Normanis chuckled, seeing her ravenous look, and felt a pang of sadness. How many years had it been since Duoduo had eaten her mother's cooking?
"Eat while it's hot. There's plenty, I made a lot. Eat as much as you want..."
As Normanis finished speaking, Jian You could no longer contain herself.
"Mr. and Mrs. Norman, please eat too..."
With that, Jian You picked up a bowl and started eating. She took a big sip of the soup first. Mmm, so delicious...
"Slow down..."
Jian You nodded vaguely, placed the bowl on the table, and the next moment she grabbed a dumpling with ruffled edges. She bit into it, and the meat juice burst into her mouth. It was fragrant but not greasy, with a thin dumpling skin that completely satisfied Jian You's taste buds.
She ate one after another as if savoring a delicacy, and soon the bowl of dumplings with soup was empty, not even a drop of soup left.
She looked up and saw everyone watching her, and... they hadn't touched their chopsticks.
"Why aren't you eating? They're delicious. Mrs. Norman's cooking is excellent."
Yao Qianya looked at Jian You, who had finished eating, feeling both satisfied and on the verge of tears.
Seeing her child eat her food with such contentment was perhaps the simplest happiness for any mother.
Yao Qianya immediately picked up her chopsticks, lowered her head, and a tear fell into her bowl. "It's good that you liked it..."
Normanis took her bowl and refilled it for her, even more full than the previous one. He didn't spill a single drop of soup.
"Thank you, sir."
Jian You took it, said a thank you, and started eating again. Normanis glanced at her, then also picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly, as if savoring something particularly delicious...
There was no one else in the room, and an indescribable warmth permeated the air.
Soon, Jian You finished first. She saw Normanis and the others eating elegantly and then looked at her own empty bowl, feeling a bit... embarrassed.
She usually wasn't picky about food, eating whatever was available, and she didn't have any particular favorites. But it seemed there were exceptions, and quite a few exceptions in their family...
"Are you full?"
Although Normanis was eating, he was constantly paying attention to Jian You's movements, so he knew as soon as she put down her hands.
Jian You calmly arranged her bowl and chopsticks. "I'm done."
Normanis felt like laughing at the sight, but he pretended not to see anything and quietly put down his chopsticks. Yao Qianya and Norman Ziyue also stopped shortly after.
Moments of reunion are always so brief. Jian You was already asleep in the hospital room, while Normanis and his wife outside were still contemplating what else Jian You might need.
Soon, the sky began to brighten...
Jian You woke up early. Normanis couldn't delay any longer and had to see her off... to the car.
If they had taken her to the station, she would have surely become suspicious, so they could only see her off this far.
Jian You watched Normanis put her suitcase in, and she was about to get into the car.
Unexpectedly, a voice called out to her from behind: "Jian You."
Jian You put her foot down and turned around to see Yao Qianya looking reluctant.
She suddenly stepped forward... and hugged her, very gently.
"You need to take good care of yourself. Don't get hurt again. Rest well after you get there. If you need anything, find us. Don't try to bear everything alone, okay?"
Jian You had never experienced such a farewell. The old man had always just kicked her out.
So she looked helplessly at Yao Qianya, who was holding her tightly. The force of the hug and the scent from her nose felt unfamiliar, yet... they stirred a trace of reluctance in her.
As time ticked by...
Jian You finally pushed Yao Qianya away, then immediately turned around and strode to the car. The car door slowly closed, shutting out all visibility...
The next moment, after the bodyguard greeted Mr. Norman, the car quickly drove away. Gradually, it became like a small speck of light, fleetingly disappearing...
"Duoduo..."
Yao Qianya cried and chased after it, but her high heels hindered her. She had only run a few meters before the car turned the corner at the intersection ahead.
Normanis held her in his arms and said gently, "We'll see her again soon..."
Elder Jian had said that if it weren't for them, Duoduo's medication would have already worn off. He predicted that, barring any accidents, it would be about half a month after she left.
A car sped off in one direction...
Jian You watched the rapidly receding scenery outside the window, and many people appeared in her mind.
The first person she saw when she woke up was the old man. She had seen him as her only support, but little did she know that he would later abandon her, letting her fend for herself.
He had said she was found at sea and needed surgery. Then he gave her medicine and injected her with something. When she woke up again, her face had... changed.
At the same time, her personality had become colder, and she disliked interacting with people. So she didn't ask questions. Instead, the old man approached her himself.
He said that changing her face was for her protection, and since he had no family, he couldn't protect her. Therefore, he sent her to an organization for self-preservation, advising her not to trust anyone and to avoid any contact with others.
He didn't say much else. He usually tended to herbs and would occasionally disappear for a few days. When he returned, villagers from nearby would come, using the medicine he had just brought back.
He didn't charge anything, and even prepared hot water for them to drink. At that time, she knew that the old man wasn't as bad as he appeared. He was only special to her. He had never intended to harm her; in fact, he had saved her.
So, seeing the old man like that, she thought he was very poor. She gave him all the money she earned.
Even the villagers said that he had been treating people for free for many years, only accepting vegetables and eggs, nothing else, let alone cash, though they didn't have much money anyway.
She had trusted him implicitly then. She would listen to everything he said. But gradually, things changed. She began to have normal human reactions. Her teammates only touched her a little, but what truly moved her deeply was...
Their superior!
She couldn't explain the feeling, but seeing their family happy made her feel warm and inexplicably drawn to them. She couldn't control it...
She wanted to believe in people other than the old man. And her actions in the past two days had shown her that she could risk her life for them...
Jian You lightly touched the car window and slowly drew... a heart.