If you ask why, it’s because the law won’t allow it—and his little sister is far too innocent.
When the song ended, Jiang Chengzhou led the applause. The classroom soon erupted in enthusiastic clapping and cheers.
Linlin put her violin away in its case, then returned to her seat with graceful composure.
Jiang Chengzhou clapped his hands. “Anyone else want to come up and perform?”
“…”
No one responded. Jiang Chengzhou smiled and had the other instructors continue leading everyone in singing revolutionary songs.
At lunch, Linlin pinched her brother’s arm several times. “You didn’t even discuss it with me before making me play the violin in front of so many people. I’ve only been learning for a short time. What if I’d played something wrong?”
Jiang Chengzhou smiled. “What’s there to be afraid of if you make a mistake? Besides, no one else could tell.”
That was not comforting at all. Linlin still wrinkled her nose at her brother indignantly.
Jiang Chengzhou put some food in her bowl. “Eat more. You look like you’ve lost weight.”
After learning that Linlin and Dong Xiaomin had been sharing one meat dish and one vegetable dish between them at each meal, Jiang Chengzhou had given them both a good scolding.
Military training consumed a great deal of energy. How could they get by without a little oil and nourishment?
Dong Xiaomin had been trying to save money, so Jiang Chengzhou reminded her to eat at least one extra egg every day. The same went for Linlin. Whenever he was on campus, he would also take them to get something extra to eat.
Dong Xiaomin had never been so “extravagant” in her life, and she felt a little anxious eating so well. It was only after Jiang Chengzhou and Linlin persuaded her that health was the foundation of everything that she reluctantly accepted it.
Jiang Chengzhou picked out the celery Linlin did not eat and transferred it to his own bowl. In an offhand tone, he said, “Your brother thinks you’re perfect, and I just wanted you to show off a little. Didn’t you say you wanted to date? After today, I guarantee you’ll be receiving so many love letters that your hands will be sore.”
Linlin rolled her eyes at him in a decidedly unladylike manner.
Dong Xiaomin was so startled that her chopsticks fell from her hand. “Linlin, you want to date?”
Linlin nodded and answered seriously, “I’m considering it.”
Dong Xiaomin swallowed. “But we’re still students.”
Dong Xiaomin’s view of romance was even more innocent than Linlin’s. Back in their hometown, most people found partners through introductions and then married; very few people fell in love freely.
The thought of Linlin wanting to date had never even occurred to her.
How should she put it?
Linlin was like an innocent little fairy untouched by worldly affairs. Romance was such a mundane matter that, when associated with her, it somehow seemed completely out of place.
Linlin gazed back at her with an adorably innocent expression. “But I’m already an adult.”
“Oh, right.”
Dong Xiaomin was immediately convinced.
They were still eating when someone came over to give Linlin a love letter.
The boy’s face was bright red. Under Jiang Chengzhou’s watchful gaze, he thrust the letter at her and ran off.
Linlin’s eyes widened. “Brother, it really worked?”
Jiang Chengzhou sneered and shot his silly sister a sidelong glance. “Would your brother lie to you?”
Linlin’s eyes lit up. “I’m definitely going to show everyone what I can do. I’ll come first in my class during the first semester and win the top scholarship!”
Jiang Chengzhou nearly died laughing at the way his sister’s mind worked. “All right, all right. By then, even more people will be chasing after you.”
“But…” Jiang Chengzhou changed tack. “You haven’t even read that love letter yet, and you’ve already eliminated that boy?”
The tables in the cafeteria were packed closely together. Linlin did not want to speak too loudly and let everyone hear her badmouthing the boy, so she waved for her brother to lean closer.
Jiang Chengzhou was curious too, so he bent his head toward her. Linlin whispered into his ear, “I like them fair-skinned.”
Jiang Chengzhou thought back to the boy’s appearance.
He had been quite handsome and refined, but he was indeed a little dark.
Jiang Chengzhou glanced around the cafeteria. After more than ten days of military training, there were hardly any fair-skinned boys left.
He felt reassured.
There were far too many men in the world for Linlin to have to find one at school if she wanted to date.
There were several other universities nearby, and Yan Yuan’s school was excellent—one of the top two universities in the country.
The more Jiang Chengzhou thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. He decided to pay Yan Yuan a visit later.
Yan Yuan was currently working as a teaching assistant at his university. Jiang Chengzhou could ask him to look around for a few students with good character and see whether any of them caught Linlin’s eye.
As for whether any of them might take an interest in Linlin, her foolish brother had not considered that question at all.
When Yan Yuan heard Jiang Chengzhou’s proposal, he accidentally knocked over the glass beside him.
He hurriedly crouched down to pick up the pieces, but his finger brushed against a sharp shard, leaving a cut.
Jiang Chengzhou immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the kitchen sink to rinse the wound.
“Do you have a first-aid kit? Where is it?”
Yan Yuan watched as the blood slowly spread through the water. A shadow passed through his eyes. “I don’t keep one. It’s only a small cut; it’ll be fine in no time. I’ve suffered worse injuries than this on the islands before. You don’t need to worry.”
Jiang Chengzhou froze for a moment, then found a broom and swept up the broken glass. He looked at Yan Yuan with concern. “Yan Yuan, I’ve really felt that something’s been off with you lately. Why don’t I take you to the hospital and have a doctor examine you?”
Jiang Chengzhou even suspected that Yan Yuan had been so traumatized by Grandpa Yan’s death that he had developed some kind of mental problem.
Yan Yuan covered his eyes with his uninjured hand. “I’m really fine. But I can’t agree to helping Linlin find a boyfriend.”
He simply did not want to.
The young girl knew nothing about what was happening, while he was nearly driving himself insane.
At first, he had thought that if he avoided Linlin for a while, he would be able to suppress his feelings.
But the harder he tried to restrain those damned emotions, the more fiercely they surged.
Jiang Chengzhou also kept updating him on Linlin’s progress in finding a boyfriend.
Whenever Yan Yuan imagined another man standing openly by Linlin’s side and occupying the position of her boyfriend, jealousy nearly drove him mad.
He did not believe he possessed the generosity required to help Linlin find a boyfriend.
When Jiang Chengzhou heard him refuse, he blurted out, “Why not?”
Yan Yuan turned around and shut off the faucet. “It’s inconvenient.”
Jiang Chengzhou slapped his forehead, suddenly understanding. “That’s true. As a teacher, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to approach your students about something like this. It could also affect your reputation if word got out.”
“But when you have some free time, you could take Linlin around your campus. What if she happens to meet someone she likes?”
Yan Yuan rubbed his brow with a troubled expression. “Chengzhou, have you forgotten? Didn’t you promise Uncle that you would stop Linlin from dating?”
At that, Jiang Chengzhou burst out laughing. “It’s fine. Uncle’s far away and can’t keep an eye on us. Besides, don’t be fooled by how serious he acts in front of us. If Linlin really took a liking to someone, he’d be just as helpless as I am.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.” Jiang Chengzhou grinned. “Just wait and see. In the end, as long as Linlin likes him, nothing else matters.”
Yan Yuan rubbed his thumb over the cut on his finger, as though weighing something.
“When does Linlin’s military training end?”
“In a couple of days,” Jiang Chengzhou replied. “Why?”
Yan Yuan curved his lips into a faint smile, his gaze falling to his injured finger. “She’s worked hard during training. I’ll cook a meal for her to help her recover.”
Jiang Chengzhou patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a real friend! But cook it at the little villa. I’ll go buy the groceries.”
Yan Yuan did not refuse.
