The Beloved One Is Always Coveted - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

◎Poor Little Thing Jian Mingyue◎

Tang Xi nodded and pushed her tray toward Yu Li. “Just eating this much isn’t enough. Eat more, Jiejie, you need to grow.”

See, Tang Xi isn’t without kindness. Her kindness just isn’t directed toward people. She’s so concerned about the food, afraid of wasting it, so she simply pushes it all onto Yu Li.

Even though they were sitting at the same table, their positions weren’t equal. Yu Li was always a step beneath her. Now that they were eating together, she was her trash can for disposing of food.

Yu Li half-lifted her eyelids, scanning the pushed-over meal tray.

Tang Xi had casually ordered two dishes, both Southwestern cuisine, and just looking at the color told her they were very spicy.

Tunnan City is in the south, and the local tastes are generally light. Yu Li, like her mother, wasn’t used to or able to eat spicy food, preferring sweet flavors.

Just seeing the glossy color of the two dishes made her a little intimidated.

But she couldn’t refuse. Tang Xi was watching. She rested her hands on the table, happily watching Yu Li eat. Not only could she not refuse, but she also had to say thank you.

People occasionally passed by. Seeing Tang Xi’s smiling face, they were surprised. Then they noticed the girl opposite her an unfamiliar face, a small face flushed red, not speaking, just burying her head in the food.

Naturally, they grew curious. Who is this girl? Tang Xi’s friend? Why haven’t we ever seen her? Is she new?

By the time the meal was finished, Yu Li’s lips were red and burning with pain. The spice made her eyes water.

Only then did Tang Xi let her go, walking away with her hands in her pockets.

Yu Li returned the tray to the return area and then went to the supermarket to buy a box of plain milk. She tore a small opening and sipped slowly.

Lunch break wasn’t over yet. The school was quiet, with the occasional bird chirping, strangely peaceful.

Knowing that Tang Xi wouldn’t come looking for her again, at least not today, she felt much better. She didn’t want to go back to the classroom, so she found a long bench by the roadside and sat down, holding the milk and sipping intermittently.

It wasn’t too hot today. Black clouds were rolling in the sky, and the wind was strong. It would probably rain tonight.

Yu Li quite liked the coolness. The spicy sensation in her mouth subsided a lot. She leaned back in the chair with her eyes narrowed, enjoying a rare moment of comfort.

However, this comfort didn’t last long. Soon, she felt someone approaching. A shadow seemed to fall over her, dark and blurry, as if someone was standing in front of her.

She opened her eyes. Having anticipated it, she wasn’t too surprised when she met those gently smiling eyes. She just uncomfortably sat up straight, stopped drinking her milk, and awkwardly greeted the newcomer.

“Why so nervous? I’m not some flood or beast.”

Jian Mingyue’s smile deepened. She was naturally familiar, and also deliberately trying to get closer. She softened her voice and asked, maintaining a very polite and respectful posture.

“The weather is really nice today. Do you mind if I sit with you?”

It was comfortable to interact with someone like this. Yu Li shifted over, clearing a space for her.

“Thank you.”

Jian Mingyue sat down. There was enough space on the long bench it was spacious enough for three people but she chose to sit right next to Yu Li, barely separated, very intimate.

Yu Li awkwardly edged towards the corner. Thankfully, Jian Mingyue didn’t move closer this time.

However, Yu Li’s eyes slowly rolled. Jian Mingyue was looking sideways at her, her smile widening, as if she was looking at a curious little novelty.

“What did you eat today? Your mouth is so red.”

Oh, it was just that. Yu Li breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing her staring so intently, Yu Li thought something was wrong with herself.

“Nothing much, just some spice.” She didn’t intend to say more, as it involved Tang Xi.

Jian Mingyue didn’t press for details. Her gaze fell on the milk in Yu Li’s hand, and she teased with a smile: “Yu Li, you’re like a little cat.”

The description was baseless. Yu Li slightly widened her eyes, tempted to look down at herself. She didn’t have anything related to cats.

“I’m not,” she insisted, clutching the milk carton, rejecting the “cat persona.”

“You clearly are. You startle easily. The smallest sound can shock you. You’re terrified of strangers, but in front of people you know, you’re completely different lively and active.”

She moved closer, and in just a quick look, she seemed to have seen right through Yu Li. Even the justification for the “cat persona” was reasonable and couldn’t be faulted.

“Tell me, if you’re not a little cat, what could you be?”

Yu Li slowly lowered her head, her face flushed. She still stubbornly insisted: “I’m a human.”

She was actually boring and lacked romantic sensibility, but she was somewhat unwilling to admit it, feeling conflicted. When Jian Mingyue said this, she was actually a little happy. At least she didn’t call her dull.

At least, she was still a little likable.

She tacitly allowed Jian Mingyue’s proximity and then, grasping for conversation, asked: “I didn’t see you this morning. Were you sick?”

“Yes, I’ve always had poor health since I was little. I’m always running to the hospital; I’m used to it.”

Jian Mingyue’s voice softened, playing along with the “little cat’s” query, presenting an innocent, sickly appearance that was designed to evoke sympathy.

Yu Li thought she had touched a sore spot and waved her hand apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You asked because you care about me. It’s rare for someone to care about me. I’m too happy to mind.”

