Chapter 1273: Chapter 737: Scheming, Pitiful Jiang Xiaosi Begs for Shelter Tonight (Part 2)

"What?" Si Qingxiao was taken aback.

"A relative is visiting the Tang Family, I didn’t go back last night, so they arranged my room for someone else," Jiang Chengsi lied without missing a beat, "the call just now was from Xiaowu."

"He told me to find my own accommodations, given they came from afar and it’s not easy, probably thought I’m easy-going and easy to talk to, so they picked on me."

"If it’s inconvenient at your place, I can just find a hotel tonight."

Jiang Chengsi feared she wouldn’t believe him, so he deliberately took out his phone and showed her the recent call log.

A few minutes ago, Jiang Jinsang indeed called him.

"Really?" Si Qingxiao was half-believing, half-doubting, as the Tang Family’s courtyard was a three-part structure with no lack of rooms. How many relatives would it take to fill all of them?

"What? You think I’m lying to you?" Jiang Chengsi smiled, "You decide what you want to eat first, I’ll check if there’s a hotel near your place, send you home, and I’ll stay outside."

Back in school, Jiang Chengsi had faked exam results and even forged his parent’s signature to fool teachers. Pretty much any mischief a student could think of, he had done.

As for lying, it was something he had cultivated since childhood with a thick skin.

His eyes were sincere and serious, and most importantly, he never said he wanted to stay at Si Qingxiao’s place, even opening an app to start looking for hotels.

His words seemed to challenge Si Qingxiao.

If he had never stayed at her place, that would be one thing. However, he had already spent last night there, and with no one else at her house today, it would be unreasonable and pretentious not to let him stay.

"Um, Fourth Brother, don’t bother with a hotel, just stay at my place tonight."

"Is it convenient?" Jiang Chengsi’s face remained calm, but he was overjoyed inside.

His girlfriend still had a soft heart.

"You stayed over last night, what’s inconvenient about it? But I don’t have any of your clothes to change into at my place." Her father’s clothes would definitely not fit Jiang Chengsi.

Si Qingxiao was also relatively picky about some things, especially clothes. Seeing him in ill-fitting clothes made her feel awkward.

"Since it’s still early and we’re not in a rush for dinner, let’s go to a nearby mall to pick out a few outfits. I haven’t bought new clothes in a long time, you help me choose a few sets."

Jiang Chengsi, fearing she might back out, quickly took her hand and walked forward.

**

Tang Family’s Old House

In the evening, the sky was painted with afterglow, the wind was cool, water fresh. Old Tang reclined on the rocking chair in the courtyard, while Jiang Xiaowai sat on his lap, babbling with Huamei.

Huamei seemed tired, its voice hoarse, shook its wings, and started preening itself with its beak. Yet Xiaowai’s neck stubbornly continued to provoke it.

The huamei bird turned around, ignoring him.

"Grandpa." When Jiang Jinsang finished the call, he picked up his son from Old Tang’s arms. Xiaowai, who usually loved him, waved his arms and laughed, "Fourth Brother won’t be back for dinner tonight."

"Will he come back to sleep tonight?"

"He won’t be coming back either."

"Are you sure he won’t get into trouble? Your grandma called me and asked me to keep a close eye on him." Old Tang picked up a bird-teasing stick and teased Huamei again, "He seems so gloomy lately, maybe he finds it too boring here at my place."

Jiang Chengsi, usually so carefree, hadn’t been riding his scooter for the past two days, seemed absent-minded. Everyone could see he had something on his mind.

Old Tang assumed there wasn’t enough entertainment at his place, which bored him.

"No, it’s just work-related." Jiang Jinsang couldn’t possibly tell the old man that Chengsi was sulking because he had driven out his girlfriend’s uncle.

"I was worried he might have gotten into some kind of trouble. If something happened at our place, how could I face your grandma?"

"Not at all." Jiang Jinsang just smiled.

"Xixi’s engagement banquet is over, when do you and Wanwan plan to return to Beijing?"

Old Tang naturally wished they could stay a few more days in Pingjiang, though the Jiang Family constantly called, not urging them to return, but he understood they probably missed the kids.

"Wanwan and I discussed staying another three to five days."

Old Tang grinned at this and went back inside to retrieve some of his treasured liquor, saying he wanted to have a few drinks with Jiang Jinsang tonight.

Recently, since Tang Wan returned to Pingjiang, Tang Yunxian had turned down all social engagements and even came home earlier than usual. Just as he arrived home, he saw the old man placing several bottles of liquor on the table.

"Dad, your health, it’s better to drink less."

"I know, but I’m happy today, I’ll have Xiao Wu drink with me."

Tang Yunxian’s company was currently working on a significant project, and he had to be at work early the next morning, so he couldn’t drink. Thus, it fell to Jiang Jinsang and Old Tang to drink together.

"You want Xiao Wu to drink with you, but he and Wanwan still need to take care of the child tonight, you..."

"Aren’t you here?" The old man looked at him.

"Me?"

"As a grandfather, you go to work every day. Mutang’s been at our house all these days, how much time have you spent with the child? Tonight, you can help take care of the child."

"Me taking care of the child?" The last time Tang Yunxian looked after a child was Tang Wan when she was little, and that was over twenty years ago.

"What? You have opinions about taking care of your grandson? Let the kids take a break."

Tang Yunxian wouldn’t dare voice any objections.

"Mutang, you’re happy to sleep with Grandpa tonight, aren’t you?" The old man even asked Xiaowai deliberately.

The little child didn’t understand what he said, but seemed very happy, waving arms and feet.

Jiang Jinsang and Tang Wan exchanged glances, subtly smiling, an indifferent laugh really, as they had almost always been taking care of the child themselves. With a child around, certain things were inconvenient.

With Tang Yunxian taking care of the child tonight, they could enjoy some private time together.

Tang Wan cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze as her ears felt a bit warm.

Especially after just having a call with Ruan Mengxi not long before.

The engagement banquet concluded, and the Qi Family planned to return to Beijing. Jiang Chengsi, the boss, could afford to take his time, while Ruan Mengxi had to go back for work. She couldn’t just slack off, even with her familiarity with Qi Zeyan.

Ruan Mengxi inquired about when she planned to return to Beijing, to which Tang Wan countered:

"What happened to your voice? Are you sick?"

"No, not at all."

"Your voice is hoarse."

"Might’ve just overused it last night."

"Singing?" Tang Wan recalled the street confession video and instinctively thought of that.

"No, other stuff."

Tang Wan froze for a couple of seconds before she suddenly realized, jumping to conclusions even before properly fastening her seatbelt.

"Did you and Zeyan last night?"

Ruan Mengxi didn’t deny it, but she surely wouldn’t detail the specifics to Tang Wan. After all, she initially intended to ridicule Qi Zeyan because books and novels always claim a man’s first time would be like that...

Turns out they were all lies!

She had consistently presented herself as an ’old hand’ before Tang Wan and certainly wouldn’t admit to her that it was she who cried last night.

...

Elsewhere

The reason Old Tang asked Jiang Jinsang to call Jiang Chengsi was that he also sensed something off about his mood and unruly temper lately. Pingjiang was different from Beijing, and he worried Chengsi might get into trouble.

Little did he know, Chengsi was currently happily shopping with his girlfriend.