Chapter 184

Chapter 184: Jealous? Jiang Shixu returned to Jiangcheng a week later. The wind in Jiangcheng at the end of April carried a warmth. Jiang Shixu was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his posture tall and straight. The man's handsome features carried a hint of cold aloofness, his eyes deep and dark like an abyssal sea. The aloofness in the man's eyes dissipated entirely the moment he saw Ruan Chutang, replaced by tender affection. When Chu Tang saw Jiang Shixu, she assumed he was just there for his usual "inspection" of the firm, so she greeted him casually: "Good morning, President Jiang." Jiang Shixu's gaze swept over an unfamiliar face in the office before he nonchalantly looked away and handed over a box. "Tangtang, open it and take a look." The unfamiliar face was the personal female bodyguard Ruan Shaodong had arranged for Chu Tang—a Chinese-American whose Chinese name was A Wen. A Wen had short hair cut to her ears, and her wheat-colored skin looked wild yet healthy. She stood 1.8 meters tall with a medium build—neither fat nor thin—with not an ounce of excess flesh on her body, just solid, trained muscle that radiated a sense of security. Chu Tang had arranged for A Wen to work at the firm as her personal assistant, handling miscellaneous tasks outside the scope of legal work. Her salary was that of a bodyguard—two million US dollars a month—paid from Ruan Shaodong's account. A Wen had started at the firm five days ago. Not only did she come to work, but she had also moved in with Chu Tang. In recent days, wherever Chu Tang went, A Wen followed, eating and living alongside her every day. Chu Tang glanced at the box in Jiang Shixu's hand. "What is it?" "A gift I brought for you." Chu Tang looked away and continued typing at her computer screen, her face expressionless as she said flatly: "No need." "Turning it down without even looking?" Jiang Shixu walked over to Chu Tang, opened the box, and took out the item inside—a very beautiful silk scarf. Chu Tang couldn't help but take a second look. She had to admit, Jiang Shixu had good taste. She really did like this scarf. Jiang Shixu keenly caught the hint of fondness in Chu Tang's eyes and curled his lips into a smile. "I noticed that women really like this brand's scarves. It's a local A-country brand, only available in the capital. Many women who travel to A-country bring one back as a souvenir. The moment I saw this scarf, I felt you would like it." Chu Tang suddenly remarked: "President Jiang seems to know women's preferences quite well?" Jiang Shixu answered quickly: "Li Lanxi recommended it." "Is that so?" Chu Tang said coldly. "It is very pretty, but I won't accept it. Wouldn't it be more fitting to give it to Li Lanxi instead?" Hearing this, Jiang Shixu suddenly let out a laugh. The frost in his eyes melted in an instant, and his smiling gaze fell on Ruan Chutang—bright and clear like glass, carrying a glimmer of light. "Jealous?" The man's voice carried unmistakable amusement, which stirred a flicker of annoyance in Chu Tang. Chu Tang's brows furrowed slightly as she lowered her voice and said coldly: "I'm not." Jiang Shixu gazed steadily at Chu Tang's face, his look tender and enduring, and explained patiently with a pleasant tone: "Li Lanxi's grandfather and my grandmother are siblings. By relation, I should call her my cousin. I'll introduce you two another day." Chu Tang let out a cold snort. "Sorry, I'm not interested. It has nothing to do with me." Jiang Shixu, with his deep brows and handsome features, wore a faint smile on his strikingly beautiful face and coaxed her gently: "Alright, alright, then I won't introduce you for now. Tangtang, you go ahead and get busy." With that, he placed the scarf back in the box and set it gently on Chu Tang's desk. "Keep the scarf." Jiang Shixu left. The exquisite white box remained on Chu Tang's desk. After finishing her work at hand, Chu Tang's gaze drifted to the box. She paused for a few seconds, then let out a silent sigh. ... After work, Chu Tang went out to a restaurant for dinner with Yu Jiaojiao, Xiao Xiao, and A Wen. Every time Xiao Xiao saw A Wen, she couldn't help but exclaim: "So handsome, seriously so handsome! She's absolutely the ultimate crush material! With that face, she's a pure top-tier butch in the sapphic world!" Yu Jiaojiao looked at Xiao Xiao with feigned alarm. "Lawyer Xiao, if you keep this up, I'm going to start questioning your sexual orientation." A Wen's Chinese was very good—she could understand what Xiao Xiao