Chapter 21 What does Jiang Shan want to do with him tonight...?
Jiang Shan leaned forward slightly, ready to have a proper discussion with the nonchalant Chen Feng, but was driven back to his original spot by the stench of sweat emanating from him.
Ugh, how can someone smell so bad?
It looked like a pile of rats that had been dead for over ten days.
She finally couldn't take it anymore, and abandoning all pretense of maintaining appearances among relatives, she reached out and covered her nose.
"Chen Feng, no matter how much you act like a rogue, there's a limit. This is my rented house. If I don't agree to you moving in, your staying here is trespassing!"
Perhaps because Jiang Shan was pinching her nose, the words she uttered had too much of a nasal tone, making them sound muffled. Her warning speech not only failed to intimidate Chen Feng, but also emboldened him further.
“Cousin, what do you mean by ‘this is your rented house’? We’re relatives, we’re all family. If you rent this house, it’s the same as me renting it…”
Chen Feng's smelly feet, wrapped in sweaty cotton socks, dangled on the table, mistaking Jiang Shan's burning anger for a rabbit begging a wolf for mercy: "Hey, why are you looking at me like that? We can split the rent, it's such a small thing, why are you getting so angry?"
Jiang Shan was furious.
She first strode to the window, then swiftly opened it to let in fresh air, carrying away the magical attacks in the room. Then, with her hands on her hips, she confronted Chen Feng aggressively.
"Then I'll let you live in half of my house, and can you give me half of your salary in return?"
Jiang Shan's stomach was still a little sore, but now that she was arguing and angry with Chen Feng, the icy pain in her stomach actually melted a little.
It was rare for her to be able to straighten her back and speak.
“That won’t do,” Chen Feng shook his finger. “Why should I give you the salary I earned through my own hard work?”
"Isn't that it? I worked so hard to rent this place, why should I let you live here?"
Because Jiang Shan was standing, he was taller than Chen Feng, who was sitting, so he naturally had the upper hand in terms of momentum, and his words became more and more fluent.
“‘He who takes a man’s money is bound to be grateful,’ Chen Feng, you understand this principle, but you’re taking advantage of this opportunity, that’s why you’re so stubborn… Take your luggage and leave now, and I can still consider our family relationship and take you to the hotel. If you don’t move, I don’t know what I might do.”
Chen Feng sat with his legs crossed, acting like a big shot for over ten minutes, before finally noticing the seriousness in Jiang Shan's eyes.
This young lady has quite a fiery temper.
If it weren't for the fact that there was another man living with her, he would have already... How come Aunt can't even find out about something like this?
"Oh, just kidding, just kidding!"
He still had his feet propped up on the table, but lazily raised his hand in the air: "You're right, this is your rented apartment, I don't deserve to live here. If you're not happy, I'll just move out. Anyway, it's only 20 or 30 degrees Celsius, sleeping on the street isn't that cold..."
Jiang Shan couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
Haha, you start being sarcastic when you can't win an argument?
Jiang Shan was taught by her parents from a young age to respect others and not to interrupt when others are speaking, and she has indeed adhered to this for 22 years.
But now, she can't carry it out.
Chen Feng, relying on their kinship, acted arrogantly and domineeringly towards her. If she were to swallow this insult, she would have to endure the stench of his sweat for ten days straight.
Although Chen Feng smells of sweat now, it's partly her fault for not letting him use the bathroom yesterday.
After all, it's normal to sweat after a long journey.
But seeing Chen Feng's shameless behavior today, she really doesn't want to use it on him anymore.
Chen Feng had clearly planned to come to S City long ago, yet he didn't book a hotel for himself beforehand. Wasn't that his fault? Why should she bear the consequences?
Jiang Shan slammed his hand heavily on the table, coldly interrupting Chen Feng as he picked his teeth and spat out saliva.
"Chen Feng! Stop trying to morally blackmail me. Let me tell you, it's useless! If it weren't for my mother's sake, I wouldn't even want to talk to you! Now, I've had enough. Please tell your aunt that I can't entertain you! Now, get out immediately!"
Chen Feng slumped on the stool, shrugging indifferently. Just as he was about to continue his shameless act, he suddenly noticed some of Zhu Meng's work documents left on the shelf in the study.
Below the Anson Group logo was a name written in black pen—a name so familiar that it sent chills down his spine just looking at it.
May you be blessed.
Chen Feng shuddered suddenly, his feet, which were propped up on the table, instinctively wanting to fall back into his men's plastic slippers.
