Qiao Ying sat at the table drinking soup, while Qin Hanyue quietly stood to the side. Qiao Ying turned her head and saw him staring blankly at her.
Following his gaze to her injured arm, Qiao Ying slightly raised an eyebrow and asked him: "Have you eaten yet?"
Qin Hanyue came back to his senses: "I'll eat in a bit."
Qiao Ying didn't say anything more. Instead she looked towards the things Qin Hanyue had brought over - a black bag with a cute teddy bear pattern on it. She didn't know what was inside.
"What's this?"
Qin Hanyue was silent for a moment, seeming somewhat reluctant to explain: "I... remembered it's around the time of your period these couple of days. It's not easy to find these kinds of products for women here, so I prepared some for you."
Qin Hanyue felt awkward bringing it up - not because he was embarrassed as a man, but rather because he didn't want the young lady to feel uncomfortable.
But clearly, Qiao Ying was not bothered at all.
She simply said: "You have a good memory."
Qin Hanyue gave an awkward laugh: "You're the only girl who has been by my side all these years, so of course I would remember more clearly."
Qiao Ying: "..."
Seeing Qiao Ying give no reply, Qin Hanyue continued: "There's also ginger tea with brown sugar in the kitchen. Drink it if you need it."
She answered with an "Mm".
She didn't say thanks, nor did she give the usual polite responses she used to, making Qin Hanyue feel delighted internally.
"The facilities and houses at the camp's center are better than here. Do you want to move there instead? Or now that things are settled, do you want to go back home?" he asked.
But Qiao Ying asked back: "Isn't Chinese New Year coming up soon? Don't you plan to go back and spend it with your family?"
Qin Hanyue: "Yeah, New Year's Eve is the day after tomorrow. What about you? How do you plan to spend the new year?"
She probably wouldn't go back to the Qiao family, and it was even less likely she would go to the Su family.
Qin Hanyue: "Will you go to M Country with Ye Si?"
"Holidays don't make a difference to me compared to regular days," Qiao Ying only answered that part without saying if she would go to M Country with Ye Si.
Qin Hanyue didn't pursue the question further. He just continued the conversation: "New year comes every year. Missing this family reunion dinner isn't a big deal. But my parents and aunt have always remembered your kindness to them - they want to treat you to a meal and have a chance to chat with you."
Qiao Ying had drunk less than a third of the large bowl of soup before putting down her spoon. Then she turned her chair to face Qin Hanyue with an expression that was half smiling, half not. "If I'm not mistaken, Mr Qin is inviting me to have new year's eve dinner."
Qin Hanyue smiled: "Although I know it's very unlikely, I still want to hold onto some hope - how about spending new year together?"
He extended the invitation.
Qiao Ying did not give an immediate reply.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Ye Si's coaxing voice came from outside, tentatively asking: "Baby, are you awake? I heard you talking just now."
The two people inside looked at each other but neither made a sound.
Not daring to disturb Qiao Ying's sleep, Ye Si was about to leave when he heard the sound of a chair sliding back inside the room.
Qiao Ying got up, wanting to clear up the bowl when Qin Hanyue walked over saying: "Let me do it - you're not drinking anymore?" Noticing that there was still so much soup left.
Qiao Ying: "It tastes a bit fishy."
Qin Hanyue: "Sorry, there are mostly burly, coarse men living in this camp. Their cooking skills aren't great."
As they talked, Qiao Ying opened the door and came face-to-face with Ye Si's gloomy expression - he seemed to have been waiting for Qin Hanyue for quite a while.
Ye Si smiled at Qiao Ying: "Baby, breakfast was pretty decent today. Go downstairs and eat first. I need to chat with Mr Qin for a bit."
Qiao Ying took the bowl from Qin Hanyue's hands saying to him: "If you can't stand him, don't hold back. Come find me if your wounds tear open again."
Then she reminded Ye Si: "This is someone else's territory."
After that, she walked around Ye Si without looking back at the two men, simply saying: "Keep your voices down, don't disturb Cheng Jinyan."
Qin Hanyue didn't actually want to fight with Ye Si. After all, whether he won or lost, he wouldn't gain anything. And to Qiao Ying, Ye Si was no ordinary person. Ye Si seemed rather good at harmless flirting too.
If Qin Hanyue injured the man, he would be the one in the wrong.
Fortunately Ye Si didn't seem to want to fight either. He just swept his cold gaze over Qin Hanyue's injured arm, giving him a warning look before hurrying after Qiao Ying.
"Baby, wait for me!"
Two days later,
At a certain airport
Qin Hanyue sat in the departure lounge, periodically glancing at his watch then looking in another direction.
Qin Yan, who was with him, also looked in that direction before shifting his gaze back to Qin Hanyue. After holding it in for two days, he finally couldn't resist asking tentatively: "Young Master, Miss Qiao's enemy... seems to be An Ying (Shadow)?"
Qin Hanyue: "Mm."
Qin Yan's eyes widened as he said brightly: You don't have any thoughts or views regarding this?
Qin Hanyue noticed Qin Yan's eyes seemed bigger. What beauty treatment had he done recently?
Qin Hanyue: "What? Can you help get rid of Shadow?"
Qin Yan was so frightened he nearly gouged out his own eyeballs and put them in his pocket.
"Young Master, you do know how to joke. With my useless skills, even if I served Shadow tea, they would find me a nuisance."
Qin Hanyue: "It's good to know your own limits."
Qin Yan thought to himself: This heartless man is different when it comes to Miss Qiao. He's at least a little curious about her.
Just then, a fashionably dressed woman with refined temperament approached Qin Hanyue and confidently extended her hand.
In fluent English she said: "Hi, my name is Anna. Can we be friends? I've noticed you for a while now."
Before Qin Hanyue could respond, Qin Yan swiftly raised his hand to turn her down: "I'm sorry, it's not convenient."
Seeing that Qin Hanyue was ignoring her, the woman didn't seem to mind. She didn't give up either, and became even more enthusiastic.
"I don't have any other intentions. It's just that the flight will be three hours. It'll get boring and I was hoping to make a like-minded friend to chat with and pass time." The woman flicked back her curly hair.
Qin Yan: "I already said it's not convenient."
The woman looked at Qin Yan saying: "You're his assistant, aren't you? I'm talking to your boss here. Whether it's convenient or not is for him to say - he hasn't said anything yet. Do you mind if I sit here?"
She was about to sit next to Qin Hanyue but was stopped by the look in the man's eyes.
Just then, the girl that Qin Hanyue had been glancing at walked out from a certain direction looking like a student.
Qiao Ying had just gone to the bathroom. When she returned she saw an extra beautiful woman had joined the queue vying for her seat beside Qin Hanyue.
Qiao Ying walked over.
Qin Hanyue also stood up.
Qiao Ying raised an eyebrow, asking: "Your friend?"
Qin Hanyue: "Don't know her."
Qin Yan: "She was asking for directions."
The woman's face changed colors in an instant, no longer looking spirited. She awkwardly retracted her butt which she had tried sitting down earlier.
Looking at Qiao Ying who seemed much younger than Qin Hanyue, the woman tentatively asked: "She's your younger sister right? Very pretty. Good genes run in your family."
Her words clearly touched a nerve.
Qin Hanyue's expression visibly turned cold.
Qin Yan tutted: This woman really doesn't watch her words.
"Bro... brother?" Qiao Ying glanced at Qin Hanyue and her expression changed subtly.
Qin Hanyue looked to the woman: "Miss, do you need anything?"
Sensing his master was unhappy, over a dozen bodyguards sitting behind them promptly stood up too.
The woman was badly frightened.
