Chapter 18: Are They Blood-Related?
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
For dinner, Ye Ling prepared noodles, because Liu Duo did not like paste. He set the food on the table and called everyone to come for dinner, “Food’s ready!”
Ye Liu took Liu Duo near the end and sat down for food. Ye Ling took notice of the redness on her cheeks and asked, “Duo Er, are you alright? Your face is red.”
She let go of Ye Liu’s hand and replied awkwardly, “It’s nothing. Let’s eat.” She grabbed her bowl and dug in. She could not possibly say, it’s Liu’s fault. He teased me, and I can’t stop blus.h.i.+ng!
Ye Liu giggled as he ate slowly, but every so often his eyes would land on Liu Duo.
Liu Duo thought, show-off!
Ye Mo took one look at her and said nothing as he held onto his bowl. Ye Yang and Ye Ling also began their meal.
Liu Duo spotted an extra piece of meat in her bowl. She looked up, wanting to find out who did it. Ye Mo’s head hung so low he was almost hidden in his bowl as if declaring, not me!
What’s this? An apology? Giving the carrot after the stick? Liu Duo ground the meat between her teeth, as though chewing on Ye Mo’s fles.h.!.+
Liu Duo felt great after the meal. She was about to wash the dishes when Ye Mo wiped his mouth and wanted to leave, but he was stopped by Ye Liu.
“Little Duo, now that you’ve got your strength back, let’s punch some sense into dear little Mo!” There was never too much trouble for Ye Liu.
Liu Duo rolled her eyes, how childis.h.!.+
He pulled her over to Ye Mo, like a bullied child asking adults for help in confronting the bully.
“Mo, you bullied our precious Duo. How do you plan to apologize?”
“If you don’t give us a good answer, hehe, I’ll beat you up so bad you won’t recognize yourself!” His hands balled into a fist in front of Ye Mo.
Oh my, if this isn’t gangster behavior, what is? Liu Duo felt her insides collapse.
Ye Mo looked at his brother, feeling morbidly disengaged… Ye Ling felt the same way while Ye Mo watched on silently.
Ye Mo ignored Ye Liu, who might have gone crazy, and looked at Liu Duo instead. His face strained as he struggled to apologize, but he did not manage to speak.
On the other hand, Liu Duo saw Ye Mo open his mouth, but no words came out – only a look of grievance on his face. What a chauvinist, saving face to the end!
She lifted her chin and said, “Save it, Liu. Let’s not bring ourselves to his level!”
As she lay on the bed in a daze, she figured that, according to her past life, she was twenty-five years old in spirit! Why bother fussing over a sc.u.mbag four years younger than her?
“Our precious Little Duo, righteous as ever. I’m liking you more and more,” Ye Liu stretched his arms across Liu Duo’s shoulders, like a hoodlum.
Liu Duo felt aversed, gooseb.u.mps rising all over her body. Are these brothers related by blood? Why are they so different?
Yang was as stoic as a block of wood, Liu resembled a gangster, and Mo was impulsive and bad-tempered, whereas Ling was so gentle and amiable. No matter how she looked at them, they did not seem like family.
“Apologise!” Ye Yang suddenly joined in and bellowed.
The three brothers glared at Ye Mo, as if the situation would get worse if he did not suck it up. Ye Mo knew he was in the wrong, so he muttered softly, “I’m sorry.”
“Louder. Duo can’t hear you. Did you not eat? You sound like a mosquito!” Ye Liu dug his ears.
“I said, I’m sorry. It was my fault.” Ye Mo could not bear his second brother’s strange ambiance, but he relented in a loud voice.
“There we go. Admitting your mistake is the right thing to do!” Ye Liu patted Ye Mo’s shoulder as a playful smile danced across his face.
Just like that, under Ye Liu’s ‘authority’, the conflict was easily resolved. Liu Duo pushed Ye Liu away and headed to the outhouse.