Having just sold a bottle of “Farmer’s Three Punches,” Jiangnan tasted success.
How could he let this opportunity slip?
Not only was he making money, but he was also raking in heaps of resentment points.
A path to riches and a comfortable life.
He immediately pulled a stack of red bricks from his interdimensional space.
“Come, come, ancestral Farmer’s Three Punches!”
“One sip, split a brick with your head!”
“Two sips, kick a durian!”
“Three sips, soar to the heavens!”
“Live like a god!”
“No exaggeration, watch me split bricks live!”
He grabbed a red brick and smashed it against his forehead.
With a “bang,” it shattered.
The crowd was stunned, and soon a throng gathered.
“This guy! He’s really doing it!”
“Do you need a stunt to run a stall these days?”
“The boss is a beast!”
“Risking his life for money!”
Someone piped up, “Boss, those bricks are fake, right?”
Jiangnan’s eyes flared, grabbing a brick and standing up, “Fake? Come on, let me try it on you!”
[Resentment points from Song Xin +666!]
Boss…
Even if they’re fake, I wouldn’t dare try…
“Haha, the boss is hardcore. Real bricks! Red-shell, black-heart kiln bricks! Solid stuff!”
“This big brother knows his stuff!”
Soon, people started filming videos, and the crowd grew.
But after Jiangnan split over twenty bricks, his throat was hoarse from shouting.
The onlookers just watched, not buying anything.
Jiangnan’s heart ached. Bricks aren’t free, you know?
Even a street performance charges a fee these days.
If you won’t buy Farmer’s Three Punches, at least get a headband or boxers.
All freeloaders, huh?
Just then, gasps rippled through the crowd, and most drifted toward another spot.
Jiangnan was still smashing bricks, oblivious.
The crowd stirred.
“Stunning girl, I’ve never seen such a beauty in my life!”
“She’s on par with celebrities!”
“I’m in love!”
“Is this what love at first sight feels like?”
Xia Yao scanned the crowd, exuding wildness.
Like a white wolf hunting in the snow.
Blue eyes, silver hair to her shoulders, hot pants, black vest, and denim jacket.
Her toned midriff showed, standing tall at about 180 cm, legs straight out of a manga.
Zhong Yingxue, slightly shorter, wore slim jeans and a white shirt.
A sun hat topped her ear-length black hair, revealing a snowy neck.
Her features were breathtaking, like a painting impossible to capture.
Zhong Yingxue said, “Well, Xiaoyao? Found him?”
Xia Yao shook her head, still searching.
Zhong Yingxue’s eyes lit up, “There’s a crowd over there, let’s check it out!”
Xia Yao’s eyes sparkled, pulling Zhong Yingxue through the throng.
Only to see a bald guy splitting bricks…
Jiangnan looked up, his face paling.
He was about to teleport away.
“Finally caught you! Where do you think you’re going?”
Xia Yao lunged, tackling him on the stall with a chokehold.
Jiangnan: ???
His eyes rolled back from the grip.
[Resentment points from Xia Yao +1000!]
“You damned swindler! I’ve been looking for you for half a year!”
“Those two pairs of boxers you sold me faded like crazy!”
Jiangnan broke into a cold sweat, guilt all over his face, “Nonsense… how do you know they faded?”
Xia Yao’s teeth itched with rage.
How could she not know?
After wearing them all day, she went home for a nice bath and bed.
In the bathroom, she found the faded boxers had dyed her black.
Zhong Yingxue had laughed herself silly.
What kind of dye was that?
It took Xia Yao a week to scrub it off, afraid to rub too hard.
An unforgettable nightmare.
How could she admit that?
Utterly mortifying.
Since that incident, Xia Yao swore revenge.
She scoured night markets for six months.
Met Jiangnan twice, but he slipped away.
This time, no way was she letting him go.
Xia Yao, red-faced, snapped, “None of your business! Hmph, compensate me!”
The crowd exploded.
“Good grief, what’s happening?”
“This bald boss is that tough?”
“Two gorgeous girls after him? Wow, choked by a beauty? I want that too!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Fading boxers? Swindler! Deserved!”
