Chapter 67

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard light footsteps. Zhang Chengyuan immediately came to his senses and looked towards the door, only to see Jeong Su-yeon push it open and walk in. He nodded slightly at her.

Seeing Xiao Shuijing sleeping in Zhang Chengyuan's arms, a hint of indescribable emotion flashed in Jeong Su-yeon's eyes, and she immediately turned cold, as if she hadn't seen Zhang Chengyuan at all. She leaned against her own bed, picked up a storybook from the small bookshelf by the bedside, and began to read it on her own.

Zhang Chengyuan had long been accustomed to her cold attitude and didn't take it to heart. He asked softly, "Why are you home so early today? Aren't you going to practice at the company tonight?" During the summer vacation, Jeong Su-yeon almost always went to the company to practice singing, dancing, acting, and other talents, usually not returning home until after eight o'clock. Zhang Chengyuan had only visited the Jeong family a few times, and he usually left before eight o'clock, so they rarely saw each other due to the time difference. Today, he was genuinely happy to see Jeong Su-yeon, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

However, the relationship between Jeong Su-yeon and him was far from as intimate as that with Xiao Shuijing, at least on the surface. Moreover, she was already a sixteen-year-old, well-grown young lady, so Zhang Chengyuan didn't show his inner joy to her. He didn't want the girl to think he liked her, which might lead to some unnecessary misunderstandings.

The reason for this was that he felt Jeong Su-yeon had a very faint, vague affection for him. Zhang Chengyuan hoped he was overthinking it and that Jeong Su-yeon didn't actually like him. At this moment, he only hoped that Jeong Su-yeon would like him as a brother.

Perhaps he was really overthinking it. Jeong Su-yeon ignored him, kept reading her book, and without lifting her head, replied, "I'm a bit tired, so I came home early."

Zhang Chengyuan stroked Xiao Shuijing's black, smooth hair and continued talking to Jeong Su-yeon, "That's good. Balancing work and rest is the right way. Have you been practicing the qigong I taught you recently?"

Jeong Su-yeon hesitated a bit and said, "Yeah, I've practiced occasionally!" In fact, she practiced quite diligently because she could clearly feel that her physical fitness had improved significantly after practicing this qigong. However, for some reason, she didn't want to answer truthfully. Perhaps she didn't want Zhang Chengyuan to think she took his words very seriously.

Zhang Chengyuan frowned and said a bit unhappily, "Extend your hand so I can check it."

Under his intense gaze, although Jeong Su-yeon was somewhat unwilling, she still extended her hand to Zhang Chengyuan.

The two single beds of the Jeong sisters were less than a meter apart. Zhang Chengyuan easily reached out and grabbed Jeong Su-yeon's left wrist, then checked her pulse. He felt it was strong and steady, indicating that her body was in excellent condition, with no signs of the fatigue she had mentioned. However, her pulse rate seemed slightly faster than normal, which puzzled him, and he looked at Jeong Su-yeon with a hint of doubt.

Jeong Su-yeon's face was rosy, and her complexion was good. Her long eyelashes fluttered unnaturally, and she didn't dare to look at Zhang Chengyuan, appearing somewhat shy. Zhang Chengyuan was taken aback and immediately let go of her hand, coughing lightly, "Hmm, you've been practicing well, and you haven't disappointed me. Keep it up!"

Jeong Su-yeon pulled back her hand, lowered her head even more, and softly replied, "Hmm!" Her eyes flashed with a mix of shyness and joy, seemingly pleased with Zhang Chengyuan's praise.

Just as Zhang Chengyuan was checking Jeong Su-yeon's pulse and examining her physical condition, Xiao Shuijing, who had been sleeping on Zhang Chengyuan's lap for a long time, woke up. She looked at Zhang Chengyuan and Jeong Su-yeon curiously and asked, "Brother, sister, what are you doing?"

Zhang Chengyuan patted her little head and replied, "Nothing, I'm just checking your sister's health."

Xiao Shuijing immediately extended her hand and said in a sweet voice, "Brother, check mine too." Children always like to join in and follow along.

Although Zhang Chengyuan had been helping Xiao Shuijing improve her physical fitness and immune system by smoothing her meridians and removing impurities from her body for several years, and he had even used his true qi to check her condition while she was sleeping just now, there was no need to check her again. However, he still indulged her by carefully examining her. Zhang Chengyuan almost always fulfilled Xiao Shuijing's requests.

After the examination, Zhang Chengyuan picked up Xiao Shuijing and let her sit in his arm, petting her hair affectionately, "My little Shuijing is in great shape, with no problems at all!"

Xiao Shuijing kissed Zhang Chengyuan and asked with a smile, "Am I better than my sister?" Her eyes sparkled with a desire to compete with her sister. Due to being five years younger, she had always been overshadowed by her sister and often punished for her mistakes. Although this didn't affect their sincere relationship, it made her determined to be better than her sister. She thought that if she could be better, her sister wouldn't bully her.

Hearing Xiao Shuijing's words, Jeong Su-yeon glanced at her and huffed, but said nothing. However, Xiao Shuijing pretended to be very scared and hugged Zhang Chengyuan, pleading, "Brother, my sister is being mean to me again. She will definitely hit me after you leave. Please help me teach her a lesson!"

Zhang Chengyuan, who knew Xiao Shuijing's little tricks, patted her back and comforted her with a smile, "Don't worry, if she hits you, I'll treat you." He wouldn't get involved in the little conflicts between the sisters. Besides, although Jeong Su-yeon often disciplined her sister, she also loved her deeply and wouldn't hit her hard, just a few taps on the palms or bottom.

The three of them spent time in the room, filled with Xiao Shuijing's laughter. Zhang Chengyuan playfully chatted with her, while Jeong Su-yeon remained silent, quietly listening. Even when she heard something funny, she never laughed out loud, maintaining her icy princess demeanor. However, the faint smile at the corners of her mouth and in her eyes revealed her inner satisfaction and joy. It seemed that every time she was with Zhang Chengyuan, she felt this way.

When it was time for dinner, Jeong's mother called the three of them to the living room to eat. Jeong's father had a social engagement and wasn't at home, so the four of them had a warm and cheerful dinner together. During the meal, Jeong's mother kept asking Zhang Chengyuan about his recent life, whether his work was tiring, and if he had a girlfriend, just like a doting mother.

However, Zhang Chengyuan didn't find it annoying at all. His experiences with the early deaths of his mothers in both his past and present lives made him yearn for maternal love. Therefore, he felt warmth and gratitude towards Jeong's mother's care, although he didn't treat her like a real mother, he respected her immensely.

As for Jeong's father, he was also very kind to Zhang Chengyuan. However, due to his calm personality, he didn't ask many questions or act like an elder, giving Zhang Chengyuan advice. Most of the time, especially when they had a few drinks together, Jeong's father shared valuable life experiences with Zhang Chengyuan, hoping he could benefit from them.

After several years of interaction, Zhang Chengyuan and the Jeong family had become as close as family. Not only did the Jeong sisters treat him like an older brother, but even Jeong's parents almost regarded Zhang Chengyuan as an extra son given to them by heaven to make up for their lack of a son. If their daughters were older, they might have even wanted Zhang Chengyuan to be their son-in-law.

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