Unfortunately, he had been sitting in an office for many years, and at only twenty-eight years old, the beer belly typical of middle-aged men was already prominent. When he put his foot down, he lost his balance and fell with a "thud" onto the wooden floor without a carpet.
The shock and fear surged from his heart to his limbs in an instant, more ferocious than the rising tide. He didn't even feel any pain; his mind was filled with only shock.
Could this Zhu Meng be... the CEO of Ansen Group, the one he's thinking of?
What a coincidence!
His company offers good benefits, but it's losing out because of its small size and limited potential. Recently, the senior management has been working hard to prepare for cooperation with Anson Group to expand its business scope.
Unfortunately, his company sent him to negotiate with Ansen Group. He went to Zhu Meng's secretary dozens of times, like a grandson, but each time the secretary used the same rejection line: "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhu is busy. Let's talk next time."
Because of this, the company was in a real bind, and his performance bonus was docked for several months.
If he gets penalized a few more times, he might be demoted.
Before coming to S City to freeload, he had learned about his cousin's promotion to a permanent position at Ansen Group, but he hadn't paid much attention to it.
Ansen Group only has one branch in S City, while the main company is in B City. As a busy president, Zhu Meng is definitely in B City. His cousin Jiang Shan has just been promoted and her position is as low as an ant, so she can't help him at all.
But he never expected that his cousin, who only knew how to study and had never even held a man's hand in her life, would have a male colleague with whom she was so close that they could live together.
This male colleague, from his pajamas for indoor wear to his exquisite suits for the red carpet, is all haute couture...
What a coincidence! His surname is Zhu and his given name is Meng.
Chen Feng pushed himself up from the floor, looked up slightly at Jiang Shan, and his triangular eyes darted around: "Hey cousin, is your roommate named Zhu Meng?"
Jiang Shan wanted to kick him when he saw his smug look.
She raised her foot halfway, but ultimately didn't kick it.
Putting aside the fact that Chen Feng is the pride of their Chen family, if she were to kick him and injure him, she really wouldn't know how to explain it to her uncle and aunt.
The main issue is that this conflict has so far been limited to verbal arguments.
If she were to use her foot, or if she were the one who started it, the nature of the matter would completely change.
Moreover, no matter how much Chen Feng neglects his training, he is still an adult male. Even if Jiang Shan's adrenaline surges, with her frail body, she probably can't beat him in terms of physical strength alone.
If you can outsmart someone, there's no need to fight head-on.
"So what if it is? So what if it isn't? It's none of your business!"
Jiang Shan's shoes involuntarily tapped on the wooden floor, like a rattlesnake lashing its tail to warn others to stay away.
She looked down at Chen Feng, who had suddenly turned over a new leaf, and coldly said, "Are you leaving or not? If you don't, I'll call the police."
“Little sister, little sister, your cousin was wrong. Your cousin shouldn’t have made that joke. Your cousin apologizes to you. Please forgive your cousin, okay? We’re family…”
"Who's family with you?"
Jiang Shan's face was gloomy, like a sponge that could be squeezed dry: "My surname is Jiang, your surname is Chen, we are from two different families."
Chen Feng pouted and said, "If your aunt hears you say that, she'll definitely be unhappy."
"Don't try to intimidate me with my mother. I already told you, it won't work." Jiang Shan held up one finger. "I'll count to three, one, two..."
Chen Feng clasped his hands together: "Okay, okay, I know it's no use. I won't morally blackmail you anymore. I'll leave right now and move out immediately... Please give me ten minutes to find a hotel, please!"
Jiang Shan let out a snort through his nose.
"In temperatures of 20 or 30 degrees Celsius, you won't die of cold. You can take your time finding a hotel outside the door; it's the same thing."
"Don't be so heartless, little sister!" Chen Feng's words flew across the page, faster than a rap. "Do you want to go to Disneyland? I can buy tickets for you and your colleague, let's go together! I've seen you all this time, and your aunt and uncle have never taken you..."
Jiang Shan froze.
Upon hearing the word "Disney," she admitted that she felt a fleeting, almost imperceptible, flutter of excitement.
She has lived in S City for more than four years, which is quite close to the famous Disneyland, but she has never been there once in all these years, and has never even thought about going.
From a young age, she was influenced by her parents' words and actions. They said that her parents worked hard to earn money and didn't save much at the end of the year. They said that going on a trip would cost tens of thousands of yuan, which was wasteful and extravagant.
Although she felt resentful, she had no choice but to admit defeat when she saw that she only had a four-figure bank account.
Tickets are just for entering Disneyland.
