Chapter 2048: Self-Respect

“Third Brother!”

Song Yuan was too anxious and blurted it out.

The two of them looked over at her; Song Yuan kept her eyes fixed only on Bo Yanching, trying her best to ignore the man’s hand still wrapped around Nan Jiaojiao’s waist, the touch blatantly flirtatious and teasing.

She rolled her wheelchair over, forcing out a smile. “I was thirsty, so I came out to get some water. I heard sounds over here, turns out it’s you two.”

Bo Yanching asked mildly, “Still not asleep?”

Song Yuan pressed her lips together, sounding a little shy. “Not yet. I’m pretty used to staying at Grandma’s, it’s just… I miss my parents so much…”

“I’ll buy you a ticket, you can fly back first thing in the morning?”

With that one line, Bo Yanching pushed back all the pretentious things she’d been about to say.

Buy what ticket!

Can he really not hear what she’s implying?

“No need for that… That’d be too rushed. My leg still hasn’t healed. My parents wanted to take me away before, but with my injury it’s not convenient for me to get on a plane.”

Bo Yanching gave a faint “mm” in response.

He didn’t pick up the topic, and Song Yuan only felt more awkward. Yet she was already here, this close, and they’d exchanged a few lines, but Bo Yanching was still leaning down, keeping Nan Jiaojiao locked in his arms, not even changing his angle.

It was like talking to her was just because someone suddenly showed up, so he casually humored her with a couple of sentences, and then his eyes went right back to holding nothing but Nan Jiaojiao.

“What flavor do you want? Nothing spicy, it’s the middle of the night—spicy’ll burn your stomach.”

Nan Jiaojiao pouted. “But I just want spicy.”

Bo Yanching tapped her forehead. “I already said no spicy. You doing this on purpose?”

“It’s no good if it’s not spicy!”

“Then I’m not cooking. I’m going back to bed.”

Bo Yanching made as if to pick her up, and Nan Jiaojiao hurriedly braced against his arm to push him back down, pretending to be good while bargaining. “Then just one spoon… half a spoon? A tiny bit of chili. You’ve at least got to drip a few drops of chili oil, otherwise if it’s just clear broth I can’t eat it.”

“Heh.”

Bo Yanching chuckled. There was the sound of water boiling in the kitchen. He lifted Nan Jiaojiao down from the dining table; there was a soft cushion on the chair, and he set her on it, then lowered his head to press a kiss to her cheek. “Wait here, I’ll go cook it for you.”

As he turned away, Nan Jiaojiao deliberately reached for his waist, wanting to give him a pinch. He didn’t even look back; his hand swung behind him, catching her hand perfectly, giving it a squeeze before tossing it away.

“Third Brother!”

Song Yuan called out to him again. “Didn’t I tell you tonight, I have something I want to talk to you about?”

Bo Yanching slanted her a glance. “If you’ve got something to say, say it later. My water’s boiling.”

“Ah?”

What water?

Song Yuan didn’t really get what he meant.

Bo Yanching had already gone into the kitchen. Curious, she moved herself closer, and actually saw him personally boiling water and cooking noodles.

And Nan Jiaojiao was just sitting at the dining table, looking like it was the most natural thing in the world. The moment Song Yuan saw that, her temper flared.

“Miss Nan, are you always this lacking in self-respect?”

Nan Jiaojiao felt baffled. “Lacking in what respect?”

“Self-respect!” Song Yuan deliberately lowered her voice, staring at her coldly, increasingly convinced this woman not only had no manners, she also didn’t know her place.

Nan Jiaojiao found it funny. “And who exactly am I supposed to be respecting myself for?”

“Obviously for…”

Song Yuan almost blurted it out, then suddenly realized and bit her lip, swallowing the rest of the sentence back down.

Nan Jiaojiao kindly spelled out what she meant: “For Bo Yanching, right? He’s practically my husband already, why would I need to ‘respect myself’ around him—am I sick or something?”

Song Yuan clenched her teeth in jealous anger. “You’re not even married yet, and you keep calling him that. You’re practically lowering your own class, and dragging down Third Brother’s dignity too!”