CHAPTER 486: CHAPTER 402: ZHIZHI: YOU STILL CHAT AT NIGHT?

"What’s with that expression?"

Jiang Nian was carrying a bag of groceries, trying to squeeze inside.

"No time, gotta hurry. I need to be at school by 1:40, let’s get this done quick. You, take your clothes off first."

Qianqian: "Are you crazy?"

"Pfft, just grab the clothes." Jiang Nian hurriedly put the groceries on the floor, "I’ll change my shoes, you grab that apron."

Qianqian: "......"

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

However, wolves like these just can’t change their ways. Once a rascal, always a rascal. No evidence needed.

Assume guilt when in doubt!

So, when Qianqian hopped on one leg to bring over the apron, she elbowed Jiang Nian who had finished changing his shoes as soon as she got close.

"You’re no good!"

Confused from the sudden elbow strike and quick labeling, Jiang Nian looked up, confused.

"What’s the deal, is it your time of the month?"

Even if it were that time, you can’t just scold a good person. Worst case, he’d reluctantly help rub her stomach.

"Hmph, anyway, you’re not a good person." Qianqian glanced at him, hopping to his back and casually tying the apron around him.

Then she clapped her hands, hopping away on one foot, pretending to be carefree.

"Go cook, I’m a bit tired."

Jiang Nian glanced at Qianqian’s one-foot stance, then at the apron on himself, and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Didn’t expect that, Xu’s so strong-willed despite an injury."

"How dare you!"

The voice came from Qianqian’s room, filled with embarrassed anger.

"If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have..."

Due to the time crunch, Jiang Nian didn’t dawdle. He went straight to the kitchen to wash rice, then began prepping vegetables and lighting the stove.

In the pressure cooker, soybeans and pig feet were stewing. Just needed to stir fry one meat and one veggie and it’d be done.

Qianqian was quite picky, she could taste bloodiness in meat dishes but never felt queasy with Jiang Nian’s cooking.

Unfortunately, Jiang Nian didn’t enjoy cooking, he’d only do it under special circumstances.

While simmering the beer duck, Jiang Nian ran to Qianqian’s room to check on her foot. More accurately, to apply medication to her injured foot.

"Does it hurt?"

He squatted in front of Qianqian, gently poking a spot with his finger, but didn’t hear any sharp inhale from her.

Qianqian was a bit speechless, "Why are you touching my other foot?"

"Oh, sorry." Jiang Nian switched to the right foot to apply the medicine, chuckling awkwardly, "I was wondering why it didn’t look swollen."

Qianqian was too lazy to bicker, feeling stifled after being home all morning. With Jiang Nian around, the house became lively.

She turned her head away, feeling the cool sensation on her foot.

Suddenly, she felt this kind of life.....

Was nice.

Even though it was plain, and fleeting. This reality, however, assured the Qianqian at her desk.

That in this house, this person before her, would truly be good to her.

That on this winter afternoon, without heating or air conditioning. Sunlight streamed through the window, landing on the room’s desk.

She was someone with a strong sense of purpose, rarely in such a pathetic state. Like a little lame duck, unable to go anywhere.

"Hmm, why is it wet?"

She glanced down with dull eyes, and then widened in shock.

"Damn it, Jiang Nian!"

"Ah!!! Who told you to drool on my foot!"

"Huh?" Jiang Nian looked up at her, innocent, "Did I? Oh, I was a bit hungry just now, sorry about that."

"You!!!" Qianqian was about to gnash her teeth to bits.

"Come on, I’ll make you some braised beef this afternoon." Jiang Nian looked up, interrupting her spell, "Consider it compensation?"

Hearing this, Qianqian’s anger was abruptly halted, she swallowed her saliva.

"With carrots?"

"Yeah."

"Oh then...will you have time this afternoon?" Qianqian suddenly remembered, worried, "You have to be at self-study."