The food, drinks, and entertainment there truly reveal the real difference between the poor and the rich.
She had seen it on Xiaolushu (a Chinese social networking site), a chicken leg in the Disney park, I think it was a turkey leg, it did look a bit bigger than a regular chicken leg.
But no matter what, it's just a chicken leg, yet it can sell for nearly a hundred yuan.
At her university cafeteria, chicken legs cost only three yuan.
Moreover, chicken legs are simply boiled or steamed; the process isn't particularly complicated.
Even in S City, where prices are ridiculously high, ordering a fried chicken leg for delivery, including the delivery fee, would cost her at most fifty or sixty yuan.
As for Disney's shirts, jackets, shawls, dolls, and bags, each one costs more than this turkey leg.
Her monthly salary is only nine thousand.
With the need to maintain their own food, clothing, and daily necessities, as well as supplement the family income, where would they find spare money for entertainment?
"Little sister? Little sister?" Chen Feng waved his hand in front of Jiang Shan's eyes. Seeing that Jiang Shan's eyes were unfocused, he thought she was smitten. A smug smile unconsciously appeared on his thick lips. "Then it's settled. I'll buy tickets for you and your colleague. The three of us will go together!"
He was smiling, but inside he was laughing out loud.
Wasn't Jiang Shan very arrogant just now? Why isn't he arrogant now?
Sure enough, women are creatures who love to go out and take photos. They are already completely captivated by those popular Instagrammable spots, let alone a must-visit destination like Disneyland.
Even a tigress like Jiang Shan couldn't resist the temptation of going to Disneyland.
He first bribed Jiang Shan, then used Jiang Shan to whisper in Zhu Meng's ear, and the cooperation with Ansen Group was done, wasn't it?
It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!
"No."
Chen Feng waited smugly for half a minute, only to receive Jiang Shan's nonchalant rejection.
She slowly shook her head: "I'll go by myself."
Chen Feng's eyes widened suddenly. He had been nearsighted for a long time and had worn glasses for a long time, so long that his eyeballs had started to bulge outwards. With his eyes widened suddenly, his eyeballs appeared even more bulging. His already unremarkable facial features combined together made people want to praise him even more, leaving only the phrase "well-proportioned features" to describe him.
"Why didn't you go with your cousin? Jiangshan, you're a girl, it's dangerous for you to travel alone, you know? Your mother is worried about you, that's why she told you not to travel during your four years of college..."
Jiang Shan couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
So what if she's a woman? She's an adult who can take responsibility for her actions. With money and time, why can't she travel alone?
It's dangerous for her to travel alone, isn't it precisely because of men like Chen Feng that she has him?
Over the past twenty-two years, Jiang Shan has considered herself to be very sensible and obedient. If her mother and father told her to go east, she would never go west.
But perhaps because she was so repressed, at an age when she should be sensible, she occasionally showed an immature side, acting like a rebellious teenager.
Everyone told her not to go on the trip. Her mother said it was a waste of money, her father said it was a waste of time, and now Chen Feng has jumped in, saying it's not safe.
Life is so short, why can't she take these few days of vacation that she finally has?
Do we have to wait until she's so old that she won't be targeted by perverts when she goes out, until she can't walk anymore and has to have a nasal cannula inserted, before she can sit in a wheelchair and be pushed around by her children to see the world?
No money? She at least has savings. No time? She can't waste her vacation days. Unsafe? Then she'll just find someone to go with!
She grew up in a problem-ridden environment, so what she's best at is solving problems, isn't she?
It's just Disneyland? She actually wants to go!
No matter how expensive the ticket price or how high the prices are inside the park, she can still manage to squeeze out the time if she grits her teeth.
Even if all else fails, there's always the check Zhu Meng gave her as a safety net.
Finding a travel buddy is indeed a bit difficult, but she patiently searches among her colleagues, and maybe she can actually find one.
Anyway... as long as it's not Chen Feng, it's fine.
"Have you finished lecturing me?" Jiang Shan raised her hand to interrupt Chen Feng's incessant chatter. Her hand was raised in mid-air before she realized that this seemed to be a gesture that Zhu Meng often used. "If you haven't said enough, go outside and talk to the air. Don't lecture me."
Chen Feng dragged his luggage, his feet practically glued to the floor, slowly making his way towards the door.
"If you don't want to go to Disneyland, then we won't go. How about a boat ride? The night cruise on the Huangpu River is quite famous. Why don't you take your colleague and brother to see the Oriental Pearl Tower?"
