Chapter 172: I'm Going to Make You Gain Ten Pounds!

“You really can’t take your eyes off me for even a second.” Jiang Li sat down beside Xu An’an and opened his arms. “Come here. Lean on me.”

Xu An’an stared at him in disbelief and blinked. Her vision cleared, and tears slid from the corners of her eyes.

The sight of her looking so pitiful made Jiang Li’s heart clench. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Go ahead and cry—but only for a little while.”

“Let it all out, and then no more crying.”

Xu An’an’s lower lip trembled. She flung herself into his arms and burst into tears, like someone lost and worn down by hardship who had finally found a safe harbor of her own.

After a good cry, she felt much better. Leaning against Jiang Li, she gave a few last, shuddering hiccups.

Then she noticed the blue-and-white clothes beneath his suit jacket. Curious, she reached out to lift the lapel and take a closer look.

Jiang Li suddenly caught her little hand.

“Feeling better now?”

“Mm. Better.” Xu An’an nodded, her eyes red as a little rabbit’s.

Jiang Li rose and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s leave it at that. Whatever happens from here on, don’t get involved again.”

Xu An’an nodded. She didn’t want to deal with it anymore, either.

The crying had left her exhausted. She leaned against Jiang Li. “Let’s rest a little longer.”

“Get on.”

Jiang Li crouched down. “I’ll carry you.”

Xu An’an froze, then rubbed her nose. “I just need to rest a little more. We’re on the eighteenth floor, you know.”

“Come on.”

At Jiang Li’s urging, Xu An’an had no choice but to climb onto his back and hold on to his shoulders. They really were broad—like a double-door wardrobe, as people online liked to say.

Jiang Li carried her downstairs, each step steady. “If you’re tired, go to sleep.”

Xu An’an slowly rested her head against his shoulder. A sense of safety washed over her. “Oh, and thank you for lunch.”

“But how did you know I was here?”

“Was the mandarin fish good?” Jiang Li asked abruptly.

Xu An’an’s attention was instantly diverted. She loved the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish so much that she’d eaten nearly all of it, barely touching the other dishes.

She nodded enthusiastically. “It was delicious. Even the skin was so good.”

“And the sauce poured over rice? I could eat two whole bowls!”

“So you can put away two bowls of rice just like that. You’re easy to feed. If I gave you that dish every day, I could have you plump and rosy in no time.” Jiang Li chuckled.

“Are you going to raise me like a pig?”

“Aren’t little pigs adorable?”

“Then I’ll treat you like a pig. How about that?”

“Deal. Whoever breaks their promise is a little pig.”

By the end of it, Xu An’an felt she’d fallen straight into Jiang Li’s trap. She gave a huff. “Fine, deal—but only when I have time.”

“Works for me.”

In what felt like the blink of an eye, they were on the first floor. Xu An’an wondered if they really had been on the eighteenth floor just moments ago. How had they reached the lobby while chatting?

Assistant Wang saw Jiang Li carrying Xu An’an and hurried around to open the car door.

He was used to this by now, though he couldn’t help thinking that Second Master really was a hopeless romantic. Even in this condition, he was still going all out.

Once they were in the car, Jiang Li leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.

Xu An’an had meant to ask him about Yang Ping, but he seemed to have fallen asleep, so she let it go. She couldn’t help watching him, though.

Her gaze drifted down from his striking, sharply defined features.

His Adam’s apple was beautiful.

And his collarbones were so sexy…

Wait.

Xu An’an was still curious about what Jiang Li was wearing beneath his suit jacket. Why was it blue and white? What kind of shirt was that?

It looked just like hospital pajamas.

Carefully, she reached over and unbuttoned his jacket. Now she could see clearly—it really was a hospital gown!

Assistant Wang noticed in the rearview mirror and said quietly, “Second Master has a gastric ulcer. He was discharged less than an hour after being admitted.”

Xu An’an’s eyes widened as something suddenly occurred to her.

Had he already been feeling unwell when he asked her to go eat with him?

A wave of guilt swept over her. Jiang Li had a gastric ulcer and had still remembered to have lunch delivered to her, yet she’d told him to leave!

When they got out of the car, Jiang Li woke up. Xu An’an made a point of helping him. “Careful. I’ll help you to your room. Is there anything you want to eat? I can make it for you.”

Noticing that the buttons on his suit jacket had been undone, Jiang Li understood what had happened. He laughed. “I’m fine. Don’t act like I’m in confinement.”

Xu An’an gave him a reproachful look. “Whatever you say, you need to get some proper rest.”

“If you don’t have anything specific in mind, I’ll make you something gentle on your stomach.”

She helped him to his room and watched as he lay down, then hurried to a nearby grocery store to buy plenty of ingredients that would be easy on his stomach.

She planned to make him nourishing medicinal meals—every day, if need be—and deliver them to the Jiang Group herself.

Then Xu An’an thought of a way to repay him: she would get him healthy again. Jiang Li was busy all day long, so he was bound to neglect his health.

She told him what she had in mind.

“That’s all right, isn’t it? I’ll treat you like a little pig.”

“Tell me how much you weigh.”

Seeing how fired up Xu An’an was, Jiang Li decided to let her have her way. He obediently gave her his height and weight.

Xu An’an frowned. “You’re underweight.”

“I’m going to put ten pounds on you within a month!”

Jiang Li suddenly caught the scent of something. “Are you cooking something?”

Xu An’an had been so busy talking to him that she’d completely forgotten the food sizzling on the stove. She dashed out.

“My food!”

Jiang Li couldn’t help laughing. He got out of bed and followed her into the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of his pajamas. “I’ll help.”

Xu An’an was busy rescuing the dish from burning and could only use her body to shoo Jiang Li back out. “No need! Could you try acting like a patient for once? Go lie down—or sit down, at least. The food will be ready soon. I’ll bring it to you. Now go!”

Shuffled out of the kitchen, Jiang Li obediently went to sit on the sofa and turned on the television. But his eyes stayed fixed on Xu An’an as she moved about in the kitchen.

Whenever she turned around, he quickly looked back at the television.

Pleased by how obedient he was being, Xu An’an carried out the lotus seed, Chinese yam, and pork rib soup she’d made. “Drink this first.”

Jiang Li took the bowl and tried a spoonful. It tasted very good.

The kitchen was open-plan, so Xu An’an could talk to him as she cooked. “From now on, tell me what you want to eat a day in advance. I can stop at the grocery store on my way home from work and buy what we need.”

“Just make dinner.”

“Sure. But I can bring you soup, too. There’s a soup cooker at the magazine office. One of the women who used to work there left it behind, and no one’s used it since. I may as well put it to use.”

“So you’re planning to bring me soup every day at lunchtime?”

“I am… Would that be inconvenient?”

Thinking about the awkwardness of their current relationship, Xu An’an quickly waved her hands. “I can have a delivery courier bring it instead.”

Realizing she’d misunderstood, Jiang Li went into the kitchen to explain. “It really wouldn’t be appropriate for you to come to the Jiang Group just yet.”