Chapter 244: How About… Giving It a Try?

Nightfall.

A misty sky full of stars.

A thin fog had appeared from who knows where, veiling most of the moonlight.

Even the sound of cicadas had quieted.

And yet, it was under this kind of night sky…

That the shy and tender feelings between teenagers found their perfect setting.

Miss Jiang and Little Qi had only taken a shortcut, and already they’d passed at least two or three couples whispering sweet nothings to each other.

One pair had even gone beyond the flutter of adolescence…

And evolved into the impulse of hormones.

If it weren’t for the setting…

They might’ve gone straight into the act of species propagation.

Even the sounds drifting through the air…

Made Little Qi blush furiously as she hurriedly dragged the nosy Miss Jiang away at a brisk pace.

It took a while…

Before the two of them finally emerged from the grove.

Thinking back on how tense they’d just been,

Qi Wen suddenly burst into laughter with a soft “pfft.”

Miss Jiang, still glancing curiously over her shoulder, looked puzzled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, I just suddenly felt like laughing~”

“I don’t believe you.”

Miss Jiang wasn’t some naïve little girl.

With her wealth of experience, she could tell at a glance that Little Qi was holding something back.

And judging by the flush on her cheeks,

Miss Jiang’s curiosity flared as she leaned in closer.

“Are you going to tell me or not?”

“Nope!”

“Come on, spill it!”

Seeing that Miss Jiang was about to start teasing her, Qi Wen immediately surrendered.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you.”

“But you’re not allowed to laugh at me.”

Then—

Little Qi rose slightly on her tiptoes and leaned in close to Miss Jiang’s ear.

“I was just wondering…”

“When they’re eating jelly like that, do they ever…”

“Bite… the other person’s… tongue?”

Her voice was soft, her breath warm.

Warm enough to tickle Miss Jiang right in the heart.

She turned to look at Qi Wen’s flushed little face.

“Wenwen, are you really that curious?”

“Hmm? No no no,” Qi Wen shook her head furiously.

“I just thought it was weird…”

“They were going at it so intensely…”

“Wouldn’t it…”

Hehehe…

When it came to questions like this, Miss Jiang had only one philosophy.

She took a step back, rose slightly on tiptoe, and leaned in close to Qi Wen’s ear.

Her breath fragrant as orchids.

“How about…”

“We try it?”

In an instant!

Little Qi’s ears turned bright red.

She shoved Miss Jiang away.

“What are you even thinking!”

“I—I’m not playing with you anymore!”

With that, she spun around and ran off.

Watching her flee in embarrassment,

Miss Jiang smacked her lips.

The revolution has yet to succeed!

We must keep striving!

“Ganbatte!”

With a cheerful shout,

A spring-like smile spread across her face

As she chased after her.

In that moment,

Long hair fluttered, footsteps left a lingering scent,

Stirring up waves of emotion.

——————

Night had fallen.

Inside the dorm room.

After saying goodnight to her little concubines,

Miss Jiang casually turned off the dormitory lights.

Just like always,

She lifted the blanket and slipped underneath,

Getting ready to go through the day’s messages.

As soon as she powered on her phone,

Several notifications popped up at once.

Picking out the important ones,

The first message she opened was from her older cousin.

[Ning Ning, my mom already handled things with aunt.]

[When you go back this weekend, just stick to the script from the interview.]

A great start.

Big Cousin really came through.

No—actually, it was Auntie who came through.

She’d originally been a little worried that when she went home Friday night, her mom would give her a political lecture.

Now, not so much.

At most, her mom might say a few words, then soften up.

That should be enough.

As for Auntie…

Hehe.

She’d just find some time to visit and chat with her a bit.

Speaking of Auntie,

Miss Jiang suddenly thought of that long-legged vixen in Auntie’s neighborhood.

It had been a while since they’d seen each other—she missed her quite a bit.

The second batch of messages was from Wang Jianguo.

The first several were reports on the factory and store.

Miss Jiang skimmed through them.

Nothing major—just some trivial matters.

Like year-on-year and month-on-month sales at the store.

Or whether the factory’s shipment volume had gone up or down.

Only one message wasn’t about data.

[Boss, a young guy from the marketing department asked me about you today. He wanted your contact info, said his cousin is also studying advanced calculus and wants to learn from you.]

[Boss, I think the learning part is just an excuse—he probably wants to marry you, so I didn’t give him your contact info.]

[Boss, how about it? Pretty clever of me, right? Since I’ve done such a great job, can I get a tiny raise next month?]

Such a bold request.

Boss Jiang chose to ignore it entirely.

Then came Secretary Wang’s message about Saturday’s arrangements.

When Miss Jiang saw the part about a lunch gathering at a hotel,

She immediately remembered the promise she’d made for Saturday.

She smacked her lips a couple times,

Then typed out a message and sent it.

[I’ll skip the lunch on Saturday.]

[You and Lin Ke handle the hosting. Just send me the bill afterward.]

After replying, she opened the next message.

