**Chapter 175: Dinner Time**
Lin Jie glanced at Xia Yu and Xia Ling, then at Jiang Hanhang, suppressing his annoyance and pretending to be cheerful as he said, “Long time no see! Are you all heading out? Want to join me? I’ll treat you!”
Danger! Danger! Danger!
Not only Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling, but even Xia Yu felt a tingle of danger from the smiling guy in front of them.
Suddenly, Xia Yu recalled what Jiang Kekai had warned her before: stay away from that big bad guy, Lin Jie, because he was really a threat to her. Just as Xia Ling was about to reject Lin Jie with some caution, what did she see? Her big brother, Xia Le, was right behind Lin Jie, seemingly part of his gang! With that revelation, Xia Ling decided to stop engaging Lin Jie and turned her attention to her brother, “Big Brother, what are you doing here? And why are you hanging out with this guy?”
Unexpectedly, Xia Le shot back at Xia Ling without a hint of fear: “I don’t care who you make friends with, but you should mind your business about mine. I’ve known Lin Jie for ages—I know what kind of guy he is.”
Hearing this, Lin Jie’s smile widened: “Exactly! I’m not a human trafficker; why are you so scared of me?” “Because you’re even scarier than a human trafficker!” Xia Ling shot him a fierce glare.
That’s right! Jiang Hanhang had spilled the beans to Xia Ling about Lin Jie during class when they were bored and chatting, and learning this had completely changed Xia Ling’s view of him.
Seeing Xia Ling so on guard, Lin Jie maintained his cheerful expression: “Really don’t wanna go out together? I know all the best spots nearby!” Just then, a familiar voice came booming through the crowd.
“Get lost!”
Yes, it was Jiang Kekai’s voice! Unbelievably, she had just arrived a bit late, and Lin Jie had already found her sister and Xia Yu.
With some hurried footsteps, Jiang Kekai positioned herself protectively in front of the girls, coldly staring at Lin Jie: “What do you want?”
“Not much, just wanted to invite them to have a meal together. But if you’re going to be like that, then we’ll just leave.”
Lin Jie, completely unbothered, smiled and turned to leave with his buddies. However, Xia Le couldn’t help but take one last look at Jiang Kekai and the girls before following along.
As the saying goes, a gentleman’s revenge is never too late. Lin Jie couldn’t just forget how Jiang Kekai had scammed him before, but he also knew this wasn’t the right time to confront her.
Xia Le observed how his siblings and Jiang Kekai’s sisters viewed Lin Jie, and after they safely exited the school gates, curiosity got the better of him, and he asked Lin Jie, “Lin Shao, is there some misunderstanding or conflict between you, the Jiang family, and my brother and sister?”
Initially, Lin Jie thought Xia Le had caught onto his crush on Xia Yu, but it turned out this guy was as easy to fool as a little child.
Quickly, Lin Jie played along, “My family, the Lin family, is in business competition with the Jiang family, so naturally, my relationship with the Jiang sisters isn’t great. And your siblings are close to them, so isn’t it normal they don’t like me?”
Xia Le nodded, finding the explanation reasonable, thinking maybe conflicts arise from different social circles or something.
Then, Lin Jie seemed to spark an idea and casually threw his arm over Xia Le’s shoulder: “Hey, let’s discuss something.” “What is it?”
Xia Le frowned, a feeling of impending doom washing over him.
Ignoring Xia Le’s change in demeanor, Lin Jie continued to coax him, “Your brother is also a guy, right? Letting him hang out with those girls could affect his mental health, so how about you convince him to join us?”
“Why would I do that? My brother doesn’t like noisy places like that.”
“Aw, come on! Just convince him; I wouldn’t harm you, would I?” “Well… okay, fine.”
In the end, Xia Le relented, thinking he just had to put on a show when he got home.
After all, Lin Jie had helped him too much, so he felt a bit bad about refusing him, and that’s why he agreed.
Meanwhile, seeing her three friends all unharmed, Jiang Kekai finally let out a sigh of relief. “Sister, Lin Jie and the others just left—should we go out? Are we safe?”
This came from Jiang Hanhang, the most timid and silly loli in the group, who wanted to have some fun but was also scared something might happen.
“Why not? What’s there to be afraid of from Lin Jie? Besides, our mission here isn’t just studying; it’s also to scout out the economic value around us.” With that, Jiang Kekai grabbed Xia Yu’s arm and led the way out of the school premises.
