Chapter 285: Keep Your Mouth Shut
Turns out he’s just a lottery winner with a chip on his shoulder! After hearing this response from the guy, Jiang Hanhang’s smile widened. “So it’s Young Master Liu! I wonder if your father knows you’re out here flaunting your wealth?”
“Of course he knows!” Once Jiang Hanhang called him Young Master Liu, the guy got even more smug, thinking he was now on par with all those wealthy heirs. “My dad said his money is my money! You shouldn’t be all timid; you should be generous!”
Well, this fool clearly misunderstood his father’s words. But Jiang Hanhang couldn’t be bothered to enlighten him. “Alright, Young Master Liu, why don’t you go find someone else to play with? Your tricks won’t work on me.”
What a silly boy. Jiang Hanhang shrugged him off, ready to take Xia Yu and Xia Ling and leave. She thought he was someone impressive; turns out he was nothing at all.
But who knew Liu Zhilong would block their path again? “Hey, you still haven’t told me who you are! Didn’t you say you’re rich?”
“That’s right! So your tactics don’t work on me. From now on, stop throwing your money around on useless things. Use it for something meaningful instead, and don’t follow in the footsteps of the bad examples.” You had to admit, the Jiang family upbringing was commendable. Both Jiang Hanhang and Jiang Kekai had that princess treatment without any of the princess attitude.
With that, she shoved past Liu Zhilong and led the way forward, not expecting to run into someone like him today.
Sure enough, after just a few steps, Liu Zhilong caught up again. “Wait! Are you really ignoring me? Aren’t you scared of the consequences from my connections?”
This time, Jiang Hanhang was out of luck. She shot a glance at Ah Cheng, who was lurking in the shadows, making it look like she was easy prey. Ah Cheng had kept a close distance to protect her, so when he caught her signal, he appeared with a few others.
Without saying a word, Ah Cheng dragged Liu Zhilong to the side, while the rest formed a barrier in front of him to ensure this reckless kid wouldn’t block the Second Young Lady again.
“Hey, who are you? Do you even know who I am?” Liu Zhilong was still his old self, lost in his own vanity—poor kid.
Ah Cheng just kept his mouth shut as he held the line, not letting him near Jiang Hanhang and unfazed by this upstart’s threats.
Leading the way, Jiang Hanhang found Xia Yu glancing back curiously. Who knew there would be such an entertaining character around? The world was indeed big, and filled with all kinds of people.
Once they had walked a bit further, Jiang Hanhang smirked. “Xia Yu, Xia Ling, in a city like this, there are plenty of people just like that. They have no real strength yet love to show off. Don’t be afraid; just kick them to the curb. They’re spoiled brats, after all.”
She may have said that, but only someone of Jiang Hanhang’s status could be so bold. After all, she had the vast resources of the Jiang family backing her. As they continued on, Xia Yu was not only witnessing the luxurious life of the rich but was also faced with the harsh realities of the poor, which made her heart ache.
Indeed, during her walk, Xia Yu saw an old man collecting bottles in a burlap bag. Seeing his thin frame and dirty clothes made it clear he wasn’t just casually out for strolls; he was struggling to survive.
Every time she encountered these scenes, Xia Yu felt a heavy heart, wishing she could help them. If only… but she knew she lacked the means to do so.
What Xia Yu was pondering was her own matter, so Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling remained unaware as they continued happily shopping, snapping up anything fun or delicious that caught their eye.
Suddenly, Xia Yu’s eyes were covered. “Guess who I am?”
That familiar voice and delightful scent—Xia Yu couldn’t mistake it! She excitedly shouted, “Sister Little Ning! What are you doing here?” Indeed, it was Jiang Kekai, who hurried over right after the party ended. With the info from Ah Cheng, she had no fear of getting lost.
Oh no, now that she had been caught, Jiang Kekai stopped pretending and wrapped her arms around Xia Yu from behind. “So, what have you bought, Little Yu? Did you manage to trick Hanhang a bit tonight?”
“I… I just bought some snacks, that’s all. I don’t really need anything else,” Xia Yu mumbled.
