Chapter 26

Qiao An couldn't be bothered with that psycho brother. After confirming she couldn't handle it herself, she immediately called for help.
There weren't many people in the old mansion, and everyone had their own duties. Especially now, with dinner about to be served, everyone was busy, and no one had noticed the commotion in the backyard.
But as soon as Qiao An called for help, someone came over right away. They took Gu Ting to his room, and the Gu family's private doctor hurried over as well.
What happened next was beyond Qiao An's involvement.
An hour later, the doctor was about to leave.
Qiao An asked, "How is his hand?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses and said, "The young master has a fractured hand, but it's not too serious. We've put it in a cast. It needs to be changed every half month, and it should heal in about a month and a half. He has some abrasions on his legs and face, but otherwise, he's fine."
"Thank you."
After the doctor left, Qiao An relaxed, only to turn and find Grandpa Gu watching her. His aged eyes were slightly cloudy, his expression unreadable, yet it sent a jolt through Qiao An’s heart, as if she had been seen through.
Their eyes met briefly before Grandpa Gu smiled naturally and said gently, "An An, did you see the things in your room?"
Qiao An nodded, a little embarrassed. "Thank you, Grandpa. You’ve spent too much again."
The wardrobe and dressing table were now much fuller, and many items that couldn’t fit were stored in boxes.
She had discovered this when she returned to her room to drop off her backpack while Gu Ting was being examined by the doctor. For a moment, she thought she had entered the wrong room, but she quickly realized that Grandpa Gu had ordered these things for her.
The Gu family treated her exceptionally well, as if she were their own granddaughter.
Just for making a simple fried rice yesterday, which he barely touched, she had received so many things. Qiao An couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Grandpa Gu chuckled, his narrowed eyes glinting with a shrewd light as he spoke casually, "You call me Grandpa, so this is only natural."
He then slowly made his way to the dining table.
With all the commotion, they hadn’t even had dinner yet.
Qiao An watched Grandpa Gu’s retreating back with a strange feeling. When Gu Ting was in trouble, he hadn’t even glanced his way or asked a single question, sitting silently on the sofa the entire time.
Only after the doctor left and everything settled did he finally start eating.
If you said he cared, the material comforts he provided far surpassed most people’s. But if you said he didn’t care, it was also true, seeing Gu Ting in such a state because of Gu Ze, he hadn’t uttered a single word of blame.
"You’re different from before." A familiar, slightly cold voice suddenly whispered by Qiao An’s ear.
Qiao An shuddered, quickly stepping back as she covered her ear, goosebumps rising on her arm, her brow furrowed.
The seventeen-year-old boy flashed a bold, wicked grin, raising an eyebrow at her with interest.
Qiao An forced a smile. "None of your business."
Gu Ze’s eyes turned cold. "If you don’t want to provoke me, behave yourself."
Qiao An fell silent.
Grandpa Gu, now seated, called out, "A’ze, come sit. How was school this week? Did you cause any trouble?"
The old man’s hoarse, gentle inquiry was filled with warmth.
Qiao An glanced over, then sat on the other side and quietly began eating.
Behaving was out of the question.
She still had a mission to complete.
And Gu Ze was the troublemaker. In the storyline, he had locked Gu Ting in a dark room, setting off the subsequent events. From now on, he would be the one to watch out for.
Clang! A crisp sound echoed from the second floor.
Before Qiao An could even stand up, she saw two servants emerge from the room, looking flustered and disheveled. The tray in their hands, which had held delicious-looking food, was now shattered.
Noticing everyone’s eyes on them, the servants hesitated and explained awkwardly, "Master, the young master refuses to eat."
They were male servants from the main house, assigned specifically to care for Gu Ting, though he usually required little attention.
They had tried to feed him, but he refused outright. In the past, he might have taken a bite or two, but now, with his hands injured, he wouldn’t eat at all.
Whenever he got hurt, he would reject food like this, and even forced attempts would end with him driving them out.
Despite his frail appearance, he was surprisingly strong.
Without food, he would grow weak. In a couple of days, the doctor would likely have to come and administer glucose intravenously.
Grandpa Gu said indifferently, "If he doesn’t want to eat, let him go hungry."
Qiao An frowned slightly, looking at the delicious food in front of her, suddenly feeling a bit unable to swallow.
She wasn’t someone overflowing with sympathy, but she did know Gu Ting. The thought of him being injured and unable to eat, especially when they were only a hundred meters apart, she here enjoying a sumptuous meal while he endured hunger over there, made her feel somewhat unsettled, even if it was his own fault.
Gu Ze picked up a bite of food and chewed it slowly. Casually lifting his gaze, his eyes shifted, and he smiled, "Qiao An, are you full?"
Qiao An was taken aback for a moment. She wasn’t full, but she was close, especially since she didn’t have much of an appetite now. She nodded.
Gu Ze pursed his lips and said offhandedly, "Then why don’t you go feed him? Since you’re done eating, how about it, Grandpa?"
Grandpa Gu looked at Qiao An, his expression softening slightly as he said casually, "Go if you want to, don’t force yourself."
"Not forcing at all!" Qiao An quickly shook her head, a faint smile touching her lips. "I just finished eating, so I’ll go now."
