Su Lu helplessly raised the fruit basket and gift bag in her hands, "Can’t you have a little confidence in yourself? Could it not be that I came to visit you?"
Jiang Li looked at her skeptically, "Really?" He reached out to take the fruit basket and gift bag from Su Lu, peering into the gift bag while asking, "Not as a family member of Bo Jingshen?"
After a moment of silence, Su Lu resorted to the first line in the scoundrel’s handbook, "If that’s what you want to believe, I can’t do anything about it."
Jiang Li had already started smiling, unwrapping a small cookie, "Did you make this? It’s really tasty."
There was always a youthful air about Jiang Li that, over all these years, Su Lu felt had never dissipated.
"Feeling better?" Bo Jingshen asked.
Jiang Li shrugged his shoulders, "It’s just the same, I feel like I’ve aged, recovery is getting slower."
Bo Jingshen gave him a look, "Are you under some illusion about your age? You’re already over thirty."
"Hey, you can’t defy aging," Jiang Li said.
Bo Jingshen gestured towards the entrance of the villa, asking Jiang Li, "Those two, who are they?"
Speaking of this, Jiang Li’s expression darkened, "What do you think? Who else could it be?"
Bo Jingshen had more or less guessed, "People your brother sent?"
Jiang Li responded coldly, "Yes, I really am fed up."
After returning to Feng City, since he couldn’t spare enough time to care for his brother around the clock, Jiang Su had sent two people to look after Jiang Li.
But to think that they were just there to care for Jiang Li was too naive.
Jiang Li let out a cold laugh, "Can you believe it? They are versatile, fit for the hall or the kitchen, capable of being cooks, caretakers, and even drivers. Yesterday, one of them even went out to fix the lawn, taking on the gardener’s duties. Any one of them could easily overpower me, I can’t even leave the house. Such versatile talent, it really makes things difficult for Jiang Su."
Su Lu wanted to laugh, but felt it was inappropriate at the time, so she just pursed her lips.
"He is also worried about you," Bo Jingshen said.
It was no secret how important this younger brother was to Jiang Su.
Over the years, Jiang Su had shouldered tremendous pressure; the family business rested on his shoulders, and he had to bear it.
The relationship between the brother and their parents had completely deteriorated, and Jiang Su was caught in a difficult position in the middle.
Moreover, because of Jiang Li’s issues, the atmosphere at home had always been tense. Their father was getting older, and sometimes he became even more stubborn.
Sometimes, thinking about these things made their father angry. When his temper flared, he always needed a point to vent, thus he would blame Jiang Su for not disciplining his younger brother properly. The young son was such a good child, always the good boy, and it wouldn’t have come to this had his elder brother not slacked in his attention, making it possible for him to like men!
Jiang Su never wanted to argue too much about this. A few years earlier, he might have said a word or two, but over the years, he didn’t know if he had become numb or just accustomed to it, but he just listened quietly to his father’s accusations.
He also couldn’t let go of his brother; it was not possible to just abandon him altogether. Initially, when Jiang Li went abroad, he had experienced quite a tough time.
When Jiang Su found out, he felt quite guilty. Also, since then, knowing that Jiang Li had received quite some care from Bo Jingshen while abroad, Jiang Su had always been quite grateful to Bo Jingshen.
Upon learning Ying Xi had shielded Jiang Li from sulfuric acid, Jiang Su was filled with gratitude.
Jiang Li was well aware of this, so upon hearing Bo Jingshen’s words, he frowned and said irritably, "I know, I know he’s worried, I know he means well, and here I am, holding it in. Otherwise, if it were my usual temperament, would I still be sitting here behaving myself?"
Bo Jingshen knew Jiang Li’s personality too well; despite appearing cheerful, he wasn’t someone with a good temper.
Once he got angry, there was no predicting what he might do. Think about it—back then, he endured so much abroad. It was different for Bo Jingshen, who had grown up in an ordinary family, barely middle class.
Jiang Li, however, was a rich young master who truly endured those uncertain, harsh days.
Given the current situation and knowing Jiang Li’s temperament, if he hadn’t been concerned about making his elder brother worry, he would have exploded long ago.
"So, take good care of your injuries, and we can talk more once you’re healed," Bo Jingshen said, patting his shoulder. "How is the injury? The cane I used before, do you want me to give it to you?"
Bo Jingshen had used a cane for a few days due to a sprained foot, but, though it’s said muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal, he couldn’t neglect the injury. So he still had a sports tape on his ankle, though there wasn’t much issue anymore.
The cane was naturally sitting idle, perfect for Jiang Li.
But Jiang Li thought Bo Jingshen was teasing him and immediately refused, "I don’t want it!"
Bo Jingshen thought to himself, fine, don’t take it—it’s worth almost a hundred thousand anyway.
After some thought, Jiang Li said, "Never mind, bring it to me. It’s still better than sitting in a wheelchair."
Su Lu chuckled from the side, "Never turn down something free. His cane is worth almost a hundred thousand."
Jiang Li pointed at Su Lu, "I think you’re getting sharper, and that’s good—it means you won’t be bullied again."
Jiang Li led them both into the tea room inside.
Bo Jingshen was surprised, "When did you get a tea room? It wasn’t here last time I brought you home."
Jiang Li glanced at him, "What do you think? I don’t even like tea."
"Did Jiang Su set it up?" Bo Jingshen walked in without hesitation, taking a seat at the root-carved tea table, "That’s good; he must have some fine tea here."
As he spoke, Bo Jingshen opened the drawer at the side of the tea table and raised an eyebrow, "Just as I thought."
"You really don’t consider yourself an outsider," remarked Jiang Li, yet he promptly helped him press the water-heating button, then turned to Su Lu and said, "Su Lu, those cookies you had earlier would go perfectly as refreshments."
After finishing his sentence, Jiang Li, having already planned ahead, said to Bo Jingshen, "Then we can use the empty gift bag to pack some of Jiang Su’s tea for you to take home. He has left quite a lot here."
While arranging the tea tools, Bo Jingshen laughed, "Your brother has raised such a brother like you; he truly has my admiration."
"Stop teasing!" Jiang Li glared at Bo Jingshen, "Are you guys staying for dinner tonight? If so, I’ll have them prepare more dishes. They might be a bit annoying, but the food is really good."
Bo Jingshen shook his head, "We’re not staying."
Jiang Li looked somewhat disappointed, clearly having been bored for too long.
Bo Jingshen glanced at him, "I’ll call Jiang Su in a bit and take you out for dinner."
"Brother Shen, you really are like my real brother," Jiang Li cheered up instantly.