Jiang Yanzhou was secretly complaining to himself when he suddenly heard a clear and gentle voice beside him.
“Yes, I can.”
He turned his head sharply. Jiang Zhiwu was facing the camera, and the ceiling light in the hall cast a soft glow on the ends of her hair. Her usually sharp jawline looked a little softer. “I can listen.”
Before anyone could react, she had already started singing softly.
It was the first song Jiang Yanzhou sang when he first debuted, and also the one that made him an instant star.
The melody was simple, like the wind brushing past the windowsill on a spring afternoon, carrying a touch of casual tenderness.
“This is my favorite one.” After Jiang Zhiwu sang the last note, the lingering sound was as soft as a sigh.
“Wow! Sister Jiang sings so beautifully!” Li Lele asked eagerly, “Why do you like this song the most?”
The cameras around them whirred, and all eyes were on Jiang Zhiwu.
She looked up, her gaze sweeping past the crowd and landing precisely on Jiang Yanzhou’s face. Her calm eyes seemed to have a feather floating in them, brushing gently against his heart.
“Because this is a song my younger brother wrote for me a long time ago.”
[No wonder this song always feels so warm. It turns out it was written for his sister!]
[Putting aside his personal character, Jiang Yanzhou is really talented when it comes to music.]
[How long ago was “a long time ago”? Could someone really write such a masterpiece when they were still so young?]
Jiang Zhiwu still remembered that quiet afternoon. Thirteen-year-old Yanzhou was holding a tattered music theory book, looking like a little animal eager to show off its treasure. He tugged at the hem of her clothes as she was about to go read, pulling her eagerly towards the piano.
“Sister, wait! Just a moment!” His voice was filled with the excitement of youth, mixed with a hint of nervousness that was hard to detect. “I wrote a song, and I want to sing it to you.”
That song, which now has hundreds of millions of views, was born right then and there under his fingers.
Li Bo couldn’t help but sigh, “This is a song full of warmth.”
Jiang Yanzhou’s expression was somewhat complicated.
So she still remembered.
A melody he had just casually played and sung had been remembered word for word by Jiang Zhiwu for so many years.
His throat felt dry, and he couldn’t say a word. But he didn’t realize how bright and shining his eyes were as he looked at his sister.
“Jiang Zhiwu…”
Before the surging emotions could settle down, Jiang Yanzhou heard his sister let out a soft sigh of relief.
“Good thing they didn’t ask me what else I can sing.”
Jiang Yanzhou was instantly annoyed and glared at her fiercely.
But a faint smile played on the corners of Jiang Zhiwu’s lips.
Teasing her younger brother was really fun.
However, the smile quickly faded from her face, and her expression turned serious again.
She knew that in the future, this very song would be labeled as “plagiarism”. People who didn’t know the truth would criticize and mock it, dragging it down from its pedestal and trampling it into the mud.
— But this time, she was here.
As long as she was alive, no one would be able to slander Jiang Yanzhou.
After the pre-dinner game ended, the director stood in the open-air courtyard holding a megaphone, with a mischievous smile on his face. “Since it’s already dinner time, it’s time to — cook!”
“For tonight’s dinner, everyone has to fend for themselves. See the stoves set up in front of you? One for each group. Tonight, you’ll have to make your own food!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Lele let out a wail.
“Director, you’re being too harsh! We even have to cook our own dinner!”
The director smiled and nodded, “That’s right, I am.”
Looking at the makeshift stoves behind the director, with brand-new but cheap-looking stainless steel woks on them…
Jiang Zhiwu looked away indifferently and squatted down to continue examining the stove in front of her.
“Sister Jiang, here you go.” Li Bo walked over with an apron and said attentively, “Even though these stoves are temporary, they still produce a lot of smoke and oil when cooking. Put this on so you don’t get your clothes dirty.”
Jiang Zhiwu gently declined, “Thank you, but I won’t need it.”
Li Bo scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. “Yeah, this one does look a bit wrinkled… How about I go ask the production team for a new one?”
“No need.” Jiang Zhiwu explained, “Yanzhou is the one in charge of cooking for our group.”
“What?!!!”
Li Bo looked at her as if she was joking. “Him? Can he even cook?”
In his impression, Jiang Yanzhou was a cold and arrogant young master who knew nothing about practical matters. He seemed completely out of place in the kitchen.
The comments section of the live stream also exploded:
[??? Jiang Yanzhou cook? Did I hear that right?]
[I hope he’s not just good at making instant noodles. I’m already looking forward to seeing him fail.]
[They’ll say anything just to create a good image for him…]
Just then, Jiang Yanzhou walked out quickly from inside, holding a spatula and some vegetables. As soon as he looked up, he saw Li Bo standing next to Jiang Zhiwu, talking to her warmly.
He pursed his lips unhappily.
So Jiang Zhiwu could talk so much when she was with other people?
Then why was she always so quiet and distant when she was with him?
Not far away, Li Bo suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked up and met Jiang Yanzhou’s cold, piercing gaze.
He instinctively scratched his head and quickly made an excuse to leave.
Jiang Zhiwu twirled the apron in her hand, her eyes falling on Jiang Yanzhou who was standing not far away with the spatula and vegetables. Suddenly, she curved her lips and called out, “Jiang Yanzhou, come here.”
The young man looked up, his eyes still holding a hint of coldness, but his feet involuntarily walked towards her. He stopped in front of her, tilting his head and asking, “What?”
“I don’t know how to use this stove.” Jiang Zhiwu gestured towards the pot with her chin. “Can you take charge of dinner tonight?”
So she called him over just to cook for her?
Did she think he was some kind of servant who could be ordered around whenever she wanted!
The more Jiang Yanzhou thought about it, the angrier he got. His courage seemed to grow along with his anger.
He slammed the spatula down on the stove and asked angrily, “Jiang Zhiwu, don’t you have hands to cook yourself?”
Jiang Zhiwu was taken aback by his sudden outburst, clearly stunned.
She stood up from beside the stove. Perhaps because she had been squatting for too long, a wave of dizziness suddenly hit her. Her vision blurred for a moment, and her body swayed uncontrollably.
“Watch out!”
Jiang Yanzhou’s pupils constricted. All his anger instantly vanished, replaced by panic.
He stepped forward almost instinctively and firmly held her arm. His voice was unusually fast, “What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”
Looking at his worried face, Jiang Zhiwu’s eyes flickered. The words of comfort she was about to say turned into a fit of violent coughing.
“I… I don’t feel very well.”
“Where does it hurt?”
“My arm feels weak.” Jiang Zhiwu said weakly, “…Cough, cough, I don’t think I can even hold the spatula.”