My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 74 - The Golden Boy and Jade Girl

I just knew…

Tang Huaijin originally thought that Xia Xinya, being just a little girl, would naturally stop because of embarrassment. Unexpectedly, this silly girl let go with both hands.

Tang Huaijin watched as Xia Xinya was flung from the swing. Gritting his teeth, he caught her in a safe position and took a few steps back to lessen the impact, ultimately ending up sitting on the ground with her on top of him.

Bai Yuerou had already turned pale with fright. Ignoring the swing still in mid-air, she jumped down, accidentally twisting her ankle. The pain made her furrow her brows sharply, but she didn’t stop to check it and limped over hurriedly, asking anxiously, “Are you alright?”

The girl’s body was soft and fragrant, but Tang Huaijin was in no mood to notice. He carefully checked Xia Xinya, who was lying in his arms. Finding that she was only pale from fright and otherwise unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he realize that his chest was sore from the impact, and he coughed a few times, glaring at her and scolding, “Didn’t I tell you it was dangerous to swing so high?”

Xia Xinya looked somewhat dazed. Hearing him scold her so fiercely, her eyes began to well up, and she said in a hurt voice, “It’s all your fault!”

Hearing this, Tang Huaijin’s anger flared even more, and he slapped her lightly on the buttocks, shouting, “My fault? Do you realize how scary that was? What if you had been hurt? I think you’re trying to kill me with worry.” He was both anxious and angry, and scared too. If he hadn’t caught her, the fall from that height could have easily broken bones.

The slap made Xia Xinya tremble, and she didn’t dare to yell out loud. Her cheeks flushed, she lay sobbing in his arms.

Bai Yuerou approached them and, seeing that they were both fine, also let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Tang Huaijin slap Xia Xinya on the buttocks, her expression immediately became complicated, and her foot pain made her sit down beside them.

“Are you okay, Yuerou?” Tang Huaijin asked Bai Yuerou with concern, glancing at her.

“I twisted my ankle,” Bai Yuerou said, frowning as she rubbed her ankle and took a sharp intake of breath.

Seeing Tang Huaijin about to smack Xia Xinya again, Bai Yuerou quickly intervened, “Enough already, there’s no serious harm done, don’t hit her anymore. Xinya must be terrified.”

Hearing this, Tang Huaijin refrained from further scolding, and gently pushed Xia Xinya away, saying irritably, “Stop clinging to me.”

“Who wants to cling to you, gross,” Xia Xinya retorted, her cheeks flushed. She pouted and moved beside Bai Yuerou to complain.

Tang Huaijin, not wanting to bother with her, stood up and walked aside, rubbing his chest, giving Bai Yuerou some space to comfort the girl.

Bai Yuerou also gave Xia Xinya a stern look and said, “How can you say that about Jin? Don’t you realize that if it weren’t for him, you would have been seriously injured? And do you think anyone else would have caught you like he did? If he hadn’t caught you right, both of you could have been hurt, do you understand?”

Seeing Bai Yuerou genuinely upset, Xia Xinya felt a bit intimidated and sheepishly lowered her head, mumbling, “I understand…”

In her heart, she knew it was Tang Huaijin who saved her. When she first flew off the swing, she was indeed terrified, but seeing Tang Huaijin’s face gave her an inexplicable sense of reassurance. A thought flashed through her mind-Tang Huaijin would definitely save her.

Being held in Tang Huaijin’s arms, she wasn’t scared; instead, she felt a sense of grievance. Arguing with him was just her way of wanting him to comfort her.

The slap Tang Huaijin gave her on her little behind was quite forceful, and it hurt. But seeing him gritting his teeth in anger out of fear for her safety, all her grievances vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar sweet feeling. It made her want to stay in Tang Huaijin’s arms a little longer.

Seeing her so obedient, Bai Yuerou didn’t have the heart to scold her. She tried to stand up, supporting herself with her hands, but winced from the pain in her ankle.

Xia Xinya panicked and quickly stopped Bai Yuerou, calling out loudly for Tang Huaijin to come over.

Tang Huaijin approached and noticed Bai Yuerou’s pained expression. He crouched down, gently lifted her skirt to reveal her delicate ankle, removed her slipper, and carefully examined it.

As the saying goes, “A man’s head, a woman’s feet, to be seen but not touched.” Bai Yuerou was wearing short socks today, and as he held her small foot, examining her ankle, her face turned red with embarrassment, and she attempted to pull back.

Her foot had no unpleasant odor; it was soft and fragrant. Above the clean white sock was a patch of redness and swelling.

“Don’t move,” Tang Huaijin instructed, holding her small foot. He pressed gently with his fingers, and seeing no significant pain reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s nothing serious, just a sprain. It’ll be fine in two or three days.”

After saying that, he put her slipper back on and hesitated before offering, “Should I carry you back?”

Blushing, Bai Yuerou nodded obediently, allowing him to lift her onto his back. Her small hands gently wrapped around his neck.

Xia Xinya knew her best friend’s injury was partly her fault. Although she felt a bit jealous of Tang Huaijin carrying Bai Yuerou, she said nothing and followed them silently.

Bai Yuerou’s body was as soft as her personality. Tang Huaijin’s hands held her thighs, almost sinking into them. The soft sensation on his back made him a bit awkward. Bai Yuerou, though gentle and delicate, was more developed than Xia Xinya, her peer.

