Chapter 384: Side Story 4: Did You Rob A Bank Today?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang Yirui then led Tan Yongsi inside the place. The demeanor that he exuded was just too imposing, and the group of people with Yan Han didn’t dare to make any move to stop him.

After they had walked away for a certain distance, the same guy beside Yan Han frowned and said, ‘Who was that? He left, just like that?”

“He actually dared to take Miss Tan away from Young Master Yan like that?” Another person with a shaved head stepped forward, as though wanting to do something rash. The Yan family had been in the limelight recently in the Imperial Capital, and numerous forces, whether big or small, wanted to get into their good books and deals with them. His family was the only one that had succeeded so far, so when Young Master Yan was given a slap to the face like this, he obviously needed to do something about it. But just as he stepped forward, he was held back by another guy in the group.

The shaved head looked up with a look of displeasure. He found that the person who had stopped him was from the Bai family, and he couldn’t help the frown on his face. “What the heck?”

If it had been twenty years earlier, he wouldn’t have dared to speak in such a way to a member of the Bai family. But the Bai family was just a branch left behind from those years, and they were not even comparable to a third-rate family in the Imperial Capital now. Now they were just some followers behind the others, and that’s the reason for the displeased expression on the shaved head’s face.

“Young Master Li, that’s a person you can’t touch.” The member of the Bai family didn’t seem bothered by the look of displeasure toward him. He glanced around the place, seeing that there was no one, he said it in a low voice.

The shaved head frowned more. “Huh? Why can’t we? Is he someone even Young Master Yan can’t touch?”

Even the mayor of the city didn’t dare to make any careless moves against the Yan family.

The Bai family member didn’t offer any other explanation, but simply said, “I was fortunate enough to see him with someone from the Feng family last night.”

What he didn’t mention was how respectful the Feng family had treated that person, but with just the mention of the Feng family was enough to make these groups of people green with envy.

The Feng family was the only family in the Imperial Capital to be able to have direct contact with the ancient martial arts world. Even the commander-in-chief didn’t dare to offend him.

Once you compared the two, you would know which one was stronger and weaker.

That’s why, when they heard that this person had a relationship with the Feng family, the group of people glanced at each other and fell into silence, not daring to say anything else anymore.

Finally, one of the young men standing at the side was the one to break the silence. “Sigh, if I can pass the ancient martial arts test, I won’t even ask for an expert for a master. Even if it’s just an ordinary person being my master, our family can shoot into the sky already.”

“That’s right, just like Prince Wang. It was because he could get an expert to be his master, that’s the reason the Wang family can reach this level. Otherwise, how could someone from the Wang family be chosen to be the commander-in-chief?”

The Wang family, really, it was just one person who had managed to obtain such a privilege, and now the entire family had practically risen up to the heavens with that single person.

“At the beginning of October this year, a family from the ancient martial arts world will be openly accepting disciples. I hope that someone from my family will be able to get in.” The shaved head young man said in a low voice, sighing as he did so.

No one held any doubts or grudge for him saying those words, but felt the same longing as he did. Who didn’t have dreams of becoming a hero? The threshold for entering the ancient martial arts world was very low, and the introductory techniques for the Beginner level of ancient martial arts were even posted on the internet. Anyone who managed to successfully perform and cultivate the techniques would be accepted into the ancient martial arts world.

Because Wang Qiming had successfully advanced to Beginner level at the age of seven, he was accepted as a disciple by an expert, and that led the Wang family to develop ito this level, and Wang Qiming himself was regarded as someone who had ascended.

Yan Han frowned when he heard these words, but said nothing. Speaking of which, the reason those people from the Yan family wanted him to take Wen Qing as his wife was only because the Wen family had some sort of connection with the Feng family.

He raised his head, looking in the direction that Tan Yongsi had gone. He clenched his fist, and didn’t have anything else to say.

“You guys go on ahead. I have something to do, and I’m leaving first.” Yan Han’s face was cold as he turned and left the group.

The group suddenly realized that the main character of the party tonight was Yan Han, but because the Feng family and the ancient martial arts world were mentioned, everyone had basically forgotten the fact. But it was hard to blame them for doing so.

The Yan family and the Feng family were completely incomparable, after all.

Since the main lead of the night was gone, everyone felt that it was pointless and boring to linger any longer, and they dispersed. However, their view of Tan Yongsi had changed from the bottom of their hearts.

