Vol. 1 - Ch. 81 - Do I look so fragile?

The bustling commercial street was crowded with people as HuMing and Ye QiuXue quickly entered a buffet restaurant.Throughout the walk, Ye QiuXue didn't speak to HuMing, sensing that he needed some time to cool down. Dealing with such a situation was never pleasant.

What surprised her was how decisive HuMing had been earlier, with not a hint of hesitation. It seemed he was thoroughly disappointed with those two.

Ye QiuXue pursed her lips, feeling she couldn't be as firm as HuMing. After all, those two people were still related to her by blood.

"President, I'm hungry!"

HuMing turned around, pointing to his stomach with a mock pitiful look.

Ye QiuXue couldn't help but laugh at HuMing's sudden, playful act. The earlier tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate instantly.

The sizzle of meat cooking on the grill filled the air. Both Ye QiuXue and HuMing wore aprons, but it was Ye QiuXue who was handling the grilling.

HuMing propped his chin on his hand, setting his phone aside and watching Ye QiuXue cook.

In the past, there had always been topics to discuss, but now, the two of them found themselves at a loss for words.

After a moment, HuMing recalled the man he had encountered that night and noted that Ye QiuXue's reaction to him had been somewhat strange.

"President, I never heard you talk about your family. Is it something you prefer not to talk about?"

HuMing's question caused Ye QiuXue to pause in the middle of grilling. The piece of meat she had been holding slipped from her chopsticks.

Her expression shifted from a look of delight to caution and reserve.

'Oh no, I shouldn't have asked!'

HuMing felt a twinge of regret. He realized there was no need for him to inquire about Ye QiuXue's family matters; everyone has their own difficulties.

But Zhao Wei and Lu GuiFang's recent appearance had piqued his curiosity about Ye QiuXue's thoughts on them.

Ye QiuXue picked up the piece of meat again with her chopsticks and turned it over, but she didn't remain silent this time.

"HuMing, what do you think of your parents?"

The corridor was bustling with people, and the noise inside the restaurant made it hard to hear anything clearly.

Yet, at that moment, HuMing felt that everything around them had quieted down.

He could clearly hear Ye QiuXue's words, but seeing her lost in thought, HuMing took the chopsticks from her hand and said,

"Forget it, President. Don't force yourself if you don't want to talk about it. Let's just enjoy the food!"

Ye QiuXue stared blankly at HuMing, watching him seriously grill the meat. A smile of relief spread across her face.

Why was she dwelling on the opinions of two people who didn't care about her?

Even if there was a connection, it was all in the past.

And then there was HuMing, who clearly cared more about her feelings. Some bonds really do seem quite laughable.

Ye QiuXue sighed and then looked at HuMing with a hint of resignation.

"HuMing, do I look so fragile to you?"

"I think you're just too skinny. Look at those thin arms and legs---you're like a mosquito'."

"If you keep saying that, I'll punch you!" Ye QiuXue raised her fist playfully, making HuMing quickly beg for mercy.

Ye QiuXue laughed happily, resting her chin on her hand and watching HuMing cook.

"Han HuMing, actually, my family situation isn't much different from yours."

HuMing nodded quietly, not interrupting.

Now, he was just a listener.

It seemed that HuMing's action had a comforting effect on Ye QiuXue, and once she started, she couldn't stop.

"Do you know? Since I was in elementary school, I've been living with my grandmother. They divorced--- That man married a young, beautiful woman, and that woman married into a wealthy family. And I was left to live with my grandmother.

"They gave up on me. Maybe they thought that having me around would be a burden."

Ye QiuXue shook her head, her past memories replaying vividly.

She didn't want to recall those people, but every time she saw HuMing's parents, she couldn't help but think of her own situation.

She would ask herself if she had the same determination as HuMing.

The answer was uncertain.

HuMing watched Ye QiuXue, seeing her forced smile. He wanted to tell her to stop, but seeing that she seemed to need to vent, he remained silent.

"Grandma is so good to me, so why should I think about them? I held onto this thought all the way through until high school. But why is that man showing up now? He had so many opportunities before..."

Ye QiuXue clenched her fists, her frustration growing stronger.

Just then, a pair of chopsticks holding a piece of meat extended toward her bowl. She was momentarily taken aback, then looked up at the boy before her.

HuMing raised an eyebrow, his mouth curling into a smile.

"Have some meat. Think of those people as the roast meat, and eat them up to digest your frustration!"

"..."

Ye QiuXue looked at the piece of meat in her bowl, momentarily lost in thought. She felt like she had been transported back to the small, shabby house in the countryside.

Her grandmother would put food in her bowl, smiling and encouraging her to eat.

She picked up the meat and took a bite of the flavorful, cumin-spiced piece.

Although the texture of the meat was strange, she found it surprisingly delicious.

"That day when I went home, I ran into a man."

HuMing didn't explicitly say it was Ye QiuXue's father, but she immediately understood who he was referring to.

The day the man approached her, he told her not to go home with his male classmates. It must have been HuMing he was referring to.

But judging by his tone, did he do something to HuMing?

Feeling anxious, she looked at HuMing and asked, "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"He warned me not to get close to you and even tried to take action. I fought back."

"Thank god you're not hurt." Ye QiuXue sighed in relief.

"If he heard about this, it would probably upset him greatly."

"Why should he have any say in what kind of life I lead or who I befriend? And he doesn't even know what happened that night!"

Ye QiuXue's tone brimmed with dissatisfaction, but her puffed-up expression made HuMing unable to hold back a smile.

He picked up a piece of meat and placed it into Ye QiuXue's bowl, then added another piece to his own. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ n0vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"President, it seems like our situations are quite similar."

"So, HuMing, you must succeed and amaze everyone who looks down on you!"

"Let's toast to that goal!"

HuMing raised his cup of cola, clinking it with Ye QiuXue's.

The bubbles fizzed as their glasses met, and the exhaust fan absorbed the white mist from the grill.

As HuMing shared intriguing stories and amusing anecdotes, Ye QiuXue's eyes sparkled with smiles. HuMing, while grilling meat for her, subtly bridged the gap between them.

Some things seemed to have quietly changed.