The night was silent, and Leng Ruobing was still on the same floor. Even with soundproof rooms, there’s only so much they could do.
Chu Xiaoran, like a queen returning victorious, finally left him be, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "Hehe, I now have 3000 followers, many of whom are huge spenders, completely ruthless, get it?"
She did a quick calculation, for just two hours of live streaming, after taxes and splitting with Douyu Platform, she had made twenty thousand easy.
Well, there are three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, multiply that by two, voila, in a year I’ll be a millionaire, buying things by the truckload.
"Xiao Zheng, a year from now, I’ll keep you, and you’ll clean toilets for me every day!"
Xiao Zheng? Alright, from now on, I’ll be treated just like Li Lianying, the imperial household manager!
If you’re going to keep me, and specifically for cleaning toilets, our family should report to the Old Buddha, this young master here is a demon causing chaos in the palace.
Xiao Zheng laughed helplessly, gave her a noogie, and turned to leave.
"I’ve laughed, I’ve played, now I’m going back to sleep."
"Don’t leave, Brother Xiao Zheng, stay and chat for just ten yuan more?" Chu Xiaoran was a bit too excited tonight, this girl was starting to flirt again.
"Chat your big head ghost! Sleep!"
Xiao Zheng shook off her hand and walked away with no second thoughts.
"Ah... in this day and age, is there anything money can’t solve?"
With a "bang", the door slammed shut, and Chu Xiaoran finally calmed down, cradling her cheeks, swinging her fair legs, lost in her thoughts.
As Xiao Zheng hurried back to his room in the darkness, he suddenly bumped into someone, soft and tender.
"Nice, Xiao Zheng, coming back so late, where have you been gallivanting?" Leng Ruobing’s voice was as cold as ever, chilling to those who heard it.
Xiao Zheng scratched his head, turned on the corridor light, and saw Leng Ruobing, still as icy as ever. He grinned cheekily, "Wife, were you worried about my safety?"
"Worried about your soul, go to sleep!"
"Wife, scaring someone to death like that could really hurt their feelings, I need comfort, I need a hug!"
Right then and there, Xiao Zheng’s expression was both flirty and sleazy, utterly untrustworthy.
Leng Ruobing, unnerved by his gaze, her heart racing, snapped angrily, "Go back to sleep, I’m not in the mood for your teasing."
Done talking, she walked away elegantly on her high heels, as if she had never been there.
Xiao Zheng watched her swaying hips, he felt like his nose might start bleeding.
He smacked himself hard, then calmed down before leaping into bed and falling into a deep sleep, not even bothering to close the door.
Just as he dreamed about rolling in the sheets with Leng Ruobing, his phone rang, disrupting his beautiful dream.
He picked up the phone, infuriated, and barked, "Who is it? Don’t you know it’s rude to call at this hour?"
"Ah... Ah Zheng, it’s your Aunt Qingyun. Here’s the thing, come over to our place tomorrow. It’s the weekend and we’re all free, I’d like to invite you specifically for a meal to show our appreciation."
Wang Qingyun made this call with a purpose, and the lateness because she couldn’t sleep otherwise.
Because she had witnessed Xiao Zheng and Shen Jiayi being all lovey-dovey, and upon returning home found her daughter still moonstruck and occasionally giggling foolishly.
She was quite angry but didn’t want to confront her daughter directly, so after meticulous planning, she finally called Xiao Zheng.
In a groggy voice, Xiao Zheng responded, "Oh, it’s Aunt Wang. A meal? That sounds great, I’ll be there tomorrow, okay, goodbye."
After hanging up, Xiao Zheng suddenly felt wide awake, so he simply lit a cigarette, and there he was, puffing away in contemplation.
This phone call was quite strange, and felt a bit eerie!
What on earth was Aunt Wang up to?
The next day at noon, the sun was blazing high in the sky.
Xiao Zheng arrived at the Shen Family as promised, dressed in casual clothes, standing tall and straight like a javelin ready to be thrown.
Greeting him at the door was Shen Jiayi, who, upon seeing him, clung to his arm with a little surprise and shook it vigorously.
"Brother Xiao Zheng, if you were coming, why didn’t you let me know in advance?"
Xiao Zheng was stunned for a moment. Aunt Wang was being mysterious—what was she up to?
Since she had asked him to come, why hadn’t she informed the family? Even her own daughter was kept in the dark—what was she thinking?
Looking at Shen Jiayi again, she hadn’t even had time to dress up and was clad in her pajamas, fresher-faced than ever. Fortunately, her youth was unbeatable, and even without makeup, she was still quite the beauty.
Xiao Zheng affectionately pinched her little nose and chuckled, "Isn’t this supposed to be a surprise for you, little sister Jiayi?"
"Dad, Mom, Brother Xiao Zheng is here!" Shen Jiayi treated Xiao Zheng like family, calling warmly into the house.
Shen Wenlong and Wang Qingyun came out upon hearing her, Wang Qingyun’s hands even dusted with flour.
Xiao Zheng could clearly feel that Shen Wenlong’s smile was genuine, while Wang Qingyun’s carried a deeper implication, as if hinting at a successful plot.
"Oh, Ah Zheng is here, when you come just come, why bring gifts too?"
"Just a small token, please accept it!"
Xiao Zheng followed them into the house nonchalantly, placed the gifts down, and observed the whole house.
It was much more spacious and brighter than when he had left, and quite a few new pieces of furniture had been added; it seems the Shen family had prospered over the years.
After everyone had sat down, segregating guests and hosts, Wang Qingyun kept signaling to Shen Wenlong, who looked awkward and unsure of what to do.
Xiao Zheng pretended not to notice, sipped the tea lightly, which was quite fragrant—apparently, it was high-quality tea.
Soon, Shen Jiayi got dressed up, changed into a pure white trench coat with a floral skirt beneath, and walked out gracefully. She sat next to Xiao Zheng, snuggling his arm affectionately.
Xiao Zheng’s eyes lit up—this girl really transformed when she dressed up.
No longer the plain Jane of before nor carrying yesterday’s weariness, she now shimmered like the Zixia Fairy, irresistibly charming.
Enthralled, Xiao Zheng blurted out a line of poetry: "Desiring to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, be it heavily or lightly made-up, it’s always fitting."
"Brother Xiao Zheng, you are quite well-read indeed. You didn’t do great at school, but the fact that you can remember poetry is commendable!"
Shen Jiayi overlooked the presence of her parents, her eyes only on Xiao Zheng, growing more dependent on this ’big brother.’"
She even reverted to the casual way of speaking from her childhood, without overthinking or worrying about misspeaking.
Xiao Zheng, doting, tousled her hair and looked into her eyes with a warm smile.
"Little sister Jiayi, your lips are still as sweet!"
The two of them sparked greatly, oblivious to the others, while Wang Qingyun’s lips twitched visibly.
Seeing this heating moment, if Ah Zheng, this rascal, sweet-talked a little more, wouldn’t his daughter be completely swept off her feet?
Or even devote herself to him completely? The thought was unimaginable.
"Hold on, Ah Zheng, Auntie would like to have a word with you alone."
"Mom! What can’t you say here? We’re all family; there should be no secrets between us." Shen Jiayi objected vehemently, her head shaking like a rattle drum.