Comforting others? That was simply not something Jian Yumin had ever thought about. Comforting his fans? Even less likely. However, when it came to coaxing his younger sister… he briefly imagined her acting spoiled in front of him, and suddenly, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. He might just give it a try.
Meanwhile, his bandmates on the video call were far from done teasing him.
"Whether you've got that skill or not doesn't matter. What matters is if you can charm your sister! By the way, Yuge, your sister must be pretty cute, right? Given how handsome you are, she's got to be at least as good-looking!"
"Hey, Yuge, why don't we all head over to your place one day? Let's see for ourselves what your sister looks like," one of them suggested, barely containing his laughter.
"Yeah, I'm on board with that! Let's all crash Yuge's place for a visit," another chimed in.
Without even a second thought, Jian Yumin shot down their idea, "Get lost! Go find someplace else to chill! Are we here to work on the new song or not?"
"We can work on the song at your place. Wouldn't it be more fun to brainstorm there in person?" one of them countered with a grin.
"Exactly!" another voice added, egging him on.
Jian Yumin stared at the faces on his screen—each of them looked like wolves about to pounce. He quickly rejected the idea outright, "There's no space for you at my place. Besides, my house isn't big enough to accommodate you lot!"
---
Later that evening, Jian Yumin and Jian Yiling sat down together for dinner. The meal was quiet, with neither speaking much. It wasn't until after dinner, when the family gathered on the sofa for tea and idle conversation, that their grandmother, Old Madam Jian, began questioning Jian Yumin.
"Yumin, you've been out there for so many years. Have you found yourself a girlfriend yet?"
"Nope, my agency has a strict rule that we can't date," Jian Yumin replied swiftly, using his contract as a shield to fend off his grandmother's nagging about settling down.
Old Madam Jian exhaled deeply, clearly exasperated. "I knew it! You boys are all the same—completely infuriating! Not only are none of you adorable anymore, but you also won't even bring home a granddaughter-in-law for me. What good are you?"
Jian Yumin smiled wryly, while Old Master Jian, sitting beside her, couldn't help but poke fun at his wife, "You're grumbling about Yumin not bringing home a girlfriend, but look at your precious little granddaughter—she hasn't found anyone either!"
The old madam's demeanor instantly changed. "What nonsense are you spouting? Our Little Darling is still so young! She's not even old enough to think about finding a boyfriend!"
Her attitude was crystal clear—if her grandson wanted to bring someone else's granddaughter home, that was fine. But if her own granddaughter was being wooed by someone else's grandson? That was a definite no-go.
The old master shook his head with a chuckle, "At this rate, Yiling won't be able to get married. The only one she'll end up with is Yu Xi from next door—he's close enough."
Surprisingly, the old madam actually considered the idea. "You know, that wouldn't be so bad. I've watched that boy grow up, and he's dependable. His parents are good people too; they'd never mistreat their daughter-in-law. And besides, they live nearby, so I'd get to see her every day."
Jian Yiling couldn't figure out how the conversation had shifted from Jian Yumin's love life to hers. Though the topic was clearly about her now, she remained quietly seated, sipping her tea and listening to the exchange.
Noticing her sitting there demurely, holding her teacup in both hands, Jian Yumin couldn't help but tease her. "You'd better cut down on the tea—too much of it is a diuretic. You remember when you wet my pants when you were little, don't you?"
The memory was still vivid for him. Once, when he'd picked up Little Yiling, she had very generously decided to wet herself all over his trousers, and then, of course, she had wailed in distress afterward.
Though, to be fair, when she cried, she was quite adorable—until someone inevitably took her away from him.
"Cough…" Jian Yiling nearly choked on her tea upon hearing his remark.
Jian Yumin's teasing made her cheeks flush slightly as she looked down, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He laughed at her reaction, amused that, even after all these years, he still had the ability to make his little cousin flustered.
"You're always causing trouble," he muttered, though the warmth in his tone showed the fondness he felt for her. Despite all the playful ribbing, there was an unmistakable protectiveness in his attitude toward her, a bond that no amount of teasing could break.