Logically, students were forbidden from leaving at this time, but some students have special identities—like the four young masters of Peng City and the two daughters of the Jiang family—so the security guards at the entrance didn’t dare stop them, unless they wanted to get fired.
Once they made it outside, and feeling the unbearable heat, Jiang Kekai didn’t want to wander too far. They found an air-conditioned self-service restaurant and went in.
Entry fee: 100 per person, which was a bargain for Jiang Kekai, especially with a few discounts.
“Do you want a dual pot or a clear soup pot?” the waiter asked.
“Dual pot, please.”
With that, the waiter started preparing the hotpot and helped light the fire. “Xia Ling, Hanhang, you two wait here. I’m taking Xia Yu to get some food.”
Before her sister could respond, Jiang Kekai took Xia Yu’s hand and led her away. On the way, she didn’t forget to remind Xia Yu, “Make sure to grab as much as you want, but don’t overdo it, okay? Don’t want to end up with a stomachache.”
“Okay.” Xia Yu blushed in response, not even sure why her face was turning red.
Before long, Jiang Kekai and Xia Yu returned with a mountain of food, Jiang Kekai carrying a huge pile of veggie meat, while Xia Yu had two large platters of grilled skewers. “Alright, Xia Ling, Hanhang, you can get whatever you like now, but no wasting, alright?”
“Sis, like I’d even think of wasting food?” Jiang Hanhang, unable to contain her excitement, dragged Xia Ling along to pick out their meals. Honestly, once they stepped into this air-conditioned room, Jiang Hanhang felt her appetite soar.
Watching the two silly lolis leave together and realizing there were no outsiders around, Jiang Kekai couldn’t help but smile, pulling Xia Yu in for a hug and playfully pinching her cheeks.
After being out for so long and dealing with so much, she was just so glad Xia Yu was safe and sound. With Jiang Kekai hugging her like this, Xia Yu didn’t dare make a sound, afraid her sister would get upset.
But then again, being held by Sister Little Ning was pretty comfortable…
So when Xia Ling returned, she saw this scene: her new sister Xia Yu looked just like a little wife nestled in Jiang Kekai’s arms, completely submissive.
Though this wasn’t her first time seeing such a scene, Xia Ling couldn’t help but get angrier, so she decided to speak up: “Hey, stop bullying my sister! It’s meal time, you know!”
“Oh? So if it weren’t meal time, it would be okay?” Jiang Kekai smiled, but her grip on Xia Yu didn’t loosen at all; she kept her securely held.
“Ugh…”
Xia Ling, a rookie at this game, was definitely no match for seasoned veteran Jiang Kekai, and she was left with nowhere to vent her frustration.
Suddenly, she spotted Jiang Hanhang just setting down her plate and sitting on the little sofa, engrossed in her phone. Perfect! A perfect target to vent on!
“Hmph! You bully my sister, I’ll bully yours!”
With that complaint, Xia Ling yanked Jiang Hanhang into her embrace and mimicked Jiang Kekai by squeezing her cheeks.
At that moment, Jiang Hanhang felt utterly wronged. What had she done wrong? Why was Xia Ling punishing her like this? All she wanted was for this punishment to be over quickly—surely the meat in the pot was already cooked by now.
Seeing this, Jiang Kekai gave Xia Yu’s cheeks another playful squeeze, then finally released her little cutie and smiled at the others, “Alright, if you don’t eat the meat in the pot soon, it’s going to get old!”
Looking over, Xia Ling saw that Jiang Kekai had indeed released Xia Yu, so she reluctantly let Jiang Hanhang go as well. Luckily, Jiang Hanhang was easy to manipulate; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to restrain her so effortlessly.
And lo and behold, once released, Jiang Hanhang didn’t back off; she lunged to squeeze Xia Ling’s cheeks as though trying to snap back at her.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick enough. Once again, the poor thing was tightly snatched up by Xia Ling, her arms trapped and immobile.
Though it seemed like Jiang Hanhang had the upper hand, anyone with eyes could tell she was still at a disadvantage. Unless Xia Ling let her go, she wasn’t going anywhere. “Let go of me, you brat! Don’t think I’m easy to mess with—you’ll regret this!”
“Nope.”
Xia Ling answered, feeling rather giddy.
Today, their feelings for each other had taken on some unexpected twists.
Unbeknownst to them, sitting across from them, Jiang Kekai and Xia Yu were already preparing to feast together, enjoying the delicious spread before them.