“Jealous… I want to be a swindler too!”
Jiangnan had planned to teleport away.
But now?
Pressed tight together, barely breathing, escape was impossible.
Zhong Yingxue stood aside, covering her mouth, staring at Jiangnan in shock.
Tears welled in her eyes.
“Jiangnan? Is that you?”
Jiangnan froze at the familiar voice.
He’d been so focused on Xia Yao, he hadn’t noticed Zhong Yingxue.
He looked up at the girl before him.
“Little… Yingxue?”
His heart swelled with overwhelming joy.
Before he could speak, Zhong Yingxue rushed forward, enveloping him in a hug.
Jiangnan was enveloped in her fragrance, a warm embrace.
The crowd’s minds blew.
What the hell!
Double-teamed?
This is too much!
Is there no justice?
Caught in a pincer attack, Jiangnan was struggling.
“Urgh… Little Yingxue!”
“I… I can’t breathe!”
He squirmed, suffocating, truly overwhelmed.
But it felt pretty great.
(๑¯ω¯๑)
Zhong Yingxue realised her mistake, let go, her face flushed.
She wiped brick dust off Jiangnan’s head.
Xia Yao paused. Why did Yingxue rush in?
To help with revenge?
“Xiaoyao, let Jiangnan go!”
Xia Yao: ???
She shook her head frantically.
I finally caught him!
What if he runs?
Zhong Yingxue, helpless, gave a wry smile, “This is Jiangnan, the friend I told you about from the orphanage!”
Xia Yao’s eyes widened in shock.
No way.
This coincidental?
They already knew each other?
From the orphanage?
Childhood sweethearts?
Xia Yao, still fierce, said, “I’ll loosen up a bit, but don’t you dare run!”
Jiangnan, dazed, looked at Zhong Yingxue.
He could still see traces of her childhood self.
Zhong Yingxue wiped tears from her eyes, “Why’d you shave your head? And running a stall, splitting bricks…”
Jiangnan scratched his head, grinning, “It’s hot in summer, so I shaved it off. No hair to manage, saves money!”
“As for splitting bricks… I thought it might boost business!”
Zhong Yingxue’s eyes reddened again.
“These years since leaving the orphanage, it’s been tough, hasn’t it?”
Jiangnan shrugged, “What’s tough about it? In the orphanage, what hardships didn’t we face?”
“With hands and feet, I won’t starve.”
Both orphans, they grew up in Jiangcheng Orphanage.
Practically relying on each other.
As kids, Jiangnan saved pocket money for months to buy her a bag of White Rabbit candies.
When bullied, he always stood in front of her.
When he was sick, she was always at his bedside.
To Zhong Yingxue, Jiangnan was less a friend and more a tree shielding her from storms.
A bond worth more than money.
Two parentless orphans, leaning on each other through the toughest times.
They thought it would always be that way.
But at 13, Zhong Yingxue awakened her fire ability early.
Her talent reached a terrifying S-grade.
She was adopted and trained by the powerful Zhong family.
Despite her protests, she was separated from Jiangnan.
They hadn’t seen each other since.
At 16, Jiangnan left the orphanage, fending for himself until today.
He never expected to meet Zhong Yingxue here.
Xia Yao pouted, “Hey, baldy! Don’t think this gets you off the hook. You owe me compensation!”
Jiangnan, guilty, tentatively asked, “How about I give you two more pairs of boxers? Pick your favourite colour this time?”
Xia Yao glared, tightening her grip.
Pfft!
Dream on!
Compensate for what?
So I can dye myself again?
Jiangnan’s eyes rolled back from the chokehold.
This Xia Yao girl was freakishly strong.
“Alright, stop messing around! After all these years, still so naughty!”
“Let’s grab dinner and catch up later!”
Xia Yao had no intention of letting Jiangnan off.
Determined to make him pay.
“Wait… let me sell my stock first!”
Xia Yao pinned him to a stool, maintaining the chokehold, her weight pressing on his back.
“Don’t think about running! I’ll help you sell!”
Jiangnan rolled his eyes, “Sell if you want, but ease up! I can’t breathe!”
