actually. She reminded me of a young girl throwing a silent tantrum over having her toys stolen, except she didn't yell or throw a fit. She just looked entirely bullied.

And while my random thoughts filled my mind, we passed down a long hallway into a glass room. The area was fully white, finished with white stone and tiles that gave it a completely natural feel. At the far end of the large, school-sized indoor pool, a beautifully carved fountain poured water gently into the deep pool.

This indoor space gave you the distinct feeling of an elegant greenhouse. In fact, there were indoor tropical plants growing in large white pots throughout the massive room. In the center of the fountain pouring water was the symbolic statue of the Lang family, the Black Tortoise.

Linda had me sit with her at a small poolside table with her school things already laid out and ready to go as she gestured toward the water. "Come with me Rick, let us sit here to work."

The sun was perfectly overhead, giving us the exact right amount of lighting in the room. I also noticed there were automatic shutters on the windows so you could block out any excess sunlight. Linda picked up a remote control and chose the right light level for us, then played some classical music at a low background level.

I also noticed one other key feature in the layout of the room. The only chairs with cushions were the two we were currently using, and only bare stone benches decorated the rest of the room. So the maids had to stand or sit on cold stone.

I could tell by the twitching face of Mercy that Linda had just hidden the other cushions while she was completely unaware. I knew the two maids didn't mind due to their intense training, but it still had to be uncomfortable for a whole couple of hours.

About an hour later, Linda looked directly into my eyes, shifting away from her textbook to ask me a soft question. "Rick, do you know the two reasons I joined business for my primary degree?"

I took a slow sip of my iced tea and nodded, letting her continue as I shrugged my shoulders. "I just assumed it was to run your Lang family businesses?"

She shook her head, her gaze turning serious as she corrected my assumption. "No, as a spare daughter, I will eventually be married off to another family for politics or benefits. So I can only run my own personal businesses separate from my family."

I listened quietly as she adjusted her robe and leaned forward, her voice filled with a sudden, rare passion. "The first reason is to make my own fashion company. I love designing women's clothing. I have had a talent for it since I was young. Half of the clothing you have always seen me in, including my Prom Dress, were all made by me. You do remember my dress, right?"

I smiled back, the memory of that chaotic evening flashing instantly across my mind. "A long shoulderless pure-white dress that is wrapped around your neck."

When I told Linda that, she actually smiled a very small amount. It wasn't her forced, creepy smile either, but the genuine smile of a woman hearing something incredibly important to her. She looked down at the table, her posture softening.

"The fact you remembered that, on such a terrible night, really makes me happy. I had looked for you when I came out of the store, and when I did not see you on your bench, my heart sank. That was the moment I knew..."

She suddenly shook her head and stood up, cutting herself off before she could finish the thought. She untied the silk sash of her robe with a sudden, playful tilt of her head. "Let's take a short swim break and I will show you my swimsuit I personally made."

So Linda pulled me up, and I quickly shed my sweats until I was standing there in only my black swim trunks. All three women were visibly surprised by the fact my body had changed so much over the last almost four months.

No, I was no massive bodybuilder, but my muscles had begun to take on a lean and firm structure. It was the ideal physique built from hardwired skills like Kung-Fu and Acrobatics. My body had achieved more of a swimmer's body, and the intense amount of physical work I had put in was rewarded with three sets of eyebrows raising simultaneously.

Yes, even Mei had not seen me shirtless yet. Sure, my foes might be more handsome than me, but with my hardwired Medicine knowledge, I had been able to rebuild myself in a far healthier fashion.

But then, when looking more closely, some small scars could also be seen on my skin from my many past beatings. It was nothing massive, but a hard life was clearly shown on my form alongside my hard work. I hadn't only been beaten with fists, but occasionally branches and the like.

Well, I also had some accidents as a kid, like that time I fell two stories from a high tree branch, and the worst, my very first beating from Scott. I think the only reason Scott is still alive today is because he never destroyed my manhood. I guess deep down it shows he did not cross that truly disgraceful line. I probably would be a total murder hobo right now if he had ruined my family jewels for sure.

