Chapter 10

Tang Jue said to the girl, "The ball was kicked by me. We should still go to the infirmary to get it treated."

The girl frowned at Tang Jue, unsure if it was because of the pain in her foot or because she was blaming him. Her jade-like face shimmered with a charming luster in the sunset.

Tang Jue said, "My name is Tang Jue, and I'm from China. I wonder where you're from?"

The girl placed her hand on her right ankle, the ice on her face slightly melting, but she still said coldly, "I'm also Chinese."

Tang Jue was overjoyed and said excitedly, "I didn't expect to meet a fellow countryman here. My family runs a Sichuan restaurant nearby. Oh... you haven't told me your name yet. Where are you from?"

The girl said coldly, "My name is Wen Ting, and I'm originally from Wuhan."

Tang Jue, familiar with Sichuan dialect, said, "Then we are almost fellow countrymen. The way you speak is similar to ours." Meeting a Chinese person in a foreign country and being able to communicate in his hometown dialect, Tang Jue's face showed joy.

Wen Ting rubbed her ankle and frowned again. Tang Jue quickly said, "We should still go to the infirmary to get it checked."

Wen Ting's tone did not change because she met a compatriot in a foreign country. She said coldly, "I said it's not necessary."

Tang Jue ignored Wen Ting's coldness and said sincerely, "It's humid in September, and it's the time when dampness rises. As a girl, sitting on the grass for a long time is not good. Your foot is seriously injured. I think I should help you up."

"Don't move!" Wen Ting said hurriedly. Perhaps Tang Jue's words had an effect, and Wen Ting began to struggle to stand up. She patted the grass off her clothes, and Tang Jue wanted to help but was stopped. Wen Ting took a step forward, and her right foot suddenly gave way, causing her to fall onto the grass!

Tang Jue quickly caught Wen Ting. A faint scent of a young girl entered his nose. It was fragrant, even more so than Cuihua's!

A warm jade in his arms!

However, Tang Jue did not let any strange emotions arise. In the moment he caught Wen Ting, he noticed that her body was trembling slightly. Wen Ting struggled to free herself from Tang Jue's support, and he quickly said, "You are a patient now. Just think of me as your younger brother. I'm fourteen, how about you?"

Wen Ting bit her lip, her hair slightly disheveled. She stopped struggling and said coldly, "I'm sixteen." Tang Jue said, "See, I'm younger than you. Just think of me as your younger brother."

Wen Ting thought angrily: I was just going for a jog to exercise, but who knew disaster would strike from the sky. My foot is sprained, and I didn't get to exercise. Now I even have a younger brother.

"Help me to the dormitory," Wen Ting said, and with Tang Jue's support, they headed to the dormitory.

Tang Jue heard the voice of the supercomputer Xiaofeifei in his mind: "Master, you really know how to act..."

Tang Jue roared in his mind, "Shut up!"

Xiaofeifei obediently closed its mouth.

On the way, Tang Jue learned that Wen Ting had graduated from the少年班 (young talent program) at the University of Science and Technology of China at the age of fifteen and then came to Lyon 2 to pursue a master's degree in biomedicine.

Graduating from the少年班 at fifteen, Wen Ting was undoubtedly a genius. Geniuses are naturally proud, and Tang Jue believed that the ice on Wen Ting's face was a common expression for geniuses.

The dormitory was tidy and warm, with only one bed, indicating that Wen Ting lived alone. After placing Wen Ting on the bed, Tang Jue did not look around the dormitory, respecting the girl's privacy. For most boys, a girl's dormitory is full of mystery, but there was no curiosity in Tang Jue's eyes.

Seeing that Tang Jue did not look around, Wen Ting felt slightly relieved, thinking: It must be because of his age. At fourteen, he might just be developing and hasn't developed much awareness of the opposite sex.

Tang Jue said, "Sister Ting, since you can't move around easily, I'll take care of your meals. By the way, what do you like to eat?"

