Meng Qingluan glanced at it, her lips twitched a few times, and she forced a smile as she pushed it back.
"If your sister isn't going to eat it, you can keep it for yourself."
It wasn't Meng Qingluan who spoiled the mood.
As a big foodie, especially a sweets lover, she will almost always taste the sweets to check their saltiness.
But this lump in front of me... looks really nauseating.
"Sister, don't you have an appetite?"
"That's it after you finish watching it."
Meng Qingluan answered instinctively, immediately earning a downward curl of the corners of her mouth in return.
"Sister, didn't you say you also like candied fruit? I always save some after I finish taking my medicine."
"You specially saved this for me?" Meng Qingluan was surprised.
He nodded, dejectedly withdrew his hand, and was about to rewrap the candied fruit when a pair of hands stopped him.
Meng Qingluan picked out one that was barely acceptable, put it in her mouth, and found it cloyingly sweet.
On the surface, she nodded in satisfaction and praised him generously.
"It's delicious, I really like it. But next time you don't need to save any for me. Eat a piece of candied fruit after you finish your medicine, okay?"
"I know, but you love to eat it," he said hesitantly.
“I love to eat it, and I’ll buy it myself,” Meng Qingluan told him earnestly.
"..."
He lowered his head and didn't say anything.
Regardless of whether he agreed or not, Meng Qingluan picked up a towel kept by the bedside, wiped her hands, and lay back down in bed.
"I've finished eating, you go to sleep obediently," Meng Qingluan instructed.
Upon hearing Meng Qingluan's order, he put the candied fruit back in its place, obediently lay back down, and closed his eyes.
Half a day later, he quietly opened one eye and poked Meng Qingluan with his index finger.
"What's wrong?" Meng Qingluan was almost asleep when he poked her awake.
"Sister, can you tell me a story? I can't sleep," he pleaded, his fingers gripping the corner of the blanket tightly.
"What do you want to hear?" Meng Qingluan asked.
"It will be all right."
In fact, he didn't know what the story was; he had never heard a story before.
He only became curious a few days ago when he passed by the back garden and heard the nannies talking about telling stories to their children to lull them to sleep.
"Let me tell you the story of Snow White," Meng Qingluan said, half-asleep, "Once upon a time, there was a princess named Snow White..."
Meng Qingluan barely managed to hold on until the story ended, her eyelids so heavy she couldn't stop closing them.
She dares to guarantee—
If a fly were to fly onto her eyelid now, it would surely be pinched in two by her eyelid.
Little Radish listened with great satisfaction, his eyes wide with curiosity, still wanting more.
As he told the story, he and Meng Qingluan grew closer and closer, until she was almost always holding him in her arms.
"Sister, what's your name?"
"Meng Qingluan".
Meng Qingluan answered instinctively, even though the person had actually been gone for a while.
After answering, Meng Qingluan could no longer hold on and closed her eyes.
"Does my sister know my name?"
"..."
He looked up and saw that Meng Qingluan was already asleep, and muttered to himself.
"My name is Zhu Qing'an, sister, please remember it."
"..."
Meng Qingluan was fast asleep when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
The knocking was rhythmic, neither too loud nor too soft, like flies buzzing around my ear.
It's not very lethal, but it's extremely annoying.
Meng Qingluan opened her eyes, unable to bear it any longer, jumped out of bed, and forcefully pulled open the door.
The door was suddenly opened, and Zhu Qing'an's hand, which was raised in mid-air, froze. His gaze instinctively fell on Meng Qingluan, and after a moment of surprise, he quickly looked away.
"what?"
Disturbed from her peaceful sleep, Meng Qingluan asked irritably.
Zhu Qing'an lowered his hand, turned his face slightly, and deliberately looked away from her.
"Sister, it's time for breakfast."
Meng Qingluan's anger subsided considerably, and she ruffled a handful of her hair, saying, "Okay, you go eat first."
"Um."
Meng Qingluan closed the door, finding his reaction somewhat inexplicable.
Is there saliva on my face?
Meng Qingluan touched her face—
It's very smooth and tender, with no abnormalities.
Suddenly remembering something, she looked down.
"Depend on!"
She was sleeping so soundly that the fabric at her neckline had become loose, revealing large expanses of her fair skin.
Meng Qingluan patted her chest, thankfully she was flat-chested and there was no risk of her exposing herself.
…
Meng Qingluan washed up and changed her clothes. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she saw Zhu Qingan standing not far away.
Didn't I tell you to go eat first?
“I’m not hungry, I want to go with my sister,” Zhu Qing’an replied.
"..."
