Qinian watched Jiang Nuan turn and walk away, one eyebrow lifting.
With his long legs, it took him only a few strides to catch up with her.
“Weren’t you going to eat breakfast?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Nuan didn’t slow down.
“Then why are you walking so fast?”
“I’m hungry.”
Of course she was hungry. For the sake of her physical exam, she hadn’t eaten anything since ten the previous night.
More importantly, she especially needed to keep her mouth occupied right now.
Otherwise, that shockingly huge number would keep bouncing around in her head.
3.76T.
Just how had Sister Menglan managed to pass something like that on to her with such a gentle expression?
The more Jiang Nuan thought about it, the hotter her ears became, and the faster she walked.
Qinian gave an “oh,” drawing out the sound. “So you’re not avoiding me.”
Jiang Nuan turned her head and glared at him. “Why would I avoid you?”
“Who knows?”
There was a smile tugging at the corners of Qinian’s lips. He raised a hand and hooked a finger around the ends of her hair, which hung behind her shoulder. But just as he touched the soft strands, he let go before she could react.
“Maybe you found out during the physical that you’ve gained weight and are afraid I’ll ask.”
Jiang Nuan stopped and looked at him expressionlessly.
Qinian stopped too. “What is it?”
“Qinian.”
“Right here.”
Jiang Nuan began seriously considering whether, once they reached the cafeteria, she should stuff Qinian into the largest insulated soup vat and let him cool off.
The soup vats in the base cafeteria were huge. Judging by the size, one Qinian should fit.
And he was a fire-type esper, too.
After falling in, he could even keep himself warm.
How convenient.
Jiang Nuan’s gaze traveled from his shoulders all the way down to his legs, as if she were estimating whether he would fit in the vat.
Qinian’s brows lifted at the way she was looking at him. He even leaned a little closer.
“What are you looking at?”
“Trying to figure out whether you need a beating.”
“So? Figured it out?”
“I have.” Jiang Nuan drawled, “In your case, ordinary methods might not be enough.”
Qinian’s brows rose again. “Oh? Then how does Nuannuan plan to deal with me?”
Jiang Nuan glanced at him and broke into a smile. “That’s classified. I’m afraid you’ll run away if I tell you in advance.”
“When have I ever run away?” Qinian’s tone remained as flippant as ever, but he lingered for several extra seconds as he watched her smile.
The two of them entered the cafeteria laughing and joking.
The base was unusually quiet in the early morning.
The Zero Squad was on mandatory leave, so the familiar sound of gunfire was absent from the training grounds.
It was already a little late for breakfast, and there weren’t many people in the cafeteria. Most of the tables along the windows were empty.
After getting her breakfast, Jiang Nuan spotted Meng Lan, who had just sat down.
“Sister Menglan.” Carrying her tray, she walked straight over and sat across from her.
Qinian had already followed her for two steps when a broad hand landed on his shoulder.
Jiang Ce approached from the other side with a tray piled high with food. “Over here.”
Qinian turned to look at him. “Why do I have to sit over here?”
Jiang Ce glanced toward Jiang Nuan and Meng Lan. “The girls are having a conversation.”
“I can have conversations too.”
“Of course you can.” Jiang Ce flashed him a grin. “But if you go over there right now, it’ll look more like you’re eavesdropping.”
Qinian sat down reluctantly and picked up his spoon, but his gaze kept drifting toward Jiang Nuan’s table despite himself.
At the other table, Meng Lan didn’t bring up anything from the medical room. She simply took a couple of unhurried sips of porridge, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
“I went home during my leave a couple of days ago.”
Jiang Nuan paused while peeling her egg. “And then?”
“When I came out after taking a shower that night, none of the three had gone to sleep.”
Meng Lan continued.
“One of them was holding a hair dryer, one was carrying a blanket, and one was standing by the door saying the floor was cold and that he should carry me back to my room.”
Jiang Nuan froze.
This scene… Why did it somehow feel familiar?
Only there were three people on Sister Menglan’s side.
As for her…
Several faces flashed through Jiang Nuan’s mind, and she accidentally gouged a hole into the egg while peeling it.
Apparently, things were even livelier on her end.
“Then they started arguing over who would keep me company that night.”
Meng Lan sighed.
“My hair was still dripping wet. One said I’d promised to spend the evening with him the day before, another said he had a dangerous mission the next day, and the third didn’t say anything at all. He just started shoving the other two out the door.”
Jiang Nuan imagined the scene and nearly laughed, but managed to hold it back. “Did they fight?”
“Almost.”
“What did you do?”
“I told all of them to sit down.”
Meng Lan said it as casually as if it were nothing.
“I said, ‘Leave the hair dryer. Put the milk on the table. Take the blanket away.’” Meng Lan covered her mouth and chuckled. “Then I told them that all I wanted right then was to dry my hair in peace. Anyone who tried to make decisions for me again would never be allowed through the door.”
Jiang Nuan took a bite of her steamed bun. “And they stopped arguing after that?”
“They were quiet for a few minutes.” Meng Lan took another sip of porridge. “Then one dried my hair, one crouched beside me and wiped up the water on the floor, and the other went to clean up the bathroom.”
Jiang Nuan couldn’t help laughing. “Sister Menglan, is your household always like this?”
“More or less.” Meng Lan thought for a moment. “When the three of them are together, they love competing over who can be the most useful to me. But there’s no need to pay attention to how they compete. Just tell them what you want right now.”
“Then…” Jiang Nuan thought of another question. “What if you don’t want any of them to stay?”
Meng Lan looked at her gently. “Then make them wait outside by themselves. Anyone who wants to keep you company has to learn to listen to you first.”
Jiang Nuan swallowed the bun in her mouth with some effort before finally laughing.
Sister Menglan really was Sister Menglan.
That tone of hers sounded exactly like someone disciplining three disobedient dogs.
…If she said something like that, would they listen too?
Jiang Nuan bit down on her spoon, but her eyes slowly curved into a smile.
Maybe… she could give it a try.
At the other table, Qinian held his spoon without bringing it to his mouth for a long time.
Following his line of sight, Jiang Ce saw Jiang Nuan and Meng Lan huddled together. Whatever they had been talking about, their shoulders were trembling with laughter.
When she smiled, her ears were still red. Qinian stared at that touch of red for quite a while, until the soup in his spoon had gone cold.
“What are they laughing about?” Qinian asked.
“I don’t know.” Jiang Ce took a large bite of his steamed bun, though his eyes never left them.
“Sister Menglan usually seems pretty composed,” Qinian said doubtfully.
“So?”
“How did she make Nuannuan laugh like that?”
Jiang Ce thought about it. “Maybe they remembered something funny.”
Qinian refused to accept that. “I can make Nuannuan think of funny things too.”
Jiang Ce looked up at him. “Do you mean telling her a joke, or going over there so she can look at you?”
Qinian answered matter-of-factly, “Both!”
“Then you’d better hurry.” Jiang Ce leisurely took a sip of soup. “I’m planning to go over there too.”
Qinian: “?”
Jiang Ce finished chewing his bun. “I want to learn how to make her this happy.”
He lowered his head and transferred the golden-brown sweet-potato cake from his tray onto a clean little plate.
Then he picked up the plate and stood. Flashing Qinian a smile, he said, “Nuannuan likes this.”
Qinian watched him walk toward Jiang Nuan’s table. After a dazed two seconds, he muttered, “…Fuck.”
