Pampered by Short-Lived Bigshot-Chapter 754 - 463 Jiang Family brothers perform operations, competing to be more sensational_2
Qi Zeyan was totally bewildered:
Why was it always him who suffered bad luck?
The methods of the Jiang brothers were indeed one more outrageous than the next. Compared to them, he was the picture of innocence.
"Jiang Xiaowu, actually, you can’t blame me for this. Do you remember, not long after your aunt was startled by a horse, I visited Left Bank Garden to see her, and when I returned, I told you there was something you might want to know? I asked you many times..."
Jiang Jinsang narrowed his eyes and kept silent.
He had already remembered this incident!
At that time, Qi Zeyan had an air of smugness about him, as if he had uncovered some earth-shattering secret, and he kept pestering him about whether he wanted to know or not. Jinsang had thought that Qi Zeyan was incapable of keeping a secret, and if it had been any explosive news, it would likely have slipped out that very day, so he hadn’t taken it to heart.
Thinking about it, he had been careless.
Who could have guessed that Huo Qinqi would have designs on Shen Shuci? And that Qi Zeyan would be the one to catch them.
He was focused on Tang Wan, entirely too distracted to pay attention to Qi Zeyan.
"I’ve been wanting to tell you, but you were the one who said you didn’t want to know. Blaming me now is pointless."
Jiang Jinsang pursed his lips and glanced at Qi Zeyan, his brow furrowing slightly. "Also, I don’t remember this at all."
...
Jiang Yanting’s fingers rested on his knee, tapping lightly. "Xiaowu, what exactly were you thinking? You didn’t want them to be together, so you wanted to sabotage it?"
"A brother becoming an uncle—what do you think I should feel?" Jiang Jinsang sipped his tea. "I do hope that Old Huo finds his happiness, but..."
Indeed, as Huo Qinqi had mentioned before, Shen Shuci’s love life was none of his concern. Personal matters like these were not for even parents to interfere too much with, except that the person in question was his friend.
It was said that a rabbit doesn’t eat the grass by its burrow!
Yet he was nearly tearing down the very walls of his home.
It never crossed his mind that he would be made a move on by someone so close to him, and knowing about it too late always left a bit of discomfort. A person he called brother had turned into an elder in his life.
...
After Jiang Jinsang returned to his room, Tang Wan had already snuggled into the bedcovers, a small nightlight glowing by the bed. It wasn’t until he carefully climbed into bed that Tang Wan turned over and nestled into his embrace.
By then, the rain outside was growing heavier, the fierce wind driving the raindrops against the window.
"How are grandma and grandpa doing? They’re alright, aren’t they?" Jiang Jinsang enveloped her tightly in his arms, planting light kisses on her forehead.
"Auntie has feelings for Brother Huo..." Tang Wan whispered softly.
This was something that, it seemed, everyone could see.
Shen Shuci’s disposition made it clear—if she wasn’t interested, she would have behaved just like with the gentleman Mr. Yu introduced by Master Xi, having no further connection after the matchmaking meeting.
"I know."
"When I came out from grandpa’s room today, she asked me, ’Do I deserve it?’ She’s always felt that the love and care from grandma and grandpa were the greatest gifts from heaven. With Brother Huo, she probably doesn’t think she’s worthy..." Tang Wan held Jiang Jinsang tighter.
At today’s charity event, Shen Shuci had casually mentioned being ’returned’ to the orphanage by the Liang Family. Many things, if not personally experienced, probably couldn’t be fully empathized with.
After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Jinsang quietly said, "She... is worthy!"
**
As for Shen Shuci, after leaving the elder Shen’s room, she sat quietly in the bedroom for a long time before getting into bed. Soon, she received a message from Huo Qinqi:
[Are you home yet? Have you gone to sleep?]
[Not yet.]
[Are you hungry?]
After all the commotion of the day, Shen Shuci had barely eaten anything, even dinner had been just a few perfunctory bites.