For some reason, when others were around, being with Jiang Kekai made Xia Yu feel a bit shy, especially with Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling—those two who knew everything about them!
Who knows what kind of thoughts were racing through Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling’s minds at that moment?
Xia Yu’s worries were easy to read, and Jiang Kekai instantly figured out that Xia Yu was concerned about something, thinking how it shouldn’t be so awkward since they were family now. She felt a little unsure of how to handle her cute little companion.
Ruffling Xia Yu’s nice little head, Jiang Kekai let go of her embrace—after all, they were still in public. There were too many people watching; they could hug when they got home.
Once her sister returned to normal, Jiang Hanhang couldn’t help but spill the tea. “Sis, someone literally wanted to keep Little Yu as a pet! Thank goodness I was there, or else you wouldn’t even see Little Yu!”
Talk about opening a can of worms! Out of everything that could happen in this bustling city, Jiang Kekai’s worst nightmare was hearing someone wanted to abduct Little Yu. She couldn’t tolerate the thought of her being taken. Jiang Kekai’s face darkened immediately, her previously sweet voice turning icy. “Who wants to live to see tomorrow?”
“Um… I think it was a guy named Liu Zhilong. His dad hit the jackpot with the lottery, and now he’s all puffed up.” Jiang Hanhang explained.
“Lottery winner? How dare he even try to woo my people! He’s asking for trouble. Let him enjoy himself tonight; tomorrow, I’ll make sure he learns a lesson.”
Hearing Sister Little Ning’s fierce words and seeing her fuming face, Xia Yu thought Jiang Kekai was going to pull something straight out of a drama—ruining people’s lives and leaving them in shambles. That was pretty ruthless.
Xia Yu’s sympathy kicked in. “Sister Little Ning, maybe we should let it go? He hasn’t really done anything to us.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Little Yu, you must never be kind to someone like that! It’s cruel to other girls!” Jiang Hanhang warned.
Xia Ling nodded in agreement. “Exactly! If he dares to approach us, it means he’ll go after other girls too, so you can’t show him any pity!”
“But… isn’t it a bit too harsh to ruin his life?”
“Who says I want to ruin his life?”
Jiang Kekai once again affectionately wrapped an arm around Xia Yu’s neck. “Let’s leave others aside; Little Yu, don’t think of me so poorly, okay? He hasn’t succeeded with you, so I just want to turn him back into the nobody he was before the lottery. That way, he can see himself more clearly.”
“Is that how it is? I thought Sister Little Ning was going to ruin his life like on TV.” Xia Yu felt a bit embarrassed explaining.
In response, Jiang Kekai could only helplessly pinch Xia Yu’s cute little nose and smile affectionately. “Don’t worry, sis will handle this well. No need to overthink it.”
“Mm.”
Since Sister Little Ning said so, Xia Yu decided to believe her. She was growing increasingly dependent on Jiang Kekai.
Watching the sweet duo of Jiang Kekai and Xia Yu together, Jiang Hanhang couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Xia Yu. “Such a kind heart! Uncle made a wise choice in turning you into a girl.”
Xia Yu: “…”
No doubt, right after Jiang Hanhang finished her sass, she was promptly tapped on the head by Xia Ling, who pulled her away. “Are you hungry? Let’s grab something to eat.”
Seeing her sister pulling Xia Hanhang away, Jiang Kekai couldn’t help but shake her head. Her sister was good at almost everything—except for being cheeky. Though it seemed someone could finally put her in check.
Afterward, Jiang Kekai took Xia Yu’s hand and followed behind the two silly girls, determined to enjoy their day out.
As they walked, Xia Yu spotted an old man sitting by the roadside munching on a steamed bun, with a nearly full sack next to him. Poor thing.
Once more, Xia Yu’s heart swelled with sympathy, thinking how wonderful it would be if she had the means to open a restaurant. If she could just invite all those poor old folks, they wouldn’t have to worry about food.
Alas, she didn’t have that capability.