In the past, they had nothing to do with Tan Yongsi, nor were they concerned with her. Although they knew that Yan Han had sincere feelings towards Tan Yongsi, they knew in their hearts that Yan Han would not succeed in this. The Yan family would not allow Yan Han to take a bride who had nothing to her name. But now that Tan Yongsi might have something to do with the Feng family, they naturally wouldn’t be able to ignore her.

***

Upstairs, Jiang Yirui entered a private box and passed the menu to Tan Yongsi.

Tan Yongsi took the menu and opened it. Xiao Zhuan? She couldn’t help but raised her head to look at Jiang Yirui. (T/N: Xiao Zhuan is the small or lesser seal, the form of Chinese character standardized by the Qin dynasty, i.e ancient Chinese characters)

Jiang Yirui suddenly seemed to recall that something didn’t seem right. This box was arranged especially for him by the club, and it was filled with things that he was used to. The menu was also specially written in Xiao Zhuan for that reason. Usually no one else would frequent this box, and his parents would be the only other people, and they naturally knew how to read Xiao Zhuan. When he brings people like Wang Qiming and Tang An, he would ask the manager to bring a menu written in modern Chinese for them.

He had forgotten about that today. “Sorry, I’ll get someone to bring you another copy.”

“It’s fine, I can read it.” Tan Yongsi said with a smile.

She really wasn’t bothered much, one was because she understood how to read the words, and second was because this person in front of her didn’t seem like the kind who did things just because he wanted to put her in an embarrassing position, unlike those people with Yan Han previously.

It was probably because this person gave her a feeling that he was very upright, and seemed to be in a high-ranking position for a long time. He was also slightly old fashioned, though he looked and dressed quite modern.

“You can read this?” Jiang Yirui looked up in surprise. Forget about his parents, because he didn’t even know if they could be considered human, those who could read the ancient Chinese characters were rare and few, and most of them were scholars who were over fifty years of age.

For someone at Tan Yongsi’s age to understand the words and read it, she was the only one in his memory that could do so.

Tan Yongsi didn’t feel like it was something to be proud of or anything. “It’s because I needed it, so I studied it specially.” Most of the ancient texts for feng shui were written in this old script, and drawing symbols were also the same characters, so she had studied Xiao Zhuan specially.

However, she didn’t bother explaining all of these, she wasn’t familiar with the other party after all, so there was no need. Besides, saying that she was a feng shui master or anything of the sort would make her sound like some con person.

She ordered two dishes, then placed them down the menu. Jiang Yirui didn’t look at the menu, calling for the manager and ordering the two dishes she had said, before adding in a third one. The manager left after taking their orders.

While waiting for their food, Jiang Yirui turned his gaze towards Tan Yongsi. To be precise, his eyes were on the bird in her hands.

“Can you show it to me?” He asked, his voice light.

Tan Yongsi reached out to hand the bird over. “He’s a bit aloof.” It wasn’t even a lie, it wasn’t even a ‘little’ aloof. When she was feeding him previously, its neck was tilted up and backward. The person in front of her screamed majestic and nobility, and he could easily squeeze the bird to death if he wanted to. If he did do that, she wouldn’t be able to find a good enough place to cry.

“It’s fine.” Jiang Yirui shook his head, reaching out to receive the bird.

Tan Yongsi carefully placed the bird in his palms.

A grain of bird food suddenly appeared in Jiang Yirui’s other hand. At least, that’s what she thought it was. It was a dark gray grain, and the lights in the room were a bit more dim than usual, so she couldn’t really tell what was in his hands.

The red bird had been ignoring Jiang Yirui in the beginning, but when he took out that grain, it suddenly snapped its head to where it was, eyeing the grain in his hand. It flapped its wings, turning its body in a hurry toward it.

It swallowed the grain, then raised its head to give a look to Jiang Yirui. It had just been a glance at first, but after meeting Jiang Yirui’s eyes, it started to flap its wings, flying up in mid-air in front of Jiang Yirui.

Tan Yongsi, who was sitting opposite them, was stunned speechless. The bird was only two days old, and she hadn’t seen it fly before, and now it suddenly could?

Jiang Yirui was looking at the bird flapping its wings in front of him, and he opened his mouth to say softly, “Xixi?”

His voice was deep and low, a hint of coldness in it. But the two words he uttered were obviously gentle and warm. Tan Yongsi couldn’t help her eyes looking at the bird, then to Jiang Yirui.

Xixi? What the heck was that?

However, the next scene made her feel even more out of her mind.

The flaming, small red bird opened its gorgeous beak, and replied, “Chirp chirp chip?”

Jiang Yirui took out his phone, taking a picture of it.

