Chapter 167: The Real Jiang Hanhang
When Jiang Hanhang said those words, her classmates erupted into a lively buzz—what were Xia Yu and Xia Ling’s statuses? To have such a cute girl come to their defense! Right, they’re all just elementary school kids, naturally not caring about adult affairs, nor do they comprehend them. As for what Jiang Hanhang mentioned about the Demon City Jiang family, well, who knew what that was except it sounded impressive and very wealthy.
Seeing their confusion, Jiang Hanhang didn’t care if they knew how powerful the Jiang family in the Demon City was—she could always introduce them if necessary.
So, after finishing her speech, she pointed directly at Xia Yu and said to He Gongxing, “Shouldn’t there be no issue with me sitting there?”
Since Jiang Kening asked her to protect Xia Yu, Jiang Hanhang naturally needed to be close by. Although Xia Yu and Xia Ling looked incredibly alike, they exuded different vibes. So, separating these two didn’t pose much of a challenge to Jiang Hanhang.
“The student he mentioned is actually a boy. Why don’t you consider changing the seat?”
He Gongxing instantly regretted his statement as soon as the words tumbled out.
That student was Xia Yu, and Jiang Hanhang had made it clear she wanted to take care of Xia Yu and Xia Ling, so this clearly showed disrespect to Jiang Hanhang. Terrified, He Gongxing began to sweat coldly from nervousness.
The students might not know the super influential power of the Jiang family of Demon City, but the adults did. One word from Jiang Hanhang could cost him his job. Not just him, but the leaders escorting Jiang Hanhang also felt the looming shadow; making the “Second Miss” unhappy would result in a rough ride for them.
Jiang Hanhang merely glanced coldly at He Gongxing before pointing at Xia Ling and said, “That one’s a girl, right? Shouldn’t there be no problem with me sitting next to her?” “No problem, nothing is wrong.”
Quickly, He Gongxing realized his mistake and agreed. Then, he looked at Xia Ling’s deskmate, Wang Jinfang, and said, “Wang Jinfang, pack up and move to the back table.”
Though she was somewhat upset, this girl dared not say a word. She obediently gathered her belongings and moved to the third row, sitting alone on a desk.
That way, Jiang Hanhang seated herself right next to Xia Ling.
As soon as she sat down, she heard Xia Ling’s annoyed voice from beside: “Hey, I warn you not to get too close like your sister does to my younger sister. Or else, you’ll regret it.”
Turning around, Jiang Hanhang noticed that Xia Ling was indeed watching her, treating her like some kind of threat. Puzzled, she thought, hadn’t she met Xia Ling just once before? Was she really so threatening?
She wasn’t as assertive as Jiang Kenning, either in persona or appearance. She didn’t intend to be. She didn’t plan to make Jiang Kenning proud or anything.
She wasn’t as resentful and could be seen as a bit more laid-back. Just now, that display was just an act. If the other side would give her family face, fine, otherwise, she had no choice.
Like back then, when He Gongxing refused to have her sit next to Xia Yu. Thus, she chose Xia Ling instead.
They’d met briefly at the Xia family, which was enough to consider her a small acquaintance, hence choosing Xia Ling as a deskmate. Seeing Jiang Hanhang settled, the school leadership brought new textbooks over personally. Such matters couldn’t be left to Jiang Hanhang herself.
With ten minutes left until class ended, He Gongxing had lost all inclination to continue teaching: “Alright, you guys can start previewing on your own. I’ve got some stuff to deal with. No noisy chatter.”
Finished speaking, He Gongxing promptly left. Predictably, once the teacher vacated the room, commotion erupted.
It was during this time that Jiang Hanhang responded to Xia Ling’s initial warning: “Don’t worry, I’m not like my sister, and I’m not interested in your younger sister. I’m here because my sister requested to protect her.”
“Really or false? You guys aren’t suddenly turning nice?”
