VIP Volume, Chapter 119: You Are About to Be in Terrible Trouble

It’s the middle of the night, and someone is wandering around with their hair disheveled, wearing clothes that look like a tin bucket—I honestly don't know whether to be angry or laugh at this situation!

It was impossible to tell how old the woman was, as her filthy, messy hair completely obscured her face, and she reeked of a sour, unpleasant stench.

Jia Ran, not minding the grime, reached out to push back the hair to get a better look, but the woman dodged away suddenly and pointed at her, shouting, "You’re going to have terrible luck! You’re going to have terrible luck!"

Jia Ran was startled. Hearing the cadence of her voice, she knew immediately that the woman was insane. She glanced helplessly at Ye Xiaoxuan and shook her head with a bitter smile.

Ye Xiaoxuan gave her a slight smile and pushed the motorcycle forward to squeeze past the woman. He leaned his body into it, but the bike moved only an inch before stopping. He looked down and realized the tire had gone flat.

The village road hadn't been repaired in years and was in such a sorry state that debris—broken bottles, rusty nails, and the like—was always scattered about. No one ever cleaned it up, and naturally, a tire had been punctured. It was a miracle this barefoot madwoman hadn't stepped on anything; she was truly lucky.

Since they weren't far from the village entrance, Ye Xiaoxuan patted the back seat and said, "Come on, hop on, I’ll push you back!"

Jia Ran chuckled and replied, "Forget it! Pushing the empty bike is hard enough; if I sit on it, we won't get home until dawn! We’ll be faster if we both push."

The madwoman, however, wasn't shy at all. She lunged forward, hopped onto the back seat, and clapped her hands, chanting, "Ride the big horse, carry the big blade, slice at the bad guys’ heads; chop off your turtle head, the boss calls me the sweet little babe!"

The girl’s voice was crisp and melodious, but the lyrics were bone-chilling. Jia Ran shuddered, took the girl’s hand, and said, "Little sister, who taught you that? It’s awful—don’t say it ever again! Where is your home? Shall I take you back?"

The girl sat on the back seat, swinging her muddy legs, and replied, "I want to go to your house! Eat your food and sleep in your bed! You’re going to have terrible luck! You’re going to have terrible luck!"

Ye Xiaoxuan put on a stern face and said, "Who are you? Get down! It’s so late, if you aren't going home, we still want to!"

Jia Ran grabbed Ye Xiaoxuan’s arm and whispered, "It looks like she doesn't remember where she lives. Why don't we take her back for now? Maybe someone will come looking for her tomorrow."

Ye Xiaoxuan looked conflicted. "But what if she starts throwing a tantrum once we get home? I know it’s not safe for a girl to be out this late, but if we bring her back, she’ll tear the house apart. No one will be able to handle her!"

Jia Ran thought for a moment and said, "Then I’ll take her to my place. I’ll give her a bath and some clean clothes, and I’ll watch over her tonight."

Ye Xiaoxuan said with concern, "She seems quite rowdy; taking her home is just asking for big trouble."

Jia Ran smiled bitterly. "Then what should we do? Leave her here? I can't bring myself to do that!"

Ye Xiaoxuan wasn't a cruel man at heart. He sighed helplessly and said to the girl, "Fine, I suppose you're lucky to have run into us. If it had been anyone else, who knows what might have happened! Sit tight, I’m pushing you home!"

By the time they reached the front door, both Ye Xiaoxuan and Jia Ran were drenched in sweat. The girl in the back seat, however, was having a grand time. She had found a small stick from somewhere and was swatting the seat, shouting, "Giddy-up! Giddy-up!"

Ye Xiaoxuan parked the motorcycle and said huffily, "We’re here breaking our backs, and she’s having the time of her life! Get down, we’re home."

Jia Ran wiped the sweat from her forehead, took the girl’s hand, and said, "Come on, big sister is going to take you to wash up, change, and get some sleep!"

Just as they turned to leave, Ye Xiaoxuan remembered something. He said, "Wait a second!" He pulled a small package from his pocket and handed it to Jia Ran. "I’ve been holding onto this forever!"

Jia Ran took it curiously. Seeing it was a bundle wrapped in large leaves, a knowing smile appeared on her face; she didn't need to look to know what was inside.

She gently opened the little box woven from leaves, and several glowing fireflies flew out, circling the three of them.

The girl seemed to have never seen anything so magical. Her eyes, hidden behind her messy hair, sparkled as she stared at the fireflies dancing above her head. She waved her hands wildly in the air, dancing and fidgeting as she tried to tease the little bugs.

Jia Ran smiled at Ye Xiaoxuan and shook her head, whispering, "I’m going back now?" Ye Xiaoxuan shook his head and pouted his lips at her with a mischievous smirk.

Jia Ran blushed. She wanted to ignore him, but he was holding her arm firmly. She stole a glance around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly pecked Ye Xiaoxuan on the lips before turning and pulling the girl away!

Unexpectedly, the girl’s eyes, though deeply hidden, were quite sharp. She shouted at Jia Ran, "Shame! Mouth-to-mouth!" Jia Ran was so embarrassed she almost cried. She pulled the girl's hand and whispered, "Don't shout! Your eyes are sharper than mine..."

Ye Xiaoxuan chuckled to himself as he watched Jia Ran walk away, a sense of happiness welling up in him. Then, he glanced at the girl beside her, and his brow furrowed in confusion.

Jia Ran hadn't noticed, but he had: all those fireflies were following her, clustering around her, not a single one straying away!

***

He slept until mid-morning; it was nearly nine o'clock when he finally woke up.

There was porridge left in the kitchen; his parents had probably already gone to the orchard. After washing up, Ye Xiaoxuan sat in the courtyard eating his porridge.

"Xiaoxuan, are you home?" A crisp voice called out from outside. Ye Xiaoxuan didn't get up—the gate was open anyway. He sat on the bench, holding a large bowl in one hand and a pancake in the other, and called out, "What brings you here?"

The person who walked in was Yuan Caiyi. She had her hands behind her back, strolling slowly into the courtyard. She rolled her eyes at Ye Xiaoxuan on the bench and said, "What, no welcome for me to have a look around?"

Ye Xiaoxuan laughed and pointed to the bench opposite him. "Welcome, forget looking around, you can even move in!"

Yuan Caiyi blushed, spat at him, and said, "Stop that oily talk! My dad asked you to come over! Probably to discuss the road repairs!"

Ye Xiaoxuan held up his bowl and said, "That’ll have to wait until I finish eating. Want a bowl?"

Yuan Caiyi giggled. "Thanks, you eat it yourself, I’ve already had breakfast! I’ll sit here and wait for you, and while I’m at it, I’ll interview you, our little landlord and small tycoon..."

Yuan Caiyi sat on the bench opposite him and began asking questions with a serious expression, but she stopped halfway through. Her eyes flicked toward his lap, and her entire face turned beet red; her expression became extremely unnatural.

Ye Xiaoxuan took a big gulp of white porridge, his cheeks bulging. He chewed for a long time before swallowing, took a breath, and said, "That’s a nasty thing to call me! I’m still a hundred and eight thousand miles away from being a tycoon, aren't I? What did you want to ask?"

Yuan Caiyi lowered her head, blushing. She wanted to say something, but her eyes kept drifting involuntarily toward the area between Ye Xiaoxuan’s legs. She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, but her complexion betrayed her. Finally, she covered her eyes and said, "Your little brother is peeking out!"