Chapter 14: Who Says Online Chats Need Real-name Registration?
Jiang Ning looked at the five hundred folded neatly in her hand and fell into contemplation.
Several memories emerged.
Father Jiang was undoubtedly a good man, loving not only his wife but also his child.
The entire family was basically under Madam Jiang’s control, and Father Jiang never went against her wishes.
When Jiang Ning was still young, her older sister was packed off by Madam Jiang to Grandmother’s house in the countryside, and later the eldest daughter disappeared without a trace, with Father Jiang merely remaining silent for a very, very long time without saying anything more.
Even when Jiang Yan was treated unfairly, he only dared to provide aid in private.
And the one he most often turned to was the original body.
But the original body was someone who obeyed outwardly but defied inwardly, pretending to be obedient in front of her parents while being utterly loathsome in private; all the money Father Jiang gave her to pass to Jiang Yan was used by her herself, as she was so selfish she didn’t want to share her parents’ favor with anyone, including her own younger brother.
In the Jiang Family, Jiang Yan had nothing beyond not starving to death, not even pocket money, while the original body spent money like water, living extravagantly and indulgently.
Their treatment at home was at two extremes.
The original body was just born bad.
Someone like that, even if whitewashed later, didn’t deserve forgiveness.
Jiang Ning shook her head, pushed open the door, and went to find Jiang Yan.
His room was the innermost one on the second floor; though the furniture was simple, it was at least sunny and airy, with its own small balcony.
His room had a dim yellow light on, the desk by the window, and opening the window offered a view of the flowers planted in the courtyard.
September in Jin Cheng was early autumn, with warm weather, neither cold nor hot at night, and a comfortable temperature.
His room door wasn’t fully closed, so Jiang Ning pushed it open and walked right in.
Jiang Yan had the window open, enjoying the breeze.
She arrived too suddenly; Jiang Yan’s hand shook, and a photograph was blown by the wind right to Jiang Ning’s feet.
Jiang Ning stopped, looked down, and picked it up casually.
“Give it back to me!” Jiang Yan spoke, his fist clenched tight.
Jiang Ning looked up at him; the youth’s handsome features carried anger and embarrassment.
The protagonist in the photo was Su Wanyuan; she wore a school uniform, holding books, with a serene smile on her face—a slightly blurry side-profile shot, clearly a sneaky angle from a secret crush.
The original body either beat or scolded her younger brother, but Su Wanyuan kept encouraging him, helping him face difficulties, giving him warmth, and redeeming the love-starved, sensitive heart within him.
Because Su Wanyuan passed by the sports field every day, he timed his basketball games there almost exactly, just to catch one more glimpse of her each day.
But this pure love plot was only suitable for the female lead and male lead.
“Give it back to me.” Jiang Yan spoke again, reaching to snatch it.
Jiang Ning tossed it onto his desk first: “As if anyone wants it. You treasure it, but she has plenty of people who like her; it’s not your turn. You’re just one fish in her pond.”
Jiang Yan pressed his lips tight, glaring coldly: “Jiang Ning, don’t think I don’t fight back usually because I’m afraid of you. Please don’t say these insulting things about Wanyuan anymore. Once I’m of age, I’ll leave the Jiang Family and not fight you for a single bit of it.”
Jiang Ning twitched her mouth, looking at him with full pity in her eyes: “Looks like there’s no opportunity then.”
Jiang Yan was slightly stunned, then sneered: “You wouldn’t want to enslave me for life, would you?”
She did want to, but Jiang Yan clearly wouldn’t live to adulthood.
Her and Jiang Yan’s birthday was next year’s Chunfen; when Jiang Yan died, he hadn’t even made it past New Year.
So, love brains deserved to die.
Why sacrifice yourself for others? Wouldn’t living well be better?
Jiang Ning simply kicked off her slippers, sat cross-legged on Jiang Yan’s bed; one standing, one sitting, she looked up blinking: “Then tell me, what’s so good about Su Wanyuan?”