was saying. Naturally cold and not prone to smiling, she usually wore an indifferent expression. Hearing Xiao Xiao's praise, A Wen said flatly: "I'm not interested in women, and even less interested in men." "Asexual?" Xiao Xiao blurted out. Chu Tang gave an awkward smile, the corner of her mouth twitching. "You really dare to say anything, huh? Aren't you afraid she'll beat you up?" Xiao Xiao pouted and muttered sheepishly: "She said it herself." "She won't," A Wen said expressionlessly. "I only hit people who pose a threat to my boss." Yu Jiaojiao looked thoughtful. "But to be fair, A Wen really is more handsome than most guys!" Chu Tang smiled. "I agree." A Wen's face remained as expressionless as ever. Xiao Xiao sighed, "Since joining our law firm, my aesthetic standards have gone way up. Sister Chu Tang is so beautiful, Lawyer Lu and President Jiang are also stunningly gorgeous, and now we have this handsome female bodyguard A Wen. My standards for men have become so picky now that I deserve to be single." Yu Jiaojiao smiled and said, "It's fine, it's fine. Lawyer Xiao, we're still young, no need to rush." "You're not the one in a rush." Xiao Xiao glanced at her with a smile, "Something going on with Liu Ming lately, huh? I see that guy coming downstairs to pick you up from work all the time." Yu Jiaojiao's face flushed red, and she lowered her eyes shyly. "Jiaojiao, are you and Liu Ming together?" Chu Tang looked at Yu Jiaojiao in surprise, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Yu Jiaojiao lowered her head shyly and said, "Oh no, it's nothing like that... it's just... he's been pursuing me recently, and I haven't agreed yet." Chu Tang said with a beaming smile, "From the way you look, you like him too, right? Isn't it just a matter of time before you say yes?" Yu Jiaojiao blushed and hummed in agreement. "By the way, how has Yueyue been lately?" Chu Tang asked, "I've been so busy recently that I haven't had time to visit her." Yu Jiaojiao replied, "Yueyue is much better. She was discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and is already back to attending school normally." "That's good." Chu Tang felt relieved. "Has the money I gave before run out? Yueyue's schooling requires a lot of expenses. Can Liu Ming handle it alone?" After Liu Yue's surgery was successful, Chu Tang had given the siblings Liu Ming and Liu Yue a bank card with five hundred thousand yuan on it. She told the siblings that she planned to sponsor Liu Yue through university, and if Liu Ming was willing, she could also sponsor his education. At first, the siblings refused. Liu Ming shook his head and said, "Lawyer Ruan, you've already helped us so much. My sister's life was saved because of you. How could we trouble you further? We can't accept this money." Liu Yue also said, "That's right, Sister Chu Tang, I can't take your money anymore." "Liu Ming." Chu Tang looked at the boy seriously and said with great sincerity, "Your sister's follow-up checkups and treatment will still cost money, and her tuition and living expenses are also a huge expense. As the saying goes, help someone to the end, see them through to the finish. Since I have the means, I definitely want to help to the very end. Consider this a token of my sincerity. Please accept it. You're still young, and you think your body can hold up, so you work day and night at odd jobs. But sooner or later, your health will collapse. And if your health collapses, what will happen to your sister? Do you want to see her drop out of school and work odd jobs everywhere to raise money for your treatment? That would be putting the cart before the horse." In the end, Liu Ming took those words to heart. He accepted the card from Ruan Chutang and said to her very earnestly, "Lawyer Ruan, I will remember your great kindness. I will pay this money back to you in the future." Liu Yue also said in her crisp voice, "Sister Chu Tang, I will study hard too, get into a good university, find a good job in the future, and earn money to pay you back." "Good." Chu Tang smiled warmly. "You both need to work hard and live well." "Mm-hmm!" The siblings said in unison. ...... The girls chatted and laughed as they walked along the sidewalk. The evening breeze blew in gusts, tousling their hair, and their laughter and cheerful voices lingered in the air. At that moment, the setting sun was just right. The streets were bustling with people, voices rising and falling. The golden afterglow fell gently and softly upon them, stretching their shadows long.