Click!
The crisp sound of a camera shutter echoed in the warm yet eerie hospital room.
Nari’s body completely froze.
He watched Masako finish taking the photo expressionlessly, his mind a blank.
He could only instinctively try to explain, “Masako, listen to me, this…
this is to raise money for Aiko’s medical expenses…” Before he could finish, Masako interrupted him.
She scrolled through her phone screen, placing the photo she had just taken side-by-side with another “Moonlit Line” divine image that was trending online, comparing them carefully.
Then, she delivered her conclusion in a tone that might be used to evaluate a newly manufactured industrial product.
“Hmm, the real person looks better than the photo.
You’ve finally come to your senses, knowing to use that face of yours to make money instead of doing those inefficient tutoring jobs.” All the explanations Nari had prepared, including ‘fatherly love is like a mountain,’ ‘forced by life,’ and ‘this is art, not perversion,’ were completely choked in his throat by that single sentence.
What’s going on?
This isn’t how the script goes!
Shouldn’t she be shocked?
Shouldn’t she question him?
Even if she didn’t call him a pervert, she should at least express the pain of her worldview shattering, right?
Masako, however, didn’t spare him another glance, as if evaluating a trivial matter.
She walked to the bedside and placed the pink insulated lunchbox on the nightstand.
Though her words were sharp, her actions were incredibly practiced.
Twisting open the lid, steam and the aroma of porridge wafted out together.
She first scooped a little with a spoon, blew on it, and tasted it herself to check the temperature.
Only after confirming it wasn’t too hot did she hand the bowl to her younger sister, Aiko.
Her movements were full of tenderness hidden beneath her cold exterior.
“Aiko, open your mouth.” “Thank you, Big Sister!” Aiko happily took a bite, not forgetting to turn back and show off to Nari, “Dad, look!
Big Sister is feeding me!” Nari and Sato, who was beside him, exchanged glances and both breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems…
the hardest hurdle has been cleared just like that?
Sato even winked at Nari, silently mouthing: See?
Your daughter is more sensible than you!
Unexpectedly, after feeding one spoonful of porridge, Masako suddenly looked up, her clear, cold eyes precisely locking onto Sato.
“Uncle Lin, you handled my dad’s business?” Sato was startled.
He instinctively straightened his back, and the air of a “chief agent” returned: “That’s right!
With your Uncle Lin in charge, I’m worth two!
This time’s convention appearance fee…” “How much?” Masako interrupted directly.
“Uh…
five…
five thousand?” Sato felt a little guilty.
“Have the follow-up collaborations been discussed?
I need to see the contracts.” Masako’s questions came like a barrage, giving the other party no room to think.
“Well, that’s still being negotiated.
Several gaming companies have extended olive branches, and I’m sifting through them…” Sato’s words were once again mercilessly cut short.
Masako had already opened her phone, and on the screen was a meticulously crafted PPT file.
On the cover, a line of bold, black uppercase letters displayed a professionalism and coolness unsuited for her age.
“Business Plan for Maximizing Nari’s IP Value.” “I made this overnight,” Masako’s fingertips slid across the screen, flipping through pages of charts and data analysis.
“Step one, immediately stop all low-priced commercial orders.
Those thousands-of-yuan deals are too demeaning.” “Step two, establish an official fan club, filter core fan groups, set up a paywall, open paid channels for exclusive content, and solidify fan loyalty.” “Step three, leverage existing popularity to directly approach top luxury brands and national-level applications, only accepting S-tier endorsements.
I’ve screened several target brands; Bulgari jewelry, or promotion for a new hero skin in Honor of Kings, both align with Jing Liu’s character.” Nari was stunned.
Sato was also stunned.
The two of them were like two statues struck by lightning, staring blankly at the fourteen-year-old middle schooler, who was systematically explaining a business plan more professional than one made by a professional MCN agency.
What in the world was all this?
Paywall?
S-tier endorsement?
Honor of Kings?
These words, coming from the mouth of a girl in a blue and white school uniform, were imbued with a sense of magical realism.
Sato felt his worldview had been more profoundly impacted than by “Nari is a cross-dressing big shot.” His proudly held social skills and business acumen were utterly crushed, leaving not a trace, in front of a middle schooler.
After finishing her explanation, Masako put away her phone and delivered her final verdict.
“From today onwards, I will take over my dad’s business affairs.
Uncle Lin, you have extensive connections, so just focus on execution.” She looked every bit like an overbearing CEO announcing personnel appointments.
Sato, the social butterfly, the troublemaker who loved chaos, was actually speechless for a moment, unable to find any words to retort.
He could only subconsciously nod.
“Yes…
yes, Director Nari.” “Call me Masako.” “Yes, Director Masako.” Having resolved the business issues, Masako finally turned her attention back to Nari.
She dropped a real bombshell, a new crisis that made Nari’s scalp tingle.
“Oh, right, Dad.” A mischievous, triumphant smile appeared on her face, completely different from her usual coldness.
“Next Wednesday, we have a parent-teacher conference at school.
The homeroom teacher specifically requested to meet my legendary ‘dad who’s been doing art research in America for years.'” Nari felt his heart skip a beat.
“I’ve already agreed for you,” Masako added, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Nari nodded upon hearing this.
He had been so busy working and taking care of Aiko that he had missed almost all of Masako’s parent-teacher conferences, and his heart was filled with guilt.
This guilt prevented him from refusing.
“…Okay, I’ll go.” He agreed almost immediately.
Masako seemed satisfied with this answer.
She re-examined Nari’s “Ice Frost Goddess” outfit with a very strange expression, a mix of scrutiny and admiration.
Beautiful, it was truly beautiful.
Nari felt uncomfortable under her gaze and quickly changed the subject, remembering the ticking time bomb at school.
Taiki should be a good student, tight-lipped, and would surely keep his secret, right?
He had no idea that at this very moment, his students already knew the whole truth and were frantically planning something in the class group chat.
Just then.
Buzz—buzz— Nari’s phone vibrated wildly in his pocket.
He painstakingly pulled out his phone from the elaborate COS costume and glanced at it.
It was a WeChat message from the class monitor, Kenji.
There was only one line of text on the screen, and each word was like a heavy hammer smashing into his temples.
“Director Nari!
Reply if you receive this!
Building A Teaching Building has been secured by our side!
We are ready to welcome ‘Teacher’s Wife’ with open arms!” Teacher’s…
Teacher’s Wife?!
Nari’s vision went black, and he almost fainted on the spot.