This was Yu Wanlai’s first time meeting the female lead. She was energetic, sunny, and generous, yet still proper. She was familiar but not overly forward, and her personality was so likable. No wonder she was able to help the male lead stand up again later.

At this thought, Yu Wanlai couldn’t help but feel a bit down. Her family background, looks, and personality seemed like a perfect match for his brother. Bai Jian took a delicate little box from her bag and handed it to Yu Wanlai, explaining, “We went shopping this morning, but I wasn’t sure what you liked. I heard from Chengzi that you seem to enjoy playing games, so I got you a membership card for the arcade.”

Yu Wanlai refused, “Thanks, but there’s no need for a gift.” Jiang Cheng immediately leaned in and whispered to Yu Wanlai with a mischievous grin, “Boss, just take it. This is a lifetime membership, we can go play together in the future!”

Bai Jian watched Jiang Cheng’s little gesture with a smile in her eyes. How loud was he being? Who exactly did he think he was hiding it from? She quickly pulled Jiang Cheng back to keep some distance. “Wanlai, you should take it. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease, and Chengzi won’t either. We’re giving it as a thank-you gift and a visit gift combined, so we’re the ones who are taking advantage of you.”

Yu Wanlai was confused. What? Jiang Cheng wouldn’t feel at ease? And what was this talk about them teaming up? When did they become so close? This kid had gotten so quick—how was he already on the same page with the female lead? Yu Wanlai felt incredibly bitter. Was his brother just too difficult to deal with, or was Jiang Cheng just unusually gifted? It wasn’t fair! Why did only he have to live such a hard life?

When he continued to refuse, Bai Jian simply set the box on the nightstand next to the bed.

Still wallowing in his sadness, Yu Wanlai didn’t notice Yu Qingyue arriving from the company. Since the doctors had said that Yu Wanlai could move around freely in the room, Yu Qingyue had been going to the company for half a day and then spending the other half at the hospital.

Yu Qingyue heard lively voices from inside the room before he even reached the door. How did Yu Wanlai have so many friends? His brows furrowed slightly as he pushed open the door. Inside, he saw Jiang Cheng sitting cross-legged on the bed next to Yu Wanlai, both holding their phones, likely playing a game. There was also someone sitting opposite the bed with their back to the door, and he couldn’t tell who it was.

Yu Qingyue’s lips pressed down, and his face turned cold. The joy he had felt earlier at the thought of seeing Yu Wanlai vanished. He had been busy handling things at the company, and here Yu Wanlai was, laughing and playing around with two girls in the hospital! What was going on? He had been in the room for a while, and Yu Wanlai hadn’t even looked up to acknowledge him.

Yu Qingyue slammed the door shut with a loud “bang,” breaking the warm and cheerful atmosphere inside. Instantly, the three of them turned their attention to him.

When Bai Jian saw it was Yu Qingyue, her eyes immediately brightened. She stood up and quickly walked toward him. Just as Yu Wanlai was about to speak, Bai Jian beat him to it.

Bai Jian threw herself into Yu Qingyue’s arms, her attitude very affectionate. “Qingyue, you’re here! I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Have you missed me?”

Yu Wanlai watched this scene, pursing his lips, unable to do anything but watch as Bai Jian hugged Yu Qingyue once again.

He clicked his tongue and muttered in his heart, ‘You all are so high and mighty. Are the antagonists not human? Every time you come in front of me, you have to hug!‘

Jiang Cheng blinked: ‘What a lovely couple they make!’

It was only then that Yu Qingyue noticed that the person in front of him was Bai Jian. He didn’t pay much attention to her, just glancing down at her before turning back to Yu Wanlai, who still hadn’t looked at him. His head was still down, focused on playing with Jiang Cheng’s phone.

Yu Qingyue lowered his gaze, pushing Bai Jian aside, his voice cold, “Stop fooling around! Didn’t I tell you to keep your distance from guys?”

