157: A small reflection

Three days flew by in the blink of an eye, and Jiang Ye and Su Ning's relationship could be described as "advancing by leaps and bounds," heating up rapidly.

The online version of "Brother Ye" still maintained a cold and aloof posture of "I've read this but am too lazy to reply," so Su Ning's WeChat chat window was basically a sea of green.

But offline... Jiang Ye's attitude toward Su Ning was like a gentle spring breeze, incredibly amiable and kind.

The reason was simple.

He, Jiang Ye, was being kept by Su Ning.

————

January 5th, morning.

Jiang Ye sat on the sofa and picked up his phone to glance at the message Comrade Xu Man had just sent:

[Son, Mom is still in Harbin. The snow scenery here is too beautiful, so I took a few more days off and will be back in a couple of days! Remember to invite my daughter-in-law over for dinner then!]

Jiang Ye, who had originally intended to come home and show some filial piety, curled his lip and tossed his phone onto the sofa. Looking up, he saw Su Ning holding a cup of milk tea, leaning over with a beaming smile.

"Little Brother, your milk tea~ It's a new product from Heytea. I think it tastes pretty good!"

Jiang Ye immediately switched to a brilliant smile and took it: "Oh! Little Sister Su is treating again? How can I accept this! I'm making you spend money every day!"

"Little Brother, look at you, what are you saying!"

Su Ning's eyes curved into crescents: "Your rent is so cheap, Sister Wanxing and I feel quite bad about it. How much does it cost to treat you to milk tea or order takeout? Here, for you. I'm going to start my shift now~"

After saying that, she carefully observed "Brother Ye's" smiling, clearly appreciative expression, nodded inwardly, and returned to her bedroom satisfied.

That's right.

This was how Jiang Ye was being "kept."

It all started with the takeout on New Year's Day.

At that time, in order to perform well in front of "Brother Ye," Su Ning waved her hand and said she would treat.

After everyone finished ordering, she had a sudden inspiration and specifically added a cup of milk tea for Jiang Ye—she and Lin Wanxing rarely touched the stuff to maintain their figures.

At first, Jiang Ye didn't pay much attention, but when the milk tea arrived and he habitually checked the system prompt, the door to a new world crashed open!

[Received a gift from Su Ning: One cup of Heytea Roasted Brown Sugar Bobo Milk Tea. System estimated value: 19 yuan. Triggered 1000% cashback, obtained 190 yuan!]

Jiang Ye was stunned on the spot.

He was so used to receiving gifts that he had actually forgotten such a primitive and simple cashback method!

After two days of cautious testing, he discovered the following rules:

If the three of them ordered takeout together and split the cost or if someone treated everyone, it would not trigger cashback.

But if, like Su Ning, someone ordered a portion specifically for him, or if they ordered takeout when Lin Wanxing wasn't home at noon and only the two of them were there, it would consistently trigger cashback!

So, with the skills of a Best Actor, Jiang Ye performed several face-changing stunts of "If you treat, I'm sunny; if not, I'm cloudy." Su Ning decisively grasped the "Imperial Will" and took the initiative to provide his "multiple meals a day" plus milk tea supply.

Now... a woman taking care of your food and drink isn't much.

The key was that every cent she spent, once passed through the system, resulted in a direct ten-fold cashback into Jiang Ye's pocket!

This was equivalent to Su Ning paying him a salary while also taking care of his food and drink!

Wasn't this just being a kept man?

Jiang Ye looked at the cup of Heytea in his hand that had just triggered a 320-yuan cashback, took a huge gulp, and felt great.

At this rate, in a month, just by "mooching food and drink" from Su Ning, he could make a net profit of tens of thousands!

This soft rice was just too damn delicious!

————

After happily finishing the milk tea, Jiang Ye changed his clothes and headed out.

He had to go back to his previous rental apartment.

After the last phone call with the landlord, Jiang Ye had moved out immediately, but the landlord hadn't had time to inspect the property.

The house had been vacant for so many days and had only just been rented out. He had to go back to return the keys and hand over the water, electricity, and gas accounts to the new tenant.

Speaking of which, the landlord was actually a pretty good guy.

Jiang Ye had moved out without giving prior notice, causing the house to be vacant for over half a month, yet the man had proactively refunded half a month's deposit, 450 yuan.

He felt a bit guilty, so while passing an appliance store, he conveniently bought a 400-yuan rice cooker and carried it to the rental apartment.

Hmm, refund 450, spend 400, net profit 50.

Pretty good, as long as it's a profit.

————

After finishing the move-out procedures and chatting with the enthusiastic landlord in the hallway for a while, it was already past eleven in the morning when he came out of the building entrance.

The winter sun didn't have much warmth, but shining on his body, it at least dispelled some of the chill.

Jiang Ye walked slowly along the familiar street with his hands in his pockets. Looking at the snack shops and convenience stores that had accompanied him through his "difficult times," he inexplicably felt a sense of sentiment like "returning home in glory."

After walking for a bit, he stopped, leaned his arms on the roadside railing, looked at the row of familiar storefronts opposite him, and smiled cheekily:

"Alas, dear neighbors and snack shop owners, you've worked hard to accompany this Jiang through many days of poverty!"

"Fortunately, this Jiang never ate on credit. Although most of it was 'Pinduoduo meals' with low unit prices, I suppose you all made a bit of profit through high volume."

"Everyone! This Jiang is grateful for your care! Parting today, the world is vast, we shall meet again if fate—"

'Oh?!'

Before he could finish his sentimental speech, Jiang Ye's gaze froze, locking onto a shop across the street with a sign that read "Authentic Lanzhou Pulled Noodles," and he tilted his head.

That's not right!

It seems he hadn't fulfilled the wish he made back then!

Crap, crap, crap, good thing he remembered. If he forgot this, how much karma would he lose?

Jiang Ye looked left and right, saw there were no cars, and tried to vault over the railing with one hand.

Just as one leg crossed over, he caught sight of a traffic officer at the nearby intersection staring intently at him, finger pointing at the nearby zebra crossing.

"..."

He quickly pulled his leg back and walked honestly toward the crosswalk dozens of meters away, muttering: "Ahem... a civilized person, a civilized person uses the zebra crossing."