Chapter 158: Someone Wants to Teach You a Lesson

Afternoon.

After the third period biology class.

Jiang Ning declined Qi Wen’s invitation to grab some vermicelli at the snack hall.

Alone, under the afterglow of the setting sun, she walked to the school gate.

Just outside the school.

She saw a familiar figure squatting by the roadside.

She walked over.

“Li… cough cough cough.”

In public.

And by the road.

Some things, Miss Jiang still couldn’t bring herself to say out loud.

At that moment.

Li Yang, hearing the voice, looked up at Jiang Ning.

Bathed in dusk, Miss Jiang had a different kind of aura.

Like a fragrant gardenia in bloom.

Even someone like Li Yang—also a girl—felt momentarily dazed at the sight.

“You’re here?”

“Mm.”

“Come on, let’s grab something to eat first.”

With that, she stood up from the curb.

She tossed her denim jacket over her shoulder.

Just then.

Jiang Ning noticed something unexpected.

Beneath Li Yang’s medium-length hair, there were a few noticeable bruises on her cheek.

Unable to resist, she pointed and asked:

“Those bruises…”

Upon hearing that.

Li Yang turned her head slightly, then adjusted her hair.

“Nothing serious.”

Sensing that Li Yang didn’t want to dwell on it.

Jiang Ning didn’t press further.

Then.

The two of them crossed the street to a duck blood vermicelli shop on the opposite side.

The shop was fairly spacious, but had few customers.

Only a couple scattered in the corners.

Seeing this.

Jiang Ning didn’t mind, and ordered two large bowls of duck blood vermicelli.

Then picked a seat near the ordering counter.

Li Yang sat across from her.

“Mind telling me what’s going on?”

After a brief pause.

Li Yang wiped an oil stain off the table.

“Someone asked me to deal with you—to teach you a lesson.”

“Who?”

Though it sounded like a casual question, Jiang Ning already had a vague guess.

“Some punks from No. 2 High.”

“Huh?”

“Just a few delinquent kids who formed a little gang.”

Li Yang’s explanation gave Jiang Ning a rough idea.

In short.

They were some rough-and-tumble boys.

Acting like tyrants in their own school.

Picking fights here and there as a daily occurrence.

“I don’t remember crossing paths with that crowd.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Li Yang nodded and said calmly:

“So I asked around for you.”

“It’s someone named Luo Chengming.”

Just as she thought.

Jiang Ning’s brow furrowed slightly.

But then.

She realized that Li Yang’s so-called “asked around.”

Probably wasn’t just a matter of asking with words.

Especially when paired with the bruises on her face.

Jiang Ning sighed softly.

“Thanks.”

At that moment, the shop owner brought over their steaming hot duck blood vermicelli.

Placed the clay pots in front of them.

The rising steam blurred their faces.

Once the owner walked away.

Jiang Ning lowered her head, picked up a clump of noodles, and took a bite.

“Phew… you took quite a hit, didn’t you?”

“Not bad. Just like regular training.”

“Phew… honestly, I could’ve handled it myself.”

“I know,” Li Yang’s voice remained calm.

“But we’re family. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?”

“Just like you helped Tianyao.”

Hearing this.

Jiang Ning paused.

Then something clicked in her mind.

She seemed to understand the unique connection between Li Yang and Meng Qing.

It was probably a deep form of mutual support.

Li Yang’s past seemed filled with fights—giving and taking beatings.

But ever since meeting Meng Qing, she seemed to have found meaning in her combat training.

Same for Meng Qing.

She grew up without support.

Being a girl, she received no care from her family.

But with Li Yang in her life.

Meng Qing had finally found something—or someone—she could lean on.

So.

Now the question arose.

What role had she played between them all along?

If Li Yang was the protector, and Meng Qing the dependent.

Then what was she…

A motherly caretaker?

Heh.

Thinking of that, the corners of Miss Jiang’s mouth twitched.

Then.

Li Yang seemed to remember something.

“Next semester, I’ll be transferring to a sports academy.”

“And about Tianyao…”

“Don’t worry, she’s got me,” Jiang Ning didn’t dare guarantee much.

