Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 306: Chapter 288: Picking Up a Strange Child

I must say, being cunning is quite efficient; it took merely two or three hours to see results. The two children also came to, saying they wanted to go to the South to find their parents, but they boarded a train heading North instead. As for the one who couldn’t speak yet, according to the boy who was initially taken by the middle-aged woman, he was the grandson of Widow Wang from their village, whose son and daughter-in-law were also in the South. With no telephones in the small village, the only option was to contact the local police station the boy mentioned to help find them. At the next station, several children, including the traffickers, were taken away by the police.

And the wallet the teenager received contained indeed the deposit for these children.

”So what are you doing here?” Chang Xi asked, rolling her eyes at the motionless teenager sitting in the chair.

”Do you know why I’m thin and you’re fat?” The teenager asked with a slight smile.

”What’s wrong with being fat? I haven’t eaten a single grain of rice from your home, and you haven’t treated me to a meal despite my weight.” Chang Xi immediately got angry upon hearing this. Although her weight was a fact, she didn’t want it to be so casually pointed out.

”Because I never meddle in other people’s business.” The teenager said nonchalantly, sipping the milk sent by the train police as a token of thanks.

”Pfft.” Luo Qianqian truly couldn’t hold back her laughter, spraying out a laugh before Chang Xi’s furious gaze made her cough lightly twice, as if implying that what had just happened was all an illusion. She then looked earnestly at the teenager: ”If you’re not wandering around, what are you doing here?”

The teenager rolled his eyes: ”I’m following you from now on, it’s already been decided.”

Luo Qianqian was flustered; when had they agreed on that, had she consented? Just as she rolled her eyes and was about to speak, she heard Chang Xi say:

”Follow her? There’s no future in that. Follow me instead, there’ll be meat to eat, looking at how thin you guys are.” Chang Xi said, pointing at the cured meat she had placed on the bed, her face full of pride.

”Are you planning for me to nod in agreement when I get fat and ask you, ’What’s wrong with being fat, did I eat your family’s rice?’” Luo Qianqian said with an unhappy twist of her mouth: ”Then I definitely won’t eat it.”

”You have the figure of Yang Guifei and the tolerance of a Prime Minister.” The teenager commented disdainfully.

Just as Chang Xi was about to snap back, Luo Qianqian held her back: ”He’s complimenting you as a tolerant beauty; a Prime Minister’s tolerance is like a boat steered in the belly, it’s the capacity to be inclusive. There’s also a saying that ’To be great, one must be tolerant’, um, to have a buxom figure is to be likened to how Yang Guifei would sink fish and fall geese with her beauty and also have a great figure. This is surely an admiring compliment from him; you can’t give him the chance.”

The teenager instantly wanted to scoop out Luo Qianqian’s brain to see what stuff was in there. How could a clearly mocking remark become a compliment when it reached her lips? And sound like such a genuine compliment at that?

”No, no, there’s too big an age gap.” Chang Xi earnestly refused: ”You’re better off being his little brother. I still prefer your big brother.”

Luo Qianqian was torn between laughter and tears: ”When did I say I wanted to take him on as a little brother? I don’t have that kind of intention; don’t forget where we’re headed.”

Chang Xi was taken aback for a moment, looking at the teenager with a tinge of regret. Then she nodded: ”That’s true, even you don’t know if you can handle it.”

The teenager’s expression darkened; he and Luo Qianqian were indeed heading to different places. After all, without the backing of the Wei Family, how could he simply arrange to go wherever he desired?

”Kid, you have good taste.” Chang Xi said, quite approvingly looking at the teenager before wrapping an arm around Luo Qianqian: ”However, my little sister here is already spoken for.” Thinking about Luo Qianqian stealing a kiss from a young boy at the train station, Chang Xi couldn’t help but snicker. It was completely unimaginable that this child could do such a thing.

