Chapter 17: Or... Should I Let Him Sleep in My Room?

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According to her guess, Chu Nan must be a wealthy young master who never touches a drop of ordinary water. But when she nervously stepped into the living room, she was completely stunned. At that moment, the “benefactor” of the family, whom she had never met before, was actually cooking together with her mother. Huang Jingjing’s brother, Huang Qi, couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Mom, how can you ask Chu little brother to cook?” “It was Chu little brother who said he wanted to make black-bone chicken soup himself!” “Yeah, Huang Qi, I wanted to cook it myself, so you can’t blame your mom.” “Chu little brother, this doesn’t concern you. You should leave. We need to treat you well, not let you cook,” Huang Qi said decisively, gently pushing Chu Nan out, then smiled and added, “Chu Nan, my sister is outside. She’s not bad looking. You can talk with her.” Chu Nan was baffled as he walked out of the kitchen. What was up with Huang Qi? Trying to sell his sister? “Brother… I—I want to help too,” Huang Jingjing suddenly popped out, her face flushing like a little apple as if she had overheard the conversation. She was undeniably pretty—big bright eyes, fair skin, two faint dimples, and a good figure. He felt like he had seen her somewhere before, which left Chu Nan even more confused. He hadn’t met either Zhou Xiaonan or this girl in his past life, but both left a vague impression in his mind. “What help? You’re not needed today. You can’t just leave Chu little brother standing alone, right?” “Brother, I… I don’t know what to talk about,” Huang Jingjing glanced at Chu Nan and quickly lowered her head. She hadn’t met him before, but he had a good aura, nothing like the spoiled rich kid she imagined. In fact, he even volunteered to cook, which made her all the more nervous inside. “The kitchen’s too small for three people. You should go out,” Huang Qi pushed his sister aside without a word, then grinned at Chu Nan. “Don’t worry about my cooking skills, Chu little brother. I’ll have it done in half an hour.” “Don’t make too much. There aren’t many of us.” “No problem. If we can’t finish it, we’ll eat it tomorrow.” With that, Huang Qi locked the kitchen door, leaving no room for Huang Jingjing or Chu Nan to intervene. Huang Jingjing lowered her head, feeling a bit awkward, and glanced at Chu Nan. “Let’s… watch TV, then.” Chu Nan smiled. “Alright.” He noticed the girl was wearing the Qiling High School uniform, though he wasn’t sure if she was in the second or third year. Judging by her youthful face, she was probably his junior. The TV was an old-fashioned CRT model, bulky with a large “brain capacity,” commonly called a big-bottom TV. Fortunately, televisions had moved from black-and-white to color, so watching some programs wasn’t a problem. “Do you like anime?” Huang Jingjing suddenly turned to Chu Nan. “It’s okay.”

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“How about we watch Cardcaptor Sakura?” Huang Jingjing’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Starry Sky TV aired some of her favorite anime every night, especially Cardcaptor Sakura, which she loved most. The magical stories always echoed in her mind, opening up grand adventures. “Sure,” Chu Nan smiled. “That’s childhood nostalgia.” Huang Jingjing was momentarily stunned. She thought Cardcaptor Sakura hadn’t even come out during his childhood. Not to mention Starry Sky TV or Huayu Satellite TV—they didn’t exist yet. But she merely smiled and turned on Starry Sky TV to watch Sakura on time. She hadn’t watched in a long while due to her father’s illness and was determined to enjoy it today. So, Chu Nan sat on the worn sofa while Huang Jingjing perched on a small stool, chatting casually. She found talking with him very comfortable. Strangely, he seemed to predict what would happen next in Sakura’s storyline, which surprised her. “Chu… Chu Nan, can you tell me how you know the upcoming plot?” “Oh… well, I have the manga for this anime, so it’s not strange that I know the story in advance,” Chu Nan scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. Anyone who knew him would recognize that scratching his head meant lying or nervousness. “Oh, I see,” Huang Jingjing’s eyes brightened at this. She glanced at Chu Nan, hesitating to say more but soon redirected her gaze to the screen. Just as Chu Nan was about to relax, Huang Jingjing’s eyes once again fixed on him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” “N-nothing,” Huang Jingjing blushed and turned away. “Actually, I wanted to ask if I could borrow your manga set.” Seeing Chu Nan stay silent, she quickly added, “Sorry, I shouldn’t ask that…” Chu Nan smiled. “Sure, I’ll bring it to you in a while.” “Th-thank you!” Huang Jingjing was happy but dared not show it too openly, lowering her head in bashful gratitude. “You’re welcome. I should be the one thanking you all.” “Don’t say that, Chu Nan. You’re our family’s benefactor. I should be thanking you,” Huang Jingjing quickly said. Chu Nan smiled but said nothing. By August or September, Huang Jingjing probably wouldn’t feel that way anymore, since by then their property would be worth over a million… Honestly, seeing the grateful looks from this family made Chu Nan feel a twinge of guilt. But there was no other way. To earn his first pot of gold and achieve his goals, he had to do this. At worst, he could still give them a house later.

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After eating his fill, Huang Qi suddenly suggested Chu Nan stay overnight. “Yeah, Xiao Chu, it’s late now. Why don’t you stay here tonight?” Aunt Yang beside them was also enthusiastic. “No, no, Auntie, I should go back. I have things to do tomorrow.” “Leave that to me. I know everyone nearby who wants to sell a house. Tonight, you just stay at my place. Is staying in the hospital fun? It’s noisy, and you can’t even sleep well. I’ve been through it myself!” Chu Nan wanted to say he was actually in a VIP ward, the only patient there, but saying that might embarrass them, so he kept silent. “Xiao… Xiao Chu, why are you in the hospital?” Aunt Yang was dumbfounded by this. “Oh, I hurt my leg a while ago and have been staying in the hospital recently.” Huang Jingjing instinctively looked at his leg. He was wearing long pants, which explained why she hadn’t noticed before. “In the hospital? Doesn’t anyone take care of you?” “Two classmates…” “I see. Huang Qi was right. Why don’t you stay at my house and go to the hospital tomorrow? Being alone in the hospital is lonely,” Aunt Yang’s face radiated maternal warmth. She suddenly felt sorry for the child—ill and without family around. No matter how much money he had, it didn’t matter. She was busy but visited her husband at the hospital every day. “Well…” “Enough hesitation. It’s settled. I’ll go prepare the room for you,” Aunt Yang said. “Oh dear, those rooms haven’t been lived in for a long time and are very dusty. Let Chu Nan share a room with me,” Huang Jingjing said. “Your room is so messy and smells sweaty. How could he stay with you?” “Mom, can’t you give me some face? Is it really that bad?” Huang Qi had hoped to use this chance to get on Chu Nan’s good side, but now it seemed lost. “How about… let him sleep in my room?” Just as Chu Nan was about to politely decline again, a soft, timid voice suddenly sounded beside him…