Chapter 400: Zhi Zhi: Are you guys still chatting at night?

What's that look for?

Jiang Nian picked up a bag of vegetables and squeezed inside.

No time left, we need to hurry. I have to go to school at 1:40, let's get this done fast—you take off your clothes first.

Xu Qianqian: "Are you crazy?"

"Pfft, you take the clothes first." Jiang Nian hurriedly dropped the vegetables on the floor, "I'm changing shoes, you get that apron."

Xu Qianqian:

(

She suspected Jiang Nian was doing it on purpose, but had no proof.

Still, a show-off is a show-off—one day, always a show-off; proof isn't needed at all.

Guilty until proven innocent!

So when Xu Qianqian hopped over on one foot with the apron, she delivered an elbow strike straight to Jiang Nian, who had just changed his shoes.

"You're not good for anything!"

Jiang Nian, suddenly hit with elbow strikes and outright labeled, stared at her with a confused expression.

"Wait, are you on your period?"

Even if you are, you can't just curse at people.

"Hmph, you're not a good person anyway." Xu Qianqian shot him a glare, hopped behind him on one foot, and tied the apron around him.

Then she clapped her hands twice, hopped away, pretending to be casual.

"Go cook. I'm a bit tired."

Jiang Nian glanced at Xu Qianqian standing on one foot, then down at his own apron, and couldn't help laughing.

"Didn't know you, Xu Shao, were so determined despite your disability."

"You're still talking!"

Her voice came from her room, tinged with frustrated anger.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have…"

With time tight and the task urgent, Jiang Nian didn't dawdle. He went straight to the kitchen to rinse rice, then started prepping ingredients while lighting the stove.

The pressure cooker simmered the prepared soybeans and pig's feet; just one meat dish and one vegetable dish remained.

Xu Qianqian was picky—she could taste bloodiness in meat—but never felt nauseous eating meat Jiang Nian cooked. Unfortunately, Jiang Nian hated cooking and only ever did it under special circumstances.

While the beer duck simmered, Jiang Nian went back to Xu Qianqian's room to check her foot.

More precisely, to apply medicine to her injured foot.

"Does it hurt?"

He squatted before her and gently poked a certain spot with his finger—no sharp inhale, no hiss from Xu Qianqian.

Xu Qianqian was speechless. "Why are you touching my other foot?"

"Oh, sorry." Jiang Nian switched to the other foot, embarrassedly smiled, "I thought it didn't look swollen."

Xu Qianqian didn't bother retorting—being stuck at home all day felt stifling.

With Jiang Nian here, the house felt much livelier.

She was a goal-driven person, rarely so helpless—like a boy stuck in place, nowhere to go.

She turned her head away, feeling the coolness spreading from her foot.

Suddenly, she felt this kind of life…

Was good.

Even if it was plain, even if it was just one quiet moment—this reality made Xu Qianqian, sitting at her desk, feel more certain.

In this house, this person beside her, truly cared for her.

On this deep-winter afternoon, no heater, no air conditioning—sunlight streamed through the window, falling onto the desk.

Almost poetic.

"Hm, why's it wet?"

She looked down, her gaze calm—then her eyes widened.

"Damn it, Jiang Nian!"

"Ahh!!! Who told you to drip saliva on my foot?!"

"Huh?" Jiang Nian looked up, innocent. "Did I? Oh, sorry—I was a little hungry."

"You!!!" Xu Qianqian's teeth ground together.

"Stop saying 'huh.' I'll make braised beef for you this afternoon." Jiang Nian stood, interrupting her outburst, "Consider it compensation?"

Hearing this, Xu Qianqian's anger instantly died. She swallowed hard.

"With carrots?"

"Mm."

"Oh… will you have time this afternoon?" Xu Qianqian frowned, worried. "You've got self-study."

"Skip class. Big deal." Jiang Nian stood, one hand holding the bruise-relief liquor, the other hanging by his pant leg.

