Chapter 116: Refusing to Share Toys

Jiang Linyuan watched the two of them embracing and listened to their conversation, and suddenly understood the lines Shen Wanyu had repeated several times on Purple Mountain.

Disgusting.

Had she seen it from the start?

He suddenly felt a pang of pity for the Department Head. Reading that kind of dung every day must be so painful for her.

Well, at least my heart reads to the Department Head for her, letting her relax a bit.

"When will you get some self-awareness?"

Shen Wanyu walked slowly over from the roadside, wearing only a gray turtleneck sweater. She glanced at the soaked Jiang Linyuan and handed him a black coat.

"Wrap this around you. You're so ugly you're hurting my eyes."

Jiang Linyuan grinned and countered,

Shen Wanyu said calmly,

"Of course. We're friends, that's normal, right?"

"Just like you would doubt Bai Yi's words but not doubt me, you trust me, I care about you. It's an equal exchange."

Hearing that, Jiang Linyuan didn't act coy. He took the coat and put it on.

"Department Head, I don't just want to be friends with you."

"I didn't notice that."

Shen Wanyu withdrew her gaze, looking toward the two in the crowd, and said,

"You don't have to return the clothes. Even uncivilized savages know to use leaves for decency. Deputy Minister Jiang isn't worse than a savage, is he?"

"Alright, then thank you for the token of affection, Department Head."

Jiang Linyuan replied with a smile.

Zhang Juntang watched their interaction, blinked, and secretly pocketed the shirt she'd used to wipe Jiang Linyuan's hair, hiding it behind her back.

I have one too.

While the two of them talked, sirens suddenly wailed nearby as another group of rescue workers arrived.

"What are you all crowding around for? Make way!"

A clear, loud voice called. Jiang Linyuan looked over.

It was the Vice Principal. He frowned, followed by a line of people in uniforms.

With his arrival, the uniformed people began to disperse the crowd and set up a perimeter.

"Everything's fine now, you can leave."

"Move back! Move back!"

"Make a way, please cooperate."

Those wanting to watch the spectacle or who cared about what happened next ended up helplessly stuck outside the line, unable to see clearly what was going on inside.

A doctor ran over to check Zhang Xiaoxiao's condition.

Jiang Linyuan, Shen Wanyu, and Zhang Juntang stayed behind.

The Vice Principal looked at the woman’s coat draped over the soaking Jiang Linyuan and frowned,

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Jiang Linyuan said.

"Doing the right thing is good, but next time if you encounter something like this, you should think more about yourself..."

The Vice Principal was about to lecture, but then realized Jiang Linyuan was cunning as hell; there were probably other reasons for this incident.

Besides, his daughter had mysteriously called him and told him to hurry and control the scene, which left him feeling slightly upset.

He looked at Jiang Linyuan and finally just sighed,

"Take some cold medicine tonight, don't run a fever tomorrow."

Ugh, such cheesy concern.

Why did the Vice Principal both dislike me and worry about me?

Maybe Xiao Su can't get married and wants to recruit me as her boyfriend.

Jiang Linyuan tightened Shen Wanyu's coat around himself. Department Head protects me.

After looking at Jiang Linyuan, the Vice Principal walked toward Zhang Xiaoxiao.

"How is she?"

"She's okay. She had regained consciousness. The rescue was timely. We'll keep observing her."

The examining doctor nodded.

Only then did the Vice Principal relax; at least it didn't look too serious for now.

"Vice Principal, I have a few words I want to say to her. Could you give me a moment?"

Jiang Linyuan stepped forward and asked.

The Vice Principal frowned. Not even with my daughter yet and already flirting—zero points.

"Go ahead."

The Vice Principal thought to himself, planning to secretly listen to what Jiang Linyuan would say to that girl.

Then he'd casually mention it to his little cotton jacket and big cotton quilt at home, so their impressions of Jiang Linyuan would plummet.

"Slap!"

What was that noise?

The Vice Principal turned and froze.

Jiang Linyuan stood in front of Zhang Xiaoxiao and, without saying a word, slapped her.

The uniformed people around were stunned. Some younger ones wanted to say something, but the more experienced beside them held them back.

