Chapter 70: Always By the Young Master's Side

On Sunday, Nangong Xin had the family driver come over and, with a mountain of luggage, moved back home. Xianyu Qing returned to her room on the second floor.

Originally, Nangong Ao wanted Bai Luomei to come and look after Xianyu Qing, but since he was still ill and Bai Luomei had to help manage affairs, she couldn’t make it for the time being, so the matter was left aside.

In the evening, Aunt Rong brought freshly cooked dishes upstairs. Xianyu Qing happened to be coming down and said, “Aunt Rong, let me take that.”

“How can I trouble the young lady!” Aunt Rong protested, though her heart was full of joy.

These days, with Nangong Ao bedridden, it was Xianyu Qing who often helped with tea and water. At night, seeing Nangong Ao working late, she would sometimes urge him to rest early.

But how could the young master abandon his work! Xianyu Qing would wait until he fell asleep before leaving.

Ever since the young master’s parents had passed away, he rarely slept through the night. Outsiders thought he was simply busy with work, but in truth, he was wounded inside and found it hard to fall asleep.

Yet recently, with Xianyu Qing by his side, he would close his eyes and drift off instantly. Sleeplessness was gone!

Aunt Rong saw all this and was quietly delighted.

If only the young lady and the young master could be together in the future!

Nangong Ao himself could not explain the change. Every time he only meant to feign sleep for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, dawn had already broken.

More than a decade of insomnia, cured simply by Xianyu Qing’s presence?

While eating, Nangong Ao watched Xianyu Qing out of the corner of his eye as she sat on the small sofa, leafing through a book.

On her first night keeping watch, Xianyu Qing had found the books on Nangong Ao’s desk interesting. Now, every time she came, she couldn’t help but pick them up and read.

“Do you like that book?”

Hearing Nangong Ao’s question, Xianyu Qing looked up, murmured assent, then lowered her head to continue reading.

Nangong Ao’s lips curved slightly. “If you like it, take it with you.”

These days, young people usually prefer their phones; few can still read books.

“Can I?”

Xianyu Qing noticed that though the book was old, it was well preserved and filled with annotations, clearly a cherished possession.

“Yes.” Nangong Ao nodded. “There’s a key to the study in the drawer. If you want to read, you can go in and take any book yourself.”

Xianyu Qing was a little flustered by the unexpected kindness. After a moment, she smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Alright. Thank you, big brother!”

After Nangong Ao finished his meal, Xianyu Qing rose to clear away the dishes.

“Qingqing.”

Just as she reached the door, Nangong Ao called her back.

“Yes?” Xianyu Qing turned around.

His expression was somewhat awkward. “Later tonight, I still need to work. You... don’t need to watch over me. I’ll take care to rest myself.”

Xianyu Qing thought for a moment, then replied, “Alright.”

With that, she went downstairs.

Nangong Ao watched the closed door with a tinge of regret.

What was he doing! He had nearly asked if she would come keep him company as he slept.

A grown man, asking his sister to ensure he sleeps—how utterly improper!

No, if this continued, he would become dependent on her!

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Xianyu Qing carried the dishes downstairs. Aunt Rong immediately brought out a steaming bowl of soup and set it on the dining table.

“Thank you for your trouble, young lady!” Aunt Rong came forward to take the tray from Xianyu Qing. “You must be starving. In the future, let me handle these things. It delays your meals.”

“It’s fine to eat late,” Xianyu Qing said lightly, sitting down alone at the table.

After taking the dishes to the kitchen, Aunt Rong returned with a bag.

“This is the cat food you told Xiao Zhao to buy, specially for kittens. I’ve placed it alongside the milk.”

“Thank you, Aunt Rong.” Xianyu Qing was grateful. “If it weren’t for you, big brother might not have agreed to let me keep Nana.”

“Oh, nonsense!” Aunt Rong waved her hand, beaming brightly. “The young master is ever so fond of you! When he heard you wanted a cat, he agreed without hesitation. Before, the young master was always alone, so quiet and lonely. Now that you’re here, this house finally feels alive!”

Aunt Rong spoke for a long time, but her real point was: “The young master treasures the young lady.”

But Xianyu Qing caught the wrong note. “Am I too noisy? Will big brother be annoyed?”

“How could he!” Aunt Rong hurried to explain. “The young master may not say so, but he is delighted to have you here! These days, with you around, his meals are regular, and he’s sleeping well…”

“Is that so?” Xianyu Qing still worried she was meddling too much and might be disliked.

In the past, she wouldn’t have dared. But lately, with more contact and the young master’s genuine kindness, she gradually came to care for him as an older brother.

“Yes, yes!” Aunt Rong nodded emphatically. “If you always stay by the young master’s side, things will be wonderful. I believe that’s what he wants too!”

Xianyu Qing sensed something off in Aunt Rong’s words. “Big brother is sick, so it’s only right I look after him. But surely he’d most like Sister Zhiyun to keep him company?”

Aunt Rong immediately shook her head. “How could Miss Xiao compare to you? She looks ill herself, hardly fit to care for the young master. It’s a wonder he isn’t looking after her instead!”

Xianyu Qing hadn’t expected even Aunt Rong to be dismissive of Xiao Zhiyun, so she said no more and finished her meal quietly, then carried the milk and cat food up to the second floor.

The night before last, the weather had turned cold. When Xianyu Qing went to feed the little blue kitten, she found it curled up in a cardboard box, shivering and meowing plaintively for warmth, so she brought it into her room.

Although small in size, the kitten had a voracious appetite. One bottle of milk was never enough!

This time, Xianyu Qing poured extra cat food into a small bowl. The kitten alternated bites of food and licks of milk, eating with utter satisfaction.

Once its tiny belly was round and full, it sprawled on the thick carpet, eyes half-closed, licking its lips. Soon, it was purring softly and fast asleep.

Xianyu Qing was bemused.

This little blue kitten was the laziest cat she had ever seen! Besides eating and the occasional trek to relieve itself, it stayed motionless the rest of the time.

“Nana, if you don’t start moving more, you’ll soon turn into a little butterball!”

She poked its soft belly with her finger. The kitten flicked its tail at her hand and meowed: Don’t disturb my sleep!

Xianyu Qing: “……”

After tending to the kitten, Xianyu Qing washed up, then sat on her bed and opened the book Nangong Ao had given her.

It was a science fiction story, describing a group of outsiders who arrived on a new planet and how they integrated into local life. The writing was rather dry, at times almost documentary-like, yet Xianyu Qing was absorbed.

Unknowingly, it was nearly eleven o’clock. Just as she was about to go to bed, she remembered Nangong Ao in the room next door. Opening her balcony door to look, she saw the lights still burning.

Xianyu Qing put on her coat and went over.