“Cousin, did she accept your apology?” Yun Qian was just about to enter her room to rest when she saw Ning Xiaoruan standing in the hallway .

Ning Xiaoruan replied listlessly, “I don't know . ”

Seeing the credit card in his hand, a strange expression appeared on Yun Qian's face . “You weren't thinking of gifting the card as an apology, right?”

“I wasn't . I only asked her what she liked so that I could go buy it . ”

Her lips twitched . Not even a drunk would be that blunt . “What did she say?”

“She said she liked my sister, and isn't that you? How could I dare to buy you? That's a sky-high price, I…”

“Wait!” Yun Qian stopped him by raising her hand . “Tell me her exact words . ”

Ning Xiaoruan blinked . What's with that face, Cousin? Pulled a muscle? But, he still did what she'd asked and repeated Xu Jiaojiao's words .

“Pfft! Hahaha…” Yun Qian lost all of her virtuous demeanor as she held her stomach with a hand and banged the wall with the other . She couldn't stop laughing .

“What's going on?” The Ning couple had heard her unrestrained laughter before they'd arrived, yet even now, she was still laughing .

“I don't know . ” Ning Xiaoruan shrugged .

The girl held her stomach while laughing through gasps . “Cousin just went to apologize to Xu Jiaojiao . He asked her what she liked so he could go buy it . Then, she answered with 'Like your sister'[1] . Haha, this guy thinks she really likes his sister . And, he just told me that he can't afford me . Ah, I can't take it! I'm going to laugh again!” The girl laughed all the way to her bedroom . 　

Hearing this, the corner of the Ning couple's lips also raised slightly . This brat must be a fake son!

“If I knew that this would happen, I wouldn't have sent you abroad to study . All that studying got to your head,” Mister Ning lamented .

“How?! I graduated without a hitch, while some cla.s.smates still haven't!” Ning Xiaoruan said sourly .

“You didn't learn any of their craftiness and studied until you lost your senses . How will you take over your father's business like this? If we're gone, won't those geezers finish you off?” The more he said, the more annoyed he became . Seeing her son standing dumbly, Madam Ning pulled her husband to their room .

Ning Xiaoruan stared blankly as his parents entered their room . He could still hear them talking before they closed the door .

“Wife, should we have another child?”

“When we get back, we should go get checked out . ”

What just happened? Ning Xiaoruan ran up the stairs in search of that self-proclaimed intelligent cousin of his .

Shen Zhining heard what had transpired, then gazed silently at Ning Xiaoruan .

What? What? Ning Xiaoruan's heart did flips under his gaze . His cousin's face conveyed serious pondering whether he should save him .

“Cousin, what are you thinking about?” Ning Xiaoruan asked nervously .

“I'm wondering if there's a possibility of giving you a brain transplant . ”

“…” Ning Xiaoruan felt a blade run through his heart .

“You don't need to write a report . ”

“Really?” Ning Xiaoruan's eyes lit up . Did his cousin grow a conscience and decide to treat him well?

Shen Zhining got up to leave . “Keep up . ”

“Oh . ” Ning Xiaoruan followed at once .

Knock, knock, knock .

The repeated knocks caused Sheng Jiaoyang to grab her hair in annoyance . She held back her anger as she walked towards the door .

“What is it now… . ” Seeing Shen Zhining at the door, she promptly shut up .

“He'll follow you from now on . ” Shen Zhining moved to the side, making way for Ning Xiaoruan .

“What?” Sheng Jiaoyang hoped that she'd misheard .

“He'll be your a.s.sistant for this year . Give him errands . ”

Ning Xiaoruan was stupefied . “Uh, Cousin?”

“Can I refuse?” Sheng Jiaoyang blinked, giving her best to her cute act in the hopes that Shen Zhining would take back those scary words .

“Nope!” Shen Zhining coldly spat .

Ning Xiaoruan's pride felt p.r.i.c.ked . “Make no mistake, Xu Jiaojiao . A valedictorian like me is wasted on you . How can you still refuse?!”

“What can a valedictorian like you do? Bark orders?” Sheng Jiaoyang raised her chin as she spoke those haughty words .

She drives me crazy! Ning Xiaoruan bared his teeth .

Shen Zhining ignored Ning Xiaoruan's expression and looked over the credit card in his hand . “If you don't want to, then don't expect to have your account unfrozen . I believe your parents will approve of my decision . ”

Then, Shen Zhining went upstairs .

Feeling abandoned, Ning Xiaoruan threw a mournful glare at Shen Jiaoyang standing with her hands crossed under her chest . “It's all your fault for saying that!”

“What did I say?” She quirked an eyebrow .

“You said you liked my sister . Instead of thinking you're strange, I was blamed . Yun Qian couldn't stop laughing when she heard it . My parents talked about having another child . And, my cousin even said that I'll be your a.s.sistant . What devious power do your words have?” Ning Xiaoruan said aggrievedly .

Sheng Jiaoyang burst out laughing . Idiot Ning is Idiot Ning for a reason, and an accomplished one at that!

“Why are you also laughing?” Ning Xiaoruan just didn't understand .

Her laughter didn't die out, and she repeatedly waved her hand . “Go to sleep . In the future, when I call for you to come to cla.s.s, you'll know then . ”

After saying all that, she closed the door in his face .

Thanks to Ning Xiaoruan's joke, Sheng Jiaoyang's mood turned for the better, and she went to finish her painting . However, she didn't just finish it, but painted another one in a completely different style .

The two paintings were related to the sea . The first was painted using marvellous skills, with vibrant and rich colours . It seemed to have the feeling of a deep and dangerous story buried within . A steams.h.i.+p drifted in the waves, with a charming and outstanding prince standing on its deck . The sea appeared to form a beautiful face in the distance . Her long hair resembled kelp, with a silver fishtail behind her peeking out of the water . This was a scene out of a fairytale, if you ignored the faded fishnet beneath the steams.h.i.+p .

The second painting was completely different . It had a dark blue background, with waving kelp trapping a girl . Her eyes were half-closed, with small bubbles rising from her mouth . She struggled at first, but then her eyes looked to the left where she saw a vague figure resembling a fish drawing nearer . It was like the dawn hacking at the darkness of the sea, bringing with it the hope of life .

The more one looked, the more the viewer felt fear from this dark scene . The magnificent figure pierced the negative feelings, evoking a sense of hope and life . The hope of turning misfortune into a blessing .

Sheng Jiaoyang stood before the paintings, staring in silence for a while, then took a picture of the second painting with her phone, sending it to Gu Zhou . She wasn't ready to part with the first painting . She wanted to keep it as a warning to herself, that no matter the time or place, to never let her guard down . Even if the one across from her was a handsome man .

Her message contained a picture and two simple words: You want?

Not long after, she received an even shorter reply: Yes .

The next day, she called for Felix to pack the second painting and deliver it to a place chosen by Gu Zhou .

1 . Generally speaking, 'your sister' is internet slang that's usually used to emphasize a certain word spoken by the interlocutor, and the word 'your sister' is added after it to express contempt, disdain, ridicule, etc . 'Your sister' is replaced by an original objectionable character in situations where it isn't convenient to directly swear .

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