Chapter 53: With a Belt?

Evening self-study ended.

Jiang Ning saw that familiar figure again, lingering on the playground, playing basketball.

Seeing this, she bid farewell to Luo Shanshan and marched over with a stern face.

As soon as she stepped onto the court, she rolled up her sleeves and pointed at Tao Tao, who was in the middle of a shot.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

“You’ve got some nerve, huh?”

Hearing her voice, Tao Tao didn’t respond. He focused, aimed, and shot.

“Whoosh.”

The basketball traced a perfect arc in the air and landed squarely in the hoop.

Taking advantage of the moment while retrieving the ball, Tao Tao turned around.

“Want to play a round?”

“No way!”

Jiang Ning rolled her eyes and got straight to the point.

“Let me ask you, who exactly is the girl you like?”

Hearing this, Tao Tao stopped playing. He held the ball, tilted his head, and gave a teasing smile.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious! What kind of girl could make the great Tao Tao remain pure and devoted?”

“Even rejecting a gorgeous beauty who came right to your doorstep?”

At that moment, Tao Tao finally understood why Miss Jiang had come looking for him.

His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth lifted in amusement.

“You really want to know?”

“Beg me.”

I f***ing…!!!

In that instant, Jiang Ning felt a rush of anger shoot straight from her feet to the back of her head.

“Say it if you want, forget it if you don’t.”

She turned to leave.

But before she could take a few steps, Tao Tao called after her.

“Are you free this weekend?”

“For what?” Jiang Ning turned back with a sharp glare.

“My old man wants to play chess with you.” Tao Tao patted the basketball in his hands.

“No way!”

Jiang Ning had no interest in dealing with that arrogant old man.

She waved him off and walked straight out of the court.

—

The next day.

During lunch break, Jiang Ning suddenly heard Sun Qian arguing with someone.

At first, she didn’t pay attention.

But when she heard them mention a singer named Chen Yu, who had just released a single called Passing Through the Mortal World, her drowsiness vanished instantly.

She sat up, leaned back, and listened in on their conversation.

“Chen Yu’s new song is definitely better than Zhao Yuanyuan’s!”

Sun Qian tapped her tablet as she debated with the classmate behind her.

But the other student refused to back down.

“Zhao Yuanyuan’s new song is produced by Lion King Studio and handled by Tianmu Studio—it’s a guaranteed hit.”

“How could Chen Yu’s song possibly compete?”

“Especially since the lyrics and composition were done by the same person. What’s their name again…”

At that moment, both Sun Qian and the other student instinctively turned to look at Jiang Ning.

And when they saw her also looking at them, they froze, giving an awkward laugh.

“Heh, what a coincidence! Turns out, Chen Yu’s new song was written and composed by someone named Jiang Jiang…”

“It is quite a coincidence,” Jiang Ning chuckled, her smile fox-like.

She had actually known about this already.

Two nights ago, Liao Liao had sent her a message detailing everything.

It had been decided in the contract that the lyrics and composition would be credited under her name.

After all, she was the original creator, and she had the right to proper recognition.

As for this singer named Chen Yu, Jiang Ning had looked into her.

Good vocal range, a dedicated fanbase—considered a stable third-tier singer in the country.

The label likely chose her with a purpose—to use this song to help her climb higher.

Jiang Ning didn’t mind. It was just a business transaction, after all.

“You guys heard both songs yet?”

“They haven’t been officially released, just in the promotional stage.”

Sun Qian’s response made Jiang Ning nod in understanding.

Promotional stage—basically just marketing hype.

Realizing this, Jiang Ning lost interest in learning more.

After teasing her classmates a bit, she laid back down to nap.

Half-asleep, she had a dream.

She dreamed she went out for a bath and was led upstairs by a young girl.

Before long, a curvy woman with eyes full of allure walked up to her.

Massage, kneading her legs…

Then, the woman’s delicate fingers traced from her stomach, over her chest, and finally landed at her lips.

The woman smiled seductively.

She placed a finger in Jiang Ning’s mouth.

And then…

Huh?

Why did it taste like fried chicken?

In an instant, Jiang Ning woke up.

A piece of fried chicken was being pushed into her mouth.

Out of reflex, she took a bite—crispy on the outside, juices dragging out a thin string of drool.

“Ugh, Xiao Jiang Jiang, that’s disgusting!”

Luo Shanshan grimaced as she handed her a napkin.

Jiang Ning took it and wiped her mouth, finally noticing that the fried chicken in her hand was from Shi Ning Ji.

She blinked.

Luo Shanshan spoke up.

“Xiao Jiang Jiang, how does it taste?”

“I heard this fried chicken place is super famous near Jiangzhou University.”

“They just started offering long-distance delivery, so I ordered two portions to try.”

Long-distance delivery?

Jiang Ning suddenly realized—this was probably part of Tian Wenhao’s expansion plan for his food delivery network.

She had even discussed this with him before.

After all, if they only served nearby customers, there was no way to build a bigger reputation.

If they wanted to open more branches in the future, they needed to establish their brand now.

That’s right.

Jiang Ning’s next step was opening a branch store.

She had already chosen a location—inside the Jiangzhou train station hall.

She had even checked out the rent.

5,000 yuan per month, with a three-year lease.

That meant just the rent alone would require tens of thousands, not to mention renovation and staff costs.

If she calculated everything, starting this branch would require at least 300,000 to 400,000 yuan.

For reference, in this millennium era, a 100-square-meter apartment in the city only cost 80,000 to 90,000 yuan.

400,000 could buy several apartments.

But with high investment came high returns.

Judging by the train station’s foot traffic, she estimated she could earn back the investment within a few months.

Of course, there was no rush.

She would wait until the food delivery expansion was complete before considering the branch.

Besides, the station hadn’t announced any available rental spots yet.

At that moment, Jiang Ning suddenly had a thought.

She stopped chewing and gave Luo Shanshan a suspicious look.

“Shanshan, why are you suddenly buying me fried chicken?”

“You’re not up to something, are you?”

“No, no, no!” Luo Shanshan shook her head frantically.

“It’s just that midterms are coming up…”

“I was hoping you could tutor me in science every day for a bit.”

“I really don’t want to go home and get spanked again…”

“Pfft—cough, cough!”

Hearing those last three words, Jiang Ning almost choked on her chicken.

“Wait, you actually get spanked?”

“With a belt?”

“Do you have to… take your pants off?”

“Does it… feel good?”

“JIANG NING!!!”

—