After receiving Jiang Li’s reply, Tong Yi immediately dialed her phone number. Once the call was answered, Tong Yi’s voice sounded somewhat urgent, “What’s going on with your mobile phone?”
Jiang Li replied with a smile, “It’s a gift from your uncle. He brought quite a lot of things, congratulating me on winning the top score on the high school entrance exam.”
Tong Yi muttered quietly, “That unscrupulous guy.”
Jiang Li didn’t catch what he said and asked, “What?”
“I said he’s up to no good.” Tong Yi emphasized. Before Jiang Li could respond, he continued, “Did he badmouth me in front of you?”
“No, not only did he not say anything bad about you, but he also praised you, saying you’re very filial,” Jiang Li replied earnestly.
Tong Yi clicked his tongue, “Jiang Xiao Li, are you sure you’re not still half-asleep?”
Jiang Li calmly replied, “I haven’t fallen asleep yet, but your reminder is valid. I should prepare to sleep now.”
“Wait a minute.” Tong Yi was completely confused now. How could he allow her to end the call like this? “What did he say about me, exactly?” Saying he’s filial? He can’t believe that. He knows his uncle too well — that old man probably said he’s spoiled!
“He did say you’re filial. He mentioned how you often keep in touch with him and inquire about my well-being when you do. Isn’t that filial?” Jiang Li entered the bathroom and began squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush.
Tong Yi:…
Jiang Xiao Li was indeed Jiang Xiao Li. She never forgot to take advantage of him anytime and anywhere.
Still, Tong Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brows and asked, “Did he say these things privately to you, or was it in front of your family elders?”
With a toothbrush in her mouth, Jiang Li’s speech was somewhat muffled, “Does it make a difference?”
“Well, not really… but our relationship has never been good, so don’t believe whatever he says in the future,” Tong Yi replied. He could discern Tong Bingran’s intentions, but Jiang Xiao Li probably hadn’t realized it yet, and he didn’t want to say anything that might negatively influence her.
Jiang Li responded with an “Oh,” and said, “I figured it out from the beginning.”
Tong Yi sighed in relief. “I know you’re very smart. Alright, can you guess why my uncle has a problem with me?”
“It’s probably about the family fortune, right? Very cliche. There’s nothing too difficult to guess about that. Your earlier act of pretending to be a waste… I mean, to lie dormant was probably because of your uncle, correct?” Jiang Li said with a confident tone.
Tong Yi clicked his tongue. “Jiang Xiao Li, can’t you pretend not to know anything and let me tell you myself?”
“Even though you’re my nephew, I think it’s not good to spoil kids, so I’d rather not act dumb,” Jiang Li said as she continued brushing her teeth.
Tong Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, why don’t you try guessing again? How much do I actually dislike my uncle?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment and said with curiosity, “Probably not too much?”
Tong Yi:……
She had guessed it right again.
Tong Yi kept quiet, and Jiang Li knew she had guessed correctly again. “I initially thought you hated your uncle, but since you asked me to guess, I had to go in the opposite direction.”
Tong Yi let out a pleased laugh. “Okay, you got it right. Have your brothers told you anything about my family?”
Jiang Li spat out the toothpaste foam and said, “They haven’t, but if you want to talk about it, I can be your reluctant listener!” She genuinely didn’t know much about Tong Yi’s family until today, when she overheard a conversation between her grandfather and Tong Yi’s uncle in the study, learning that Tong Yi’s parents were no longer alive. If Tong Yi wanted to talk, she could play the role of an emotional trash can.
Tong Yi remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again, “There’s not much to say, really. My parents and I were kidnapped one day. They tried to protect me and let me escape, which angered the kidnappers, and they ended up getting killed.”
Tong Yi spoke about it casually, but Jiang Li’s mind immediately conjured up the scene. After a while, she asked, “Did you take a break from school at that time?”
“Yeah, after dealing with my parents’ funeral, I was quite self-destructive for a while,” Tong Yi’s voice was low. “It took a while for me to recover. But my uncle was determined to brainwash me, and he seemed to want me to remain a wastrel and was trying to establish my image as a good-for-nothing prodigal in our circle.”
Jiang Li furrowed her eyebrows, “His behavior is so despicable. How can you not hate him?”
Seeing her so worked up, Tong Yi’s mood inexplicably improved. He replied honestly, “I grew up in this circle and have seen more despicable things many times over. Though he tried to lead me astray, he didn’t do anything crazily malicious for the sake of the inheritance. He was generous when it came to money, and to be honest, my cousins often envy me for it.”
Jiang Li remained silent for a long time before asking, “Have you ever investigated? Could it be that your parents…”
“I already looked into it a long time ago,” Tong Yi knew what she was thinking. “It has nothing to do with my uncle. Those people were purely after money, and they all met their end.”
Hearing this, Jiang Li finally sighed in relief. Although she hadn’t known Tong Yi for long, she thought he was a good person and didn’t want him to carry a heavy burden of vengeance at such a young age.
Nonetheless, his past was heavy enough that Jiang Li didn’t know how to console him. After a while, she changed the subject, “So, are you planning to return to China in the future?”
Tong Yi smiled half-heartedly: “You want me to come back and be the top scorer in the college entrance examination?”
Jiang Li rolled her eyes. Well, since Tong Yi didn’t seem to be in a particularly good mood, she decided to give in to him this time. “Sure, if you come back to take the college entrance exam, I’ll accept your challenge.”
Tong Yi perked up at this, “Jiang Xiao Li, remember you said that. When the time comes, be a good girl and call me ‘big brother’ obediently.”
“We’ll see when you can actually outscore me!” Jiang Li replied irritatedly and immediately hung up.
Hearing the call disconnected, Tong Yi couldn’t help but laugh. Sure enough, Jiang Xiao Li’s temper hadn’t changed a bit.
However, when he looked up, he saw Feng Yang standing not far away, wearing a somewhat strange expression. “Why are you scaring people in the middle of the night?” Tong Yi asked in surprise.
Feng Yang gazed at him for a few seconds before asking, “Were you just on the phone with Xiao Jiang Li?”
Tong Yi nodded. “Yes, my uncle went to see her today. I guess he’s trying to sow discord!”
Feng Yang stared at him again and then said, “Don’t call Xiao Jiang Li when there’s nothing going on. You’re affecting her studies.”
Tong Yi looked surprised. “If I remember correctly, Jiang Xiao Li is on summer break right now. She should be resting, shouldn’t she?”
Feng Yang furrowed his brow. “Mind your manner. You should start calling her ‘Aunt’ instead of ‘Jiang Xiao Li’ soon.”
After Feng Yang finished speaking, he walked away on his own, leaving Tong Yi who stood there and sighed in resignation.
Previously, only the twins would make fun of him by emphasizing their seniority, but after Jiang Xiao Li came into the picture, even Feng Yang joined in the fun.
He really didn’t have it easy!
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