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

Inside the guest room.

When Su Xiaoruan limped into the room, her carefully constructed "little fox" act instantly crumbled.

This isn't a guest room! It's bigger than the entire apartment in her old, run-down rental!

The off-white long-pile carpet was so soft you'd want to roll around in it; the huge bay window faced the river view; and there was that ridiculously expensive-looking European-style bed, with even fresh aromatherapy candles on the bedside table.

"Wow... is this what life is like for the rich?"

Su Xiaoruan sat carefully on the edge of the bed, afraid that the dust on her bottom would soil the pristine white sheets. She looked around, overwhelmed by a strong sense of unreality.

Just half an hour ago, she was thrown into a mud puddle like a stray dog ​​and almost humiliated by hooligans.

Now, she sits in her luxurious Tomson Riviera apartment, surrounded by expensive aromatherapy scents.

All of this was given to me by that uncle named Jiang Che.

"Knock knock".

There was a knock on the door, and before Su Xiaoruan could respond, Jiang Che pushed the door open and walked in.

He was carrying a white first-aid kit and holding a bottle of chilled mineral water.

"Stretch your legs out."

Jiang Che walked to the bedside, squatted down, opened the first-aid kit, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were giving a command.

Su Xiaoruan was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks flushed slightly. Although she usually dressed casually and was well-connected, that was to intimidate people. When it came to this private moment alone with a handsome and charismatic mature man, she actually became timid.

"Um... um, uncle, can I do it myself?" Su Xiaoruan shrank her feet.

"Can you see behind your ankle yourself?"

Jiang Che ignored her hesitation and grabbed her slender leg with one large hand, pulling her foot onto his knee.

Su Xiaoruan's body tensed up suddenly.

Jiang Che's palms were warm and large, and the warmth seeped through her skin, making her feel itchy.

"Bear with it, it might hurt."

Jiang Che took out a bottle of safflower oil, poured it into his palm, rubbed it to warm it, and then applied it to Su Xiaoru's ankle, which was swollen like a steamed bun.

"Ouch—! That hurts!"

Su Xiaoruan cried out in pain, tears welling up in her eyes instantly.

"Weren't you quite capable when you were criticizing your sister Qingge? You can't even handle this little bit of pain?" Jiang Che mocked, but he lightened the pressure on her hands and began to massage her with professional techniques to help remove the bruising.

As Jiang Che moved, the excruciating pain gradually transformed into a warm, soothing sensation.

Su Xiaoruan looked down at the man squatting in front of her.

The light shone on his profile, highlighting his long eyelashes, high nose bridge, and focused expression as if he were polishing a rare treasure.

Su Xiaoruan's heart skipped a beat.

From childhood to adulthood, apart from her mother who passed away long ago, no one has ever squatted down like this to apply medicine to her feet or massage them.

Those so-called "big brothers" and "friends" only asked her to drink on behalf of others and to join in fights.

"Uncle..."

Su Xiaoruan spoke as if possessed, her voice incredibly soft:

"Is that woman...your wife?"

Jiang Che continued what he was doing: "Mm."

"She's so fierce, and... she seems to look down on me." Su Xiaoruan lowered her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of inferiority and loneliness. "Yeah, she's a queen living in a big villa, and I'm just a rat in the gutter."

Jiang Che looked up and glanced at her.

At this moment, Su Xiaoruan, having removed her makeup and wearing a loose shirt, sat on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, looking like a wounded little animal.

"Who said you're a rat?"

Jiang Che took a wet wipe, wiped the medicated oil off his hands, and said calmly:

"You might have been before, but once you've stepped through this door, you won't be anymore."

"Put away those messy thoughts and get a good night's sleep."

After saying that, Jiang Che stood up, took something out of his pocket, and threw it on the bed.

It was a brand new iPhone (probably a backup phone), still in its plastic wrap.

"Just use this for now; it has my number saved in it. I'll take you to buy a new one tomorrow."

Jiang Che picked up the medicine box and turned to leave.

"elder brother!"

Su Xiaoruan suddenly called out to him.

Jiang Che turned around.

Su Xiaoruan was kneeling on the bed, her hands gripping the sheets, her eyes gleaming with an almost stubborn light.

"That lady said she's letting me leave tomorrow..."

"Can...can I stay?"

"I'll be very good. I'll do housework, I'll... I'll wash your feet! Just don't kick me out, I'll eat leftovers and sleep on the floor!"

She was really scared.

She feared that when she woke up, this warm, dreamlike life would shatter, and she would have to return to that cold, dirty, and violent street.

Jiang Che looked into her large, pleading eyes.

【Ding! 】

[The game detected that the pet "Su Xiaoruan" has developed an extreme sense of dependency.]

[Temporary quest triggered: Get her to stay. Break the wife's "one-night" rule.]

[Reward: 200 million RMB in cash; Skill: Basic Business Acumen (paving the way for the host's future tycoon career).]

Jiang Che's lips curled up slightly, revealing a reassuring smile that put Su Xiaoruan at ease.

"Sleep soundly."

"In this family, I'm the one who calls the shots."

Leaving behind this domineering remark, Jiang Che turned off the lights and closed the door.

In the darkness, Su Xiaoruan hugged her new phone, rolled around on the bed, buried her face in the sun-scented blankets, giggled for a long time, and finally fell into a deep sleep with tears in her eyes.

……

In the living room.

Jiang Che did not return to the master bedroom.

The door was locked from the inside, and he didn't want to knock and make a fool of himself.

He lay on the three-meter-long leather sofa, toying with the futuristic-looking Bugatti car key in his hand.

