Chapter 125
After walking a distance, Su Xiaoxiao noticed that they were also headed to the compound. With just a moment’s hesitation, she immediately caught up with them.
“Hey, wait!” Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly called out.
Her gentle and sweet voice had a softness to it, and it made the young men feel like they were hearing something divine. They turned around curiously and saw a girl with almond-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks running toward them. She looked soft and obedient, with glistening eyes. The late autumn’s golden sunlight highlighted her long and curly eyelashes, making them especially noticeable. They blinked like exquisite dolls in a shop window.
The young men suddenly felt their hearts race as if they had been struck by something.
Su Xiaoxiao reached them, and with her big, watery eyes, she looked at them expectantly. However, as her gaze settled on the young man whose profile had reminded her of her brother, the resemblance disappeared entirely. Their facial features were actually quite different, and their overall temperament was worlds apart.
Her brother appeared somewhat aloof, yet you could tell he was polite, principled, and willing to help when needed. On the other hand, the young man in front of her, clearly a few years younger than her brother, had an air of spoiled arrogance, which he tried to conceal but couldn’t hide. Although he did his best to disguise it, anyone with a little life experience could see right through it.
Because Su Xiaoxiao’s gaze lingered on the young man for a while, the other young men began to feel uncomfortable. They even teased her, raising their eyebrows and looking at her and the young man, provokingly.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly averted her gaze and apologetically said to the young men, “Hello, I’d like to ask if you live in the compound? I’m looking for someone, and I have her portrait. Can you help me look at it?”
“Sure,” one of the young men replied, his tone becoming somewhat playful.
However, Su Xiaoxiao paid no attention to his attitude and took the portrait out of her bag. The young man who was initially hoping to gain something looked stunned when he saw the person in the picture.
Then, he immediately turned to the young man in the middle. “Brother Yu, isn’t this your sister?”
When Zhang Hanyu heard that, he frowned and quickly snatched the portrait from Su Xiaoxiao’s hand. He looked at the person depicted and confirmed that it was indeed his younger sister.
He scrutinized Su Xiaoxiao up and down, looking at her with disdain. “Who are you? Why do you have a portrait of my sister?”
“This is a matter between your mother, your sister, and me. If you want to know more, you can ask them,” Su Xiaoxiao replied, her attitude less sweet and friendly.
Zhang Hanyu had felt an inexplicable dislike for Su Xiaoxiao from the moment he first saw her. Now, her bad attitude only added to his displeasure. He looked her up and down with disgust and said coldly, “Who are you to our family? Are you here to beg for money?”
Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected him to be so arrogant. She snorted in exasperation and was about to respond, but she heard him continue, “You should leave quickly. Our family isn’t the kind that poor relatives like you can just visit.”
“You’d better take back what you said just now. Otherwise, when you see your mother later, she might have to press your head down to apologize to us,” came the stern voice of Jiang Yexun.
As the harsh and furious glares from the others fell upon them, he swiftly shielded Su Xiaoxiao behind him. His piercing gaze, sharp as ice arrows, stared straight back at those young men. The overwhelming hostility in the air felt like it could kill them, causing the young men to unconsciously shrink their necks. Afterward, they realized it was embarrassing and looked at Jiang Yexun, mocking him with their expressions.
However, having grown up in the compound, they had been taught their manners from an early age and knew what they could and couldn’t say. So, even if they looked down on Jiang Yexun as a country bumpkin, they would only taunt him with their eyes.
Zhang Hanyu, on the other hand, still thought of this person as a relative here for money and continued to mock, “You yourself is not enough and you even brought someone else?”
“What’s wrong with your ears? When did I say we are relatives of yours? We came here to find your mother, and if you don’t want to help, we can ask around. I’m sure we’ll find her eventually.”
Seeing them about to leave, Zhang Hanyu frowned, feeling that letting them ask around might damage his family’s reputation. He raised his voice and called out, “Stop!”
Stop my ass!
Su Xiaoxiao was infuriated in her heart.
Zhang Hanyu called out twice more, and when they quickened their pace, he bit his lip in frustration but managed to catch up with them.
“I’m trying to talk to you. Can’t you hear me?” He blocked Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun.
Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him and said disdainfully, “Your way of speaking is so unpleasant that we choose to ignore you. Can’t we?”
“Now you’re begging me to take you home, and you still dare to have that attitude?” Zhang Hanyu mocked furiously.
But Su Xiaoxiao gave him a big eye roll and said, “Why would we beg you? We can just wait at the entrance of the compound, ask around there, and talk to your mother outside. I’m sure you’ll regret it more than we will.”
In Zhang Hanyu’s mind, there was an uneasy feeling even though he didn’t want to be involved in their family’s business. However, it was better to handle it quietly without attracting too much attention.
“You’re looking for my mother, right? I’ll take you to my house, and she’ll be back by noon,” he said reluctantly.
Su Xiaoxiao, although not happy to go with him, realized there was no point in wasting more time outside the compound and reluctantly nodded.
“Alright, then lead the way,” she said.
Zhang Hanyu took a deep breath and started leading them into the compound, and Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun followed closely behind. However, a few steps in, they both felt their bodies numb on one side.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly released her grip on Jiang Yexun’s clothes and subtly moved to the side. He looked at her, puzzled, and she narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly in response.
Jiang Yexun smiled back and gestured for her to come closer. Su Xiaoxiao, who was crying on the inside, begrudgingly moved closer, inch by inch, until they were separated by only half a meter. Jiang Yexun stopped there.
“Sorry, the wind is too cold, and it’s making me chilly,” Su Xiaoxiao explained softly.
Jiang Yexun looked at the clear, sunny sky and couldn’t help but feel suspicious. He thought there was more to this situation, but with so many people around, he couldn’t say anything.
Su Xiaoxiao, feeling a little numb, huddled closer to him and reluctantly followed the young men into the compound.
Once they reached the house, an auntie in her forties stepped out of a room and greeted them with a smile. “Hanyu, I’ve prepared your favorite Beijing-style shredded pork. You should eat more.”
When she saw the two people following Zhang Hanyu, she hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are these your friends?”
This young master from the Zhang family usually carried an air of arrogance. How could he possibly be friends with a rural bumpkin?
“Aunt Lin, you don’t need to worry about them. Just bring us what I usually drink,” Zhang Hanyu ordered arrogantly.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t feel like being polite, and she sat down on the sofa. Jiang Yexun followed suit.
Seeing their relaxed demeanor, Zhang Hanyu’s face contorted with anger, and he disdainfully asked, “Who allowed you to sit down?”
“I don’t want to talk to a kid like you. We’ll speak with your mother when she arrives. Your upbringing definitely needs improvement,” Su Xiaoxiao replied, lounging on the couch.
Though she looked up at Zhang Hanyu, it felt more like an elder scolding a child. As the imposing atmosphere pressed down on him, he couldn’t help but lower his head unconsciously.
But soon, Zhang Hanyu became infuriated and glared back at Su Xiaoxiao with a malicious look in his eyes.