Make a Fortune and Become Well-off [90] - Chapter 136

Grandpa Jiang’s sudden death shattered Jiang Bai’s world.

On the surface, he seemed calm, but it took years for him to recover emotionally.

He had lost interest in the world.

His only friend was Tong Jingang, who had actively broken into his world and never left.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, used her natural optimism to fight against the pain and darkness of her childhood and adolescence, while Jiang Bai willingly accepted the gloom.

He couldn’t see the beauty of spring flowers, summer lotuses, autumn leaves, or winter snow. He found no joy in the world’s delicacies or the fragrance of flowers. For him, life was as mundane as any speck of dust.

Jiang Ning once told him that people were born into this world to feel and experience all kinds of emotions—joy, sorrow, life, death, love, pain, beauty, sadness—and through those emotions, come to know themselves.

At the time, Jiang Bai couldn’t understand the colorful world Jiang Ning described.

He had only shrugged.

But the expression on his face now was vastly different from the dead look he would carry twenty years later. He was alive, full of energy. The sight filled Jiang Ning with sadness, yet she couldn’t help but smile.

Her thoughts shifted. “Second brother, I noticed the coat you’re wearing today sold really well.”

At the mention of this, Jiang Bai’s joy faded, replaced by a frown. “Those aunties nearly took the clothes off me today. The same ones were hanging on the rack, but they insisted on the one I was wearing.”

“That just means you look good in them.” Jiang Ning glanced at him, pulled two matching sets from the shop, and handed them to him. “From now on, you’ll wear these in the shop. I’ll give you an extra ten yuan a week for it. Deal?”

When Jiang Bai looked at her suspiciously, she urged him, “Go in and change into this outfit first. Come out, and I’ll see how it looks.”

Jiang Bai thought she was trying to give him the clothes, but he didn’t want them. “I have enough clothes. You don’t need to give them to me. You can sell them.”

“You’re overthinking. Who said I’m giving them to you?” Jiang Ning took the clothes and put them behind the curtain. She walked out and said loudly, “But if you look good in them and bring me more business, I might consider giving you these two sets.”

Jiang Bai was truly handsome, with fair, tender skin. To reduce his air of elegance, he kept his hair cut short, which only highlighted his superior features.

His sister wanted him to be a model, drawing customers into the shop with his appearance.

His first reaction was to refuse.

Since childhood, his delicate, almost girlish features had always drawn attention, and he hated being in the spotlight. The idea of his sister deliberately putting him in front of others, drawing attention to himself, made him even more uncomfortable.

But that discomfort quickly gave way to the thought of earning money.

Thinking about helping his sister’s business, even though he disliked being the center of attention, he put on the clothes she picked for him and stepped out from behind the curtain.

Jiang Ning circled him. “Raise your head, straighten your chest, stand tall, and lift your chin.”

Because of his striking appearance, Jiang Bai had always tried to hide, blending into the background. Despite his good looks, he lacked the confidence and presence of a handsome man.

She said, “Second Brother, you need to embrace how you look. Your appearance is a gift, a sign of good genes. You shouldn’t always try to hide it. Even if a pearl is buried in sand, it’s still a pearl. Why can’t you accept that you’re a bright pearl, instead of trying to turn yourself into dust?”

Jiang Bai had never been compared to a pearl before, and his face turned bright red.

Especially since he thought pearls were used to describe girls. His heart trembled, his fingertips shook, and he even felt like crying.

So uncomfortable, he immediately tried to duck behind the curtain to change out of the clothes. He tugged at his sleeves, “I can’t, I should change back.” As soon as he turned around, Jiang Ning grabbed his arm. “Second Brother, money.”

Jiang Bai, who was already thinking about making money, stopped in his tracks. He turned around hesitantly, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “Is this really okay?”

Jiang Ning pulled him over to the mirror, patting his back. “Come on, say it with me: I’m a super handsome guy.”

Jiang Bai, bewildered, shook his head. “No.”

“Oh, Second Brother, don’t be shy. Say it with me: I’m so handsome.” Jiang Bai, usually so serious, was now amused. His smile wasn’t a broad one, but a shy, restrained grin with just slightly curved lips. His moist, pink lips were delicate. Given his features, it was no surprise people often said he looked like a girl.

He stayed in a good mood even when he went to school. With the ten yuan in his pocket, he couldn’t help but feel happy.

He thought about what his sister had said, asking him to walk with confidence so that more people would notice the clothes and come to the shop. So, he puffed out his chest again.

But he wasn’t used to walking like that. His posture was stiff like a robot, and he felt like he couldn’t walk properly.

Every time someone looked at him, he had the urge to hide or avoid their gaze. But thinking about the money his sister had promised, he resisted, keeping his head up and walking to class with his chest out.

Like a zombie.

He didn’t enter through the front door, but through the back, as usual.

Tong Jingang was chatting with someone when he saw Jiang Bai walk in. He was stunned for a moment, not realizing it was Jiang Bai. When he finally recognized him, he shouted, “Brother Bai, I thought one of the Little Tigers walked into our class!”

Tong Jingang’s yell caught everyone’s attention. They all turned to look at Jiang Bai, and their eyes lit up.

The Jiang Bai they used to know was like a hidden pearl. He kept his head down, quietly studying at the back of the class. With no real presence, people would have forgotten he was even there if he weren’t so tall and good-looking.

But now, it was like the pearl had surfaced, showing its brilliance, adorned with dazzling ribbons.

Jiang Bai was being stared at by his classmates and wanted to shrink back to his position, but when he touched the money in his trouser pocket, it made him suck in slightly, and his chest straightened up again. Then, he put his hands and feet together. He calmly sat back in his seat and took out his book.

Before he could start reading, Tong Jinggang jumped over like a gorilla, landing on Jiang Bai’s back, almost throwing him directly onto the table. Suddenly, Jiang Bai’s pretense was gone.

“Brother Bai, where did you buy this outfit? Brother, I want it.” Tong Jingang excitedly hugged Jiang Bai’s neck. “You’re so unkind! You secretly became handsome by yourself and didn’t take me to buy clothes with you.”

The classmates couldn’t help but joke, “It’s not about the clothes. It’s Jiang Bai wearing them that makes him look handsome.”