She could tell that Ji Shuya's gesture of offering her the bowl of egg soup wasn't so much about feeding her as it was about impressing Fu Zhiyan. Nevertheless, regardless of the intention, it was common courtesy to express gratitude when receiving something from someone else.
Ji Shuya's hand skillfully evaded Han Xiaoye's attempt, leaving her grasping at thin air.
"Xiaoye, let me feed you," Ji Shuya's demeanor was gentle and her eyes deliberately filled with compassion.
Han Xiaoye furrowed her brows. "I can manage on my own."
"Let me do it," Ji Shuya gracefully scooped a spoonful, cooled it off attentively, and then offered it to Han Xiaoye's lips. "Here."
What the heck...
Han Xiaoye instantly lost her appetite and turned her head away. "Suddenly, I don't feel that hungry anymore. I'll just wait for Uncle to come back."
How could she possibly refuse to eat?
Ji Shuya grew a bit anxious. She calculated the timing, realizing it was the moment when Fu Zhiyan would arrive. She needed Zhiyan to witness her magnanimous and virtuous side.
"Xiaoye, if I've done anything to upset you, please let me know. I'm willing to change," Ji Shuya resolved to tug at Xiaoye's heartstrings, pushing even harder. "Even if you don't like me, you should still think about your uncle. He cares so much about you, and you should take care of your health. Come on, Xiaoye, don't be stubborn. Let me feed you."
Ji Shuya extended the spoon once again, this time aiming directly for Han Xiaoye's mouth, almost as if she was forcing her to eat.
Han Xiaoye was genuinely angered.
"I already said I won't eat," she pushed away Ji Shuya's hand. At that moment, an unexpected incident occurred. The steaming bowl of egg soup somehow tipped over, spilling half of its contents onto Ji Shuya's hand. With a loud crash, it hit the ground, creating a clear, crisp sound.
"Ah!" Ji Shuya let out a short, pained cry.
The situation changed too quickly, catching Han Xiaoye off guard. Suddenly, a figure briskly entered the room, grasping Ji Shuya's wrist.
"What's going on?"
Fu Zhiyan's voice was chillingly cold.
Ji Shuya appeared flustered as she hurriedly pulled her reddened wrist inward. "Brother Zhiyan, I'm fine."
Fu Zhiyan turned his head and looked at the bewildered girl on the hospital bed, his lips pressed into a thin line.
As if fearing he would misunderstand, Ji Shuya quickly grasped his left arm. "Brother Zhiyan, it was my own carelessness that caused it, it had nothing to do with Xiaoye. She only lightly pushed my left hand, without applying any force."
Ji Shuya anxiously glanced at Han Xiaoye. "Xiaoye, explain it to your uncle. Otherwise, he might get the wrong idea."
"...," Han Xiaoye stubbornly remained silent.
This time, Ji Shuya didn't tell a fib. She had indeed been annoyed by Ji Shuya's attempts to feed her and wasn't pleased when the spoon was forcefully prodded into her mouth. But she had only given it a token push. There was absolutely no way she could have caused the bowl in Ji Shuya's right hand to overturn.
Fu Zhiyan withdrew his gaze, silently placing the thermos on the table. He addressed the anxious Ji Shuya, "Shuya, let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"To the surgical department. Let's have your hand examined"
Ji Shuya seemed to hesitate as she looked at the pale girl on the hospital bed. "Then... What about Xiaoye?"
"The nurse will take care of her," he said.
Han Xiaoye bit her lip, feeling as if her heart was being squeezed tightly, causing immense discomfort.
Fu Zhiyan didn't believe her!
He didn't believe that she didn't tip over that bowl of egg soup!
She opened her mouth to explain, but her stubbornness prevented her from speaking up. Even after the couple walked out of the room and closed the door, she still couldn't find the words to defend herself.
The footsteps in the corridor grew fainter and fainter...
"B*stard!"
Han Xiaoye was seething with anger and frustration. She snatched the pillow beside her and slammed it against the door. Sitting on the bed, she stewed in her own discontent, feeling an overwhelming sense of unease. She rummaged through her belongings and retrieved her phone, dialing Su Rui's number.
She was determined to vent her frustrations about that backstabbing b*stard!
"Hello."
"Ruirui! I'm about to lose my mind, let me tell you..."
Before Su Rui could utter a single word, she was bombarded with a rapid-fire barrage of words from the other end of the line. After listening for a while, she finally grasped the situation.
"So, Mr. Fu took Apple Sister to get her hand checked?"
"Yeah, didn't you see how he doted on her? And honestly, if Apple Sister hurt her hand, how will she peel apples for him in the future? That glutton! I hope he gets erectile dysfunction from overeating!"
Han Xiaoye was on the verge of exploding.
Su Rui held the phone a bit farther from her ear and weakly asked, "But Xiaoye, why are you so furious?"
"Ruirui, I swear it wasn't me who spilled the egg soup! Don't you believe me?"
"Of course, I believe you," Su Rui paused, "But Xiaoye, why do you expect Mr. Fu to unconditionally believe you like I do? Besides, from what you said, he didn't even accuse you of spilling the egg soup."
Han Xiaoye was taken aback.
Why did she want Fu Zhiyan to trust her unconditionally? Su Rui's question struck a chord deep within her heart.
Yeah, why?
She wanted Ruirui to believe her because Ruirui had been the only friend by her side all these years. Ruirui was more important to her than her own family. But what about Fu Zhiyan? Was he equally important to her as Ruirui?
If it was about being misunderstood, hadn't she faced countless misunderstandings over the years? Back then, when so many people pointed their fingers at her, accusing her of being cruel and causing her stepmother's death, didn't she brush it off? Today, it was merely a spilled bowl of egg soup, and Fu Zhiyan didn't even blame her. So why was she feeling so distraught? It was as if someone was pricking needles into her heart, causing an intense and suffocating pain.
"Xiaoye, could it be that you've developed feelings for Mr. Fu?" Su Rui voiced her speculation.
Fallen for... Fu Zhiyan?
Han Xiaoye felt like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and without thinking, she vehemently denied, "Impossible!"
"But..."
"It's impossible, absolutely impossible! Ruirui, please don't say anything more." She anxiously clutched her phone, "I'm a bit exhausted, I'll call you later."
She hung up the phone and tucked it under her pillow.
Hahaha, Could you believe it? Ruirui actually suggested that she had feelings for Fu Zhiyan. How absurd! Fu Zhiyan was her uncle, even if they weren't related by blood, he was still her uncle in name. How could she possibly fall for her own uncle? Absolutely inconceivable. It must be Ruirui's mistaken impression. Yes, that was definitely the case!
Han Xiaoye forced a grin that said, "That's preposterous!" and forcefully pushed away the opposing voice in her heart. After repeating "impossible" more than ten times, she burrowed herself into the blankets.
She needed to sleep. She must have gone mad earlier to give Ruirui such an impression.
Han Xiaoye closed her eyes.
But her mind continued buzzing incessantly, and within less than five minutes, she opened her eyes again and sat up.