MTLY | Chapter 1

◎My niece.◎

*Meeting You, Liking You*

An Jiuwei / Jinjiang Literature City

2035.7.2

March, Jiangbei City.

A spring rain had just passed, and the night air was damp with moisture.

The room wasn’t lit. Song Tinghuan was curled up by the head of the bed, messaging her father, Song Mingcheng.

【Dad, I’ve settled in at the Jiang family’s place. School has also been arranged. I’ll start classes next Monday.】

【But the Jiang family doesn’t seem to have many people around, only…】

Song Tinghuan’s fingertips hesitated. She deleted the words she had typed, one by one, then entered them again: 【The Jiang family are really nice. I like them a lot, so don’t worry about me.】

She waited for about half an hour, but there was still no reply.

Song Tinghuan pinched the edge of the soft white thin blanket and slowly shrank down into it, until even her small chin was covered too, leaving only a face as pale and smooth as porcelain. Her dark, soft hair spilled around her neck and shoulders.

Today was her first day at the Jiang family’s home, and also her first day leaving her family behind and living independently, after moving from Lingcheng to Jiangbei.

All day, Song Tinghuan had only seen two people in the Jiang household.

One was an auntie who handled the cleaning and occasionally cooked. She didn’t live in.

The other was the mistress of the house, named Meng Shutang, who was also Song Mingcheng’s university classmate.

Her thoughts drifted back to noon, when she had first met Meng Shutang.

The woman stood beneath the crabapple tree in the garden, wearing a sky-blue fitted qipao. Her silky black hair was twisted up with a wooden hairpin. When she heard footsteps, she turned around, and in her cool, graceful features there was a natural charm.

“Song, Ting, Huan?”

Her voice was gentle, and she pronounced Song Tinghuan’s name one syllable at a time.

As if confirming that the girl before her really was an old friend’s daughter, warmth rose in Meng Shutang’s clear eyes. She curved her lips, smiling brightly, like the crabapple blossoms behind her, heavy on the branches, blooming into tender, rain-kissed rouge.

At the time, Song Tinghuan thought this must be the most beautiful person she had ever seen, like someone who had stepped right out of an ink-wash landscape painting, untouched by the mundane world.

Her thoughts drifted farther and farther away. Song Tinghuan vaguely closed her eyes, and just before falling into sleep, she dimly remembered that she had seen another person at the Jiang house tonight.

It seemed to be a man, tall in stature. He had been walking in a hurry, and Song Tinghuan had only caught a glimpse of his back. He should have been the master of the house.

No one knew how long passed before the phone beside her pillow vibrated. Song Tinghuan was jolted awake. She rubbed against the pillow and reached for her phone.

It was already almost one in the morning.

The message was from Song Mingcheng.

【Okay, stay at the Jiang family’s place for a while first. Once Dad finishes handling the things on my plate, I’ll bring you home.】

【If you don’t have enough money, tell Dad. Don’t wrong yourself.】

Song Tinghuan held the phone and read the message again, then curled her body up and slowly pulled the phone in against her chest as well.

Although Song Mingcheng said that, Song Tinghuan vaguely felt that she probably wouldn’t be able to go home anytime soon. Otherwise, Song Mingcheng wouldn’t have arranged for her transfer so hastily.

The iron gate outside the villa slid open and shut, wheels crunching over the ground.

Tonight, the Jiang family wasn’t home. In the empty villa, there was only Song Tinghuan.

The window in her room was open a crack. Since she couldn’t sleep, Song Tinghuan followed the sound of a car with her attention, little by little, watching it approach from the main gate, pass beneath her window, and disappear into the underground garage.

The faint rain sounded rustling and soft.

For a long while, there was no sound of a door opening, or anyone speaking.

Song Tinghuan got up, put on her clothes, and slipped on her fluffy open-toe slippers before walking out of the room.

The sensor light in the hallway came on, casting a soft yellow glow. Song Tinghuan held the railing and went downstairs with light, careful steps.

The huge living room was empty and silent, as if no one had come home at all.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from one side of the kitchen. Song Tinghuan’s heart jolted, and her breathing caught.

“Ding…”

A very faint sound, like thin metal set down on marble, especially clear in the dead quiet of the night.

Song Tinghuan stood alone in the empty living room, with nothing to lean on, and a chill climbed up her spine, making her almost unable to move.

Buzz… buzz…

The vibration of a phone then came from the kitchen. The call connected, and a tired, lazy male voice said, “Just got home.”

Low and clipped, those three words carried a cool clarity with a fine, jade-like grain.

Song Tinghuan let out a small breath and approached in her fluffy slippers. “Uncle Jiang?”

The girl’s voice was soft, carrying a bit of careful probing.

The instant she leaned toward the kitchen door, her wrist was suddenly seized. Coldness pressed against her skin. Song Tinghuan cried out reflexively, but her mouth was immediately covered too.

Fear widened her dark, soft eyes. Song Tinghuan’s whole body was trapped in a slightly cool embrace, her thick eyelashes fluttering. Mixed in her nose were clear, clean scents, like a clump of mint leaves hanging on snow pine.

The kitchen refrigerator door was open. Borrowing the dim light, Song Tinghuan saw the cold-white hand that restrained her, the slender bones of its fingers clamped tightly around her wrist.

“Mm-mmm…” Song Tinghuan struggled with nearly all her strength. Her lips brushed the other person’s tiger mouth, and she opened her mouth, not caring anymore, and bit down hard.

The person behind her hissed in pain, and the hand over her mouth withdrew. Song Tinghuan turned on reflex, her cry stuck in her throat, and stared blankly at the boy standing in front of her.

