Chapter Fifty-Eight: Bewildered

Jiang Xiaotian glanced toward the door, and once again found himself at a loss.

"Xiaoqing, why is it you again..." To his surprise, it was his cousin once more, coming to find him late at night.

In the past, Jiang Xiaotian would have been overjoyed, but now he felt nothing, even a touch of irritation.

"Is it a problem that it's me?" Li Xiaoqing frowned, her tone unfriendly.

Jiang Xiaotian no longer tried to laugh it off and apologize as he used to. Instead, he fell silent, lost in thought.

Li Xiaoqing sensed something had changed about him, which left her annoyed, though she said nothing. Instead, as before, she hesitated, uncertain.

Seeing her awkward demeanor, Jiang Xiaotian knew she had something to say. "Is there something you need? If this is about what happened at noon today, I'm sorry. I really didn't know you were there—it wasn't on purpose."

Li Xiaoqing waved her hand, indicating it wasn't that, and then stammered, "How about... for my birthday, you still come? Don't get the wrong idea, I just don't want to see my parents fighting. You don't have to say anything or do anything—just eat, that's all. The rest..."

"Oh, you don't need to say any more. Thank you, but I don't plan on going," Jiang Xiaotian interrupted her.

For a long moment, his cousin was too stunned to react. She could hardly believe her ears.

She vaguely remembered that when they were children, she never wanted to take Jiang Xiaotian along for her birthday, but when she had no choice, seeing the delight of this "parasite" always made her angry.

Now, she had taken the initiative to invite him, and he had turned her down?

"Did I hear you right? Jiang Xiaotian, are you out of your mind?"

But Jiang Xiaotian remained indifferent. "No, I'm just planning to leave tomorrow. I won't be around for your birthday anyway, will I?"

Li Xiaoqing had finally managed to lower her pride, but he gave her no face at all, which infuriated her. "So you think you're something now, Jiang Xiaotian? Just because I said a few words to you at lunch, this is how you act? Do you think that if you leave, my dad will get mad and scold me, just like before? You really never change, do you!"

Jiang Xiaotian could only smile bitterly. He truly hadn't meant it that way, but his cousin always misunderstood him. Just like last time—he really was afraid of making her angry, so he didn't want to go to her birthday, but Li Xiaoqing always assumed he was seeking sympathy. Did she ever consider that, for someone he only saw once a year, there was no reason to do such things?

"You've got me wrong. I just think that if I come, none of you will be happy, so I'm leaving early. And with New Year's being only three days, I used to stay longer just because of your birthday. But this time, since I'm not going, there's no reason for me to stay, right?"

Li Xiaoqing sneered and shook her head. "We haven't seen each other in a year, and you've really grown, haven't you? What's there to say about your little schemes? I already told you, you can come to my birthday this time. You saw for yourself—because of you, my parents fought! I've made a huge concession, even agreed to let you come. What more do you want?"

Jiang Xiaotian couldn't understand why something so simple felt like a gracious favor when it came from her.

In front of her, he always felt like a servant, as if her allowing him to attend her birthday was some great sacrifice.

"You're right—so I'm leaving tomorrow. That way your family will have peace. Is it so terrible that I don't want to go to your birthday?"

Li Xiaoqing had never imagined that the long-suffering Jiang Xiaotian would use this tone with her. Her anger flared, and she pointed at him, yelling, "I'm warning you, show some respect when you talk to me! This is my house! If my dad is willing to take you in, that's his kindness! That doesn't give you any right to act arrogant! I'll only ask you one more time: my birthday—since I'm willing to let you come, are you coming or not?"

"I'm not." Jiang Xiaotian replied without hesitation, his voice cold.

Those two words brought the temperature down to freezing.

They stared at each other. The fire in Li Xiaoqing's eyes seemed ready to burn this ungrateful man to ashes.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too—you must be tired after a full day," he said, then closed the door.

After a brief silence outside, a heavy pounding began. "Jiang Xiaotian, you'll be a loser for life! Who needs you at my party! You penniless wretch!"

