Around 11:30 AM, Su Yudiel quietly reached over and poked the back of Zhuang Zi'ang's hand.
"What is it?" Zhuang Zi'ang looked up from his book.
"I'm hungry," Su Yudiel pouted, looking pitiful.
Zhuang Zi'ang was speechless. She was a bottomless pit.
Didn't we just finish eating shaomai?
They returned the books and left the library.
Finally able to speak out loud, Su Yudiel seemed especially happy, like a bird released from its cage.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, what are we having for lunch?"
Zhuang Zi'ang started listing off: "Hot pot, skewers, milk tea, ice cream..."
Just listening to him list all the delicious food made Little Butterfly drool.
But then he changed his tone. "We can't have any of those."
"Huh?" The light in Little Butterfly's eyes instantly dimmed.
"I'm just a poor student with no income. If we keep eating lavish meals, I'll end up starving on the streets," Zhuang Zi'ang said, poking her forehead.
Su Yudiel quickly unzipped her bag and took out two twenty-yuan bills.
"This is all I have today, but you have to leave me enough for the bus ride back."
Zhuang Zi'ang smiled and asked, "Is your bag some kind of magic money tree? Does it sprout money every day?"
Su Yudiel replied, "No, every morning my grandma puts money in it. Since I bought you breakfast this morning, there's not much left."
Hearing this, Zhuang Zi'ang was even more reluctant to spend her money.
He thought for a moment. "I know a place that has good and cheap clay pot noodles. Want to go?"
"Of course, as long as there's food," Su Yudiel said with a cheerful smile.
This girl really wasn't picky about food.
The clay pot rice noodle place Zhuang Zi'ang mentioned was near his apartment complex.
It was run by a middle-aged couple who were honest and offered fair prices.
When he didn't have food at home, he would often come here for a meal.
When they arrived at the shop, it was almost exactly noon.
It was lunchtime, and the place was packed with customers, bustling with a lively atmosphere.
As soon as Su Yudiel appeared, she immediately attracted many gazes.
Zhuang Zi'ang quickly found them a seat, tucking her into the corner.
They ordered two chicken soup rice noodles. The owner's wife quickly brought them over.
The soup was clear and fragrant.
Su Yudiel couldn't wait and took a sip of the soup, scalding her tongue in the process.
"Slow down. People will think I've starved you for three days," Zhuang Zi'ang teased.
"This soup is so good," Su Yudiel said with a smile.
It seemed like there was no food she didn't like. A girl who isn't picky is easy to please.
They ate their rice noodles and chatted.
Of course, most of the time, Su Yudiel was talking, and Zhuang Zi'ang was quietly listening.
He listened to her share the jokes she had read all morning.
Even ordinary jokes became hilarious after she retold them in her own way.
When Zhuang Zi'ang looked at her, his eyes were filled with a gentle smile.
They tacitly avoided mentioning the Nan Jing again.
The world of medicine is vast and profound, but the more you know, the more helpless you often feel.
In the face of countless diseases, what medicine can actually do is very limited.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, didn't you run away from home? What are you doing back here?"
An unwelcome voice suddenly came from the side.
Zhuang Zi'ang turned his head and saw Zhuang Yuhang's defiant eyes.
He was there with a few classmates from the same apartment complex, also having rice noodles.
Because he had been scolded yesterday, he harbored even more hostility towards Zhuang Zi'ang, not even calling him "brother" anymore.
Zhuang Zi'ang didn't want to deal with him. He didn't say a word and looked away.
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"Who's this?" Su Yudiel looked at Zhuang Yuhang curiously.
"My dad's son," Zhuang Zi'ang said casually.
"So...that's your younger brother?" Su Yudiel took a moment to figure out their relationship.
On the first day she met Zhuang Zi'ang, he had mentioned that he didn't get along with his family.
But she didn't expect his younger brother to be so spoiled.
Zhuang Yuhang felt slighted by the lack of response and pointed at Zhuang Zi'ang's nose. "I heard you've been talking trash about me behind my back."
Zhuang Zi'ang replied coldly, "It wasn't trash talk, it was the truth."
"It's none of your business whether I'm doing well in school or not. Even my parents haven't said anything," Zhuang Yuhang said, becoming increasingly angry.
Because Zhuang Zi'ang was so outstanding, he made his younger brother look like a failure in comparison.
He had been holding back his resentment, and now he finally had a chance to vent.
The kids sitting with Zhuang Yuhang also chimed in, egging him on with their jeers.
"Yuhang, is this your half-brother from the same father?"
"I heard he's a joke in your family."
"A bookworm who only knows how to study, how boring."
...
Zhuang Yuhang laughed. "Yeah, he can be really annoying sometimes."
Hearing this, Zhuang Zi'ang clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking.
Su Yudiel stood up abruptly and stared at Zhuang Yuhang. "How can you talk like that at such a young age? He's your brother!"
Zhuang Yuhang gave Su Yudiel a dismissive look. "Who are you? This is our family's business. Mind your own business."
Su Yudiel couldn't believe that this spoiled, willful child came from the same family as Zhuang Zi'ang.
Zhuang Zi'ang was so kind and gentle.
"Your brother is so good to you. Didn't he buy you a cake a few days ago?" Su Yudiel still tried to reason with Zhuang Yuhang.
"My dad bought me a very expensive birthday cake. Who needs his cheap cake? I kicked him out of the house that night," Zhuang Yuhang said with a sneer.
His words were particularly jarring to those around them.
How could a ten-year-old be so full of malice?
He was terrified that even a tiny bit of his father's love would be taken away by Zhuang Zi'ang.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, you big dummy," Su Yudiel looked at Zhuang Zi'ang, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears.
She imagined how heartbroken Zhuang Zi'ang must have been that night.
But the next day, this big dummy smiled and told her that his brother loved the cake and ate it with gusto, getting cream all over his face.
He painted a beautiful picture of brotherly love.
Although she knew Zhuang Zi'ang was lying at the time, she never imagined the truth would be even more cruel.
How tormented must Zhuang Zi'ang's heart have been that whole night?
How disappointed must someone be in their family to run away from home without a second thought, never wanting to return?
"Being with someone like him, you must not be a decent girl either," Zhuang Yuhang said, giving Su Yudiel a disdainful once-over.
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a sharp sting on his cheek.
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Zhuang Zi'ang raised his hand and slapped Zhuang Yuhang across the face, sending him sprawling to the floor.
The sharp sound of the slap startled everyone in the small restaurant.
All eyes turned to them.
"Are you crazy? How dare you hit me?" Zhuang Yuhang lay on the ground, looking up at Zhuang Zi'ang with fear in his eyes.
In his memory, Zhuang Zi'ang had always been mild-mannered, or rather, a pushover.
He never thought he would actually dare to hit him.
Zhuang Zi'ang looked down at Zhuang Yuhang coldly. "I'll hit you, so what? Do I need a reason?"