Chapter 13: Navigating the Martial World Relying Solely on Frugality

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Tian Xiwei’s face flushed crimson in an instant, and the cake box in her hand slipped and fell to the floor with a soft thud.

Behind her, Lin Xiaoman’s eyes widened as she glanced back and forth between the two of them. “Weiwei, is my brother really that fool you were talking about?”

“It’s not him!” Tian Xiwei screamed, crouching down to pick up the cake, only to bang her head against the wall with a dull thump.

Jiang Ye slowly crouched as well, his long fingers steadying the toppled cake box. “It’s me—the fool who even got rejected on WeChat by someone.”

“I-I’ll add you right now!” She fumbled for her phone, but then, with a clatter, coins spilled all over the floor from her pocket.

And there seemed to be quite a few coins…

“…”

Suddenly, Lin Xiaoman poked her head between them. “Bro! So you’re the poor sap who got tricked into buying cake by Little Tian?”

She then turned to Tian Xiwei, giving her a thumbs up. “Well done! My brother’s never been the sharpest!”

“Wh-what the heck…? This handsome… uncle?”

“Hm?” Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes.

“Brother!” She quickly corrected herself, flustered, waving her hands. “I meant brother!”

Lin Xiaoman stifled a laugh, her shoulders shaking as she quietly kicked her best friend.

Only then did Tian Xiwei notice her student ID lying on the floor. The photo on it—a grimacing close-up—was facing Jiang Ye.

“Tian Xiwei.” Jiang Ye pronounced the name on the card deliberately, then suddenly smiled. “Senior secondary school, class 2(3), Tongliang High School, right?”

“I’m dead…” Tian Xiwei covered her face, peeking through her fingers to see Jiang Ye slip her student ID into his pocket.

“I’ll return it to you at school tomorrow after class,” he whispered close to her flushed ear, lowering his voice, “and maybe have a little chat with your teacher about the legal consequences of student scams…”

Tian Xiwei gasped sharply, grabbed her best friend, and dashed back inside. “Xiaoman, let’s do our homework!”

Jiang Ye watched her fleeing figure leisurely as he pulled out his phone.

In his contacts was a friend request from “Sweet Tian Circle,” just sent, accompanied by a cute cat emoji.

Jiang Ye smiled slyly as he stared at the screen.

His slender fingers tapped a few times.

[Friend request declined]

[Reason: No scammers allowed]

No sooner had he sent the message than a muffled thud came from inside the room, followed by Tian Xiwei’s wail: “My phone!”

Soon, Lin Xiaoman bounced out like a joyful fawn, waving the phone with a gleeful smirk. “Bro! Little Tian got so mad she threw her phone on the bed!”

She leaned in, showing the screen. “Look at her Moments—she’s calling you ‘the stingiest man in the whole universe’!”

Jiang Ye glanced at the post:

[Sweet Tian Circle]: Met the stingiest ghost today!!! [Angry][Angry][Angry]

The picture was a candid side photo of him, with a pig’s nose drawn on it.

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“Tsk tsk.” Jiang Ye shook his head, just as he felt his sleeve tugged.

Lin Xiaoman leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice. “Bro, the women outside are all so bad…”

She blinked her big eyes. “Only family truly cares about you—especially your adorable, thoughtful little sister!”

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. “Speak plainly.”

“Well…” Lin Xiaoman fiddled with her fingers. “I’ve got my eye on a new phone, but Dad won’t buy it…”

Suddenly, she hugged Jiang Ye’s arm. “But you’re the one who loves me the most, right?”

Jiang Ye felt a bit exasperated.

Had his sister somehow gotten the wrong idea about him after hearing about Tian Xiwei’s glowing exploits?

Did she really think he was an idiot?

She managed to con a loaf of bread with cute antics, and he gets hit up for a phone?

But no matter what, she was still his sister!

“Alright.” Jiang Ye withdrew his arm slowly, pulled out his wallet, and under Lin Xiaoman’s hopeful gaze, took out a five-yuan note. “Go buy a phone case.”

“Jiang! Ye!” Lin Xiaoman stomped her foot in frustration. “You’re going to end up alone like this!”

“I was actually going to introduce you to Little Tian,” he said.

“?????”

What nonsense?

Little Tian was underage—why would he introduce her to him?

As a maid?

“Get lost!”

“Bro…”

Jiang Ye gave his sister a playful kick on the behind. “Let’s go!”

“Ouch… Jiang Ye, you’ll pay for this!”

…

The next day.

“Bro! We’re back!” Lin Xiaoman tossed her backpack onto the sofa and dashed upstairs barefoot.

Tian Xiwei followed, eyes darting anxiously, ready to bolt.

“Stop looking.” Lin Jianjun lifted his head from behind his newspaper. “Your brother’s plane left two hours ago; he’s probably almost in Yanjing by now.”

“Ah?!” Lin Xiaoman’s mouth dropped open wide enough to fit an egg. “Why didn’t he stay longer?”

“Beijing Film Academy opens day after tomorrow.” Lin Jianjun pushed up his glasses. “Besides, aren’t you both starting school soon too?”

Leaving already???

Tian Xiwei quietly breathed a sigh of relief, a smile creeping across her lips.

That stingy ghost finally left!

All that talk about telling the teacher? Just empty threats!

Hmph, she had been worried all day, too anxious to even eat dinner after school, and had come to scout out the enemy’s situation.

And this was it?

Just as she was quietly celebrating, Lin Jianjun added, “By the way, Xiaoman, your brother also signed you up for a new tutoring class this semester.”

“What?!” Lin Xiaoman’s voice soared several octaves.

“A special training class for the math competition, every Saturday all day,” Lin Jianjun shook the payment slip in his hand. “Your brother paid for it, so don’t disappoint him. It wasn’t cheap!”

Lin Xiaoman was struck like lightning, collapsing onto the sofa. “My Saturdays… my freedom… he’s not really my brother… wahhh!”

Tian Xiwei laughed so hard her stomach hurt. Then Lin Jianjun suddenly turned to her. “Little Tian, he signed you up too.”

“?????”

“Ah?!” Tian Xiwei jumped up. “W-why?”

“It was a buy-one-get-one deal. Since he found your student ID, he thought why waste it and signed you up!” he said.

“Oh, and I’ve already talked it over with your dad in the parent group chat. He’s very supportive.”

Tian Xiwei’s vision darkened…

“This is your enrollment confirmation.” Lin Jianjun handed over two gold-embossed cards. “Classes start this Saturday at 7 a.m. One tardy equals an additional mock exam.”

“Jiang! Ye!” The two girls screamed in unison.

Meanwhile, 30,000 feet above the ground, Jiang Ye leisurely sipped orange juice on the plane, feeling utterly refreshed.

He had survived the underworld for so many years on one simple principle: stinginess.

He never let a grudge go unpunished.

After the plane landed smoothly, he slowly unlocked his phone. Immediately, over a dozen WeChat friend requests popped up.

[Sweet Tian Circle]: I was wrong! [Crying]

[Sweet Tian Circle]: Bro, please accept!

[Sweet Tian Circle]: Begging for mercy! [Kneeling]

[Sweet Tian Circle]: I hate you!!!

“The weather in Yanjing is really nice,” Jiang Ye said, looking up at the blue sky, feeling joyful.

“Beijing Film Academy, here I come!”