"All right, all right." Xia Shule pushed Yan Zhiyi's hand away and changed the subject. "What kind of noodles did you make?"
"Chicken soup noodles."
"Chicken soup noodles!" Xia Shule's eyes instantly lit up.
No wonder they smelled so good. Chicken soup noodles were one of his favorite noodle dishes. But he only ate them with freshly made chicken broth, which made them a hassle to prepare.
Xia Shule figured that this was someone else's home and someone else's cooking, so he had no right to be picky. "Did you buy the chicken broth?"
"I simmered it this morning."
Xia Shule's eyes shone! Fresh chicken broth! "Then don't mind if I dig in~~~~"
He picked up the bowl and began eating. Amid the curling steam, the aroma of chicken broth quietly spread. Every mouthful was packed with rich flavor, the piping-hot broth slowly spreading across his tongue.
Only after losing himself in his meal did the rather oblivious Xia Shule remember to ask, "You made the broth yourself? What time did you have to get up?"
"A little after six. I'm used to getting up then."
Yan Zhiyi certainly wasn't going to say things like it hadn't been that early or it had been no trouble. Since he had done it, he was here to claim the credit. For little things, say more and do more; for big things, say less and do more; for things that only moved yourself, say nothing and do more. That was a guiding principle.
"That early?" Xia Shule felt that the chicken soup noodles tasted even better now, and he gained a new appreciation for Yan Zhiyi. "You're such a good man~"
Xia Shule gazed at him with stars in his eyes. No wonder he was successful. He really excelled across the board.
"This must be Lele?"
Xia Shule was just about to praise Yan Zhiyi in detail and say a few nice things when a gentle, older-sounding voice interrupted him.
Across from him, Yan Zhiyi held his chopsticks, a little annoyed at the interruption, though he didn't let it show too clearly.
Xia Shule turned around. It was Grandpa Yan and... probably Yan Zhiyi's mother. But all Xia Shule knew was that his mother was ill; he didn't know her name.
"Hello, I'm Lele~" Xia Shule put down his chopsticks and stood up.
"Haha..." Yan Zhiyi's mother, Fu Lianhua, laughed happily. This young fellow was so fresh-faced and sweet; she adored him. "I'm Fu Lianhua, Yan Zhiyi's mother. Just address me the same way you address old Yan."
Xia Shule called the Yan Family Old Master Grandpa Yan, so... "Auntie Fu! That sounds nicer!"
"Hahahaha~" Fu Lianhua pinched Xia Shule's smooth, soft cheek. "Yes! That's lovely, little Lele. How old are you this year?"
Xia Shule leaned closer to Fu Lianhua affectionately. "I'm twenty this year, and my twenty-first birthday is in a few days. I'm not little Lele, I'm big Lele now!"
"Mm~ Big Lele."
Fu Lianhua adored him. She had always wanted a child with this kind of personality, but unfortunately, neither of her children was like that. Her older daughter was rebellious, and her younger son had a face like a block of ice.
This Lele was exactly the child she had always wanted: lively and adorable.
Besides, in her current condition, being able to see her son get married was already more than she could hope for. Anyone human would have done. To meet a child she liked this much on top of that-perhaps heaven had seen how little time she had left and given her one final reward?
The butler brought out Fu Lianhua's specially prepared nutritious meal and set it at one end of the table.
With a calm expression, the Yan Family Old Master wheeled Fu Lianhua aside to eat, not forgetting to reassure Xia Shule. "You two keep eating!"
Xia Shule wondered why they had set her meal so far away.
Yan Zhiyi noticed Xia Shule's confusion, pulled him back to his seat, and gently pressed the youngster down into it.
"My mother's emotionally unstable. Sometimes she suddenly loses control while eating and knocks her food everywhere."
After explaining, Yan Zhiyi moved his own bowl beside Xia Shule's, putting his body between him and the others as though to shield him.
"So it isn't just a physical illness?" Xia Shule had only known that his mother was seriously ill and bedridden. He hadn't known anything about her mental state...
In truth, he had already cursed the plot 10,086 times in his head. It left everything out, provided none of the crucial information, and even got plenty of things wrong.
He had thought knowing the plot would be his cheat, but it had turned out to be a shit-stirrer...
"She started having some problems when something happened to Yan Zhishu. They've grown worse over the years. On top of that, she can't walk and needs someone to care for her. Being cooped up like that for so long has taken a toll on her mentally."
Oh~ Xia Shule understood. This was actually a typical problem among the elderly.
They put pressure on themselves, feeling that needing someone to look after them meant they were useless. Then their temper grew worse and worse, they became increasingly irritable, and they often struggled to see past those thoughts.
Xia Shule stole a glance over. Fu Lianhua was eating obediently now while the Yan Family Old Master fed her, the two of them chatting and laughing.
Suddenly, he felt that if he could have someone beside him who cared for him like that, growing old might not be so frightening after all.
Xia Shule slurped down the last mouthful of noodles, his little belly already round and full.
Bang!!
People who were often bedridden could develop problems with their state of mind, as was happening right now.
Fu Lianhua knocked over her bowl with one hand, her expression crumpling. "I don't need you to look after me!"
Yan Zhiyi remained calm. He was already used to scenes like this.
Xia Shule stole a curious glance over. The Yan Family Old Master was patiently coaxing Fu Lianhua, trying to get her to eat a little more.
"I won't eat! Society has already abandoned me!"
The Yan Family Old Master continued soothing her in a gentle voice.
Xia Shule finally understood where the root of all this lay.
He asked, "Auntie Fu doesn't get out much, does she?"
Yan Zhiyi replied, "No. She's ill, and my father worries about her. I'm busy with work, so I don't come home often." But now that you're here, I'll probably be coming home often from now on.
Xia Shule leaned close to Yan Zhiyi's ear. "Here's what you should do. Have Grandpa Yan take Auntie Fu out for a stroll whenever he has time. Anywhere is fine, as long as it isn't this villa!"
Over yesterday and today, Xia Shule had gotten the sense that Yan Zhiyi wasn't close to anyone in his family.
The anger in his eyes when he mentioned his sister hadn't been fake, but beyond that, there had been nothing else. There hadn't been even a trace of affection between siblings.
It was the same with his parents today. He cared about them and loved them, but he wasn't close to them either. It seemed more like a sense of responsibility.
That part did match the plot: a cold, unfeeling man whom nothing could stir, like an abandoned old well, still and utterly silent.
It was as though he had detached his emotions from this family. He remained a member of it, but he wouldn't invest too much feeling in it.
Clearly, this could only mean that he must have been through something. As for what exactly that was, if he didn't bring it up, Xia Shule felt awkward asking about something so private.
So when Xia Shule made his suggestion, he deliberately avoided the possibility of either himself or Yan Zhiyi taking Fu Lianhua out and only mentioned the Yan Family Old Master.
Yan Zhiyi agreed at once. "All right, I'll find time to tell him today. It's time to go to work."
Seeing the Yan Family Old Master scrambling to manage things off to the side, he certainly didn't have time to listen to any of that right now.