Chapter 16: Heroes Struggle With the Beauty Trap… Why Are There Three Beauties?!
Song Lingchen’s heart jumped, and he subsequently laughed as well. Following the flow of the conversation, he leaned forward, the legs of the chair emitting a slight scraping sound against the floor.
“Then… Young Master Jiang thinks…”
“Do I have a chance at this?”
Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow, casually picking up a throw pillow from the bed and tossing it over, neither light nor heavy: “In your dreams. The threshold to marry into our Jiang family is very high.”
Song Lingchen smiled as he caught the pillow and hugged it to his chest. Resting his chin on the surface, his eyes shone brightly:
“How high? Tell me, so I can at least give up.”
“First,” Jiang Qing bent a finger, “you must know how to raise pigs.”
Song Lingchen immediately sat up straight, perfectly serious: “The future number one player on the entire server of Reborn: I Am Still the Pig Farming King is right here.”
“Second, you must be able to endure Jiang Linmu bombarding your ears every day.”
“That one is a bit tough,” Song Lingchen frowned with feigned heaviness, but quickly smiled again, “but for the great cause of the revolution, I can wear noise-canceling headphones.”
“Lastly,” Jiang Qing dragged out his voice, looking at how Song Lingchen was subconsciously holding his breath in anticipation, and couldn’t help but smile, “you have to ask my older brother if he agrees.”
At the mention of Jiang Yu, Song Lingchen immediately slumped his shoulders, letting out an exaggerated groan:
“Brother Yu’s hurdle is too hard! Last time he even said I looked like a ‘delinquent trying to abduct his younger brother’.”
“Aren’t you?” Jiang Qing tilted his head and asked back.
“I’ve been wronged!” Song Lingchen raised both hands, “At most, I’m a… high-quality youth actively fighting for a chance.”
“High-quality youth?” Jiang Qing looked him up and down. “What kind of high-quality youth overstays his welcome in someone else’s room in the middle of the night?”
“I’m just working hard to show off my good performance.” Song Lingchen righteously shoved the pillow back into Jiang Qing’s arms, stood up, and stretched. “Looks like tonight is a bust. The revolution hasn’t succeeded yet.”
He walked to the door and turned back:
“What do you want for breakfast tomorrow? This high-quality youth will show off his skills for you.”
“Whatever,” Jiang Qing put the pillow back in its original place, pausing before adding, “I don’t eat water-boiled eggs.”
“Understood!” Song Lingchen smiled as he pulled the door open, locking eyes perfectly with Jiang Linmu, who was squatting outside eavesdropping.
The two stared at each other in a staring contest for a second.
“Little Mumu, not asleep this late, playing door god?”
“Song Lingchen, you went into overtime!” Jiang Linmu jumped up and accused.
“Leaving right now, leaving right now,” Song Lingchen slipped out sideways, not forgetting to wink at Jiang Qing before going, “See you tomorrow!”
After the door closed, Jiang Qing listened to the noisy, fading footsteps of the two outside and couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
However, what he hadn’t told Song Lingchen just now was this:
He had bought so many bracelets before; just how blind would he have to be to not recognize that this bracelet was the women’s version from a brand he frequently purchased.
————————————————
11:00 PM.
Jiang Qing stealthily opened his room door.
Looking left and right, the outside was pitch black and completely quiet.
Perfect.
He carefully crept downstairs in the dark, terrified of making even the slightest sound. Just as his fingers were about to touch the handle of the front door—
“Snap!”
All the lights suddenly flared on, stinging him so much he subconsciously narrowed his eyes.
His heart gave a violent jolt, and he stiffly turned around.
He saw three people standing in a semicircle just inside the front door, looking at him with plenty of leisure, clearly having waited for a long time.
Standing in the middle was Jiang Yu, a half-smile on his face.
One look and it was obvious who had proposed to catch him.
Jiang Qing rolled his eyes helplessly.
