"Lingyin, stop talking nonsense."
Shen Lingxue couldn't take it anymore. "Xinghai and Ma Long may have only t last night, but they're kindred spirits. How can you say they're having a Brokeback Mountain romance?"
"She's right, Lingyin. Ma Long was seriously injured last night protecting and your sister. Thankfully, Xinghai showed up just in ti. Their relationship isn't what you think," Su Yanyun added, giving the imaginative girl a stern look.
"Oh, is that so." Shen Lingyin scratched her head.
'Could all my suspicions about Jiang Xinghai be wrong?'
'No!'
'Tonight...'
'If Jiang Xinghai doesn't co back tonight, so be it. But tomorrow night, I absolutely have to find a way to really test him.'
'Only what I see with my own eyes will be the truth.'
'When it cos down to it, I'm just trying to vet him for my sister, Lingxue.'
「5:30 in the evening.」
「Jishan Hall.」
Jiang Xinghai and Ma Long arrived.
Xue Zhong was already there, just as they had arranged.
"Mr. Jiang, I've already instructed my apprentice to personally deliver the paperwork to the Imperial City for Jishan Hall's admission into the National dical Hall. He should be back with all the official docunts and permits tomorrow." Xue Zhong had wanted to go to the Imperial City himself, but since he had to take Jiang Xinghai to Central State tonight, he had entrusted the matter to his apprentice.
"Good work, Elder Xue," Jiang Xinghai nodded.
Then, he looked over at Feng Lulu, who was gazing at him from beside the counter. "Where's your aunt?"
"My aunt is upstairs cooking."
Feng Lulu propped her chin on her hands, just quietly watching Jiang Xinghai.
"Why are you looking at like that?" Jiang Xinghai walked over with a knowing smile.
"Because you're my idol now." Feng Lulu's deanor was much quieter than usual.
Jiang Xinghai shrugged. "Just because I helped Jishan Hall?"
"Of course, there's also your personal charm," Feng Lulu said with a sweet smile.
"You haven't fallen in love with , have you?" Jiang Xinghai sat down across from Feng Lulu, mirroring her by propping his chin on his hands as he looked at her.
Feng Lulu was surprisingly direct. "And what if I have?"
"What would a little kid like you know about love?" Jiang Xinghai said with a completely straight face.
"? A little kid?"
Feng Lulu had intended to curb her usual headstrong attitude.
But she couldn't hold back at Jiang Xinghai's words. "Jiang Xinghai, I'm nineteen! I'm an adult, okay? You're just looking down on because I'm not... well-developed, aren't you..."
Her voice trailed off into a whimper as she spoke.
"Hey, don't feel bad about it. I promised I'd help you with acupuncture and massage, and I won't go back on my word," Jiang Xinghai said with an innocent smile.
"You have so nerve to bring that up. How many days has it been since you promised? You still haven't done it. I'm not talking to you anymore." Feng Lulu turned away and began arranging the dicines on the shelves.
"How about we start right now?" Jiang Xinghai said, a slight smile playing on his lips as he watched her back.
Truthfully, Feng Lulu was only nineteen. Even without his help with acupuncture and massage, she still had plenty of room to develop.
"Right now..."
As expected, Feng Lulu turned back around. "Is there enough ti?"
"Half an hour is plenty," Jiang Xinghai said noncommittally.
"But... it's not really convenient right now," Feng Lulu said, her face flushing as she glanced over at Xue Zhong and Ma Long.
Xue Zhong and Ma Long were already feeling awkward and looking for an escape. They exchanged a look, grabbed a stool, and went to sit outside the door.
"Co on, that treatnt bed over there will be fine."
Jiang Xinghai glanced at the ti; it was still early. From upstairs, he could vaguely hear the sound of Lin Liping cooking.
"I... I'm all sweaty. I want to take a shower first."
Feng Lulu stopped what she was doing, looking at Jiang Xinghai with a touch of embarrassnt.
"All sweaty?"
Jiang Xinghai deliberately rose and leaned in close, taking a deep sniff. "Nonsense. All I sll is a sweet fragrance. What are you talking about, 'stinky sweat'?"
"You... you're awful."
Feng Lulu gave Jiang Xinghai a sudden shove. "I'm going to shower first, then I'll call you to my room. I'm not ntally prepared to do this out here in the main hall."
Jiang Xinghai just smiled without a word and nodded.
Just as Feng Lulu stepped onto the stairs, Lin Liping ca over carrying a dish.
"Lulu, help take these dishes downstairs. We can eat as soon as Xinghai and the others get here." Before Lin Liping could finish, she spotted Jiang Xinghai from the top of the stairs. "Oh, Xinghai, you're here! Then let's get ready to eat."
"Sounds good," Jiang Xinghai smiled.
Feng Lulu, however, was a little displeased. Still, she took the dishes and turned back around. "Geez, why are we eating so soon?"
"Then we'll just have to do it another day," Jiang Xinghai said, taking the dishes from her.
"School starts in a week. Will that be enough ti?" Feng Lulu whispered.
Jiang Xinghai's expression turned serious. "Of course. I guarantee I'll give you a second growth spurt before school starts."
"It's a deal," Feng Lulu said, finally satisfied.
Soon, eight small dishes covered the round coffee table.
「An hour later.」
"It's ti to head out."
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Jiang Xinghai looked over at Xue Zhong and Ma Long.
Jizhou was about a ninety-minute drive from Central State, aning they could arrive at the He Family's residence around 9:00 PM.
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