But seeing a girl through high school—and even university—was no problem at all.

Hearing that.

Li Yang nodded.

“Jiang Queen, I don’t know what you went through over the summer.”

“But as long as you remember the promise we made, that’s enough.”

Promise?

What promise?

Jiang Ning had no memory of any such thing.

But she was too embarrassed to ask.

So she just lowered her head, using her noodles to hide the awkwardness.

While the two of them were quietly eating.

A well-dressed young man suddenly entered the shop.

“Welcome,” the owner muttered.

“What can I get you, young man?”

However.

The man didn’t seem there for food.

He pointed to something posted on the window and asked directly:

“Boss.”

“Is your shop up for transfer?”

At first, Jiang Ning didn’t care about the shop’s transfer.

But when the man came closer and mentioned the name of the new lessee—

Her hand holding the chopsticks froze instinctively.

Seeing this.

The perceptive Li Yang sensed something was up too.

She put down her chopsticks.

And asked in a low voice:

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. You eat.”

Jiang Ning didn’t explain, but her pace slowed noticeably.

A moment later.

After the young man left.

She turned to the rugged-looking middle-aged owner behind the counter and asked with a bright smile:

“Boss.”

“Is your shop really for rent?”

“Yeah,” the owner sighed, no intention of hiding it.

“Rent’s expensive.”

“Utilities cost a lot.”

“Business is rough.”

Hearing this.

Jiang Ning didn’t hide her intentions either.

“Can I ask what the rental terms are?”

Clearly.

The owner found it odd that a pretty girl in an old No. 1 High School uniform would ask such a question.

“You…”

“Oh, it’s for my cousin. He’s looking to rent a storefront near the school for a small business.”

“Oh.” The boss nodded.

“130 square meters front and back. Rent’s 1,500 a month. Transfer fee is 8,000.”

Bit pricey.

Shops near Jiangzhou University only cost 850 a month.

Though she probably got a lucky deal there, even so—compared to the university’s foot traffic, this location behind No. 1 High couldn’t compete.

“Can it be cheaper?” Jiang Ning asked.

Unexpectedly, the boss jerked his chin toward the door.

“If that young man agrees.”

“He said he’d go get the contract and come sign it tomorrow.”

Hearing that.

Jiang Ning was a little surprised.

After a moment’s thought, she let out a knowing sigh.

Clearly.

This Hongsheng Group must have seen the profitability of fried chicken shops.

They’re planning to come in and grab a slice of the pie at any cost.

A bit annoying.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ning still told the owner that she would go back and ask her cousin.

If it worked out, she’d get in touch again.

After saving the owner’s number, she walked out of the shop with Li Yang.

Once outside,

Li Yang put her jacket back on.

“You want to rent that shop?”

“Still undecided.”

“Don’t.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Jiang Ning looked at the spirited girl beside her in surprise.

“I’ve seen that owner before—he probably has some shady business going on privately.”

“Seriously?”

Jiang Ning instinctively glanced back at the shop owner.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct—the owner inside actually met her eyes.

And smiled, nodding at her.

Then,

Li Yang continued:

“I saw him when I was working gigs.”

“He was sitting with two guys who run gambling spots—odds are he’s in that line of work too.”

Gambling spots?

Jiang Ning was briefly confused by the specialized term.

Then thought it over.

From some old memory, she recalled vague fragments about “gambling spots.”

After a moment of reflection,

Jiang Ning frowned.

In simple terms—

Just four words: underground betting venue.

They run a cut-based business.

The duck blood vermicelli shop on the surface was likely just a front.

So,

Once they no longer needed a front for cover…

They were probably getting ready to disappear.

As long as you stayed uninvolved, it was fine.

But if you ended up implicated just for renting the same place—getting taken in for questioning for hours—

That would be really unlucky.

So she understood what Li Yang meant.

She nodded.

“I get it.”

“Thanks.”

“…Heavenly Maiden…”

Hearing that,

In that instant,

Li Yang’s lips curled up.

She smiled brightly.

(The End of this Chapter)