The time was still early.
Emma exchanged greetings and headed straight to a bookstore brimming with artistic vibes, arranging for Jason Hart to call her when he was ready to leave.
Jason Hart didn't rush her.
As luck would have it, he bumped into Linda, a teacher he knew, while strolling through this newly opened department store.
In the course of their conversation, Jason learned that Linda's parents had divorced, her father doing business in Asian trade in San Francisco while her mother managed a café in Singapore.
From the looks of it, Linda's family seemed well-off.
Linda casually splurged on a discounted Dior little black dress priced at over eight thousand dollars, asking Jason Hart if it looked good on her when she tried it on.
With her long legs, slim waist, and that face of hers, even if she wore a potato sack, she'd still exude charm. Of course, Jason Hart said it looked good.
Linda couldn't be accused of living off her parents. Being able to teach at a prestigious school indicated her financial independence wasn't lacking.
Moreover, with no boyfriend or mortgage to worry about, she could comfortably sustain herself according to local high standards of living without scrimping.
Mid-chat, Linda suddenly realized something was amiss.
As they indulged in desserts, she laughed and said, "Jason, I've noticed you're more mature than you seem. Spending time with you feels just like hanging out with a friend; I've unknowingly shared so much with you."
"Yeah, an eighteen-year-old body with a twenty-eight-year-old heart. I'm not as young as I look on the surface; I'm pretty mature," Jason Hart replied, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Linda smiled, continuing, "Oh, come on, don't think I can't tell. You're deliberately pretending to be mature. Remember, I'm your teacher, don't harbor any funny ideas; these little tricks won't fool me."
Though speaking the truth, she wasn't believed.
Jason Hart felt somewhat helpless, asking, "With so many admirers, why haven't you found a boyfriend?"
Linda told him, "During college, I did have one, but campus relationships were too immature and boring."
"Is he handsome?"
"Are you investigating my background? We've covered so many topics, I think it's about time to call it a day. I guess it's time for me to go home. See you in class tomorrow."
Her home was nearby; she didn't need Jason Hart to act as her protector.
Jason Hart escorted Linda to the roadside plaza outside the mall before parting ways.
Unbeknownst to them, there was a little tail with a camera following their every move discreetly, capturing them until the film ran out.
That little tail was none other than the math teacher, Lucas.
Seeing Linda, whom he had long pursued, walking home alone, Lucas had a momentary thought that he might have been overly cautious.
But then he thought of Jason Hart's background, and as he remembered their conversation and Linda's smiles, never had she smiled at him like that before.
Jealousy surged again, his fists clenched.
Lucas had always been the "golden child" in other parents' eyes.
From a young age, he was a math prodigy, breezing into Harvard, effortlessly graduating. He had thought he might have the chance to stay and continue his research in mathematics, but ended up becoming a high school math teacher.
His students were either wealthy or from influential families; if they wanted his attention, they got it; if not, they were ignored.
The school administration didn't value his talent; he hadn't seen a promotion or raise in three years.
Being too smooth wasn't a good thing; after being praised too much as a child, he realized he was just ordinary upon entering society. After experiencing setbacks, his personality became paranoid and radical, as if everything should go his way.
At that moment, Lucas glanced at the camera and made a decision impulsively.
He felt it necessary to do everything in his power to break up Jason Hart and Linda; he couldn't let them continue to develop their relationship...
Emma bought a few books.
Jason Hart hadn't come to find her yet, so she immersed herself in reading.
She was used to being ignored anyway.
At this age, she probably understood that Jason Hart had taken her first kiss merely out of curiosity, not genuine affection.
Although her father, who served as a steward, often talked at home about how great it would be if they could be even closer to the Hart family, living a life of luxury without worries.
But Emma understood very well.
Facing someone like Jason Hart, who was so fickle, she couldn't control him; she couldn't tie him down with a rope.
During their school days, they used to see each other on campus all the time, but they didn't have much private contact. Over time, the initial excitement and emotions naturally faded, and now they could only be considered as half friends.
When Jason Hart found Jiang Yu in the bookstore, Emma was sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the bookshelf, engrossed in her reading. The dim light tinted her hair a faint yellow.
With her long neck, gentle features, and a shadow of melancholy, she was the epitome of a beautiful young woman.
Jason Hart couldn't help but marvel. Fortunately, there weren't any girls as outstanding as her in his high school class; otherwise, he would have been distracted in class, let alone getting into a top university.
Linda's mature sensuality, Mia's exuberance, coupled with Emma's quiet beauty, encountering several girls in a row had stirred something within him.
He could probably understand his former self, why he was so unrestrained; sometimes, even making choices felt like a headache.
Unconsciously, the phrase "Only children make multiple choice questions" suddenly popped into Jason Hart's mind...
That evening, when he returned home, he didn't see his father until bedtime.
Only then did he remember there was still his fourth aunt, who was hidden away in a golden chamber outside. It wasn't unusual for her not to come home at night.
He was afraid his old man was really squandering money, buying high-priced deals at this critical time.
Jason Hart had been wanting to find an opportunity to have a chat with his dad, but the next morning, after breakfast, when he went to school, he still didn't see his father.
In the past, he would have wanted to meet, but now, thinking about billions of dollars in profits, just the thought made him dizzy.
On the way to school, he fiddled with his old-fashioned phone—a true relic. It had been charging in the study all this time until Jason Hart discovered it last night.
There were contacts such as Bamboo Pole, Bucktooth, Mia, and his parents, among fifty or sixty contacts, most of which he had no recollection of.
There were also some sweet names of girls in the notes. These always made Su Yehao feel a bit shady, but there was no evidence.
Thinking about arranging to meet them one by one when he had established himself, it was quite a valuable resource.
At the same time, on his way to work, Lucas, riding a motorcycle, gritted his teeth and stuffed several envelopes into the mailbox, only writing "Kind-hearted citizen" as the sender.
As for the recipients, they were all newspapers and TV stations.