The phone vibrated. Shu Yu fished it out from under the covers.
Seeing Si Yiheng's message, she hurriedly typed out an explanation.
LittleFishSwimming: I didn't abandon you!
LittleFishSwimming: My love for you is as true as the sun and moon!
That was right; her true heart for Si Yiheng's bank-like wallet was indeed clear for the sun and moon to see.
How could liking Si Yiheng's money not count as liking Si Yiheng?
After all, his money was the most attractive part about him.
ATM: Your friend left?
LittleFishSwimming: Yeah, she left.
ATM: I knew it.
Little liar. What "true as the sun and moon"—she only knew how to sweet-talk and say exactly what people wanted to hear.
If her friend hadn't left, Shu Yu never would have messaged him.
ATM: Where are you hospitalized? I'm coming over.
Shu Yu: w(ﾟДﾟ)w
Oh, please no.
Right now, seeing a message from Si Yiheng asking to meet up felt just like receiving a breakup notice.
There was no way Shu Yu dared to see him.
LittleFishSwimming: There's no need! I know you are very busy, Gege. I'll be good and take good care of myself. You don't have to come see me!
ATM: I'm not busy right now.
Shu Yu started to sweat a little. If you're not busy, then go to sleep!
LittleFishSwimming: But my heart aches for you, Gege. If you aren't busy, you should rest early. Otherwise, if you get too tired, I'll feel so bad.
ATM: ...
ATM: Send me at least three messages every day. One in the morning, one at noon, and one at night.
Shu Yu didn't even bother to think deeply about why Si Yiheng wanted her to check in three times a day.
Her mind was entirely consumed by the thought that as long as he didn't come to the hospital, she would agree to absolutely anything.
ATM: Go to sleep early.
LittleFishSwimming: You sleep early too, Gege. Goodnight.
ATM: Mm.
*
Ye Ning had just gotten home when she started banging on Si Yiheng's door again.
It sounded like a clapping seal.
Si Yiheng massaged his temples. The Firecracker was back.
He opened the door. "What is it now?"
Ye Ning grinned playfully. "Brother, let me massage your back for you."
Si Yiheng: "..."
His tone was cold, his expression indifferent. "Just tell me what you want."
"Brother, could you make some delicious food tomorrow?" Ye Ning asked, flattering him obsequiously while massaging his arm. "Just something simple. Simmer a chicken soup and maybe stir-fry eight dishes."
Si Yiheng: "..."
Si Yiheng: "Do you need me to steam another twelve dishes while I'm at it?"
Ye Ning's eyes lit up instantly. "That works too."
Si Yiheng sneered. "No, it doesn't."
The smile on Ye Ning's face vanished. "Brother, are you really my blood brother?"
Si Yiheng walked lazily toward the kitchen island to pour himself a glass of water. His tone was unhurried as he reminded her, "I'm your cousin."
Ye Ning's expression froze. She couldn't even argue; he really was just her cousin.
Ye Ning: "I don't care! My friend is sick and needs nutrition. You have to help me cook something nourishing for her."
Thinking of Shu Yu's pale face, Ye Ning still felt like Shu Yu was a pitiful little kitten.
Pitiful, yet so sensible.
She was only college-aged, yet she didn't even have family by her side when she fell ill.
And she was so considerate of others. Shu Yu had cared about her so much that she refused to let Ye Ning stay there to accompany her.
Leaving Shu Yu all alone in the hospital still made Ye Ning feel terrible.
She had to fatten Baby Yu up a little bit.
Si Yiheng: "Then you cook for her. Stop making a fuss. I'm going to rest. If you keep being noisy, go back to your own home."
Ye Ning instantly choked up like a chicken grabbed by the neck.
She clenched her fists. Fine, if he won't cook, he won't cook. She would make food for Little Yu herself. So what if he knew how to cook a little? It was no big deal.
The next day, Ye Ning ordered groceries online and started cooking by following an internet recipe.
Suddenly, a fire broke out. Startled, Ye Ning flipped the oil pan upside down, which only caused the flames to shoot up even higher.
Ye Ning: "Holy shit."
She tried her best to control the situation, only to find she couldn't control it at all.
She didn't dare call Si Yiheng.
Instead, she dialed Shu Yu's number. "Baby, what do I do? I just blew up my brother's kitchen."
Hearing Ye Ning crying, Shu Yu panicked a bit too, but her first instinct was to comfort her. "Ningning, don't panic. Get out of there first."
Ye Ning: "I-I'm out."
Shu Yu: "Are there any open flames left?"
Ye Ning poked her head back in. "I don't think so, but it's still smoking."
Shu Yu: "Then wait a moment. If there's still no fire, go get some water and drench the areas that caught on fire to make sure there are no sparks left."
Ye Ning didn't doubt Shu Yu at all. After all, Shu Yu spoke with such absolute seriousness that she sounded very reliable.
After doing exactly as Shu Yu said, Ye Ning cried as she asked, "Baby, I've drenched it. There's no more fire."
Shu Yu praised her: "That's good. You did great, Ningning. You were very calm under pressure."
Slowly, Shu Yu's praises helped Ye Ning regain some confidence.
But at the thought of Si Yiheng, her face scrunched up again.
Ye Ning: "But I'm worried my brother will punish me when he gets back."
Shu Yu: "It's fine. Just run away before your brother comes home. If you run, he won't be able to find you, and you'll be safe."
Ye Ning still didn't realize there was anything wrong with this logic. Since Shu Yu told her to run, she ran.
Shu Yu had an avoidant personality. Whenever she faced a problem she couldn't solve, she would choose to run away.
When Si Yiheng returned home and saw his kitchen looking like a Syrian battlefield, his temples throbbed.
He called Ye Ning.
By this time, Shu Yu and Ye Ning had already met up. They saw Si Yiheng calling her.
Staring at the glaring word "Brother" on Ye Ning's phone screen, the two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked away, pretending not to hear it.
Unfortunately, Si Yiheng wasn't going to let them off the hook.
Left with no choice, Ye Ning stepped outside to take the call.
She smiled bitterly. "It's okay, Baby Yu. I'll come back alive."
Shu Yu: "I'll pray for you."
The moment Ye Ning answered, Si Yiheng's dark and cold voice came through the line.
"Why did you pour water all over the kitchen? Why did you run away? And why didn't you call me?"
Ye Ning whispered, "My baby told me to pour the water and told me to run. I didn't dare call you myself."
Si Yiheng laughed out of pure anger. "Your baby tells you to run and you just run?"
Ye Ning: "Yeah. Don't underestimate my baby. She's incredibly calm. When she was teaching me how to handle this difficult problem, she was completely unruffled."
Si Yiheng: "..."
Si Yiheng: "Is your baby a Bean Bun?"
Ye Ning answered honestly, "Huh? No. She's prettier than a Bean Bun."
Si Yiheng: "..."
At this moment, Si Yiheng felt that Ye Ning and her Bean Bun baby were truly two peas in a pod of sheer stupidity.
Si Yiheng: "Ye Ning, if your baby told you to go die, would you go die too?"
Ye Ning thought about it for a second and replied earnestly, "I could consider it."
Si Yiheng chuckled softly. The laugh was incredibly light, carrying the helplessness of someone who was driven mad with anger.
Si Yiheng: "Tell me the truth. Are you dating someone? Is that 'baby' of yours your boyfriend?"
