Chapter 32: Another Female Lead

"Yes, Ms. Zhen, he's in your office right now," Fang Xuan replied nervously.

"Meeting adjourned!"

Zhen Li gave the order, and her previous anger vanished in an instant, replaced by a warm smile. The speed of this transformation left everyone around her stunned.

Just moments ago, she had said she wouldn't see anyone. But now, upon hearing that her son had arrived, she ended a critical meeting on the spot?

Despite their shock, the attendees were relieved to be dismissed and quickly scattered to come up with new plans.

"Ms. Zhen, the plans haven't been finalized. Won't this meeting have been a waste of time?" Fang Xuan asked, puzzled.

"Back to my office," Zhen Li instructed directly.

Seeing this, Fang Xuan didn't say anything more. She could tell that in Ms. Zhen's eyes, the company's business was far less important than her son.

---

"My dear son, I've missed you so much!"

Zhen Li's reaction upon seeing Wang Haoran was almost identical to Wang Xiang's. But instead of giving him a hug, she grabbed his head and planted several kisses on him.

Wang Haoran's forehead was instantly marked with several lipstick stains, and his feelings were somewhat mixed.

He couldn't bring himself to call her "Mom" just yet. This would take some getting used to, especially since it had only been ten days since Wang Haoran had taken over this body.

At this moment, Wang Haoran took a closer look at his new mother. Zhen Li had given birth at a young age. Despite having an 18-year-old son, she was only 36 herself. Thanks to excellent skincare, she looked no older than 30, a classic example of a sophisticated urban woman.

Wang Haoran's striking appearance owed much to the excellent genes he inherited from Zhen Li.

In the original storyline, after the Wang family's business was destroyed by the protagonist, Wang Haoran's mother, Zhen Li, faced a tragic fate at the hands of their enemies. Pushed to the brink by the protagonist's revenge, she endured unspeakable humiliation before ultimately taking her own life out of shame and despair.

"I'm an adult now. Stop treating me like a little kid," Wang Haoran said as he wiped the lipstick off his forehead.

"No matter how old you are, you're still my son," Zhen Li said with a smile as she tried to help him wipe it off. But no matter how much she tried, the stains wouldn't come off.

Without waiting for Zhen Li to ask, Fang Xuan handed over some wet wipes to help Wang Haoran clean off the marks.

"Son, I heard from your father that you have a girlfriend now? And you two even went to a hotel together? So you've probably done it already, right? How was it?" Zhen Li teased with a raised eyebrow.

Wang Haoran was speechless. This couple was something else—both were oddballs. What kind of mother asks her son such questions?

How was he even supposed to respond to that?

"Aren't you supposed to be asking me more about my studies?"

"Oh, right! How's your studying going? How did you score on your latest exam?" Zhen Li asked, quickly changing the topic.

"682."

"Wow, that's so high! You really are my son, a genius!" Zhen Li exclaimed in surprise, nearly jumping up with excitement. She was so thrilled she almost kissed him again.

Fang Xuan, standing nearby, was also taken aback. Given how much Ms. Zhen doted on her son, she had assumed Wang Haoran would be a spoiled rich kid with no real skills. But it turned out he was a top student.

"Enough with the praise. I didn't come here just to brag about my score," Wang Haoran said.

"Got it!" Zhen Li nodded and instructed Fang Xuan, "Give my son my bank card and transfer five million—no, make that ten million—into his account."

Fang Xuan was so shocked that her eyes nearly popped out. This was the world of the wealthy, where even pocket money was handed out in the millions.

Zhen Li patted Wang Haoran's shoulder and spoke earnestly, "Don't hold back. Spend the money however you like. If you want more girlfriends, go ahead and find them. Don't worry about the money—your father and I work hard so you can enjoy life."

Wang Haoran was "touched." This new mother sure knew how to look after him!

"Let's put that aside for now. I came to discuss something more important," Wang Haoran said.

Fang Xuan, being perceptive, immediately stepped out of the room when she heard this.

With no outsiders around, Wang Haoran got straight to the point. "Do we have any connections more influential than the principal at Shui Ze High School?"

"Did the principal at Shui Ze High School give you trouble? How dare he! I'll find someone to take care of him!" Zhen Li immediately offered.

Wang Haoran was stunned by his new mother's words. She was indeed a villain's relative—her first reaction was so violent and ruthless.

But the situation hadn't escalated to that level.

"I'll handle this myself. Just answer my question," Wang Haoran said.

"I know one of the directors at Shui Ze High. We're not super close, but we're on good terms," Zhen Li replied.

"A director? That's perfect," Wang Haoran said, pleased.

Shui Ze High was a private school, and the principal worked under the school board. In simple terms, the principal was just an employee.

"Can you arrange a meeting this afternoon?" Wang Haoran asked.

"I'll try," Zhen Li said, pulling out her phone. After a few minutes of conversation, she hung up and turned to Wang Haoran. "No problem, it's all set. I'll just make some arrangements here, and then I'll go with you."

"You're busy with the company, so there's no need for that. Just send me the address, and I'll go on my own," Wang Haoran replied.

"Alright, but if things don't go well, let me know, and I'll step in," Zhen Li said, sending Wang Haoran the location.

"A jade factory?" Wang Haoran was surprised when he saw the address.

Zhen Li nodded. "She's a busy woman, and she has something she can't leave unattended. So, this is how it has to be."

"Let me tell you a bit about her. Her name is Tang Bingyun, and she's a woman in her twenties," Zhen Li began. "The Tang family mainly deals in jade and jewelry. They only entered the education industry a few years ago. Tang Bingyun is very capable; in just a few years, she's managed Shui Ze Education Group remarkably well."

Hearing this, Wang Haoran became thoughtful and couldn't resist asking, "She must be very beautiful, right?"

"How did you know? Yes, she's very beautiful, but she's also a bit cold..." Zhen Li continued, but Wang Haoran had already stopped paying attention.

At this moment, Wang Haoran was almost certain that Tang Bingyun was another female lead. After all, she fit the classic "ice queen CEO" archetype perfectly.

If she wasn't a lead, that would be surprising.

A tsundere school belle, a beautiful teacher, and now an ice queen CEO...

Wang Haoran couldn't help but want to mock the clueless author. They must have really liked Chu Bai, the protagonist, to give him so many female leads.

After a few more words with his new mother, Wang Haoran set off.

The jade factory was in the suburbs.

As the Cullinan drove along the road, there were fewer and fewer people and cars on either side.

Wang Haoran looked out at the scenery and noticed an old car not far ahead that caught his attention.