Chapter 153: The Setup

Jiang Xiaotian was startled at first, but then he quickly came to his senses.

The domain of the Dragon Clan was likely a secluded sanctuary capable of completely isolating external signals, so the interruption of Ling'er's connection with him was completely normal.

No wonder she had given him repeated warnings—she simply had no way to rush over and help.

However, Jiang Xiaotian was not one to actively look for trouble, so there was no need to worry too much. Besides, he was just going home for the New Year, why would he pick a fight with anyone?

Not long after Ling'er left, Qin Lulu called. She wanted Jiang Xiaotian to get ready, reasoning that playing the role of a fake boyfriend meant he couldn't show up empty-handed.

Usually, Jiang Xiaotian's outfits were managed by Ling'er. Now that she was gone, this guy was lounging around in pajamas and sweatpants, completely oblivious to the cold. When Qin Lulu saw this, she almost died of anger! If he went back looking like that, wouldn't she be mercilessly mocked by her cousins?

Without another word, she dragged Jiang Xiaotian straight to the shopping mall, bought him several sets of clothes, and even stipulated which day of the New Year he had to wear each one.

Whenever she came to see Jiang Xiaotian, she always dressed up nicely, and this time was no exception. She still wore her large round-framed glasses, a rabbit-ear headband, paired with over-the-knee socks and a short skirt, looking utterly adorable.

It was just a wonder whether she felt cold in this kind of weather.

Walking down the street, however, her turning rate for second glances was off the charts.

Jiang Xiaotian still viewed her like a younger sister, and upon noticing quite a few men staring fixatedly at her legs, he grew somewhat annoyed and forced her to put on leggings. As a result, damn it, even more people ended up staring.

They spent the entire day shopping before finally assembling a complete wardrobe. Qin Lulu was very sensible, though, and insisted on paying for everything herself. Even though the clothes weren't terribly expensive—after all, unlike the wealthy Ling'er, she was merely a civil servant earning a fixed salary—it was still her own money.

When it was time to head home for the evening, Qin Lulu very consciously found a hotel outside to stay in. Ling'er's absence did not mean she could simply sleep at Jiang Xiaotian's place.

Most importantly, she kept feeling as though someone was faintly watching her from behind, a sensation that was rather unsettling...

"Well, I'm heading up then! I'll come find you tomorrow morning, and don't you dare sleep in. We still need to pick out some gifts, but don't worry, I have money!" Qin Lulu patted her not-so-bountiful chest with supreme confidence.

Jiang Xiaotian chuckled. "Alright, then I'll let you spend a fortune."

Qin Lulu made a funny face at him and happily returned to her room.

As a homebody, she shared a lot of common ground with Jiang Xiaotian, and the two of them always had plenty to talk about, which made her genuinely enjoy hanging out with him.

Moreover, the latter was quite comfortable letting her stay outside by herself. Don't let her appearance fool you; she might be a military doctor, but she was also a martial physician. Though not quite on par with regular martial artists, if she really wanted to be ruthless, ordinary people would be no match for her. Just getting poked a couple of times by her needles would be more than anyone could handle.

After dropping her off, Jiang Xiaotian took a taxi home. His sports car had been sent in for repairs, and even with the help of Yang Feng's family, it would still take a few days before he could pick it up.

Upon entering the house, Jiang Xiaotian called Furukawa Wei out.

She still maintained her timid demeanor, blushing the moment she laid eyes on Jiang Xiaotian. She probably still wasn't used to holding direct eye contact with anyone.

"B-Brother Tian, did you call for me?"

Jiang Xiaotian pulled a bank card from his pocket and said, "Here, this is your payroll card. I'll be depositing money into it regularly from now on. I've advanced fifty thousand to you right now. With the New Year approaching, buy some clothes for yourself and your mother, and then take her out for a nice meal."

Furukawa Wei widened her eyes, staring at the bank card in absolute disbelief. She reached out to take it, but halfway there, she instinctively pulled her hand back.

"Is this... is this really for me?" She fluttered her innocent eyes.

Looking at her heavily patched clothes, Jiang Xiaotian felt a pang of pity and pushed the card directly into her hand. "Just take it, it's yours. I'll give you a day off tomorrow, go spend time with your mother."

Furukawa Wei's face lit up with surprise, but soon she grew somewhat hesitant. "However..."

"Oh come on, enough! I know Sister Ling'er definitely told you to keep an eye on me before she left, forbidding me from casually bringing girls home, right?" Jiang Xiaotian rolled his eyes. If Qin Lulu hadn't noticed, did she really think he wouldn't feel it?

From the very moment that bespectacled girl had appeared, Furukawa Wei had kept her gaze locked on her the entire time like a security camera.

Furukawa Wei blushed, evidently caught red-handed by Jiang Xiaotian. She sheepishly scratched the back of her head and giggled foolishly.

This was her instinctive reaction. In the past, she would have been utterly incapable of smiling. Perhaps because she felt a strong sense of security staying by Jiang Xiaotian's side, she was finally starting to act like a normal person—or rather, like an underage young girl.

