A Premeditated Abandonment

Yu An frowned and shook his head. "We can't eat this."

He Li'an looked at him quietly, his tone unhurried. "Why can't we?"

"It's unhealthy." Yu An stared at the dishes. "It's bad for your body."

His gaze was wary, as though he feared the food on the plate might attack him.

He Li'an recalled Yu An's conflicted, troubled expression in the car earlier, when he had suggested eating out that evening.

The fact that he had struggled over it meant Yu An did yearn for it.

It was just that this yearning had been suppressed.

He Li'an did not immediately deny what he said. "Compared to what you usually eat, it really is less healthy."

That sense of agreement eased Yu An's anxiety somewhat.

He slowly raised his head and met He Li'an's gentle gaze.

He Li'an observed his expression and, only after confirming that Yu An could take in what he was about to say, continued.

"Appetite is a human instinct. There are so many kinds of delicious food with different flavors in this world. No one can spend their entire life eating only absolutely healthy things."

Yu An's views on food were not exactly wrong.

It was just that such beliefs would limit his experience of life.

He Li'an believed that, as long as a person could accept it, life could hold more experiences.

"Then..." Yu An thought for a moment before refuting him. "What if eating it kills you?"

"..."

Fortunately, He Li'an had grown used to his startling remarks.

At first glance, it sounded like something a child might say that would make people laugh.

Yet after giving it some thought, He Li'an's heart sank. "Have you had food poisoning before?"

"Mm." Yu An's already pale face turned several shades whiter.

Yet there was no fluctuation in either his expression or tone, as if he no longer cared about it at all.

But in truth, the opposite was true.

He Li'an sat up slightly straighter. "Was it serious then?"

Yu An had not thought about his childhood for a long time.

He was somewhat resistant to answering these questions, but the person before him was He Li'an, who made him feel safe and secure, so he slowly answered, "Mm."

It had been the fifteenth day after his parents left with his younger sister.

As usual, he had taken something from the refrigerator to eat. Two hours after finishing it, his stomach began to hurt badly.

His survival instincts told him something was wrong with his body. He barely managed to make it outside, only to collapse down the stairs from the pain.

When he woke up, three days had already passed. A kind-hearted neighbor had taken him to the hospital.

He had overheard the doctors talking in private, saying that if he had been brought in any later, he would have died.

The hospital had contacted his family, but until he was discharged and returned home, none of them had appeared.

Later, he found a large amount of cash hidden beneath his bed, along with a note that said, "I'm sorry."

Only then did he vaguely realize that he had been subjected to a premeditated abandonment.

They had left behind a great deal of money, so Yu An had not been particularly angry about being abandoned. What had stayed with him most deeply was the food poisoning.

From then on, he had held himself to extremely strict standards when it came to food.

He bought many books on children's nutrition and followed them, earnestly and diligently raising himself in a safe and healthy way.

He Li'an saw his reluctance and thoughtfully did not press further. He merely suggested, "We can go home and eat."

"But that would be such a waste." Yu An pursed his lips, as though making up his mind. "Let's finish eating before we go home."

He Li'an had already withdrawn his arm from the table, prepared to leave at any moment. "You don't need to force yourself."

Without hesitation, Yu An said, "If you eat with me, I won't feel like I'm forcing myself."

He had survived until now because of someone else's kindness.

Kind people were worthy of trust.

And He Li'an was a kind person.

That unreadable, unnatural expression appeared on He Li'an's face again. "Then let's eat while it's hot."

After that, Yu An silently tried every dish.

He Li'an looked very good when he ate.

Just as people said on the campus forum, he was an elegant young nobleman.

Yu An also picked up his chopsticks and cautiously brought some food to his mouth.

The next second, his eyes lit up.

Delicious.

This was delicious.

That was delicious too!

When they returned home, Zhu Wen was waiting at the entrance with a wheelchair.

The moment Yu An got out of the car, Zhu Wen pushed the wheelchair over. "Young Master Yu An, please sit."

Yu An's foot was still recovering, and Zhu Wen guessed that he must have been exhausted after being active all day.

Yu An had eaten a delicious but unhealthy couple's set meal today and had not gotten food poisoning, so he was in a very good mood. He happened to not feel much like walking, and Zhu Wen had brought him a wheelchair, making him even happier. He sat down cheerfully. "Thank you."

Zhu Wen raised his brows slightly and pushed him inside.

He Li'an received a phone call and had to head to the study first, leaving only Yu An and Zhu Wen on the walkway.

Several servants followed at a distance, while the patrolling guards had happened to moved farther away.

No one else could hear their conversation.

"Young Master Yu An..."

"Zhu Wen..."

They spoke almost at the same time.

Yu An turned his head and looked at Zhu Wen with surprise.

Zhu Wen said respectfully, "Young Master Yu An, please go first."

He still looked as respectful and composed as usual, but there was a strange gleam in his eyes, making him seem like a sly old fox.

But he also knew He Li'an better than anyone...

Yu An could only set aside his concerns and ask what had been troubling him. "Today, I tricked He Li'an into going to a couple's restaurant with me. He wasn't angry, but his reaction was strange. I can't figure out what he's thinking. Do you think I still have a chance?"

Zhu Wen had previously misunderstood him as liking He Li'an, and he had not been able to explain it. Now, though, that misunderstanding came in handy, allowing him to naturally ask Zhu Wen such a question.

"Of course you do!"

The wheelchair stopped, and Zhu Wen's eyes instantly lit up as though they could shine.

He had originally wanted to ask about the progress between Yu An and his young master. Yu An's question was exactly what he wanted.

"You went to a couple's restaurant, and the young master didn't refuse?" Zhu Wen looked somewhat excited.

Yu An said, "He didn't."

Zhu Wen was so excited that he spun around on the spot. "If he didn't refuse, then you have a chance!"

Yu An was not so optimistic. "He usually doesn't refuse people much."

Zhu Wen smiled at that, looking rather inscrutable. "Young Master Yu An, surely you don't think our young master is the kind of person who is so good-tempered that he has no opinions of his own?"

"...Isn't he?"

Zhu Wen did not like hearing that.

"Completely wrong." His expression returned to its usual calm seriousness. "Our young master is actually a very decisive person, especially when it comes to relationships. The reason he is still single is that he turns down every pursuer completely!"

"And you!" Zhu Wen suddenly raised a hand and pointed at Yu An.

Yu An did not even blink and stared straight at Zhu Wen. "What about me?"

"You're different to the young master." Zhu Wen lowered his hand. "Keep it up, Young Master Yu An!"

Inspired by Zhu Wen's impassioned mood, Yu An felt like he could do this again. He nodded firmly. "Okay."

Zhu Wen continued pushing his wheelchair.

"I'm sorry, Young Master Yu An. I pointed at you just now."

"It's fine, Zhu Wen. I won't question your professional integrity because of that."

"Thank you for your understanding, Young Master Yu An."