Jiang Shan, his face cold, was about to slam the door shut when Chen Feng's phone rang. He pulled it out, and the message displayed two large words: "Aunt."
Chen Feng neither answered nor hung up.
He simply stood there, giving Jiang Shan a sinister smile: "Cousin, you don't want your aunt to know that you're living with a strange man, do you?"
The sun was blazing outside, and Jiangshan's rented apartment on the top floor was the first to get hot.
But she still shivered suddenly.
She found it strange. As the old saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." How could Chen Feng, an adult whose mindset was already fixed, suddenly change his ways without any external stimulation, and now be packing his bags to leave so readily...
So that's what she wanted to tell her mother about her and Zhu Meng!
Chen Feng let the phone ring in the hallway: "Oh, and one more thing, didn't you say I was staying here and owed you money? How about you name a price for last night's rent? How about I give you a hundred?"
Jiang Shan dared not think about the consequences of her mother finding out that she was living with an adult male.
Her breathing quickened involuntarily, and she answered instinctively, "I won't charge you the rent from last night, and I'll give you breakfast today as a gift, but..."
"But what?" Chen Feng used Jiang Shan's mother as a threat, showing no fear whatsoever. "Tell me!"
Jiang Shan unconsciously gritted his teeth and bit his lip, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his lower lip.
"But you should know how to talk about what happened between me and my colleague in front of my mother."
"Hey, it's nothing!" Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, like a seasoned hunter who had finally discovered a flaw in the prey he had been staking out. "As long as I have fun in S City, I definitely won't tell my aunt any of that nonsense."
Jiang Shan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"You want to take a night cruise on the Huangpu River, right? Okay, let's go tonight."
"Yes, yes, and Disneyland too!" Chen Feng nodded repeatedly. Just as he was about to take the elevator down, he turned back and added, "I'll call my aunt back and explain. Don't forget, you must bring your colleagues tonight!"
Jiang Shan slammed the door shut, leaving only a tiny crack, and leaned against the wall, exhausted. His legs were still too weak to move, and he managed to slip and fall to the ground without actually hurting himself.
Ugh, what's going on here?
Zhu Meng knocked on the door right on time at eleven o'clock.
Jiang Shan had just struggled to move to the sofa, wanting to rest for a while.
Hearing the sound, she thought Zhu Meng hadn't brought his keys, and forced herself to open the door, but three seconds later she heard a crisp "click".
Oh, Zhu Meng didn't forget his keys.
...Then why did he knock on the door?
Zhu Meng thought that Jiang Shan and Chen Feng were close siblings and that her sudden entry as an outsider would disturb them, so she knocked on the door first, then bent down to carry the dishwasher that Gao Ming had taken to the roof into the house.
He took off his leather shoes before entering the house, put on plastic slippers, stuffed all the dishes and chopsticks on the table into the dishwasher, looked left and right, but didn't see that annoying figure.
"...Where's my cousin?" he asked softly.
"They're gone."
Jiang Shan blurted out, then caught a fleeting look of surprise on Zhu Meng's face. Realizing that those two words were quite easy to misunderstand, he added, "He went to stay at a hotel."
Fireworks exploded in Zhu Meng's heart.
His lips unconsciously curled up, but seeing the gloom in Jiang Shan's eyes, he couldn't quite manage a smile.
Zhu Meng pondered her words three times, pursed her lips, and carefully uttered, "He left, and you...aren't you happy?"
Jiang Shan was indeed unhappy.
Having something on Jiang Shan in Chen Feng's hands felt like having a bomb strapped to his body that could explode at any moment. Jiang Shan felt extremely uncomfortable, and even breathing became difficult.
But why did she feel that Zhu Meng, who had nothing to do with this matter, was quite happy that Chen Feng had left?
"...I wasn't really unhappy."
Jiang Shan really didn't know how to bring up the past conflict between Chen Feng and her, so she vaguely glossed over it and quickly changed the subject: "Are you free tonight?"
Zhu Meng originally wanted to change out of his outdoor clothes into his home clothes before cooking, but Jiang Shan was always by his side, as if he had something to say. He couldn't just take them off directly, so he simply didn't change out of his pajamas and tied the pink bear apron over his white shirt.
When Jiang Shan asked this question, Zhu Meng had just tied his apron. His heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped the potatoes he was taking out of the vegetable basket.
Jiang Shan asked this because he wanted to ask him out for something tonight.
But the weather forecast says it will rain tonight.
Given such a good opportunity to flare up, his increasingly severe skin hunger syndrome wouldn't let him off the hook.
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