These words left Ye Linbei, who had been silent all along, feeling somewhat helpless.
He glanced at his mother's earnest expression, then at his brother who was clearly smitten, and sighed.
It seems that Meng Xueyun won't let this go if the soup isn't delivered today.
He had witnessed his mother's methods since he was a child; they were nothing more than crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide until she achieved her goal.
Instead of dragging this out indefinitely, it's better to cut the Gordian knot quickly.
"Okay." Ye Linbei put down his chopsticks. "Mom, we'll take the soup to you."
When Meng Xueyun heard him agree, a smile immediately appeared on her face.
“However,” Ye Linbei changed the subject, “we are only responsible for delivering it. If my sister doesn’t want it, we will take it back immediately without saying a word. We still need to study tonight and can’t stay out too long.”
"Okay, okay! I'll do whatever you say! I'll do whatever you say!"
Meng Xueyun readily agreed, saying that as long as they were willing to go, it would be the first step to success.
She put food into her two sons' bowls with a big smile on her face.
"Eat quickly, eat your food. The children in the Ye family are so smart, they're sure to amount to something!"
Ye Zhenghua watched all of this with a cold eye, remaining silent throughout.
He swallowed the food in his mouth with difficulty, his eyes filled with indifference.
What good intentions could a weasel have when it visits a chicken to wish it a Happy New Year?
However, he was too lazy to ask.
Since he fell ill, he has had less and less say in this family.
Moreover, based on his understanding of his eldest daughter, he knew that whatever Meng Xueyun was planning, it would all come to nothing in the end.
That girl's personality is just like his.
Once someone gets stubborn, not even ten oxen could pull them back.
If she had been willing to fall for Meng Xueyun's tricks, she wouldn't have moved out of this house so decisively in the first place.
During lunch, the four family members each had their own thoughts.
After the meal, Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei resignedly cleaned up the dishes and, as agreed, picked up their thermos containers and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, Ye Linbei asked one more question: "Mom, with this thermos being carried around so much, won't the soup inside get cold? Should we pour it out and reheat it?"
"No need, no need!" Meng Xueyun waved her hand without thinking, afraid that they would be delayed. "This thermos works very well! Besides, your sister's rented house must have a kitchen and a gas stove. If she wants to drink, she can just heat it up herself. It's very convenient!"
Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.
They pursed their lips, said nothing more, picked up the thermos containing the chicken soup, and left the house.
The two boarded a bus and headed towards Jiangcheng University.
"What on earth is Mom doing? Does she really feel sorry for my sister?"
Ye Linnan glanced at the insulated container, his face full of doubt.
"Who knows? Maybe she was provoked by Meng Xuejun and Meng Zihan."
Ye Linbei now has no intention of acknowledging that the father and daughter as relatives.
Ye Linnan pouted and muttered, "If only that were true."
The two got off the bus and walked one after the other, soon arriving at Ye Linchen's rented apartment building.
"Brother, do you think Sister will want it?" Ye Linbei couldn't help but ask.
"What do you think?" Ye Linnan asked in return.
Ye Linbei sighed and didn't say anything more.
They all know the answer in their hearts.
When the two knocked on the door, Ye Linchen was preparing materials for his evening tutoring session.
She was wearing a simple white T-shirt, her hair casually tied back with a pencil, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate features.
When she saw her two younger brothers standing at the door, she was taken aback at first, and then her gaze fell on the thermos in Ye Linnan's hand.
The familiar design made her instantly understand everything.
Before the twins could speak, Ye Linchen spoke first: "Did Meng Xueyun ask you to send this chicken soup?"
Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei nodded somewhat awkwardly.
Ye Linnan handed the thermos forward and said, "Yes, Mom insisted that we bring it."
Ye Linbei scratched his head and forced a smile: "Sis, we had this chicken soup at home, and it really tasted pretty good. Mom said you're working too hard out there on your own, so she asked us to bring it over to help you recover. Would you like to try some?"
Ye Linchen shifted his gaze from the thermos to his two younger brothers' faces.
She shook her head: "No need, thank you. I want chicken soup, I'll buy it myself, she doesn't need to make it for me."
"Sister!" Ye Linbei said anxiously, "We're not here to persuade you to forgive her on Mom's behalf! We just think this soup is good for your health, otherwise we wouldn't have made this trip. You've really lost too much weight lately!"
Seeing his younger brother's genuine concern, Ye Linchen felt a warmth in his heart.
She knew they genuinely cared for her.
She sighed softly and patiently explained to them, "Xiao Bei, Xiao Nan, I understand your feelings. But have you thought about what it would mean if I accepted this pot of chicken soup today?"
Ye Linnan, being the most honest and straightforward, murmured, "What does it mean?"
"This means that I accepted her 'kindness'. So tomorrow, there might be a second pot of soup, and the day after tomorrow, there might be a meal she cooked herself."
“If this happens too often, I will owe her a debt of gratitude. Then, she can use these ‘favors’ as leverage to accuse me, hold me hostage, demand that I do this or that for this family, and even force me to go back to the home I finally escaped from.”
"Do you want me to go back to that kind of life?"
This question left both Ye Linnan and Ye Linbei speechless.
Ye Linbei, in particular, understood the deeper meaning behind his sister's words better than his brother.
That's not a home, that's a quagmire. My sister finally managed to escape, how can we let her sink back in?
He shook his head and looked at Ye Linchen earnestly: "Sister, we don't want you to be unhappy. We just hope you can be well, healthy, and as close to us as you are now."
"Whether you go home or not is your own decision, and we respect that. Whether you accept this pep talk or not is also entirely up to you."
Hearing his younger brother say that, Ye Linnan understood and stopped insisting.
"My intention is not to accept it." Ye Linchen smiled and said decisively, "Take it back. Also, if Meng Xueyun asks you to deliver anything in the future, you don't need to make this trip again. Just refuse her directly."
She looked at her two younger brothers and said sincerely, "Although I won't go back to that home, I will always be your older sister. If you miss me, you can come to me anytime. You are always welcome here."
"However, this does not include Meng Xueyun and Ye Zhenghua, or their belongings."
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