Chapter 19: Think Carefully Before You Speak

"Huh? Are you done eating, Brother Mingyuan?" Jiang Muyu asked.

Xie Mingyuan looked at the bitter melon in front of him, barely managing to keep a straight face. "I'm full. You two go ahead and eat."

Jiang Muyu looked somewhat regretful. "Alright then. Brother Mingyuan, feel free to chat with my cousin. I definitely won't disturb you."

Jiang Muqing did not know what she was up to, but he assumed it was just another one of her petty pranks.

"Muqing, shall I carry you upstairs?"

Hearing such words from a friend he once stood side-by-side with, Jiang Muqing felt a sense of unease.

But, fortunately...

"No need, I'm living on the first floor now."

"Isn't the first floor for the servants..." Xie Mingyuan trailed off, then laughed. "The first floor is quite nice, too. Very convenient."

Once the two had moved far away from the dining table, Jiang Muyu finally retracted her gaze and picked up her bowl.

The next second, a head leaned in close.

"Great-aunt, you haven't taken a liking to that Xie Mingyuan, have you?" Hu Hu asked in a low voice.

Jiang Muyu raised an eyebrow slightly. "What makes you say that?"

Hu Hu glanced at the closed door and lowered his voice further. "Great-aunt, don't let his decent appearance fool you. He is not a good person at all!"

"There used to be stray cats in the neighborhood that would scurry around, and drivers had to be careful. One time, this Xie Mingyuan hit a cat! Not only did he not get out of the car, but he also drove back and forth over it several times..."

Recalling the scene, Hu Hu lost his appetite entirely. Even though he knew some wealthy people were mentally unstable, witnessing that incident firsthand was something he couldn't stomach.

"In short," he concluded, "this Xie Mingyuan is truly a bad egg. Great-aunt, you must keep your eyes peeled!"

Jiang Muyu: "..."

She wasn't blind; she had seen the black aura swirling around Xie Mingyuan the moment he appeared. Furthermore, the instant he arrived, she had confirmed that he was the one who had swapped fates with Jiang Muqing.

Seeing that Hu Hu no longer had an appetite, Jiang Muyu dumped the rest of his food into her own bowl and finished it in a few quick bites. Then, she picked up the teapot from the table and headed toward Jiang Muqing's room.

Hu Feng and Hu Hu exchanged glances, unsure of what she was planning. However, they knew Jiang Muyu must have her reasons, so they simply waited.

Without waiting for a response from inside, Jiang Muyu pushed the door open and walked in, shaking the half-full pot of cold water in her hand.

"Brother Mingyuan, Cousin, would you like some water? You must be thirsty from all that talking. Let me pour you a drink..."

Having said that, she acted as if she had just realized she hadn't brought any cups, and turned back around.

"Cousin, wait a moment. I'll be right back with the cups."

"No need, we don't want water..." Jiang Muqing said hurriedly, but his refusal had no effect on Jiang Muyu.

Soon, she pushed the door open again and poured them both a glass of cold water.

Once the door was closed, Xie Mingyuan turned his attention toward him and asked, "Muqing, why haven't you mentioned this cousin of yours before?"

Jiang Muqing wanted to say that this was his first time meeting her as well—that she had just suddenly arrived at the Jiang household and claimed she wanted to help him. Although she seemed a bit strange, she didn't look like a bad person; perhaps she really was some distant relative.

He replied casually, "She's a relative from the countryside. She hasn't been to the capital before."

"I see." Xie Mingyuan didn't pursue the topic. His gaze fell on Jiang Muqing's legs. "Muqing, how are your legs doing now?"

Jiang Muqing lowered his eyes and gave a bitter smile. "Still the same as before. No improvement."

"Muqing, don't give up." Xie Mingyuan patted his shoulder. "I heard a doctor who is highly skilled in treating leg conditions just returned from abroad. I came today to ask what you thought. I can book an appointment for you; perhaps..."

Jiang Muqing shook his head. "Mingyuan, thank you for your kindness, but let's leave it at that."

"No!" Xie Mingyuan stood up, looking at him with eyes full of disappointment. "Jiang Muqing, are you really willing to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of your life? I'll come pick you up in two days."

With that, he pushed open the door and left.

Jiang Muqing sat in the room, watching him go. He could faintly hear the conversation between Jiang Muyu and Xie Mingyuan outside. "Brother Mingyuan, you're leaving already? Won't you stay for a glass of water? Our tap water is very sweet..."

After he had left, Hu Hu asked, "Why did you do that? Just to annoy him?"

Jiang Muyu shot him a sharp glare and asked through gritted teeth, "Do you think what I did was annoying?"

She clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking.

Hu Hu swallowed hard and retreated quickly. "Not annoying at all! Great-aunt, what you did just now was amazing. I was completely captivated!"

Jiang Muyu was satisfied and revealed a smile.

Now that she was fed and watered, it was time to make some money.

Before starting the livestream, Jiang Muyu practiced her winks and flying kisses in the mirror several times. She practiced so hard she nearly threw out her back, and her eyelids were practically cramping.

She poured herself a glass of water, dragged Jiang Muqing over to serve as a mascot, and officially began the day's livestream.

"Welcome to the stream, babies! Good afternoon, everyone!"

Hearing the overly sweet, affected tone in Jiang Muyu's voice, Jiang Muqing’s mouth twitched. This person’s ability to change faces was truly fast.

The next second, his wheelchair was kicked.

"What are you staring at? Hurry up and greet the beauties in the stream!"

Jiang Muqing bit the bullet and said, "Welcome everyone to the stream, and thank you all for the gifts."

Jiang Muyu turned back, satisfied.

-[Good afternoon, Little Feather!]
-[You're finally streaming! I thought you'd been arrested...]
-[I saw the clips from last night's stream and came to check it out.]
-[She doesn't look like a master to me. Can anyone who knows what's going on explain?]
-[I don't understand, but she looks like she's really good at this.]

Jiang Muyu looked at the comments on the screen and said, "Oh, babies, don't worry. I'm perfectly fine. I only went to the police station to cooperate with the officers. You see me stream all the time, how could I possibly do anything illegal?"

"But thank you all for your concern! In a moment, I'll post a lucky bag. The lucky baby who wins it will get a free fortune-telling session!"

She posted a lucky bag with a ten-minute countdown, waiting for the wealthy viewers to arrive.

Although she wanted to earn money, the livestream's popularity was more important. As long as there were plenty of viewers, she didn't have to worry about people sending gifts.

['Little Bun' sent Carnival ×1]

Seeing the familiar gift animation, Jiang Muyu immediately offered her thanks: "Thank you for the gift, Little Bun! You can apply for a live connection now!"

She knew it—as long as there were enough people in the stream, she wouldn't have to worry about finding people to spend money.