I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2165 - 1386: Billie Jean_2

His body remains nimble and quick.

Unlike the weak offspring of the elite families.

Jiang Chen was at a loss for words.

Should he utter, "Good job?"

You are the esteemed Prince Ye, dreaded by many, yet you view yourself as ordinary?

Dancing and singing out in the open, in a feudal era, this would disgrace the clan and might result in disinheritance.

Even though this is Kyoto with flashy attire, recognition could still happen.

Boss Jiang felt more and more that something was amiss just now.

"What is the Young Prince intending?"

"Isn't it Yuan's young lady's birthday today? I'm just marking the occasion for her."

Yuan who?

As the other casually flung his sunglasses onto the table, Jiang Chen's eye couldn't help but twitch.

"Prince Ye, are you celebrating Yuan Run's birthday?"

Jiang Chen sought confirmation.

Ye Tingxuan appeared to grasp his implication, offering a knowing grin. "The young lady and I go way back."

Go way back.

That's an undeniable truth indeed.

After all, the fame of "Northern Yuan Southern Ye" spreads across all of Jiangnan.

However, "going way back" doesn't equate to being pals.

Typically, those frequently pitted against each other harbor tense relations.

Jiang Chen had caught wind of a feud between Northern Yuan and Southern Ye.

Of course.

Hearsay isn't proof, so Jiang Chen pressed him directly for the facts.

"Isn't the bond between Young Prince and Yuan Bingshan rather strained?"

"That's an issue solely between Yuan Bingshan and myself, unrelated to the young lady."

Ye Tingxuan replied indifferently, his sudden straightforwardness catching Jiang Chen off guard.

"Jiang brother, please sit."

Though he showed no signs of fatigue from the exertion, performing songs and dances takes effort; the Young Prince must be weary, so Jiang Chen settled into a nearby chair first.

The server delivered beverages.

This was surely Wan Wenya's doing.

"I haven't thanked the Young Prince properly yet."

Jiang Chen took his seat, and before he could act, the other had already popped open the bottle and started filling the glasses.

"Huh?"

Jiang Chen chuckled. "If the Young Prince has overlooked it, no worries."

Ye Tingxuan glanced up. "I'm merely a minor crew member aboard, it doesn't concern me."

With that, he flashed a broad smile.

"Jiang brother, what do you think of our firepower?"

"Impressive, exceptionally so."

Jiang Chen grinned and affirmed with a nod.

After filling two glasses, Ye Tingxuan lifted his in a toast, conveying mutual understanding.

The ironclad vessels once shattered Shen Zhou's defenses, but now the tides have turned; we stand as mighty powers too.

The liquor slid down effortlessly.

Following the drink, the Young Prince let out a satisfied breath.

Boss Jiang no longer gulped fine liquors hastily but now appreciates them slowly, mulling over the taste before speaking after a moment. "Doesn't the Young Prince usually avoid Kyoto?"

This wasn't mere gossip.

Cao Jinse had brought it up once.

"Old Master Fang has passed; I accompanied the family to offer condolences."

As he spoke these words, Ye Tingxuan's voice grew steady, devoid of his earlier playfulness.

While factions clash, propriety in broader matters must be upheld.

Jiang Chen nodded in quiet agreement.

"I heard that Fang Jun, that fellow, aims to enlist in the military."

Yet the solemnity lasted mere seconds before Ye Tingxuan's striking features curved into a sly, captivating smirk, true to his rogue reputation.

"Moreover, he's heading to Sichuan and Shu; the Sichuan Army is infamous for its rigor. Doesn't he fear getting thrashed there? Jiang brother, reckon he'll sob and flee back home in mere months?"

"An old proverb goes, 'Die once to be reborn'; he ought to get it now that unconditional coddling is over."

Ye Tingxuan's gaze turned thoughtful as he nodded mutely, then let out a sigh.

"I hold genuine regard for Old Master Fang; I hope Fang Jun doesn't sully the elder's legacy."

The pair touched glasses once more.

Resentments and affections alike were brushed aside with laughter.

"Mr. Jiang, President Wan mentioned that Miss Yuan wishes to pay her respects."

The manager ascended the stairs to inform.

"Care to dodge her?"