Jian Mingyue sincerely said this, clutching her chest. Her frail, delicate demeanor completely fooled Yu Li. She added more details, claiming she wasn’t valued at home, with a lot of older and younger sisters who soaked up all her mother’s attention. Because she was often sick, she wasn’t useful to the family, not even qualifying for a marriage alliance. Her friends were pitifully few, so no one visited her when she was hospitalized, and she had to do everything herself truly a poor little thing.

After talking for a while, she tugged at Yu Li’s shirt, looking at her expectantly, and said, “You’re so kind. You’re the first person to care about me. Can I be your friend?”

Look, in just a few sentences, she placed herself in such a low position, pitifully begging Yu Li for friendship.

Yu Li was naive and believed her. She thought that although Jian Mingyue was born into a wealthy family, she lacked love and was emotionally more pitiful than herself. Thus, she was filled with sympathy and affection for her.

The two exchanged contact information. Yu Li even comforted Miss Jian, saying, “Don’t think of yourself that way. You’re so capable, and you study so well. Someone will definitely love you. Besides, girls who smile a lot don’t have bad luck. Someone will be waiting for you in the future.”

She wasn’t good at comforting people, offering only dry, overly generalized promises. Jian Mingyue didn’t expose her, acting as if she had genuinely been comforted. She clutched her chest again and said they would be best friends for life.

Friendships between girls come like a gust of wind, swift and fervent.

Initially, Yu Li was somewhat resistant, but when Jian Mingyue leaned in and enthusiastically held her hand, if Yu Li pulled away, Jian Mingyue would clutch her chest, looking hurt.

Yu Li had no choice but to hold her hand as they walked back to the classroom. This time, their intimacy was genuine.

The classmates saw clearly that they walked in hand-in-hand. Miss Jian’s relationship with the transfer student was surprisingly good. Coupled with Tang Xi leading Yu Li away before lunch break, they all began to assess Yu Li’s standing, concluding that she was backed by two major figures and should not be provoked.

Yu Li was unaware of their thoughts. At first, she was a bit worried, as the class president seemed intent on harassing her to the end, but from noon until dismissal, the class president didn’t make a move.

She put on her backpack, said goodbye to Jian Mingyue, and felt a sense of relief as she walked out of the school gate.

However, that relief quickly disappeared. She stood at the school gate for a long time, wondering who the “someone else” Yang Zhuo had mentioned was.

It had to be someone from the Tang family; she just hadn’t met them yet.

After waiting for a while, a low-key black car drove up and stopped in front of her.

Yu Li hesitated. The windows were up. It was certainly someone she didn’t know. How awkward would it be to ask them outright?

The sky, which hadn’t been very dark at noon, was even blacker now, threatening a thunderstorm. Silver lightning flashed out of the dark clouds, suggesting the rain would start any moment.

The back window of the car parked in front of her slowly lowered, revealing a fox-like smiling face. It was Tang Nianyi.

“Yu Li, get in. I’ll take you home.”

She didn’t need to be awkward now, though she wasn’t necessarily comfortable either. After all, this was the Family Head, the major figure she saw on television, now in front of her. Although she had met her a few times, they weren’t close. Furthermore, why would the Tang Family Head specifically come to pick her up from school?

“I just came back from Yinsha. Yang Zhuo is on a business trip, so I came to drop you off since it was on my way.” Seeing her hesitate, Tang Nianyi kept her smile, providing a casual explanation that dispelled Yu Li’s doubts.

She got into the car, deliberately staying away from the Family Head by sitting in the passenger seat.

Seeing this, Tang Nianyi didn’t get upset. She had a good temper, was generally amiable, and always wore a smile on her face when meeting people though what she was like behind the scenes was hard to say.

“How have you been at home these past few days?”

Like demanding a report from a subordinate, Tang Nianyi smiled and crossed her legs, perfectly maintaining the posture of a superior.

Yu Li hated impromptu quizzes the most. Her foundational knowledge was solid, but her verbal skills were poor, and the question made her uncomfortable.

What does ‘how have you been at home’ mean? She had only stayed at the Tang family house for one night.

“Fine.” Yu Li sat up straight, not daring to glance around, choosing the most suitable answer to brush her off.

“Fine” meant just so-so, don’t ask any more questions.

While concentrating on waiting for the Tang Family Head’s next question, a phone call came in. It seemed to be a work report, full of technical jargon that Yu Li didn’t understand, so she looked out the window.

As expected, it started to rain. Raindrops tapped against the car window, growing heavy quickly, like scattering beans. The ground was soon wet, and the wind was strong, roaring loudly as if it could rip the trees away.

Yu Li wondered if anything was left on her balcony at home. The clothes had been brought in. A foam box of green onions was still sitting on the balcony. She hoped the heavy rain wouldn’t damage the green onions.

The car’s air conditioning was on full blast. The cold air made her head ache. She stared at the dense rain outside the window, thinking about how she would get home soon. The entrance to the community was quite far from her apartment building. Running back impulsively would surely get her clothes and shoes soaked.

Not knowing what to do, her mind started to wander again thinking about her mother, Qi Xue, and East University Medical School—but she didn’t dare to think about Tang Nianyi in the back seat.

Finally, she looked at the heavy rain outside the car window and wished she had checked the weather forecast this morning.

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