Chapter 18 Leave It to Me!

Chapter 18: Leave It to Me!

As the man of the hour at the banquet, Lu Nanzhou was soon approached by another guest holding a wine glass.

As the host, Lu Nanzhou naturally couldn't be impolite. The faint smile in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual distant yet polite demeanor. He gave Jiang Jiang a slight nod before turning to exchange pleasantries with the new arrival.

Having achieved his goal for the evening, Jiang Jiang didn't linger. He turned and headed toward the dessert area.

Feeling pretty good, he even hummed a tuneless little melody under his breath.

He had just reached the long table loaded with exquisite pastries and hadn't even managed to reach for the chocolate cake that looked particularly delicious when he ran into Lu Xingye. Despite wearing a suit, Lu Xingye couldn't quite conceal his unruly aura.

Their eyes met, and they both let out a simultaneous, disdainful "Tch."

"Can't get rid of you," Lu Xingye muttered under his breath.

"Right back at you," Jiang Jiang retorted without hesitation.

"Jiang Jiang, I'm warning you..." Lu Xingye began, but before he could finish, Jiang Jiang rolled his eyes at him openly, turned his back directly, clearly having no interest in engaging with him.

Lu Xingye: "..."

A surge of frustration stuck in his chest, leaving him speechless. He crossed his arms and glared fiercely at the back of Jiang Jiang's head, as if trying to bore a hole through it with his gaze.

As if anyone wanted to talk to him!

"Ding, Impression Value +5. Current Impression Value: 70."

Hearing the notification sound, Jiang Jiang paused his chewing, a satisfied smile crinkling his eyes. This impression value came quickly too. It seemed his gift had been a good choice.

On the other side of the banquet hall, although Jiang Huaijin had allowed his younger brother to roam around, he kept scanning the room periodically, ensuring Jiang Jiang wasn't causing any trouble.

After finishing a conversation with Director Wang, he discreetly glanced around. Good, Jiang Jiang was in the dessert area, happily devouring cake.

After talking with Director Li, he took another look. Jiang Jiang had somehow made his way to the drinks area, holding a glass of champagne and taking small sips.

After concluding his chat with Director Zhang, he glanced again. Jiang Jiang was now holding a plate, navigating the buffet area as if he owned the place.

Jiang Huaijin: "..."

It wasn't like they starved him at home.

Still, seeing that the other party was behaving and not causing any trouble, he relaxed slightly and stopped keeping such a close eye on Jiang Jiang.

However, after downing several glasses of champagne, Jiang Jiang completely let loose, proceeding to gulp down quite a bit more alcohol in the drinks area.

"Bro!" Jiang Jiang's head felt a bit fuzzy. Spotting his older brother's familiar figure from afar, he still clutched an empty wine glass and stumbled headlong into Jiang Huaijin's arms, his words slurred. "So... so good!"

Jiang Huaijin staggered slightly from the impact, quickly reaching out to steady him. He was hit by a wave of alcohol breath, and he couldn't help but massage his temples.

He had relaxed too soon.

He really couldn't let his guard down around this guy.

Looking at Jiang Jiang, who had just taken a big gulp of air from his empty glass, Jiang Huaijin took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to give his younger brother a good smack.

Fortunately, the banquet was nearing its end. After bidding a brief farewell to Lu Nanzhou, he hustled his troublesome brother out and left early, heading home.

As he was being dragged away by his brother, Jiang Jiang didn't forget to turn back and wave at Lu Nanzhou. "Happy... birthday, woohoo!"

Lu Nanzhou's gaze lingered on Jiang Jiang's slightly flushed face for a moment, only shifting away after the two had walked off into the distance.

......

Early the next morning, the light was still cool. Jiang Jiang, nursing a hangover, was deep in discussion with the Sandman about which dessert tasted best when he was awakened by Aunt Wang.

"Young Master, wake up. Someone is here to see you downstairs. They say they're Assistant Lin, from Lu Nanzhou."

Jiang Jiang mumbled a groggy "Mmm," struggling to crawl out of his soft, warm bed. He shuffled downstairs in his slippers, swaying with every step.

Before he had even fully descended the staircase, he heard an incredibly penetrating and distinctive "Werwerwer!" sound, instantly dispelling most of his drowsiness.

"Young Master Jiang, good morning," Assistant Lin greeted Jiang Jiang as soon as he saw him.

"...Morning." Jiang Jiang's gaze went past Assistant Lin, landing on the excited, brown, tan, and white dog beside him, its tail wagging so fast it was practically a propeller.

It was Lu Nanzhou's Beagle, Xiao Lv.

"Werwerwer!" Upon seeing Jiang Jiang, Xiao Lv became so excited it tried to lunge forward. The leash instantly went taut, pulling Assistant Lin off balance for a step.

"Xiao Lv!" Jiang Jiang was instantly wide awake. He rushed down the remaining steps two at a time, crouched down, and hugged the dog's head, giving it a good rub. "Hehe, Xiao Lv, did you miss me?"

"Mr. Lu is going abroad on a business trip in a couple of days, so he intends to activate the [Xiao Lv Boarding Card] you gifted him," Assistant Lin relayed according to his boss's instructions. "To allow you two to get acquainted and build a bond first, we're bringing him over two days early. We expect to pick him up in about a week."

With that, he formally handed the dog leash over to Jiang Jiang.

He then pointed to several large bags nearby. "These are Xiao Lv's daily necessities, including dog food, treats, toys, food and water bowls, a dog bed, a brush, shampoo, and some common medications."

After Assistant Lin left, Jiang Jiang curiously peeked into the bags. The preparations were indeed thorough, showing that Lu Nanzhou was a careful and responsible owner.

However... upon closer inspection, although these items looked relatively new, whether it was the canvas dog bed, the rubber toys, or the plastic bowls, they were all covered with clear teeth marks. Even one corner of the dog bed had its stuffing poking out, clearly having seen better days.

Looking at these battle-worn supplies, then down at Xiao Lv in his arms—who was innocently nuzzling his palm with a wet nose—Jiang Jiang couldn't help but give the dog's head another vigorous rub, exclaiming, "That's our Xiao Lv for you!"

Just then, Jiang Huaijin, who was preparing to leave for the office, was drawn by the commotion downstairs.

Impeccably dressed in his tailored suit, his brow instantly furrowed upon seeing the sudden addition of a dog and a pile of pet supplies in the living room.

"Jiang Jiang, what's going on here?" Jiang Huaijin's gaze shifted between the excited Xiao Lv and his grinning, foolish-looking younger brother.

"Lu Nanzhou's dog?" Jiang Huaijin's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he scrutinized his brother. "Since when have you become close enough with him to be entrusted with his pet?"

A cautious and aloof person like Lu Nanzhou would easily hand over his pet to this troublemaker of theirs?

Jiang Jiang completely missed the deeper meaning and suspicion in his brother's words. He looked utterly matter-of-fact, even with a hint of pride. "Yeah! I'm lovable and charming, a hit with everyone!"

Seeing his brother's carefree expression, Jiang Huaijin's suspicions eased slightly.

He rubbed his temples and instructed sternly, "Keep an eye on it. Don't let it cause any trouble."

"Don't worry, big brother!" Jiang Jiang thumped his chest in assurance, full of conviction. "Leave it to me, you can rest easy!"

Hearing this, Jiang Huaijin couldn't help but sigh.

When it came to Jiang Jiang handling things, he couldn't rest easy in the slightest.

Although he thought so, he didn't truly believe any major trouble would arise. It was just a dog, after all, and it wouldn't be staying for long.

----------------------