Chapter 129 Brother Prepared

After hanging up the phone, Xia Lili finally couldn't resist the drowsiness that was sweeping over her.

Xia Lili was so tired today that her eyelids became heavier and heavier, and her head nodded unconsciously.

Jiang Yun noticed her sleepiness, quietly took off his coat, and gently covered her with it.

"Lili?" He called out tentatively, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that her sleepiness was not disturbed by his actions.

After a while, Xia Lili, who was sleeping, leaned towards the source of warmth unconsciously, and her head fell steadily on his shoulder.

Jiang Yun froze instantly.

The girl's light breath brushed against his neck.

He even breathed very softly, for fear of waking the person on his shoulder.

The tips of his ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his cheeks were so hot that they were clearly visible in the dim carriage.

He carefully adjusted his posture, wanting to make Xia Lili more comfortable, but was afraid that too big a movement would wake her up.

The heartbeat was particularly loud in the silent carriage, and Jiang Yun was even worried that it would wake up the person sleeping on his shoulder.

The driver took a look through the rearview mirror, smiled knowingly, and silently turned up the air conditioning temperature.

An hour later, the business car slowly drove into the quiet tree-lined avenue where the Xia family villa was located.

"Lili, we're here."

Jiang Yun reminded softly.

Xia Lili rubbed her sleepy eyes, and the two of them thanked the driver and got out of the car.

In the night, the outline of the villa is faintly visible under the garden lights.

Xia Lili clumsily entered the door password, and the metal door lock made a slight "click" sound.

Come to think of it, this is her first time to come to the villa.

This place is a bit far from the city, and these days my parents are busy starting a courier station business.

The family of four agreed to have a dinner here to celebrate the housewarming the night before the brother left Yangcheng to record a show.

Thinking of her brother living alone in this huge villa, Xia Lili was worried that suddenly showing up with someone would scare him.

She took out her cell phone and called her brother: "Brother, I'm at the door, come in now."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone: "Oh, wait a minute."

Soon after he finished speaking, the heavy wooden door was pushed open from the inside.

Xia Xubai leaned against the door, the warm yellow light outlining his slender figure.

He was wearing a beige cashmere sweater with the collar slightly open, which made his skin look cold and pale, and the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye was particularly obvious under the light.

"Lili, are you back?" He raised his lips gently and handed a cup of steaming cocoa to his sister. "You're out on business again today, right? Go take a hot bath and relax."

Xia Lili took the mug, and warmth instantly spread from her fingertips: "Brother, this is my friend."

"Hello, Brother Xia, I'm Jiang Yun."

Jiang Yun, who was standing in the shadows, took a half step forward and greeted politely.

The smile on Xia Xubai's face suddenly froze. He had an excellent memory for voices. Wasn't this the same voice as the one who asked Lili to go to Ocean Park last time?

Xia Xubai's expression was indifferent. He stepped aside to make way for her. "Come in."

Xia Lili pushed Jiang Yundai and put on slippers and walked into the house.

The villa has undergone a second renovation, with an overall simple yet warm style. Light brown wood furniture is paired with off-white soft furnishings, and floor lamps cast a soft, warm glow, creating a tranquil atmosphere throughout the space.

"Lili, your room is the largest one on the second floor." Xia Xubai spoke slowly, his fingers gently stroking his cane. "Next door is the art studio prepared for you. The painting supplies and tool boxes are all prepared. Go and see if it suits you."

Xia Lili was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Studio? Brother, you even prepared a studio for me?!"

She rushed over and hugged Xia Xubai's arm, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder, "Thank you, brother! You're the best!"

Xia Xubai curled the corners of his lips slightly and thought to himself: You know I'm a good person, but you still brought a boy back to make me angry.

He turned towards Jiang Yun, his tone noticeably lighter: "The guest rooms are on the first floor, pick one for yourself. The clothes for changing are in the closet, they are all new, washed by Auntie, I haven't worn them."

Jiang Yun was very cautious in front of Xia Xubai. He said obediently and meekly, "Okay, sorry to bother you."

Xia Xubai said nothing more, turned around and went upstairs with his blind stick.

——

Xia Lili couldn't wait to pull Jiang Yun up to the second floor, pushed open the door of the studio, and was instantly shocked by the scene in front of her.

In the spacious room, a whole floor-to-ceiling window offers a panoramic view of the night and the courtyard. Xia Lili could guess that the lighting here would be very good during the day.

Outside the window, a tall plane tree stands quietly, its golden leaves swaying gently in the night breeze. Moonlight shines through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

In the studio, imported painting materials are neatly classified and placed on solid wooden shelves, including paints, brushes, canvases, and even the special palette she likes to use.

What made her nose even more sour was that all the paintings hanging on the wall were the paintings she had practiced painting in the past.

Those graffiti and even casual sketches that were forgotten in her hometown in the county were all carefully framed, like a silent exhibition, recording her growth.

Her fingertips touched the frame lightly, and her throat tightened slightly.

Jiang Yun stood behind her, his eyes sweeping across the paintings on the wall, and whispered, "Your brother... is really attentive."

Xia Lili blinked her burning eyes and muttered softly, "...I'm so busy."

There was still important work to do. After sniffing, Xia Lili sharpened a pencil and began to draw a portrait of the man who organized the airport pick-up she saw today in her sketchbook.

Jiang Yun added Mingzhou's contact information and edited a blog post as Mingzhou asked to clarify the airport pick-up incident this afternoon, and expressed that he would pursue legal responsibility for the organizers.

However, this statement caused an uproar online. Several accounts claiming to be "hardcore swimming fans" took the lead in attacking:

[User "浪里白条"]: Is this the champion who brings glory to his country? Is he so proud of himself after winning the gold medal? Is he treating the fans who sincerely came to greet him at the airport like extras?

[User "Butterfly Stroke Enthusiast"]: So sad! When we were watching you compete, why didn't you tell us we were just extras?

Sports forums were instantly flooded with related topics, and several well-known sports bloggers also joined the fray:

"Jiang Yun's PR is so heartless. In order to protect himself and his girlfriend, he directly shifted the blame and labeled the fans as "extras."

“Have some athletes forgotten that without the support of your fans you are nothing?”

"He's acting like a big shot right after becoming famous. The quality of this generation of athletes is truly worrying. His appearance and demeanor are both very arrogant. He just won one championship and he told the media he'd win more next time. He's so arrogant and even dating. What will you do in the Intercontinental Championships in two weeks?"

"So funny! Swimming fast is such a big deal? How can you treat your fans like this?"

There were even several "swimming fans" who claimed to be present that day and cried on the short video platform, claiming that they had taken leave and paid for their own flights to pick up the plane, but were treated like this.