Curveball Diplomacy

"Jiangbin City, Zhonghua Mingcheng Community—good heavens." Jiang Xiao gazed at the imposing entrance outside the car window and clicked his tongue in amazement.

He really was a rich kid.

This upscale community stood halfway up a mountain. After entering, the road wound upward along a tree-lined slope. Jiang Xiao saw one residential building after another, as well as flowers blooming on both sides of the road.

After passing the rockeries and fountains in the community park, Xia Yan finally drove into a private residence with its own yard before they reached the mountaintop.

As the independent garage door beside the small villa slowly opened, Jiang Xiao helplessly shook his head.

There was another car parked inside.

If it were Han Jiangxue, she probably would have thought they simply kept another little car here.

But to Jiang Xiao, this was a Porsche 911.

Now that he thought about it, Xia Yan's Land Rover was actually the relatively low-key, modest car.

Jiang Xiao endured the spicy hot-pot smell clinging awkwardly to him, got out of the car, looked around, and said, "You really are loaded. Just how rich are you?"

Xia Yan also stepped out of the driver's seat and said indifferently, "Do you think money makes people happy?"

Jiang Xiao: "Huh?"

Xia Yan walked over, draped an arm around Jiang Xiao's shoulders, and said earnestly, "You're wrong. You can't even imagine the happiness of rich people."

Jiang Xiao: "..."

From Xia Yan's residence and vehicles, it was clear that her family was indeed loaded. Of course, these few cars were nothing to a true tycoon. Their value was right there—at most a few million. They were nowhere near the tens-of-millions or even more extravagant "divine cars" that true super-rich people drove.

But to a poor man like Jiang Xiao, who earned money by treating pregnant women, there was no difference between a minor tycoon and a god-tier tycoon. They were all rich people.

"Then you took me to eat a seven-yuan bowl of spicy hot pot—and made me pay for it." Jiang Xiao shook his shoulder in disgust, though unfortunately he couldn't shake off Xia Yan's hand.

"Consider it a change of pace. I was sick of everything at home. I can eat whatever I want." Xia Yan twirled her car keys around her slender fingers and hummed as she walked out of the garage.

Watching her graceful figure from behind, Jiang Xiao helplessly shook his head. "As they say, every gain comes with a loss."

"Hm?" Xia Yan stopped and turned toward Jiang Xiao, asking with an unfriendly expression, "What do you mean?"

Jiang Xiao shook his head and sighed. "You gained money, but lost your worries."

Xia Yan: "..."

Jiang Xiao: "Miss, want to date?"

Impatiently, Xia Yan crooked her finger, signaling for Jiang Xiao to hurry up. "You really are a smooth talker. With that stick-like body of yours, wait another two years. I didn't even dare use any force when I put my arm around you just now—I was afraid I'd slap you onto the floor and you'd never get back up."

Jiang Xiao silently nodded. She had a point. Maybe pretending to be injured and extorting people wasn't a bad choice either.

Jiang Xiao followed Xia Yan into the small villa. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw a middle-aged woman.

"Aunt Zhou, toss a sleeping bag into the basement. His name is Jiang Xiaopi. From now on, he'll be living in our basement." Xia Yan placed her car keys in the tray by the entrance and said it casually.

Jiang Xiao sized up the woman before him. She looked like a housekeeper.

"All right, Miss," Zhou Yi replied before turning and leaving.

From that brief exchange, Jiang Xiao could tell that the two of them were probably simply employer and employee. They didn't seem to be related at all.

"Didn't you say you lived here alone?" Jiang Xiao asked in surprise.

Xia Yan nodded. "I did. Oh, Aunt Zhou lives here too. She's a good cook. Didn't you want mutton soup and lamb? I'll have her make some for you tomorrow."

"You have ten thousand rooms here, and you're making me sleep in the basement?" Jiang Xiao looked at Xia Yan helplessly.

"You're far too exposed to sunlight. You need a suitable environment to grow strong. Over the next few days, you'll be completely cut off from the colorful world outside." Xia Yan was cheerful by nature. She had spent the entire journey joking and bantering with Jiang Xiao, but she seemed to have a little scheme in mind—and was already putting it into action.

"This..." Jiang Xiao looked around at the luxurious furnishings. Before he could familiarize himself with the place, Xia Yan covered his eyes with one hand.

Pushing Jiang Xiao forward while covering his eyes, Xia Yan said, "Don't look. These things are all unrealistic fantasies. You'll never be able to own them in this lifetime."

Jiang Xiao: ???

After several twists and turns, Jiang Xiao heard four words: "Watch the steps."

"Aunt Zhou! Why did you tell him?" Xia Yan stomped her foot and complained.

Jiang Xiao carefully walked down the stairs, muttering, "Hmph. Women."

When Xia Yan removed the hand covering Jiang Xiao's eyes, the two of them had already arrived in the so-called basement.

It wasn't dark and damp like Jiang Xiao had imagined.