The food had arrived at this time, but he ignored the waiter who sent it in. He turned to look at Tan Yongsi again. “It doesn’t have a name yet, right? How does Xixi sound?”

Jiang Yirui already had a pair of beautiful eyes, and under the light that lit up the room, it felt like his eyes were sparkling with stars. Tan Yongsi had already thought of a name for the bird before this. The red of the feathers resembled the Vermillion Bird from the myths, and in the four symbols of the Chinese constellations, it represented the lesser sun. It was also generally known as the Vermillion Bird of the South, and its feathers were the color of flames. According to her feng shui studies, she had wanted to name it ‘Li Huo’. (T/N: Li Huo refers to ‘fire’ in the five elements)

 But now, looking at Jiang Yirui, she felt that she couldn’t refute him.

Because after he had said ‘Xixi’ to the bird, it had chirped back in reply, then turned its head to look at her.

“Xixi is fine too.” Tan Yongsi said, sipping on her tea. “Which ‘xi’?”

“‘Xi’ from the idiom laughter, jeering and all kinds of emotions.” Jiang Yirui replied. (T/N: 嘻 from 嬉笑怒骂, which is a Chinese idiom which translates to laughing, jeering, anger, and invective )

Tan Yongsi’s chopsticks paused in the middle of taking her food, and she hummed after a long while.

It was rare to hear an idiom being used to describe the name, but no matter how nice sounding the idiom was, it didn’t change the fact that the bird that resembled the Vermillion Bird was being named ‘Xixi’!

Jiang Yirui didn’t speak further. Although he couldn’t speak highly of a certain person’s capability of naming, he didn’t have any intentions of changing the name he suggested. When he had called it ‘Xixi’ just now, there had been a reaction in the bird’s beady eyes. Also, this bird was definitely the Vermillion Bird, there was no mistake about it.

The Vermillion Bird was one of the four creatures of heaven and earth, and there could only be one in the world. He was 80% sure that this was the same bird that had fallen that year. He had watched the video that was posted online after all.

Xixi had always been a sore spot in their family that no one dared to touch. If she could see it again, it would probably lift the burden from her heart at last.

Only, there was still that 20% of unsureness. And there was also the fact he needed to buy it from the person in front of him.

Today, Xiao Yichen had also mentioned that Xixi had just been an egg before this, one that had been preciously preserved by the girl in front of him for nearly 20 years. This was their first time meeting today, he would not rush to buy it from her, otherwise the girl would probably turn around and leave.

“My name is Jiang Yirui. This is my number, you can save it.” Jiang Yirui finally recalled that he never introduced himself. He didn’t give her his business card, but gave her the number to the phone that he always had on him. Apart from his family, only his close brothers had this number. “I’m sure you’ve read fairy tales before, right?”

Tan Yongsi was saving his number. She had thought that since the people here had called him ‘Young Master Rui’, ‘Rui’ would be his surname. She didn’t expect that they weren’t calling him by his family name but the end of his name instead. “More or less.”

Most of the books she read were feng shui books after all.

“Then, you should know about the Vermillion Bird, right?” Jiang Yirui leaned forward.

Tan Yongsi was picking up her chopsticks again, but she felt like something was wrong.

“The bird in front of you should be the Vermillion Bird, and it might be a little abnormal. It’s too young right now, and will often not be able to control the flames in its body. If you feel the surrounding temperature getting strange, take it and leave the people around you, and give me a call.” Jiang Yirui was also taking a piece of meat, his tone was casual and normal as ever.

Seriously, he was a little fearful that the girl in front of him would think that he was some kind of nutcase.

If he hadn’t been born in such a family, or if someone were to tell him a long time ago that there was a type of bird that could breathe fire, he would definitely shut the person up.

But it wasn’t like he was a normal person either. A long time ago, he felt that he had been the most abnormal one in his family, but when he was three and saw his mother tear open a hole in the sky, and his dad being able to teleport thousands of miles with just a wave of his hand, a robot housekeeper that not only knew how to walk and talk, and have the intelligence to eat like a normal person, the flower in the house that could talk and act cute… At that time, he realized that he was the most normal person in the family.

That’s why, as to a bird that could talk, it was like nothing to him.

However, for an ordinary person, it would still be a relatively big shock.

He didn’t expect the girl in front of him to show no surprise, but also mutter, “So it really turned out to be the Vermillion Bird.”

Tan Yongsi’s voice was very quiet, and ordinary people wouldn’t have heard it. But was Jiang Yirui an ordinary person? Not only did he hear it, he heard every word loud and clear, but he didn’t show any outward reaction to it. He picked up his phone and sent a text message, before helping himself to a bowl of soup.

