Gu Yuan seemed to be under a body-binding spell as he suddenly froze. A hint of surprise and confusion slowly rose in his frail eyes, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable.
Why was this little fatty saying such things to him?
A brief coughing sound echoed in the room. He lowered his eyelashes and slowly placed the chess piece he had hesitated over for a long time on the board.
He didn’t need anyone’s pity. Not from anyone.
The winter in the south wasn’t that cold. The soft wisps of breeze in the air weren’t as biting as in true winter.
Gu Yuan lifted his gaze, his dim eyes falling on the fallen leaves swirling outside the window, until Doctor Auntie handed him the Vibrating Vest. Only then did he cooperatively extend his arms.
Zhou Chiyu sprawled on the edge of the bed, his chubby little face full of curiosity. “Auntie? What’s that you’re putting on Brother? Does it have magic?”
Doctor Auntie explained gently, “You could say it has magic. It helps Brother clear the phlegm from his airways.”
“What’s phlegm?” Zhou Chiyu didn’t understand these medical terms, but he realized Gu Yuan was sick.
Doctor Auntie pressed the switch, and the machine hummed with vibrations.
Zhou Chiyu toddled over on his short legs, clutching his gift curiously as he ran to the other side of the bed to watch Gu Yuan’s reaction alongside Doctor Auntie.
Gu Yuan looked in great pain, fine beads of sweat continuously seeping from his forehead.
After just two seconds, a soft, pudgy little hand gently landed on Gu Yuan’s back.
Gu Yuan opened his eyes and looked at Zhou Chiyu in confusion.
“It doesn’t hurt, oh. Brother is the bravest!”
When Zhou Chiyu had been sick and gotten shots, his parents had comforted him just like this. Mimicking his mother’s posture, he gently patted Gu Yuan’s back. “You’re even more amazing than the Soya Little Prince who defeated the monster!”
Gu Yuan stared at him for a long moment before he gently turned his head away, dodging Zhou Chiyu’s hand.
“Young Master Zhou, it’s time for lunch.”
Gu Yuan’s meals were slightly different from everyone else’s. Due to pancreatic insufficiency, he needed to intake more calories than a normal child.
The aroma of the food kept wafting into Zhou Chiyu’s nose. He stood on tiptoe, chasing after the meal cart with intense scrutiny. “Beautiful Auntie, did you make all these delicious dishes?”
The servant nodded shyly. “Yes, Young Master Zhou.”
“Your cooking is amazing.” Zhou Chiyu turned around, looking at Gu Yuan with full expectation. “Brother, may I invite you to have lunch together?”
Gu Yuan glanced at him and, supporting himself on the bedrail, got out of bed.
His steps were very light. Because he was so thin, the loose hem of his clothes swayed gently with his movements.
Looking at Zhou Chiyu’s greedy expression, he kept his little face stern. “You got it backwards.”
“Hm?” Though Zhou Chiyu didn’t understand what that meant, he knew the blanched Red Magic Shrimp smelled incredibly fresh.
He was half a head shorter than Gu Yuan, so Auntie had specially brought over a baby chair for him.
Gu Yuan’s appetite was very small, which often left his nutritionists frustrated because it wasn’t enough to meet his body’s needs.
“Brother, don’t be shy. Eat more.”
Zhou Chiyu slurped through his straw, gulping down more than half a glass of fruit and vegetable juice in a few big swallows. In contrast, Gu Yuan had only eaten one nut so far—and hadn’t even finished chewing it.
“Brother’s lunch is so delicious.”
Zhou Chiyu elegantly spread out his place mat and savored the lavish meal.
From a young age, his dream had been to become a food critic, vowing to taste every delicious thing on Earth.
“You know it’s my lunch.” Gu Yuan raised his eyebrow slightly.
“Of course I know. Eat more, don’t be shy.”
Before Gu Yuan could refuse, Zhou Chiyu had already placed a piece of beef onto his plate.
Zhou Chiyu didn’t notice Gu Yuan’s disgust at all. In his eyes, sharing food was one way to express affection.
“Little Fish, want Auntie to peel the shrimp for you?”
“Thanks, Auntie. I can do it.”
The shells of the Red Magic Shrimp posed no challenge for Zhou Chiyu. He held a fork in his left hand and deftly picked with chopsticks in his right, cleanly extracting the whole shrimp meat.
Doctor Auntie praised in surprise from the side. “Baby, how old are you?”
“Four and a half.” Zhou Chiyu shared his own shrimp meat with Gu Yuan too, then said in the tone of his kindergarten teacher, “Little friend Gu Yuan, you have to eat properly, okay? You’re so skinny, a big wind might blow you away.”
Gu Yuan ignored him and nibbled at the chicken on his plate.
“Brother, you can’t eat like that.”
Zhou Chiyu jumped down from the baby chair, hands on his hips, imitating his kindergarten teacher’s tone. “You have to eat big bites like a little tiger to grow tall and strong.”
“Childish.” Gu Yuan wasn’t buying it. After just two bites, he propped his chin on his hand and stared out the window in a daze.
Doctor Auntie was used to Gu Yuan like this.
Ever since she had started caring for him, Gu Yuan had always been listless and unhappy, nothing like a five-year-old child.
“Brother eats like a kitten.” Zhou Chiyu stuck out his tongue. “If you entered an eating contest, you’d definitely come in dead last.”
