Just then, a voice came from nearby. “What’s going on?”
Lin Zixuan looked up, his eyes lighting up. ”Yan-ge, you’re here.”
Wen Yan and Jiang Xianshu sat down with their food, and both immediately noticed the dishes on Hua Tong’s tray.
Jiang Xianshu stared at Lin Zixuan in disbelief. ”Xuanzi, how could you shortchange your sister’s meals? How could you give her only this?”
Jiang Xianshu had just reached over to put some meat from his own tray into Hua Tong’s bowl when Wen Yan stopped him. He knew Hua Tong was sick, so Lin Zixuan must have had a good reason for doing this.
Lin Zixuan explained why Hua Tong couldn’t eat anything heavy in oil or salt.
During summer vacation, Ms. Lin hadn’t known that Hua Tong’s health was so fragile that she couldn’t eat even a little spice, so she had made a whole table of rich, salty dishes. After eating them, Hua Tong ended up hospitalized that very night.
After hearing Lin Zixuan’s explanation, Jiang Xianshu immediately withdrew his hand—he had almost caused a disaster.
When Wen Yan finished listening, he glanced at Hua Tong with a pained expression.
Seeing the concerned looks from the others, Hua Tong paused for a moment, then said indifferently, “I’m fine now. I’m not that fragile anymore.”
Her body had been left with lingering problems from her premature birth. She had always been in poor health—unable to run or jump, and needing to take medicine from time to time. She was long used to looks like these.
As Hua Tong ate her bland, tasteless boiled cabbage, her eyes kept darting toward the other three’s trays. She wanted meat so badly!
Seeing the longing in Hua Tong’s eyes, Wen Yan stopped mid-motion with his chopsticks. Setting them down, he stood up and walked off.
The three eating watched him leave. Jiang Xianshu nudged Lin Zixuan’s arm and asked, “Where’s Yan going?”
Lin Zixuan pushed him away in disgust. “No idea. And keep your distance from me.”
Before long, the person who had left returned, carrying a bowl of water in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other.
Jiang Xianshu looked at the items in his hands, puzzled. “Yan, you were thirsty? But why grab a pair of chopsticks too?”
After setting the things down, Wen Yan shot him a disdainful look. “You talk too much. Shut up.”
Having just been scorned by Lin Zixuan and now scorned by Wen Yan, Jiang Xianshu felt down. He stopped talking and lowered his head, shoveling food into his mouth. Only good food could soothe his wounded little heart now.
Watching Hua Tong eat so slowly, Wen Yan picked up a piece of crispy fried pork, rinsed it in the bowl of water, and placed it in Hua Tong’s bowl.
Hua Tong stared at the meat suddenly offered to her, her eyes brightening. She followed the hand with its well-defined knuckles and found it was Wen Yan.
Wen Yan explained, “Everything the school cafeteria makes is spicy and oily. I looked around but couldn’t find anything you could eat, so I thought of this method. This way, the dishes aren’t as spicy, and you can eat them.”
Hua Tong looked at the meat in her bowl. She hadn’t expected him to be so thoughtful. He wasn’t quite as annoying anymore.
“Thank you,” Hua Tong said.
Wen Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled. “You’re welcome, little sister.”
Dazed for a moment by that smile, Hua Tong came back to her senses and muttered quietly, “Why smile so handsomely? Don’t you know it could steal souls?”
“What are you saying? Hurry up and eat, or your food will get cold.” Wen Yan cut off her mumbling, his tone carrying a trace of gentleness.
Hua Tong immediately picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth, moving as hastily as possible, as if trying to hide something.
Wen Yan said gently, “Slow down. I’m helping you cook it—no need to rush.”
Hearing this, Hua Tong snatched the chopsticks right out of his hand. “No need to trouble yourself, Wen Yan. I can do it myself. You should hurry up and eat too.”
Wen Yan knew he couldn’t push things too fast and needed to take it slow, so he nodded. “Okay.”
Lin Zixuan, eating beside them, had gone completely frozen—mouth agape, eyes bulging, his face full of shock. Jiang Xianshu took it better; since he already knew Wen Yan liked Hua Tong, he wasn’t quite as surprised.
Lin Zixuan swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at Wen Yan with utter bewilderment. “Yan-ge, you haven’t been possessed by a ghost, have you? Was that smiling, soft-spoken guy just now really my arrogant, wild Yan-ge?”
The moment Wen Yan heard that, he turned and kicked Lin Zixuan, saying coldly, “What do you think?”
Feeling that familiar force, Lin Zixuan instantly knew this was his Yan-ge.
But wasn’t Yan-ge supposed to dislike women? Why was he being so nice to his little sister! Then an idea struck Lin Zixuan—Yan-ge must be treating her well out of respect for him.
Sure enough, his Yan-ge was as loyal and devoted as ever.
He threw his arms around Wen Yan, his voice full of gratitude. “Thank you, Yan-ge. You’ll always be my best Yan-ge.”
Wen Yan pushed him away at once, dusting off his clothes with a look of disgust. “This kid must be imagining things again. He’s a bit dumb.”
Still, dumb was fine! Better that than letting him know he had his eye on his little sister.
In Hua Tong’s eyes, her brother had just gleefully hugged Wen Yan, and even after being pushed away, he still looked delighted.
She glanced between the two of them. Could her brother actually like Wen Yan?
She’d just discovered a huge secret!
Hehe, love knows no gender—and besides, she wouldn’t mind having a brother-in-law.
Hua Tong sank hopelessly into her own imagined storyline until Lin Zixuan’s smack snapped her out of it. “Sis, done eating?”
Hua Tong came back to her senses. “Mm-hm.”
Lin Zixuan said, “Then let’s go.”