The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 27.4

Chapter 27.4

A week passed since Yun Ran left. Jiang Xueyu still had the maid clean Yun Ran’s room as if she still lived there.

At breakfast that day, Jiang Xueyu finally couldn’t hold back and asked her brother, “I miss sister-in-law so much. Don’t you miss her at all?”

Jiang Musheng didn’t answer and just drank his porridge silently.

Today, he wasn’t drinking plain white porridge, but century egg and lean pork congee, which Yun Ran loved.

Seeing that her brother was ignoring her, Xueyu threw her spoon into the bowl in frustration, splashing white porridge onto the table.

The translucent white porridge quickly vanished on the white tablecloth, like a tiny snowflake in a warm winter that melts as soon as it lands on your palm.

Jiang Xueyu said sadly, “The books are right. You men are all heartless!”

Jiang Musheng looked at his sister helplessly.

Alan stood by and wordlessly scooped a new bowl of white porridge for his young mistress, adding a layer of preserved vegetables.

But Jiang Xueyu refused to eat anymore.

Jiang Musheng said, “Finish this bowl of porridge, and I’ll take you to see A’ran today.”

“Really?” Jiang Xueyu asked anxiously.

“Yes.”

Jiang Xueyu began to drink the porridge, spooning it into her mouth, looking as if her appetite had suddenly returned.

After finishing the bowl of porridge, Jiang Xueyu turned the bowl over for her brother to inspect. “I finished it. Brother, you have to keep your promise. Lying makes you a little dog.”

Jiang Musheng said, “When have I ever lied to you?”

“Never.”

Jiang Xueyu stared at her brother expectantly.

Jiang Musheng said, “We’ll go this afternoon.”

“I have to wait until the afternoon?”

“Yes, we need to prepare something.”

“What something?” Jiang Xueyu asked curiously. “Is brother preparing a gift to ask for a reconciliation?”

Jiang Musheng said, “A’ran never said she wanted to break up with me.”

Jiang Xueyu said, “You don’t have to say the word ‘break up’ to break up. If you’re apart, you’re apart, just like me and…” She stopped abruptly and changed the subject. “Brother, what are you going to prepare?”

After finishing his breakfast slowly, Jiang Musheng revealed, “The wind is nice today. There’s a square by the bay that’s perfect for flying kites.”

“Flying kites is great!” Jiang Xueyu clapped her hands in delight.

At three in the afternoon, Jiang Xueyu and Jiang Musheng set off with two kites.

Xueyu’s was a colorful butterfly, mostly pink. Jiang Musheng’s was a silver-white nine-tailed fox. Its structure was more complex than Xueyu’s. Even before it was launched, its nine long, slender tails were already fluttering in the moving air.

When they arrived at the square, it was not yet four o’clock. Yun Ran had not yet finished work at the roast goose shop. The siblings flew their kites on their own. There were many people flying kites today.

Big ones, small ones, old people, and young people, all with their kites.

Jiang Musheng didn’t move. He just watched his sister fly her kite, watching as the butterfly kite flew high. It accidentally got tangled with someone else’s kite and eventually both fell to the ground. They had to ask a professional kite maker to spend a lot of effort to untangle them.

They played until a little after six in the afternoon. The square was slowly emptying out, and the sky was getting dark.

Xueyu was also tired of playing. She handed her butterfly kite to Alan and instructed him, “Let my kite fly in the sky for a little longer. I want it to be freer than me.”

Alan flew the kite very high.

Jiang Musheng, holding the silver-white nine-tailed fox kite, stepped into the night. He slowly let out the string, gently pulling. The silver-white nine-tailed fox suddenly came to life, shining brightly in the night sky like an electronic firework that had been programmed.

However, on closer inspection, it was just a beautiful, rare, high-end kite.

Jiang Xueyu looked at the sky and couldn’t help but say, “It’s so beautiful.”

Alan, reeling in the kite string in his hand, marveled, “Mr. Jiang is so good at flying kites.” He was not confident he could fly the nine-tailed fox kite that high.

Jiang Musheng gently tugged on the kite string. The nine-tailed fox struggled between the sky and his palm.

A disobedient fox.

A disobedient Ah Ran.

“Brother, should I have someone go find sister-in-law and bring her here?”

Jiang Xueyu realized that her brother just said he would fly a kite, and he was doing just that. Her sister-in-law was nowhere in sight, and she was getting anxious!

Jiang Musheng said, “What is meant to come will always come.”

“What if sister-in-law isn’t interested in this glowing nine-tailed fox kite?”

“Then it means Ah Ran and I weren’t meant to be today.”

“Oh, brother!” Jiang Xueyu stamped her foot, feeling like she was more anxious than the Emperor himself.

Jiang Musheng continued to fly his kite with single-minded focus. More people were gathering in the square. Some watched him fly his kite, others were rollerblading, some were walking, and some older couples, all dressed up, formed a circle and did ballroom dancing.