Shen Shuci thought she would inevitably have a difficult time sleeping that night. When she was messaging him, he had seemed to be saying he’d go take a shower, yet she dozed off drowsily and dreamed of many things from her childhood.
Like being cast out by the Liang Family, the director of the orphanage pleading and negotiating with them on her behalf.
"...I’ll be very good, I really will behave."
"This child has bad manners. If she doesn’t leave, and we call the police, she’ll never be able to be adopted in her life!"
When the Liangs had first adopted her, her peers at the orphanage had been so envious. As orphans, who didn’t crave the warmth of a family? Yet she had been sent back, and that had started a lot of gossip within the orphanage.
"Why was she sent back again? What happened?"
"Could it be her personality isn’t likable?"
"This is the first time someone was adopted, only to be returned."
"She wasn’t simply sent back, she was returned."
...
It felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, leaving her gasping for air. She wanted to struggle, but her limbs seemed bound by something.
In the middle of the night, she abruptly awoke from her dream, like a drowning person suddenly breathing in fresh air, kicking fiercely, and waking up covered in sweat.
Reaching for the light, she realized this wasn’t her rental room; her phone had fallen to the floor, and she picked it up.
It was three-thirty in the morning, and there were several unread messages.
She casually opened one, and the last message read,
"I’m at the Jiang Family, I want to see you."
Huo Qinqi sent it at twelve-thirty.
Shen Shuci was still somewhat groggy, the darkness of the room illuminated by the light from her phone, bright against her face as she sent out a tentative message,
"I had fallen asleep."
He had only made the suggestion, probably was at home, definitely asleep by now.
She turned off the screen, ready to go back to sleep, but the phone screen lit up again, "Awake? Coming out?"
Shen Shuci frowned, he couldn’t be...
Waiting outside for two or three hours.
She tentatively made a call. It was quickly answered, "Are you outside the Jiang Mansion?"
"Yeah." His voice was hoarse, and through the phone’s earpiece, it sounded even more electric. It was still raining outside, the raindrops hammering on her heart, "Why did you wake up?"
"Just suddenly woke up."
"Will you come out?"
Shen Shuci clutched her phone tightly, "Then wait for me."
There was too much that had happened recently, it all needed to be made clear.
"Dress warmly, it’s cold outside."
...
Shen Shuci crawled out of bed, donning a trench coat. This wasn’t her home, where would she find a thick coat? Even the pajamas were borrowed from Tang Wan. Wrapping herself in the coat she wore during the day, she hurriedly pushed open the door and went out.
The Jiang Family’s umbrellas were kept by the door; she took one and headed out as the light in the hallway, dimmed by the rain, grew fainter.
Huo Qinqi’s car was parked outside the mansion. Coming to the Jiang Family in the wee hours could awaken everyone—elders, children, a pregnant woman, not very appropriate.
**
When Shen Shuci opened the door to leave, several members of the Jiang Family awoke.
Jiang Jinsang was always a light sleeper, and with Tang Wan pregnant, he worried she might need something during the night and dared not sleep too deeply. So when she left, he also woke up.
Qi Zeyan purely couldn’t sleep, while Jiang Chengsi was gaming all night, Jiang Yanting and Jiang Shiyi both opened their eyes, as if guessing what was happening, and then went back to sleep.
Jiang Jinsang got up and walked to the window. From his room, he could clearly see someone holding an umbrella, slowly walking towards the gate in the rain. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
He glanced at his wristwatch.
He was somewhat curious. What could these two be up to, not sleeping in the middle of the night?
Since he couldn’t sleep, bored and curious, he decided to see how long Shen Shuci would stay outside. He read books, played with his phone, and to avoid disturbing Tang Wan, he simply took out Lord Wansui for a bit of fun...
Turtles need sleep too!
Lord Wansui felt being a turtle of the Jiang Family was indeed quite hard...
But this wasn’t the hardest part; later it almost ended up plucked by a crooked tree and cooked in a pot. But that’s a story for another time.
