Chapter 65: Checking to See How Many Stars Your Conquest Difficulty Is
Jiang Qing stood there watching, suddenly feeling that this absurd scene before him was more effective than any double-shot espresso. It completely drove away the last of his sleepiness.
Watching the encroaching Lin Amao, he began to ponder a question he asked himself every day:
What should I have for dinner tonight?
Hotpot? Too greasy, and it’s no fun eating alone.
Western food? Forget it, knives and forks are a hassle.
Japanese? Sashimi sounds good, but I don’t know if my usual place has fresh sea urchin today.
Or… should I just order delivery? That Szechuan place’s poached fish seemed okay last time…
Just as his thoughts were drifting toward the serious debate of “whether to add bean sprouts to the poached fish,” Lin Amao finally used its weight and persistence to break through Lin Siwu’s fragile defense, lunging joyfully toward Jiang Qing once more!
Because Lin Siwu suddenly lost his counter-balance and was exhausted, he was yanked toward Jiang Qing by Lin Amao.
In a flash of lightning, Jiang Qing reached out almost by reflex—not to block the dog, but to catch Lin Siwu, who looked like he was about to smash face-first into the floor.
One hand steadily caught Lin Siwu’s arm while the other instinctively wrapped around the boy’s waist to steady him.
At the same time, Lin Amao successfully arrived, “thumping” against Jiang Qing’s shins.
Thus, the scene at the door became:
Jiang Qing was supporting a stunned, red-faced Lin Siwu who was nearly in his arms; one of his legs was being used as a scratching post by a giant Alaskan dog; and he himself was expressionless, his eyes glazed over as he pondered the century’s greatest dilemma: “Whether to add bean sprouts to the poached fish.”
“Qing… Qing-ge…” Lin Siwu’s mind was a complete blank. He couldn’t even speak properly. “I… I’m sorry… I…”
“Huh? What about the bean sprouts?”
“……?”
What bean sprouts?
Lin Siwu was completely bewildered. His body, pressed against Jiang Qing’s, went rigid. All the messy feelings of embarrassment, shock, and heart-throbbing were swept away by the word “bean sprouts.” He looked up blankly at Jiang Qing’s close-up side profile, and then…
His face turned even redder.
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Qing snapped out of it.
… Damn it.
He’d said it out loud.
Jiang Qing quickly released his hold on Lin Siwu and then used his foot to push Lin Amao aside.
“It’s nothing.”
Lin Siwu was still in a state of shock and confusion, letting out a subconscious “oh” as he scrambled to pull Lin Amao back. Because he was distracted, his movements were clumsy, and he nearly got yanked over by the dog again.
Jiang Qing didn’t look at him again, shifting his gaze to Lin Siyu, who had already walked into the living room.
Lin Siyu had clearly seen the chaos at the door. He didn’t have much of an expression, but his eyes flickered slightly, looking as if he found it somewhat amusing, though he quickly masked it. “You’re here? The study is this way.”
“Mm,” Jiang Qing responded and walked straight toward him.
The parents of both families had assigned the two of them to this project. It was both an acknowledgment of their abilities and a tacit “pairing” and test.
The relationship between the families was subtle—both competitive and collaborative. This project involved quite a bit, and letting the younger generation lead was a way to sharpen them. In any case, no matter the result, the elders were there to back them up.
Lin Siyu pushed a more detailed proposal toward Jiang Qing. “This is our preliminary execution plan and market analysis. The key parts have been highlighted. Take a look and see if anything needs adjusting or adding.”
Jiang Qing took the document and scanned it quickly. Once he was focused on work, he automatically blocked out all external distractions.
The two discussed details back and forth, their conversation growing deeper. Lin Siwu sat to the side, completely lost. His major had nothing to do with this, so he could only sit there, watching his brother and Jiang Qing talk.
He admired their professional and capable manner, but also felt a bit of unexplained dejection—it felt like he couldn’t get a word in, like he was a redundant ornament.
He peeked at Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing’s finger traced a line on the document; occasionally, when he looked up to meet Lin Siyu’s gaze, he carried a focus and charm that made it impossible to look away.
Lin Siwu’s heart unhelpfully sped up again.
He felt he was a goner. Even if Qing-ge had just called him a “bean sprout,” even if Qing-ge wasn’t even looking at him now, he still thought Qing-ge was so handsome and so capable.
As Jiang Qing was talking, he felt a chill on his back. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lin Siwu staring at him with those big “Kazilan” eyes, surrounded by suspicious pink bubbles.
??
Jiang Qing felt that if he had transmigrated into some conquest-style game, Lin Siwu’s affection bar would be maxed out, and clicking on any dialogue would unlock a special scene. The character card would probably even be labeled with a one-star conquest difficulty.
[Character Bio: Looks like he has no schemes; actually has no schemes. The silly son of a wealthy family.]
[Summary: You can do any ‘shameful’ things to him. No matter what you do, he’ll shyly agree to it~ hehe.]
But if it were Lin Siyu…
Jiang Qing looked at Lin Siyu.
“Is something wrong?” Seeing Jiang Qing looking over, Lin Siyu asked with some confusion.
“I was checking to see how many stars your conquest difficulty is.”
“……?” The confusion on Lin Siyu’s face froze instantly, his eyes widening slightly.
The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Qing realized what he’d done.
He really felt he hadn’t slept enough today. He’d have to find time to catch up on some sleep.
For a second or two, the study was silent, save for the faint sound of wind and distant noise outside the window.
Lin Siyu clearly heard his own heart suddenly speed up.
Conquest difficulty? How many stars?
Why would Jiang Qing say something like that? Why would he use those words? Did he slip up somewhere? What did he know? Had he seen through something? Had he sensed something from an unconscious movement? Or was this just a wicked tease? Was he treating him, Lin Siyu, as an object that could be evaluated for “conquest value” and “difficulty”? Or had he already become someone on the list to be teased and conquered? But why would he test him like this? And even if that were the case, as long as Jiang Qing was willing to try and conquer him… wait, what on earth was he thinking! This wasn’t a conquest game at all!
Countless thoughts crashed together in his mind, causing his usually steady breathing to falter for a moment.
He had never been “evaluated” in such a direct and flippant way—especially not by Jiang Qing.
Meanwhile, Lin Siwu, who was completely out of the loop, blinked as he watched his brother’s rare moment of dazing and Jiang Qing’s subtle pause.
What?
What did he say?
Why did they suddenly stop talking?
“Ge, what were you guys talking about? Why the sudden silence?”
Lin Siyu: “……”
Jiang Qing: “……”
We were talking about how to send you to another world as a savior, the kind that never comes back.
Translator’s Note: “Kazilan eyes” (卡姿兰大眼睛 – kǎzīlán dà yǎnjīng) is a hilarious Chinese internet meme. It comes from a 2000s makeup commercial for the brand Kazilan, where the actress had massive, sparkly eyes. It’s now used to describe someone staring with big, wide, starry eyes!
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