ushernet Chapter 185: Who did it?
Chapter 185: Who did it?
Chapter 185: Who did it?
If life could continue unchanged as it was now, Xu Qing thought he might just be happy.
But nothing in this world stays unchanged.
Like how he moved into the storeroom, how Jiang He began sleeping in the master bedroom, and how she started catching on to the jokes he made—though sporadically at first. Jiang He even learned to play along, using interjections like "Whoa!" to feign surprise.
Change always brings something unsettling.
May 23rd.
"Aren't you going out today?" Jiang He's question gave Xu Qing a sense of déjà vu.
"You're acting strange."
"I'm perfectly fine," Jiang He replied, keeping her head down.
"No, you... You don't have to push yourself. If you don't want to study, just rest. No need to keep trying to get me out of the house."
Xu Qing blamed the math book in front of her. Moments ago, Jiang He had asked why the old man in the problem couldn’t simply state his age instead of creating such a convoluted scenario to trouble Xiao Ming.
She was clearly irritated—perhaps for the first time in her life, empathizing with Xiao Ming.
If a person like this old man existed in real life, responding to an age question with statements like, "X years ago, my age was a multiple of yours; Y years from now, our age difference will be Z," Jiang He might stab him with a sword on the spot.
Honestly, Xu Qing thought he might not hold back either.
Poor lady knight...
If he were to hand her a set of middle school textbooks after this, would she completely lose it?
"This is a half-year curriculum where I’m from; you don’t have to push so hard."
"Hard work makes up for a lack of talent," Jiang He mumbled, leaning over the table as she scribbled on the workbook.
"Suit yourself," Xu Qing said, going back to his own tasks.
The sky outside was unusually overcast, bringing a welcome coolness after days of oppressive heat. Xu Qing sat by the window, holding his laptop, enjoying the gentle breeze slipping through the cracks of the open window.
"Looks like rain is coming," he remarked.
"A bit cooler would be perfect," Jiang He replied.
Xu Qing agreed. He scrolled through the comments section on his videos. Qin Maocai and Xu Wenbin weren’t bickering as much anymore; the former seemed busy forging armor, while the latter occasionally left a comment or two.
A private message caught his attention. It was from a small domestic studio promoting a wuxia-themed mobile game he had never heard of, looking to collaborate.
Xu Qing was flattered by the ad offer but politely declined. Accepting ads so early in his career wouldn’t be good for his growth.
As someone who had never begged viewers to "like, comment, and subscribe" at the start of his videos, Xu Qing prided himself on his authenticity. Viewers came for the content, not the gimmicks. Asking for engagement before they’d even seen the video felt absurd to him.
Thus, he only mentioned it at the end, believing that if someone made it through the entire video, it was proof the content was engaging enough to justify the ask.
His straightforward style—diving directly into the topic without several seconds or minutes of small talk—was one reason people enjoyed his videos.
As for ads? Unless the offer was substantial or from a major studio, he wasn’t considering them for now.
The afternoon slipped by unnoticed. Xu Qing wrapped up his work and stretched, walking softly over to Jiang He to check on her progress. His eyes fell on her workbook. Xiao Ming, illustrated with a sword sticking out of his head, surrounded by four or five throwing darts. R̃ΑΝȎ????Ês
"Hard work makes up for a lack of talent?" Xu Qing teased.
Jiang He immediately snapped the book shut, staring intently at its cover as if deeply engrossed.
"If it feels too hard, just take a break," Xu Qing suggested.
"Was this how you grew up?" she asked, thinking about China’s nine-year compulsory education system and how anyone could endure it.
"Yup. And if you didn’t do well, the teacher might smack your hand or even your butt."
"How pitiful," Jiang He said with sympathy, shaking her head before heading over to the computer. "The computer’s much more fun."
Xu Qing stood there, speechless, as Jiang He curled up on the chair and started watching Ultraman Tiga. He collected her scattered notes and pens, tidied the desk, and flipped through her workbook.
Her doodles weren’t bad—the sword resembled the one they’d bought on Taobao.
"Making up for lost childhood, huh?" Xu Qing muttered, clicking his tongue.
"When I was a kid, I thought the same thing: computers are so much fun. But later, I feared being left behind by society and forced myself to study hard to get into college."
"Would you really be left behind?" Jiang He asked.