As they entered the villa from the backyard, Xu Jingwen had just finished cooking and was about to call them for dinner. She was surprised to see Tang Huaijin carrying Bai Yuerou. After hearing the story, she walked behind him, and when he wasn’t looking, she gave her blushing daughter a discreet thumbs-up.

Bai Yuerou’s face turned even redder. She glared at her mother in embarrassment, then turned her face to rest against Tang Huaijin’s back, allowing him to carry her to the sofa.

Bai Renli was sitting nearby, chatting with a man. He looked over when Tang Huaijin placed his precious daughter on the sofa, his gaze towards Tang Huaijin carrying a hint of danger.

Just as he was about to say something, Xu Jingwen, sitting beside him, shot him an even more dangerous look, effectively silencing him. With a blank expression, he introduced Tang Huaijin, “This is Li Changhe, the boss of Changhe Publishing House and a close friend of mine. You can call him Uncle Li.”

After that, he turned to Li Changhe and introduced, “This is Tang Huaijin, my… my younger acquaintance.”

Tang Huaijin nodded politely and greeted him.

“Ah, impressive young man. Just now, Mr. Bai showed me your book, and you truly deserve the praise of being promising at a young age,” Li Changhe said, having witnessed Tang Huaijin carrying Bai Yuerou to the sofa, naturally treating him with respect. He then glanced at Bai Renli, who was sipping tea, and teased, “I think I should congratulate Mr. Bai in advance, haha.”

Bai Renli, caught off guard while drinking tea, coughed a couple of times. Seeing that Xu Jingwen had already set the table, he forced a smile and said, “Let’s eat first.”

The group moved to the dining table, a perfect fit for six. Tang Huaijin, Bai Yuerou, and Xia Xinya sat on one side, while Yuerou’s father, Yuerou’s mother, and Li Changhe sat on the other.

The atmosphere at the table was pleasant. Bai Renli and Li Changhe opened a bottle of white wine, chatting as they ate, mostly discussing Tang Huaijin’s book, occasionally asking him questions.

Meanwhile, Xu Jingwen glanced at her book-obsessed husband with a hint of helplessness and engaged Tang Huaijin in conversation, mostly about trivial family matters.

Tang Huaijin maintained a natural smile, warmly interacting with Yuerou’s parents.

Xia Xinya, having calmed down since earlier, sat quietly, focusing on her meal. Bai Yuerou glanced at Tang Huaijin, noticing he hadn’t eaten much, preoccupied with chatting with Xu Jingwen. She shot her mother a playful look, blushing slightly, and picked up a piece of food for Tang Huaijin, softly saying, “Jin, eat something.”

Tang Huaijin smiled and replied, “Thank you, Yuerou.”

The young man was vibrant and refined, while the young woman’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes filled with affection. Watching Tang Huaijin and Bai Yuerou together, they seemed like a perfect pair, making Xu Jingwen almost beam with satisfaction.

After dinner, Xu Jingwen went to the kitchen to clean up, calling Bai Yuerou to join her, intending to discuss Tang Huaijin. Unexpectedly, Xia Xinya followed them in.

For a moment, only the three men remained in the living room. Bai Renli took a sip of tea, stood up, and led them to the study.

Gesturing for Tang Huaijin to sit, Bai Renli looked at him and said, “Now, explain the situation to Uncle Li. He will ensure justice is served.”

Tang Huaijin quickly recounted the events to Li Changhe, omitting the sibling relationship, simply stating that Zhu Meiyu was pressuring his sister to hand over his book for her to manage.

Seeing Li Changhe’s expression darken, Tang Huaijin hesitated for a moment, then played the recording on his phone for him to hear.

“In the Editorial Department, I am the justice…”

Li Changhe’s face darkened as he listened, unable to contain his anger any longer. He slammed the table and shouted, “That Zhu Meiyu! I’ve received numerous complaints about her before, and I only warned her because she’s a veteran. But I never thought she’d go this far!”

Most of the previous complaints were about forcing overtime, which weren’t too serious. But having just read Tang Huaijin’s book, he recognized its immense potential. Zhu Meiyu’s actions were practically driving the author to submit his work to another publishing house, prioritizing her own interests over the company’s.

When Tang Huaijin mentioned that his sister was forced to leave her job, Li Changhe was so furious his hands trembled. He looked at Tang Huaijin sincerely and said, “Tang, leave this matter to me. I promise to give you justice, and I’ve read your book too. I’ll ensure you receive a satisfactory payment for your manuscript.”

After a moment of contemplation, he added, “Here’s the plan: I’ll personally visit the company tomorrow morning. Your sister can return to work then. You should take a day off and come to the company as well, so we can discuss the manuscript payment.”

Tang Huaijin expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Uncle Li.”

“No need to thank me,” Li Changhe waved his hand dismissively, addressing both men, “I should be thanking you for bringing this to my attention. I’ve neglected company matters for too long. Tang, Mr. Bai, I’ll be on my way now.”

The two men left the study and saw Li Changhe off. Only then did Tang Huaijin breathe a sigh of relief, feeling the weight lift from his shoulders.

He turned to Bai Renli and said, “Thank you, Uncle Bai.”

Bai Renli looked at him with a blank expression, nodded slightly, but remained silent.