“It’s the Vermillion Bird?” Tan Yongsi covered her mouth in surprise.

Jiang Yirui glanced at her, thinking to himself that this girl was really acting well, and it was even comparable to his Aunt Xiao. He calmly said, “If you’re afraid of it, then you can transfer it over to me. You can set the price for it.”

Tan Yongsi put away her surprised expression immediately. “How can I trouble you like that, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Yirui: “…”

The two left after eating, and Jiang Yirui sent her back. On the way back, Jiang Yirui stopped by someplace for a while.

Tan Yongsi didn’t know where he went to and what for, but she didn’t ask about the privacy of others, and leaned back in the chair to wait.

Jiang Yirui didn’t leave for long, returning after three minutes, a big bag in his hand.

When they arrived at the school, Jiang Yirui drove the car to the girl’s dormitory. When Tan Yongsi got down, he handed her the bag that he had gotten. “These are daily necessities and food for Xixi inside. Xixi… it’s similar to a bird that we used to raise in the house. Please treat it well. As for the food, giving it one small pill a day is enough, it’s in a small bottle. If it gets greedy, just give it some bird food. There’s some in the bigger bottle. If it finishes, give me a call.”

Having said that, he didn’t wait for Tan Yongsi to react or refuse, driving away straight after.

The bag had been sent over by someone he had called, and it contained all the supplies that Xixi had used to use back then. Some of them had been things that the beauty of their house had given it, including the bowl that apparently it had been jealous of that Haha had. Haha had not used it after the incident, and it had been placed together with Xixi’s other belongings.

While he was driving, his phone rang and he happened to stop at a red light. Pulling it out, he found that it was a text message.

Master Jiji: Fatty Egg, I heard you took Xixi’s things?

Jiang Yirui: You hacked into my phone again and changed your name?

He had been sure that he had recorded this number as ‘Jiji’ only!

Master Jiji: What about it? If you have the ability, then get back at me like Beauty Qiao~

That wiggling symbol at the back of that sentence was practically mocking him.

Jiang Yirui: “…” Waging war against a powerful artificial intelligence that was even more powerful than the entire internet combined together, even Yu Ning couldn’t do it, okay?!

Master Jiji: Wait, you still haven’t told me why you took Xixi’s stuff.

Jiang Yirui: I did plan to tell you. I’ve seen a bird that looks like Xixi, and I’m about 80% sure it is. But, don’t go telling our beauty yet.

Master Jiji: Careful your dad’s gonna smoke you if he hears you calling her beauty! Have you forgotten how he pulled you out from A University a few years ago and threw you into the international camp?!

Master Jiji: Wait, what did you say?! Xixi?!

When the incident was brought up, Jiang Yirui went silent. He had just wanted to study in the same school as their beauty, and had lamented about it at home. Then that big jealous cautious dad of his had chose the first day of his school to send him off into a special training camp.

The thoughts were only a second long in his mind, and he replied calmly, “80% sure, but not completely. So, don’t go telling our beauty yet.”

Master Jiji: Such a careful person like you is already at 80% confirmed, then it must be correct! But we can’t tell Beauty Qiao yet… That’s right, where are you now?!

Jiang Yirui wanted to reply, but the red light had turned green at this time, and he needed to drive. When he finally managed to make a stop at the side of the road, he took out his phone to reply, and found three messages on his screen.

Master Jiji: Jiang Fatty Egg, you’re so slow!

Master Jiji: Forget it, I’ll find your position by myself!

Master Jiji: I’m at the BBQ stall in front of you!

Jiang Yirui was speechless when he read the messages, and left his car parked here. He then walked out to find a pedestrian street nearby, a BBQ stall at the intersection.

A green robot dressed in flowery robes was extremely eye-catching, but then again, there were a lot of intelligent robots nowadays, and the people around didn’t feel it strange that a robot was hanging around a BBQ stall. Instead, the only thing that was shocking to them was how traumatizing the clothes it was dressed in.

Jiang Yirui watched as Jiji, who was holding a bunch of BBQ sticks walked toward him. He made a gesture, telling Jiji to hurry up and eat it.

Jiji raised its head, looking at Jiang Yirui. “No way, this is what I bought for Xixi. It used to like eating barbecued meat with me.”

“We’re not going to see it tonight.” Jiang Yirui said, an indifferent expression on his face.

“Why didn’t you bring it back?” Jiji was anxious when it asked.