"I’m not sure," Xu Qing admitted. "But having studied, I can now stay comfortably at home, which probably has something to do with my education. Though editing videos doesn’t require school knowledge, years of study shaped my worldview and thinking—and my degree opened up more options."
"You're trying to trick me into studying," Jiang He accused.
"I’m just stating facts. You don’t have to study to succeed, but having studied, you can choose a simpler lifestyle. It doesn’t work the other way around. If you’ve never studied, it’s hard to land a cushy office job with air conditioning or become a teacher, an accountant, or a data analyst..."
"I even took a Mandarin proficiency test, thinking of becoming a teacher. That’s still an option for me," Xu Qing added, flipping through her book and sighing as he recalled his earlier plans.
Life doesn’t offer do-overs. While administrative penalties didn’t affect him much, they complicated background checks, which was one reason he ended up working from home.@@@@
"Only if they’re my girlfriend," Xu Qing clarified. "Otherwise, it’s inappropriate."
"And holding my leg?"
"That’s different. Whether you’re comfortable with it is the deciding factor."
"Hmm... Got it," Jiang He nodded.
If she weren’t comfortable, he wouldn’t even get close, let alone touch her leg.
"Alright, go ahead." Jiang He shifted in her chair, resting her leg on the sofa.
"Why does it feel like I need your permission to hold your leg?" Xu Qing grumbled.
"Don’t you?"
"Well, yes, but it feels like you’re granting me a favor," Xu Qing muttered, though his hands moved quickly.
"Then let me put it another way—please hold my leg..." Jiang He started to say but trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
"I get it," Xu Qing replied, understanding her discomfort.
Jiang He stayed silent, realizing how strange their dynamic was.
"This isn’t some task. It’s a natural expression of affection. I don’t always feel like holding your leg; it’s just during idle moments when I want to be close to you.
It’s normal, but saying it out loud sounds weird."
Xu Qing frowned, hesitating before adding, "I guess that’s what happens when you’re Xiao Hecao... You’ll understand eventually."
"So you don’t want to hold my leg now?" Jiang He asked.
"Not at the moment. When I’m focused on something, it doesn’t even cross my mind. But if you want me to hold it, just rest it on me—it’ll happen naturally. Don’t assume I’m thinking about it all the time and call me over. Got it?"
"Oh..." Jiang He nodded. "I want to."
"Uh?" Xu Qing froze as Jiang He wordlessly curled her toes, moving her foot into his lap.
She finally realized what felt off—it was the comfort of it all. She didn’t want to call him over; it was better to naturally lean on him or rest her leg on him without saying anything.
Propping her leg in his lap, Jiang He squinted at the screen, typing with one hand and wiggling her toes against Xu Qing’s fingers.
"I’ve stopped being shy, yet you’re still playing with my feet."
"Yes... That’s because I like you," Xu Qing admitted, surprised by his own fondness.
"Isn’t this just lust?" Jiang He asked.
"Lust is liking everyone indiscriminately, like liking bears regardless of size or ownership—that’s lust.
But feet are unique. I can’t stand the thought of anyone else’s; they’re gross. But yours... I just want to touch them. That’s absolute affection."
"That sounds like nonsense," Jiang He retorted, blushing slightly.
Suddenly, she noticed something on the screen.
"What’s this?" she asked, moving the cursor to a video on Small Broken Site.
She clicked on it.
"I’m the descendant of Xu Chu... My family’s passed down the Tiger Fool Fist!"
The screen alternated between shots of Xu Qing practicing stances and crafting armor, edited to a rhythmic rap. Both of them stared at it, dumbfounded.
"Practice starts with the waist. Strength comes from the ground, travels through the legs, and reaches the shoulders, elbows, and wrists!"
"Wife, give me a kiss!"
Jiang He: "Get lost!"
"Martial arts all stem from the same principles."
"Arguments? We settle them with our fists!"
Jiang He: "He’s being punished to stand."
"Armor’s not for sale—it’s for personal use!"
"Don’t rile me up; my armor’s not ready yet!"
Jiang He: "He doesn’t talk much, just likes standing there."
Clips of Xu Qing standing and crafting armor were spliced together with lines from his livestreams, creating a story of a martial artist enduring humiliation to forge armor for self-defense.
Xu Qing and Jiang He exchanged a look before Jiang He burst out laughing.
Xu Qing’s face darkened.
"Which bastard threw me into the Ghost Animal Zone?!"