Ji Shuya wore a light purple sweater with jeans today, which complemented her fair skin and long, straight legs. Her mouth carried a perfect smile, making her particularly gentle and friendly. She also held a fruit basket in her hand and greeted Qin Fang as soon as she entered the room, "Fang, long time no see."
"Shuya, long time no see," Qin Fang coughed, straightened his tilted head, and grumbled with a grimace, "Zhiyan, why do you always take her side? What do you mean by saying I did something foolish again, as if I often do foolish things?"
Before Fu Zhiyan could speak, Ji Shuya automatically defended him, "Among our childhood playmates, you were the naughtiest. I remember when we once sneaked into Grandpa Fu's yard to pick flowers and got caught by the servant. In order to escape, you actually crawled through a dog hole and ended up being chased and bitten by the guard dogs outside the wall. You ran back home with your butt exposed that day."
Qin Fang felt embarrassed. He had forgotten about this embarrassing incident of wearing open-crotch pants if Ji Shuya hadn't mentioned it. He couldn't hold on anymore, "Okay, okay, I admit I was foolish in the past. But as the saying goes, it's normal for young people to be foolish. I was just young back then."
"Then last year, you got involved with a little model, and..."
"I was wrong! I was wrong! I admit I did something foolish again just now. Shuya, please spare me. Cut me slack in front of my niece," Qin Fang raised his hands over his head and quickly surrendered.
"Alright, it depends on your performance," Ji Shuya smiled, her eyes curved, and she handed the fruit to Qin Fang. Qin Fang instinctively accepted it and placed it on Han Xiaoye's bedside table.
"By the way, Shuya, how did you come here?"
Ji Shuya shyly glanced at the man beside her and realized that he didn't even look at her. She reluctantly withdrew her gaze and said, "Uncle Qin told me that Xiaoye is hospitalized, so I came to see if there's anything I can help with. Coincidentally, I bumped into Zhiyan just now, so we came in together."
Fu Zhiyan walked to Han Xiaoye's side, reached out and touched her forehead. Although his voice remained steady, it softened a lot, "Is your stomach still uncomfortable?"
Before Han Xiaoye could answer, Ji Shuya approached with a caring expression, as if she herself was the one in pain. Even her brows furrowed, "Brother Zhiyan, is Xiaoye still feeling very uncomfortable? If I had known earlier, I could have taken care of Xiaoye last night."
What a virtuous and kind-hearted sister she appeared to be.
Unfortunately, behind her feigned concern, Ji Shuya's eyes showed nothing but calculation. Han Xiaoye had seen this kind of look too many times in the past sixteen years, and she had become immune to it.
"Uncle, it's so noisy. I have a headache," Han Xiaoye intentionally frowned and complained.
Ji Shuya felt as if she had been slapped. Her hands clenched into fists instantly. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and showed remorse, "I'm sorry, I spoke too loudly just now. Xiaoye, can you forgive me?"
She was pretending and decided to endure it.
Zhiyan attached great importance to this niece who suddenly appeared halfway. No matter what, she had to establish a good relationship with Han Xiaoye. This kind of willful little girl was best handled by taking a soft approach. She was determined to win her over!
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Qin Fang quickly intervened, "Ah, Shuya, you brought apples. They look good. Can I have one? I hope you don't mind."
"No." Ji Shuya climbed down the ladder, deliberately glaring at him, "These are for Xiaoye. If you want to eat apples, go and buy your own. By the way, Xiaoye, do you want to have apples? shall I peel one for you?"
Han Xiaoye pursed her lips, "My stomach hurts. Apples are cold and hard. They'll make me uncomfortable if I eat them."
"..."
Ji Shuya faced another setback. She struggled to maintain her warm smile.
Qin Fang gave his nose a rub, astonished by his niece's fiery temperament. He exchanged a helpless glance with his friend, raising his shoulders in resignation. Engaging in the battlefield of women's conflicts was akin to being mere cannon fodder, no matter who dared to step into the fray. It wasn't that he lacked the willingness to enliven the atmosphere, but rather... the opposing force was too formidable, while his side remained feeble and vulnerable.
Ji Shuya, with her smile restored, looked gentle, like an older sister from next door. "Is there anything you want to eat?"
Han Xiaoye pondered for a moment, her eyes brightening. "Uncle, I want to drink the fish soup you make."
Fu Zhiyan placed her hand under the blanket and replied calmly, "Alright."
Ji Shuya's face was filled with shock.
Qin Fang, on the other hand, maintained a calm expression as if he had expected this outcome.
"I'll go out for a while. Qin Fang, when Uncle Qin arrives, make sure he checks on Xiaoye," Fu Zhiyan said, picking up the car keys from the table.
Qin Fang raised his hand, "That's not a problem, but I don't have time to take care of my niece. You know, I have a surgery to attend to later."
"Leave it to me. I'll take care of Xiaoye," Ji Shuya eagerly responded, seizing the opportunity to showcase herself.
Fu Zhiyan cast a quick glance at her, his brows creasing with a hint of concern. The subtle vibes of dislike from the little miss didn't escape his notice, but in this particular situation, there was simply no one more suitable than Ji Shuya. After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded slightly, his decision made. "Very well, Shuya, I'll rely on you for this task."
Ji Shuya lowered her gaze slightly, her cheeks turning pink. She spoke tenderly, like a young wife, "It's my duty. Brother Zhiyan's niece is also my niece."
Han Xiaoye pursed his lips silently. Last time, she had still called her using "sister". It had only been a short while, and she had dropped a rank in seniority.
Her subtle reaction didn't escape Fu Zhiyan's eyes. He glanced at her helplessly, saying, "Han Xiaoye."
"What?" She felt unhappy in her heart, and it showed on her face.
"Listen to me, wait for me obediently."
"Okay." Fu Zhiyan reminded her to behave because he was afraid she would bully her childhood friend. Han Xiaoye didn't know why, but she felt even more uncomfortable.
Although she didn't like Ji Shuya, she wasn't the kind of person who would unreasonably bully others. As long as Ji Shuya didn't provoke her, she wouldn't actively seek trouble.
The back-and-forth earlier was simply because she couldn't stand Ji Shuya's pretense of caring about her well-being when she clearly didn't care at all, using her as an excuse to act gentle and refined in front of Fu Zhiyan.
...
Shortly after Fu Zhiyan left, Qin Fang also went to prepare for the surgery. Soon, there were only two people left in the room—Han Xiaoye and Ji Shuya. Ji Shuya tried several topics, but Han Xiaoye showed disinterest. Perhaps sensing that she didn't want to talk, Ji Shuya considerately stopped looking for conversation and the ward became quiet. Around eleven o'clock, Ji Shuya noticed that Fu Zhiyan hadn't returned yet. She managed to find a bowl of egg soup from somewhere.
"Xiaoye, it's almost noon. Are you hungry? Your uncle hasn't come back yet, so have some egg soup as a snack," Ji Shuya sat by the bedside, holding the bowl of egg soup.
The aroma of eggs and chopped scallions mixed together, enticing her taste buds. Han Xiaoye was indeed feeling a little hungry. She propped herself up and reached out to take it, saying, "Thank you."