Both sisters were stubborn, and when they were together, their stubbornness doubled.

Once harsh words were spoken, neither was willing to take them back.

So, under the blazing midday sun the next day—

Wearing slippers, the two little girls walked all the way to the hospital on foot.

To their surprise, Lin Jia was no longer in the bed from yesterday.

The doctor said he had chosen not to undergo further tests or stay hospitalized, and had already gone home. Even without talking to him, it was easy to guess why—most likely, the medical bills were too expensive, and his family couldn’t afford them.

“What a pity,” Jiang Daxi said with fake regret. “You saw it with your own eyes—Lin Jia’s not in the hospital. It’s not that I was too scared to ask him.”

Seeing her clasp her hands behind her back and preparing to stroll out leisurely, Jiang Xiaochan blocked her path.

“So what, you’re just giving up and heading home? Don’t tell me you’re losing confidence that Lin Jia likes you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Jiang Daxi denied it immediately—and even doubled down.

“I think we should go to his house and find him. His place is right next to ours anyway.”

“Sure, let’s go.”

“Let’s go, then.”

So under the blazing sun, still wearing slippers, the two little girls walked from the hospital to Lin Jia’s house.

Knock knock knock. Jiang Xiaochan knocked on the door.

After a short wait, the door opened from inside.

Lin Jia was in casual home clothes, still wearing a rib brace. His hair was slightly messy, like he had just gotten out of bed.

“It’s hot outside. Come in quickly.”

Seeing them come to visit, he seemed genuinely happy. He stepped aside to let them in.

The house had been completely tidied up. There wasn’t a trace of yesterday’s chaos—it was clean and spotless everywhere.

Jiang Xiaochan and Jiang Daxi sat in the living room.

Lin Jia turned on the fan for them, then went into the kitchen and made two glasses of watermelon juice.

After being baked by the sun, the sudden coolness made Jiang Xiaochan feel like her throat was burning again, and sweat began to bead on her forehead.

When the two glasses of iced watermelon juice were brought out, Lin Jia handed her a tissue to wipe off her sweat.

He was always one step ahead—like he had a radar for being considerate.

“Jiang Xiaochan, have you changed the bandage on your hand today?” Lin Jia automatically moved on to the next thing he could help with.

“No.”

Before she even finished speaking, he was already going to fetch the first aid kit.

“Wait a minute,” Jiang Xiaochan called him back. “I came to ask you something—do you like…”

She glanced sideways, observing Jiang Daxi’s reaction.

Jiang Daxi hadn’t expected Jiang Xiaochan to go that far. She clenched her fists awkwardly, her back curved like a shrimp—clearly feeling guilty.

Jiang Xiaochan curled her lips into a smile.

—A prideful middle schooler. Looks like there’s nothing going on between her and Lin Jia after all.

“Do you like… cooking?”

She changed the subject completely, making something up on the spot: “You said yesterday you’d take me to eat something delicious. Does that still count? If you don’t mind, can you cook something for me?”

Jiang Daxi was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped.

With one arm in a sling and half his body wrapped like a mummy—someone who really should be resting in a hospital—Lin Jia stayed calm.

“Of course,” he replied with a warm smile. “I like cooking.”

Since he agreed, Jiang Xiaochan had no objections.

She was a little rascal, and didn’t feel guilty about bothering an injured person.

As for Jiang Daxi, Jiang Xiaochan had no plans to keep her around: “Sis, it’s lunchtime. You should go home. I’m staying here…”

“Jia Jia! Would it be okay if I stayed for lunch too?” Jiang Daxi gave up her pride just to stay as well.

“Sure,” Lin Jia responded quickly.

Hotter than the summer heat was the kitchen in summer.

He smoothly put on an apron and stepped into the kitchen. Using his one good hand, he started the fire and cooked for them.

Sweat soaked his hair, but Lin Jia focused completely on what he was doing. He spent thirty minutes in the sweltering kitchen.

Jiang Xiaochan sat in front of the fan, blasting it at full speed.

It wasn’t that hot—she just felt hot watching Lin Jia.

She asked Jiang Daxi, “Is Lin Jia always like this?”

Jiang Daxi raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“This nice to people.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t find it unusual.

The small table was set, with bowls and chopsticks laid out neatly.

Lin Jia brought out four dishes and a soup from the kitchen—steamed yellow croaker, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, steamed egg custard, minced pork with eggplant, and tofu soup.