Linda, seeing me standing like that, held in her tears and let her white robe fall to the tile floor. She stood there showing off a black, silky two-piece held up by two thin strings that tied tightly around her neck to hold in her soft, large chest.

On each of her hips were matching black strings tied into neat bows, clearly designed so they could be pulled to strip her bare if one was so bold. It was a very erotic swimwear choice for an ice-cold beauty. I too had never seen Linda's body before, and this was my very first look at her almost naked form. She wasn't overly athletic, but she possessed the perfect all-around blend of healthy skin and soft body curves.

SPLASH! To break the strange, silent trance the women were stuck in, I only smiled and dived straight into the pool, waking them all out of their daze as the water surged around me.

Linda, seeing me smile and leap in, just nodded her head in approval. She walked down the steps and gently lowered herself into the warm water, leaving her stranded attendants behind on the pool deck.

Apparently, Linda had not told her maid or mine a single thing about the swim, so they couldn't wear suits and interfere with us in the water. She hid from the vultures underwater like a turtle.

After about ten minutes of freestyle laps, the two of us kinda just relaxed at the far end of the pool right by the turtle fountain. The water dropped down from about five feet up, creating a steady rush that muffled the surrounding audio and allowed for completely private talking away from the ears of the attendants.

Linda wiped the water from her face, looking through her wet lashes as she broke the silence. "Rick, you did not ask what my second reason was?"I smiled at this transparent woman, leaning back against the smooth stone edge of the pool to offer my immediate guess. "You wanted to spend some time getting to know me better, right?"

She didn't try to hide it or play coy, giving me a direct look. "Yes."

"I am glad I learned the truth about us. But, I don't think we will have much of a chance for more, right? Well, with your family."

She swam a step closer, the warmth of the heated water rippling between us. "Rick... I would leave my family."

I shook my head instantly, making a clear gesture for her to not do anything so reckless. Her eyes looked confused and hurt at my quick rejection, her voice dropping to a vulnerable whisper. "Why, Rick? Do you hate me?"

"No, I do not hate you, silly. I promise, you won't have to marry Scott. I have plans to stop your wedding."

Her eyes, which looked right on the verge of shedding a tear, suddenly widened in absolute shock. "Can you stop my engagement? But then I will just have to marry some other person, so..."

"Silly Linda, just handle one crisis at a time. I don't know what the future holds, but don't throw away your family bond just yet. I only need to join the tigers, then your freedom from Scott is assured."

Linda looked entirely confused by my words, trying to parse the meaning to learn more. "Rick, you're talking in riddles. Join tigers... do you mean you might join the Tang clan?!"

"It is only a possibility. I am not sure it will happen, only that it might."

She took a deep, steadying breath, the water shifting around her shoulders as she asked a much heavier question. "Will you marry Tina Feng?"

I didn't want to lie to anyone about my complicated love life, so I remained completely honest. "That's the plan, yes."

Linda examined my eyes and face, searching for something unknown in my expression before she spoke again in a soft, steady voice. "Do you still like me, Rick? I mean, does your heart think of me, more than friends?"

I knew Linda was not a woman who spoke with half words, and much like her father, she was incredibly proud, making it impossible to lie to her face.

My hardwired Acting skills didn't even try to fake an answer here.

"My heart is confused about you, Linda. I have guilt, care, and a long-kept unrequited crush. I think I could easily fall for you, but our situation is complicated. But the one feeling I know is solid is... I want you to be safe."

Linda nodded her head in slow understanding, accepting my words before delivering her own countermove. "Rick Lee, I am sure I am falling for you. You're the only man I want to spend my remaining days with. You do not need to respond. But, you need to know my heart. I will wait for your heart to find me."

A wave of shame washed over me, my smile turning a bit strained as I realized this cold woman could open her soul so easily to me while I constantly struggled with my own internal conflict. But hearing her be so incredibly bold here and now, a single genuine memory surfaced.

"I did enjoy holding your hand in the movies."

Linda, instantly feeling embarrassed by my simple and honest confession, let out a soft gasp and splashed my face with water, completely breaking the serious mood and waking me up from my memories of that night.

