Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 151 - 132: A New Relationship
’A consumption cashback?’
Lin Shen wasn’t surprised. This kind of system reward was a common trope in stories about ultra-rich protagonists.
What surprised him was that the beneficiary of this cashback wasn’t Lin Ping herself, but her daughter, Anan.
Generally, such rewards were distributed according to the wishes of the person involved.
In other words, Lin Ping wanted a better life for her daughter more than for herself, which was why this had happened.
’That’s pretty reasonable.’
After some thought, Lin Shen’s gaze softened considerably.
’A mother’s love truly is selfless and great...’
"President Lin, your coffee."
After Lin Ping prepared the coffee and served it to Lin Shen, he took a sip, closed his eyes to savor it for a moment, and then nodded.
"Not bad. The beans are average quality, but it’s well-suited for its price point. Plus, your latte art is very well done."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Lin Ping smiled, her nervousness easing considerably. She couldn’t help but let out a silent sigh of relief.
At that moment, she finally understood what the saying "serving a king is like sleeping with a tiger" truly meant.
’She was terrified he would find something to be dissatisfied with!’
"By the way."
Lin Shen put down his coffee and asked casually.
"What time does your daughter, Anan, usually get out of school?"
"They start letting kids leave at five, but since the evening rush is the busiest time for the Cat Cafe, I usually ask one of the teachers to watch her for a little while longer..."
Lin Ping glanced at her phone, and her expression immediately turned to one of panic and anxiety.
"It’s past six? Oh, no! I have to go get Anan! It’s way too late!"
"I’ll take you."
"It’s okay! I have an electric scooter, and it’s really close. I’d feel terrible for troubling you all the time!"
Lin Ping waved her hands frantically, but Lin Shen simply twirled the car keys in his hand.
"Let’s go."
"..."
Lin Ping froze for a moment, her heart beginning to race for some unknown reason.
Before, she had only felt reverence and gratitude toward Lin Shen.
But now, Lin Ping was discovering that this young man in his twenties had a side to him—from his worldly conduct to his personality and conversation style—that set him apart from everyone else.
’It would be so easy to fall for him!’
Lin Ping quickly suppressed this dangerous flutter. After all, as his mistress, the ultimate taboo was to develop feelings for her benefactor.
’I just need to serve him dutifully. I can’t let my thoughts wander!’
Lin Ping patted her cheeks to clear her head before getting into the passenger seat of Lin Shen’s car.
—
「Xinxing Kindergarten.」
As a public kindergarten, its teaching staff wasn’t exactly top-tier, but it was perfectly adequate.
After all, with tuition fees well below average, one couldn’t expect the teachers to be masters of all trades, could they?
It was good enough that they were willing to watch the children.
Besides, most parents at a public kindergarten were busy working folks, so it was a common occurrence for them to be very late picking up their children.
The teachers had long since grown accustomed to it.
For example, it was now 6:30 PM.
Over an hour had passed since school let out.
Xinxing Kindergarten was long since deserted, with lights still on in only a single classroom. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Anan sat obediently at a desk, fiddling with her toys. Beside her, Ms. Wang was clearly growing impatient, but she still had to maintain a gentle demeanor and ask in a soft voice.
"Anan, when is your mommy coming to get you?"
"Mommy’s probably busy today."
Anan looked up at Ms. Wang with a pitifully endearing expression and apologized.
"I’m sorry, Ms. Wang, for making you wait with me for so long."
"Oh! It’s okay, sweetie. This is part of a teacher’s job."
Seeing Anan’s adorable little face, the annoyance in Ms. Wang’s heart instantly melted away. She quickly pulled the girl into a hug and comforted her.
"Don’t worry, Anan. Your mommy must work very hard to support you, so you have to be extra understanding, okay?"
"Mm-hmm."
Anan nodded. Her sensible and well-behaved demeanor made Ms. Wang’s heart melt, but it also filled her with a wave of complex emotions.
She knew very well that Anan’s parents were divorced.
For a child of four or five, that was practically no different from the sky falling down!
Yet Anan remained so resilient, which made Ms. Wang unable to stop herself from complaining about her parents.
’What a pair!’
’Are they even fit to be parents?’
’Getting a divorce when they have such an adorable child.’
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Ms. Wang looked up and saw Lin Ping waving through the small window in the classroom door.
"Mommy!"
Anan cried out excitedly, and Ms. Wang patted her on the head affectionately.
"Anan, can you wait here for a moment? I’m going to have a little chat with your mom."
"Okay~"
After Anan nodded, Ms. Wang couldn’t resist planting a kiss on her soft cheek. She then stood up and left the classroom. The moment she faced Lin Ping, her gentle expression turned ice-cold, and she unleashed a sharp tirade.
"Anan’s mother, why are you just getting here? Do you have any idea it’s been over an hour since school let out? Or is our time as teachers not valuable?"
"I can accept ten, even twenty minutes, but over an hour? Who can put up with that?"
"And another thing, do you have any idea how agonizing it is for a child to wait that long? Can you please show a little more concern for your own daughter? I have to say this, even if you report me for it. I know it’s not pleasant to hear, but you need to hear it."
"I’m so sorry, Ms. Wang. I got held up at work."
Faced with Ms. Wang’s criticism, Lin Ping didn’t argue. Instead, she quickly bowed in apology, her expression filled with self-reproach.
Just then, Lin Shen, who had been watching the drama unfold from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up.
"Hello, Ms. Wang."
’Oh?’
Noticing Lin Shen, Ms. Wang looked him up and down in surprise.