They were all inexpensive ingredients—just what his home had. But his cooking technique was spot on. Without any need for fancy plating, the dishes still looked presentable.

Jiang Xiaochan hadn’t expected someone as young as Lin Jia to actually cook a proper meal. When he said he liked cooking, he really meant it.

Lin Jia scooped a bowl of plain rice porridge for her.

“The doctor said you shouldn’t eat spicy or strong flavors—it’s bad for your wound recovery. I kept everything light.”

Jiang Xiaochan took the porridge and eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

He turned to her sister. “Daxi, do you want porridge or rice?”

“Either is fine. I’ll serve myself,” Jiang Daxi said awkwardly. “You sit down and eat. You’ve worked hard enough.”

“I’ll go make Grandpa’s medicine. You two eat first,” Lin Jia said, heading back to the kitchen.

“Jia Jia, we’ll wait for you then,” Jiang Daxi called after him.

“It’s okay, I’m not hungry yet. I’ll eat with Grandpa after he drinks his medicine.”

Jiang Xiaochan slurped her porridge and thought: If you don’t come eat now, there might not be anything left later.

She really liked Lin Jia’s cooking. The flavors were homely and comforting, like she had eaten them countless times before.

Even the plain white porridge went down so easily that she wanted two more bowls.

Just as Jiang Xiaochan expected, by the time she and Jiang Daxi finished eating, all the food was gone. Jiang Daxi talked as if she was being polite, but she definitely ate just as much.

The two sisters had come with empty stomachs and left full.

Lin Jia had been running around the whole time without taking a single sip of water.

Not only that—before Jiang Xiaochan left, he changed her bandages and gave her fresh gauze. When she asked, “Do you still have watermelon juice?” he made her a full bottle to take on the road.

And all this, despite the fact that her house was only about twenty steps away from his.

As soon as they stepped outside, Jiang Daxi started grumbling. “You’re annoying, Jiang Xiaochan—eating and taking! Jia Jia’s injured, and you still ask him to cook. He’s so pitiful. It’s all your fault for insisting on coming over and bothering him.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jiang Xiaochan said, gulping down the sweet drink. “But if you had agreed to back off last night and let me like him, none of this would’ve happened.”

“I’m telling you, don’t like Jia Jia anymore. Your liking him just makes things harder for him—he ends up doing even more.”

Jiang Xiaochan shot her a look. “Didn’t you eat the food he cooked too?”

Jiang Daxi had no response.

“So your liking is a burden on him too,” she added with a jab.

“I need to come up with a solution,” Jiang Daxi said.

They arrived at their door.

Just then, Jiang Daxi figured out her solution.

“Let’s both stop liking Lin Jia. How about that?”

Jiang Daxi looked genuinely serious.

Jiang Xiaochan thought it was actually a pretty good idea.

“Okay, it’s settled then. Neither of us will like him.”

A hasty suggestion, and an agreement reached way too quickly.

The tension between the sisters vanished in an instant, leaving Jiang Daxi a little confused and unsure.

“Jiang Xiaochan, you’re not tricking me, right? Pretending to agree but secretly still liking Lin Jia…”

“How could I!” Jiang Xiaochan patted her shoulder reassuringly and immediately said, “I think Lin Jia is just average. His looks are average, his cooking skills are average, nothing particularly outstanding that would make him likable.”

As she spoke ill of Lin Jia, she drank the watermelon juice he had made.

The watermelon juice was cool and tasty, perfect for beating the summer heat.

Ever since she transmigrated, Jiang Xiaochan had been craving something like this. She drank her fill, and her sore throat finally stopped hurting.

Following Jiang Daxi into the house, Jiang Xiaochan opened the shoe cabinet.

On the other side, Jiang Daxi was still talking to her, but her voice sounded muffled, as if it were coming through a plastic sheet—faint and unclear.

Jiang Xiaochan looked down—and somehow, she was already wearing slippers… Her body had acted without thought, as if it wasn’t under her control.

—Wait, how did I even remember where the slippers were?

She kept sipping through her straw, thinking about it, without stopping…

She could hear the sound of swallowing, that gurgling sound from her throat.

At first, the sound was faint, but the more she focused on it, the louder and clearer it became.

A rush of water was diluting her consciousness, and the world before her eyes began to fade. Her thoughts flowed, following the water she swallowed, drifting toward a wider, vaster place.