Chapter 251 - 97: Jie Jingchen, You’ve Worked Hard
"Auntie, I want more," Jie You said to Aunt Zhang, having already devoured one chicken drumstick.
"Xiao You, no more," Aunt Zhang told Jie You. "We had an agreement—only one drumstick. Go back to your room with your mom and do your homework. When everyone gets home from work and it’s time for dinner, you can eat your fill."
"I don’t want to! I don’t want to do homework! I want a chicken drumstick!" Jie You protested.
"No. Homework first," Aunt Zhang said, her tone firm.
Jie You was about to throw a tantrum, but Xu Chunyan grabbed her and forcibly dragged her out of the kitchen. "Go to your room and do your homework."
"I won’t... WAHHH... I want a chicken drumstick!" Jie You wailed.
Xu Chunyan was fuming. It was rare for her to be so firm with Jie You, but she was seething with resentment. ’She won’t even let Xiao You have one more drumstick? It’s not like Aunt Zhang paid for them—Qiao Yanqiu gave us the money! Aunt Zhang is just the Jie Family’s housekeeper, lording it over everyone just because she’s Jing Er and Jing San’s maternal aunt.’
’She’s already this stingy when she’s not even in charge. If she really took over, we’d be lucky to see a single chicken feather, let alone a drumstick.’ Xu Chunyan wasn’t one to think about the big picture; she had to protect her immediate interests.
When Jie Jingchen got home from work, Qin Mei was just coming out of her room and locking the door. She stretched lazily, and upon seeing Jie Jingchen, her eyes crinkled into a smile. She immediately went over to help him with his bicycle. "Jie Jingchen, you must be tired from work."
Jie Jingchen froze, watching Qin Mei push his bicycle for him. ’An unsolicited courtesy is a sign of ill intent,’ he thought.
He studied her with a probing gaze. Only after Qin Mei had parked the bicycle did Jie Jingchen speak. "Alright, what is it?"
Qin Mei rubbed her nose and chuckled, not beating around the bush. "Heh heh, Jie Jingchen, I haven’t been to the black market in a long time."
Jie Jingchen stuck one hand in his pocket. "And?"
"Take me to the black market tonight," Qin Mei said in a rush, as if afraid he’d refuse. She added anxiously, "I’m out of the medicinal herbs I need. I have to go to the black market to buy more."
"Buying" was an understatement; "stocking up" was more like it, given the sheer quantity she purchased.
"Okay." Jie Jingchen didn’t refuse. Qin Mei almost always went to the black market to buy medicinal herbs. The first time was the only exception, of course. Mom had taken Qin Mei to the black market for the first time, and she’d bought a huge pile of potatoes, gotten caught, and caused a big stir for Third Brother.
Seeing Jie Jingchen agree so readily, Qin Mei got excited and stood on her tiptoes to give his devilishly handsome face a quick peck. As she turned to leave, Jie Jingchen, quick as a flash, wrapped an arm around her waist. Before Qin Mei could react, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
"Whoa!" Jie Jinghun exclaimed, having just stepped over the threshold to witness the scene.
Qin Mei reacted instantly, shoving Jie Jingchen away and running back to her room with her face in her hands. Caught off guard, Jie Jingchen stumbled back a few steps.
Jie Jinghun, who was standing behind him, reached out to steady him. His dark eyes, glinting with amusement, fixed on Jie Jingchen with a meaningful look. "Take it easy," he teased. "Your back injury just healed."
Jie Jingchen’s lips thinned into a line, his bewitching face full of annoyance. "Nosy," he said through gritted teeth.
The corner of Jie Jinghun’s mouth twitched. "This is the courtyard," he reminded him. "If you two want to get intimate, do it in your room."
Jie Jingchen ignored him and strode back to his room. From behind him came Jie Jinghun’s teasing voice again, "He’s really going back to get intimate."
Suddenly, Jie Jingchen stopped in his tracks. He turned to fix Jie Jinghun with a cold stare, and upon seeing Shen Qing step over the threshold, his lips curled into a wicked smile. "I heard Sister Xingnan is pregnant."
At those words, the color drained from Jie Jinghun’s face. He sensed familiar trouble brewing and inwardly cursed. ’Jing Si is a menace.’ "What does her pregnancy have to do with me?"
The smile on Jie Jingchen’s lips grew even more devilish. "Theoretically, nothing," he said. "Emotionally, however..."
"Nonsense!" Jie Jinghun’s survival instinct kicked into high gear, and he cut Jie Jingchen off. "What emotions? There haven’t been any feelings between her and me for a long time! Honey, you have to believe me. You’re the one I love now. Jing Si is just being cruel, trying to cause trouble between us. He’s not a good person!"
Inside, Qin Mei also thought Jie Jingchen was being too cruel. He was clearly trying to stir up trouble in their marriage.
Jie Jingchen, feeling not the least bit malicious, turned and went back to his room, looking both suave and smug.
Shen Qing parked her bicycle, her gaze as icy as ever. Her lovely red lips parted. "Wen Xingnan is pregnant?"
"I don’t know. It has nothing to do with me, so there’s no reason for me to know," Jie Jinghun said, walking toward Shen Qing. He habitually reached out to put his arm around her waist, but when he met her rejecting gaze, he didn’t dare move any closer, his hand freezing in mid-air.
Jie Jinghun seemed to see through to the emotions hidden in Shen Qing’s eyes. A complex, bitter look flashed in his own before he pressed his lips together, saying nothing more.