"What's wrong with you now?" Jiang Xu said, somewhat annoyed.
He was getting a bit irritated by now.
"Wuuu wuuu wuuu!" Jiang Xiaoyan suddenly burst into tears, "We are going to part ways, and we won't see each other for a long time."
Jiang Xu: "What?"
Jiang Xiaoyan wiped her tears, "My dad came to my villa last night.
Then, he found the certificate I won for coming first in an international hackers competition last year.
So, he wants me to study abroad.
If I don't go, he's going to cut my allowance down to a hundred thousand yuan a month.
A hundred thousand? That's not nearly enough.
The old guy is firm and doesn't leave room for negotiation.
Ah, wouldn't it be better to be an ordinary person than a genius?"
Jiang Xu: "Where's my knife, where's my knife?"
"So..." Jiang Xiaoyan looked at Jiang Xu pitifully, "Do you want me to go?"
"I only care about one thing." Jiang Xu said seriously, "If you go abroad, can you still handle the website?
If you can't, you better divest."
Jiang Xiaoyan revealed her cute little canine teeth with a growl.
"Dare you, believe it or not, I'll rip your skin off"
But then she added, "Don't worry, I can maintain the website well even abroad."
Her mood started to drop.
It seemed she was really reluctant to part with Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu didn't see any problem with it though.
He just added, "When you go abroad, try to avoid conflicts with others.
Learn as much as you can, and then come back and work for me."
"You're annoying." Jiang Xiaoyan wiped her tears again.
However, Jiang Xu's interruption seemed to keep her from feeling too sad.
She then continued, "After I leave, you have to text me good morning, good afternoon, and good night every day.
Also, on holidays and such, you have to send me blessings as well.
You need to make at least two long-distance calls every week, and..."
"Stop, stop, stop." Jiang Xu interrupted her, saying unhappily, "I'm your partner, not your father."
Jiang Xiaoyan pouted her lips, about to cry again.
Jiang Xu wasn't going to fall for her tricks, "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow." Jiang Xiaoyan's expression changed instantly.
She asked cheerfully, "How about we go for barbecue tonight?"
Jiang Xu nodded, "Alright, I'll stop by the market after school and get the ingredients to make it at home."
Jiang Xu was strapped for cash now, so he had to be frugal.
When he arrived at the school and saw that everything was normal with An Nuonuo, he finally felt relieved.
He then transferred the novels he downloaded yesterday into her mobile phone.
He reminded her again to prioritize her studies.
"I know." The girl smiled sweetly, leaving Jiang Xu dumbfounded.
Damn, looks like I need to practice some emotional self-control techniques.
Tonight's homework was incredibly heavy, so Jiang Xu didn't leave the classroom until he finished it all after school.
An Nuonuo went home first, saying she wanted to quickly finish reading the novels Jiang Xu gave her.
As he walked on the campus, a few leaves fluttered down.
Jiang Xu reached out to catch them, realizing that it was fall already.
He could already feel a touch of coolness in the air.
He went straight to the vegetable market.
He bought half a kilogram of lamb, half a kilogram of beef, 10 chicken wings, a whole kilogram of leeks, some oysters, and some vegetables.
These should be enough.
He also bought two big bottles of cola from a store.
When he got home, he started to prepare.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Xiaoyan came downstairs as well.
She bounced around in front of Jiang Xu, "Is there anything I can help with?"
Jiang Xu: "Please don't let me see you before dinner, thank you."
Once before, Jiang Xiaoyan had tried to help.
She ended up breaking eight of Jiang Xu's bowls,
dumped a bag of salt into the soup,
and worst of all, put the rice cooker on the gas stove.
If Jiang Xu hadn't found out in time, this girl would have set the entire house on fire.
After about an hour, everything was ready.
Jiang Xu got up to wake Jiang Xiaoyan, who had fallen asleep on the sofa.
This girl was really terrible when she was asleep.
There was no trace of a ladylike image whatsoever.
Even drooling a bit.
Jiang Xiaoyan rubbed her eyes, sniffing appreciatively.
She could already smell the enticing aroma of barbecue.
With a whoosh, she dashed to the backyard.
Sitting down, she picked up a skewer of barbecue chicken wings and began eating.
"Mmm, tastes good, very crispy..."
Jiang Xu shook his head.
Was she planning to let loose and satisfy her cravings tonight?
He, too, sat down and picked up a skewer of roasted leeks.
Well, men should eat more leeks.
And oysters too, should eat plenty of those.
Accumulate some in advance.
Nuonuo, see how good I am to you, preparing for you a year in advance...
Eating and eating, Jiang Xiaoyan suddenly burst into tears.
The tears just wouldn't stop.
While crying, she continued to eat: "Am I a jinx? Why doesn't anyone like me?"
Jiang Xu sighed softly.
She was a pitiful child too.
Moving his stool, he sat down next to her.
Patted her on the back: "It's not your fault. Anyway, you now have more money than you can spend in a lifetime.
Go abroad, learn as much as you can.
But remember, do not date foreign guys."
Jiang Xiaoyan: "Why?"
Jiang Xu: "They are not compatible."
Jiang Xiaoyan rolled her eyes: "Psh!"
Distracted by Jiang Xu's random comment, she turned her attention away from her emo state.
She wolfed down large chunks of meat and gulped down cola.
She was just being melodramatic, not really being too heartbroken.
Many prepared foods, more than half of which she finished.
She looked petite and delicate, but her appetite was surprisingly large.
She drank nearly half a bottle of cola too.
Her eyes rolled while she groaned.
She was so full, she had trouble walking.
Jiang Xu had to help her upstairs.
"You've worked hard, Xiao Xuzi." Jiang Xiaoyan waved her hand: "I'm going to rest now. Do you want to … tonight?"
"Stop!" Jiang Xu got a shock: "Drop those dangerous thoughts.
I can't handle you right now."
Jiang Xiaoyan pouted: "Coward. Leave quickly, close the door."
Jiang Xu immediately departed.
To prevent her from causing troubles tonight.
Jiang Xu took his quilt and laptop downstairs to sleep.
The night passed uneventful.
When he woke up the next morning.
Jiang Xu went to brush his teeth and wash his face before going upstairs.
He knocked on Jiang Xiaoyan's door.
No answer.
He turned the doorknob.
It opened.
The room had a faint smell of freshness.
But it was empty.
The quilt and everything were neatly stacked.
She had changed her habits.
She never used to fold her quilt in the past.
Jiang Xu occasionally passed by and saw the mess inside.
Jiang Xiaoyan's stuff was all missing.
Jiang Xu felt an unexpected emptiness in his heart.
The little girl had secretly run away.
Did she fear that saying goodbye would be too emotional?
"Damn!" Jiang Xu gritted his teeth: "She sneaked away."
"I didn't even get the rent."
"Hm? What's this?"
Suddenly, Jiang Xu noticed a few things left on the desk...