Shen Hexuan half-heartedly leaned against the wall, and Jiang Chuyao thought the pose was, in some ways… well, a little… suggestive.
She quickly straightened up and kept about an arm’s length distance from him.
“Does it bother you?” Shen Hexuan pulled a cigarette from his pocket but didn’t light it yet; he asked Jiang Chuyao first.
“I don’t mind. Or should I join you for one?” In her previous life, Jiang Chuyao had been heavily addicted to smoking. In this life, she hadn’t started yet, but she could.
“Smoking is harmful to your health. Girls really shouldn’t smoke!” Although she seemed wild and unrestrained, this cigarette thing caught him off guard.
He really couldn’t have guessed that, deep down, this man was surprisingly traditional.
“You can start a fire, but I’m not allowed to light a lamp?”
“Hmph!” Shen Hexuan leaned casually against the wall. Handsome as he was, this stance made him exude a roguish charm.
If he had a bit of money or background, Jiang Chuying would have clung to him without hesitation!
Between blowing smoke rings, Shen Hexuan mentioned something else: Jiang Chuying had overworked herself and had been hospitalized.
Jiang Chuyao wasn’t surprised. With her constitution, overwork came naturally!
“Aren’t you her fiancé? Aren’t you going to check on her?” Jiang Chuyao teased.
“The marriage has been canceled today,” Shen Hexuan said calmly, betraying no hint of emotion.
But in her eyes, anyone who had been cheated on even permanently wouldn’t be in a good mood.
In the end, Shen Hexuan didn’t pressure her. He left a phone number, telling her to take a few days to think. If she was ready, she could call if not, he wouldn’t mind helping anyway.
Hearing his half-playful, half-roguish words, Jiang Chuyao couldn’t help laughing and nodded in agreement.
Thinking of the one lying in the hospital, she cheerfully returned home. In the kitchen, she found her father’s hidden stock only the best ingredients!
Throwing everything together, the key method: “stew”!
Half an hour later, the water boiled, the color only slightly changed. She scooped the contents out and put them in a thermos, covered it done!
Carrying the thermos, she went to the hospital.
At the nurse’s station, she quickly found Jiang Chuying’s ward.
On the stairs, she bumped into a woman rushing down. Their shoulders collided, but fortunately, the thermos didn’t tip, or her “labor of love” would have been ruined.
Arriving at the ward, she saw that the Jiang parents had really spared no expense they even got a private room.
“Yao Yao, you’re here!” Jiang Chuying spotted her first and greeted her.
Jiang mother’s disdain was obvious the moment she saw her youngest daughter. In her mind, if it weren’t for her, the elder daughter wouldn’t be in the hospital!
“Sis, I heard you were hospitalized, so I made you a stew to help you recover!” Jiang Chuyao put on an obedient, thoughtful expression. Seeing her lively demeanor made Jiang Chuying inwardly resent her.
Her illness was congenital. The younger daughter was adopted, but even getting sick seemed to belong to her!
She couldn’t help but hate it!
“You still have a conscience, knowing your sister needs some nourishment!” Jiang mother, thinking her youngest daughter was sincere, reached out to take the thermos.
Jiang Chuyao dodged and placed it on the bedside table instead.
“Mom, you’re tired too. I’ll handle it.” Her mature, thoughtful manner improved Jiang mother’s mood.
Indeed, she was a bit tired and sat on the nearby sofa, letting Jiang Chuyao take care of the elder daughter.
But…
“What kind of soup is this?” Jiang Chuying smelled a strong, unpleasant mix musky, gamey, and all sorts of weird scents combined.
Even Jiang mother was puzzled. Wait, didn’t she say it was a nourishing soup?
She usually couldn’t even fry an egg, let alone make soup!
As she stood to check, Jiang Chuyao had already ladled a small bowl, sitting by the bed, smiling, and even thoughtfully blowing on it.
“Sis, this is a medicinal stew made according to Chinese medicine principles. Good medicine tastes bitter but helps the illness. Here, take a small sip first!”
“I… um…” Before Jiang Chuying could protest, Jiang Chuyao slipped a spoonful into her mouth.
Because the spoon wasn’t pulled away in time, the soup went straight down.
“Ugh…” The taste was so strong and disgusting that Jiang Chuying gagged.
But Jiang Chuyao was smart, holding a handkerchief over her mouth, preventing her from throwing up.
“Chuyao, this soup… are you sure it’s for drinking?”
Jiang mother was doubtful too, but after thinking it over, decided not to say anything. She felt that Jiang Chuyao taking care of her elder sister was a sign of growing up.
Just as Jiang Chuying wanted to plead with her mother, spoon after spoon of the “supplement” was shoved into her mouth.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
Feed, gag, block, feed again ten spoons, a whole small bowl, all gone. Only then did Jiang Chuyao set the bowl down.
Jiang Chuying had had enough, flopping back on the bed, refusing to move.
She felt this soup was truly lethal!
Everything that happened yesterday was nothing compared to this soup!
“Yao Yao, what did you put in this soup? Can I see?” Jiang Chuying was genuinely curious how a soup could smell so revolting.
“Sure!” Jiang mother also leaned in, curious.
When they saw the color of the soup in the thermos, Jiang mother was dumbfounded. The ingredients still looked intact the culinary skill was exceptional!
Jiang Chuying felt like she was going insane. “What is all this?”
“Nourishing ingredients! Deer antler, goji berries, tiger penis, codonopsis, angelica, and more. Don’t worry, for sisters, this small expense is nothing!” Jiang Chuyao reassured.
Money? This wasn’t about money.
This was about whether her body could withstand such extreme supplements!
Jiang mother held her forehead. “Are you crazy? Can your sister really handle this?”
“She overworked yesterday; today we replenish her qi and blood. Isn’t that right?” Jiang Chuyao looked innocent, as if misunderstood, eyes reddening.
Damn.
What was she doing?
Playing the pitiful act?
Jiang Chuying was flustered. This was her usual tactic straightforward and ruthless. Whatever offended someone, she faced it head-on!