“Teacher Jiang, you’re not messing with us, are you?”
After Deng Sha revealed that Jiang Nian had been practicing the “Evil-Resisting Sword Art,” it took quite a while for Huo Jianhua to snap out of the shock. He looked at Jiang Nian and asked.
It wasn’t that he had a habit of being dismissive.
It was mainly that this whole thing just sounded way too unbelievable.
This was the “Evil-Resisting Sword Art” they were talking about.
Something that only existed in novels.
Anyone with a bit of common sense would think this was unrealistic and impossible.
“Yeah, Teacher Jiang. We know you’re amazing, but isn’t this a bit too outrageous?”
Yuan Shanshan chimed in.
Jiang Nian wasn’t surprised by their reaction. He just countered: “Since you guys think I’m not practicing the Evil-Resisting Sword Art, then tell me—what am I practicing?”
“Uh, well…”
At that, Huo Jianhua and Yuan Shanshan exchanged glances and fell into deep thought.
Seeing that the two of them had actually been stumped,
Deng Sha, standing nearby, looked puzzled: “Teacher Huo, Sister Shanshan, you two aren’t really trying to use other martial arts to prove that Teacher Jiang isn’t practicing the Evil-Resisting Sword Art, are you?”
Hearing this, the two looked at her with expressions that said “obviously”: “Yeah, what else?”
“…”
Deng Sha was speechless.
She took a deep breath: “Have you guys ever considered that if Teacher Jiang really is practicing the Evil-Resisting Sword Art, all we need to verify it is one little chant?”
“A chant?”
“Right. Don’t you remember what the chant for the Evil-Resisting Sword Art is? ‘To practice this art…'”
“‘Castrate yourself with a blade’? Oh crap, Shasha’s got a point. Teacher Jiang, if you really are practicing the Evil-Resisting Sword Art, you didn’t actually…”
Yuan Shanshan caught on, and her gaze immediately took on a meaningful quality.
Watching her eyes repeatedly sweep downward over his body,
Jiang Nian: “???”
He instinctively reached down to cover himself, his face full of wariness: “What are you trying to do?”
Yuan Shanshan grinned: “Nothing much. Just want to verify something. Teacher Jiang, would you mind cooperating a bit?”
Jiang Nian: “…”
What the hell.
He, Jiang Nian, had actually been sexually harassed!
“You perverted woman!”
Taking two steps back, Jiang Nian’s face was written all over with wariness as he looked at Yuan Shanshan.
Yuan Shanshan didn’t mind at all. She even grinned: “Oh, so you figured it out. Well then, Teacher Jiang, I won’t hold back!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she pounced right at him.
Seeing her looking like a lust demon possessed, Jiang Nian’s expression changed and he quickly dodged.
But just then, Deng Sha, who was standing nearby, suddenly grabbed hold of him and shouted: “Sister Shanshan, come quick! I’ve got Teacher Jiang pinned!”
“Holy shit!”
Seeing this, Jiang Nian cursed out loud.
Yuan Shanshan was one thing, but you too?
What the hell was this?
He was the one who’d been teasing them—how had it turned into him being the one getting harassed?
He was so angry he was shaking.
When would men truly be able to stand tall?!
Just as Jiang Nian, Yuan Shanshan, and the others were fooling around,
none of them noticed that Yang Rong, who had originally been planning to come over and have a word with Jiang Nian, stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the scene.
The look in her eyes was inscrutable.
Her slender brows furrowed and relaxed, relaxed and furrowed.
Finally, with a muffled humph, she turned and left.
Jiang Nian heard that last humph, so he stopped and turned to look.
He saw Yang Rong walking away with her back to him, her steps hurried, radiating an uncomfortable low pressure all around her.
But that wasn’t the key. The key was that, somewhere deep down, Jiang Nian could sense that part of Yang Rong’s current mood was directed at him.
“What’s going on here?”
Jiang Nian was baffled.
When he left two days ago, everything was fine—not a single problem.
So how was it that the moment he got back today, Yang Rong was pulling this on him?
He hadn’t done anything to provoke her!
Thinking this, Jiang Nian reached out and grabbed Deng Sha, who had come running to grab him again, and asked: “Shasha, stop messing around. Let me ask you something first—has anything bad happened in the crew during this time?”
“Huh?” Deng Sha was startled: “Something bad? No.”
Jiang Nian didn’t believe her: “Then why is Yang Rong like this now?”
“Oh, you mean that. That’s…”
Deng Sha instinctively was about to say that Xu Xinyuan had shown up.
But before the words could leave her mouth, she suddenly remembered that before filming, Yuan Shanshan had specifically warned her not to blab.
