Yi Chenli patted An Yuan'er's back several times until An Yuan'er's coughing stopped.
An Yuan'er stuffed several pieces of sugar pastry into her mouth, which slightly reduced the bitterness.
"Yi Chenli, this medicine is too bitter. I almost fainted after just one sip. How have you been drinking it for the past six months without even flinching?"
Having endured many hardships, the bitterness of this medicine was nothing to him.
He just didn't understand why the little girl, who usually frowned for ages when taking medicine for typhoid fever, suddenly wanted to take it today.
"You know it's bitter, yet you still drink it?"
An Yuan'er smiled at Yi Chenli, her smile filled with a unique gentleness and brightness: "Because, Yuan'er wants to empathize with you."
"I've thought about it. I can't let you always drink such bitter medicine by yourself. Yuan'er can share the burden with you."
Just like when he was a child, she was always there for him.
Although both of them have grown up, the friendship they had in their youth only deepens with time. An Yuan'er wants to break through Yi Chenli's estrangement from her.
Yi Chenli was deeply moved. No matter how beautiful the silly girl became, her mind was as clear and bright as a child's.
She was well aware of the fickle nature of human relationships and the vicissitudes of life, yet she refused to compromise her principles. It was through this seemingly clumsy approach that she gradually opened Yi Chenli's closed heart.
But An Yuan'er was wrong about one thing. Yi Chenli's distance from her was definitely not because their youthful affection had faded, but rather...
The youthful friendship had long since changed quietly, but An Yuan'er hadn't realized it yet.
She still interacted with him the way she did when she was a child; those intimate gestures happened naturally, without any deliberate effort.
Yi Chenli knew that the little girl couldn't endure hardship, so he joked, "Since we're going to share the burden, how about we each take half of this medicine? It's all very nourishing herbs, so drinking a little more won't hurt."
An Yuan'er immediately turned into a sour face.
She almost died from just a small sip, and now she has to drink half a bowl? That's terrifying!
But looking at Yi Chenli's probing eyes, and remembering the boast she had just made about sharing, how could she go back on her word?
An Yuan'er raised the bowl with trembling hands, closed her eyes, and looked like a hero going to his execution.
The medicine was snatched away by Yi Chenli just as it was brought to her lips.
Yi Chenli drank the medicine in one gulp, easily and effortlessly; he really wasn't afraid of bitterness.
Just kidding. You're round and chubby, you don't have to share with me. The bitterness is mine, the sweetness is yours.
"A fairy doesn't need to suffer."
Yi Chenli stuffed another piece of sugar pastry into An Yuan'er's mouth.
Yi Chenli provided An Yuan'er with the best clothes and the best environment. Even the wealthiest young lady in the capital didn't live as comfortably as An Yuan'er. The water she used to wash her face was transported from afar on Tianmen Mountain, and her meals were all freshly prepared in a small kitchen. Every year, she needed ninety-nine new outfits made, and all her jewelry had to be the latest seasonal pieces…
The money Yi Chenli spends on An Yuan'er every day is enough for an ordinary family for several years. An Yuan'er has long been spoiled by Yi Chenli; even ordinary wealthy families, unless they earn a fortune every day, cannot afford to support her.
“Father said that a complete life is one with both bitterness and sweetness. Yi Chenli, you have too much bitterness, so I will share my sweetness with you. If we share it, we can both be sweet.”
An Yuan'er also grabbed a sugar pastry, but instead of eating it herself, she handed it to Yi Chenli.
"It's sweet, try it."
Yi Chenli never eats sweets, so he shook his head and refused An Yuan'er's offer.
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