Chapter Eighteen: Illness

Only then did Jiang Xiaotian remember what he had forgotten all along!

Ye Wan’er had said she was Han Yue’s best friend, and she had gone to the old street to cause trouble for those people!

How absent-minded he was, to have let it slip his mind!

Now, the two of them stood frozen in place.

Ye Wan’er stared at Jiang Xiaotian, as if she might explode at any moment.

Han Yue quickly made introductions: “This is Jiang Xiaotian. He’s Zhang Wei’s best buddy and a really honest guy. Don’t bully him, okay?”

The anger in Ye Wan’er’s eyes slowly subsided, but she clenched her teeth, forcing out a few words: “Honest, huh? I can see that.”

“See, I told you, Xiaotian would be shocked. It’s mostly because Wan’er is so beautiful! Xiaotian, her name is Ye Wan’er, my good friend! You two should get to know each other,” Han Yue said with great enthusiasm.

Ye Wan’er balled her fist, clearly wishing she could smack this man right across the face!

Han Yue, oblivious to the tension, cheerfully invited everyone to take a seat.

Jiang Xiaotian moved with the speed of lightning, slipping straight to Zhang Wei’s side and sitting down.

“Haha, I want to sit with my buddy. The lady of the house wouldn’t mind, would she?” he said.

The look in Ye Wan’er’s eyes was terrifying. From the very start, her gaze had never left him!

Jiang Xiaotian had to admit, he was afraid. He needed to keep his distance.

Han Yue didn’t mind, but just as she was about to sit, Ye Wan’er spoke up.

“They like to stick together. On the way here, Yueyue was saying she wanted to sit next to Zhang Wei.”

Han Yue looked baffled. “Huh? Me? When did I say that…”

But Ye Wan’er cut her off. “Zhang Wei, you’d better think carefully.”

Zhang Wei instantly lost his wits, pushing Jiang Xiaotian aside. “Go, go, go! Who wants to sit next to you, you big lug! Come here, Yueyue, sit by my side!”

Han Yue made a playful face, but happily moved over.

She even shot Ye Wan’er a grateful glance, taking it as a favor.

As for Jiang Xiaotian? He wasn’t happy at all. Now he stood awkwardly in the aisle, not sure whether to sit or leave, feeling utterly embarrassed.

“Xiaotian, what’s wrong? Sit down! Don’t be shy!” Zhang Wei burst out laughing, thinking Jiang Xiaotian was so stunned by a beautiful woman that he couldn’t move.

Ye Wan’er, too, gently patted the chair for him. “Don’t worry, there are no thorns here. Have a seat.”

Jiang Xiaotian scoffed, steeled himself, and sat down.

And, truth be told, looking closely, Ye Wan’er was indeed a top-tier beauty, her profile strikingly lovely.

If she hadn’t pinched the flesh on the back of his hand, he might have even complimented her.

But she clearly had a screw loose—unable to use her fists here, she kept pinching the back of his hand, and it hurt like hell!

He doubted he’d be able to enjoy this meal at all.

The young couple, meanwhile, were completely absorbed in each other. After all, this was the most generous gesture Zhang Wei had ever made for Han Yue.

The two of them were truly here for the buffet, and their plates were never empty.

Ye Wan’er, on the other hand, ate delicately, barely touching her food, her mind set on making trouble for Jiang Xiaotian.

For instance, she’d randomly step on his foot or jab him now and then—leaving Jiang Xiaotian utterly exasperated, unable to retaliate.

He had little appetite, and Zhang Wei soon noticed, puzzled. “Xiaotian, what’s up? Back in the day, we’d never leave a buffet until we could barely walk! What’s going on with you today?”

“With a beauty at the table, I’ve lost my appetite. Just looking at her fills me up—ah, sorry for the language, my apologies, miss,” Jiang Xiaotian chuckled.

Han Yue rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous! Eat properly. We’re here to celebrate Zhang Wei’s recovery!”

With that, everyone raised their glasses. Jiang Xiaotian joined in, but at that moment, the troublesome Ye Wan’er seized the opportunity to spill her drink all over his clothes.

She even put on an innocent face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Ha.

Jiang Xiaotian took a deep breath and endured it—she was Han Yue’s best friend, and there were misunderstandings between them; he couldn’t lose his temper.

Han Yue had no idea about the grudge between the two. Each time Jiang Xiaotian tried to fend off Ye Wan’er’s harassment, his actions were so obvious that to her, it looked like he was taking advantage. She offered a gentle reminder: “Xiaotian, Wan’er usually ignores other guys. I think she has a good impression of you. Don’t get any ideas, behave yourself, and don’t try anything, understand?”

At this, Ye Wan’er froze.

Whatever she was thinking, Jiang Xiaotian was instantly reminded of the time he’d smacked her on the backside.

For some reason, he let out a foolish laugh.

Ye Wan’er’s face flushed bright red—she was both embarrassed and furious!

This reaction did not escape Han Yue, who immediately sensed something was off.

These two… something strange was going on, wasn’t it? But that couldn’t be. Wan’er was famously difficult to approach, and Jiang Xiaotian was just a poor guy with nothing to recommend him but a decent personality.

The awkwardness began to spread, and soon Zhang Wei, too, noticed something was wrong.

The most obvious was Ye Wan’er. He’d seen her several times before, and she was always cold and distant, barely speaking even to him. But today, what had gotten into her?

But just then, Ye Wan’er’s face suddenly turned pale, sweat beading on her forehead—she looked to be in great distress.

Her hand, which had been tormenting Jiang Xiaotian, withdrew, and she clutched her chest.

Jiang Xiaotian frowned at the sight.

He knew Ye Wan’er was a martial artist—he could sense her aura.

But now, that aura was in complete disarray, as chaotic as a malfunctioning traffic light at an intersection.

In his eyes, several streams of energy were darting about wildly.

Han Yue’s expression changed as well. “Ah, it’s happening again. I’ll take Wan’er outside for some air.”

She rose to help Ye Wan’er out of the restaurant.

Jiang Xiaotian watched them go, then turned to Zhang Wei. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. But Yueyue told me Wan’er’s health isn’t good—she often gets chest pains like that. But she usually recovers after a while.”

How odd. Wouldn’t a martial artist know exactly what was wrong with her?

Not long after, Han Yue returned, saying Ye Wan’er wanted to rest alone for a while.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Jiang Xiaotian said, and hurried out.

Ye Wan’er was leaning against the railing in the mall, gasping for breath, her lips now completely drained of color.

At the sight of Jiang Xiaotian, she nearly lost her breath altogether.

“Stay away. I don’t want to see you.”

Jiang Xiaotian clicked his tongue, turned to leave, but then thought better of it and turned back. “Your aura is completely unstable. What’s going on? It’s as if that energy doesn’t even belong to you.”