Lin Jianxia's Request

Jiang Yubai swiftly pulled the pillow off his face and looked up.

Lin Jianxia stood by the bed, holding a plate of sandwiches in her left hand and a cup of warmed milk in her right, glaring at him murderously.

"No..." Jiang Yubai instinctively pulled the blanket higher. "Why did you come in?"

"? Why did I come in?"

Hearing that, Lin Jianxia's pretty eyes widened at once.

"Didn't you tell me to bring breakfast in!?"

Jiang Yubai was left speechless.

He couldn't exactly admit that he had only been joking and had said it because he was sure she wouldn't actually come in, could he?

If he did, that cup of milk would probably be splashed all over his face the next second.

For the sake of himself, his sheets, and his bedding, Jiang Yubai swallowed his words and cautiously said instead,

"Uh... thanks?"

Lin Jianxia took a deep breath and heavily set the sandwich and milk down on his bedside table.

After tossing out, "Hurry up and eat!" the girl turned and stormed out of the room.

Jiang Yubai looked at her nearly fleeing figure, then at the still-steaming milk and sandwich on his bedside table, and finally couldn't hold back a laugh.

At this point, going back to sleep was clearly impossible.

Still...

He savored the image of Lin Jianxia from earlier, her ears bright red with embarrassment while she stubbornly tried to put on a fierce face.

Mm, worth it.

Meanwhile.

Lin Jianxia slammed the bedroom door shut and fled back to the sofa.

The expression she had been forcing instantly crumpled, and she could feel the roots of her ears burning red.

Jerk, jerk, jerk!

It was bad enough that he had made such a request, but how could he ask that with such an innocent face?!

What did he mean, "Why did you come in?" And he had even pulled up the blanket, making it seem as though she were the pervert who had barged into his room!

Wasn't this what he said himself?!

If she didn't really need to ask this guy for help, she wouldn't have obediently carried breakfast into his room!

Did he really think he could order her around like a maid?!

After viciously cursing Jiang Yubai in her heart, Lin Jianxia covered her little face with both hands, feeling too ashamed to face anyone.

Yet she still needed this guy's help with her sister, so even if she ran away now, she would have to obediently come back later.

With a thump, the girl rested her little head on the coffee table, looking utterly dead inside.

Ten minutes later.

Jiang Yubai pushed open the door with the last bite of sandwich in his mouth and immediately saw Lin Jianxia sprawled over the coffee table, looking like a salted fish that had lost all its dreams.

After thinking for a moment, he sincerely said,

"Um... breakfast was really good."

The bacon was fragrant and crisp, the eggs were unbelievably soft and fluffy, and the toast was grilled just right. It was a hundred times better than anything from a convenience store. No wonder she deserved the title of little chef.

Yet faced with his heartfelt praise, Lin Jianxia showed no reaction at all. She did not even move.

Jiang Yubai rubbed his chin, a trace of puzzlement rising in his heart.

Something about this girl felt... weird.

After all, he had already told her yesterday that she only needed to put the prepared breakfast in an insulated container, and he would get up and eat it himself.

Yet Lin Jianxia had not only specifically reheated it, but personally knocked on his door to wake him up. She had even... agreed to the absurd service of delivering his meal right to his room.

Though her little face had been bright red, she had still carried breakfast inside. She had practically been one step away from feeding him bite by bite.

Even more absurdly, after that awkward scene just now, she had not left immediately and was still stubbornly staying here.

If he had not been absolutely certain of his memories from the past eighteen years, Jiang Yubai would have begun to wonder—could this really be the little maid he had raised since childhood?

So... what exactly did Lin Jianxia want?

Thinking that, Jiang Yubai rubbed his chin and curiously leaned closer.

Lin Jianxia had buried her entire face in the crook of her arms, with only the tip of one reddened ear peeking out.

Her arms lay stretched across the coffee table, palms open, her fingertips curling unconsciously.

With her face squeezed between her arms, one cheek puffed out softly, making her look like a sulking little animal.

...Not gonna lie, she was pretty cute.

Suppressing the urge to poke her cheek, Jiang Yubai deliberately said with disdain,

"Hey, Lin Jianxia, don't tell me you woke me up just so you could come out here and go back to sleep yourself?"

Hearing that, Lin Jianxia finally snapped. She sprang upright and glared at him indignantly with wide eyes.

"Young Master Jiang, do you think I'm you!? It's almost ten in the morning and you still weren't up. Even a pig can't sleep as much as you!"

Jiang Yubai was not annoyed in the slightest. He slowly took a sip of milk and said,

"Didn't I tell you? On weekends, I don't get up until I wake naturally. But you..."

"You're neither studying nor doing homework, and you're not chatting with your sister either. You brought breakfast in and then specifically waited here for me to wake up. What do you want?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you were waiting to chat with me?"

Lin Jianxia's angry expression froze on her face. Her gaze darted around for a moment before she somehow forced out a smile.

"W-what's wrong with that? You've helped me so much. Can't I want to thank you properly...?"

Her tone was so unnaturally warm that it sent a chill down Jiang Yubai's spine.

Without drawing attention to it, he rubbed the goosebumps on his arm and sat down beside Lin Jianxia without the slightest hesitation.

"Sure. So how do you want to thank me?"

"..."

Lin Jianxia had clearly not expected Jiang Yubai to be this shameless. Her mouth opened, but for a moment, she had no idea how to respond.

"I'm messing with you." Jiang Yubai chuckled. "I'll be eternally grateful as long as you don't poison my food."

Seeing her hesitate, words reaching her lips only to be swallowed back down, he did not press her further and instead took the initiative to change the subject.

"By the way, if your salary is twelve hundred a month, is that enough for you and your sister's daily expenses?"

Apparently not expecting the topic to turn there, Lin Jianxia paused before instinctively answering,

"Y-yes... actually, a living allowance gets transferred over every month."

She pressed her lips together, her voice growing quieter.

"And... lately, my sister and I have been eating your food too, so that part of our expenses has been saved. We actually have a lot more room than I expected."

"What do you mean, eating my food? It's the staff meal we agreed on."

Jiang Yubai shrugged and did not ask why their parents ignored the sisters despite sending them a living allowance.

Their relationship had not reached that point. Asking would only make things awkward for both of them.

After thinking for a moment, he asked,

"Speaking of Lin Tingwan's situation... are there any related subsidies or assistance programs you can apply for?"

"Subsidies?" Lin Jianxia gave a bitter smile, her voice dropping. "You mean disability benefits, right?"

"Wanwan... only has some psychological issues. And it's always been difficult to get that sort of condition officially recognized, so we can't apply for anything."

No wonder.

Jiang Yubai nodded and said nothing more.

Perhaps because her sister had been mentioned, Lin Jianxia gently bit her lip. At last, she gathered her courage and looked up at Jiang Yubai.

"Um... actually, I might... have something I want to ask you for help with."