Jiang Chen queried Ye Tingxuan.

The Young Prince chuckled derisively. "Dodge? Why? Even if it were Yuan Bingshan himself, he'd be the one stepping aside for me."

Jiang Chen remained neutral.

"Jiang brother, invite the young lady from Yuan up."

With his stance clear, Jiang Chen had no objections and signaled the manager.

Soon enough, the lively Yuan Run bounded up the steps.

Hmm.

It was more of a spirited trot.

She bore none of the typical aristocratic poise.

Spotting Ye Tingxuan, she eased her pace and shifted her demeanor.

"Ye, it's truly you!"

Jiang Chen feigned ignorance.

Who claimed old acquaintanceship earlier?

This greeting lacks any warmth.

"Haha, Yuan Run, what a happenstance. I came to share drinks with Brother Jiang and bumped into your party here. Turning twenty, right?"

The Young Prince remained unflappable, without a trace of discomfort.

"Mind your own affairs!"

Jiang Chen was aware that this fierce Yuan heiress, despite her plump, endearing look and tiger-like fangs, wasn't exactly sweet, yet she at least kept up appearances around him; now, she dropped all pretense.

"Ye Tingxuan, something's clearly wrong upstairs in your mind, parading like a carnival clown—surely not your usual style in the two Guangs?"

Where did that thrill vanish to?

Hostility flips so swiftly?

From his vantage above, Boss Jiang began to catch on; she hadn't identified him at all earlier?

"Yuan Run, enough with the rudeness. Did your brother show you how?"

The Young Prince adopted a composed, authoritative air.

Boss Jiang, struggling to keep a straight face, started to rue his words.

Why suggest the other evade?

Evidently, he was the one needing to slip away.

"Oh, aware my brother's absent, you play the big shot, questioning my brother's influence on me—were he present, I'd have him pummel you senseless!"

Yuan Run gnashed her teeth, baring her tiger fangs once again.

"Ha ha!"

Ye Tingxuan, refusing to back down, sneered mockingly and began hiking up his sleeves, though the form-fitting, glittering Michael Jackson-esque jacket resisted; still, the intent shone through.

"Summon your father and brother right now, and we'll see who overpowers whom."

"Tch!"

Yuan Run offered no quarter. "Quit the act; you know my brother's unavailable, or you'd never be this bold. Just bide your time until his leave..."

"How grand is he that I'd linger for him?"

Ye Tingxuan cut in sharply. "If you've got nerve, call him to the two Guangs; watch me send him retreating in defeat."

"Ye Tingxuan, you're an utter rogue—no, a sneaky rodent, fitting for a rat who only skulks in his burrow!"

Tsk.

Even references his birth year.

They must truly know each other well.

Otherwise, no such blunt exchanges.

As Ye Tingxuan geared up to fire back, Jiang Chen could no longer stay sidelined; left unchecked, these two could bicker till daybreak.

"This is a special occasion; Young Prince, Miss Yuan, ease up on the barbs—plenty of future encounters await."

"..."

"..."

Truly skilled at quelling disputes.

They fell silent at once, a bit awkwardly.

Ye Tingxuan stayed mute, sipping his drink quietly.

"Miss Yuan, please, have a seat."

Jiang Chen rose to welcome her.

Yuan Run accorded him that much respect, approaching but shifting her chair farther from Ye Tingxuan on purpose.

"What a dreadful show; Brother Jiang Chen, why allow him on stage? Doesn't it besmirch the Apang Palace's prestige?"

"It was his own unsolicited act; so what? If it irks you, you could've exited—why linger?"

"Lights were dimmed, I couldn't spot the path—how to navigate? If I tripped, would you cover the damages?!"

It reignites.

Endless back-and-forth.

"Cover what? Little Yuan, scheming to fleece me? Out with it if that's the plan."

"Fleece you? Your wallet's purer than your mug; snagging deals on Pinxixi feels like luxury at SKP, even the chill winds offer you elite perks!"

"Pinxixi? What's that?"

Ye Tingxuan inquired, brows knitting.

"Pfft."

Jiang Chen finally broke, nipping his thigh to steady himself, then hastily recomposed, raising his glass and abandoning mediation efforts.

"Carry on."