Chapter 159: Sunless Day, Surging Rivers

Jiang Linyuan was genuinely feeling miserable.

The Thief Saint had left him all worked up without any resolution, and he'd barely calmed down when Haji Yao came to stir things up again.

She'd poke at him, then pull the covers over her head and play dead.

They gave him the Great Expansion Scroll but wouldn't let him use it on the takeout delivery, right?

Maybe he should sneak off to find the Thief Saint?

No, no, Haji Yao was right beside him. If he stayed away too long, she'd definitely get angry.

The kind that was really hard to appease.

It wasn't like he could ask Haji Yao to help him out.

Hmm...

Jiang Linyuan asked.

After a long pause, Jiang Zhiyao's voice finally came through slowly:

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I'm having trouble falling asleep."

"If you can't sleep, count sheep. I'm tired and don't want to chat with you."

Jiang Linyuan thought Jiang Zhiyao made a good point, so he started counting silently in his mind.

A-sheep, B-sheep, C-sheep...

Wait, if I fired a gun, I'd only kill one sheep.

A-sheep didn't die, C-sheep didn't die, so...

Damn! Now I'm even more awake!

"Jiang Zhiyao, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Not allowed!"

Jiang Zhiyao's hand reached out from under the covers and grabbed Jiang Linyuan's wrist.

"I can tell you just want to go find Yu Songsong!"

"I really do need to go to the bathroom," Jiang Linyuan said.

"I'll watch you go to the bathroom."

Jiang Zhiyao turned her head, her expression dead serious.

Jiang Linyuan was silent for a moment, then said:

"I actually have sleepwalking issues. When I have... certain dreams, my hands move unconsciously."

The air went still for a beat.

Jiang Zhiyao's face instantly flushed crimson, as if she'd been scalded. She yanked her hand away, not daring to look at him, her voice barely a whisper:

"You... you have that much energy?"

If it weren't for you and the Thief Saint, I probably wouldn't be sleepwalking tonight.

Jiang Linyuan asked:

"Are you still going to follow me?"

How could she follow him there?! What kind of question was that?! Mom and Dad were right next door!

They'd only just kissed... wasn't this progressing way too fast?

Jiang Zhiyao's heart was pounding like crazy. After a long moment, she finally managed:

"I'll... I'll keep watch for you."

Holy crap!

Jiang Linyuan didn't know what to say anymore.

The two of them went to the bathroom.

Nothing else happened that night.

As the poem goes: Cloud dragons soar, rivers surge; Sages rise anew, shaking the world!

[Refreshed and Renewed] activated!

The next day.

Jiang Zhiyao was woken by her alarm. She rubbed her eyes and fumbled for her phone on the nightstand.

"I turned it off for you. Get some more sleep," Jiang Linyuan said.

"Mmm..."

She was still half-asleep. Hearing that familiar voice, she mumbled a sleepy response.

Huh?

"You're up this early?"

Jiang Zhiyao realized something was off and looked at Jiang Linyuan sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It's the first day of the New Year," Jiang Linyuan said.

"You're really full of energy."

Jiang Zhiyao stammered, remembering what happened in the night. She tugged the covers up to hide her reddening face, leaving only her pretty eyes exposed.

Shouldn't he be more drained after going to the Daoist temple, especially spending so much time there at night?

Jiang Linyuan ignored Haji Yao and left the room.

As soon as he stepped out, Yu Songsong, who had been bustling around by the dining table, came running over. She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Father Jiang and Mother Jiang sitting nearby.

She leaned in close to Jiang Linyuan's ear and whispered:

"Did your sister sleep in Senior's room last night?"

Your sister-in-law is old enough now, she should know better than to do things like that.

If it weren't for her, I would've been able to...

"She's lying down in there, catching up on sleep," Jiang Linyuan said, sitting down at the table and scanning the steaming dumplings on it. "Don't worry about her. Let's eat first."

"Senior, your sister is already so grown up. This isn't really appropriate, is it?"

Yu Songsong sounded a bit jealous.

"Separate blankets. It was mainly to stop you from sneaking over again tonight," Jiang Linyuan said.

That made Yu Songsong blush a little, but she couldn't help smiling. Her sister-in-law was so clueless.

It's easy to be a thief for a thousand days, but impossible to guard against one every day.

She'd just have to slowly make her sister-in-law accept her.

Father Jiang and Mother Jiang watched the two of them whispering and didn't know what to say anymore.

Father Jiang thought to himself, if anything happened, when the girl caused a scene at their door, he'd cut ties with the boy and say he wasn't his son.

