Pushing open the door to her home, Jiangg Ning quickly bent down to take off her high heels and slip into a pair of soft, comfortable plush slippers. Only then did she feel her feet finally being set free.
Wearing high heels was sheer torture, but there was nothing to be done about it.
They were elegant and beautiful, and beautiful things held a fatal allure for women.
Jiangg Ning put her bag away in the walk-in closet. She planned to change her outfit before going out later tonight, so she might as well just cook in what she was wearing and toss it in the laundry afterward.
She was starting to wonder why Jiangg Yao hadn’t heard her come in and run out to cling to her as usual.
So, she took a look around the master bedroom before finally stopping at the door to the spare bedroom.
A pleasant, beautiful singing voice drifted from inside the room, interwoven with soothing piano notes. It was so gentle that one couldn’t help but stop and listen, getting lost in the melody within seconds.
When it came to singing, Jiangg Ning admitted she and her sister were worlds apart.
’This must be the difference in natural talent.’
Since she was little, Jiangg Yao had excelled in this area and was quite proud of it. But her pride didn’t last long, as Jiangg Ruxue soon discovered her talent and hired a slew of tutors to teach her. The lessons ran from morning to night, which was absolute torture for Jiangg Yao.
She even had the idea of sending her into the entertainment industry.
Fortunately, the entertainment industry mogul they knew at the time went to prison for personal reasons. Without connections, there was no telling how much unfair treatment she would have had to endure, with no guarantee of ever making it big.
So, Jiangg Ruxue had to give up on the idea.
Now, the suffering of her childhood had given Jiangg Yao a valuable skill, and she had gained a large fanbase by developing her livestreaming career.
Outside the door, Jiangg Ning was a bit confused. Her sister had started her stream when she left, so why wasn’t it over yet?
Her sister had never been this hardworking and serious before.
’Did her fans finally nag her into submission today? A sudden change of heart?’
Jiangg Ning knocked lightly on the door and walked in. Jiangg Yao turned her head and glanced at her.
"Alright, I’ve been singing for you all afternoon, and my throat is getting a little sore. That’s all for today, but don’t worry, I’ll be back tonight! See you then!"
As Jiangg Yao spoke, she made a heart shape with her hands toward the camera.
On the screen, the VTuber... uh, the virtual avatar, made a corresponding cute gesture.
The screen immediately filled with flower emojis in the live comments, scrolling by too fast for the eye to follow.
It was a clear testament to how popular Jiangg Yao was.
...
「The stream ended.」
Jiangg Yao let out a huge sigh of relief. She stood up, stretched her back, and GULP GULP GULPED down several big mouthfuls of water.
"I’m exhausted..."
"You’re streaming again tonight? You’re working so hard. You used to stream for two hours and then take three days off," Jiangg Ning asked in surprise as she helped her take off the motion capture equipment.
"That was just for fun before. Now, I’m going to treat livestreaming as a career, so of course it’s different," Jiangg Yao said, planting a kiss on Jiangg Ning’s cheek without warning. She put her hands on her hips and added proudly, "Aren’t I working hard? You’re shocked, aren’t you?"
Seeing her so motivated, Jiangg Ning felt a sense of motherly pride.
’She’s finally grown up and become sensible!’
However, she didn’t know what Jiangg Yao was really thinking.
The reason Jiangg Yao was so determined to stream was that she planned to earn more money. She wanted to bear the responsibilities of being a "girlfriend" so that one day, perhaps, even if no one supported them, she and Chen Yuan could run away together.
They would build a life for just the two of them.
Her income from streaming was the source of her confidence, even though it was insignificant compared to the money Jiangg Ruxue deposited into her bank account every month.
But the money her fans were dropping was still quite substantial. If she saved up for a few years, she could support Chen Yuan.
Jiangg Yao didn’t want to place the entire burden on Chen Yuan. The future belonged to both of them, and she had her part to play!
People in love work hard together. The studious Chen Yuan was doing his part, and so was Jiangg Yao.
"Alright, I’ll make you something to eat right away then."
"Huh?" Jiangg Yao asked, confused. "Aren’t you eating at home tonight?"
"That’s right. Ms. Qin is treating, so I have to go to Cyan Mist Villa. I probably won’t be back until very late."
As she spoke, Jiangg Ning opened the refrigerator and took out a plate of peeled lotus seeds. She peeled back the plastic wrap and sniffed them. "I’ll make some congee, and we can order a roast duck from the shop."
"Okay!"
"If you can’t finish it, remember to put it in the fridge. Don’t just leave it on the table and let the smell fill the whole living room."
"I know, you don’t have to tell me that. I’m not a three-year-old."
Jiangg Yao puffed out her cheeks, seemingly very displeased with her sister’s overly detailed instructions. She turned around and went straight back to the spare bedroom to check her streaming revenue data from the afternoon.
The lotus seeds had already been soaked once that morning before she left. Jiangg Ning was meticulous about planning their healthy daily meals, which was also the reason she was able to maintain such a great figure.
Just as she tied on her apron, her gaze drifted involuntarily toward Jiangg Yao’s retreating back.
’Just how am I supposed to bring this up?’
’Won’t Jiangg Yao find the question weird... she might even laugh at me.’
Jiangg Ning turned on the faucet to wash the ingredients, lost in thought.
「Forty-five minutes later.」
Two bowls of fragrant lily and lotus seed congee were placed on the coffee table. Jiangg Ning placed the utensils in her bowl, scooped up a small spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and put it in her mouth.
Soft but not mushy, bitter but not astringent, and the fragrance of the lily was delightful.
’Perfect.’
Jiangg Ning let down her tied-up hair, smoothed it back, and called out gently to Jiangg Yao to come and eat.
"Coming, coming."
Jiangg Yao came scampering over, kicked off her slippers, and flopped onto the sofa, turning her head back around.
The sofa sank abruptly, and Jiangg Ning slapped her on the butt.
"Hiss... Ouch!"
"Can’t you be a little more graceful? What kind of look is that, sticking your butt up in the air!"