CH 23

Ch. 23 Black bellied

When Xie Jingxian arrived, he saw Jiang Juan standing under the street lamp, waiting for someone.

It was already two o’clock in the morning, and even in a bustling metropolis like City A, there were not many pedestrians on the road. Xie Jingxian glanced over and saw that only Jiang Juan was standing under the dim street light.

Jiang Juan seemed to be tired of standing, and soon squatted down on the ground. Xie Jingxian saw him lowering his head and fiddling with his phone, his slender fingertips tapping on the phone interface, as if sending a message to someone.

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated, Xie Jingxian took it out and saw that it was a text from Jiang Juan.

Jiang Juan: Are you here yet? I’m going to be bitten to death by the mosquitoes.

These words, coupled with Jiang Juan’s actions of squatting on the ground at this ment, really showed a bit of grievance. Xie Jingxian couldn’t help curving his lips, as he replied, “Look up.”

“Look forward.”

The phone vibrated twice, Jiang Juan raised his head, and when he saw Xie Jingxian, his eyes lit up as he got up and walked over.

Jiang Juan smiled and said, “Xie Jingxian, you are here.”

Xie Jingxian stood still in front of Jiang Juan and nodded lightly, but his eyes fell behind him. Behind Jiang Juan was a splendid building, a five-star hotel. It was obvious that Jiang Juan really had nowhere to go.

Jiang Juan followed Xie Jingxian’s gaze, how could he not understand what Xie Jingxian was thinking. He whispered, “I’m not used to staying in hotels, and there is no one to talk with, it’s boring.”

Hearing Jiang Juan’s explanation, Xie Jingxian withdrew his gaze and looked at the person in front of him.

Xie Jingxian’s eyes were extremely dark and deep, Jiang Juan was not sure what he was thinking for a while, so he smiled and said, “You, you aren’t thinking of sending me back?”

Xie Jingxian didn’t say anything, causing Jiang Juan to be startled, “You aren’t really thinking that way, do you?”

He felt that he needed to have a talk with Xie Jingxian, “You came all the way to take me back to the hotel, really?”

Xie Jingxian still didn’t speak, just stared at him.

Jiang Juan thought about it for a while, and then suggested, “Otherwise, why don’t you go to the hotel with me?”

Xie Jingxian finally reacted, shook his head and said, “No.” He turned around and walked away, but after taking a few steps he stopped and turned around, seeing that Jiang Juan still didn’t keep up, he felt a need to ask, “Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Only then did Jiang Juan react, he smiled and chased after him, walking side by side with Xie Jingxian.

Jiang Juan said to Xie Jingxian, “Jingxian, did you just tease me, since when did you become so humorous?”

Jiang Juan originally thought that with Xie Jingxian’s indifferent temperament, he would not respond to his words, but Xie Jingxian hummed. Seeing that, he couldn’t help shaking his head, looking very emotional.

Xie Jingxian asked him, “What?”

Jiang Lian said, “I’m just thinking, those who handle cinnabar are stained red and those who work with ink are stained black [1]You are the product of your environment. Classmate Xie, you have become black-bellied [2]A black belly is a person who is dark inside and bright and cheerful outside. too.

In response to Jiang Juan’s comment Xie Jingxian just rolled his eyes. He turned around to take a taxi, and in an instant, the smile in his eyes disappeared, leaving only boundless indifference behind.

Xie Jingxian’s home is not far from Jincheng High School.

It was an old and dilapidated community, both the community and the roads around the community had become messy and dilapidated.

Xie Jingxian led Jiang Juan into the room, he turned on the light, found another pair of slippers for Jiang Juan, and said, “Sit down, I’ll clean up the room for you.”

Jiang Juan nodded and sat down on the sofa.

Seeing Xie Jingxian go in to clean up the bed, Jiang Juan looked around curiously.

The house was not large, about 60 square meters, with two bedrooms and one living room. Compared with the Jiang family’s mansion, it looks very simple and crude. Fortunately, the place is clean and tidy, but it lacks the breath of life. It gives the same feeling as the usual Jiang family house, giving people a cold feeling.