Mother Jiang, on the other hand, felt both anger and bitterness. Her own daughter, her own future daughter-in-law... this was supposed to be a happy family reunion.

How... how did it come to this?

"By the way, when is that friend of yours with the surname Su coming?"

Father Jiang picked up a dumpling and asked casually.

A friend with the surname Su?

Yu Songsong was startled, then looked at Jiang Linyuan:

"Su Muzhi?"

He nodded.

"Senior, did she insist on coming, or did you invite her?"

Yu Songsong was getting a bit angry. She hooked her toes and rubbed them against Jiang Linyuan's calf.

Actually, she didn't even need to ask. If he hadn't given his silent approval, no matter how willful Su Muzhi was, Senior would have found a way to keep her out.

"Half and half," Jiang Linyuan said.

Compared to the Thief Saint, Xiao Su was prouder.

If she wanted to come to his house, she would confidently inform him, boldly barging into his life.

The Thief Saint, on the other hand, would come quietly, thinking it was enough just to share a meal with him.

Jiang Linyuan liked them both.

As friends.

Yu Songsong pouted, then glanced at Jiang Linyuan's room.

It was fine. When the time came, her sister-in-law would stand by her side and fight together!

During the dumpling meal, the vinegar dish didn't have much vinegar in it, but the jealousy in the air was thick.

After they finished eating, Jiang Zhiyao still didn't dare to come out. If Mom and Dad saw her, it would be bad.

Some things still needed to be kept hidden. She couldn't be that blatant about it.

Jiang Linyuan and Father Jiang went out to the yard to shovel snow, while Yu Songsong and Mother Jiang cleaned up the dishes.

By the time they were done, Jiang Zhiyao was peeking left and right as she darted out of Jiang Linyuan's room.

Sneaking around in her own house like she was a thief or something... it was way too weird!

At lunch, Mother Jiang sat in the yard to soak up the sun.

This weather was so strange. Yesterday, it was still snowing heavily, and now in the afternoon, the sun was out.

She lay back in a lounge chair, thoroughly enjoying herself, when she saw an expensive-looking black sedan pull up in front of their door.

A smiling girl stepped out from the back seat, walked over to her, and greeted her cheerfully:

"Hello, Auntie. I'm Su Muzhi, Jiang Linyuan's good friend. Sorry to intrude during the New Year. I brought you some gifts."

As she spoke, the female driver got out and started hauling large and small bags from the trunk.

"Hello, hello. Please, come in and sit down."

Mother Jiang had known a girl would be coming to their house today, so she shouldn't have been surprised, but when she saw Su Muzhi, she couldn't help but marvel.

What a refined, elegant girl.

Su Muzhi gave a faint smile:

"Is Jiang Linyuan not home? I really want to see him."

"You're here already?"

Jiang Linyuan heard the commotion and ran out of the house. He looked at Su Muzhi:

"Didn't you just say you still had half an hour to go?"

Seeing him, her eyebrows lifted. She took a couple of quick steps over to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, tilted her chin up slightly, and gently bit his ear, laughing softly:

"And you actually believed what I said?"

With that, she pushed Jiang Linyuan away and turned to look at the stunned Mother Jiang, putting on an embarrassed expression:

"Auntie, I'm so sorry. I just really wanted to see Jiang Linyuan."

She shot a sidelong glance at Jiang Linyuan, winking, her face full of smugness.

What are you so smug about? Your ears are bright red. What's there to be proud of?

Jiang Linyuan pinched Xiao Su's earlobe.

She twisted her head around and glared at him.

"What's all that noise outside?"

Jiang Zhiyao also came running out of the house, poking her head out to look at Su Muzhi.

When Su Muzhi saw her, her smile grew even brighter:

"Happy New Year, Sister Zhiyao."

Jiang Zhiyao shot her a vicious glare:

"Happy New Year."

If you hadn't come, I'd be even happier.

"Is that a guest?"

Another voice came from inside the house as Yu Songsong walked out.

When she saw her, Su Muzhi was momentarily stunned. The smile gradually faded from her face.

She turned to Jiang Linyuan and breathed into his ear:

"I didn't expect Jiang-classmate to have prepared such a 'surprise' for me."

Hehe. This was really infuriating.

First Shen Wanyu, and now Yu Songsong...

"Then I'll try to prepare even more surprises for you in the future."

Su Muzhi didn't want to hear him talk anymore. She leaned in.

*Chomp.*

Her lip got bitten!

This Xiao Su!