Chapter 78: Eating

During the meal, when Gu Jin Yi saw Rong Xiu sitting on one side with Fan Xia, constantly talking to her and stealing all her attention, leaving him cold on the side, their intimate gestures hurt his eyes.

“Jin Yi, why aren’t you eating?” Fan Xia asked, noticing that Gu Jin Yi hadn’t touched his chopsticks.

Rong Xiu’s eyes coldly glanced over, also pretending to show concern as he inquired, “Yes, Jin Yi, do you find these dishes not to your liking? I’m really sorry, I didn’t know what you prefer, so I chose all the signature dishes from this restaurant. I heard other athletes like them, that’s why I ordered… If you’re not satisfied, shall we order again?”

The words seemed considerate, but in fact, they were implying that he was picky. How come everyone else likes the food, but only you don’t?

Gu Jin Yi felt as if his throat was being strangled by thorny vines. He forced a smile and said, “No, I like it very much. It’s just that seeing elder sister Fan and brother-in-law getting along so well, I feel a bit envious. It feels like I’ve become an outsider around elder sister Fan.”

Rong Xiu rested his chin on one hand, his upturned eyes carrying a faint smile, staring at Gu Jin Yi like a snake. He drawled, “What’s the matter? Is Jin Yi looking for a girlfriend?”

“I—” Gu Jin Yi lifted his head, about to say that wasn’t what he meant.

But Rong Xiu didn’t give him a chance to interject. He tilted his head towards Fan Xia and asked, “How old is Jin Yi this year?”

Fan Xia smiled and said, “Nineteen years old.”

“Nineteen already.” Rong Xiu’s lips curled slightly. “It’s time to find a girlfriend. As it happens, I know quite a few talented young women who also like athletic boys like you. Would you like me to introduce you? It’s not good for a boy to always be single.”

Gu Jin Yi glanced at Fan Xia and said, “Brother-in-law, there’s no rush. I’m still young.”

Rong Xiu’s eyes gleamed with a light laugh. “Not that young. A boy’s youth is fleeting. You’re nineteen now, next year you’ll be twenty. After dating for a couple of years, it’ll be the perfect age for marriage. Otherwise, if you wait too long, you’ll become an older single man.”

He was only nineteen, yet Rong Xiu was calling him old!

This 26-year-old leftover man, who took advantage of the situation to steal someone else’s wife, interfered in others’ marriage, snatched away elder sister Fan, and now was showing off in front of him.

Hearing the sarcasm in his words, Gu Jin Yi felt a lump in his chest. He said, “Didn’t brother-in-law also just meet elder sister Fan recently? I still have plenty of time, no need to rush.”

Rong Xiu smiled slightly after hearing this. He rested his head on Fan Xia’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Jin Yi, not everyone is as lucky as your brother-in-law to meet a responsible good woman like your elder sister Fan. Many women out there are just playing around. You need to spend time screening, figuring out who truly cares for you and who’s just after your young body. Time flies, and before you know it, you’ll be past 25. By then, if you want to find a girlfriend or get married, you’ll face quite a lot of difficulties.”

Gu Jin Yi watched him nestling against Fan Xia’s shoulder, while Fan Xia looked down at him with a faint smile. His tone turned sour: “Indeed, not everyone is as lucky as brother-in-law.”

Lucky enough to know elder sister Fan’s secret, brazenly interfering in her relationship with Wen Lan Sheng, lucky enough to climb into elder sister Fan’s bed, and even luckier to get pregnant with elder sister Fan’s child. In one smooth move, he defeated Wen Lan Sheng and successfully took his place.

Rong Xiu placed peeled shrimp meat into Fan Xia’s bowl, wiped the glossy oil from his fingertips, and said with a smile, “So brother-in-law is also looking out for you. Don’t worry, the matches I introduce will all have good family backgrounds and reliable character.”

“Thank you, brother-in-law, but I don’t want to date right now. I want to focus on playing ball,” Gu Jin Yi said, inwardly sneering.

Good family background, good character, if they’re so good, why doesn’t he marry them himself? Saying all this just to show off to him, and still shamelessly pretending to be kind, understanding, and considerate in front of elder sister Fan.

“Ah, well, if you’re not willing, I won’t force you. But you’re my wife-master’s brother, so naturally, I see you as my own little brother. If you ever get bullied in the future, you can come find me, we’ll stand up for you,” Rong Xiu said with a proper smile.

Gu Jin Yi smiled outwardly but not inwardly, poking at the crab roe tofu soup in front of him with his spoon. Suddenly, he remembered something and said with a smile, “Elder sister Fan, do you remember? When I was little and said I wanted to eat crabs, you took me to the muddy riverbank to catch crabs. We didn’t catch any crabs, but we did catch several large river clams.”

Fan Xia’s eyes rippled with a light laugh. “Not just that, you also fell on the riverbank and got covered in mud. You said you’d get beaten by dad for dirtying your clothes if you went home. You cried and held my hand, saying you didn’t dare go home and wanted to go to the orphanage with me. Other kids couldn’t wait to get away from the orphanage, but you were actually looking forward to going in.”