Instead, it looked more like a training room. Its equipment was even more complete than what he had at home. The room was roughly a hundred square meters. The training equipment was arranged along the left half of the basement, while the right half surprisingly held an octagonal cage.

This was something Jiang Xiao had only seen on television in his previous world. Yes, it wasn't a square boxing ring, but a cold, metal octagonal cage.

It was easy for Jiang Xiao to associate it with mixed martial arts competitions like the UFC.

The lighting here was extremely dim. Only a few bulbs hung overhead, and they all gave off a murky yellow glow.

As they said in North River: "Why not make it bright and install a few big white lights? Why make it so dark?" Most importantly, and quite understandably, there were no windows here.

Facing a pile of heavy fitness equipment and a cold octagonal cage under the dim yellow lights, Jiang Xiao felt himself growing considerably more depressed.

"You'll be living here for the next few days. Your meals will be brought down, and there's a separate little bathroom too." Xia Yan planted her hands on her hips, seemingly very pleased with herself, as she surveyed the layout of the underground training room. "School starts on September first. We'll see how you're doing then. If you're in good shape, I'll ask the school for leave on your behalf, and you won't have to attend military training."

Jiang Xiao's eyes lit up. "I don't have to attend military training?"

Xia Yan smiled. "That depends on how much progress you make studying here. Call your sister and let her know you're safe. Tell her you're going into seclusion here to focus on your cultivation."

"Okay." Jiang Xiao pulled out his phone. The signal was surprisingly good despite being in the basement. Not bad, not bad.

Nowadays, as long as young people had a phone and a signal, they couldn't really be considered cut off from the world.

Jiang Xiao briefly told Han Jiangxue he was safe. Unfortunately, the aloof Ms. Han never said more than a second word. She responded to every one of Jiang Xiao's remarks with a single "Mm," then hung up first.

Mm. She was really heartless.

The moment Jiang Xiao put down the phone, Xia Yan snatched it away.

"What is it?" Jiang Xiao asked, looking at Xia Yan in confusion.

Holding the phone, Xia Yan extended her index finger and swept it around the fitness equipment in the basement. "From today onward, these are your toys."

She confiscated my phone?

I haven't even started school yet, and she's already making me experience the terror of being controlled by a teacher?

"A coach will come tomorrow morning to train your physical fitness and teach you the basic courses. Your clothes, meals, and water will be delivered on time. Don't try to escape—you won't get far. This door will stay locked. And don't use 'Green Glow' to smash it; you can't afford to pay for it." Xia Yan turned and walked up the stairs. Her figure stopped at the doorway. "That's all. Good luck."

"Oh, right." Xia Yan suddenly remembered something. She reached into her pocket, took out two White Ghost Star Beads, and tossed them to Jiang Xiao.

In Snowfield, Xia Yan had been allocated four White Ghost Star Beads. She had absorbed two of them while killing White Ghosts, replenishing her Star Power.

She had never absorbed the remaining two. She hadn't expected to give them to Jiang Xiao.

"Thank you. You..." Jiang Xiao looked up at Xia Yan standing in the doorway above the stairs and asked, "Why are you taking such good care of me?"

"Her little brother is my little brother too. Besides, these things aren't much use to me." Xia Yan waved her hand indifferently and shut the door.

Hearing the lock click, Jiang Xiao sighed deeply. Was it really only because I was Han Jiangxue's little brother? Was that really all there was to it?

Upstairs, at the basement door, Xia Yan hadn't left. Leaning against the door, she smiled and shook her head. "I hope you can help me carry out my plan."

The plan concerned Third Year of High School, the team, the school, and her future as well.

Those matters could wait until later.

Xia Yan sighed, then gathered her thoughts. She had a second purpose too, which was... Xia Yan eagerly took out Jiang Xiao's phone.

Her slender fingers swiped across the screen repeatedly. At last, she found Weibo.

Tap!

As expected! No account or password was needed. It logged in directly.

Xia Yan revealed a mischievous smile, as if two little demon horns had sprouted from her head.

Jiang Xiaopi Pi Bu Pi. Hehe, the days of curveball diplomacy are about to begin.

Xia Yan scrolled through Jiang Xiaopi's Weibo. Sure enough, there was still only that one post.

Xia Yan thought for a moment, then began typing.

Several minutes later, in a residence in Garden Community far away, a cuckoo's call rang out.

Han Jiangxue had just finished bathing. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy, revealing a lazy, captivating side of herself that few ever saw. Holding a towel in one hand and wiping her wet, jet-black hair, she picked up her phone with the other.

Jiang Xiaopi Pi Bu Pi had just posted from a Huawei Maimang C199: "So happy, I went home with her."

P.S. Day 1 of liking Big Sis Xia Yan.

"Jiang! Xiao! Pi!" Han Jiangxue clenched her right hand, nearly crushing the phone. Thanks for the 10,000 reward, Rexxxx.