"I’ll cut class, no big deal." Jiang Nian stood up, holding some medicated wine in one hand, the other hanging by his pant leg.

Graceful and spotless, like new bamboo after rain, swaying in the wind.

Qianqian’s gaze focused on one spot.

"Won’t you get scolded?"

"Then let them scold, doesn’t matter." Jiang Nian raised his free hand, gently patting Qianqian on the head.

Then turned and walked out of the room, footsteps sounding as if heading to the kitchen.

Qianqian tidied her hair that Jiang Nian had messed up, glanced at the wide open room door, and couldn’t help but purse her lips.

Her phone lay to the side, and her pale foot dangled off the bed.

"Tsk~!"

"A bit chilly!"

A bit past one in the afternoon, it was meal time.

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

It wasn’t actually made.

Jiang Nian was halfway through cooking when he remembered he was short a soup.

Originally he thought of just making a simple egg soup, but remembered there was a patient. So he used his money powers to order a soup.

"Don’t ask so much, just eat."

"Oh."

Rustle rustle, the two buried their heads in eating.

Qianqian halfway through set down her pig feet, looking across at Jiang Nian.

"Seems like we can’t finish the dishes, we can save them for the afternoon."

"Can’t finish?" Jiang Nian pointed at the dishes, "Then eat more dishes, leave the rice, saves me from cooking rice."

Qianqian didn’t retort, lowered her head continuing the battle with the pig feet.

"Okay."

After eating, Jiang Nian got up, planning to leave.

"Qianqian, wash the dishes."

Making a lame person wash dishes, is that okay?

Jiang Nian thought it was fun.

"Oh right, after you wash the dishes don’t just stay in your room." He pointed at Qianqian, "Go downstairs in the afternoon for a walk and some sun."

With that, the door slammed shut with a bang.

Qianqian looked at the messy table, couldn’t help but purse her lips. Once again, she started hopping one-footed towards the kitchen.

After washing the dishes, it was already 2:30 in the afternoon.

The little crippled one is a bit tired and slumps on the sofa. The little crippled one stares at the ceiling, showing no intention of going out.

With a yawn, she wakes up and turns over to check her phone.

2:52.

She feels a bit silent; why wasn’t it 5:00 when she woke up?

Then, the little crippled one moves a stool to sit by the door. Waiting for the footsteps to come closer, she opens the door eight seconds after the knock.

Qianqian closes her eyes, trying to brew some sleep, but still can’t fall asleep.

With a buzz, she receives a message.

She opens it and sees it’s from Song Xiyun, who probably sneakily sent the message by hiding the phone in the desk hole during class break.

"Qianqian, is your foot any better?"

"Maybe. (Picture)" Xu Qianqian replies and includes a photo, then idly types out a bunch of messages.

She glances at Jiang Nian’s chat window, feeling it’s a bit too silent.

What’s he up to?

Thinking this, Xu Qianqian falls back onto the sofa. A few minutes later, she climbs up slowly from the sofa, changes clothes, and heads downstairs.

Make a round, come back up for a rest, then the time should pass.

"I really feel like doing exercises." Xu Qianqian says as she hops downstairs on one foot. Luckily, she lives on the third floor, and after some effort, she makes her way down.

In the yard, several elderly women are playing cards.

Xu Qianqian rests against the wall for a while, awkwardly turning to look elsewhere until an elderly woman brings her a small stool.

Hmm....

"Thank you."

After resting earnestly for a while, the little crippled one sets off on another exploration.

She hops out the door, jumps quite far before realizing that she twisted her ankle in this bumpy alley, instantly feeling regretful.

If she twists her only healthy foot....

She shakes her head, planning to jump a bit further outside then come back. To revisit the place where she fell.

After making this inexplicable pledge, she sets off again with full confidence.

Turning the corner, she stops from a distance.

Two workers are working in the pothole area, even bringing machinery. Hot asphalt is being laid, slowly smoothing out.