So she quickly changed her tune: “I don’t know.”
“Really?”
“Really! Ugh, Teacher Jiang, stop asking me. Even if I knew, I couldn’t say. This is between you guys—just go ask Sister Rongrong yourself.”
Deng Sha said.
Hearing this, Jiang Nian narrowed his eyes.
Couldn’t say?
“Looks like this is a bit complicated.”
Jiang Nian thought to himself, then let go of Deng Sha’s hand and said: “Alright, alright, I was just asking. Look at you. You’re off the hook—go play.”
As soon as the words landed, Deng Sha quickly ran off to the side.
But halfway there, she stopped and turned back to look at Jiang Nian:
“Um, Teacher Jiang, I can’t say it directly, but I can give you a hint. The reason Sister Rongrong is like this is because of all those romantic entanglements of yours.”
“And it’s not just Sister Rongrong—several other people are the same way. Personally, I’d recommend that when necessary, you should just cut these entanglements off. Otherwise, if this drags on, things could really blow up.”
“Alright, that’s all I’m saying. You handle it yourself. I’m heading out. Bye!”
With that, Deng Sha quickly left.
Jiang Nian stood there, brows furrowed.
“Romantic entanglements?”
He chewed on those two words repeatedly, his expression strange.
As someone who left affection everywhere and was determined to hear the highest notes in the world,
Jiang Nian admitted that his romantic luck was indeed just a tiny bit more abundant than the average person’s.
But…
“How does this even involve Yang Rong?”
“My focus this whole time has clearly been on Xu Xinyuan and Chen Qiao’en. I haven’t really provoked her, have I?”
“Throwing herself at me?”
Weird. This was way too weird.
Jiang Nian gradually gave up thinking.
Seven hours later, after Jiang Nian had removed his makeup, finished his martial arts practice, and returned to his apartment to flip through “Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Mock Exams” to prepare for the college entrance exam—
“Ding dong—”
The doorbell rang, interrupting his studying.
Jiang Nian checked the time. Eight PM.
He wondered who would come looking for him at this hour.
So he got up, went to the door, and opened it.
There stood Chen Qiao’en, holding a wooden box with both hands. Seeing Jiang Nian, a smile appeared on her face:
“Teacher Jiang, you’re back.”
“Yeah, Sister Qiao’en. It’s so late—is something the matter?”
Jiang Nian asked.
Chen Qiao’en smiled slightly and raised the wooden box in her hands: “Nothing much. I just figured you’d be done with your martial arts practice by now and probably haven’t eaten yet, so I brought you some food.”
That morning, Xu Xinyuan’s appearance had made her feel threatened.
She realized that if she continued developing things this slowly, given her current progress with Jiang Nian, Xu Xinyuan might actually beat her to it and steal Jiang Nian away.
So after going back, she had a flash of inspiration and directly copied what Xu Xinyuan had done that morning. She went home and busily started cooking, then calculated the time Jiang Nian would return and hurried over to deliver food to him.
Sure, doing this might seem a bit like copying someone else’s idea.
But Chen Qiao’en didn’t care.
As long as it worked, who cared about all that?
What gave Xu Xinyuan the right to do it but not her, Chen Qiao’en?
Jiang Nian, of course, had no idea about all these underlying schemes.
He just saw how much Chen Qiao’en cared about him, how enthusiastic she was, and beamed:
“Oh wow, you really didn’t have to.”
“It’s cold outside. Let’s not stand at the door talking—come on in.”
With that, Jiang Nian stepped aside and gestured for Chen Qiao’en to enter.
Seeing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Chen Qiao’en’s eyes.
After all, this was the first time she’d been to Jiang Nian’s home since meeting him.
It made her heart flutter with excitement.
But on the surface, she still put on a calm demeanor, nodded, and happily accepted Jiang Nian’s invitation.
Originally, Jiang Nian had been living in the dorms.
But because of that tiger incident at the scenic area at the end of last year, Jiang Nian had moved into this apartment.
The apartment was quite large—a standard two-bedroom, one-living-room layout.
The moment you walked in, you could smell a subtle, elegant fragrance.
Chen Qiao’en looked around and quickly found the source of the scent. She couldn’t help but smile: “Teacher Jiang, you’re quite the romantic. Scented candles everywhere.”
Hearing this, Jiang Nian laughed:
“Well, it’s because I have a habit of smoking. The smell bothers me even when I’m the one living here, so before I go out, I usually light one and open the windows for ventilation to freshen up the place.”
“Make yourself at home. The remote’s on the table—feel free to watch TV if you want. I’ll go get you some water.”
Leaving it at that, Jiang Nian walked over to the water dispenser and poured Chen Qiao’en a glass.