Zhang Xiaoxiao froze too. Seeing Jiang Linyuan, who was just as drenched as she was, she realized it had been him who jumped in to save her.

No, did he really save me?

Zhang Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhang Juntang, who was peeking over secretly, and suddenly understood.

Then she laughed:

"After slapping me, do you feel happy?"

Her black eyes locked onto Jiang Linyuan, warped with emotion.

"After you saved me, do you feel happiness? Do you get a sense of dominion?"

"After becoming the savior, do you feel proud?"

"Do you want me to beg? Do you want me to kneel in gratitude? Or do you want me to repay you with a more licentious, more humiliating posture?"

Zhang Xiaoxiao spoke, chin tilted slightly upward, eyes half-closed, sounding airy and dreamlike, as if she might float into the sky.

Jiang Linyuan shook his head and slapped her again.

He hit hard. Blood split the corner of Zhang Xiaoxiao's mouth, staining her pale lips.

But she suddenly began to laugh, loudly and recklessly.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?"

Bai Yi beside her froze for a second, then immediately stepped in front of Zhang Xiaoxiao, her tear-red eyes fixed on Jiang Linyuan.

"If you want to hit Xiaoxiao, hit me…"

"Smack!"

An unbearably heavy slap—Bai Yi fell to the ground instantly, a blazing red handprint across her face, utterly humiliated.

Jiang Linyuan was always measured in his force. He had held back somewhat since Zhang Xiaoxiao had just come out of the water.

But he didn't hold back at all with Bai Yi.

He had been annoyed with the two idiots for a while.

With Bai Yi no longer blocking him, Jiang Linyuan stepped up to the laughing Zhang Xiaoxiao.

A punch landed on her stomach. The laughing woman convulsed with coughing as if she might vomit her innards out.

"Idiots."

Jiang Linyuan didn't say more—one punch after another followed.

Zhang Xiaoxiao gradually lost coherent consciousness, but the pain kept reminding her that she was still alive.

"Cough, cough, cough, that's enough."

The Vice Principal walked over and looked at Jiang Linyuan, reminding him.

He didn't know Zhang Xiaoxiao but felt little sympathy for her.

"Vice Principal, I helped force the lake water out of her."

Jiang Linyuan said with a smile as he withdrew his hands.

He didn't look at Zhang Xiaoxiao again and turned to leave.

"Hahahaha..."

A weak laugh came from behind. Zhang Xiaoxiao lay on the ground, staring up at the dark sky.

"I refuse to be saved, I refuse!"

I'm unworthy! I'm unworthy!

She shouted like that, hair disheveled, laughing like a madwoman.

[Host has been emotionally toyed with by a bad woman; target: Zhang Xiaoxiao; bad woman quality: B; B-tier reward pool exchange card has been issued.]

?

Jiang Linyuan's steps stopped.

He felt instantly powerless, like when a girl tells you she sees you in everything but actually means she has dermatitis.

Am I fucking shit?

System! What the hell is your judgment standard?

Earlier with Crazy Little she flashed and flashed—broken, right!

"What a rare sight, you actually show that expression too, Deputy Minister Jiang."

Shen Wanyu bowed her head, cupped her hands and breathed into them, fog rising, then glanced sideways at Jiang Linyuan.

"Department Head, don't you read minds? If you're cold, read my mind and you'll be warmed."

Jiang Linyuan looked at her reddened fingers and said.

Shen Wanyu lowered her hands, tugged her sweater sleeve to cover them, and turned to him:

"It looks like when you jumped into the water, your brain got some water in it too. Go get timely treatment. It's so cold—if the water freezes, that won't be good."

"How mean."

"You didn't save me, why can't I say that?"

"Is the Department Head jealous?"

"I'm not Su Muzhi, I don't have that strange toy-possessive streak."

Shen Wanyu turned her head to Jiang Linyuan and suddenly smiled:

"She's really someone who cherishes her toys. Anyone who damages her toys, even with a bit of dirt, won't end well."

"Xiao Su is disgusting. Does she really share toys with others? Isn't it usually kept hidden to be played with alone?"

"…Shut up."