Wen Ting thought for a moment, remembering that he said his family runs a Sichuan restaurant. After some consideration, she said, "I don't have any special preferences, just don't put too much chili."

After giving a few instructions, Tang Jue left Wen Ting's room...

Would he not come back? How can I easily trust him? Is it because he is a compatriot? Or is it because he is only fourteen and not so worldly?

Wen Ting's thoughts wandered, and then the door opened again. Tang Jue's clear and slightly immature face appeared before Wen Ting. Wen Ting looked at Tang Jue in confusion, thinking: How did he come back so quickly?

Tang Jue squatted down, placed an ice pack on Wen Ting's injured right ankle, and secured it with a rope. He looked up and said, "I got the ice pack from a small store downstairs. Ice can reduce pain and prevent swelling, which helps with recovery."

A cool sensation made Wen Ting's right ankle stop burning, and the pain lessened. Wen Ting's eyes showed surprise. How does a fourteen-year-old know so much? A warm feeling arose in her heart, and the ice on her face began to melt. Wen Ting felt she had lost her composure and quickly regained her usual expression.

Tang Jue, seeing the icy expression on Wen Ting's face, did not change his expression. Before leaving, he reminded her again not to move around on the bed.

Wen Ting looked at the closed door, and a strange feeling arose in her heart. Being called a genius since childhood, Wen Ting was the apple of her parents' eyes. As an only child, she had never been alone with a stranger. Even in France, far from her parents, she had not actively made any friends.

In Wen Ting's view, she came to France to study, not to make friends. She almost spent all her time studying.

In others' eyes, Wen Ting was a genius, having entered the少年班 at the University of Science and Technology of China at the age of twelve, and even appearing in the newspaper. She completed four years of undergraduate studies in three years, proving again that she was a genius.

She declined her alma mater's invitation to stay and resolutely decided to study abroad in France. With her mother's lingering gaze, Wen Ting came to France alone. Having left her parents at twelve and lived independently, Wen Ting had long learned to be self-reliant.

Genius? Wen Ting shook her head. There are no geniuses; she just spent more time studying than others. In middle school, to have more time to read, she put on a cold and distant expression, which was indeed effective, making her stand out.

Over time, her expression became like this. No one except her parents had ever seen her smile.

Now, she had spoken so much to a young boy, more than she usually spoke in half a year. Was it because she was in a foreign country? Was it because he was a compatriot?

Wen Ting looked at the ice pack on her right ankle and shook her head. She picked up "Pride and Prejudice" by British author Jane Austen from the bedside and quietly read it.

Time passed slowly as the pages turned.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Jue's clear and slightly immature face appeared before Wen Ting again. Tang Jue entered the room and shouted, "Sister Ting, it's time to eat. You must be hungry." He then placed the lunch box and thermal pot on the desk.

Wen Ting looked at Tang Jue without saying a word, struggling to stand up. Tang Jue quickly went to support her, and Wen Ting's eyes showed a struggle. Tang Jue quickly said, "Sister Ting, you are a patient now." Wen Ting took a deep breath and, with Tang Jue's support, sat in front of the desk.

Tang Jue opened the lunch box and the thermal pot, and like magic, three dishes appeared on the table: garlic sprouts with meat, stir-fried cabbage, and black fungus with meat. A bowl was also filled with chicken soup. The room was filled with the aroma of the food.

Tang Jue handed Wen Ting the chopsticks and said warmly, "Sister Ting, I'll take care of your meals for the next few days. It's my way of compensating you." Wen Ting took the chopsticks, and her appetite increased. Eating home-style dishes in a foreign country made her feel as if she were back home.

This is the taste of home!

Wen Ting's eyes began to mist over. She had not returned home during the holidays and spent the hot summer in the library. Eating the black fungus with meat, she thought of her mother. Her heart's softest spot was touched!

---

The page with ads begins

The page with ads ends