Jiang Yirui thought about Tan Yongsi. “It’s not with me at the moment, it’s someone else’s pet now. Xixi was an egg before this, and that person has kept the egg by her side for almost 20 years. Do you think she’ll just easily give it up to us?”

Moreover, Tan Yongsi didn’t seem like someone who would sell Xixi just for money. Xixi might represent a different meaning to her.

“Then, I just want to take a look?” Jiji wilted in an instant.

Jiang Yirui didn’t know what to say for a while. He hadn’t been with them in the era when they had all been together. However, just by seeing the records of the ancient martial arts world back then, he could empathize with how they all felt, the group of people who had gone through thick and thin together.

Especially the Peacekeepers, who had gone into so many battles at Xixi’s side, all of them would have at least a few pictures of the flaming red bird in their phones as keepsakes.

“In another two days.” Jiang Yirui didn’t say anything further, but took out his phone and handed it to Jiji. “I took some pictures.”

Jiji exclaimed after looking through the pictures, “This is Xixi alright! Look at its eyes, it’s clearly Xixi!”

Jiji was excited for a while, before it calmed down. “But without seeing it myself, I can’t be 100% sure. Beauty Qiao has gotten a lot of disappointment over the years, I can only be sure if I see it.”

“Yeah.” Jiang Yirui had thought the same, and that was the reason he hadn’t said anything in the beginning.

“Who is raising it now?” Jiji asked suddenly.

Jiang Yirui got into the car as he replied. “A student from the Department of Economics and Management, her name is Tan Yongsi.”

“Also A University?” Jiji exclaimed, then pulled out its handheld computer immediately, busying itself with it.

Jiang Yirui started the car, shooting a glance at the robot. “What are you doing?”

With a name and specific location, it wasn’t hard for Jiji to find someone quickly. A photo appeared on the screen not long after. “Fatty Egg, look at this, is this her?”

Jiang Yirui glanced at the screen, seeing a familiar face on it. That wasn’t anyone else but Tan Yongsi herself!

He was startled, and his hand jerked, almost causing an accident!

“That’s right, it’s her. What are you doing?” When Jiji disagreed with anything, it would immediately look for the person’s information without delay. Seriously, it was exactly the same as their beauty back home.

Jiji chuckled, and replied calmly. “I just want to see if it’s really Xixi.”

Jiang Yirui didn’t look at what Jiji was doing anymore, for fear that he would really cause an accident.

“This girl, really…” When Tan Yongsi’s information had been found, Jiji was stunned at what it had read.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Shuxuan asked, his tone light.

“It’s nothing, I just got a little emotional after reading Tan Yongsi’s past. Keep an eye on the Yan family in the coming days, and the Wen family. I didn’t expect her to have so many enemies. She’s already so low-key, and yet trouble still finds her.”

“I’ll take note of it.” Jiang Yirui had already expected that, as he more or less understood it when they were at the hotel entrance previously.

That group of people had been full of malice towards Tan Yongsi, but he had been too lazy to bother about them at that time.

“It’s fine to just take note of it. That’s strange…” Jiji flipped through another piece of news.

Jiang Yirui was reluctant again. “What’s wrong now? In their family, only their beauty could keep up with Jiji’s thinking.

“This Tan Yongsi, she’s appeared in the news before.” Jiji’s face turned serious, but it didn’t continue talking. In its heart, Jiji felt it to be very strange. The entire family in the car, and the vehicle had been wrecked to that extent, but she alone was safe and sound?

That was just too strange.

Jiang Yirui wasn’t bothered anymore, but he saw Jiji opening a surveillance video of the female dormitory, and he could only shrug helplessly.

Jiji only watched the video for a bit, and after seeing it, he was 93% sure that the bird was in fact Xixi.

***

In the dormitory of A University, Tan Yongsi was carrying a big bag of things. When she got back, no one else was in the room. It wasn’t that late yet, just after dinner, and the others were probably still eating. She then proceeded to open the bag.

The first one was a luxurious bird’s nest that was obviously used, but it was kept in pristine condition.

The second was some toys for birds.

The third was a small bottle of gray pills that looked similar to the one that Jiang Yirui had fed to Xixi during dinner.

The fourth was a green bowl. Tan Yongsi didn’t need any special sight to see that this bowl was not something ordinary. She felt her heart trembling, knowing that all these items were not as normal as it looked.

Her hand was shaking slightly as she reached into the bag to pull out the fifth item.

Just as she took the item out, the dorm room door opened.

Ye Xuan looked at the item that she had in her hands, and couldn’t help but say, “Holy sh*t, Tan Yongsi, did you go and rob a bank today or something?!”

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