Xia Ling’s tone showed disbelief, but Jiang Hanhang grinned: “My sister is still overseas and can’t return anytime soon. Later on, she will enroll in a school here.”
“What? Your sister is coming too?” Xia Ling exclaimed, growing even less pleased.
“Why don’t you stay put in Demon City? Why travel so far?” Xia Ling snorted.
“Development, as my sister would say. But I’m doing this because of your younger sister, and I’m just helping out a little,” remarked Jiang Hanhang.
“Oh, you just leave my younger sister alone, we’ll address your sister later,” Xia Ling replied smoothly but internally seething.
Jiang Kenning seemed increasingly troublesome. Coming especially to be close to Xia Yu just to watch over her young sister—this irked Xia Ling.
Correctly anticipating Xia Ling’s inability to stop Jiang Kenning’s influence and Xia Yu’s innocent nature, she sighed anxiously. Xia Ling found herself in a tough spot trying to assume the role of protective older sibling.
Noticing Xia Ling’s vexation, Jiang Hanhang guessed her thoughts: “Hey, don’t stress over my sister. Since she’s older, she won’t study with us, so she won’t disturb your sister much.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Ling regained some vitality, looking at Jiang Hanhang: “So, my sister won’t come around often then?”
“I think the walk from the junior high to here takes over ten minutes. Therefore, no need to fret. My sister won’t be eating your sister anytime soon,” joked Jiang Hanhang, amused by Xia Ling’s protective instincts.
Xia Ling, looking calm, returned to her studies but inwardly seethed. It was difficult controlling Jiang Kenning, even more than before—now, with a closer presence in Demon City.
“Don’t worry about it. I just want to stop your sister from bothering my sister. Otherwise, I won’t hold back.”
Grinning confidently, Xia Ling playfully pinched Jiang Hanhang’s cheek, unafraid of Jiang’s reputation. “What? You dare pinch me? Don’t forget who I am?”
Squeezing her sore cheek, Jiang Hanhang adopted her tough façade, hoping Xia Ling would show leniency. Sadly, Xia Ling was unfazed: “So what if you are the Jiang family? What’s wrong with a pinch? Bring it on!”
Before Xia Ling could follow through, Jiang Hanhang stopped her mid-action, retorting, “Just try it, I’m not someone you want to provoke.”
Amusedly, both loli started tussling. Outside eyes saw only girlish bickering, while Xia Yu gazed absentmindedly out the window.
“Hey, where did you get your wristband from? What brand? How much?”
Xia Yu turned, recognizing them as from his own desk.
Leaning back, he pondered, “I’m not sure.”
“Curious, do you like any anime or games? Can you write down your QQ number for a new buddy later?” Clearly, he was just setting the stage earlier. Now, he passed his notebook, inviting Xia Yu to jot down his number.
Xia Yu viewed the request as normal. Before his arrest, he too was optimistic, burning water, watching anime, playing old classics like Tetris or Snake on the TV.
Thus, Xia Yu didn’t decline his invitation, writing his QQ number down, a small thing to him. Indeed, he wasn’t standoffish, simply not talkative and indifferent to social life. Yet, he would respond if anyone engaged genuinely with a brief remark or silence.
Returning the notebook, impressed, the boy revised his perception. From yesterday, he assumed Xia Yu would be hard to connect with. Instead, Xia Yu proved easygoing, albeit a bit introverted, like a little kid.
But now, as Xia Yu’s deskmate, he could only play together during classes, or risk being reprimanded for breaking the rules.
Continuing his barrage of questions, he probed further: “Speaking of, what games do you enjoy? Counter-Strike?”
“Nope,” Xia Yu shook his head.
“Nexuza?”
Again, a shake.
“Do you play Landwars?”
Another negative.
“I don’t even know what those are.”
“Well, then what computer games have you played?” He asked, hopeful for common ground.
Thinking of his past video game experiences, Xia Yu answered, “I’ve played FarmVille and RanchVille.”
