"You only drop by occasionally... and now you won't even let me in?" Zhou Hao felt a touch of existential doubt.
"Hmph, what do you expect? It might be inconvenient if she's here when you come in!"
Zhou Hao was speechless.
"How is Grandpa Zhou doing now?" Yun Bujiao changed the subject, not wanting to discuss Mian Mian too much with others.
"Oh, he's much better now. The doctor said he can be discharged in a couple of days, but he might have some difficulty moving around afterwards." Zhou Hao felt a bit down when he brought this up.
"Can he manage on his own?" Yun Bujiao frowned upon hearing this.
"He should be able to. Once I get home tonight, I'll be fine. I'll ask a neighbor to bring him lunch then." Zhou Hao figured this was the best he could do for now.
"Mm, just arrange it as you see fit," Yun Bujiao nodded.
"Brother Yun, you... you treat that young lady so well, what are you hoping to gain? Do you really intend to pursue a relationship with her?" Zhou Hao looked at him with some incomprehension. People like them were worlds apart from those young ladies; how could there be a future?
"Don't talk nonsense, she's still a child! I don't want anything; I just want to treat her well. In this world, having someone you want to be good to is also a kind of happiness." Yun Bujiao understood the pain of being alone too well. Although he had friends, they couldn't dispel his loneliness. But Jiang Mianmian's appearance made his heart feel like a harbor, and he no longer felt lonely.
Thinking of her, his heart softened and sweetened. He couldn't help but smile, feeling as if his heart were smeared with honey, so sweet it was cloying.
Seeing him smiling foolishly, Zhou Hao was dumbfounded. He finally realized that even though Brother Yun always said the young lady was young, he was clearly falling for her, and deeply at that.
He also had a girl he liked, the cashier at the convenience store next to their car dealership. She was quite pretty, but he didn't even dare to speak to her. He truly admired Brother Yun's courage, willing to give anything for the person he liked.
He would spend money on her without a second thought.
Zhou Hao couldn't do that. Buying small trinkets as gifts was one thing, but spending thousands or tens of thousands at a whim was something he truly couldn't bear.
Actually, Zhou Hao was older than Yun Bujiao, but ever since they were young, Yun Bujiao had always protected him. When he was bullied, Yun Bujiao would stand up for him. That's why he felt like his elder brother and had always called him Brother Yun.
In reality, Zhou Hao was more than two years older than Yun Bujiao.
As Zhou Hao left, he felt a sense of unease. He had a feeling that Brother Yun was no longer his.
Yun Bujiao thought about Jiang Mianmian participating in a swimming competition today and that he needed to be by her side to protect her, preventing any further mishaps like yesterday. If anyone dared to plot against her again, he would not show mercy this time!
...
When Jiang Mi learned that her daughter was going to participate in a swimming competition, she specially bought her a professional swimsuit. It was a modest style, covering from the neck down to mid-thigh, in a light blue color. Mianmian looked perfect in it.
"When did you learn to swim?" Jiang Mi asked her daughter.
"Around five years old. Uncle Jin said then that my body was fine, but my constitution was a bit weak, so he asked Dad to find me a swimming coach. I've been swimming ever since, and now my health is excellent! I even completed the long-distance running race yesterday and came in third," Mianmian happily shared with her mother.
Jiang Mi felt both worried and overjoyed hearing her daughter's words. She had never dared to imagine that her daughter would become so healthy one day.