Gu Jin Yi’s bright eyes curved into a crescent moon as he smiled and said, “That’s because elder sister Fan was there, I felt at ease.”

Watching them exchange words, talking about past events, about a childhood that belonged only to the two of them and which he had never been part of, Rong Xiu couldn’t join in the conversation at all. He felt a bit uneasy. Now Fan Xia’s attention had been completely drawn away by Gu Jin Yi, just like on the ball field. The focused, gentle, smiling gaze that used to stay only on him was now looking at another man.

Rong Xiu bit down on his chopsticks, leaving a deep mark on the wooden tip. Gu Jin Yi’s voice in his ears irritated him. He steeled himself and pushed the chopsticks deep into his throat. A violent nausea rose from his stomach, and his face instantly turned pale.

He immediately put down the chopsticks, covered his mouth, and ran to the bathroom, vomiting nonstop. Some blood seeped out during the process, and tears flowed out involuntarily. He wiped his tears and looked up at himself in the mirror. His pale face and slightly red eyes spelled out the word ‘haggard’.

He finally walked out of the bathroom, satisfied, and saw Fan Xia waiting outside.

Seeing him come out, Fan Xia stepped forward and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Morning sickness again?”

Rong Xiu held her hand and nodded slightly. “I don’t know why, but suddenly I smelled a fishy crab roe odor, and my stomach turned. I couldn’t control it. I’m sorry for interrupting your catching up.”

Fan Xia stroked his pale, colorless face and shook her head, saying, “You’re the one suffering the most during pregnancy. It’s my fault for not being thoughtful enough. I didn’t know you can’t stand the smell of seafood now. Are you still feeling unwell?”

Rong Xiu nodded, his voice hoarse and low, “Mm, my head is a bit dizzy, and my stomach still feels queasy… You and Jin Yi rarely get to meet, so chat well. I’ll have the driver come pick me up later, it’s fine.”

“How can I let you go back alone? We’re pretty much done eating anyway, I’ll go home with you,” Fan Xia said, holding Rong Xiu’s hand as they returned to their seats to say goodbye to Gu Jin Yi.

Gu Jin Yi stood up from his seat abruptly, asking in surprise, “You’re leaving now?”

Fan Xia nodded, “Rong Xiu isn’t feeling well, I need to take him home.”

Gu Jin Yi looked at Rong Xiu behind her, who had a sickly and haggard appearance. Even though it had only been two months, nowhere near the time to show, he was deliberately sticking out his belly, as if afraid people wouldn’t know he was pregnant. What was he so proud of? Gu Jin Yi gritted his teeth.

But seeing how concerned Fan Xia was about Rong Xiu, Gu Jin Yi knew that even if he disagreed now, Fan Xia would definitely take Rong Xiu home. After all, he was now carrying Fan Xia’s child. If he forcefully made a fuss, it would only make Fan Xia unhappy.

Gu Jin Yi had no choice but to nod in agreement. The three of them got into the car together.

Fan Xia first dropped Gu Jin Yi off at the entrance of his rented apartment complex to say goodbye, then left with Rong Xiu.

Watching the vehicle disappear into the traffic, Gu Jin Yi clenched his fists in frustration and returned home.

“How was it? Did you see Fan Xia?” Li Zhou asked excitedly when he saw Gu Jin Yi return.

Gu Jin Yi slumped onto the sofa, dispirited. “I saw her, but elder sister Fan brought that man along too.”

“What? She actually brought that man to watch your game?” Li Zhou said in surprise. “…It’s obvious, that man must have found out about her meeting with us, so she had no choice but to bring him along. After all, he got his position by being the third party, so naturally, he’s more cunning than ordinary men.”

Gu Jin Yi sat on the sofa without saying a word.

“By the way, why did you come back so early? Why didn’t you invite Fan Xia to come up and sit for a while?” Li Zhou asked.

After a long while, Gu Jin Yi said, “That man made a fuss about feeling unwell and having morning sickness. We only ate halfway when elder sister Fan said she had to take him home to rest.”

“Hmph.” Li Zhou snorted coldly. “Relying on having a bun in the oven to show off.”

“Dad.” Gu Jin Yi held Li Zhou’s hand, his eyes filled with sadness. “Today at dinner, I saw elder sister Fan being so good to that man, with a gentleness I’ve never felt before. That man just had to make a little fuss, and elder sister Fan would do anything for him, spoiling him. I’m so afraid of what if elder sister Fan really likes him?”

Li Zhou sighed and said, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. Do you know why Fan Xia spoils him so much?”

Gu Jin Yi shook his head.

Li Zhou patted Gu Jin Yi’s stomach. “It’s just because that man is carrying Fan Xia’s child. Fan Xia isn’t really indulging him, she’s just afraid that if he gets upset, it will affect the child in his belly. The child is the most important thing in the world.”

Gu Jin Yi said hoarsely, “But he’s using the pregnancy to his advantage. I have no way to fight against the two of them alone.”

Li Zhou smiled and said, “Don’t worry, that child is only two months along now, can’t even tell the gender yet. Let that man gloat for a while. After three months, when we can see if it’s a boy or a girl, then we’ll know. If it’s a girl, so be it. But if it’s a boy, you’ll have your chance!”