By the time Xu Qianqian arrives, the pit is already patched. She’s instantly dumbfounded, seemingly hearing Jiang Nian’s voice in her ear again.

"Tomorrow I’ll get someone to fill in that pothole-filled road at the alley entrance."

Was it really him?

Because it was too unbelievable, Xu Qianqian couldn’t help but ask.

"Hey, uncle, why did you start fixing the road?"

"Oh, a young boss asked us to do it," the worker said loudly, then laughed, "All the roads here need some patching."

Young?

Xu Qianqian’s eyes widened, thinking it couldn’t be.

"Uncle, when did he ask you guys to patch it?"

"Not long ago, around noon," the worker grinned, shouting over the machinery’s roar, "We were just nearby, so we came right over."

"Don’t get close, it’ll set in two or three hours." Another worker added, "Speaking of that boss, you couldn’t really call him a boss."

"Looks like a student, just came to check it out. To have such skills at a young age, quite impressive."

Xu Qianqian was stunned, thinking it really was him.

Too much money with nowhere to spend?

Studying for so long, did he forget the curse of Zhenan’s dowry?

Of course, certain perfect beauties in terms of appearance, personality, and even fashion sense, don’t need a dowry.

The little crippled one returned home, hopping with the help of the wall upstairs.

She collapsed on the sofa to rest, not in the mood to check her phone. Thinking about the scene just now, her mood was inevitably complicated.

What were Jiang Nian’s motives for road repair?

He’s the type who’d kick even the roadside dog when he’s bored, road repair definitely wasn’t for the residents here.

Xu Qianqian covered her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling a bit chaotic.

She used to think the scenes of sweet romance dramas were somewhat dull. After all, who would fall for such tropes?

But when such a thing happened to her, she felt a bit muddled.

...

Second period, break time

"Here you go." Chen Yunyun handed a test paper to Jiang Nian.

"Okay, thanks." Jiang Nian showed a polite gentleman’s smile, taking the test paper under Zhang Ningzhi’s watchful gaze.

Want to touch hands, don’t touch.

Alas.

"Then I’m leaving, bye-bye." Chen Yunyun smiled, waved cutely, and turned to leave.

"Bye... bye." Jiang Nian forced composure, sat down, "Hey, let’s not talk about this test paper... really, let’s not."

Zhang Ningzhi withdrew her gaze, feeling a bit frustrated.

"What test paper is that?"

"Oh, oh, math test paper," Jiang Nian said, "Last night while chatting on QQ, she recommended this set of tests."

Classic!

Throwing out a minor question to divert attention.

As expected, Zhang Ningzhi instantly stopped focusing on Chen Yunyun’s face-to-face test paper giving.

"You guys chat at night?"

"Occasionally, occasionally." Jiang Nian coughed once.

Zhang Ningzhi’s eyes widened, staring at Jiang Nian.

"Then why not message me?"

"You never texted me either!" Jiang Nian continued muddying the waters, "Besides, don’t you usually sleep by 11:30?"

Hearing this, Zhang Ningzhi pursed her lips.

"...That’s true."

She decided that after going home today, she’d chat with Jiang Nian. Although they had already chatted all day at school.

"Are you online at night?" Li Hua looked surprised, "Hmm, why didn’t I see you on... damn it, you’ve removed me!"

"Chi Shi, Jiang Nian!"

Li Hua raised his hand to deliver a punch, instantly unable to hold back.

"Damn it, can’t you do something decent for once? By the way, you removed me; no wonder I never saw you online."

Jiang Nian: "QQ notified me your account was at risk."

"Chi Shi risk!" Li Hua turned red, pointing at him, "You’re worse than Yao Beibei, neither are any good."

In a blink, the afternoon classes passed.

Jiang Nian skipped the small self-study, mentioned it to Cai Xiaoqing, then left directly, planning to cook for the little crippled one.

On the other side.

The little crippled one moved a small stool to sit by the door, quietly waiting to open it for him.