Yu Wanlai’s back chilled, and he straightened up abruptly. ‘What does that mean? I’m the only guy here, so is he pointing at me? It can’t be Jiang Cheng, can it?’ Yu Wanlai felt disheartened. ‘Surviving here is so hard… I’ve only called him ‘brother’ for a few days, and now with the female lead around, I’m practically invisible.‘

Bai Jian nonchalantly turned around and sat back down in her chair, waving her hand dismissively. “Got it. You always have to repeat it. Isn’t it getting annoying?”

Yu Qingyue exuded a calm aura. He took off his chilly coat and hung it in the closet, then walked over to the bed. As he walked, he loosened his tie and kicked off his leather shoes, then sat down beside Yu Wanlai.

Bai Jian watched Yu Qingyue’s smooth, fluid movements, puzzled. ‘Didn’t my third brother say that Qingyue and Wanlai don’t get along? But this looks like they’re getting along just fine. He came in and immediately sat by Wanlai’s side.‘

Yu Qingyue’s next move nearly made Bai Jian’s expression break. Her usual calm demeanor almost faltered. Yu Qingyue climbed onto the bed and, radiating coldness, wrapped his arm around Yu Wanlai’s waist, gently resting his chin on Yu Wanlai’s shoulder. His voice sounded somewhat weak as he called out, “Bro—”

The sudden chill made Yu Wanlai’s mind clear up. He froze for a moment, holding his phone, but didn’t dare to look up. He could feel Bai Jian’s gaze on him, and for some reason, he felt guilty.

While he was in a daze, the arm around his waist tightened, drawing his attention back. “What’s wrong?” Yu Qingyue’s voice was low, and as he spoke, his breath brushed against Yu Wanlai’s ear, causing a ticklish, warm sensation.

“I’m so hungry. I didn’t have lunch,” Yu Qingyue continued. “If you don’t believe me, feel it. My stomach is totally empty.”

Yu Wanlai glanced at the time on his phone; it was already past three in the afternoon. He placed his hand on Yu Qingyue’s abdomen, and sure enough, it felt empty.

Since Yu Qingyue had sat down, Jiang Cheng had been squeezed out of space and could only retreat to the chair, holding his phone. When Bai Jian saw Yu Qingyue return to his side, a glimmer of amusement passed through her eyes. ‘See? He had to come back after all.‘

She casually took a sip from her paper cup, but as soon as she heard Yu Qingyue’s request for Yu Wanlai to feel his stomach, Bai Jian immediately coughed, nearly choking. Jiang Cheng hurriedly handed her a tissue, and Bai Jian forgot to playfully take advantage of the situation. She wondered why the words sounded so… so suggestive.

As she thought about it, Bai Jian’s fair face flushed, and when she looked up, wanting to steal a few more glances, she locked eyes with Yu Qingyue, who was looking at her with a cold, chilling gaze.

Bai Jian: ‘What kind of look is that?!‘

She decided to stay and watch the drama unfold. She had never seen her Qingyue like this before. He was even acting spoiled, which would surely shock Bai Yi and send him spinning a hundred and eighty degrees. The thought alone made Bai Jian so happy she could hardly contain herself.

Yu Qingyue furrowed his brows and glared at Bai Jian. Seeing that she was still refusing to leave, he had no choice but to turn to Yu Wanlai again.

Yu Wanlai spoke up, “How about you go grab a meal first and also send them off for me?” Yu Wanlai was using this opportunity to drive them away. Being stuck in the middle was really uncomfortable. Why did the male and female leads always make him the catalyst for their developing relationship? He didn’t want to be part of this! Yu Wanlai knew that now the male lead trusted him, so he didn’t mind much anymore. He believed that as long as he stayed out of their way, he’d be able to live peacefully.

Yu Qingyue, also eager to have them leave, readily agreed to Yu Wanlai’s suggestion and immediately took the two of them out of the hospital. The ward quickly became quiet, and Yu Wanlai tossed his phone aside, sprawling on the bed and stretching out his limbs.

As soon as Yu Qingyue stepped out of the hospital, he intended to part ways with the two and head back to the ward. However, Bai Jian, being persistent, dragged him to a Sichuan restaurant. Initially, Bai Jian had insisted on having hotpot, but Yu Qingyue refused to go, explaining that the smell from hotpot would stick to his clothes, and since this was the last set of clean clothes he had, he would need to change if the smell got on him. Tomorrow, Yu Wanlai would be discharged, and he planned to go back with him at that time.

