Chapter 134：Birthday Gift

Little Jing obliged.

Last year, in the courtesan contest, Liu Yiyi was almost won by an insignificant old man who was in the coal business when he bid 8,000 silvers for her. No one dared to raise the bargaining price again even if they all saw that a flower was about to be planted on a cow dung. 

Xia Chunyu saved her by raising the amount to 10,000 silvers.

Little Jing made Xia Chunyu sound like a hero when he saved the beauty by offering 10,000 silvers for her.

Ye Jiayao spat her wine out. That f*cking perverted bastard!

She was hurt and furious. He paid 10,000 silvers for one night with a woman. 

"Let's go back. I am not watching this anymore," Ye Jiayao said testily.

"What? Why? If you don't like this, there will be more programs later," Little Jing said.

"I said I want to leave. Why, are you enjoying yourself? Do you fancy their beauty?"

Little Jing shook his head frantically. "No, no. Even if they look like goddesses, they still can't compare to... um, someone."

Ye Jiayao thought that that 'someone' was Liu Yiyi and she felt more indignant.

"Then what is there to see? If you want to watch, go ahead. I'm leaving." Ye Jiayao stood up, forgetting that she was still on the boat.

"What are you doing? Yaoyao, you sit down! Come on, I'll get us out of here." 

Ye Jiayao sat down and Little Jing drew their boat away from the festivity.

"Why are you upset, Yaoyao?" Little Jing asked curiously.

If Yaoyao was in a bad mood, it would be a bad time for Helian Jing to confess his feelings.

"I'm not upset. I just... I just don't like those girls," she lied. She refused to get upset because of that womanizing prick.

"Are you really not unhappy?"

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes at him in response.

Little Jing smiled and rowed the boat farther away. When Yaoyao wasn't paying attention, he gently threw a basket to the river.

"Aye, what's that?" Little Jing exclaimed.

Ye Jiayao looked in the direction that he was pointing at and saw a basket floating on the water.

"Quick, pick it up!" Little Jing steered the boat towards the basket.

Ye Jiayao immediately snatched it out of the water. When she opened up the cloth that was covering the basket, she let out a squeal of surprise.

The basket contained two newborn puppies whose eyes were yet to open. They looked so cute!

Ye Jiayao breathed, "Puppies."

Ye Jiayao leveled him a fierce glare. "You're heartless. These puppies are alive. They're abandoned at such a young age and they need guidance. I will take them back home and raise them."

She gently touched the puppies' furs, loving their adorableness. She had already raised a nest of rabbits as her pregnant bunny has already given birth to five cute babies. Adding these two fur babies would just liven up her place more. Jiang Yue would certainly like them very much.

"Do you really like them?" Little Jing asked with a smile.

"Yes! I love them and I'm not going to throw them away." Ye Jiayao held the basket to her chest as if they were treasures that Little Jing would take away.

Little Jing said happily, "I'm glad that you like it."

Ye Jiayao's brows furrowed. Wait... "Did you arrange this?"

Little Jing tried to stifle his grin.

Ye Jiayao softened. "How did you know that I like dogs?"

"I didn't. I just saw the rabbits that you've raised and I took a gamble that you liked all little animals. I wanted to give you some gold or silver for your birthday, but that was too conventional, so I thought of this."

Gold or silver was not conventional, Ye Jiayao would just be too embarrassed to take them. This gift was infinitely better. She was moved by how much thought Little Jing has put into this.

"Thank you, Little Jing. I really love this... but how do you know that today is my birthday?" Ye Jiayao asked.

Little Jing laughed. "Have you forgotten? You told me yourself! I initially wanted to throw a celebration for you, but you've been so busy and tired lately that I figured you wouldn't want that.

She almost teared up. It has been so long ago and yet Little Jing still remembered it. The kid really was very sweet and thoughtful.

"Do they have names?" she asked.

"I wanted you to name them."

Ye Jiayao carefully looked at the two puppies. She can't name them based on what they look like as they were still pink and it was impossible to figure out what color their furs would be in the future. 

"How about Little Ji and Little Rui?" she suggested. "That means good fortune!"

Little Jing has to admit that he was worried that Yaoyao would name one of the puppies 'Little Jing Jing.'

