Free Web NovelChapter 145: Chapter 145: Three’s Company
Shi Lan nodded as well.
She agreed with that sentiment. ’They’re all very capable, just not when it comes to housework.’
Everyone has their own strengths, and she could understand that.
Not long after breakfast, just as the three of them were about to leave, Chen San showed up again.
He let out a tired yawn, dark circles visible under his eyes.
The moment Shi Lan saw him, her first words were, "Chen San, you didn’t pull another all-nighter gaming, did you?"
Chen San nodded. The thing was, even in this state, he had only just laid down to rest for a bit before his mom woke him up.
After hearing that Jiang Xia had arrived, Chen San hadn’t really wanted to come over. Shi Lan already had a male protecting her, and he felt like a third wheel.
But his mom insisted that the male was completely unreliable, couldn’t even identify vegetables in the kitchen, and she had even spent the night urging his other brothers to hurry home.
Last time, Aunt Gao might have just been making a small fuss and only mentioned it to her other sons, but this time, her attitude was much firmer. Aside from her second son, who was too busy in the military to get away, she had called the other two back.
Jiang Xia’s performance yesterday had truly convinced her that Shi Lan’s suitor was far too unreliable. She was worried sick and couldn’t bear the thought of Shi Lan ending up with a male like that, feeling that she would be the one to suffer in the future.
Jiang Xia was still unaware that a single meal yesterday had caused Aunt Gao’s impression of him to plummet. He looked at Chen San, whose gaze fell upon him and Mu Tangfeng.
After a moment’s hesitation, he looked at the other male—Mu Tangfeng, who had a stern expression and whose Spiritual Power Level was also unreadable—and asked quizzically, "And who is this?"
Mu Tangfeng glanced at Jiang Xia out of the corner of his eye, silently asking who this person was, but Jiang Xia ignored him. He recalled the familiar way Shi Lan had addressed the newcomer, and despite his hostility toward the strange male, he refrained from making any rash moves.
Shi Lan explained, "This is another friend of mine. He just arrived last night."
Chen San looked at his clearly well-groomed appearance, recalled the look in Jiang Xia’s eyes when they first met, and felt a deep sense of suspicion about Shi Lan’s use of the word ’friend’.
As Shi Lan spoke, she went ahead and introduced the two of them to each other. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Mu Tangfeng was secretly relieved. ’Good thing I held my tongue just now and didn’t curse him out in front of Lanlan. This male is from Shi Lan’s adoptive mother’s family; you could call him her brother.’
So, he smoothly and naturally said, "Hello, brother."
Shi Lan: "..."
Jiang Xia: "..." ’Shameless bastard. He’s so quick to call him brother.’
Chen San: "..." ’Suddenly, I feel so old.’
Still, this guy looked to be about the same age as Shi Lan. Since he himself was several years older than her, being addressed this way didn’t seem entirely out of place.
But Chen San still found it awkwardly strange.
The other two also wore strange expressions.
Only Mu Tangfeng remained composed, as if he had no idea what the title implied and had simply used it as a casual, polite greeting.
In the end, Chen San didn’t bother to correct him. Instead, he looked at Shi Lan. "Xiao Lan, do you still need me to go with you to the orphanage today?"
Shi Lan looked at the dark shadows under his eyes and immediately shook her head. "No, it’s fine. Thanks for all your help these past few days, Chen San. You should go get some sleep. I’m pretty familiar with things now, and I’ll have Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng with me, so there won’t be any problems."
Jiang Xia chimed in, "Mhm, I’ll protect Lanlan."
Mu Tangfeng immediately followed up, "Yes, I won’t let anyone hurt her."
Chen San believed them. After all, A-level males on Yaoxing were few and far between. These two had higher Spiritual Power Levels than him, so with them around, Shi Lan would indeed be safe from any danger.
So he rubbed his eyes. "In that case, I’ll head back."
Shi Lan nodded without trying to make him stay.
A faint sense of disappointment lingered in Chen San’s heart. He probably did like Shi Lan, at least a little.
But he knew Shi Lan was a female who had seen the world. Even knowing her Spiritual Power Level was F, he didn’t think she was unworthy of the two powerhouses by her side, both of whom were Level B or higher.
If Shi Lan needed him, he would have gladly stayed by her side.
But for now, sensing he wasn’t needed, Chen San quietly left.
Shi Lan was oblivious to the complexity of Chen San’s feelings; she had only sent him home to catch up on sleep because he looked exhausted.
After Chen San left, Shi Lan first took the two of them clothes shopping.
Mu Tangfeng’s clothes were too thin, so she first took him to buy some winter wear suitable for Yaoxing’s climate.
Mu Tangfeng was much pickier about clothes than Jiang Xia. However, he couldn’t bear to tire Shi Lan out, so he just temporarily picked out two decent-looking thick coats and a set of pajamas, planning to order the rest online.
Jiang Xia bought two new sets of pajamas as well.
Shi Lan readily paid for them.
The prices on Yaoxing were truly low. The cost of all these clothes combined was less than the dark red coat Mu Tangfeng was currently wearing.
After shopping for clothes, she bought some snacks, just like before, and took them to the orphanage.
On the bus, Jiang Xia snagged the seat next to Shi Lan ahead of time. Mu Tangfeng sat in the adjacent seat, grinding his teeth, furious at himself for being too slow.
Jiang Xia gazed at the scenery rushing past the window and asked curiously, "Lanlan, is this orphanage the place you stayed at when you were little?"
Shi Lan nodded, then seemed to recall something. Her eyes fixed on the two of them. "I don’t remember telling you about my past, so how did you two seem to know about it so early on?"
Both Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng’s expressions stiffened for a moment. After a while, Jiang Xia finally explained honestly, "Lanlan, please don’t be mad."
"The truth is, when you first came to the prison, we thought you were a bad person, so we specifically investigated you. That’s why we knew about your situation not long after you arrived."
"Huh? So you knew about my spiritual power and all that, too?"
The two of them guiltily nodded again.
A subtle change flickered in Shi Lan’s eyes. She looked at Jiang Xia. "So, even though you knew my Spiritual Power Level was terrible back then, you never minded?"
Jiang Xia nodded. "Of course. I like Lanlan, not Lanlan’s spiritual power. I like you for who you are. I like you regardless of whether your spiritual power is good or bad."
Jiang Xia had always been direct and sincere when expressing his feelings. He didn’t care in the slightest about the strange looks from other passengers who were eavesdropping; he just spoke these words naturally and earnestly.
Shi Lan, on the other hand, blushed and almost couldn’t resist reaching out to cover his mouth.
’Seriously, how can he always have the word ’like’ on the tip of his tongue?’
’She had even seen that social media post but was too embarrassed to ask him what he meant by it.’
Mu Tangfeng’s personality was much more awkward. Perhaps because he had never bowed his head to anyone, he disdained offering explanations and preferred to keep most things bottled up inside.
So, even after Jiang Xia’s long-winded speech, he only managed to utter three words: "I never cared." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
But even if he didn’t say it, Shi Lan understood the sincerity in his words.
Mu Tangfeng had always been a proud person who disdained falsehoods, especially to someone’s face.
She smiled, and a small knot of unease that had been hiding in a corner of her heart was smoothed away.
’So, their feelings for me didn’t stem from my special healing spiritual power after all.’
