Chapter 373: Four People
Xia Ling quickly hopped off Jiang Hanhang and cleared her throat to ease her embarrassment. “Bro, why did you bring a dog home? Aren’t you afraid Mom and Dad will scold you?”
“Scold me? Why would they?” Xia Le replied. “This is a Golden Retriever that Lin Jie gave me, and it cost a few thousand!”
The little Golden Retriever, initially being a good pup in Xia Le’s arms, became curious about its surroundings, peeking left and right before locking eyes with Jiang Hanhang. And then… it went wild!
Arf, arf, arf—
The little dog’s bark wasn’t as loud as a big dog’s; in fact, it was quite adorable! It scratched at Xia Le’s hold with its tiny paws, wanting to break free. Xia Le noticed and thought the pup was uncomfortable from being held too long. So, he gently set it down on the floor.
Without a second thought, as soon as its paws touched the ground, the Golden Retriever was off, eagerly racing toward Jiang Hanhang as if she had a stash of snacks. Little did it know… Jiang Hanhang didn’t have a single treat!
Seeing the pup run towards her, Jiang Hanhang didn’t hold back; she scooped it up in one arm and turned to Xia Le, who was getting ready to head to his room, “Has it been vaccinated? Plus, we don’t have any pet supplies at home. What are you planning to do without them?”
“Huh? Don’t you just need to find it a bowl and toss in some leftover food?”
Jiang Hanhang shot Xia Le an eye roll. “You think Goldens eat garbage? They’re a breed from England! Seriously, no dog should eat human food. The fats and salts are too high for them; it could give them diarrhea, or worse, some might even lose their fur!”
At this point, Xia Le couldn’t help but picture this adorable little Golden Retriever going bald. Now that wouldn’t be cute.
“So what am I supposed to do?”
Although Xia Le wasn’t too fond of Jiang Hanhang and Jiang Kekai at first since they not only stole his brother but also his sister, he decided to let it go for now and just ask.
“You’ve got to get it a doghouse and some dog food. Honestly, I’ve never raised a puppy myself, but you can find all the details online, including everything I just said. If you don’t believe me, you can check it out.”
Xia Le: “…”
After putting down his backpack, Xia Le actually took out his phone and began searching for information. Lo and behold, everything Jiang Hanhang said was true. Raising a dog was turning out to be a bigger hassle than he thought! While he worried, Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling were happily playing with the little Golden Retriever, which was just too cute!
Soon after, Xia Hong and Wang Wenjuan, the adults, returned home. They were stunned to find a Golden Retriever in the house, and seeing Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling playing joyfully with it, they assumed the girls had brought it back.
“Hanhang, Xia Ling, you do know our family’s situation, right? Why are you keeping a dog?”
Even as he said this, Xia Hong couldn’t resist teasing the little Golden Retriever. Who could possibly resist an adorable little animal?
Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling didn’t respond; instead, they exchanged knowing glances with Xia Le, clearly saying he should take responsibility.
Xia Le was feeling bold; he stood tall and confessed, “Dad, Mom, this Golden Retriever is a gift from Lin Jie that I brought back. By the way, we can keep a dog, right?”
“Well, we can, but it’ll be quite a hassle. For starters, what if it starts pooping everywhere or shedding? Who will clean it up? You or me?”
In the name of dog ownership, Xia Le was ready to fight the good fight, and he genuinely loved the idea of adding a furry friend to the mix.
With their parents’ approval, Xia Le finally breathed a sigh of relief. He could head out to buy a bunch of dog supplies! However, just as he left the neighborhood, a sleek black luxury car pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and a voice called out, “Hey kid, are you from that neighborhood?”
“Huh? Yeah, what’s up?”
“Cool, I have a question for you.”
“Okay.”
Having dealt with wealthy families from the Lin and Jiang clans recently, Xia Le was hardly fazed by luxury cars anymore. He figured these were just some rich folks’ lackeys.
Sure enough, once Xia Le stopped, the car halted next to him. He glanced at the guy in the passenger seat, then at the driver. Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Suddenly, the guy in the passenger seat got out and handed Xia Le a hundred-dollar bill. “I’ll ask you a few questions, and if you answer, there’s a reward.”
“Let’s hear it!” Xia Le said as he casually pocketed the cash.
“Is there someone named Xia Yu in that neighborhood?”
“Yeah, I know her.”
“Are you close?”
“Pretty close.”
Upon hearing this, the guy exchanged a glance with the passenger, hinting at some shared excitement.
Then he handed Xia Le another hundred-dollar bill and continued, “We’re looking for her about some important matters but can’t seem to find her. Could you help us get in?”
“Not a chance! Have you seen the guards at the gates? They won’t let strangers in.”
“What if we brought someone in?”
“Definitely not.”
At that moment, Xia Le had a feeling these guys were up to no good, probably trying to cause trouble for his brother. He’d heard rumors about people wanting to mess with Lin Jie; apparently, they were after some sort of experimental research. But he never thought he’d encounter them directly.
These idiots didn’t do their homework; they didn’t even know who Lin Jie hung out with! Not that he’d let them in. After all, Lin Jie was trying to ingratiate himself with the Jiang family lately. Maybe he should have those guys meet Lin Jie instead.
After a moment of contemplation, Xia Le boldly made a decision. “Wait here. I know a guy who might be able to help you sneak in unnoticed.”
“Is there a secret passage?”
“Shh~”
Xia Le had learned well; he could lie as casually as breathing.
So, he shamelessly called Lin Jie: “Bro, some guys want to see Xia Yu, but the gate guards won’t let them in. Want to check it out? There’s a reward in it for you.”
Wanting to see Xia Yu? And they got blocked by the Jiang family? Good fortune at stake? Lin Jie found Xia Le’s words odd.
Their brains clicked into gear. The two were very much on the same wavelength. Lin Jie quickly grasped the situation: “You mean someone’s trying to sneak into the neighborhood? How many? Where are they now? The benefits better be worth it.”
Xia Le peeked through the car window. “Four. How about we ask for a little more compensation since they came all this way?”
“Do whatever. I’ll come over right away.”
After hanging up, Xia Le grinned at the eavesdropping men. “Did you hear that? How about we make it a hundred each as a fee for crossing over?”
“Don’t worry about it, that’s just a minor detail.”
The men, seeing two little kids exchanging dialogue, unwittingly looked a bit too relaxed and handed Xia Le four hundred bucks.
Now Xia Le wasn’t leaving; he stayed to wait with them for Lin Jie, eager to see how this would play out.
In the meantime, he casually chatted with the men to pass the time. “So, what do you want with Xia Yu? Something big going on?”
“Yeah, big stuff. We couldn’t get to her by phone, so we figured we’d come in person.”
“Where are you guys from? Your accents aren’t local.”
…
Meanwhile, Xia Yu had just finished her cooking lessons for the day. Today had been much more enjoyable than usual for Xia Le, especially with that rare compliment he received!
Seeing Xia Yu’s happy face, Jiang Kekai felt her mood lift as well. They both got in the car to head home.
As fate would have it, right when they were about to return to the neighborhood, they happened to arrive during an arrest. Lin Jie brought along a whole crew. They swiftly overpowered the four men. Xia Yu was familiar with that area; she’d been battered there once herself, so the sight of it felt all too memorable.
