The gut-wrenching combination of Na'er's hands blocking his lips as well as Xi Yuhan earnestly conversing with Chen Yanying regarding the 'future prospects' of Shang Xuan forced the target in question to endure an unquestionable torture.
He couldn't dare spit out the contents of his full mouth onto Na-er's hand – that was equivalent to courting death.
But this Elder Sister of his and her biting words… they never failed to cause stomach ulcers to bite at his innards with unmatched savagery and cruelty. Shang Xuan could only remain seated and silent, his neck dripping with cold sweat.
He was forced to chew at the bulging mass that was formerly known as succulent and fragrant food…
"Mother, just like how I was saying earlier…"
Xi Yuhan leaned in towards Chen Yanying as she spoke, her lips raising into a dazzling smile. The young woman glanced at the miserably suffering Shang Xuan attempting to suppress the onslaught of stomach ulcers and Na-er's invisible teasing.
The cold and unwavering Youngest Brother of hers… hehe.
"Yuhan, Ran-er is only seventeen."
Chen Yanying rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression on her countenance. The woman speared herself a delicious piece of meat, her chopsticks busy as she took advantage of Shang Xuan's inability to participate in conquering the placed food.
"Ran-er is still too young, why are you trying to schedule an early marriage for him? Besides, though your evaluation of this Sister Xiao Yu may be excellent, what about her little sister?"
The questions were stern and interrogating, but filled with a warmth and care exclusive to that of a concerned parent. To this, however, Shang Xuan nearly doubled up to avoid vomiting the 'food' in his mouth, whilst Xi Yuhan released a chuckle behind her extended hand.
"Mother, don't be such a worrywart!" the young woman patted at Chen Yanying's palm.
"I met Sister Xiao Yu's little sister just the day before. Medium stature, shy and quiet, as well as being extremely cute – she's the perfect match for Ah Ran. Your daughter cannot recommend any other!"
Yuhan was this confident regarding her evaluation?
It wasn't a jab towards Ran-er's hermit-like personality and isolationist morale?
Chen Yanying pondered in silence for a brief moment as she contemplated the suggestion the Eldest Sister of the Xi Family had buried into the depths of her heart. The woman directed several glances onto the youth's occupied figure, her eyes narrowing as she began to evaluate several choices.
"Then… Yuhan, you make sure to bring-"
"Absolutely not! I'm not meeting this Sister Xiao Yu's little sister!"
Shang Xuan spluttered as he swallowed the final crumbs of rice grain that had tickled at the base of his throat for several moments. The youth threw a thunderous glare towards Na-er, before adopting a readily constructed expression of pleading that was aimed towards Chen Yanying's weakness.
"Eldest Sister, this isn't the eighties where arranged marriages were still prevalent, ah," the youth consoled with a weak voice.
"Besides… putting such a girl before me, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to –"
"Eat!"
Chen Yanying tapped the table with the base of her chopsticks as she glared towards the youth who was beginning his rebellious tirade towards the beneficial attributes of living like a hermit. The woman expertly delivered a swath of fried tofu into Shang Xuan's bowl, filling the previously empty bowl to the limit.
However, her actions were doomed to be completely ignored at this moment. The youth and the young woman stared at their biological mother in complete surprise, a single thought resounding in their hearts in a synchronized effort.
Huh!?
Shang Xuan who was in secret not the hermit that he proclaimed himself to be, and Xi Yuhan who had only heard of the experiences from her younger brother Xi Jun and his avid romantic life…
"Mother…"
The Eldest Sister of the Xi Family took the burden upon herself to release an awkward cough, alerting Chen Yanying to the abnormal situation with a faint blush on her cheeks. Finding both son and daughter staring upon her with weird expressions on their equally fair-skinned and albeit tender countenances, the woman found herself unable to decide between laughing or crying.
Did… something spill from her mouth earlier?
To be frank, she was only trying to get Ran-er to eat more to develop more muscle, to not allow himself to tarry behind in the masculine appearance that youths his age sought after with burning passion… but –
"Eat more; the two of you are as thin as skin and bones!" the woman clarified herself with a rough voice.
"Especially you, Ran-er – don't try to evade answering your elder sister by choking on food! How disgraceful, ah!"
