Chapter 1045: Kids Are Too Childish

The little girl stood ramrod straight, looking at Gu Zi with a confident, almost imperious gaze. “My name is Jin Guo,” she began, her words crisp and clear, “I’m six years old, just back from abroad. I’ll be going to school here from now on. My Mandarin is really good, right? I used to speak foreign languages outside, but at home, we only speak Mandarin. Grandpa says that speaking good Mandarin is the first lesson of being a Jin family member.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, as if she were delivering a well-rehearsed speech. “Gu Zi, you must know my uncle, Jin Long. I’m his niece. Today, he was supposed to entertain me, but now, all his attention is on some pretty lady. So, I’ve been left to fend for myself. The staff are clueless–they actually brought me here. I think I should sit with the adults. Kids are just too childish.”

Jin Guo cast a glance over at a boy sitting across the table. He seemed decent enough, but there was something about him that struck her as a little… dim. He was eating shrimp without peeling them, his mouth greasy and messy. Tsk, she thought, looking at him. He was almost as tall as her, yet so immature. She was determined–she had no intention of sitting at a table with children.

Gu Zi couldn’t help but be taken aback by the boldness of this little girl. Jin Long had never mentioned that he had such a mischievous niece. She seemed like a mini dynamo–clever and full of surprises.

Gu Zi chuckled inwardly and decided to play along. “Well, the adults’ side is filled with smoke and alcohol–it’s all stinky over there. I’ve been suffocated by it already. You’re so pretty and smell so nice; don’t you mind getting all smoky? If you don’t mind, I can take you to the adult’s table.”

Jin Guo glanced over at the adult tables, where people were drinking and chatting, smoke curling around them. After a moment’s consideration, she looked back at Gu Zi and nodded. “Alright, then. Please add an extra seat for me, I’ll sit with you.”

Gu Zi nodded, gesturing for the waitstaff to bring over a clean set of utensils. She smiled at the little girl and said, “Jin Guo, you can sit here. I’ll be helping with some business matters later, so I won’t be able to stay here long.”

Jin Guo’s lips pouted just slightly at the thought of being left alone. “It’s fine,” she said with a touch of feigned indifference. “I don’t need an adult to watch over me while I eat.”

Gu Zi turned to Su Bing and Su Li, who were busy with their own plates. “Su Bing, Su Li, this is Uncle Jin Long’s niece, Jin Guo. I need to go find your father, so you two can keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”

Su Bing, ever reliable, gave a quick nod. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of it.”

Su Li, meanwhile, was still chewing on a chicken leg, his face smeared with grease. He waved lazily at Gu Zi, his voice muffled. “Jin Guo, what’s your name? Why is it ‘Guo’? Why do you have that name?”

Jin Guo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by his lack of manners. She gave him a look that could only be described as disdainful, her gaze lingering a moment longer than necessary. “How can you eat like that? Look at your hands and mouth, they’re all dirty,” she muttered to herself.

Su Li, however, remained completely oblivious to her silent judgment. Undeterred, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then slid off his seat and walked over to Jin Guo. With a toothy grin, he attempted once again, “Your name sounds really nice, Jin Guo. I’m Su Li, the second son of the Su family. Nice to meet you!”

Jin Guo’s hands twitched slightly, but she held back from giving him a slap–barely. She stared at him for a moment before responding, her voice tinged with irritation. “Please keep your distance. Otherwise, my fists won’t be so polite.”

Su Li’s eyes widened in fascination. “Whoa, you know martial arts? Jin Guo, let’s have a little competition sometime!”

Jin Guo couldn’t believe it. Was this guy really this dense? She flexed her fingers, making them crack ominously. “Martial arts? Who wants to compete with you? I practice Taekwondo. Can you even do that? Now get away from me, you’re so annoying.”

At this moment, Su Bing, noticing the developing tension, called out sternly, “Su Li, sit down and finish your meal properly.”

Su Li was about to ask more about Jin Guo’s background, but when he saw his brother’s disapproving expression, he wisely shut his mouth and returned to his seat. He then noticed that the three brothers who sat next to him–his inseparable “Iron Triangle”–were nervously avoiding looking in Jin Guo’s direction.

Gu Jun, in a hushed voice, leaned over to Su Li. “Lucky for you, you ran away fast. Otherwise, you’d have eaten a punch from her. That girl is tough.”

Liu Shi nodded solemnly. “You don’t know her like I do. She’s one of the toughest in the Jin family. I remember when we were kids, she knocked one of my teeth out during Spring Festival when I just tugged on her hand.”

The third boy, Zhang Liang, couldn’t help but chime in, shaking his head. “She’s brutal. Last Spring Festival, she punched my leg so hard that it swelled up. And all I did was call her a tomboy. She’s really fierce!”