Long, clean, like new bamboo after rain, slender bones swaying in the wind.

Xu Qianqian's gaze fixed on one spot.

"Won't you get scolded?"

"Let them scold. I don't care." Jiang Nian raised his free hand and lightly patted Xu Qianqian's head.

Then he turned and walked out of the room—the footsteps sounded like they headed to the kitchen.

Xu Qianqian smoothed her tousled hair, glanced at the wide-open door, and pressed her lips together.

The phone was set aside, her pale, plump feet swinging beside the bed.

"Sss~!"

"It's a bit cold!"

At one-thirty in the afternoon, it was time to eat.

"Hm?" Xu Qianqian hopped over to the dining table on one foot, pulled out a chair, "When did you make soup?"

It wasn't boiled.

Jiang Nian had been cooking when he suddenly remembered he'd forgotten a soup.

He'd originally planned to just scramble an egg soup, but then he remembered there was a sick person—so he simply used his money power and ordered a soup.

"Don't ask so much—just eat."

"Oh."

The two bowed their heads and ate.

Halfway through her meal, Xu Qianqian set down the pig's trotter and looked up at Jiang Nian across from her.

"There's too much food—we can save some for the afternoon."

"Too much?" Jiang Nian pointed at several dishes, "Then eat more of the dishes, leave the rice—I won't have to cook again."

Xu Qianqian didn't retort; she lowered her head and went back to wrestling with the pig's trotter.

"Oh."

After finishing the meal, Jiang Nian stood up, ready to leave right away.

"Xu Qianqian, wash the dishes."

Is it decent to make a girl wash dishes?

Jiang Nian thought it was amusing.

"By the way, don't just stay in your room after washing the dishes." He pointed at Xu Qianqian, "Go downstairs this afternoon,

get some sun."

With that, the front door slammed shut.

Xu Qianqian stared at the messy table and pursed her lips. She began her second round—hopping toward the kitchen on one foot.

After washing the dishes, it was already two-thirty in the afternoon.

Little Tumor was tired; Little Tumor collapsed onto the sofa. Little Cripple stared at the ceiling, with no intention of going out.

She woke up slowly, rolled over, and tapped her phone.

Two-fifty-two.

She fell silent for a moment—why wasn't she waking up at five?

Then, the boy dragged a stool and sat by the door, waiting for footsteps to approach, waiting for the knock, then opening the door after eight seconds.

Xu Qianqian closed her eyes and tried to muster sleep, but couldn't.

A buzz—she received a message.

She opened it to find it was Song Xiyun; the girl had probably slipped her phone under the desk during class break to send it.

"Qianqian, how's your foot?"

"Maybe." (Photo) Xu Qianqian's reply came with a photo. Bored, she typed a long string of messages, then glanced at Jiang Nian's chat window—it was unnaturally quiet.

What is he doing?

Thinking this, Xu Qianqian flopped back onto the sofa. A few minutes later, she slowly climbed up, changed clothes, and went downstairs.

A quick walk around, then come back up to rest—the time would pass.

"I really want to do some test papers." Xu Qianqian hopped down the stairs one foot at a time; luckily, she lived on the third floor, and after some effort, she finally made it down.

In the courtyard, several old women were playing cards.

Xu Qianqian leaned against the wall to rest, embarrassed, turning her head away—until one old woman brought her a small stool.

Hmm...

"Thank you."

After resting properly, Little Tumor set out again on her expedition.

She hopped out the door, went a good distance before realizing she'd twisted her foot right in this bumpy alley—immediately regretting it.

If I twisted my only healthy foot...

She shook her head, deciding to hop a little farther, then turn back—she'd take one last look at where she'd fallen.

After setting up this bizarre little flag, she set off again with renewed confidence.

Around the corner, she stopped far off.

Two workmen were repairing the pothole, even bringing machinery. Hot asphalt was being laid down, slowly smoothing out.

