Chapter 80: Let’s Just Get Rid of Him
“If your third uncle knew, he’d be furious with me,” Chi Chaoshen couldn’t help but laugh.
Chi Fengxiao always prided himself on being Chi Qian’s favorite uncle.
Yet here she was—giving him the gift first.
“No way. I got Third Uncle something else. And I’ve prepared gifts for Eldest Uncle too.” Chi Qian counted on her fingers, then paused. “Ah, aren’t there still other uncles?”
“I haven’t met them yet.”
Chi Chaoshen said, “Your Fourth and Fifth Uncles are abroad. We don’t see them often.”
Then he suddenly remembered their father’s adopted son…
Strictly speaking, that man was also Chi Qian’s uncle.
But it didn’t matter. That guy was nothing but a freak.
He shoved the thought aside.
Chi Qian, still curious, asked, “How are Fourth and Fifth Uncle doing now?”
“Hm?”
“I heard from Eldest Uncle that Fourth Uncle digs wild herbs abroad, and Fifth Uncle screws bolts in a factory,” she said. “Those jobs sound so hard.”
Baochuan had long gone back to the palace to be queen, but her Fourth Uncle was still digging wild herbs.
Factories had already shut down for the holiday, but her Fifth Uncle was still tightening screws.
What gave them the strength to persist?
Was it love? Idealism? Duty?
No—none of those. It was because they were broke. Too broke.
Not everyone has it easy, just to stay alive.
Chi Qian stood in solemn admiration.
Chi Chaoshen: “……”
Big Brother, why are you filling the kid’s head with nonsense?
Maybe it was to teach Chi Qian to value hard work and cherish her current comfortable life.
Thinking he’d guessed correctly, Chi Chaoshen nodded. “Yes, your Fourth and Fifth Uncles really have it tough. Nine-to-five just for a little pay, drinking tap water, eating leftovers.”
Then he added, “If one day you meet them, and they ask you to go with them, don’t listen. They’ll only drag you off to suffer.”
Just in case, Chi Chaoshen decided to plant a little “eyedrops” in Chi Qian’s mind.
After all, if she could be tricked away by him, she could also be tricked away by the other uncles. One had to guard against it.
Brothers? In front of an adorable niece, what brothers?
Chi Qian thought to herself—her uncles couldn’t even take care of themselves, why would they want to drag around a little freeloader like her?
But still, she obediently agreed to Second Uncle’s warning.
Chi Chaoshen was very satisfied. He told her to stay and play for a while, wait until he finished his work, and then he’d take her out for a good meal in the evening.
He even asked the secretary to prepare a pile of snacks and comic books, in case she got bored.
Chi Qian turned on the TV, skillfully tuned it to the health channel, and munched as she watched.
“Today’s health tip: crossing your legs puts uneven pressure on the lumbar and thoracic spine. Over time this compresses the spinal nerves and causes…”
“To prevent liver disease, hygiene is key, and diet plays a role. The following foods…”
“Don’t stay up more than two nights a week. Properly arrange your sleep schedule…”
By the time the program ended, Chi Qian’s notebook was filled to the brim.
Looking at the dense pages, she thought proudly—With this, won’t I basically live forever?
Overjoyed, she downed half a cup of iced cola in one go.
When Uncle finished his work, she followed him out of the hospital.
As they passed through the park downstairs, she caught sight of a familiar figure by the lotus pond.
While her uncle went to fetch the car, she wandered over.
Three brand-name-clad boys had Jiang Heyi surrounded, jabbing their fingers at him.
“Your dad’s a bodyguard, so you’re destined to be someone’s dog too.”
“Qian Qian asked you to be her servant. That was her being gracious. And you dared to refuse?”
“She’s a young lady—you’re nothing. How dare you defy her?”
The ringleader poked Jiang Heyi in the shoulder, furious that he’d upset his beloved goddess.
Jiang Heyi stayed silent throughout, his frail back straight as a rod.
He had studied countless medical books, understood the human body thoroughly—knew exactly how to end a life swiftly and silently.
Just a little longer…
Not far away, Chi Qian crouched with her hands in her pockets, eavesdropping on the drama.
A calico cat padded over beside her. “Kids these days—no fun at all. Just ganging up three on one.”
“You heard everything too?”
Calico cat: “Of course. Basically, a girl took a fancy to that boy, so she kept bullying him. When he finally ran off, she wasn’t happy. Now her lackeys are forcing him to apologize.”
“The girl’s rich. Her dad’s a big-shot in real estate. Super arrogant.”
“And those boys—are they her guard dogs, or her simps? Doesn’t matter. They’re just trying to win her favor by picking on him.”
Chi Qian cupped her hands around an invisible melon. “Wow… a kiddie version of ‘domineering love by force’?”
They were just kids—already playing this dirty?
“You know why that girl likes him?” the calico asked.
“What, what, what?”
The cat pitched its voice high: “Everyone else smiles when they see me. Only he doesn’t. Either he’s naturally unsmiling, or… he’s doing it on purpose to get my attention.”
Chi Qian: “…Yikes.”
Couldn’t they just think positively for once? Maybe he was just… born with a poker face?
The calico gossiped on for a while, until the bullies finally left.
Jiang Heyi turned and spotted Chi Qian squatting there. His expressionless face cracked.
“Why are you here again?!”
Hadn’t she already gone to eternal bliss?!
“I came back…” Chi Qian thought that admitting she was eavesdropping might sound bad, so she prettied it up: “I came back to see how you were doing.”
Jiang Heyi froze, a flicker in his eyes.
He had no friends. No one wanted to be around a freak like him.
This was the first time—aside from his father—that someone had cared about him.
Even if it was… a ghost.
After a hesitation, he asked, “Just now… did you see everything?”
“Don’t worry. I can’t read,” Chi Qian reassured him. “I didn’t understand what you were saying anyway.”
Jiang Heyi: “……” Do you even hear yourself?
“Why do you keep appearing around me? Is there something special about me?” he pressed.
“Uh… maybe because you’re insanely good-looking?”
“……”
At that moment, Chi Qian heard her uncle calling her name. She waved at him and headed back.
Jiang Heyi only caught a glimpse of her figure disappearing behind a tree. A chill ran down his spine.
But compared to the first time, he didn’t feel as resistant to her presence anymore.
Maybe… he had just been lonely for too long.
He gave a self-deprecating chuckle, though for some reason his mood felt lighter.
*
At Biyu Pavilion, the terrace seats were surrounded by screens—private yet scenic.
Chi Chaoshen had reserved it in advance, so their dishes arrived quickly after they sat down.
As they ate, Chi Qian overheard voices from the neighboring terrace:
“What else can you do but accept it? At least your man only has one right now. You can still salvage things.”
“If it were only one, I’d be fine. I just found out—it’s not just one.”
“Didn’t you say last time there was only one?”
“I didn’t expect him to be sneaking around with so many. By the time I realized, it was too late—the women are already pregnant…”
“If they’re pregnant, just let them give birth. What else can you do?”
So far, nothing too strange.
Except—the two people talking were both men!!
