Chapter 118

The consequence of provocation by Song Lujing is that Mu Youyu was half‑pulled, half‑coaxed by him and brought home.

Jiang Liangjin stood alone at the door of the painting studio for a few seconds, then stepped forward a few steps and pressed the elevator button.

Just as the elevator that was waiting to take Mu Youyu downstairs arrived, I received her message: 【A Jin, Lujing‑gege doesn't know what's wrong, he's in a bad mood, his tone is weird, I'll go back with him first, we'll go see a movie tonight!】

Jiang Liangjin stepped into the elevator and replied: 【It's fine, Youbao, just comfort Lujing‑gege, no need to worry about me】

After hitting send, he felt it was inappropriate and sent another: 【Youbao, stay home nicely this afternoon, I'll come pick you up】

Jiang Family.

After Jiang Liangjin returned home, he stayed in his room for less than two hours when he heard a knock at the door.

Come in.

He looked up to see his mother Shen Ningmu push the door open, a helpless smile on her face, still holding her phone, and she got straight to the point: "Song LuXiao's kid has filed a complaint."

Jiang Liangjin replied calmly: "What is LuXiao‑ge complaining about?"

He hasn't even offended Song LuXiao, has he?

"What else could he complain about?" Shen Ningmu walked over to his side and tapped the call log from two minutes ago on her phone screen.

"Song LuXiao called, speaking in between the lines with veiled remarks, afraid I wouldn't know you've been making his brother suffer outside!"

After beating around the bush, the main point was that her younger son was angry, wanting her son to stay away from A Yu.

Jiang Liangjin raised an eyebrow, not too bothered: "I didn't provoke anything; I just followed your advice to be sweet‑tongued and called Lujing‑gege once, following Youbao's lead."

"I told you to be sweet‑tongued, not to be sweet‑tongued toward Song Lujing!"

Shen Ningmu rubbed her forehead, not expecting it to be just a title: "You know full well that Song Lujing has no limits with A Yu, he won't yield to soft or hard tactics, and to him your 'Lujing‑gege' sounds like a declaration of war!"

Calling Song LuXiao by that name is fine, but this guy Song Lujing…

Jiang Liangjin said nothing, his thoughts drifting back to the scene in the painting studio…

He put on a standard, innocent, harmless smile; after calling out, the air in the painting studio froze for a dozen seconds.

Song Lujing stared at him, seemingly unresponsive, for a long while, his gaze as if looking at a mortal enemy: "Jiang Liangjin, you did this on purpose, right?"

Jiang Liangjin caught a hint of grit‑teeth resentment in his tone.

Mu Youyu, caught between them, gently tugged at Song Lujing's sleeve and whispered in his defense: "Lujing‑gege, A Jin just…… just thinks it's friendly to call him that, with no other intention."

Jiang Liangjin nodded. "Yeah, really friendly."

"Youbao, don't speak for him!" Song Lujing interrupted, his tone unconsciously softening a bit.

But his gaze toward Jiang Liangjin still burned with anger: "He's deliberately trying to piss me off! This guy's full of dirty tricks!"

Jiang Liangjin straightened up, still wearing that innocent, harmless smile, and said innocently: "Lujing‑gege, you're wronging me; Youbao has always called you that, and I'm just following suit—how is that wrong?"

He certainly wasn't trying to anger him on purpose.

Because the last characters of their names sound the same, he's been calling Song Lujing "Lujing‑ge" since childhood.

Now he's just added one character—what's the difference?

"You!" Song Lujing was choked by the "Lujing‑gege" and couldn't speak; out of the corner of his eye he saw Mu Youyu staring at him with big, round eyes, clear and innocent.

He forced his tone down a notch, though his face grew darker: "I and Youbao are close cousins—what are you meddling for? Hurry up and drop that pretentious tone of yours!"

Jiang Liangjin raised an eyebrow, about to say more, when Song Lujing grabbed Mu Youyu's wrist and said, "Youbao, come home with me—don't let certain people lead you astray here."

