Chapter 14: He Will Leave the Door Open for Her

Hu Yao’s lips were tightly closed, her eyes darting around.

“You dropped it,” Jiang Han stated matter-of-factly.

“I’m sorry,” Hu Yao admitted her mistake, avoiding his gaze.

“It’s just a broken cup,” Jiang Xiaochao shrugged, unaware of its significance as a family heirloom. He knew his father had more than one such cup in his drawer.

“What, you want to suffer for your mother?” Jiang Han glared at him.

“Don’t hit him!” Hu Yao quickly pulled Jiang Xiaochao closer, shielding him behind her.

Her fingertips brushed against his arm, leaving a fleeting touch.

Then, her eyes were filled with vigilance.

As if she believed he would really beat her precious son.

Good, now that her mind was clear, she knew to protect Jiang Fu Chao. Before, she would just munch on a biscuit and watch from the sidelines.

“I won’t hit him, I’ll hit you. Come here,” Jiang Han gestured for her to come closer.

Hu Yao froze.

Jiang Han, seemingly impatient, grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.

She was light as a feather, and with a gentle tug, she fell into his arms.

His muscles were firm and hard, and Hu Yao bumped into him. It wasn’t so much the impact that hurt, but the fact that she accidentally hit her wound.

A sharp pain spread from the injury, and Hu Yao’s vision went black. Her eyelids felt heavy, and the next second, her body went limp.

Jiang Han paused, holding her waist, and looked down at her pale face in his arms, his eyes filled with a hint of disbelief.

So fragile? Was she scared, or was it just from that light bump?

He felt nothing, but she was like a cotton ball.

“Mom!” Jiang Xiaochao was startled, dropping the remaining biscuit in his hand. He pouted and rushed over, accusingly looking at Jiang Han, his eyes quickly welling up with tears.

“Daddy is mean! Mommy is going to be silly again, she’s going to turn into Yaoyao,” his little brain worked quickly.

Seeing the faint blood seeping from the bandage on her forehead, Jiang Han frowned, scooped up the limp Hu Yao in his arms, and kicked his son away with his foot: “Go upstairs.”

Hu Yao’s wound was deep. Jiang Han peeled back the bandage, looking at the bloody gash, and his already furrowed brows tightened involuntarily.

He skillfully changed her dressing. Jiang Xiaochao lay beside her, his face scrunched up like an old woman, clutching Hu Yao’s hand as if she were about to die.

He was so annoying.

Jiang Han impatiently swatted away his hand, telling him to go call the doctor from the health station to check on Hu Yao.

Jiang Xiaochao immediately shut his mouth and ran away.

…

Hu Yao woke up at night. As soon as she opened her eyes, she met Jiang Xiaochao’s eager gaze.

“Yaoyao, you’re awake!” Jiang Xiaochao’s eyes lit up.

He was too close, his chubby cheeks almost touching her face.

Hu Yao didn’t miss the worry in his eyes. She smiled at him and weakly hugged him.

After regaining her strength, she sat up and instinctively looked around.

Finding that Jiang Han wasn’t in the room, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yaoyao, are you hungry?” Jiang Xiaochao asked solicitously.

Hu Yao hadn’t eaten dinner and had fainted until now. He didn’t mention it, but as soon as he did, she felt a pang of hunger.

“Did Chaochao eat?” Hu Yao held his small hand: “Your… Daddy?”

“Daddy went out, Yaoyao, do you want to call Daddy?” Jiang Xiaochao offered to call Jiang Han back.

“No, no need.” Hu Yao quickly shook her head.

With this slight shake, her head felt dizzy again.

She paused, not asking about Jiang Han anymore.

Jiang Xiaochao chatted with her for a while, seeing that her complexion had improved and that she was still the gentle Hu Yao, he was no longer so worried. He skipped over to the kitchen and brought her the dinner that was saved for her.

“Daddy roasted potatoes, roasted eggs, and this meat…”

The bowl holding the food was quite big, and Jiang Xiaochao was half-holding, half-carrying it.

“Where did the eggs and meat come from?” Hu Yao was truly hungry and didn’t hesitate to take the bowl and eat.

“Daddy bought them, my egg is for Yaoyao too,” Jiang Xiaochao diligently helped her peel the eggshell.

“The doctor said Yaoyao needs to eat good things to get better.”

He spoke softly to Hu Yao, saying he was peeling the egg for her, but the egg smelled so good, he subconsciously took a bite after peeling it, then realized what he had done.

He had bitten it, but he hadn’t swallowed it. He blinked, spit it out, and covered it with his small hand, handing it over: “Yaoyao, for you.”

“…” Hu Yao was speechless with laughter.

“Chaochao, eat it, there’s another one.”

It’s true that the food at the Jiang family was quite good. Jiang Han often brought meat home, and eggs were always available.

Hu Yao had learned two days ago that Jiang Xiaochao particularly liked to eat eggs, no matter how they were cooked. Even though he loved them, he didn’t act like other children and eat them all by himself. He would share with her.

Jiang Xiaochao was really good.

Hu Yao looked at his innocent face, her eyes softening again.

Actually, Hu Yao didn’t know that Jiang Xiaochao was only so generous with her. Earlier at dinner, he had kept his own egg for her, taking one of Jiang Han’s, and Jiang Han had inevitably disciplined him again.

After finishing her meal, Hu Yao washed the bowl, looked at the pitch-black night outside, thought for a moment, and asked Jiang Xiaochao again.

“Chaochao, where did your Daddy go?” When will he be back?

“Daddy was called away by Uncle Liu Jie, he’s talking about the fields with Daddy.” Jiang Xiaochao hugged his own little pillow on the bed.

Hu Yao suddenly panicked: “Chaochao,

“Don’t you want to sleep with me today?”

“Dad doesn’t like sleeping with me!” Jiang Xiaochao pouted in frustration.

As soon as Jiang Han came back, he went back to his own room to sleep alone.

“Then, would Mom go to your room to sleep with you?” Hu Yao asked, her eyes fixed on him. The thought of being alone with Jiang Han made her shiver.

“Okay!” Jiang Xiaochao nodded. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he didn’t object and was even happy about it.

As soon as he agreed, Hu Yao followed him.

They left the door open for Jiang Han, who had returned at some point, and the mother and son talked for a while before falling asleep.

Jiang Han didn’t return home until close to dawn. The courtyard was pitch black, but the main room had a single candle lit, its yellow flame casting a small circle of light, barely illuminating the path to the door, with a touch of indescribable warmth.

The candle was almost burnt out. Jiang Han strode in, breaking off the solidified wax that had dripped and stuck around it, his sharp eyebrows slightly raised.

Not bad, she knew how to light a candle and leave the door open for him.

His originally agitated mood calmed down inexplicably. Holding the flickering candle that was about to go out, he walked towards the room.

When he saw the empty bed and the missing pillow, Jiang Han snorted, his displeasure returning.

He could see through her timid little mind at a glance. She was so afraid of him, and even after she recovered, she still dared to stay with him?

It seemed she wasn’t as fragile as he thought. She had been injured and fainted, but she was still running around and jumping when she woke up.

Suddenly, her panicked and terrified look flashed through his mind.

Jiang Han narrowed his eyes, feeling inexplicably annoyed again.