She looked closely—

Oh, it was from Xiao Li.

[Jiang Ning! My dad praised you at home tonight. He said you’re amazing and told me to take you as my role model—study hard and work hard!]

Xiao Li’s dad praised me?

The second-in-command of Jiangzhou City praised me?

Well, damn!

Miss Jiang furrowed her brows. She had a feeling that being remembered by someone that high up wasn’t exactly a good thing.

After thinking it over,

She replied politely.

[Thanks. You keep working hard too.]

A formulaic, standard reply was sent off with a click, and she immediately glanced at the next message.

As for the later updates from Hu Gugu and the others—

Miss Jiang replied with a few casual lines, then got ready for bed.

But once she lay down, she felt oddly restless.

And then, thinking of Ye and her usual tricks,

Miss Jiang picked up her phone again and typed out a message for a certain infuriating young man.

【Tao Tao, native of Ningzhou, born July 28, 1983, passed away October 20, 2001, at the age of 18】

【Cause of death: Didn’t know how to raise a dog】

【Manner of death: Stabbed to death by Jiang Ning】

——————

Shang Jie’s house arrest had been lifted.

At the same time,

Luo Chengming returned from another Luo Family villa.

However—

This time, he was only back for a meal.

Because starting today, and lasting until the end of senior year,

Luo Chengming would be living on campus.

This wasn’t Luo Guosheng’s decision, nor was it Shang Jie’s idea.

On the contrary,

It was Luo Chengming’s own request.

He said it was to put an end to unnecessary rumors.

And also to focus on his studies, in hopes of getting into a decent university.

To be honest—

When Shang Jie first heard this,

She was stunned.

Then, unexpectedly, a strange sense of guilt crept in.

Maybe—

The boy’s actions back then were just a moment of impulsive attraction?

That might be true.

But whenever she thought back to what had happened,

Shang Jie still felt a vague sense of discomfort.

Perhaps—

Staying at school really was the best way to handle the current situation.

At noon,

In the villa at Horton Manor,

The family was rarely this complete, all gathered around one table.

Luo Guosheng sat at the head.

Shang Jie sat diagonally from him, flanked by her two children—

Nine-year-old Luo Mingyue and eight-year-old Luo Zhengyang.

As for Luo Chengming,

He sat across from Shang Jie and the kids,

Quietly sipping a bowl of soup in front of him.

After one spoonful—

“Mmm! This soup is really fresh. Delicious.”

“Aunt Yang simmered that chicken soup all morning. If you like it, have some more.”

Though Shang Jie felt an inexplicable resistance toward Luo Chengming,

On the surface, she still did everything a mother should.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Luo Chengming smiled and replied politely, then turned his gaze to Luo Guosheng.

“Dad, I think I’ve missed quite a few classes.”

“I want to use my weekends to attend some tutoring sessions.”

His words left everyone at the table momentarily stunned.

Even Luo Mingyue and Luo Zhengyang, who had been quietly eating,

Lifted their heads in surprise,

Staring blankly at their “big brother.”

“Are you sure?”

Luo Guosheng frowned at his son,

Trying to read something useful from his expression.

But strangely—

Though his son’s expression had a hint of performance to it,

For the first time, he didn’t avoid his father’s gaze.

Interesting.

Luo Guosheng set down his chopsticks.

After a moment of silence,

“Forget the tutoring centers.”

“If you really need help, let Uncle Chen find you some private tutors. You can study at home.”

………

The meal ended with that simple exchange.

In the afternoon,

Shang Jie sat alone on the sofa, reviewing documents—

Ledger after ledger,

Proposal after proposal,

All passed through her hands one by one.

Though the Board of Directors hadn’t reinstated her position,

Shang Jie believed—

Some things couldn’t be left behind.

Better to prepare in advance than to scramble at the last minute.

But just then,

An elderly man with neatly combed hair and a kind face, dressed like a traditional butler,

Appeared behind her.

He spoke with a slight pause,

“Madam, should Young Master Chengming’s study be set up on the second floor or the third?”

“The second floor,” Shang Jie replied instinctively.

But then she paused, realizing something, and turned around with a frown.

“Wait, Uncle Chen.”

“Shouldn’t Chengming’s study be in Huajun Pavilion?”

“Why…”

In response,

The butler said,

“Madam, that was the Master’s instruction.”

“He said, since Chengming chose to stay at school to address the rumors,”

“Then as his family, why shouldn’t we at least give him a space to rest when he comes home for a couple of days?”

His words left Shang Jie momentarily speechless.

She didn’t know what to say.

But strangely—

She felt a bit uncomfortable.

(End of chapter)

———

“Ganbatte” (頑張って) is a common Japanese phrase meaning “Do your best,” “Keep going,” or “Good luck.”

It comes from the verb ganbaru (頑張る), which means to persist, to give your all, or to not give up.

It’s used to encourage someone — for example, before a test, game, or difficult task — and expresses support, effort, and perseverance, not just winning.