"You're living such a leisurely life, are you really planning to just give up?"

Xiao Yunli looked around his ward. If it weren't for the fact that this was a sanatorium, Xiao Yunli would have thought he had arrived at his office.

A large wooden table sits on a computer, and behind it, bookshelves are filled with rows of books. A side door leads to a walk-in closet. The design is in cool tones, much like his personality—unapproachable and aloof.

Qin Yan glanced at him but didn't say anything, continuing what she was doing.

Xiao Yunli took an apple and started eating it. Qin Yan heard the sound and looked at the apple in his hand for a while. It seemed that Aunt Lan had brought it over. Yun Nuan didn't want to eat the apple that Aunt Lan brought over. It seemed like it had been almost a week.

Xiao Yunli met his gaze as it shifted to the apple, and he asked incredulously.

"Seriously? With our relationship, can't I even eat an apple from you?"

Qin Yan shook his head, and whether it was mockery or something else was unclear, he nodded earnestly.

"Eat whatever you like."

Xiao Yunli said angrily, "I not only ate them, but I also packed some to go today. And let me tell you, these apples are quite sweet."

There were footsteps in the hallway. He didn't close the door when he came in. After a while, a small head peeked out from the doorway. She had a pointed chin, long hair that reached her waist and cascaded down her back, and large, but somewhat empty eyes.

"Aunt Lan asked you what you wanted to eat today, and since you didn't specify, she just made whatever you wanted?"

Qin Yan removed his hand from the keyboard. "Where's Aunt Lan? Why are you here today?"

Yun Nuan straightened up and then realized there was another person in his room who was staring at her. She frowned slightly, but didn't ask who he was; she just answered Qin Yan's question.

"Aunt Lan went to get the ingredients and asked me to ask you."

Qin Yan nodded and pondered for a moment, then said, "Just follow yesterday's instructions. Have Aunt Lan prepare a little more."

"Oh," she said, just as she was about to leave. Xiao Yunli, who was standing to the side, finally found an opportunity to speak. The two of them spoke so familiarly, as if they had known each other for a long time. However, Qin Yan had never seemed to have any female friends, not to mention that their conversation sounded too much like a family discussing dinner.

"Hi, hello, I'm Qin Yan's friend, my name is Xiao Yunli. I'll be having lunch here too. Could you please ask Aunt Lan to prepare a little extra?"

Yun Nuan turned her gaze to Qin Yan, as if asking him if she should answer.

For some reason, Qin Yan saw dependence in her eyes, and when she looked at him, she was surprised that he had become someone she trusted. This made her feel different.

"He's my friend, you can talk to him."

Yun Nuan looked at Xiao Yunli after hearing him speak, and greeted him with a slight smile. This was the first time she had spoken to a stranger in many days.

"Hello, my name is Yun Nuan."

This was the first time Xiao Yunli had seen a girl like this with Qin Yan, so out of curiosity she took a closer look. She was getting a little tired of standing, but after greeting the person, she should still exchange pleasantries. However, this person kept staring at her, and she looked a little annoyed.

Qin Yan found her little actions amusing; her perfunctory attitude was written all over her face. Considering that she wasn't feeling well, he pointed to the sofa and invited her in.

"Come in and sit for a while. You can go over when Aunt Lan comes back later."

Xiao Yunli quickly replied, "Yes, yes, come in and chat. By the way, would you like an apple? I'll get you one."

He was so enthusiastic it was like the apple was poisoned; he was a witch.

Yun Nuan stared at the apple for a long time, then looked up at Qin Yan and saw a hint of mockery in his eyes. She had a bold guess, and Qin Yan nodded slightly, and she understood.

"I don't eat apples."

Xiao Yunli even offered to peel one for her. He usually just picks up an apple and eats it directly, but judging from her expression, he seemed more cautious. He was even planning to peel his first apple ever.

"Aren't you going to eat it? It's quite sweet, what a waste."

After he finished speaking, Yun Nuan replied in a serious tone, "This apple is from two weeks ago and hasn't been washed yet."

"Snap." The moment he finished speaking and took a bite, the scene froze.

"It's quite crisp," Yun Nuan thought.

"Where do apples come from?" Xiao Yunli asked, followed by a deathly silence.

Yun Nuan knew this because Aunt Lan had taken her there. "It's an orchard on the back mountain, a whole apple grove, all natural, with no pesticide residue. The only thing is, the birds will poop in the sky."

A deathly silence fell. He didn't know whether to spit out the apple in his mouth or not. Seeing that he was stunned and his expression wasn't too good, Yun Nuan could only comfort him.

"A little dirt won't hurt you."

Yun Nuan noticed a sharp glint in his eyes, which frightened her so much that she dared not speak again. She could only turn to Qin Yan for help, but to her surprise, Qin Yan was just smiling. How wicked! He had known all along, but hadn't warned her.

Aunt Lan originally intended to wash it when she brought it over, but Yun Nuan had a fever again at that time, so she hurriedly put it down and forgot to tell her. Qin Yan found it troublesome and didn't eat it, so it sat there for two weeks until Xiao Yunli came.

"He likes it and even wanted to take some home. It's alright, let him eat more," Qin Yan said casually from the side.

Yun Nuan's eyes brightened, and she quickly said, "Aunt Lan has many more over there. There are lots of fruits growing on the back mountain. If you like, Aunt Lan can take you to pick them."

Xiao Yunli spat out the piece of apple and glared at Qin Yan.

"Qin Yan, I really misjudged you!" Xiao Yunli's one-sided outburst left Yun Nuan somewhat stunned. The book's description of speech as being like firecrackers—so that's exactly what it is! glaring angrily, exasperated—it all had a vivid explanation.

"Say less, you're scaring people." Qin Yan reminded her. Yun Nuan on the other side wasn't scared as he said. She had gone from being curious at the beginning to feeling a little tired. She had just finished her IV drip and couldn't sleep yet. Aunt Lan told her to have lunch first and then rest.

Xiao Yunli looked at her, but she seemed lost in thought, showing no signs of being frightened as Qin Yan had said. He just felt that she looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

She said her name was Yun Nuan. Yun Nuan? The sickly eldest daughter of the Yun family, I think I heard she was kicked out of the Yun family before, I didn't expect her to end up here.

Then wouldn't she be...?

"Are you Qin Yan's fiancée whom he has never met?"

His surprise was so obvious that it snapped Yun Nuan out of her drowsy state. She moved slightly and accidentally pressed her hand against the back of her hand, wincing in pain and letting out a hiss.

Qin Yan's wheelchair had already arrived in front of her.

"What's wrong"?

Yun Nuan stretched out her hand; the back of her pale hand was covered in bruises, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings. Qin Yan took out some medicine from under the coffee table and skillfully applied it to her hand, speaking to her with a slightly serious tone.

"Don't keep pressing down on your hand. Do you still want it? You forgot to apply the medicine. Next time the nurse scolds you, don't blame me. I'll be wrongly accused."

Yun Nuan pouted, withdrew her hand without responding to him, and continued to stare blankly, while Xiao Yunli stared wide-eyed on the other side.