Chapter 343: It’s Like a Prison
Seeing how Jiang Kekai dotes on Xia Yu, both of these silly loli girls very obligingly didn’t cause any commotion; they decided to wait until they got back home to start making noise.
After pulling an all-nighter, it was impossible for Xia Yu to not feel tired, but she didn’t wake up despite the car swaying at times as it moved along. She slept like a log and only woke up when they reached the Jiang family’s Demon City residence.
Jiang Tao never thought his big brother would be so bold as to do something like this, and so quickly too! Doesn’t he fear angering their father?
Seeing the car driven by Jiang Bin, Jiang Tao immediately intercepted it and angrily shouted, “Big Bro, what are you trying to pull?”
Jiang Bin lowered his car window. His fondness for this brother was dropping every day: “Is there anything wrong with me bringing my daughters home for the New Year? Or is it that our home isn’t welcome anymore?” “It’s not that, but this is Jiang Family land, you must know what Father is averse to. Do you have the stomach to deal with the consequences if Old Man gets upset?”
“Just don’t let them meet up—I’ll make it clear!”
Jiang Bin gave Jiang Tao a fierce glare. He hated it the most when people tried to b*tt in on his affairs, especially this own younger brother: “Big Brother, you shouldn’t say ‘better safe than sorry’…”
Before Jiang Tao could finish, Jiang Kekai from the back seat impatiently rolled down her window: “What’s the fuss about? If you keep blabbering, my grandpa will show up! Let us through!”
This made Jiang Tao even angrier since even a nephew dares to bully him like this. He wanted to rush over to Jiang Kekai’s car to give her a piece of his mind.
At that moment, Jiang Heng appeared with a cane: “Taozi, let them go.”
“But Dad, why…?”
“I said let them go.”
Seeing Jiang Heng’s firm resolve, Jiang Tao stopped trying to obstruct them and stepped back, allowing the car convoy to continue forward.
Jiang Kekai also closed her window, not wanting Grandpa to catch sight of Xia Yu beside her. Who knew what kind of trouble might ensue…
Jiang Heng observed it all, watching the convoy depart before sighing and slowly turning around to head toward the villa.
Jiang Tao rushed up to Jiang Heng, supporting him while still not understanding his stance: “Dad, why didn’t you stop Big Bro from doing this?”
“Would it have done any good? My sons, daughter-in-laws, and granddaughters just returned. Would you really want them to be kicked out?” “But…but that can’t just be allowed to happen.”
“So, what do you propose?” Jiang Heng suddenly halted, then turned to look at his young son.
“I believe that Big Brother handled this matter wrongly and didn’t consider your feelings…he should face punishment. Otherwise…” Jiang Tao seemed somewhat embarrassed, “Maybe we can temporarily revoke his position within the Jiang Family to see who’s truly in charge here.”
“With such a large family business, I’ve got plenty to handle daily. Are you suggesting I ruin the Jiang Family by doing so?” “No…no, Father, I was only suggesting a small warning for Big Brother. Besides, I’m not leaving the country, so there shouldn’t be any issues.” “Humph.”
Jiang Heng resumed walking, continuing to speak to Jiang Tao as he moved: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re scheming. With such ambition, leave Big Brother’s share alone. Spend some time teaching Xiao Lei properly instead.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Bin, his wife, and the other women, including Jiang Kekai and Jiang Hanhang, followed the convoy down into a underground parking lot. Jiang Heng was just outside, and getting out of the car in front of him wasn’t respectful.
“Little Yu, Little Ling, once inside sit straight in the elevator. Don’t run around or anything, okay? Just in case something unexpected happens.” “Okay.”
Xia Yu realized she probably shouldn’t have come here, accepting Jiang Bin’s suggestion: “I won’t run around, Uncle, please rest assured.”
Jiang Bin smiled, patting Xia Yu’s little shoulder before leaving with Zhang Yunzhi. They needed to report to Jiang Heng they were back.
So Jiang Bin and his wife left through the exit. Xia Yu, Xia Ling, and Jiang Kekai, Jiang Hanhang took the elevator upstairs to their rooms.
Having had enough sleep, Jiang Kekai kept her promise of returning Xia Yu’s phone: “When you get bored, you can play, but don’t get too absorbed in it.” “Okay.”
Xia Yu nodded obediently.
Initially, Xia Ling looked forward to seeing the place, planning to take a good look around. She realized it turned out that no one liked her and Xia Yu. Just now, she was stopped specifically because of Xia Yu and herself.
Thinking back, Xia Ling felt heavy-hearted, regretting not staying home. Back home, she’d enjoy more freedom.
She understood why Jiang Bin was rushing back with Jiang Kekai and Jiang Hanhang. With their relationship as it was, a joyous New Year was unlikely.
Delivering Xia Yu and Xia Ling back to their rooms, Jiang Kekai and Jiang Hanhang had to leave for some matters. Family teachings were still important despite strained relations with her grandfather.
After a shower and washing away the fatigue from the journey, Xia Yu first called home to check in. Then, she hugged the plush toy on her bed and started playing a game…
After a full day without logging in, Xia Yu could finally perform her daily tasks. Her combat capabilities had increased significantly, and the gaming experience was exceptional.
Little Bear: “God Xiaoyu, aren’t you coming back? Are you still upset?”
Xiaoyu: Text disappears
God Xiaoyu: “Not coming back. I quite like it here. I’m just a poor guy anyway. Everyone should play their own games.”