These kids and their rotten minds!
Though, Xi Fengnan had always mentioned something about eating every passionate night they shared…
"However, Elder Sister, why do you only talk about my interpersonal relationships when you come over to visit?"
Shang Xuan dutifully enacted the role of a faithful son as he diverted the subject of the conversation onto himself, directing an inquisitive glance towards the beautiful young woman seated across from him. Resting the back of her head against the youth's warm chest, Na-er narrowed her eyes as an unknown glint pulsed through the pair of hazel pupils.
"Hm? What else am I supposed to talk about?"
Xi Yuhan blinked in incomprehension. The young woman leaned on her elbows to gaze deeply into the youth's eyes, a lilting sneer gracing her countenance.
"My Youngest Brother, talking about her younger siblings and their romantic relationships is indeed the joys of an elder sister. Life in Beijing is indeed monotonous and without change – there wouldn't be much to talk about in that case, no?"
The youth raised an eyebrow in interest towards the nonchalant reply of Xi Yuhan that seemed to conceal a myriad of worries and stressful troubles from the smiling expresson displayed on the surface.
Nonetheless, Shang Xuan remained silent as he awaited the beautiful young woman to continue her speech.
If she didn't wish to worry Chen Yanying's simple and caring heart with an endless plague of concerns, why would he bring them to light?
"Even Ah Jun has had three girlfriends by the time he was your age, ah," Xi Yuhan chuckled as she nibbled at the tip of a roasted bamboo shoot.
"They were each pretty and charming in their own fashion, but his experiences with them brought him to mature early on and face society without an issue, no? That's why…"
"That's why you want me to find myself a girlfriend?" Shang Xuan rolled his eyes, not knowing how he should feel.
"My dear Eldest Sister, how could life be that simple? Then has Eldest Sister matured through interpersonal relationships like Elder Brother Jun?"
The youth leaned back in his chair as he rebutted with a fierce counterattack, prompting a scarlet blush to inundate Xi Yuhan's cheeks. Despite the beautiful woman's desperate attempts to restore her graceful and playful countenance, she couldn't evade the inquisitive glances of her youngest brother and mother.
"Yuhan?"
Chen Yanying raised an eyebrow with a gossiping expression, her chopsticks lightly drumming onto the table in her interest. The rhythmic pace of the chopsticks were simple and evenly paced, but they rang in Xi Yuhan's ears with the devil's roar.
"A-ahem! This Young Lady is indeed pure and chaste, seeking her path in academics with diligence and courage!" the Eldest Sister of the Xi Family roared with a splutter.
"Ah Ran, if you dare laugh, this Elder Sister will make sure Sister Xiao Yu comes to inspect her future brother-in-law!"
The youth's mouth immediately clamped shut, his energized tongue encircled by a generous helping of rice and steamed prawns.
"Mother, stop chuckling! I know about what you and Father do each night!"
Chen Yanying's lips immediately tightened, her gaze suddenly adopting a feverish interest onto the pair of ordinary, metal chopsticks clasped in her hands. Having successfully reclaimed control over the battlefield's tempo, Xi Yuhan displayed a triumphant smile on her dazzling countenance, before stilling herself with a light cough.
Alas, her victory couldn't be maintained for long.
"Ran-er, how confident are you regarding your college examination scores?"
Chen Yanying cleared her bowl for the last time, her elegant hands resting the pair of chopsticks against the wooden surface of the table. The woman accompanied Xi Yuhan in carefuly scrutinizing the youth's expressions for any revealing clues, although they were not capable of discovering any abnormal signs.
"Oh… they weren't too bad?" Shang Xuan mused with a placid expression.
"Other than the English Literature category that was a little… interesting, I think everything went fine…"
The youth adopted a neutral stance regardless of the smattering of questions thrown before his feet, ignoring the fluctuating expressions on his Eldest Sister and mother's countenances.
Shang Xuan would even pretend to doze off to dissuade any probing questions, prompting another wave of threats regarding his dismal ability to manage interpersonal relationships.
Instead, the Flame Ancestor had a much better question to muse over in his heart.
Such as – Na-er, why are you twisting the soft portions of my waist?
Do you know how much that hurts!?