Qiao Chuchu was taken aback, feeling both flattered and surprised. "Am I now the legendary delicate beauty?" she wondered aloud.
Lin Shen took a moment to process her words, then nodded. "Yes, you are."
A squeal escaped her throat, as if a chicken had taken up residence there. Her pale complexion instantly brightened. "Oh, stop it! You're exaggerating!~"
Outside the door, Pei Youchuan narrowed his eyes with a fierce glare. "I took Qiao Chuchu on a luxury cruise for three days. Everyone else was dressed to the nines, with meticulous makeup and outfits. She wore baggy floral pants and a mismatched top, her hair pinned up with a pencil. She seemed utterly indifferent when she was with me, but the moment Lin Qing showed up, she started caring about her appearance."
Pei Fengnong spoke with a calm demeanor. "But I think she looks quite good without makeup. For her, makeup is just the icing on the cake."
Pei Youchuan rolled his eyes hard. "You don't get it. People always dress up for the ones they like. She used to wear short skirts every time she saw me, looking all dolled up. Now she just doesn’t care about me anymore!"
Pei Ci smirked. "Third Brother, isn’t that a good thing? Before, Qiao Chuchu was all over you, and you didn’t like it—it even gave you nightmares. Now that she’s not clinging to you, you’re unhappy?"
Pei Youchuan shot back, "What? No, I—" He turned and found himself face-to-face with the amused expressions of his six brothers.
His face turned bright red, and he stammered, "Of course, I don’t care! Whether she wears makeup or not doesn’t affect me. I’m not shallow!"
Pei Ci chuckled. "I think you’re just being stubborn. Qiao Chuchu doesn’t care about you anymore, and now you’re worried. You’re afraid she’ll slip away, and you won’t be able to win her back. You’re scared~"
Pei Youchuan’s face turned as red as a tomato. He pointed outside and snapped, "If you’re not being stubborn, then get out of here right now! Stop eavesdropping!"
Pei Ci’s smile faltered, but he straightened up with confidence. "The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If you’re stubborn, then I must be too. After all, you’re my older brother."
Pei Youchuan was speechless. "????"
Pei Buxian whispered in a low voice, "You’re all so noisy." He had somehow squeezed to the front of the group and was glaring at the figures inside the room. "I can’t hear what they’re saying anymore. Shut up!"
The hallway fell silent.
The seven brothers continued to eavesdrop intently.
Lou Yuejue stood dumbfounded at the other end of the hallway, watching his brothers with their ears perked up. "This is so bizarre," he said, turning to Lou Tingsi. "Dad, is this what growing up is supposed to be like?"
Lou Tingsi, holding a bouquet of flowers, couldn’t help but smile. "This is what growing up looks like for the Pei family."
Inside the hospital room, Qiao Chuchu was nervously picking at her hands, unaware of Pei Buxian’s intense gaze from outside.
[This is so awkward. Every time I’m alone with Lin Shen, it feels awkward, especially after he confessed his feelings. It’s even more awkward now.]
[But he doesn’t know I used to like him, so he’s not awkward, and I shouldn’t be either.]
She took a deep breath and broke the silence. "How’s Lin Qing doing?"
At the mention of this, Lin Shen’s eyes momentarily darkened, but the shadow quickly disappeared. "She’s still shaken, but I believe she’ll recover soon. My father denies any intention to harm her, and Lin Qing is figuring out how to handle the situation. She’s also preparing a gift for you."
Qiao Chuchu pointed to herself in surprise. "A gift for me?"
Lin Shen nodded, his tone as gentle as a spring breeze. "You saved her life. We don’t know how to properly thank you, so she’s working on something special."
He placed his hand over Qiao Chuchu’s, his voice sincere. "Thank you for saving my sister. If there’s ever a day when we need to save you, we won’t hesitate."
Lin Shen’s deep eyes enveloped her. "For such a great kindness, all we can offer is our genuine hearts in return."
A warm feeling spread through Qiao Chuchu’s body, and she couldn’t help but smile. "I’m honored to be friends with you."
Lin Shen’s smile deepened as he gently patted her head, his gaze lingering. "But I don’t just want to be your friend."
Qiao Chuchu was puzzled. "?"
Pei Buxian, who was pressed against the window, was equally confused. "What kind of nonsense is this oily guy spouting?!" He shot a reproachful look at Pei Youchuan. "What are you waiting for? Take off your sock and throw it at his face!"
Pei Youchuan was baffled. "Why me?!"
Inside the room, Lin Shen pulled out a box of plump green grapes, his voice tinged with nervousness. "These are grapes I had air-shipped. They were picked this morning and flown here. They’re very sweet, incredibly sweet."
He handed them to her with both hands. "I know you love grapes, right?"
Qiao Chuchu quickly accepted them. "Thank you, but I don’t eat grapes anymore."
Lin Shen’s eager expression froze. "Why?"
Qiao Chuchu awkwardly touched her face. "I overate them one year and got sick, so I don’t like them anymore."
[It’s mainly because when Lin Shen left without a word back then, I was so disgusted with myself that I wanted to die. I ended up binge-eating all the things I used to love.]
[I ate three bunches of grapes in one day, and that night I got acute gastritis. Ever since then, I can’t stand the sight of green grapes.]
Lin Shen was stunned and quickly withdrew his hand. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know you didn’t like them anymore."
He hastily picked up a brand-new Apple iPad. "Here, take this."
Qiao Chuchu was surprised. "What is this?"
"It’s an iPad," Lin Shen said, looking at her expectantly. "It’s the latest model, the 2022 Pro. I even got you the stylus. I don’t know what model you’re using now or how long you’ve had it, but I thought this would be a safe choice."
Qiao Chuchu’s mouth hung open, speechless.
[This is so awkward!]
[I have to reject him again!]
[I just bought a new iPad a couple of days ago, exactly like this one. What am I supposed to do now?!]
Lin Shen’s hopeful expression crumbled as he held the iPad, looking like a sad seal pup unable to give away its treasure. "You don’t need the iPad either? Do you already have a new one?"
The chicken in Qiao Chuchu’s throat seemed to have died, as she let out an awkward hum. "Uh…"
[Yes, because I decided to stay in this world, and my old iPad was starting to lag. I replaced it so I wouldn’t fall behind on work.]
[Who would’ve thought Lin Shen would give me one too?!]
She smiled apologetically. "Why don’t you keep it for yourself? You draw, don’t you?"
Lin Shen frowned, his eyes quickly clouding with sadness as he took back the gift. "I don’t draw on iPads."
Then, as if remembering something, he shook his head. "But don’t feel bad. It’s my fault for not knowing you well enough. I’ll think of something else to give you."
Qiao Chuchu felt uneasy. "Really, you don’t have to."
"No, I must. I must." Lin Shen hugged the iPad, repeating numbly, "I must."
Outside in the hallway, Lou Tingsi raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile. "Pei Buxian, it looks like you don’t need to make your third brother take off his sock. Qiao Chuchu rejected both of Lin Shen’s carefully prepared gifts—the fresh grapes and the work iPad. His face looks like he’s been struck by lightning."
Pei Buxian nodded, wiping away imaginary tears from the corner of his eye, his lips twitching into a smile. "Yeah, it’s really tragic. How could this happen?"
Lou Yuejue glanced at him sideways. "...Are you smiling right now?"
Pei Buxian tilted his head back, suppressing a laugh. "No, I’m just putting on a brave face."