Jiang Yan was stunned for a moment; this moment’s Jiang Ning seemed inexplicably gentle, easing the taut string in his mind.
Without the aggressive harshness, the current Jiang Ning was like a sister talking heart-to-heart with him; that afternoon, he knew Jiang Ning had deliberately given him food, and he was really too hungry, so he couldn’t help devouring it.
He shook his head, telling himself he absolutely couldn’t be fooled by her.
Jiang Yan blurted out without thinking: “She’s kind and gentle, diligent and studious, independent and self-reliant.”
Jiang Ning tsked lightly: “I won’t deny diligent and studious; our entire class is full of diligent, studious people. But this independent and self-reliant you mentioned—where is she independent? Doesn’t she eat and live in the Gu Family? She keeps saying she hates Gu Lanli, so why doesn’t she leave the Gu Family? Why accept financial aid?”
Jiang Yan wanted to retort, but suddenly realized Jiang Ning was speaking facts; he knew Su Wanyuan hated Gu Lanli, and Gu Lanli got angry because he couldn’t win Su Wanyuan’s heart; both lived in the Gu Family, seeing each other constantly.
“That’s just because she’s still studying. Where could she go if you make her leave the Gu Family?”
Jiang Ning looked at him amused: “Could you really live day and night for three years with someone you hate?”
Jiang Yan silently glanced at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning: “…”
Damn, she actually understood.
“Besides us, we’re blood sister and brother; even if Mom doesn’t like you, she won’t kick you out. Su Wanyuan could leave the Gu Family, could refuse financial aid, finish high school purely on scholarships. The reason she hasn’t left is just that she hasn’t found a family better as a springboard than the Gu Family yet. She’s ambitious, Jiang Yan; once she finds a better backer, she’ll unhesitatingly dump Gu Lanli. In other words, you people are just cats and dogs she tosses scraps to when she’s in a good mood.” Jiang Ning hit the nail on the head.
Not all novel female leads are truly kind, good, and beautiful.
At least in this book, for Su Wanyuan to be selected by the Gu Family from a poor small town proved her ambition was more than that.
“Stop spreading rumors. You’re just jealous of her, can’t stand to see her doing well. I won’t believe a word you say. Also, please keep my liking Su Wanyuan buried in your heart; I don’t want to make things hard for her. Her situation is already tough enough.” Jiang Yan suddenly turned his back to Jiang Ning, eyes downcast, tone very flat.
And because his back was turned, Jiang Ning didn’t notice the flash of vicious killing intent in Jiang Yan’s eyes.
Su Wanyuan was his unreachable White Moonlight; he wouldn’t allow anyone to slander her, no one.
Jiang Ning was truly defeated by his love brain.
She’d even thought maybe Jiang Yan could be saved.
After all, he wasn’t even eighteen yet; it’d be a pity for him to die.
Couldn’t be saved; she couldn’t save him!
Jiang Ning hurriedly slipped on her slippers and headed out.
“Every candy I gave you, you didn’t eat for free. If you get diabetes before dying, at least you’ve tasted sweetness.”
With that, she bolted, respecting his destiny.
Lest saying too much made Jiang Yan hold a grudge, causing her to go offline before her time—that would be an unjust death.
Back in her room, she realized she still hadn’t given him the money; thought she’d do it tomorrow.
So she opened the chat interface, found Top Grade High School Boy, and her mood instantly brightened.
Little Honey: 【Too many classes today, I didn’t check messages. Are you Meng Jing? Such a nice name.】
Seeing no reply yet, Jiang Ning shamelessly sent another: 【I’m Ning Zhaozhao, a freshman at Qingbei.】
Little Honey, witnessing the whole thing: 【…How are you still anonymously deceiving people?】
Jiang Ning righteously: “Who requires real-name registration for online chats? Besides, this is just the first step in reeling him in.”
Catch my typos for me.
Current Jiang Yan: Just a trick to deceive me.
Later Jiang Yan: Sis, save me!