As she spoke, she stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
Gu Ze curved his lips slightly, his mouth moving imperceptibly as he muttered under his breath, "Go ahead and experience what it’s like to be bitten by a cold-blooded snake."
Let’s see if she’ll meddle in other people’s business again.

The room was decorated just as before.
However, Gu Ting was lying on the bed this time.
He looked weary, lying on his left side facing the relatively bright sky outside the window. His thin lips seemed slightly pressed together, his eyes downcast, fixed on his right hand, which was bandaged like a zongzi.
Upon closer inspection, he still appeared as expressionless as before.
But after just a couple of glances, Qiao An inexplicably sensed a pervasive aura of despondency around him.
It was as if he had discovered that his hand was useless and was feeling deeply discouraged.
The boy’s sharp, slender chin rested against his collarbone. His arms, though slender, were not frail, there was muscle there, and the lines of his shoulders and neck were quite pleasing to the eye.
But the main point was, was he not wearing any clothes on the exposed parts?
"Ahem, " Qiao An coughed awkwardly and quickly averted her gaze. In that brief moment, she caught a glimpse of what looked like a scar.
The boy paid no attention, not even blinking.
Qiao An rolled her eyes discreetly, walked around the bed, and crouched down in front of him. She handed over the bowl of noodles she was holding, softening her expression as much as possible, and said gently, "Gu Ting, here’s something to eat."
The faint aroma of food reached his nose. Only then did the motionless Gu Ting seem to react, finally shifting his gaze to Qiao An, then to the noodles she was holding, and finally to his own right hand. The despondent aura around him deepened.
Qiao An suddenly felt the urge to laugh, but in the eerily quiet environment, she managed to hold it back.
Because she had actually deciphered Gu Ting’s series of reactions just now.
He was saying: My hand is useless, I can’t eat anymore!
Qiao An suppressed her laughter again and again, but a soft understanding blossomed in her heart toward his seemingly unreasonable reaction.
She picked up a small portion of noodles with her chopsticks, blew on them gently, leaned closer, and brought them to his lips: “Here, try a bite?”
Gu Ting’s gaze fell once more on the chopsticks she was holding, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
Qiao An encouraged him by nudging the chopsticks forward slightly.
But instead of accepting it, he leaned back a little, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes now tinged with wariness as he stared intently at her.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Qiao An asked, puzzled.
Gu Ting remained silent and motionless, as if frozen in place.
Qiao An threatened playfully, “If you don’t eat it, I will.” She brought the chopsticks to her own mouth, pretending to take a bite.
She expected him to remain indifferent or even displeased, but instead, his eyes lit up, and he even leaned a bit closer to Qiao An, returning to his original position.
Qiao An was truly baffled. She tentatively offered the chopsticks again.
She couldn’t actually eat the noodles, could she?
What if he decided he wanted them after all? Wouldn’t that be an indirect kiss?
But as she moved the chopsticks toward him, Gu Ting dodged again, his tall nose wrinkling slightly as he turned his face to the left, revealing a few bloody scratches on his right cheek.
Qiao An: “!!!”
She felt a surge of irritation, but seeing how the red marks added a touch of eerie charm to his fair complexion, she held back her frustration and ended up actually eating the noodles.
She took one bite, then another.
The noodles were freshly made and still a bit hot, so she ate slowly, but the flavor was excellent, still the same tomato and egg noodles, but with the addition of steamed fish belly her mother had prepared, boneless and even more delicious.
Qiao An blew on the noodles and took a satisfied bite.
Since she hadn’t actually eaten her fill earlier, she might as well enjoy teasing him a little!
But after just two bites, as she was about to take the third, Qiao An suddenly noticed a large face appearing right in front of her!
Handsome as it was, it was so close that it startled her.
Qiao An leaned back slightly, keeping the bowl steady, and saw Gu Ting leaning in to sniff the aroma, blinking a couple of times before staring fixedly at the noodles in the bowl, his eyes filled with longing. Though his expression remained largely unchanged from before.
“Heh, want some now?” Qiao An said triumphantly.
Gu Ting still didn’t speak, but his reaction proved it, he slowly leaned forward a little more, then licked the rim of the bowl, before looking at her with sparkling eyes.
If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging like a propeller.
Qiao An: “...”
Alright, alright, she was defeated.
She had intended the food for him all along.
Qiao An’s heart softened again under his gaze, and she stopped teasing him, picking up the chopsticks to feed him.
Gu Ting was very obedient, leaning in to eat. His pale lips eagerly met the chopsticks, clearly starving.
He was still propped up on the bed with one hand, his injured hand carefully held up, yet he showed no sign of discomfort. As he ate, he even narrowed his eyes contentedly.
Qiao An fed him two mouthfuls, but as he leaned closer and closer, almost pressing against her chest, she finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly made him sit up.
As he sat up, the quilt slipped down.
Qiao An blushed shamefully, her eyes darting away for a moment, and her movements slowed.
This slight delay made Gu Ting a bit impatient. He hooked the bowl back again, biting the rim as he tilted his head to look up at her. His eyes held a faint glimmer of moisture, looking pitiful and somewhat aggrieved, as if to say: Why aren’t you feeding me anymore?