Zhou Jinyuan’s gaze slowly shifted from the card in front of him to Lin Tanyu’s face.
“So this is how the Lin family handles problems?”
The smile at the corner of Lin Tanyu’s lips faded slightly. He withdrew his hand and casually played with the card between his fingers.
From the subtle movement, it was clear that he was already displeased.
“This isn’t about solving a problem. It’s simply our way of expressing gratitude and taking responsibility. At the very least, for these past twenty-three years, she has been a daughter of the Lin family.”
“We have a responsibility to ensure that she lives without worry, no matter where she is or who she’s with.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the shabby interior of the car.
“I know that before, she may have used some inappropriate methods and caused you trouble.”
“This card can be considered her living expenses while staying with you, as well as a small compensation and token of thanks. The password is six eights.”
Zhou Jinyuan said nothing and simply looked at him quietly.
“Xixi has never suffered since she was young. Now that she’s injured and staying with you, the expenses won’t be small.”
“You’re not well-off either. This amount of money may mean nothing to the Lin family, but for you, it could improve a lot of your current situation.”
A faint trace of mockery curled at Zhou Jinyuan’s lips.
“Mr. Lin, the matter between her and me—if anyone is to pay living expenses, it should be her, not you.”
“If you think the conditions here are too poor and that she’s being wronged, then you can take her back. Don’t treat her like some paid-for luggage while putting on this hypocritical act.”
Lin Tanyu’s fingers paused as he played with the card. The composure on his face vanished, replaced by a faintly irritated laugh.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone as principled as Mr. Zhou. No wonder Xixi is so obsessed with you.”
It sounded like praise, but in truth, it was sarcasm—mocking him for pretending to be noble, as if it were just another way to win Lin Wangxi over.
Speaking was an art. Someone less perceptive wouldn’t even catch the underlying meaning.
Zhou Jinyuan withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at him.
“Think whatever you want. If you don’t have another ride, please get out.”
Lin Tanyu smiled, flipped the card between his fingers, and tucked it back into his palm.
“In that case, I won’t disturb you. I hope you can take more orders, Mr. Zhou. After all, one of Xixi’s meals could equal a hundred of your rides.”
He gave Zhou Jinyuan a deep look before pushing the door open and getting out of the car.
Zhou Jinyuan gripped the steering wheel, sitting silently in the driver’s seat.
Lin Tanyu didn’t need to get angry. With just one casual sentence, he had laid bare the vast, unbridgeable gap between them.
Even now, in her fallen state, as long as she was willing to lower her head, the Lin family could still guarantee her a life without worry.
There was still an essential difference between them.
After an unknown amount of time, his phone vibrated with the notification of a new order.
Zhou Jinyuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, his gaze had returned to its usual calm darkness.
By the time he got back, it was already completely dark.
Zhou Jinyuan opened the door, felt for the switch on the wall, and turned on the light.
Lin Wangxi, who was lying on the sofa, was woken by the brightness. She rubbed her eyes and looked toward the door.
“You’re back?”
Zhou Jinyuan’s gaze lingered on her sleepy face for two seconds before he responded with a quiet “Mm” and carried something inside.
It was a large box.
Lin Wangxi stared at it curiously. “What’s that?”
“A mattress.”
After changing his shoes, Zhou Jinyuan carried the box into the bedroom.
Lin Wangxi grabbed her crutch and hopped after him on one leg.
She watched as he took out a folded mattress from the box. It looked small and thin at first, but once he opened the sealed packaging, it rapidly expanded.
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. “Wow, how did it do that? It got bigger!”
Zhou Jinyuan ignored her childish question and silently dragged the fully expanded mattress to the bed, removed the old sheet, and laid out the new one.
Seeing that he ignored her, Lin Wangxi pressed on, “Was this mattress expensive?”
“Not expensive.”
She was about to say something else when he suddenly turned back.
“It’s done. Try it.”
Lin Wangxi nodded and hopped over to the bed, sitting down and bouncing lightly.
Her eyes lit up instantly. She nodded rapidly, smiling until her eyes curved. “It’s so much better than your hard wooden board!”
Perhaps influenced by her smile, a faint curve appeared at the corner of Zhou Jinyuan’s lips, though it vanished just as quickly.
He turned to clean up the empty box and plastic packaging.
After tidying up, he asked, “Did you eat the takeout I ordered for you at noon?”
“I did, but I didn’t finish it.”
“Didn’t like it?”
Lin Wangxi shook her head. “No, you ordered too much. Don’t order that much next time.”
He had ordered four dishes—there was no way she could finish it all.
“It’s fine. I’ll heat it up and eat it later.”
Lin Wangxi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? You’re going to eat my leftovers?”
“Throwing it away would be a waste.”
Lin Wangxi suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.
She couldn’t help imagining him digging through trash cans for food, which made him seem even more pitiful.
“Do you often eat other people’s leftovers?”
Zhou Jinyuan paused, then looked at her with a gaze she couldn’t quite understand.
“I’m not a trash can.”
“So you only eat leftovers from people you know?”
“……”
He ignored her, picked up the tied garbage bag, and left the bedroom. Then he took some ingredients from the fridge and went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Leaning on her crutch, Lin Wangxi hopped over to the kitchen doorway and watched him.
He was washing vegetables with his head lowered, wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing a clean, well-defined forearm.
“How many rides did you take today? Are you tired?”
“Not tired.”
Lin Wangxi stared at his back for a while, then softly called out again, “Zhou Jinyuan.”
“Mm?” He finally turned to look at her. “What is it?”
“I didn’t use the bucket. I can hop to the bathroom.”
Even though it had taken her a long time to get over the threshold earlier, she felt quite accomplished.
She didn’t want to make the bedroom smell—too embarrassing.
Zhou Jinyuan looked at her.
She was wearing the cotton pajamas he bought, printed with little bears, her hair messy, leaning on a crutch and looking at him expectantly like a child waiting for praise.
Zhou Jinyuan did not hold back and simply said, “Impressive.”
Lin Wangxi froze for a moment, and then her cheeks flushed visibly.
She had wanted to show off overcoming her difficulty, but his serious praise made her feel a bit silly instead.
“Who asked for your praise?” she muttered stiffly, quickly looking away and pretending to be very interested in the old range hood in the kitchen.
Zhou Jinyuan continued cooking.
Lin Wangxi’s gaze drifted back to him unconsciously as she leaned quietly against the doorframe, watching him work.
Cooking smoke rose slowly, filling the room with the aroma of food, mixed with the soft clinking of pots and pans.
After finishing the dishes, Zhou Jinyuan carried two plates out to the living room.
Lin Wangxi wanted to help with something; otherwise, she felt like she was freeloading.
She hopped into the kitchen, grabbed two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and hopped her way back out.
When Zhou Jinyuan turned and saw her, he paused, then quickly walked over and took the dishes from her hands.
“Your leg isn’t convenient. Don’t move around.”
She felt a bit unconvinced. “They’re not heavy. Hopping a couple of times won’t hurt.”
“You want to fall again?”
Lin Wangxi huffed. “I’ve already gained experience. No exaggeration—I can do a one-legged backflip now.”
Zhou Jinyuan glanced at her. “Then do one and let me see.”