Chapter 75: Their Usual Bickering Just Like a Married Couple

Mei Huahui didn’t approach Yu Liang until the other people had left the area. He was still by the entrance, looking at different things inside the warehouse, already imagining what problems would have to be resolved next.

"You really have no idea when to quit, do you?" she asked.

Yu Liang looked at her and smiled faintly, asking, "Why am I being scolded this time, Young Miss?"

"You are seriously asking that?" Meihua crossed her arms. "You have been rushing about all day making arrangements for the treatments, managing the supplies, looking after everybody and sorting out the issues which should have been sorted out by someone else."

Yu Liang pondered over her words for a moment before replying, "Are you worried for me?"

Meihua immediately looked away. "D-Don’t misunderstand. I just don’t want my partner to collapse from exhaustion."

"Ah, so it’s purely professional concern."

"Exactly."

Yu Liang nodded solemnly, yet the amusement in his face betrayed the fact that he did not take her seriously.

Meihua recognized that instantly. "Stop giving me that look."

"What look?" He asked while acting like a confused person.

"The one you’re making right now."

Yu Liang’s smile widened slightly. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Of course you don’t." She pouted then shook her head and walked toward a nearby table where several plates were left untouched from before.

After looking at them, she glanced back at Yu Liang. "You haven’t eaten either, have you?"

Yu Liang hesitated for just a moment and that was enough for her

Meihua sighed. "I knew it."

He tried to avoid her gaze, "I was busy."

"So, you were busy, Young Master? Then may I ask what your esteemed self actually ate?"

"I had tea," Yu Liang answered, as if that somehow explained everything.

She gave him a flat look. "Tea isn’t a meal."

"It can be if you drink enough of it." Yu Liang replied matter of factly

For a moment Meihua just stared at him, but then she took a plate, put it in front of him, once he sat down. "Eat."

Yu Liang looked at the food and murmured. "You’re getting rather bossy."

Meihua smiled sweetly, her eyes narrowing as she pushed the food closer to him. "Well, then maybe you can tell me more about that once you’ve eaten everything."

He just stared at her beautiful smile for a while, and for some unknown reason, her smile was more frightening to him than an angry face could ever be. As his heart thumped slightly, he took his chopsticks and felt that arguing was probably not the wisest choice.

Yu Liang complied and began eating but couldn’t resist occasionally casting glances at Meihua. Every time he did, he hurriedly dropped his gaze and began paying attention to his food in such a way that he appeared to be a husband who knew better than to quarrel with his wife.

Meihua noticed his repeated glances and gave him an unimpressed look. "My Partner, do you want me to leave?"

Yu Liang immediately shook his head. "No."

"Then stop looking at me and eat."

Yu Liang quietly lowered his head and picked up another bite.

"Good," Meihua said, watching him with a small smile. "Now eat properly before your food gets cold."

Yu Liang gave a nod and went on to eat, although he could not resist taking a peek at her after some time.

After a while, Yu Liang noticed that Meihua still hadn’t touched her food. He pushed part of the plate toward her. "You should eat too."

"I had lunch before."

"That’s not what I asked."

Meihua gave him an odd look before she picked up some of food and bit into it. "Now. Are you satisfied?"

"A little."

She shook her head, smiling slightly. "I must say, you’re very easy to please."

"Hardly. I’m just taking advantage of the unusual time when you listen to me."

Meihua raised her eyebrows. "Unusual?"

Then she leaned over the table as if she was about to take away his plate.

Yu Liang quickly pulled the plate closer to himself and cleared his throat. "Alright, I take it back. You listen all the time."

Meihua gave him a doubtful look. "But you absolutely do not."

"I listened when you told me to eat."

"You were hungry anyway."

Yu Liang paused, then looked at her with a slightly offended expression. "That still counts."

Meihua couldn’t help but smile at his shameless excuse.

Yu Liang noticed but, surprisingly, didn’t say anything this time. They continued eating and talking about the small problems they had dealt with throughout the day. Meihua mentioned some people who had made work unnecessarily hard for her, and Yu Liang would defend them just enough to get on her nerves.

By the time they were done, the warehouse had quieted down considerably.

Yu Liang reclined in his chair. "You were correct."

Meihua glanced at him. "About what?"

"I probably should rest more."

Her expression softened slightly. "Don’t sound so surprised. I occasionally say useful things."

Yu Liang smiled. "Occasionally."

Her expression return to that gentle smile once again as she looked at him. "What’s with that face? It looked like I never said anything useful."

Yu Liang glanced at her, seeing that smile he immediately said. "I didn’t say that."

She rolled her eyes, but there was no real irritation behind it.

They didn’t say a word for some time. They were just sitting quietly in the warehouse, taking advantage of this small period.

After being there for some time, Yu Liang got up and stretched. Meihua went along with him, and they both exited the warehouse, letting the others rest for the night.

On the other hand, within the warehouse, Yan Ruo stood by the map that Yu Liang left behind.

She had already started working through the list, sorting people by cultivation and current condition. Those who were fit enough to fight were marked for patrols, while the injured were set aside until they recovered.

She also started grouping together the more experienced practitioners, and she was already planning which ones would be best suited for patrol duties, emergency situations, and working close to the restaurant.

Yan Ruo still didn’t completely trust Yu Liang. It had only been a day, and she wasn’t foolish enough to place her trust in someone that quickly. Still, she couldn’t ignore what she had seen since arriving here especially his attitude.

In fact, he had spent way too many resources on treating those who were already wounded while he could have just left them the way they were.

He also answered their questions instead of silencing them and when they asked him what he wanted in return, the reply was quite simple: work, protection, and responsibility. He had not demanded blind loyalty or made promises that he could not keep.

Yan Ruo looked toward the young man departing with Meihua outside.

Three years. For all that time, survival had been the only thing on her mind, leaving little room to think about what she would do once it was over. Now, for the first time, she had something she could actually work toward.

It wasn’t trust, and certainly not loyalty.

Not yet.

But perhaps, if Yu Liang continued acting the way he had today, those things might eventually come.

And for now, that was enough to make her willing to give him a chance.