Jiang Xiaotian ignored her, settled his mind, and began practicing the Dragon Breath technique, not wanting to argue anymore.

If possible, he wouldn't come back next year either—just return for New Year’s greetings and nothing more.

Truth be told, he didn't even know why he felt this way all of a sudden. Perhaps it was simply a change of heart.

In fact, this was only his second day staying there.

Yet, early the next morning while he was washing up, Li Xiaoqing appeared again, leaning against the wall with a mocking gaze. "Oh? Weren't you leaving? Why are you still here?"

Jiang Xiaotian felt more and more disappointed in her. "Li Xiaoqing, I don't get it. All my life, I've never wronged you. I've always done whatever you said, never talked back or fought back. I used to think it was just because you were young and childish, but now you're grown, and you still go out of your way to make things hard for me. Why?"

"Why? Because you think too highly of yourself! You can't possibly believe you have a choice, can you? Not wanting to take you was for your own good. Seeing all those rich boys—don’t you feel inferior? Watching them spend money like water, and you? You haven't even eaten steak before. Wouldn't you be embarrassed going? Now that I'm willing to take you, what's your attitude? You used to want to be there so badly. What, just because I said a few words to you yesterday, now you're sulking?"

Jiang Xiaotian looked at her, feeling both sad and amused. This girl was hardly acting out of kindness—she was only trying to persuade him for her own sake.

In truth, she was the one who was stubborn, because she knew that if Jiang Xiaotian really left today, Li Zhiyuan would fly into a rage. After all these years, neither his aunt nor Li Xiaoqing had ever treated him well, so they were clearly in the wrong. Otherwise, with Li Xiaoqing’s temper, would she ever bother to plead with him?

But there was no point in saying any more. He simply ignored Li Xiaoqing and went to his room to pack his things.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoqing finally began to panic.

She really didn't want to be scolded.

"What are you doing! Are you serious? A joke should have its limits!" Li Xiaoqing rushed over and grabbed his luggage.

Jiang Xiaotian was at a loss for words. "Xiaoqing, I know you're just afraid of being blamed. I'll explain everything to Uncle. Besides, I have classes at the start of the year, and the New Year's holiday is almost over. Don't worry, no one will blame you."

But Li Xiaoqing still wouldn't let go. "Jiang Xiaotian, let me tell you—this isn't a place you can come and go as you please! Why should you? And don't say I didn't warn you: if you leave today, don't ever come back!"

Even she was stunned by her own words.

Jiang Xiaotian stood there, dumbfounded, finding it hard to believe.

He had expected her to dislike him, but never imagined it ran this deep.

"Alright, I understand. I won't come back anymore," Jiang Xiaotian said, snatching up his luggage and heading out the door.

He didn't say goodbye to his uncle, knowing that if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave.

Li Xiaoqing was still standing there in shock, not having expected herself to say such things. By the time she came to her senses, Jiang Xiaotian was already gone.

"What's so great about you anyway?" she muttered.

But in her heart, she felt a twinge of regret.

The truth was, she hated Jiang Xiaotian mainly because her father had been too good to him, and she resented having to share her father's love.

Now that she was older, she cared about appearances and didn't want others to know she had such a poor cousin.

But Jiang Xiaotian had always gone along with her, never once standing up for himself until today.

That was why, in a fit of anger, she’d said such harsh things—but she would never apologize, nor could she.

Clearly, with Jiang Xiaotian gone, she should have felt pleased. Yet for some reason, her heart was filled with agitation.

As for Jiang Xiaotian, already in a foul mood, he went straight back to the Platinum Hotel, ready to return home.

He called the repair shop, asking them to deliver his car to Beihai when it was ready. At first, they agreed, but soon called back, saying it could only be left in Jiangzhou and he would have to pick it up himself.

Though it sounded odd, he lacked experience, so he could only agree.

After all that, he still had to stay in Jiangzhou and wait...