Jiang Yubai, You Bastard!

The alarm rang nonstop.

Jiang Yubai fumbled around on the nightstand for quite a while before finding the noisy little thing and reaching over to silence it.

He closed his eyes and lazed about for a while longer before slowly feeling around for the phone by his bed and squinting at the screen.

Eleven in the morning.

Jiang Yubai let out a long yawn before reluctantly sitting up from under the covers.

Unlike most senior high school students, who unfailingly got up at five or six every morning, he always slept until nearly noon on weekends before getting out of bed.

After all, it was rare to have a chance to relax so completely, and sleeping until noon meant he could skip breakfast.

Out here in this remote suburb, every meal he cooked himself was torture. If he could muddle through one less meal, that was one less meal to deal with.

After slowly brushing his teeth and washing up, Jiang Yubai, his stomach growling, wandered over to the fridge. After hesitating for a long while, he still gave up on the idea of cooking for himself.

For one thing, he was going out later and couldn't be bothered to wash dishes.

For another—and more importantly—he truly didn't want to eat any more of the kitchen waste he called cooking.

With a sigh, Jiang Yubai could only return to his room and helplessly rummage through his snack box. In the end, he pulled out a cup of braised beef instant noodles and paired it with two sausages.

Though his stockpile of convenience food was practically overflowing, unless he truly had no other choice, he really didn't want to touch the stuff.

Instant noodles were heavenly for one meal, tasteless by the second, and if he ate them regularly... it was simply torture.

After hastily dealing with lunch, Jiang Yubai was about to leave when he stopped in front of the full-length mirror.

His hair was a mess from sleeping badly, and he had casually thrown on a plain black T-shirt and plain black sweatpants. He looked just like a crow that had crawled out of its nest.

After thinking it over, he shuffled back to his room in his slippers.

He had no idea what Lin Jianxia wanted, but Jiang Yubai took it as an invitation to visit her. He should at least tidy himself up a little.

Twenty minutes later, Jiang Yubai came downstairs again after taking a shower and changing clothes.

A plain white T-shirt and light gray sweatpants.

He looked like he had changed from a black crow into... a gray-and-white pigeon.

Still, he was quite satisfied. He nodded at his reflection before stepping outside.

By the time he stood before Splendid New Village again, it was nearly one in the afternoon.

He turned to look at the row of closed shops by the roadside. His gaze lingered on the signs of several snack shops for quite some time before he reluctantly looked away and walked into the residential complex.

...Damn it.

Why couldn't this food street be downstairs from his place?

Complaining inwardly, Jiang Yubai dragged himself up the stairs.

He had just reached the second floor when a plump figure appeared at the stairwell entrance.

"Yo, Mr. Jiang, here to collect rent?" Since he had given her advance notice, Landlady Li wasn't surprised by Jiang Yubai's arrival at all and greeted him with a smile.

Jiang Yubai nodded casually. Just as he was about to sidestep past her and head upstairs, she called out to him.

Under Jiang Yubai's puzzled gaze, Auntie Li lowered her voice.

"I ran into that little girl surnamed Lin last night. She didn't seem to be in a very good mood, and her eyes were a little red."

Not in a good mood?

Jiang Yubai froze for a moment.

That wasn't right. Hadn't she been perfectly fine at school yesterday?

Could the landlady have seen Lin Tingwan instead?

Before he could sort out his thoughts, Landlady Li had already leaned closer and said mysteriously, "When girls are like that, their guard is at its lowest. Young man, this is a rare chance—you've got to seize it."

"I..." Jiang Yubai instinctively wanted to refute her, but swallowed the words before they left his mouth. In the end, he merely twitched his lips. "...Got it."

No wonder she was looking at him like that.

After all, he had clearly said last week that she only needed to pass along the rent, yet this time he had suddenly called to say he would collect it himself...

Forget it. Let her think whatever she wanted. At least it might make the landlady treat the girls a little better.

After saying goodbye to Landlady Li, Jiang Yubai climbed several more floors before finally stopping at the twins' door.

He raised a hand and knocked.

The room beyond was completely silent.

Jiang Yubai lifted an eyebrow and knocked twice more forcefully. This time, a soft rustle of footsteps finally came from inside.

"Chec—"

The joke about checking the water meter had just reached Jiang Yubai's lips when he forcibly swallowed it the instant he saw the girl before him.

Lin Jianxia, standing inside the doorway, was like a completely different person from the girl Jiang Yubai had seen at school.

There were faint dark circles beneath her eyes, her complexion was somewhat pale, and even the ponytail she usually kept neatly tied had several loose strands hanging softly by her neck.

She looked as though she had not slept well all night.

Perhaps it was Jiang Yubai's imagination, but the instant she saw him, Lin Jianxia's face seemed to grow even paler.

"No," he couldn't help asking, "what happened to you?"

Lin Jianxia didn't answer. After hesitating, she stepped aside to make room for him. "...Come in and talk."

Her voice was a little hoarse.

Filled with questions, Jiang Yubai walked into the apartment. The moment he entered, the scent of food caught his attention.

He blinked and followed the aroma, only to see two simple dishes laid out on the dining table.

One plate of stir-fried bok choy, and one plate of scrambled eggs with scallions.

They were nothing more than two ordinary home-cooked dishes, yet the greens were bright emerald and the eggs golden and fluffy. The faint fragrance of scallions drifted over, making Jiang Yubai's throat bob involuntarily.

"You're... eating now?"

That was what he asked, but his eyes kept betraying him by darting toward the food.

Distracted, Lin Jianxia answered casually, "Yeah. Do you want to have some too?"

It should have been nothing more than a polite offer, but Jiang Yubai's eyes immediately lit up.

"Can I?!"

Lin Jianxia came back to herself and stared at him blankly.

Then, as though something had occurred to her, she pressed her lips together without replying. Instead, she turned and went into the kitchen, bringing him out a steaming bowl of rice.

Now it was Jiang Yubai's turn to be stunned.

He looked at the bowl of rice held out before him, unable to react for a moment.

...No, wait. At a time like this, shouldn't she normally say, "In your dreams"?

What did it mean to just bring him a bowl of rice?

And what did it mean to serve only him a bowl while she didn't eat herself?

But since she had already brought it out, wouldn't it be rude not to eat...

Jiang Yubai hesitantly accepted the bowl and chopsticks, and his stomach let out another uncooperative growl.

He picked up a piece of scrambled egg and put it into his mouth. His eyes instantly widened.

The eggs were fluffy and tender, with just the right savory saltiness and the fresh fragrance of scallions. In an instant, they awakened taste buds that had long been numbed by fast food.

Almost unconsciously, he reached out and picked up a mouthful of greens.

Crisp and refreshing, cooked to perfection.

And after that... he couldn't stop.

By the time he came back to his senses, he realized that he had swept through most of the dishes like a whirlwind. The rice was completely gone too, the bowl clean as if a dog had licked it.

Jiang Yubai blinked and suddenly realized a very serious problem.

Had he... eaten up the food meant for the two sisters?

He hesitantly turned his head and saw Lin Jianxia sitting beside him, staring at the nearly emptied plates as though she still hadn't processed what had happened.

After swallowing his last mouthful, Jiang Yubai thought it over and decided that complimenting the food first might ease the atmosphere.

"So, um... the food was really good."

But to Lin Jianxia, those words became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

She stared at this guy, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"Jiang Yubai, you bastard!"