Just as the words fell, Jiang Shixu swiftly cast his eyes downward.
His eyelashes were very long; when they fell, they could cast a small shadow on his eyelids.
It was as if a piece of flawless cold jade was suddenly veiled with a shadow by the moonlight.
At the same time, his heart also started beating violently.
This was one of the reasons he did not want to step out of his room.
Whenever he felt a gaze linger on him or someone spoke close to his ear, he would uncontrollably become tense.
So, when Jiang Li looked at him, he subconsciously tightened his fingertips and inched into the corner of the kitchen.
From Jiang Li's perspective, Jiang Shixu at this moment resembled a stray kitten.
Thin and bony, the shirt that should have fit him hung loose on his body.
He was barefoot and his hair had grown to his eyelids, nearly spilling over the dark circles beneath his eyes.
But without a doubt, he was good-looking.
His face was very small, with features that were exceptionally delicate, like a limited edition doll trapped in a display case.
Precious, yet at the same time, fragile and easily broken.
But he was in the prime of youth and should be facing such an outcome in a year.
It unavoidably made one sigh.
Reining in the thoughts in his eyes, Jiang Li took a light step forward and glanced at the bowl he had eaten completely clean.
The girl's voice was soft and gentle, carrying an inexplicably pleasant scent of jasmine flowers that assaulted Jiang Shixu.
He cautiously lifted his eyelids and quickly glanced at the person in front of him, then nodded.
He had not eaten well for a week now.
The bowl of noodles he had just eaten not only failed to fill his stomach but instead awakened his desire for more food.
But more importantly, he liked to watch her focused demeanor.
Whether it was helping the Jiang Family out of a tight spot, Dancing Gun, or cooking, she always radiated a comforting strength when immersed in something.
Jiang Li's movements were swift; in less than ten minutes, another steaming bowl of Yang Chun noodles was ready.
Like before, in the bowl was a fried, round and plump Taiyang egg.
Jiang Li took out a new pair of chopsticks and handed them to him.
Looking at the girl's calm eyes, Jiang Shixu for the first time took the initiative to step out of the shadows and carefully came forward to receive the chopsticks.
In the moment of transfer, he also touched her fingertips.
The warm sensation made his heart tremble uncontrollably.
Soon, another bowl of noodles was emptied.
Jiang Shixu fell silent for a moment, then picked up the empty bowl and looked at her.
Jiang Li raised her eyebrows a little, "Want to eat more?"
Jiang Shixu nodded vigorously.
But in return, he received Jiang Li's refusal.
"You've already eaten two bowls; hand-pulled noodles digest slowly. If you eat more, you'll feel uncomfortable when you get up tomorrow."
Jiang Shixu's head drooped down, completely becoming a pitiful little kitten.
Even he may not have realized that because of these two bowls of noodles, his resistance to Jiang Li had lessened a lot.
Not only did his wildly beating heart gradually calm down, but he also began, intentionally or not, to move closer to her.
But then Jiang Li shifted her tone.
"If you still want to eat, come find me tomorrow morning at six, and I'll make it for you."
Jiang Shixu was stunned.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, then looked towards the calm and serious Jiang Li, wanting to say something, but opened his mouth for a long time without making a sound.
Jiang Li did not seem to be waiting for his reply; she yawned and turned to leave.
Jiang Shixu panicked, set down the bowl, and reached forward to grab her clothes.
Jiang Li turned around and met his frantic and helpless gaze.
"But, but," Jiang Shixu finally managed to make some noise, "but it's already two o'clock, and if it's six tomorrow..."
"And then?" Jiang Li was still as calm as ever, "Isn't getting up at six o'clock quite normal?"
After she finished speaking, she gently pulled back her clothing, waved her hand at him saying "Goodnight, sweet dreams," and vanished at the top of the stairs without looking back.
Jiang Shixu didn't recover for a long time.
Doesn't she know that I'm sick?
It's already two o'clock, and there's no way I can fall asleep, nor could I get up at six in the morning.
But he stood there waiting for half an hour, and that figure still didn't return.
A stifled Jiang Shixu had no choice but to go back to his room and lie down on the large yet icy cold bed.
Looking at the empty ceiling, he thought stubbornly—
I won't get up at six to eat her noodles!
However, when the first rays of the morning sun slipped through the gaps in the curtains, Jiang Shixu woke up without any warning.
Looking at the ceiling with mottled tree shadows, he felt a moment of disorientation.
Did I... fall asleep?
I managed to sleep without relying on medication?
Even more surprising to him was that he hadn't dreamed at all.
Since he had become sick, he had been trapped nearly every night in the swamp of nightmares, unable to pull himself free.
This must have been the most restful sleep he had had in years.
There wasn't a trace of discomfort on his body, and even the headache had lessened quite a bit.
Moreover, after eating two bowls of noodles last night, his stomach was warm and comfortable.
The agony brought by anxiety and depression seemed to have melted away with the summer breeze into the fresh sunlight.
So... was it all because of her?
Because her change had also brought a different dawn to him?
Jiang Shixu blankly walked over to the window and drew back the curtain.
Sure enough, Jiang Li was already in the backyard, dressed in sportswear and holding a long spear.
Just like yesterday, her movements with the spear were brisk and smooth, resembling the brave warrior women who went to war in ancient times.
Jiang Shixu watched seriously for a while before suddenly remembering something and abruptly closed the window, opened the door, and ran out.
In the courtyard, Jiang Li's agile spear techniques attracted quite a few servants to stop and watch.
In just a few days, they had completely changed their opinion about this young lady who used to be known only for her arrogance.
After all, in the entire Capital, which family's young lady could get up at six in the morning to exercise?
And to wield such a heavy spear so elegantly.
Consequently, they too were eager to get up early, spirited to not be outdone by the young lady of the house.
However, what surprised them even more was yet to come.
The third young master of the Jiang Family, who had always secluded himself in his room and communicated with no one, unexpectedly made a rare appearance downstairs.
The young man hurried past a host of surprised servants, with their eyes wide in amazement, and came to a stop in front of Jiang Li.
"That, that, I got, got up on time..."
Jiang Shixu stammered.
Whether it was from a good night's sleep or running too fast, his usually pale face was tinged with a flush of pink.
Jiang Li stopped her spear practice and glanced at her watch, "But you are half an hour late, so there are no eggs left."
At this moment, Aunt Zhang cheerfully approached.
"Miss, young master, breakfast is ready. Please go eat."
It seemed only then did Jiang Shixu become aware of the people around him; his face turned pale instantly, and without thinking, he hid behind Jiang Li.
Smelling the pleasant jasmine scent coming from her, his tense nerves finally relaxed a bit.