"Thank you, Brother Tian!" In her heart, Furukawa Wei had always longed to properly spend time with her mother, but she had never had the opportunity or the money. Yet, Jiang Xiaotian had handed all of this to her.

Overwhelmed, she dropped straight to her knees, preparing to kowtow. This completely panicked Jiang Xiaotian. "What are you doing! This is Huaxia, men have gold under their knees! Around here, we only kneel to the heavens, the earth, and our parents. When in Rome, do as the Romans do—get up quickly!"

Furukawa Wei giggled foolishly once more, then took the initiative to step forward and give Jiang Xiaotian a brief hug before shyly retreating back into the shadows.

"Starting from now until this time the day after tomorrow, you are completely free. Go on, have fun." Jiang Xiaotian called out toward the doorway.

Before long, Furukawa Wei's presence faded into the distance, and he knew that this young girl would finally be able to spend the New Year with her mother.

His divine sword had been taken back by Ling'er, and now the only weapon he had available was an ordinary steel sword, which he had bought simply for practicing the Flash of Thunder. Therefore, he chose not to cultivate that night and instead got a sound, restful sleep.

Early the next morning, he was awakened by the ringing of his phone. Peering through the peephole, it was indeed Qin Lulu.

"Hehe, Brother Tian, hurry up and change your clothes. We're going out to pick gifts, and lunch is on me!" Qin Lulu was exceptionally excited, showing no trace of the reluctance to leave the house typical of a homebody.

Furthermore, she had changed into a completely different outfit today: a pure white midi skirt paired with a beret, making her look extraordinarily cute.

She didn't possess the mature, womanly beauty of Ling'er or Ouyang Ziqian; her charm lay entirely in a pure, unadulterated cuteness that made this style of clothing a perfect fit for her.

Jiang Xiaotian patted her head and went out with her.

Being around her was the only time he felt a true sense of normalcy.

Although Qin Lulu belonged to a prominent family clan as well, she was part of a collateral branch and thus not particularly wealthy. While her salary was in the five-figure range, she saved a vast majority of it, and coupled with her poor math skills, she frequently had to rely on Zhang Guodong for financial rescues.

This time, however, she was truly splurging. First, she wanted to make her grandparents happy, and second, she didn't want to be looked down upon by others—after all, she wasn't the only younger family member returning for the New Year.

The children from the main branch possessed great poise and breeding, but the same couldn't necessarily be said for the collateral branches. In order to gain attention and favor, friction and rivalry were completely normal.

Yet, with Qin Lulu's timid personality, who could she possibly out-argue? She was virtually always the one ending up bullied, which was precisely why dragging Jiang Xiaotian along also served the purpose of self-protection.

The gifts they picked out were fairly ordinary, with the most expensive items only costing tens of thousands. Anything beyond that was something Qin Lulu couldn't bear to buy, not because she couldn't afford it, but because she simply couldn't bear part with the money.

When they grew tired of walking, the two of them would simply stop at a street-side skewered food stall rather than seeking out high-end restaurants. This shared simplicity was one of the main reasons they got along so well.

Staying in Qin Lulu's company gave him the nostalgic feeling of being back in school.

After searching for a long time, she finally settled on a necklace and a jade bracelet. Neither was exorbitant, and combined, they came to just under fifty thousand.

Even so, the moment she paid, Qin Lulu felt a heartache so profound it nearly brought her to tears. But reminding herself that the gifts were for her grandparents helped soothe the pain.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaotian covertly made a phone call to Brother Long, asking him to prepare some appropriate gifts for elderly people and have someone deliver them when the time came.

Brother Long readily agreed without any hesitation and even proactively inquired about the desired price range.

Just something standard would do; Jiang Xiaotian didn't require anything overly extravagant.

Naturally, he kept this under wraps from Qin Lulu, knowing full well that the girl would fret endlessly if she found out.

"Ahhhh! Fifty thousand! That's enough to cover my living expenses for a whole year! It drives me crazy! If my cousins didn't always target and pick on me, I wouldn't have had to buy things this expensive!" Qin Lulu grumbled discontentedly, a wave of grievance washing over her at the mere thought of past encounters.
"What's wrong? Do you not get along with your family?" Jiang Xiaotian asked out of curiosity.

Qin Lulu awkwardly shook her head. "Ah, it's not really like that. It's just that they all love showing off and trying to outshine each other. I couldn't care less about those things, but seeing how easygoing I am, they always end up making me the butt of their jokes..."

It was true; she had a good temper, lacked any talent for arguing, and could only harbor silent frustration whenever she was bullied.

Of course, her natural laziness played a part too...

"Don't worry, with me around, no one will bully you." Jiang Xiaotian smiled.

"Hehe, I've been waiting for you to say that!" Qin Lulu beamed with joy, grabbing his hand and swinging it back and forth.

Jiang Xiaotian's heart sank slightly. Why did he suddenly feel like he had just been played?