Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lakeview Gardens.
Just as Fang Ping entered his house, he heard the sound of someone closing the anti-theft gate upstairs.
He closed the door casually before turning to his mother, currently busy in the backyard. “Mum, did Aunt Chen and her family from upstairs move back in?”
“No. Taotao has bought a huge house in Sky Residences, and his child’s recently born. Your Aunt Chen is busy looking after her grandchild. How could she find the time to come back here?” Li Yuying said while she plucked out wilted leaves. “The unit upstairs is rented out. Just today, in fact.”
“Oh.”
Fang Ping did not dwell too much on the matter. He said with a smile, “Mom. We’ll move to a big house too after I’m admitted to a martial arts university.”
Li Yuying replied with a huge smile, “What would we need a big house for after you’re admitted?
This house will be enough for the three of us after you move.”
“This old house is still too small.” Fang Ping shook his head. “Don’t hope for any area development. In my opinion, the area will stay the same even after ten years.”
Every resident in Lakeview Gardens was waiting for development in their area.
They would rather rent their unit out instead of selling it because there were rumors that development was going to start every year.
Under normal circumstances, this area, which had a history of over 30 years and was situated in quite an accessible area, should have been demolished and rebuilt much earlier.
Lakeview Gardens was, strangely, an exception to the rule. It still stood in its ancient glory ten years later, which was something that miffed Fang Ping.
While mother and son were chatting, the sound of a key opening the lock sounded from outside.
Fang Yuan then opened the door and rushed in.
She had rushed to change her shoes immediately after her hasty entrance, almost knocking Fang Ping aside in the process while he too was changing into his slippers.
Fang Ping had not managed to say anything before Fang Yuan called, startled, “Fang Ping, what are you doing? You almost scared me to death!”
Fang Ping turned to stare at his sister. Did she not have a guilty conscience?
It was her that had almost pushed him onto the floor!
And complained about it before he even said anything!
He ignored her antics and changed into his slippers before heading into the living room. Fang Yuan followed suit hurriedly, and she asked him strangely, “Fang Ping, why are you home before me?”
“The school organized a seminar on martial sciences. I came home as soon as it ended.”
“Was it that Wang Jinyang who spoke?”
“How did you even know about this?”
Fang Ping was somewhat surprised. Even junior high students cared about this?
Fang Yuan said in a manner that stated that it was obvious, “Of course I know! The sister of a classmate of mine also studies in No.1 High School. My classmate has asked her sister to get Wang Jinyang’s signature for her, but I don’t know if she succeeded.”
Fang Yuan then asked Fang Ping, “Did you see Wang Jinyang?”
“Duh, of course I’ve seen him; how could I not when I’ve listened to his talk? I did not only see him, but I’ve also escorted him from the station.”
“Really?”
“Of course it’s true.”
Upon hearing his words, Fang Yuan asked, upset, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Fang Ping assumed that she was fangirling after Wang Jinyang. He smushed her lip. “What is there to say? He’s average, definitely not as good looking as your brother.”
“Are you stupid?”
Fang Yuan looked at him with disdain. Her brother really was stupid.
“If you had told me that you’ll be escorting Wang Jinyang, I could have made you bring a notebook to school to ask him to sign it. I can then sell the autographs at school.
“There are lots of people in school who idolize Wang Jinyang. Of course, they aren’t that picky; the only criterion for idolizing is that he’s a martial artist with a certain degree of fame.
“If I sell one autograph for ten bucks, and if he signs hundreds of them, I’ll be rich...”
Fang Ping was astounded. How did she conjure this scheme up?
What was the structure of his sister’s brain like? When others were still thinking of getting his autograph, she was already thinking of selling them.
Fang Yuan was still a little upset at Fang Ping for not telling her in advance. She asked hurriedly, “Has he left? If he hasn’t, how about you ask him for some autographs?
“After I sell them, we... we can split the profits 3:7!”
“Do I get seven-tenths of the profit?”
“You’ll only get the small portion!”
“I say, Fang Yuan, it’s really a waste that you aren’t starting up your own business, what with you tricking your own brother, and not for the first time at that!”
Fang Ping did not know what to feel about that. He then shook his head. “He’s already left. How can I get his autograph now?
“Plus, I can’t possibly lose my dignity over something like this.”
“Tsk!” Fang Yuan muttered, “What’s there to lose? I could’ve paid off a year’s expenses with a few thousand yuan, which includes my school fees, too!”
Fang Ping did not say anything to that. It was only because he had not thought of it. If he had... he would probably have done the same.
It was a pity that he had not thought of it then.
Of course, Wang Jinyang would probably not agree to it even if he did.
As the siblings talked between themselves, Li Yuying asked curiously from the backyard, “Is Wang Jinyang that student who got in a martial arts university last year?”
“Mom, even you know about this?”
Fang Ping was even more surprised. A university freshman had almost become a household name.
Li Yuying smiled. “I went to your school last year and heard your teacher mention it. I think it was this name; I can’t really recall it clearly.”
In recent years, getting into a martial arts university garnered more fame than an admission into Tsinghua or Peking from Fang Ping’s past life.
Wang Jinyang was also the epitome of the underdog, rising to the top from a normal family background and all, so it was nothing strange in the fact that he was more famous than any other, and that families with kids in No.1 High School all knew about him.