So for a short while, we completely dropped the heavy, complicated topics, choosing to just splash each other and play around like kids for a bit in the deep end.

Our pool study visit had finally come to an end, and we left it just like that. It was time for both me and Linda to think on our words and not rush into anything, but the air between us felt lighter now that we had both made things clear.

Back at home, Mei immediately cornered me with a knowing look. "So what did you and Miss Lang talk about?"

"The past, present, and future," I replied smoothly, keeping my answers short.

Mei narrowed her eyes, clearly not satisfied with that vague answer as she probed deeper. "You looked so serious, it must have been a love confession!"

I shook my head, knowing she was partially right but completely unwilling to feed her gossip machine. "No, I think we are just trying to confirm our friendship right now and nothing more, so just worry about more important things, like tonight."

Seeing that she was getting absolutely no good clues out of me, Mei shrugged and instantly switched gears. "I have a ticket to go, so I shall accompany you, Rick. Lots of bad figures will be there and I don't want to be too far. I promise I won't interfere with your date, fufu."

I looked at her, adjusting my collar as I thought through the logistics. "I suppose work gave you VIP tickets? And shall I ask for you to drive in her car or one of ours?"

"Yup, my boss sent me two tickets for us if Victoria hadn't invited you, so I will use one," Mei explained cheerfully, tossing a set of keys into the air and catching them. "And for the car, drive the Chevrolet Camaro SS. I will just sit in the back while you two sit up front. It will give you good street racing capabilities if things were to go sideways. Plus, women like Victoria secretly like cool cars."

"Okay, then I will send her a text to pick her up."

After a comforting cuddle night with my wives, I got ready for the evening ahead. This time, I dressed strictly in my professional bodyguard outfit. I was treating this as a pro-bono protection detail for Victoria to shield her from any political scrutiny, especially since the rumor mill would go crazy over me being tied to the Tang while she was a prominent Long.

Naturally, she and I both knew we didn't personally care about the high-society drama, but we wanted to stop any negative rumors from spreading about the two powerful families. Hana was more than happy for me to take her powerful muscle car for the trip over to the sports arena. Since the girls had spent the entire day with Victoria at the spa, they completely understood that I was strictly operating on a partial work assignment here.

At exactly 9:45 pm, I pulled the rumbling Camaro up to the front doors of the Velvet Tower. Victoria was already waiting on the curb, wearing a sharp, tailored pantsuit this time instead of a skirt. The outfit was entirely black, accented by a long, lightweight, knee-length black coat. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she wore a pair of elegant gold-rimmed glasses that made her look incredibly striking.

Mei quickly opened the door for her, hopping directly into the back seat so Victoria could slide into the front passenger side. Victoria smiled as she looked at the Chinese maid sitting in the rear, adjusting her coat as she spoke. "Hello Miss Mei Xia, I am surprised you are attending? You also had VIP tickets?"

Mei absolutely hated how incredibly sharp Victoria could be, so she threw out a quick, smooth lie without missing a beat. "While my master was out, someone from the Tang gave him two tickets to go, so I wanted to come and help my master Lee. Also, I like watching fights. It's funny."

I leaned over to make sure Victoria was buckled into the leather seat properly before offering a warm greeting. "Hello, Teacher Long. I am glad you came tonight, so I won't feel as awkward not knowing many people. Now hold on."

I slammed on the gas, the sudden acceleration instantly pulling Victoria's stomach into the seat back. With my hardwired Driving skills taking over, I didn't drive recklessly at all, but I stayed firmly at the maximum safe speed limit. I executed a series of agile maneuvers around the weekend traffic, narrowly avoiding the surrounding bumpers with pinpoint accuracy.

As I finally parked the Camaro inside the concrete parking garage of the Star Arena, Victoria continued to grip her seat belt tightly, staring straight through the windshield to calm her racing pulse. She slowly turned her head toward my grinning face, completely unimpressed by the thrill. "Hana told me you were an amazing driver, but I will never let you drive me again. I will drive. I stopped thinking I would die halfway here but... My heart can't take your exciting way of driving, sigh."