“Brother Yu, I didn’t even know Qingqing had this kind of schedule now. When you told me just now, I didn’t even believe it.” Song Lingchen leaned against the doorframe, laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
Jiang Linmu stood somewhat at a loss to the side, throwing Jiang Qing a look that said, “Brother, you’re on your own.”
Jiang Qing: “…”
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his last shred of dignity: “I’m just… coming downstairs to get some water.”
Jiang Yu’s gaze swept slowly over his outfit:
Jiang Qing was wearing a solid-colored crewneck sweater, paired with jeans on the bottom, and a dark grey cashmere cardigan draped over the outside. He looked fresh and sharp, even carrying a sense of meticulously styled casualness.
“My, dressed so casually today.” Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow.
This outfit seemed simple and casual, but anyone who knew their stuff could tell at a glance that the cashmere cardigan was a classic Loro Piana piece, the sweater was from Brunello Cucinelli’s basic collection, and even the seemingly ordinary jeans were a slim fit from Dior.
Just as the group was in a standoff, Jiang Qing’s phone suddenly rang. He subconsciously pressed answer. Shen Zhize’s deliberately drawn-out voice transmitted clearly from the earpiece, sounding exceptionally loud in the silent hall:
“Qing~ Why aren’t you here yet? Everyone’s waiting for you, and so am I~”
“Don’t get your feet tangled up by some little beauty again like yesterday.”
Jiang Qing: “…”
Little beauty?
Yeah, bro, I’ve got ’em.
I’ve got three right here.
The curve of Jiang Yu’s mouth deepened. Song Lingchen directly burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking even harder.
Jiang Linmu silently lowered his head, beginning to ponder the possibility of himself being that little beauty tangling his brother’s feet.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing no response, the person on the other end asked strangely.
“Zhize.” Jiang Yu took the phone, his voice carrying over through the receiver.
The other end of the line fell instantly silent. Even the music and clamor in the background seemed to have been muted. After a full two seconds, Shen Zhize’s voice came through, clearly stripped of its previous amusement:
“…Brother Yu?”
“Mn,” Jiang Yu acknowledged, his gaze landing on his younger brother’s face, who was trying hard to stay composed. “Qingqing isn’t feeling well tonight, so he won’t be attending the party.”
“Ah… I see. Then let him rest well.”
“Alright, have fun playing.” Saying this, Jiang Yu neatly hung up the phone and handed it back to Jiang Qing.
The entire living room plunged into a bizarre silence once more.
Jiang Qing took the phone, his fingertips feeling a bit cold. He knew this was no longer just a matter of not being able to go to the party. His eldest brother stepping up personally to decline for him meant that an “interrogation” was about to commence.
Sure enough, Jiang Yu shoved his hands into his pockets, looking at him with plenty of leisure:
“Now, can you explain? Coming down to ‘drink water’ in the middle of the night, while troubling the Shen family kid to personally call and rush you for an… 11 PM ‘friends gathering’?”
Jiang Qing cursed Shen Zhize a hundred times in his heart.
Calling every day, all you know is to rush me, when have I ever not shown up?
Except for this time.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Qing knew he couldn’t muddle his way through tonight no matter what. He attempted a final struggle:
“It’s just… a normal party.”
“At ‘Cloud Night’?”
Jiang Qing’s pupils contracted slightly, completely unexpected that his older brother even knew the location.
Well, this is great. Forget about caring for Eldest Brother. He better care for himself first.
And so, he lowered his head and began thinking about what fish bait he should hook on tomorrow while pondering the mysteries of life.
Translator’s Note:
- Threshold to marry into the Jiang family: Song Lingchen jokes about a matrilocal marriage (marrying into the wife’s/bottom’s family). Jiang Qing leans into the trope, acting like a strict, snobby father-in-law setting ridiculous hurdles for the suitor.
- Brands: Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, and Dior are ultra-luxury fashion brands. Jiang Yu is calling out Jiang Qing’s “just getting water in pajamas” lie because no one casually lounges around the house at midnight fully styled in tens of thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes!
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