The teenager’s face darkened. Did he look like someone who was scheming against their Family Head, driven by greed or lust? He wasn’t a cutthroat from the dark alleyways stopping high school girls.

”What are you talking about?” Luo Qianqian pushed Chang Xi, her face full of feigned annoyance, a pity that Chang Xi didn’t budge at all.

”Aren’t you afraid someone will come and drive you away?” Chang Xi looked at the teenager, noting that although the sleeper carriages were uneventful during the day, at certain times, outsiders couldn’t enter and were driven out.

The teenager gently shook the ticket in his hand: ”Just topped it up not too long ago, and quite unluckily for you, it’s for right above.” He pointed to the berth above Luo Qianqian’s.

Hard sleepers come in three types, top, middle, and bottom. The bottom berth is like any other, while the middle and top berths require climbing a ladder. The teenager had the top berth, while the middle-aged woman, now taken away, was in the middle.

”I always feel like greasy places invite incidents. Come clean, will you?” Luo Qianqian leaned in towards Chang Xi: ”Your name wouldn’t happen to be Conan, would it?”

At first, Chang Xi was quite nervous being put on the spot, but Luo Qianqian’s next words made her go from wanting to cry to wanting to laugh: ”Why don’t you say I’m Mouri Kogoro? The height is at least more suitable. That little runt, I could squash him with one finger.”

”You’re plotting to murder the Death God!” Luo Qianqian exclaimed in shock as she started a commotion with Chang Xi.

Off to the side, the young man seemed to look unintentionally at the woman above Chang Xi, who was ostensibly reading a book but kept her eyes on Luo Qianqian. She frowned but said nothing. After all, a lively child is bound to attract attention.

”The food’s here!” Hearing the distinctive vendor’s call on the train, Luo Qianqian stopped, ”I want to eat something warm, Sister Xi, you said there’d be meat to eat if I stick with you.”

Chang Xi, speechless, looked at the pile of meat spread out on the bed. Does this look like there’s no meat to eat?

But she nodded anyway, ”Go buy it, it’s on me. And for that boy too, sister’s in a good mood today, so I’ll buy yours as well.”

The young man smiled and shook his head, ”I won’t eat, I’m not interested in the food on trains.”

Luo Qianqian’s face lit up with excitement as she asked the vendor, ”What kinds of meals do you have?”

”Bento boxes, with yellow croaker, hairtail, Kung Pao chicken, Moo Shu pork, and also ribs.”

”What are the side dishes for the ribs? Are the ribs sweet and sour or braised?” Luo Qianqian asked softly, looking at the tightly packed bento boxes.

”Sweet and sour ribs, cucumber, onion and peanut salad, and braised eggplant.”

”Two servings of sweet and sour ribs, please.” Seeing Chang Xi nod, Luo Qianqian calmly said.

While eating, she couldn’t help but be amused by the young man’s interesting expression, ”My name is Ye Meng, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The young man was startled by Luo Qianqian’s sudden statement, but he quickly realized he was just a stranger and calmly nodded, ”I’m pleased too.”

Luo Qianqian was speechless. Can’t he tell she was asking for his name?

Chang Xi, on the other hand, was laughing so hard her stomach hurt, ”His name is Meat.” Because you have meat to eat with you, so he’s meat, which means you can just eat him, right?

Luo Qianqian thought for a moment, ”Is your name Ouyang Tiezhu?”

The young man’s face was lined with frustration, and he shook his head.

”Is your name Murong Goudan?”

The young man looked unamused and continued to shake his head.

”Then you must be Huangfu Ergou?”

The young man’s mouth twitched, and a black vein throbbed on his forehead, ”The name Shangguan Cuihua would suit you quite well.”

”Then you must be Yuwen Maomao?”

”... Li Zexi, my name is Li Zexi.”

”So it’s not a terribly embarrassing name, then why didn’t you say so?” Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes.

Because I feel like it, okay? Li Zexi clenched his teeth and fiercely bit the straw in his mouth.