Her vicious and brutally true words completely broke my heart, and I felt like I had just taken over 9,000 points of raw critical damage from her cruel critique.

Seeing my completely devastated face, Victoria softened her expression slightly, feeling a bit sorry for shooting down my pride behind the wheel. She quickly backtracked to ease the blow. "Mr. Lee, if you can drive more like I do, then I will get in the car with you. Just remember, I have a delicate heart for thrills."

Mei giggled from the back seat, leaning forward to reassure her. "Don't worry, Miss Long. I have started to drive for the young master, and I will make sure you are safe."

With the small argument settled, the three of us stepped out into the garage, our mostly black attire matching perfectly as we walked toward the entrance of the Star Arena.

The security checkpoint turned out to be a massive pain in the ass. My maid managed to slip through the metal detectors with her hidden weapons completely undetected because her tools were entirely made of a heavy ceramic that matched the strength of metal but didn't trigger body scans.

Victoria, on the other hand, had to step up to handle the guards, showing them our temporary security contract and my official license to allow my two firearms inside. The staff reluctantly hesitated, clearly trying to make things difficult for us. Victoria didn't waste a single second, narrowing her eyes as she threatened the supervisor with cold, corporate authority. She bluntly stated that if she discovered a single other bodyguard inside the venue carrying a hidden weapon, she would personally use the full extent of the Long family's resources to drag their company through court.

The entire setup stunk of Tony's wealthy dad trying to flex his influence, but the guards caved incredibly fast the moment she threatened to ruin them legally. I didn't hold a grudge against Tony himself since he was actually a cool guy, but his father was incredibly old-fashioned and firmly aligned with the hostile Song factions.

Side by side, Victoria and I walked out of the long, underground corridor and stepped directly into the smaller, brightly lit octagon arena used for high-end martial arts tournaments. This wasn't a massive stadium built for concerts or major sports, meaning the surrounding seating arrangement was much more limited, intimate, and personal.

Mei walked a few paces behind us, intentionally lowering her presence as much as possible to blend into the shadows, a task made far easier with Victoria's commanding figure leading the way.

Victoria scanned the crowded floor, gesturing toward the VIP section surrounding the steel cage. "All of the first seven rows to the cage are designated VIP and we can sit anywhere in there. But the unspoken rule for the four main families is we tend to sit in the cardinal directions like the four states. So as a Long, I would sit in the Western seats and the Tang over in the Eastern seats. The families siding with the four main families tend to follow this trend as well. So the Song is with the Eastern Tang, understand?"

Mei nudged my shoulder, pointing a finger toward the brightly lit eastern side of the venue. "See there, Master Lee? Your cousin and his wives are there. Oh, and it seems Miss Helen Tang is here as well, so Scott will have to behave, fufu."

I turned back to Victoria, wanting her strategic thoughts before making a move. "Teacher Long, how should I navigate this multi-faction mess I am in? I have relations with most, but less with the Lang. And you're my only real connection with the Long."

Victoria had already noticed several powerful eyes shifting in our direction, and she offered a tactical suggestion to keep the peace. "Let me and your maid sit near the North West close to the Feng, and go greet the ones you are close with, then... Come and sit with me during the event. This way you won't snub your friends, but you can show your working and in more of a neutral seating."

I realized she was completely right about the seating arrangement. I needed to play it smart and avoid showing too much public closeness to Tina right away, just like she had advised during our studies. "Alright, then Mei contact me if you need me there fast. And Vic—Miss Long, I will return to you before the event starts."

We both had our communication collars securely fastened under our clothes, ready for any sudden trouble. Vicky smiled warmly at my slip of the tongue, her eyes twinkling behind her gold rims. "You were going to call me Victoria, right? No, I think in time when we are out of school and in private, that would feel better. Then I will call you Rick in those times as well, how is it?"

I could see she was having a bit of fun teasing me with her older-sister-teacher persona, bringing back a distinct wave of Mary's charming energy. I smiled back at the beautiful charmer, accepting the deal. "Then Victoria, I will be back."

Turning toward the eastern side of the stadium, I spotted a familiar face I hadn't spoken to in a while, and I immediately headed down the steps to greet him first.