Chen Qiao’en sat obediently on the sofa, watching Jiang Nian’s back, and couldn’t help but think about that argument with Xu Xinyuan this morning. A sense of smugness welled up in her heart.
If the situation allowed,
she would have taken a photo and sent it to Xu Xinyuan for a good old-fashioned “dragon riding face” moment.
Talk big, huh?
This is Jiang Nian’s home!
So what if Xu Xinyuan is pretty, has a bigger name, and is scheming?
You still can’t get into this place—you can only watch as she, Chen Qiao’en, does!
That’s what real power looks like, understand?!
“Trying to compete with me?”
“You really think I’m a kid?”
Chen Qiao’en thought to herself.
Just as she was about to pick up the TV remote in Jiang Nian’s apartment and savor her victory—
“Ding dong—”
Suddenly, the crisp sound of the doorbell rang.
It caught not only Chen Qiao’en’s attention but Jiang Nian’s as well.
He brought the water over, set it in front of Chen Qiao’en, scratched his head, and said with a puzzled look:
“What’s going on today? Another visitor?”
“Qiao’en, let me go check first. You wait here, okay?”
Hearing this, for some reason, a bad premonition suddenly rose in Chen Qiao’en’s heart.
But since Jiang Nian had said so, she couldn’t really object. She could only nod: “Okay.”
Then she picked up the water Jiang Nian had placed on the table and took a small sip.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nian went to the door and opened it.
A gust of fragrant wind greeted him.
Alluring but not gaudy.
Jiang Nian looked closely and let out a small sound of surprise: “Xinyuan?”
“Bingo, correct answer! So, are you surprised? Caught off guard?”
Xu Xinyuan said with a grin from the doorway.
Her voice traveled through the hallway and reached Chen Qiao’en’s ears.
Instantly, Chen Qiao’en’s heart sank.
It’s her?!
She quietly tightened her grip on the cup, her previously decent mood plunging straight to rock bottom.
Jiang Nian was confused: “Why are you here?”
Xu Xinyuan looked puzzled: “Can’t I come?”
“No, I mean—it’s so dark out. Why aren’t you at home? What are you doing looking for me?”
Jiang Nian asked, his gaze sweeping over Xu Xinyuan and quickly spotting a box in her hands.
Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes.
A thought rose uncontrollably in his mind.
That was—could this Xu Xinyuan also be here to deliver him food?
And just as that thought arose,
the next second, Xu Xinyuan raised the box and said: “Of course it’s to bring you food! You practice martial arts, so you burn a lot of calories. You really need to take care of your health and make sure you eat properly.”
At those words, Jiang Nian went into a daze.
Because those words were just way too damn familiar!
If the person standing in front of him hadn’t changed from Chen Qiao’en to Xu Xinyuan,
Jiang Nian would have suspected he’d been hit by Golden Experience Requiem and fallen into a reality he could never reach.
But even so, he felt absolutely floored.
He thought, what the hell is going on here?
“Did I walk into a zoo? Why are they forming a group to deliver me food?”
Jiang Nian was dumbfounded.
This made it so his face didn’t show too much emotion.
Seeing his somewhat off reaction, Xu Xinyuan found it strange: “Teacher Jiang, what’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”
Jiang Nian snapped back to his senses and shook his head: “No, no, I’m very happy you brought me food. It’s just…”
He wasn’t sure how to tell Xu Xinyuan that Chen Qiao’en had also brought him food—and was currently inside his apartment.
Because after Deng Sha’s reminder at noon,
he’d realized that during his absence, those two might have had a falling out and dragged Yang Rong into it too.
If he let them meet now,
and in his apartment no less,
this was probably going to blow up.
Jiang Nian gathered his thoughts, trying to figure out how to persuade Xu Xinyuan to leave.
But Xu Xinyuan wasn’t about to give him that chance.
Because the whole reason she’d picked this time to deliver food to Jiang Nian
was to get into his apartment—and maybe even stay the night.
So, after noticing that Jiang Nian hadn’t moved for a while, she chose to take the initiative.
She walked straight inside with the food, saying as she went: “Teacher Jiang, it’s freezing out here. I’ll just head in first. Me catching a cold isn’t a big deal—the main thing is, if the food gets cold, it won’t taste…”
Before the words “as good” could leave her mouth,
Xu Xinyuan’s voice came to an abrupt halt.
Because after entering, the very first thing she saw was the uninvited guest sitting on the sofa.
Instantly, her expression darkened.
“Chen Qiao’en?”
“What are you doing here?!”
Hearing this, Jiang Nian slapped his forehead.
“I’m screwed!”
