"JIAO JIAO, what did Brother give you?" Luo Yan asked.
He was inside Yu Jiao's blacksmith shop. After he got back home from the other's apartment, he logged into the game and teleported to her shop. He waited there because he knew that Yu Jiao would come, eventually. This shop was her business, so she would always spend her time here every night during the weekdays and most of the time on the weekends.
"Handsome brother, did Master's brother give you a gift?" Eclipse suddenly interjected before Yu Jiao could even answer.
Yu Jiao, who was asked suddenly by this duo, became flustered. Not just because of Luo Yan's question, but because of Eclipse's as well. She didn't know which one to feel embarrassed at first. Luo Yan asking about Luo Ren's gift or Eclipse calling her handsome.
"Eclipse, how many times do I have to tell you that this brother is actually a sister," Luo Yan said to Eclipse as if scolding the other, but his tone wasn't really that severe so it didn't feel like he was reprimanding Eclipse.
"But handsome brother is so handsome. How can he be a sister?" Eclipse said with a tilt of his head.
"Well, I can't fault you for thinking so. Our Jiao Jiao is indeed handsome."
"Okay, both of you, stop," Yu Jiao said with a reddened face.
She had a sense that if she didn't intervene and put a stop to the conversation of the two, her face would become even more flushed with embarrassment from all the compliments they were heaping on her.
"Brother Ren gave me a pair of earrings," she finally said, just to stop them from asking again.
"Earrings?"
When Luo Yan heard that, he suddenly remembered what his brother a conversation he had with his brother.
"Yan Yan, what kind of gift would you appreciate more, something expensive but special or something handmade but made of expensive materials?"
Luo Yan looked at his brother, who came to his room and suddenly asked this question. It didn't take a genius to know that the other asked that because of Yu Jiao's upcoming birthday. He truly wanted to tease him, but seeing such a serious expression on the other, Luo Yan simply couldn't bring himself to. So, he decided to just be honest.
"If it was me, I would prefer something handmade," he said. "Because I would know that the person who gave it to me made an effort and that they thought about it thoroughly. It would feel like I was receiving something that was from the heart."
"Something from the heart..." Luo Ren mumbled. Then, as if receiving enlightenment, he smiled at Luo Yan and said, "Thank you, Yan Yan."
Luo Yan watched as his brother walked out of his room, not even waiting for his response. He couldn't help but shake his head, amused by how deeply Luo Ren seemed to be smitten with Yu Jiao.
So, if his brother followed his advice, did that mean that he made the earrings himself?
Luo Yan expected that the other would give a handmade gift. But he thought it would be along the lines of a personalized scrapbook or even hand sewn sweater or something. But his brother really went to the next level and made a handmade jewelry.
"What kind of earring is it?" he asked, curious.
"It's an earring with a garnet drop."
So, it's not just a simple earring then. He wondered when did Luo Ren found the time to make one. Or better yet, where did he even learn it from?
At that thought, he couldn't help but imagine the other attending some class about how to make a handmade earring. Or maybe he even went to a facility that made personalized jewelry. Either way, it's obvious how much effort Luo Ren put into this gift. As his brother, he should help him in ensuring that that effort wouldn't be in vain.
"Hmm... Brother asked me probably a week before your birthday, what would be better, an expensive one or something handmade? I said it's the latter. I wonder if he followed my suggestion."
He said that as if he was talking to himself and not saying it directly to Yu Jiao. Like he was truly wondering what it was between the two, even if he already knew the answer.
It's because he couldn't directly say that his brother most likely made the earrings from scratch. If he did, it was almost like he was directly saying that his brother had special feelings for her. So, the next best thing he could do was to imply what he wanted to say without directly saying it.
He didn't want to tell the other that Luo Ren liked her. Which was almost the same if he told him about the truth behind the gift. That's his brother's job, not his. The best thing he could do was to give comments like this, so Yu Jiao would at least feel that Luo Ren wasn't treating her as just a friend of his younger brother, but someone actually special.
Even if her brain and mind would rational things right now and wouldn't think that that was possible, at least this thought would be buried in her subconscious. So, once Luo Ren confessed, it wouldn't really come off as something unbelievable.
Yu Jiao was very surprised when she heard what Luo Yan had just said. Because wouldn't it mean that Luo Ren made that pair of earrings himself? She shook her head. How could that be possible? Would someone as busy even have the time to do that? Luo Ren must have bought it somewhere.
Yes, that's it.
But as if trying to refute what she just thought, Eclipse suddenly said;
"Then, did Master's handsome older brother gave handmade earrings to this handsome brother?" Then, the kid turned to Yu Jiao, tilting his head to the side. "Are you going to be lovers with Master's handsome brother? Just like Master and Captain?"
Luo Yan felt like his 'carefulness' was destroyed at that second. He looked at Yu Jiao. And when he saw the other blushing furiously, he seriously considered making this little fox bald.