Chapter 56: All the young girls would chase after him

Xiang Yu fixed a predatory, sharp, and indifferent gaze on him, a cold sneer still lingering at the corner of her mouth. "Go ahead and hit me if you've got the guts. You'd better pray I stay tied up forever. The moment I'm ever set free, I swear I'll destroy you. Do you really think Mom and Dad can protect you forever? And how much longer do you think they can keep me under their thumb?"

Faced with such a terrifying stare and sneer, Xiang Hao felt a chill run down his spine involuntarily. He recalled Xiang Yu's recent heroic feats: snatching his braised pork, subjecting him to the death glare for no reason, egging their eldest sister on to call off her wedding and run away, openly defying their parents, and even extorting two thousand yuan from the Ye family. Even when their parents beat her like that, she refused to yield an inch. Every single incident proved that, exactly as she said, she was no longer someone to be trifled with. Instantly losing his nerve, he sheepishly lowered his fist.

Xiang Yu looked at him with utter contempt and let out a cold huff. She knew all too well what kind of person Xiang Hao was. He was even better at bullying his own family than Xiang Fuqiang and Li Meilan combined; he only knew how to terrorize his parents and sisters, a textbook coward who bullied the weak and cowered before the strong. All his interpersonal relationships were paved with her money. When it came to solving actual problems, he was utterly useless—a spineless, muddled idiot.

***

Although Xiang Hao didn't dare to touch Xiang Yu, he wasn't willing to give up easily either. Rolling his eyes, he pitched an idea, "Second Sister, what if I untie you in secret? Will you give me two hundred yuan?"

Xiang Yu's heart beat faster, but her face remained mocking as she feigned absolute indifference. "Keep dreaming. You can kiss those two hundred yuan goodbye, because you don't have the guts."

Xiang Hao grew a bit exasperated. "Who says I don't have the guts? You just tell me where the money is, and I'll untie you right now."

Xiang Yu instantly saw through his game plan. He was trying to get something for nothing, hoping to trick her into revealing where the money was first, so he could run to their parents, claim the credit, and reap some rewards. He still had a bit of brain left; she just couldn't figure out how he had grown up to be so utterly stupid. All she could conclude was that pampering, grease, and endless flattery could truly ruin a person completely.

Xiang Yu looked at him coldly and directly exposed his petty scheme. "Either untie me first and I'll give you five hundred, or you won't get a single cent."

"Fi... five hundred?" Xiang Hao stammered in excitement. Five hundred yuan! He could buy a toy rifle just like the one Ye Xiaoming in the village had, and even more bullets than him. There would also be toy grenades, firecrackers, a football, and a pair of sneakers. If he owned a football, surely plenty of people would want to play with him! And he could have endless snacks—spicy strips, ice cream, popsicles, instant noodles, candy beans... All the little girls would be trailing after him!

***

Watching his intoxicated and excited expression, Xiang Yu felt a nervous flutter in her chest, though she dared not show it. She knew well that tied up as she was, aside from this chubby boy, she had virtually no other hope of escape.

Deliberately driving him away, she said, "Get out of here. Stop standing around my room like an eyesore, you're annoying me. Since you don't have the guts anyway, stop daydreaming about that five hundred yuan and just go beg your mother for a five-yuan bill to spend instead."

Xiang Hao's sweet dream shattered instantly. Li Meilan certainly doted on him, but asking her for money was like slicing flesh off her body. His allowance was at most one yuan, usually just twenty or fifty cents, and even then, it wasn't a daily occurrence. Yet every time he went to school and watched others eat snacks, he craved them day and night.

Xiang Hao decided to take a desperate gamble for the sake of the money. However, he didn't want to get beaten up either; if their parents ended up tying him up and thrashing him as well, that would be too miserable. Hesitantly, he frowned and looked at Xiang Yu. "Tell me, if I let you go, will Mom and Dad beat me?"