The cold metallic touch reminded him that this was not a dream.

"The Godly Tycoon System...Cultivation..."

Jiang Che stared at the chandelier on the ceiling, his gaze gradually sharpening.

Shen Qingge, since you want an obedient husband, I've done enough this past year. But you don't seem to appreciate it.

So let's start living a different life from today.

That night, Shen Qingge tossed and turned in the master bedroom, unable to sleep.

Jiang Che, on the sofa, held the key to a new world and slept soundly.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed into the living room through the floor-to-ceiling windows after the rain, filling the air with a fresh scent.

Shen Qingge was woken up by her alarm clock.

With dark circles under her eyes and a splitting headache, she crawled out of bed. She was still angry from last night, and coupled with her unfamiliarity with the bed (she was used to Jiang Che sleeping next to her), she had nightmares almost all night.

My dreams are filled with images of Jiang Che eloping with that little vixen.

"Damn Jiang Che..."

Shen Qingge cursed, washed up, changed into a smart business suit, and resumed her image as a decisive and efficient female CEO.

She pushed open the bedroom door, intending to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and while she was at it...

While you're at it, make sure that wild girl gets out of here.

However, when she walked into the living room, the scene before her almost made her twist her ankle in her high heels.

Su Xiaoruan was seen wearing that still ill-fitting white shirt, bustling around the living room like a diligent little bee.

She was wiping the table.

Although her movements were clumsy, and she even spilled water on the carpet, she made a great effort to ingratiate herself.

Jiang Che, wearing an apron, was making breakfast in the kitchen, the air filled with the aroma of fried eggs and bacon.

"Brother! Does this vase look nice here?" Su Xiaoruan asked, holding a bunch of dried flowers that she had somehow found.

"Not bad, move it a little to the left." Jiang Che gave the order without turning his head.

"Okay!"

This scene was so harmonious it was almost jarring.

Shen Qingge stood at the entrance of the corridor, feeling like an outsider.

An inexplicable anger suddenly surged to the top of his head.

"What is she doing?"

Shen Qingge's cold voice shattered the warm atmosphere.

Su Xiaoruan was so startled that her hand trembled, and the vase almost fell to the ground. When she saw Shen Qingge's icy face, she reflexively shrank behind the sofa, revealing a pair of timid eyes.

Jiang Che walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates, his expression as usual:

"Awake? Wash your hands and eat."

Shen Qingge did not move.

She strode to the dining table, placed her hands on the surface, and stared sharply at Jiang Che:

"Jiang Che, have you forgotten what I said last night?"

"I told you, she's only allowed to stay one night. Now it's daylight, the rain has stopped, let her go."

Shen Qingge glanced at the time: "Give her ten minutes to pack her things. I can have the driver take her anywhere, or give her some money."

This was her final act of kindness.

Su Xiaoruan bit her lip behind the sofa, tears welling up instantly, but she didn't dare to speak, only looking pitifully at Jiang Che.

Jiang Che put down the plate, untied his apron, and slowly wiped his hands.

"She can't leave."

Jiang Che spoke calmly, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

"Why can't you walk?" Shen Qingge laughed in exasperation. "Is your leg broken? Or are you paralyzed?"

"almost."

Jiang Che pointed to Su Xiaoruan's ankle, which was swollen like a bun and hadn't fully subsided. "The safflower oil was just applied, and the doctor said (actually, he made it up) she needs to rest for at least three days and can't get out of bed. Are you asking her to crawl out now?"

"I can call an ambulance for her! She can go to the hospital!" Shen Qingge insisted.

"She's unregistered, she doesn't have an ID card, she can't get into the hospital." Jiang Che lied without batting an eye. "Besides, those thugs are still active in this area. If something happens to her after she leaves this place, do you want me to be burdened with a murder debt?"

"You..." Shen Qingge was speechless.

"besides."

Jiang Che suddenly took a step closer, looked into Shen Qingge's eyes, and said in a low voice:

"Qingge, you've been very busy at work these past few days, often working overtime and not coming home. I'm so bored being home alone."

"Since you don't have time for me, how about I raise a... little sister to keep me company? That's not too much to ask, is it?"

This statement is extremely damaging.

It both criticizes Shen Qingge for neglecting her family and adopts a victim mentality of "I am very lonely".

Looking into Jiang Che's deep eyes, Shen Qingge suddenly found herself unable to utter the harsh words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She truly owed Jiang Che a debt.

Married for a year, she was busy with her career and left her husband at home like a decoration.

"...Raise a younger sister?"

Shen Qingge gritted her teeth, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Jiang Che and Su Xiaoruan, before finally letting out a cold laugh:

"Jiang Che, you'll regret this."

"Okay, leave as soon as your leg injury heals. That's the bottom line."

Shen Qingge compromised. Or rather, she didn't dare to push too hard. She vaguely sensed that Jiang Che was like a taut string, about to snap if pulled any further.

"Have a meal."

Jiang Che seemed to have anticipated this outcome. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and casually waved to Su Xiaoruan behind the sofa.

"Come on, let's eat. Your sister Qingge agreed."

Su Xiaoruan felt like she had been granted a pardon. She limped over and even bowed slightly as she passed Shen Qingge.

"Thank you, sister! You're so kind! You look so beautiful today!"

Shen Qingge looked at this little green tea b*tch who could change her expression faster than flipping through a book, and felt her temples throbbing.

She looked at the breakfast on the table that was originally meant for the two of them, but now had an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl, and felt a tightness in her chest.

This is hardly like taking in a younger sister.

This is clearly creating a natural enemy for oneself.