"That sounds good. They are lucky to have you as their master, Yaoyao."

Her anger with Chunyu gradually dissipated as she looked at the puppies. She plucked little Ji's ear and he moved his paw, seeming to protest the disturbance in his sleep. Ye Jiayao then went to touch Little Rui's mouth and he stuck his tongue out, licking her finger. 

"Yao... Yaoyao, actually... I, um, I want to give you another present," Helian Jing stammered.

"Huh? Little Ji and Little Rui are more than enough. There's no need for more," Ye Jiayao declined distractedly, still occupied with the cute puppies.

"But I want to give this to you."

Ye Jiayao looked up. "What is it?"

Little Jing gave Yaoyao a small box.

Ye Jiayao put the basket down by her feet and cautiously took the box. "What is this?"

"Find out for yourself," Helian Jing said, his cheeks flushing red.

Ye Jiayao opened it and saw a piece of lucid white jade, clear and clean. It looked like a very valuable gem.

"This… this is too expensive! I can't take it." Ye Jiayao hastily handed it back to him.

"You can! I want to give this to you," Little Jing insisted, his heart thumping.

Ye Jiayao shook her head. It's too expensive!

"This is handed down from my ancestors."

That just renewed Ye Jiayao's determination not to take it. An ancestral heirloom was even more priceless! "No, I really can't take this."

Little Jing wanted to slap his own mouth. You idiot, why did you say it was from your ancestor?

"There are a lot of things handed down from my ancestors, this is nothing!" Little Jing tried again. "Yaoyao... please take it."

Ye Jiayao looked at Little Jing, finding his actions weird. The breeze over the river was cool yet he was sweating profusely. He was also blushing like a drunk man and was acting very skittish.

Oh...

Oh, no...

"Little Jing, I really can't accept this." Ye Jiayao had a strong feeling that the jade has some other meaning. She thought about what Chunyu said about Little Jing and she felt her heart sink.

"Yaoyao, I...I..." Little Jing was frustrated beyond belief. He had practiced what to say to Yaoyao for countless of times and yet he still could not get the words out.

She already has a pretty good guess of what he wanted to say. This little kid might've been inspired by Zhao Qixuan and Su Yi's successful reunion.

Crap! I never meant to turn Little Jing gay! 

"Stop. Don't say anything else or we'll stop being friends," Ye Jiayao told him, quickly stopping his confession.

Helian Xuan would no doubt blame her for 'corrupting' his little brother.

"Why? Yaoyao, I think that we're destined to be together," Little Jing said earnestly, his eyes shining.

You don't even know who I am! 

"Little Jing, there are many things that you don't know…" 

"I know." Little Jing said. "I know that you like Brother Chunyu and that he likes you too. But I don't think you guys are suitable. He will marry Princess Liu Li, Yaoyao, their marriage is all set. If she gets wind of this, do you think she'd just let it go? Yaoyao, I am serious with you..."

"Stop!" Ye Jiayao shouted.

"No, I want to talk. You can take Brother Chunyu, why can't you take me?"

Ye Jiayao was panicking. This ignorant f*cking kid!

"Yaoyao, I have never been more certain about my feelings in my entire life. I don't care what others will say..."

"Stop, Helian Jing! I'm warning you, if you dare to say one more sentence, I will never speak to you again."

"I will not give up."

Ye Jiayao couldn't stay here anymore. She grabbed the basket and jumped into the river to escape Little Jing.

"Yaoyao!" Helian Jing didn't expect that Yaoyao would jump off the boat just to get away from him after he just spilled his heart out.

He was stunned for a split second before he jumped after him, intending to be his hero.

Ye Jiayao was preparing to swim towards the bank when she heard Little Jing screaming. She turned around and saw him drowning in the water.

She silently swore. Why did he jump if couldn't swim? Idiot.

Left with no choice, Ye Jiayao left the basket floating on the water and turned around to save him.

Helian Jing was choking. When he jumped down, he forgot that he didn't know how to swim because his only thoughts then were pulling Yaoyao to safety.

Ye Jiayao quickly dived down and grabbed Little Jing, who immediately clung to her. 

She held in an angry gasp. This kid was grabbing her private parts!