The location here is not good, and the environment is also very bad, but it is already very good to have a house of your own in City A.

This house was left by Xie Sinian and Zhang Hui. More than ten years ago, the house price was not as scary as it is now. Xie Sinian and Zhang Hui fell in love and got married after graduation.

At that time, the two of them still had some savings. The parents of both sides sponsored them a sum of money, and the two borrowed some from their friends. They patched it up, and finally had a house of their own in the metropolis of City A.

At that time, Xie Jingxian’s biological mother, Wang Wenwen, was still alive. On the day Xie Sinian and Zhang Hui moved into their new home, Wang Wenwen brought Xie Jingxian to congratulate them.

In the original book, Xie Jingxian didn’t have that memory, but he had heard it from his grandfather later. Later, Xie Sinian and Zhang Hui also went, leaving only the grandfather to live here with Xie Jingxian.

Jiang Juan knew that in this seemingly small house, there were traces of the most important people in Xie Jingxian’s life.

So this house was very important to Xie Jingxian.

Just as he was in a trance, his phone suddenly rang. Jiang Juan took it out and saw that it was a message from Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue said that Jiang Qin was so angry that he didn’t want to stay at home even for a moment. After Jiang Juan left, he asked his secretary to book a plane ticket, and immediately boarded the plane.

Jiang Yue transferred a sum of money to Jiang Juan’s card, asking him to take good care of himself, buy whatever he wants, and don’t feel wronged. She would persuade Jiang Qin to calm down.

Jiang Jaun: …

It was no wonder that in the original book, the relationship between the father and son of the Jiang family was so tense. They just think about fighting and arguing when there is a problem, but don’t think about solving it. This way, won’t the conflicts go on accumulating over one another, making their relationship even worse.

Jiang Juan pressed his phone, and after thinking about it, he still explained the whole fight and sent it to Jiang Qin’s phone number. Unexpectedly, the WeChat reminded him that they were no longer friends.

Jiang Qin actually unfriended him.

Jiang Juan: …Dad, you are really willful.

Jiang Juan copied and pasted the same explanation to Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue replied quickly, “Okay, mother knows that Xiao Juan is a good boy. Just don’t be so impulsive next time, you know? Fighting won’t solve any problems.” She also said that she would make it clear to Jiang Qin.

Looking at the large paragraphs of texts sent by Jiang Yue, Jiang Juan felt warm in his heart, and he replied with the word “good”.

After a while, Jiang Yue’s message came again.

“I told your dad.”

Jiang Juan raised his eyebrows: “What did Dad say?”

After a while, Jiang Yue’s reply came, “Your dad said that he has changed the fingerprint of the door lock. If you don’t get into the top 100, there is no need to go home.”

Jiang Juan: …

As soon as Xie Jingxian came out, he saw Jiang Juan holding his forehead, looking helpless. He paused his footsteps, but Jiang Juan still heard the movement and looked over, their eyes met.

Jiang Juan turned off the phone and smiled, “That, Xie Jingxian, I just said that I would only trouble you for a night on the way, now look…”

Xie Jingxian raised his eyebrows and waited for him to speak.

Jiang Juan asked, “Can you let me stay for a few more days?”

When the monthly test results come out, he will proudly go home.

Jiang Juan said and handed over the phone, Xie Jingxian glanced at it, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes, but it was only fleeting. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “Can you go home after entering the top 100 of the grade?”

Jiang Juan nodded, “Yes.”

Xie Jingxian thought about it and said seriously, “I can rent the house to you until you graduate from the high school.”

Jiang Juan’s eyes widened, what did Xie Jingxian mean? Did he mean that it was impossible for him to enter the top 100 even till he graduates?

Even if he wants to ridicule me, he is doing it in such a roundabout way. People with slow minds may not even be able to react for a while.

Jiang Juan looked at Xie Jingxian’s face and was stunned. He thought to himself that this person was like this now, but usually his temper is too bad.

Are you always pretending to look like that?