Curious, Xueyu’s attention was drawn away. She said, “I’m not going to bother you anymore, brother,” and pulled Alan to join the group of older couples, happily dancing. She didn’t know how to do the dance they were doing and had Alan teach her on the spot.

At least Xueyu was happy tonight, Jiang Musheng thought.

As for Ah Ran, maybe she would come today, or maybe she wouldn’t.

Yun Ran was still at the roast goose shop, eating dinner with her senior after a day of work. She was so tired from working all day that she ate a lot of roast goose and blanched choi sum. Her lips looked moist and shiny, as if she had applied a layer of light oil rouge.

After eating and tidying up, she walked out of the shop and saw a full moon hanging high in the sky.

Such a round moon. Is it the fifteenth of the month? Yun Ran thought, looking at the sky.

“Ah Ran, what is that?”

“It’s silver-white. It looks like a small animal flying in the sky.” The distance was a bit far, and Yun Ran couldn’t see clearly.

“Senior, I want to go over and have a look.”

“Okay, let’s take a walk. It looks like a kite. We can buy one and fly it too.”

Yun Ran kept her head tilted back, watching as they walked closer. She could see more clearly now. Flying in the sky was a glowing silver-white nine-tailed fox kite. Its nine long tails were very eye-catching.

Gu Hongfei saw her staring at the kite and said, “Let’s find the owner and see if they’re willing to sell it to us.”

Yun Ran still didn’t say anything, just kept watching.

“Sister-in…” Jiang Xueyu saw Yun Ran’s figure, but before she could finish her sentence, Alan covered her mouth.

“Jiang Xueyu , let’s let Miss Yun and Mr. Jiang have some time alone.”

Jiang Xueyu’s lips were pressed against Alan’s hand, and she said muffledly, “But there’s someone else next to her.”

Alan saw Gu Hongfei first and, not letting Jiang Xueyu continue to look, turned her around.

Jiang Xueyu asked, “Is there something else I’m not supposed to see?”

Alan didn’t say anything, and neither did Jiang Xueyu.

For some reason, under Alan’s watch, she was strangely willing to stay quiet tonight.

Over there, Jiang Musheng hadn’t noticed that Yun Ran had come over yet. He was only focused on flying his kite.

Yun Ran was only focused on the kite, not the person flying it. The person flying the kite began to reel in the string, preparing to go home. Only then did she lower her gaze.

It was a back she was very familiar with.

Yun Ran was stunned and suddenly felt a little at a loss.

“What’s wrong, Ah Ran?” Gu Hongfei asked, confused.

“I’m fine.”

Yun Ran looked around. She didn’t see any obvious bodyguards in black suits and thought she might have mistaken someone for him because of her subconscious longing.

Gu Hongfei said, “That person is done. Perfect. I’ll go ask if I can buy it.”

Yun Ran also walked forward, feeling a little nervous.

What if it really was Jiang Musheng?

“Hello, can you sell me this kite? My friend really likes it,” Gu Hongfei asked the person who was reeling in the kite.

The person turned around and didn’t look at Gu Hongfei but at Yun Ran. A smile the same color as the nine-tailed fox kite appeared on his face, with a hint of a fox’s cunning and smugness.

“Sir?” In the dark, Gu Hongfei didn’t recognize Jiang Musheng and asked again.

“No, I won’t sell it,” Jiang Musheng replied simply. “My girlfriend also likes it.”

“Oh, what a shame. But why didn’t you bring your girlfriend to fly kites with you?”

Jiang Musheng stared at Yun Ran. Yun Ran’s scalp tingled, and she anxiously tugged on her senior’s sleeve.

Gu Hongfei turned his face to her. “Ah Ran, this gentleman won’t sell it. I’ll buy you a better-looking kite later. I’ll take you home first.”

Yun Ran didn’t move. Gu Hongfei thought she was tired and said, “Wait for me here. I’ll have the driver come and pick us up.”

Just as Gu Hongfei was about to run off, Yun Ran gently held his sleeve again. “Don’t go, senior.”

“Then… I’ll just rest here with you for a bit.”

Yun Ran nodded. She seemed to be frozen in place by Jiang Musheng’s gaze, unable to move.

Jiang Musheng had finished reeling in the kite. Holding it, he walked towards her through the moonlight.

Gu Hongfei thought he had changed his mind and was now willing to sell the kite. He asked happily, “Sir, how much?”

Jiang Musheng didn’t even look at him. In the moonlight, he only looked at Yun Ran and held the kite out to her.

Gu Hongfei was a little confused but instinctively reached into his pocket for money.

Yun Ran didn’t take the kite.

She wanted to run away.

“Let’s go, senior.”

“Wait, I’ll buy the kite.”

Yun Ran was so anxious. She almost wanted to shout, “This is Jiang Musheng. Let’s stay away from him.”

As if sensing her desire to escape, Jiang Musheng moved closer to her.

“Ah Ran, are you going to keep being mad at me?”

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