CHAPTER 630: CHAPTER 619: VICIOUS VILLAIN

Ye Qiu returned to the Jiang Family quite late, but there was someone even later than her. She had just parked her electric scooter and was about to charge it, when a heavily modified and ultra-cool motorcycle stopped next to her.

Looking at her little scooter and then at his motorcycle, she instantly felt the gap between ordinary folks and the wealthy.

Jiang Cheng parked his motorcycle and left without giving Ye Qiu a single glance, let alone showing any disdain or scorn towards her.

Then, with an unspoken understanding, the two of them entered the kitchen, one grabbed a cola, and the other started to prepare something to eat.

In fact, Ye Qiu had already eaten at the shop, but she approached Jiang Cheng on purpose.

"Do you want to eat something too?" she asked him.

Jiang Cheng paused while closing the refrigerator door, then frowned at her: "What on earth are you trying to do?"

Feigning fear, Ye Qiu stepped back and said softly, "What can I do? I’m just making something to eat by the way, aren’t I?"

"I don’t need your fake kindness." He snorted coldly, grabbed the cola, and intended to leave.

Ye Qiu pursed her lips, raising her voice a bit: "Are you always this repulsed by someone being nice to you?"

"Being nice to me?" He jeered coldly, "Who would be nice to me? You? I’ve never seen you talk to me much before, and now suddenly you want to be kind? And you say there’s no ulterior motive. What, did your mother send you to get close to me?"

Hearing these words, Ye Qiu looked up at him with anger: "Jiang Cheng, that’s too much! I thought we were in similar straits and wanted to be kind to you, but this is what you think of me. Don’t you know how my mom treats me? I just wanted to have a real family member, and yet this is how you see me. I am so disappointed in you!"

Watching the door slam shut with a "bang," Jiang Cheng’s expression stiffened.

"What’s going on?" At that moment, Jiang Yi’s door opened, and seeing Jiang Cheng standing downstairs, he smiled and said, "Little Cheng, just got back?"

"Yeah." Jiang Cheng responded with a nod, his mind still on what Ye Qiu had said.

"You should rest early since you’re back. Eating too much at night isn’t good for your health." Jiang Yi advised habitually.

Jiang Cheng replied again while his slightly hungry stomach softly growled. Jiang Yi, standing far away, didn’t hear it, but what Jiang Cheng didn’t say was that he hadn’t had dinner at all.

Jiang Yi saw that Jiang Cheng was still standing motionless and spoke a few more caring words before returning to his room. Jiang Cheng looked indecisively at Ye Qiu’s door.

How could he not know how Ye Qiu’s life was in this household? Even if he was often out of line, he was still the Second Young Master of this family, but she was not.

She was brought into the family by Jiang Hongcai’s new wife, with no blood relation to the Jiang Family. Naturally, Jiang Hongcai wouldn’t bother to care for her, and her mother only cared about ingratiating herself with Jiang Hongcai and the eldest son. She barely paid any attention to her daughter, treating her less than neglectfully, even using her as a servant.

Although he rarely came home, he still saw things quite clearly—Ye Qiu’s life in this home was even worse than his.

He used to disdain her submissive nature and had no intention of intervening. But it seems she had a change of heart recently? Maybe she’s seeking some comfort from her similarly afflicted and nominal big brother?

Family affection?

Jiang Cheng scoffed, feeling both he and she were indulging in some daydreaming. How could people like them even deserve to have familial affection?

Plus, all he would do is bring her trouble. It would be better for her to get close to his older brother instead.

Jiang Cheng shook his head, determined to cast aside that slight sense of guilt. Forget it, she probably won’t come looking for him anymore. Just let it be!

The next evening, because there was a competition, he came back later than the night before. When he arrived home, a small electric scooter was being charged next to his driveway.

He snickered mockingly. Was this child-like toy even drivable?

But where did she get the money to buy this? And what exactly was she doing every day when she went out?

He didn’t bother to ponder these questions for long, shaking his head as he walked into the villa. But as he passed by the dining room, he stopped in his tracks because there was a box of pastries on the table along with a glass of milk, and beneath the cup was a note that simply read: For Jiang Cheng.

Holding the note, Jiang Cheng couldn’t quite name the feeling in his heart. He had intended to leave it as it was, but his feet just wouldn’t budge.

Forget it, if he didn’t eat it, that little girl would probably cry, right?

He took hold of the glass of milk, feeling a gentle warmth in his palm, and opened the lid of the box containing the pastries. There was still a bit of steam; they must have been hot when freshly made, but since he had returned so late, they had mostly cooled down.

The pastries were delicately made, each one adorned with the pink pattern of a lotus flower, and they left a fragrant taste in the mouth. Taking a sip of milk, he couldn’t help but sigh with wonder – he hadn’t expected this quiet little girl to have such a culinary talent.

Jiang Cheng had his fill and slept soundly that night. When he woke up and went to the garage, the little electric scooter was gone, and he frowned slightly.

What on earth was she doing going out so early every day? And she had also returned late the day before yesterday.

Jiang Cheng pursed his lips, having to admit that the little girl had some skills; she had somehow started to make him worry about her with just a meal or two.

Ye Qiu arrived at the restaurant on time. Although it was morning, there were already customers there, repeat visitors from the past few days who specifically came to enjoy her lotus seed porridge.

"I couldn’t hold the fort much longer without you," the owner, He Jiangnan, greeted her with a complaint, but his tone was teasing. "Is this your restaurant, or mine? It’s only been two days, and you’ve already lured away the customers."

"Of course you’re the boss. But didn’t I teach you how to make the porridge yesterday? Why are you still in such a rush?"

He Jiangnan sighed, "Nowadays the customers have the appetites of Taotie, they can tell at once if something is even slightly off. Take a look at the ’Reed Creek’ private room. After tasting the porridge I made, they said it was not right, insisted I take it away and wait for you to make it. The ingredients are the same, the steps are the same, so why is there a difference in taste?"

These past two days had been a huge hit to He Jiangnan’s confidence. Before, he felt quite talented, but after hiring Ye Qiu, his self-assurance had vanished.

"Don’t be modest, boss. Aren’t your recipes popular too? Maybe my cooking tastes good because of my hands? Let’s make it a few more times together, you’ll learn eventually."

He Jiangnan did indeed have talent, and Ye Qiu was willing to pass on her skills to him. He had gradually started to treat her not as a child but with more respect, and his treatment of her had improved significantly.

"If you start going to school later on, the customers will probably create a fuss," he quipped.

"I’m still free on weekends, right? We could create a plan for weekend reservations for booked meals. What do you think? This way, we won’t offend the customers, and we can maintain the flow," she proposed.