Then he didn't understand then.

Mu Youyu was half‑dragged, half‑coaxed out of the painting studio by him.

……

Jiang Liangjin recalled the scene, and a faint smile involuntarily tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Song Lujing's reaction was still quite interesting.

Seeing her son zone out, Shen Ningmu waved a hand in front of his eyes and said, exasperated: "Song LuXiao originally had a few objections to you, and now that his brother said this, he's likely to think you have ulterior motives toward A Yu…"

Maybe before, it was also because of Song Lujing that Song LuXiao filed the complaint?

Thinking of this pained her, and she continued: "Don't offend the Song and Mu families, especially Song LuXiao—he has extensive connections in the circle!"

Who among the Mu and Song families doesn't have broad connections in the circle?

Jiang Liangjin knew this in his heart, but he merely replied in a flat tone: "I haven't offended him."

"Even if you haven't offended him, you can't stop his brother from filing a complaint!" Shen Ningmu sighed. "That Song Lujing protects his sister like his own life; he's always disliked you, and you're still provoking him. Next time you see him, soften your attitude—don't keep opposing him."

Jiang Liangjin smirked inwardly—softening up might just make Lujing angrier—but he obediently replied, "Got it, Mom."

Seeing him obey, Shen Ningmu's expression eased, and she switched topics: "By the way, did you see Xiao Xi today?"

Jiang Liangjin answered honestly: "I saw her."

"How did you address her?" Shen Ningmu pressed, eyes holding a hint of expectation: "Did you take my words to heart? A Yu calls him 'second brother', so you should follow suit and call him that—though Xiao Xi looks hard‑to‑get‑along with, she actually cherishes old ties the most! The affection you've shared since childhood, don't waste it."

"I called him 'second brother'."

Jiang Liangjin's words made her eyes light up.

She perked up, leaning forward slightly: "What was his reaction? Did he respond, or stay silent? Did his attitude toward you ease at all?"

That child has a cold disposition; when A Yu's health was poor as a kid, he even demoted himself a grade, so now he's just one level above A Yu—otherwise he'd already be a year ahead.

Recalling Mu Xi's disbelieving, startled look back then, Jiang Liangjin met her gaze steadily: "He didn't respond, just glanced at me and said I'd taken the wrong medicine."

"That little brat."

Shen Ningmu chuckled and shook her head: "It's not his fault—you two have never gotten along since childhood, both vying to protect A Yu, so it's natural for him to be wary of you."

She felt that Mu Xi not directly dissing her own son or giving him a cold shoulder was already progress.

Little did she know, Mu Xi not only talked back but also gave him a dirty look.

She paused, then added: "Try not to offend A Yu's other brothers, and especially avoid offending Xiao Xi—after all, she is A Yu's own brother and the one who's spent the most time with her."

She thought that if Mu Youyu had a ranking of good brothers in her heart, Mu Xi would surely be first!

Jiang Liangjin's fingertip paused, his gaze deepened, and he replied in a low voice: "I know, Mom."

Shen Ningmu's tone turned serious: "Mu Xi seems cold, but he's actually very protective of his own; as long as you sincerely treat Ah Yu well, he'll gradually accept you."

She knows Mu Xi too well; that person seems cold and impatient with everyone, but deep down he's extremely protective of his own.

Although Mu Xi seems to dislike Jiang Liangjin on the surface, if he gets into a conflict with outsiders, he'll still help him and not let him suffer.

After all, they're all our own people.

Jiang Liangjin: "Okay."

"A Jin, keep it up! I'm going out shopping." Shen Ningmu patted his shoulder satisfiedly, then turned and left.

Seeing her leave the room, Jiang Liangjin took out his phone and sent a message to Gu Xingnan: "Find out what Song Lujing has been interested in lately."

Gu Xingnan replied instantly: "Games! He's recently gotten into a new competitive game; when I play with A Ci, he's always online, but now besides me, no one can beat him."

Jiang Liangjin replied: "Send me the game link."