It was difficult for him not to wonder how long she'd been like this.
Before, he had guessed that she was the one who destroyed the bio lab. He figured that she was a genius with a high IQ and everything came easy to her.
Today, when he saw the normally quiet girl speaking to the patient lying in bed, he finally understood just how bitter she felt inside.
She'd been hiding these things from her mother and all her relatives. She wasn't even an adult, yet she had to shoulder the weight of all this burden. Just how difficult has it been for her?
Only today did he realize why He Wanqing remained so clueless and naive despite Qiao Zibo's disappearance and outsiders' bullying.
So she had replaced her father and dealt with all this behind her mother's back just to protect her innocence.
A girl at an age where she should be spoiled by her parents had to take care of her father who was in a vegetative state, and her mother, who was simple-minded and naive.
She never had anyone to complain to. All these difficult times, she had to digest everything on her own.
It was likely because she had so much to hide so she turned out to be so collected and cold all the time.
He remembered how he forced her to accept his romantic advances and how he cunningly designed all those teen drama moments in her life. Jun Yexuan had thoughts of ending himself.
Just how much of a bastard was he to behave so erratically and childishly towards an underage girl who had been through many hardships?
Before he knew it, he tasted bitterness.
Jun Yexuan placed down his binoculars and walked out of the room. He had never been so determined about something in his life.
From now on, he would be the one to protect her world.
By the time Qiao Qing returned home, it was 11:30 pm.
He Wanqing was tricked by Chen Ming and believed Qiao Qing had gone to bed. So she went to rest as well.
The entire house was in darkness and silence. Only the streetlight guided her way home.
Qiao Qing entered the living room and was about to go upstairs when she heard rustling in the kitchen.
She put down her zither, narrowed her eyes, grabbed a few playing cards off the coffee table, and walked towards the kitchen.
When she reached the corner of the kitchen, she prepared to throw out the card. However, when she saw the collar of the person's shirt, she paused.
"Jun Yexuan, what are you doing here?"
Jun Yexuan turned his head to look at her. His voice was calm and did not contain any unusualness, "Where did you go? Why did you come back so late?"
Qiao Qing, "None of your business."
Before, if she said that, Jun Yexuan would do what he could to get information out of her mouth. But now that he found out where she sometimes goes, he didn't pry.
He didn't ask anything more and instead, put out a bowl of noodles, "You only ate a piece of cake tonight. Aren't you hungry? Since it's still technically your birthday, eat some birthday noodles."
Qiao Qing stared at the steaming and well-garnished noodles, "You made this?"
Jun Yexuan raised an eyebrow, "You don't believe in my cooking skills?"
Qiao Qing glanced at his hands then looked over.
She rubbed her belly – she really was a little hungry.
Extending her arms, she tried to take the bowl, "Thanks."
Jun Yexuan stepped aside and turned on the dining room light. He put the bowl on the table and pulled out a chair, "Come."
Qiao Qing touched her nose, walked over, and sat. Then, she began to eat with her chopsticks.
When the noodles entered her mouth, she froze.
Jun Yexuan looked nervous, "Does it taste bad?"
Qiao Qing shook her head and finished off the noodles in one go. She even drank most of the soup.
She put down her chopsticks and asked, "Did you used to cook a lot?"