160: Good spirits - 3

Jiang Ye heard the owner say, "'Charity Noodles' aren't for beggars!" and knew that the other party had agreed.

He stood up directly and scanned the payment QR code on the wall, sending 3,058 over.

Sitting back down, Jiang Ye saw the owner's face filled with emotion, looking like he had something to say, so he quickly smiled and waved his hand.

"Don't, don't, don't, Boss, stop right there! Don't get sentimental on me, it's too awkward, I can't handle that. Let's just keep it normal."

The owner was cut off by his words, stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright! Little brother, you're an interesting guy! Truly interesting! Fine, I'll take care of this for you!"

He patted his chest, his tone becoming solemn. "Although I don't have much spare cash, I'll give you these noodles at cost price! I guarantee I won't make a single cent off this 3,000; just consider it me doing my part!"

"Classy!"

Jiang Ye gave a thumbs up. "Boss, you're a real one!"

"Haha, you bet!"

The owner laughed heartily and rubbed his hands. "By the way, little brother, we've been chatting for a while and I still don't know your surname? Mine is Tian, you can just call me Old Tian."

"My surname is Jiang, as in 'rivers and lakes'. Brother Tian, you can just call me Little Jiang."

"Brother Jiang!"

Old Tian nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his hand. "Oh right! I should make a plaque later and hang it in the shop to enshrine you..."

Jiang Ye: "???"

Old Tian realized he used the wrong word and quickly waved his hand to correct himself. "No, no, look at my mouth! I mean hang it up... hey! Just making a plaque, writing a title, so people in need know whose kindness it is."

"Don't, don't, don't! Brother Tian, absolutely not!"

Jiang Ye immediately shook his head like a rattle. "Don't even mention me in this, just act like I don't exist."

"Why, little brother? You're clearly doing a good deed, shouldn't you make a name for yourself? Isn't that what people care about nowadays?"

"Brother Tian, I'm doing this because you helped me back then. Now that I have the ability, I want to do some good too and pass on this sentiment. To put it bluntly, it's purely to make myself feel good. If you publicize it, it'll create pressure instead, and I won't feel at ease."

Old Tian scratched his head, and Tian Lijuan, who had been listening intently nearby, raised her eyebrows while sipping soup. She clearly didn't quite understand how this uncle was doing a good deed yet made it sound like he was being selfish.

"So, Brother Tian..."

Jiang Ye saw their confused expressions and didn't bother to explain further. "Let's leave it at that, no more talk."

After saying that, he picked up the headphones from the table next to him, put them back on, and continued listening to the live stream.

"..."

Old Tian was bursting with emotion and admiration but found no chance to express it. Feeling that the young man really didn't want to talk about it, he could only swallow his words.

He turned his head, wanting to take the opportunity to educate his troublesome daughter, but found that Tian Lijuan wasn't even looking at him. Her gaze kept drifting toward Jiang Ye at the next table. He could only sit back in his seat dejectedly and continue looking at his phone.

The small shop fell quiet for a moment, leaving only the sound of a few people slurping noodles.

Jiang Ye was chewing the last few slices of braised beef when his WeChat voice call rang. The caller ID showed "second wife".

He casually swiped to answer. "Hello? Aren't you on your shift? You can still make calls?"

Su Ning's giggling voice immediately came from the other end:

"Heehee, Brother~ We're taking turns singing on the mic, and I suddenly missed you a little, so I called. What are you eating, Brother? It sounds so delicious~"

"Ramen."

Jiang Ye swallowed the beef, paused, and asked as if casually, "By the way... why does your voice sound a bit familiar lately? Like I've heard it somewhere before?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end; she clearly hadn't expected him to suddenly say that.

"Really? I also think your voice sounds very familiar, Brother..."

Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow and was about to respond when Su Ning quickly continued:

"Brother appears in my dreams every night, talking to me and coaxing me to sleep. We're together every day, so how could it not sound familiar? Mwah~"

Jiang Ye: "..."

Well, that reaction confirmed it.

This woman probably guessed that "I know she knows I know," otherwise she wouldn't have responded so smoothly.

No wonder she hasn't even been acting these past few days. She probably saw that he didn't have those kinds of thoughts about her for the time being, so she simply went for a direct approach, playing a game of push and pull.

Fine, this is good too. Anyway, he really didn't plan on touching Su Ning at this stage.

This woman was too calculating. If they really broke through that layer of relationship, she might end up using all her wits on "governing from the bed" and whispering in his ear. How could she then work for him with a peace of mind?

Right now, maintaining this delicate balance of "I know you know but we both pretend we don't know" while boosting each other's performance was quite good.

"I'm eating, stop bothering me."

Jiang Ye covered it up with an impatient tone. "I'll go to the hall and send you some gifts in a bit. Hanging up."

Su Ning was instantly delighted on the other end.

As expected!

This guy falls for the "owing a favor" routine! It seems like these days of hard work have paid off!

This Dog man, giving her attitude online again. Tonight, she'd have to treat him to another good meal and make him call her "Little Sister Su" a few more times!

After hanging up, Jiang Ye finished the last few mouthfuls of noodles, reached out to select Yaoyao's avatar on the phone screen, and opened the gift menu.

Hmm... over the past few days, Su Ning had spent about seven hundred or so on milk tea deliveries, which returned over seven thousand in cashback.

Adhering to the principle of "common prosperity" and "sustainable development," Jiang Ye tapped a few times and sent out one Carnival and four sports cars.

Surprised cheers and thanks from Yaoyao and the other hosts immediately rang out in the hall, and the public chat was flooded with comments like "Brother Ye is generous" and "Brother Ye is awesome."

Beside him, Tian Lijuan, who had been observing him all along, had her gaze completely glued to him after hearing the words "send gifts."

Seeing the floor tile effects floating across the phone screen now, she was stunned, and all sorts of thoughts flashed wildly through her mind:

Holy crap! This uncle is so rich!

He just dropped three thousand on "Charity Noodles" without blinking, and now he casually tipped a voice hall streamer he can only hear over three thousand more!

That's a voice hall; everyone knows what the streamers there look like!

So he must be one of those legendary "sentiment-driven big shots" who doesn't look for a return and just purely seeks fun, right?!

This kind of big shot is a rare resource!

She quickly adjusted her expression, hiding the inexplicable hostility and disdain she previously had for the "rich uncle," and reached out to gently poke Jiang Ye's arm.

"Boss, Boss! My name is Tian Feiyue, you..."

She had just started when she heard a "bang" sound of someone slapping the table.

The real boss, Old Tian, looked up and glared fiercely. "Tian Lijuan! You've had enough to eat, haven't you?! Who are you talking to?! Where are your manners?! You won't even call me Dad anymore?!"

Tian Lijuan was startled by this sudden "fatherly love as heavy as a mountain" and shrunk her neck. The bloodline suppression took effect instantly, and she subconsciously turned to Jiang Ye, scratching her head.

"Uh... hello, Dad. My name is Tian... uh... Tian Lijuan."

Jiang Ye: "...?"

He looked at the cowering spirit girl in front of him, then at the confused Old Tian opposite him, his mouth twitching wildly.

No, Comrade Old Tian, I'm not surprised at all that your daughter turned into a spirit girl... this abstract vibe about her is purely a family inheritance, passed down through the bloodline!

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he helped explain. "Brother Tian, Brother Tian, calm down. She was talking to me just now, calling me 'Boss,' not you."

Only then did Old Tian realize. He coughed awkwardly twice and sat back down, but his attention was no longer on his phone, his ears perked up high.