He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

"belch--"

Su Xiaoruan put down the bowl, which she had drunk the soup broth clean, and let out a burp without any regard for her image.

That bowl of scallion oil noodles not only filled her stomach, but also seemed to ease the anxiety that had been weighing on her. She glanced at Jiang Che somewhat shyly, then went to clear the dishes and make a gesture of goodwill.

"Leave it alone. You think you're qualified to wash dishes worth thousands of dollars?"

Jiang Che coldly stopped her, pointing to the bathroom at the end of the corridor: "Go take a shower. You have twenty minutes."

Su Xiaoruan withdrew her hand, glanced at the bathroom, and then subconsciously covered her face, her eyes darting around: "Uncle... can I not wash my face? Can I just shower?"

"Why?" Jiang Che raised an eyebrow.

Su Xiaoruan puffed out her not-so-ample chest with a righteous air: "This is my 'battle makeup'! You don't understand, in our line of work, presence is very important. If I take off my makeup, I won't look intimidating, and people will bully me!"

For a downtrodden girl like her who lacks a sense of security, the heavy smoky makeup and exaggerated false eyelashes are like a protective layer, hiding her weak and insecure self behind it.

Jiang Che looked at her face, which was painted like a palette of colors, and found it an eyesore.

"murderous look?"

Jiang Che chuckled and took a step forward.

[Basic Deterrence Aura] Activates instantly.

Although it was only at the beginner level, Jiang Che seemed to have suddenly become much taller and more imposing to Su Xiaoruan, a young girl whose mind was not yet mature. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, and he exuded a sense of oppression that made her soul tremble.

This feeling was a hundred times more terrifying than the "gang bosses" she had seen wielding watermelon knives and shouting threats of violence.

"I don't like dirty things in this house."

Jiang Che looked down at her, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Either wash yourself clean, or go outside and get soaked in the rain right now. Choose one."

Su Xiaoruan's body trembled violently, and her last bit of resolve crumbled instantly.

"I...I'll wash! I'll wash right away!"

She was so frightened that she grabbed the change of clothes Jiang Che had just placed beside her and limped into the bathroom.

With a "bang," the bathroom door slammed shut.

Jiang Che withdrew his gaze, the imposing look in his eyes fading, and shook his head helplessly. This halo from the system was quite useful for scaring little girls.

……

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Jiang Che was not idle.

He first cleaned the dining table, then walked to the sofa in the living room and looked at the dirty clothes that Su Xiaoruan had taken off there.

What a pile of junk it was!

A tank top covered in cheap sequins, with a lot of powder gone from rubbing; a faux leather jacket with a skull chain hanging from it, the cuffs were all worn out; and those denim shorts with so many holes they couldn't even cover up the flesh.

Each piece exudes that cheap nightclub and street-street vibe.

Jiang Che frowned, found a large black garbage bag, and without hesitation swept all the items that represented the "spirited young lady" identity into it.

"If you're going to raise it, you can't let it go to waste."

Jiang Che tied a tight knot and threw the trash bag directly into the recycling bin by the door.

After doing all this, he sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he glanced in the direction of the bathroom.

He wondered what the system's evaluation was: "a rough gem covered in dust." What would this little girl look like after she shed her unconventional exterior?

Time passed second by second.

Twenty minutes later.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

About five minutes later, the bathroom door handle was gently turned and opened with a "click".

Amidst a rising steam, a figure emerged somewhat awkwardly.

Jiang Che looked up, his fingers holding the cigarette paused slightly, and he froze.

The girl who came out was wearing a large men's white shirt.

That's Jiang Che's shirt.

Because Su Xiaoruan is petite (about 1.6 meters tall), this shirt looks like a short skirt on her, with the hem just covering the top of her thighs, revealing a pair of straight, well-proportioned and fair calves.

She stepped barefoot onto the non-slip mat at the bathroom door, her original smoky makeup, false eyelashes, and unconventional eyeliner all gone.

Instead, there was a small, pale face, no bigger than the palm of your hand, almost transparent.

Long-term malnutrition made her look somewhat pale, but precisely because of this, her big eyes, after removing her makeup, appeared exceptionally lively and clear, with fine water droplets still clinging to her eyelashes, fluttering like a newborn, innocent fawn.

The repulsive street-smart vibe from before was flushed down the drain along with the filth.

The girl standing there at that moment was clearly an extremely innocent girl next door, even with a hint of brokenness.

"this……"

Jiang Che was secretly surprised.

The system's assessment was indeed correct. This is a gem, and a top-quality one at that. Who would have thought that the foul-mouthed, pretentious young woman would have such a stunning appearance after washing up?

If she were thrown into a school, she'd definitely be a school beauty.

"Uncle..."

Su Xiaoruan felt a little uncomfortable under Jiang Che's gaze. She nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt, her cheeks flushed a faint pink from the hot shower she had just taken.

"Um...you didn't give me pants, so I'll have to wear this for now."

Her voice was soft, completely devoid of her previous arrogance. Removing her makeup was like truly removing her armor, turning her back into that timid and cowardly little girl.

"I threw the clothes away."

Jiang Che stubbed out his cigarette, his gaze calmly appreciating the work of art he had "discovered." "Those rubbish pieces aren't suitable for you. I'll take you to buy a new one tomorrow."

Hearing that her "battle robe" had been thrown away, Su Xiaoruan felt a little heartbroken, but seeing that Jiang Che didn't seem angry, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She cautiously walked into the living room, where the delicate scent of high-end shower gel replaced the original cheap perfume.

"Thank you, Uncle..." Su Xiaoruan said, her head down, her toes curling nervously on the carpet.

Jiang Che stood up, just about to say something, such as arranging where she would sleep tonight.

Just then.

"drop--"

Welcome home.

The cold, robotic door lock notification sounded out without warning.

In the quiet of the night, the sound was like a thunderclap.

Jiang Che's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously glanced at the clock on the wall—one o'clock in the morning.

Su Xiaoruan was startled and instinctively hid behind Jiang Che like a frightened cat.

The heavy front door was slowly pushed open.

The cold night wind blew in through the cracks in the door, dispelling the somewhat ambiguous and warm atmosphere that had been inside.

The high heels clicked rhythmically on the marble floor.

Shen Qingge is back.

She wore a well-tailored haute couture black business suit, her long black hair neatly styled in a bun, and carried the belated Hermès gift bag. She looked exhausted, and even before entering the room, she was still thinking about how to apologize to Jiang Che and how to ease the tension caused by her breaking their appointment.

however.

When she looked up and her gaze passed through the entryway and landed in the center of the living room, all her apologies and exhaustion froze into ice crystals in an instant.

What did she see?

Under the warm yellow light.

Her husband, Jiang Che, was standing next to the sofa.

Behind Jiang Che stood a girl who was too young and so beautiful she looked like a fairy.

The girl's hair was wet, clearly she had just taken a shower.

The most damning thing is that the girl was wearing her husband Jiang Che's white shirt!

The wide hem of the shirt couldn't hide those two fair legs, and the air was filled with the scent of a post-shower bath, as well as an indescribable "aftermath" atmosphere.

"Clatter".

Shen Qingge's expensive Hermes gift bag slipped from her hand and crashed heavily to the ground.

Her once clear and cold eyes now contracted sharply as she stared intently at Su Xiaoruan, then looked at Jiang Che.

A chill, visible to the naked eye, instantly swept through the entire mansion.

Jiang Che.

Shen Qingge's voice was no longer cold and clear, but instead carried a trembling and anger that had been suppressed to the extreme:

"Is this all you do at home?"