By the time Xu Qianqian arrived, the pothole was already fixed. She stared, dumbfounded—she could almost hear Jiang Nian's voice again.

【Tomorrow I'll get someone to fill in that bumpy stretch at the alley entrance.】

Was it really him?

Too absurd to believe, Xu Qianqian couldn't help asking.

"Hey, uncle, why are you fixing the road now?"

"Oh, a young boss told us to do it," the worker shouted loudly over the machine's roar, then grinned, "We're patching up the whole area."

Young?

Xu Qianqian's eyes widened—could it really be?

"Uncle, when did he ask you to fix it?"

"Not long ago—around noon," the worker yelled, grinning as the machines roared, "We were nearby, so we just came right over."

"Don't come closer, it'll be set in two or three hours," said another master. "As for that boss, you can't even call him a boss."

"He still looks like a student—just came over to watch for a bit. Such skill at such a young age? Pretty impressive."

Xu Qianqian was stunned, thinking: It really is him.

Do you have so much money you don't know what to do with it?

Have you forgotten the curse on the bride price of Zhennan?

Of course, a beautiful girl whose appearance, personality, and fashion sense are all flawless doesn't need a bride price.

The little cripple went home, hopping up the stairs while leaning against the wall.

She collapsed onto the sofa to rest, no longer caring to check her phone. Thinking of what had just happened, her emotions were inevitably complicated.

What was Jiang Nian's purpose in paving the road?

He's the kind of guy who, when bored, kicks every stray dog on the street—paving the road certainly wasn't for the residents of this area.

Xu Qianqian covered her eyes with the back of her hand, her heart in disarray.

In the past, watching sweet romance dramas, she always thought those scenes were boring. After all, who would fall for such clichés?

But when it happened to her, she found herself confused.

Second class, break time: "Here." Chen Yunyun handed Jiang Nian the exam paper.

"Alright, thanks." Jiang Nian gave a polite, gentlemanly smile and accepted the paper right under Zhang Ningzhi's watchful eyes.

Want to touch her hand? Don't.

Throat.

"Then I'm going home, bye," Chen Yun—

Yun smiled, waved cutely, then turned and left.

"Bye... bye." Jiang Nian forced calm, sat down. "Hey, you know what? This exam paper—you've got to admit... you really have to admit."

Zhang Ningzhi withdrew her gaze, feeling irritated.

"What exam paper?"

"Oh, the math one," Jiang Nian said. "Last night, while chatting on QQ, she recommended this set."

Classic!

Throw out a small question to shift attention.

Sure enough, Zhang Ningzhi immediately stopped paying attention to Chen Yunyun handing Jiang Nian the paper in person.

"You chat at night too?"

"Occasionally. Just occasionally." Jiang Nian coughed.

Zhang Ningzhi's eyes widened as she stared at Jiang Nian.

"Then why didn't you send it to me?"

"You didn't send me anything either!" Jiang Nian kept muddying the waters. "Besides, you're usually asleep by eleven, right?"

Hearing this, Zhang Ningzhi pressed her lips together.

"Well, that's true."

She decided: after getting home today, she'd start chatting with Jiang Nian. Even though they'd already exhausted all topics during school hours.

"You're online at night?" Li Hua looked stunned. "Huh? Why didn't I see you online...:... Damn it, you deleted me!"

"You're a piece of shit, Jiang Nian!"

Li Hua swung a punch, instantly losing composure.

"You fucking asshole, can you ever do something decent? You deleted me—I kept wondering why you never came online!"

Jiang Nian: "QQ warned me your account had risks."

"Risk my ass!" Li Hua turned red, pointing at him. "You're even more insane than Yao Beibei—you two are both terrible people."

Before long, the afternoon classes ended.

Jiang Nian skipped the self-study session entirely, told Cai Xiaoqing, and left straight away to cook for the kid.

On the other side.

Xiao Liuzi sat on a small stool by the door, quietly waiting to open it for him.