Meng Qingluan didn't say anything more, and the two went to the side hall one after the other.
Shen Yan has been busy investigating the embezzlement of military funds in the northern border region these past few days. He left early in the morning and specifically told her that he might not be able to come home often these nights.
So at the dinner table, only the sounds of her and Zhu Qing'an chewing remained.
Zhu Qing'an had a small appetite, and after only a couple of bites, he put down his chopsticks. After finishing his meal, he didn't leave, but sat next to Meng Qingluan and watched her.
Meng Qingluan tried to pretend she didn't see it, but his gaze was too obvious for her to ignore.
After swallowing the food in her mouth, Meng Qingluan put down her chopsticks.
"Do you still need to take medicine?" Meng Qingluan asked him.
Zhu Qing'an nodded.
"Is the medicine you need not here?"
"No. Father and Mother will bring the prescription today, along with some rare and precious medicinal herbs. Sister, don't worry."
"..."
Meng Qingluan wasn't too worried.
After completing the storyline, she was supposed to return to her original world, and this body would naturally die along with it.
Her only fear about the disease was the excruciating pain during its onset; it felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, her mind going completely blank, unable to think.
"Madam, Mr. and Mrs. Meng have come to visit," Mei Yuan said as she walked into the side hall.
Meng Qingluan knew the two had come to deliver medicine, so she nodded and said, "Tell them to wait for me in the hall."
"yes."
Meng Qingluan walked out of the side hall and found that Zhu Qingan had not followed her. She stopped in the corridor and did not move.
She turned around and asked, "Aren't you going to see them?"
Zhu Qing'an declined, saying, "My sister and parents are discussing important matters, so I won't go."
"Um."
Meng Qingluan turned and left.
Zhu Qing'an sat on the bench, suddenly raised his hand and stopped in mid-air, a smile appeared on his lips, and a sharp glint flashed in his brown pupils.
What would a mother do if she found out that the child she prayed to gods and Buddhas to save had disappeared?
Will you cry?
Will her older sister wipe away her tears, or stand by and watch coldly?
Sister, you must be strong, otherwise how can you make up for his pain and longing all these years...
…
When Meng Qingluan walked into the hall, her parents were already sitting in chairs waiting for a long time.
Several large bags of medicinal herbs were placed in the center of the lobby.
Neither of them looked well.
Especially Meng's father, who looked haggard compared to his cheerful demeanor when he left yesterday, even had stubble growing around his lips, which had a bluish tinge.
Mencius' mother's eyes were swollen like walnuts, and the light in them had dimmed considerably.
“Luanluan”.
Upon seeing Meng Qingluan approaching gracefully, the two men stood up simultaneously, their gazes falling upon her face.
Meng Qingluan hummed in agreement and sat down in the main seat.
"I'm so sorry to trouble you two to personally deliver the medicine to me," Meng Qingluan said with a smile, then turned and gave Ying Bang a look.
Yingbang understood and took out the red envelopes he had prepared as a reward, then stepped forward and handed them to the two of them.
“We don’t want it. This is something we owe you. How can we accept it?” Meng’s father immediately pushed away the red envelope Yingbang offered.
Meng Qingluan advised, "You two should accept it; it's a token of my appreciation."
Before Meng's father could say anything more, Meng's mother reached out and accepted the money, saying, "Luanluan gave it to us, so just accept it. Why all the pretentious nonsense?"
"..."
Mencius' father shut his mouth and sat down without saying another word.
"Luanluan," Meng's mother said, picking up the food box in her hands, "I wonder if I could speak to you in private?"
Meng Qingluan's gaze fell on the lunchbox in her hand. Something flashed through her mind, and a dark glint crossed her eyes. She nodded.
"Okay, come with me."
"good."
Just like yesterday, the two walked back to Meng Qingluan's room with practiced ease.
Mencius' mother placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and the chestnut pastries inside were still steaming, showing that they had been well protected along the way.
"This is your favorite chestnut pastry. I got up early this morning to make it for you. Would you like to try one?"
Meng's mother picked up a piece of chestnut pastry with her chopsticks and handed it to Meng Qingluan.
Meng Qingluan stared for two seconds, then her gaze shifted to her mother's hand, which was trembling violently.
She hesitated for only a moment before smiling and reaching out to take it, saying, "Thank you."
The moment my fingertips touched the still-warm chestnut pastry, the other person loosened their grip, and the pastry fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Meng Qingluan exclaimed in surprise, squatted down, looked at the chestnut pastry scattered all over the ground, and said with some regret, "It's broken..."
"You, you're not my Luanluan, who are you?!"
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