When Fang Ping heard that his mother knew Wang Jinyang too, his eyes moved, and he smiled suddenly and said, “Mom, everything’ll be easier if you knew Wang Jinyang too.
“After all, I escorted him today.
“I was preparing to ask Wu Zhihao’s father to purchase some medicine for me, but Wang Jinyang had some already, given to him by his university.
“He told me that he doesn’t need them. I bought one Blood and Qi-replenishing Pill from him after considering the fact that he’s a student in a martial arts university and the pills given to him will work better than those on the market.”
The room fell silent. Fang Yuan looked at him brother doubtfully. Why did his words sound like lies?
Fang Ping did not care. He had mentioned Wu Zhihao because there was no one more reliable at that time.
Wu Zhihao went to No.1 High School too, though, and the cat would be out of the bag when his parents met him and asked him about it.
Wang Jinyang was different, in that he was a martial artist and that he would only return to Sun City a few times each year.
Even if he returns, it was highly unlikely that he and Fang Ping’s parents would meet. They could not possibly learn the truth from him, could they?
Fang Ping gave himself a high-five when he thought of that. Man, he was getting better at covering up his lies.
If he said that Wu Zhihao’s father had bought the pill for him, there were some gaps that he would have to cover up some time during the future. Now everything was perfect!
Fang Ping spoke without waiting for his mother to inquire further into the topic, “Wang Jinyang sold it to me for twenty thousand bucks, seeing that I’m his junior, and I’ve eaten it immediately.
“I’m not gonna lie, the effects are astounding!
“After I swallowed it, Wang Jinyang told me that I won’t have much problem passing the tests.”
“Really?”
Li Yuying froze. Her son had sought out a martial artist for a mysterious pill and proceeded to eat it immediately.
That was fine, since the money was for him to purchase medicine anyway.
The martial artist had said that her son had a chance, though?!
This was not something said by just any person. To Li Yuying, a martial artist’s words were more credible than a ministry official’s.
Li Yuying dared not believe it for a second.
Fang Yuan scrutinized her brother from the side, stroking her chin in a bad imitation of an adult, with a thoughtful expression on her face.
As the person who understood Fang Ping the most since she was little, she felt that she had discovered the biggest secret ever.
Fang Ping was lying!
It was only an instinctive thought, but Fang Yuan was sure that she had not guessed wrong. This guy was definitely lying!
How could everything happen so coincidentally? That a senior martial artist happened to have pills on hand just as Fang Ping needed them, and that he really did sell them to him...
Fang Yuan felt the need to channel her inner Sherlock Holmes and do a thorough investigation of her brother’s recent activities.
While Fang Yuan doubted, Li Yuying did not harbor the slightest doubt toward her son.
She started cooking with more gusto after hearing that a martial artist had said good things about her son.
After Li Yuying went into the kitchen to work, Fang Yuan pulled Fang Ping aside when he wanted to enter his room. She asked fiercely, “Tell me! Are you lying?”
Fang Ping rolled his eyes and said exasperatedly, “Who’s lying to you? You can ask Wang Jinyang yourself if you don’t trust me.
“Plus, you’ll know if I’m lying after the physical assessment a few days later.
“I’m definitely going to pass all the tests this year!
“After a semester, I’ll give you my signatures to sell if you’re short of money!”
“It just doesn’t feel right,” The little girl muttered. As for Fang Ping goading her... Did he think that she was stupid? Where would she go to look for answers?
Although she still felt that her brother was lying, she said, “I don’t care if what you said is true or not. You’re not allowed to commit wrongdoings no matter what!”
Fang Ping could not help but laugh. He reached out to pinch her cheeks again and said mildly, “What kind of wrongdoing can I possibly commit? Relax, and have more confidence in your brother, won’t you.”
“I want you to get admission too, and I always think if I can do so too if you could...”
“Ow!”
The little girl directed an aggrieved glare at Fang Ping before she had even finished her sentence — Fang Ping had put more strength into pinching her cheeks!
Fang Ping kneaded her round face with extra strength. He was as puzzled as his sister; was he really that useless in her eyes?
—
The pair stared at each other for a long time until Fang Mingrong returned home. Only then did Fang Ping rub his eyes and related the entire story to him.
Fang Mingrong did not doubt his son at all, as it was with Li Yuying.
Parents in all corners of the world were like them in that they assumed that their children would not lie to them.
Plus, their son had always been a good student.
Fang Mingrong had never considered the possibility that their son would scam twenty thousand yuan from him one day; it was not a small sum.
When he was told that a martial arts university student was the one who sold the pill to Fang Ping, he thought it more reliable than asking a favor from the father of Fang Ping’s classmate.
He felt a little regret that he did not get to see the pill himself, for his son had eaten it as soon as he got it.
This small regret was quickly forgotten.
During dinner that night, Fang Mingrong had drunk a little more alcohol than usual, indicating his good mood.
If Wang Jinyang said that his son had a chance, that meant that his son really had a chance!
The family basked in happiness for a while. Fang Ping was also highly satisfied with the cover story he had made up. The issue was finally settled!
As long as his parents never met Wang Jinyang, there would not any holes in the story and everything would be perfect...