LUO YAN quickly noticed the slight blush on Yu Jiao's cheeks. A sign that she heard what Luo Jin said. She almost resisted the urge to kick his younger brother under the table. But he knew that it was not Luo Jin's fault. Who would have predicted that Yu Jiao would appear right at this moment?
Knowing Yu Jiao, if she as much as suspected that his older brother had some kind of attraction towards her, she would definitely run as far away as possible. Or there could be another response, a totally different one than the first. She would not believe what Luo Jin said at all. The thought of Luo Ren liking her would not even cross her mind. So, she might just take it as Luo Jin being sarcastic.
If it was the latter, then his older brother would really be in trouble. After all, it's quite hard to make someone believe that you like them when that someone firmly believed the opposite – that there's no chance that they would be liked in that way.
Luo Yan was planning to say something along the lines of 'of course Brother likes Jiao Jiao, because she is a great girl'. It was not only to break the awkward silence but also to secretly instill in Yu Jiao's mind that it was not impossible for her to be liked by his older brother. But before he could do that, Yu Jiao already entered the private box and spoke first.
"S-sorry if I'm a bit late," she said, sitting beside Luo Yan. "I had to talk to the dorm manager, so it took a while before I could log in."
Hearing what she said, Luo Yan could only sigh. Seeing how she so blatantly changed the subject, it seemed like it was the latter case. She immediately put what Luo Jin said as something nonsensical. Because she, herself, didn't believe that Luo Ren would see her in that way. Most of it was probably because of her low self-esteem. It seemed like her life experience really did a number on her.
If his older brother really ended up falling for Yu Jiao, then he would definitely have one heck of a time chasing her. As early as now, Luo Yan was already lighting a small candle for Luo Ren.
Shen Ji Yun would probably have a better luck than him.
Luo Yan caught himself. Why the heck did he think of that? It's like he's saying that it would be easier for Shen Ji Yun to chase him than for his older brother to chase Yu Jiao. He shook his head. How could he suddenly arrive at that conclusion while thinking about the situation of his older brother and Yu Jiao? He was probably still thinking of that video call he had with Shen Ji Yun. That's why his thoughts veered off that way.
"It's okay, we haven't waited that long," he just said. "Your dorm manager didn't scold, did she?"
"Oh no, she just asked me about some things," Yu Jiao answered, finally able to calm down.
She was actually quite fl.u.s.tered when she heard Luo Jin said about his eldest brother liking her. She didn't hear their conversation that led up to that sentence, he only heard that last part. But it's not hard to think that Luo Jin was probably just joking. It's okay if he was just talking about Luo Ren liking her because she was a decent human being. But if it was a different kind of 'like', then that's just impossible.
How could such a successful man ever be interested in her in that way? Although that embarrassing incident happened between her and Luo Ren, it was nothing more but an accident. It didn't mean anything. And since he already apologized to her, she already decided to forget all about it. He was Luo Yan's older brother. And since she's Luo Yan's friend, she was sure that meeting Luo Ren again in the future would be unavoidable. So, it's better if there would ne awkwardness between them in the future.
"That's good," Luo Yan said, then he raised Eclipse and put him on the table. "I hope you still remember my pet, Eclipse."
"Of course." Yu Jiao smiled down at the fox and ruffled his head. "Hello, Eclipse."
The little fox rubbed his fluffy head on Yu Jiao's palm. [Mashter, Eclipse likes this friend. He's very handsome.]
Luo Yan chuckled. "He likes you."
"I'm glad then," Yu Jiao said, enjoying the feel of the fox's soft fur.
"Should we order food?" Luo Yan asked.
"No, there's no need. Let's just talk about the weapons of the both of you. From what Yan Yan said to me yesterday, both of you are using dual-wield weapons. Daggers and guns. Can you tell me if you have any particular design in mind for your weapons?" Yu Jiao asked, getting straight to the point.
"Ah Jin, go ahead, you can go first," Luo Yan said to his younger brother.
Luo Jin glanced at Yu Jiao. He still felt a bit uncomfortable thinking of the possibility that his eldest brother actually liked Yu Jiao. Not that he was discriminating against her. For sure, she was too timid and shy for her own good. But she's certainly a whole lot better in comparison to most girls. He just couldn't get used to the idea that his eldest brother could be interested in a girl.
His adorable little face scrunched up a bit. Then he answered, "You can do any design you want. Just don't make it too tacky. A simple design should do. But I also want them to make me look cool."
That last part almost made Luo Yan laugh. That just showed that he was still a teenage boy.
"Okay, I'll take a note of that," Yu Jiao said. Then she turned to Luo Yan. "How about you, Yan Yan?"
"I trust Yu Jiao's judgement. So, I'll leave the design to you," Luo Yan said.
Yu Jiao felt a bit shy hearing that. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to make the best weapon for the both of you."
"And I have no doubt about that," Luo Yan said. "Jiao Jiao is so talented, after all. Don't you think so too, Ah Jin?"
Luo Jin frowned, wondering why Luo Yan had to include him in their conversation. He really didn't want to answer. But then he felt his shin being kicked under the table. It's not a hard kick, just enough to get his attention. He raised his head and looked at his second brother.
Luo Yan was smiling at him. But it was not one of his real smiles nor one of those excruciatingly sweet smiles. It's one of his threatening smiles. The one he used when he wanted to threaten someone but still wanted to appear all harmless.
So, Luo Jin quickly understood that the other wanted him to praise Yu Jiao. Seriously, why was he the only one in the family who had to suffer this black version of Luo Yan. Sometimes, he wished that their father and older brother could experience it too.
But despite complaining, he still cooperated. "Yes, I believe Yu Jiao could make us the best weapon."
"T-thank you," Yu Jiao said shyly.
Luo Yan smiled. He probably couldn't help his older brother in wooing Yu Jiao, if ever he decided on doing so. After all, no matter how many times he praised Luo Ren in front of Yu Jiao, it wouldn't matter at all if she couldn't believe his feelings for him. But he certainly could help his friend to lift up her self-esteem.
Because such an amazing and kind girl deserved to be more confident about herself. And he's willing to provide support until Yu Jiao realized that.