In the private room, Bai Jian was feeding Jiang Cheng while trying to coax Yu Qingyue into talking, her gaze full of intent. Yu Qingyue wasn’t very good with spicy food, only eating a few bites of the dishes occasionally. He kept checking the time, clearly distracted from the meal.

Bai Jian watched Yu Qingyue eat a piece of spicy chicken with chili, and his face immediately turned as red as a tomato. She was astounded. ‘Qingyue isn’t acting normal at all.’

Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, avoided looking at Yu Qingyue and just focused on his meal, completely oblivious to what was going on. Yu Qingyue, feeling the heat from the spice, coughed a few times before grabbing a glass of cold water and drinking several gulps. Once he had calmed down, he put away his phone and called the waiter to settle the bill.

Yu Qingyue could feel Bai Jian’s probing gaze but didn’t want to say anything until the matter was settled. “I’m full, and I’ve paid the bill. I’m leaving now,” he said.

Bai Jian, anxious, stood up and blocked his way. “Hey, Qingyue, don’t go yet. You have nothing to do. Why are you rushing off…?”

Before she could finish her sentence, the door to the private room was opened and closed again, and Yu Qingyue left without turning back.

Bai Jian: ‘Heartless, ungrateful guy. I’m going to enjoy watching him cry one day while I sit and eat sunflower seeds.‘

Jiang Cheng looked up at Bai Jian. “Bai Jian, if you have something to do, you can leave first. I’ll go back on my own later.”

Bai Jian immediately plopped back down in her chair, no longer glancing around, and focused on eating with Jiang Cheng. She patted Jiang Cheng’s head and shook her head. “No, I still need to take you home. You’re my little benefactor, and I have to ensure your safety.”

Of course, what she meant wasn’t to send Jiang Cheng home right after dinner.

Jiang Cheng: ‘Why is it that when I’m with Bai Jian, it always feels like I’m the one being taken care of? But didn’t the book say Bai Jian is the gentle, homely type?‘ Jiang Cheng thought about it and then felt like it made sense. Being gentle and homely meant she was good at taking care of people.

However… Jiang Cheng’s face turned slightly red. He was male, even though he currently looked female. He hesitated before saying, “Bai Jian, can you stop calling me ‘little’ every time? Also, calling me a benefactor sounds weird.” Bai Jian always called him things like “little benefactor” or “little orange.” He had finally managed to get rid of the “little” in his name, and now she insisted on putting it back.

Bai Jian picked up a ladle and served Jiang Cheng a bowl of fish head soup, placing it in front of him with a smile. “…But you just look so small,” she said, “so cute, I really like it.”

Jiang Cheng: *…* He realized what was wrong. The female lead was way too blunt, way too blunt. He was always being caught off guard.

Bai Jian noticed that Jiang Cheng seemed a little down, so she quickly changed her tone and said enthusiastically, “Okay, I can stop calling you that, but what’s in it for me?”

Jiang Cheng looked up in surprise. ‘What? Did he hear that wrong? He can’t even decide what others call him? This is outrageous!‘

Bai Jian eagerly pulled Jiang Cheng’s chair closer, her gaze full of interest as she stared at him, not letting up until his face turned red. “Come on, tell me. If I’m satisfied, I’ll call you however you like.”

Jiang Cheng wanted to leave. He regretted coming out with her. Actually, he regretted it every time, but the next time Bai Jian called him, he’d still agree without hesitation.

Jiang Cheng tried to pull his chair back, feeling that it wasn’t right to behave like this with a girl. Bai Jian probably thought of him as a girl, which is why she kept touching him, but the problem was, he wasn’t! If she discovered it, it would be awkward and unpleasant. But he couldn’t explain. If he told her that he was actually a guy, she would probably think he was insane.

But after dragging the chair for a while, he couldn’t move it. Looking down, he realized that the leg of the chair closest to Bai Jian was being held by her foot.

Jiang Cheng: *…*