Little Bear: “If you’re so wealthy, why didn’t you spend earlier?”
God Xiaoyu: “My girlfriend helped me with it. Is there anything wrong with that?”
Little Bear: “Your girlfriend is Lingyu?”
God Xiaoyu: “Yes.”
Little Bear: “Are you a boy?”
God Xiaoyu: “Correct.”
Little Bear: “A man playing a female role—pervert!”
Blocked message
Fine, Xia Yu didn’t mind being blocked. They hadn’t known each other long, and she was the one who was removed.
[Eternal Demon Slayer was defeated by God Xiaoyu.]
…
Finally, Xia Yu had a taste of sweet revenge. She felt much better now.
In the world’s chat channel:
Eternal Demon Slayer: “d*mn, is it worth it over money? Isn’t it too much?”
Hanhang’s Adorable Not: “How about a friendly match?”
Eternal Demon Slayer: “What does it matter to you if I talk to Xiaoyu?”
Hanhang’s Adorable Not: “Xiaoyu is my sister, can’t I care then?”
…
In the meantime, in the Dragon Family in Imperial City,
Miss Elder Sister: “Look at your kid brother being bullied like this! Why don’t you help him out? Or maybe give me some more cash to top up?”
“If you hadn’t protected that Xiaoyu, we wouldn’t be in all this mess.”
Right, the nickname of these two in the game was Little Bear and Eternal Demon Slayer. In real life, they were siblings.
Because of this, after Eternal Demon Slayer caused a stir in the game by kicking Xia Yu, she faced no consequences thanks to her elder sister who was the leader of the Bear Clan, the most influential guild in-game.
Dragon Qian felt troubled looking at her brother so engrossed in the game: “As you know, this game is owned by the Jiang family. Once our family acquires them, no one will care how much you top up.”
“How much longer till we get them?”
“How would I know? Rumor has it, with just one last step, we’ll have the proof necessary to cripple the Jiang family. What it is, Father won’t tell me. It’s apparently confidential.”
“Huh, I’ll endure then. Once we acquire them, I’ll make sure I destroy that so-called Xiaoyu’s account.”
“What enduring? Give me her coordinates; I just topped up another million! No issues taking her down.”
Seeing her game page turn dark gray, Xia Yu shrugged it off. Games always have their ups and downs.
Logging out of the game, Xia Yu dug through the drawers, not for any specific reason, but because her stomach was rumbling. She remembered there should be some snacks hidden somewhere.
CRACK
Coincidentally, Jiang Kekai opened the door at that moment, carrying a wooden tray bearing three dishes.
“L-Little Ning Sister, hear me out! I was just looking for some snacks.”
Xia Yu’s nervous behavior made Jiang Kekai, feeling slightly down, feel better: “Hungry? I brought you something. Snacks stored too long go bad. If you really want some, I’ll bring more later.”
Xia Yu was indeed hungry. She wouldn’t have searched for snacks otherwise. After a long day of travel and rest, it was inevitable.
Not suspecting Xia Yu of any wrongdoing, Jiang Kekai felt relieved. Xia Yu was puzzled by the guilty feelings she had earlier.
Placing the tray down, Jiang Kekai felt a twinge of guilt: “Xiaoyu, this is your dinner. I won’t eat here.”
“Little Ning Sister, are you going to eat with Grandfather?”
“Yes, tomorrow noon I’ll have dinner with you again—both Hanhang and I need to attend to some obligations,” Jiang Kekai explained, nodding slightly.
“It’s fine. I can eat by myself tonight. Please don’t worry.”
Muttering to Xia Yu, Jiang Kekai felt comforted by her understanding: “Rest assured, I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
After delivering the meal, Jiang Kekai went out again, but Xia Yu sensed something on her mind. If only she could help relieve some of her burden.
The extremely hungry Xia Yu began eating the food Jiang Kekai had brought. It tasted rather good.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Xia Yu opened the door to find Xia Ling, holding a tray. This was likely Hanhang’s dinner for Xia Ling.
Without hesitation, Xia Ling entered after the door opened and placed the tray on the table.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Xia Ling’s disgruntled expression, Xia Yu felt curious.
Leaning on the carpet, Xia Ling turned to Xia Yu and asked: “When you’ve been here in the past, did things used to be like this?”
Xia Yu recalled last year when she visited for the first time. If it were not for Jiang Heng’s animosity, she wouldn’t be in such a gloomy situation. Xia Yu shook her head.
“No.”
“Their family seems to dislike us so much. How about…” Xia Ling continued, looking directly at Xia Yu: “We head back to Pengcheng. We are like prisoners here, lacking freedom.”
Xia Yu glanced around the room. Wasn’t this the best “prison” available?
“But if we leave, Little Ning Sister and the others might follow us. Then the Jiangs would likely hunt us down again,” Xia Ling added.
“That’s true. Maybe we should just return by ourselves, without dragging them into it.”
Imagining having Xia Yu to herself, Xia Ling felt excited and looked forward to the idea. However, Xia Yu was reluctant to leave Jiang Kekai: “Do you really think they’ll let us leave freely?”
Xia Ling’s reservations shattered her plan. Xia Yu was right. Not only Jiang Kekai, but Jiang Bin had promised her father he’d look after Xia Yu and herself.
Sighing deeply, Xia Ling felt helpless. She worried about Xia Yu’s future if she remained with Jiang Kekai. Xia Yu seemed deep in thought, unaware of Xiao Ling’s contemplations. Eating and chatting while eating was a relief for Xia Yu.