While Sister Little Ning surely had it, Xia Yu felt too shy to bring it up, thinking it was wrong to always ask her.
Noticing her little cutie staring blankly at a spot, Jiang Kekai turned to see what was catching her attention, wary she might be sneaking a peek at some handsome guy or gorgeous girl, which would be dangerous!
But… it wasn’t anything like that. The center of attention was just that old man eating the bun. Xia Yu must have been looking at him.
“What’s wrong, Little Yu? Are you looking at that old man? There are plenty of people like him in society. You can’t possibly help every single one,” Jiang Kekai’s words snapped Xia Yu back to reality. She thought her sister was making a point, but… she still wanted to help.
After hesitating, she bravely voiced her thoughts to Jiang Kekai. “Sister Little Ning, could you lend me some money?”
Upon hearing this, not just Jiang Kekai perked up, but even Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling in front stopped in their tracks and turned around. Xia Yu was still acting reserved with Jiang Kekai after all this time?
This made Jiang Kekai feel like all her efforts in winning Xia Yu over had gone to waste. But what could she do? She didn’t want to scold this little fool.
It took several seconds for her to gather herself, and Jiang Kekai couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. “Little Yu, what are you being so polite for? Just tell me, how much do you need and for what?”
“I want to open a restaurant, but I don’t know how much it would cost.” After thinking for a bit, Xia Yu added, “I’ll pay you back when I earn money later, I promise!”
Jiang Kekai couldn’t help but facepalm, feeling a mix of frustration and tears. “Little Yu, it’s just to open a restaurant! Fine, I’ll agree, but you don’t have to mention paying me back, alright?”
As for why Xia Yu wanted to open a restaurant, Jiang Kekai, Jiang Hanhang, and Xia Ling didn’t need to guess. It was simply to help those who couldn’t afford to eat. If that wasn’t the Xia Yu they knew, who was?
Then Jiang Hanhang chimed in, “Sis, I want to invest too. I’ll cover half the cost for the restaurant.”
“Deal.” Since her sister was willing to join in, Jiang Kekai wouldn’t say no. “Let’s set a little goal, alright? One in every major city!”
“Count me in! I have plenty of pocket money.”
“Honestly thought you would back out. So it’s decided then; Hanhang, you invest half.”
…
Seeing Jiang Kekai and Jiang Hanhang getting all serious, Xia Yu tentatively chimed in, “Uh… So, Sister Little Ning, do you know what kind of restaurant I want to open? It’s a pretty risky venture.”
Before Jiang Kekai could respond, Jiang Hanhang shot Xia Yu a glance. “You just want to help people like that old grandpa, right? If we don’t aim for a bigger scale, how can we help more people?”
“Ah? So you knew?”
Jiang Kekai was slightly annoyed as she pinched Xia Yu’s cute face from behind. “Little Yu, don’t you realize your thoughts are pretty obvious? Try not to be so naive, okay?”
“It’s not like I intended for it to be obvious,” Xia Yu pouted.
Jiang Kekai sighed helplessly. “Honestly, I had this thought before. Grandpa used to say our family’s money is sourced from the people. No matter how much we save, it’s better to give a portion back and do some good; it’s all about accumulating virtue. So whether it makes money or not, as long as we don’t lose anything, it’s fine!”
Seeing how well Jiang Kekai understood her, Xia Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But Sister Little Ning was indeed amazing, always surprising her.
“Alright, let’s all share a room when we get home. Stop being so formal with me. If there’s anything, just say it, okay? I’m not short on money.”
Watching her sister make another move on Xia Yu, Jiang Hanhang couldn’t bear to watch. She retreated behind Xia Ling and muttered, “Sis, let’s register the restaurant under Little Yu’s name. Don’t include me. You know I hate managing these things. Besides, Little Yu belongs to you anyway.”
The last sentence didn’t sit well with Xia Ling, who couldn’t help feeling annoyed. It was true, but she still felt like her little sister was being handed over to Jiang Kekai before she could have fun with her! So, she just had to bop Jiang Hanhang on the head to vent her frustration. “Keep your mouth shut!”