The tall, slender teenager looked down, bangs hanging slightly over his brow. His black baseball jacket was open, with a plain white T-shirt underneath.

The jacket’s fabric was smooth, covered in tiny droplets of water, like night dew, reflecting a chill in their silent standoff.

Song Tinghuan knew she was on the small side, but this was the first time she truly felt the crushing pressure of a height difference.

Her height only reached his shoulder. Her whole body was wrapped in shadow, while the amber light made the boy’s outline even more distinct. His bone structure was cool and reserved, and the corners of his eyes were long and deep.

At that moment, he had his eyes lowered, his pale eyelids drooping slightly. In his pitch-black pupils, darkness lay hidden and lurking, his emotions heavy and impossible to read.

Surprise? Confusion? Or maybe a little irritation and impatience?

Song Tinghuan didn’t know. Only then did she belatedly remember that Song Mingcheng had told her Meng Shutang had a child who was about her age, and his name was,

Jiang Yu.

“Ding ding ding…”

The refrigerator’s reminder tone, left on for far too long, rang out. The boy turned around, took another can of cola from the shelf on the door, and then closed the fridge.

The surroundings instantly fell into darkness, with only the frosty moonlight pouring in through the window, illuminating a small patch of space.

Song Tinghuan watched as the boy set the aluminum can of cola on the island counter. Metal met marble with a crisp, cool sound, and under the moonlight, a clear ring of teeth marks showed on the back of his cold-white hand.

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Jiang Yu lowered his eyes. The girl in front of him was short, thin, and wrapped in a white cotton sleep shirt. Her face was white too, but those apricot-shaped eyes were dark, soft, and bright.

His fingertip rested against the tiger mouth, and he rubbed at the small but deep bite marks on the back of his hand.

She looked so small and slight, but her teeth were pretty sharp.

Realizing not only that she had mistaken him for someone else, but that she had also bitten him, Song Tinghuan curled her fingers in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Her low, soft apology was suddenly drowned out by a loud voice. “Yuge, what the hell are you dawdling for? Isn’t it just grabbing a drink-”

Someone flipped the switch, and the entire first floor of the villa was instantly bright as day. Song Tinghuan squinted a little, uncomfortable.

Jiang Yu was still looking down. Song Tinghuan met his cool, lazy gaze, then slowly turned to look at the newcomer.

There were two boys. One wore glasses and looked refined and proper. The other, despite it being March, was in a sleeveless tank top, revealing toned bronze upper arms. There was even a ferocious flower tattoo on his right arm.

It was the first time Song Tinghuan had seen someone so gangster-looking, and she instinctively swallowed.

The big tattooed guy was obviously shocked too by the little girl who had suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

The girl’s dark hair hung to her shoulders, her skin clear and porcelain-smooth. Beneath her thin, soft bangs were a pair of black-and-white deer eyes, and her soft red lips were lightly pressed together. She was like a real-life doll, both obedient and pretty.

“Holy shit!” The tattooed guy looked in shock at the bespectacled boy beside him. “Who the hell is this? Why is she at Yuge’s place?”

Jiang Yu lifted his eyelids slightly and caught the clear fear in the girl’s dark eyes.

Three hours earlier, Meng Shutang had called him and said that her younger sister, who was staying here, had arrived. She might not be able to come back tonight, so he should get home early and look after the little girl.

So this was the kid.

Wasn’t she pretty fierce when she bit him just now? Why was she scared now?

“Yuge.” The tattooed guy looked full of gossip and excitement. “This is fucking…”

Jiang Yu frowned and cut off the tattooed guy’s gaze, which was sticking to the girl, his expression impatient. “Are you opening it or not?”

“Open it! Of course I’m opening it! I already said I’d make those dogs kneel and call me Dad.”

The tattooed guy looked indignant, as if he had suffered some huge humiliation, but he still didn’t forget to crane his neck and look behind Jiang Yu.

“Who is this, Yuge?”

Jiang Yu turned his eyes sideways and let his gaze slide lightly over Song Tinghuan. The corner of his lips lifted slightly. “Oh, my niece.”

His voice was still languid and half-asleep, but there was a wicked edge in the roughness of it.

The tattooed guy: “?”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

Author’s Note:

Song Xiaohuan: Jiang Yu, I advise you to act like a human being.

Happy weekend, babies. A belated new story. It’s probably a rather un-human male lead and a female lead who tries hard to teach him how to be human, only to eventually realize that she’s the one who made him completely stop being human, a very ordinary, trivial, shamelessly funny inspirational story (?)

Next story: *Mint Rose*, please collect it~

【Arrogant beauty bones × roguish, handsome, deeply affectionate】

On the day of her nineteenth birthday, Jiang Ran threw herself a huge party and invited nearly all the playboys in Beicheng’s wealthy circle.

Amid all the ruckus, Jiang Ran made a grand announcement: tonight, she was going to say goodbye to innocence.

Right before the final step, things got messed up.

Jiang Ran looked at the tall shadow outlined by the dim golden light. Fu Xitang lowered his eyes, his heavy gaze falling into hers.

He was the heir of the Beicheng Fu family, a favored son of heaven born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the center of attention in wealthy circles.

And also the person Jiang Ran had secretly liked for many years.

Her glossy red lips curved, and a glassy sheen turned in Jiang Ran’s dark, moist eyes.

She lightly hooked his trouser cuff, her soft lips parting. “Then… big brother, help me?”

1v1, sc, sweet and satisfying romance.