CHAPTER 195: CHAPTER 186 COME OVER, I WON’T HIT YOU (SECOND PART)

Mai Zekai reluctantly pushed Jimo Shanshan into the elevator. A few gossiping young nurses in the elevator exchanged glances with each other, their expressions clearly saying: "Weren’t these two just bickering passionately? How are they now getting into the same elevator together?"

Jimo Shanshan gave them a glance and couldn’t stop the faint lift of her lips. She had heard that Mai Zekai was quite the hot commodity in the hospital; after today’s ruckus, she figured not many would still be pining after him. Reflecting on what Yi Luowa had said, Jimo Shanshan found it made sense. Maybe she should take it easy on him for now?

"Oh wow, so Fifth Brother has that kind of talent, huh?" Yi Luowa gave Tong Aino a disdainful look.

Yi Luowa stood straighter and shouted back, "Present!"

"You two brothers are exactly the same!" Yi Luowa snorted.

"Well, go find my elder brother at Haotian, then," Tong Aino shot back with a teasing grin.

"If you were as great as your brother, you wouldn’t still be single at this age. I’m talking about you and Old Seven. Both of you are clueless about emotional intelligence. Neither of you knows how to appreciate a woman’s affection. Just wait—you two might as well stay bachelors forever!"

"I’ve already been quite respectful! If you push me any further, I’ll punch him!" Yi Luowa said, pursing her lips. "If my Fourth Brother were home, he’d definitely side with me!"

In a flash, Connie was dragged to the door. Blushing, she turned back to look at Yi Luowa, who was making a goofy face at her with a mischievous grin. Connie couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Yi Weiyang was momentarily stunned before playfully swatting at her. "After all these years, I’ve managed just fine on my own—I don’t need that kind of trouble!"

"Hahaha..." Once the pair was out of sight, Yi Luowa collapsed onto the bed, laughing uncontrollably.

Tong Aino raised an eyebrow slightly. "Seems like you’ve got a problem with me?"

But Yi Luowa was unfazed—she knew her second uncle was all bark and no bite. Standing just outside his reach, she puffed out her tiny chest and declared, "Yaoyao Mom knows lots of people. I’ll ask her to find you a few candidates, and then you can choose. It’s settled!"

"Not a single one of you lets me relax." Yi Luowa cast Tong Aino a sidelong glare as she spoke.

Yi Weiyang shook his head. "Do as Airui said. Stay with their family during school and come home during holidays. Our estate is at the border of Xiawu and Nanwu, so it’s a bit far from your school."

Yi Luowa tilted her head and leaned against his shoulder. "It’s the best having you around, Second Uncle. This shoulder is always there when I need support. Not like Tong Airui, who’s off gallivanting wherever he pleases..."

"Second Uncle, their whole family treats me wonderfully. I even call them Mom and Dad now. Haha... Tong Airui’s father is so amusing. I call Yaoyao Auntie Mom, but when I didn’t call him Dad, he actually got upset! Before, I didn’t interact with him much and thought he was intimidating. But after spending a whole morning playing chess with him, I realized he’s actually very approachable."

"You little devil! You’ll be the death of me yet!" Yi Weiyang shook his head in surrender. "Let me be honest with you, Luowa. I don’t want to settle down—not because I can’t, but because I’m disabled. And I don’t want to bring someone into our lives who might treat you poorly. I’d rather stay on my own. So please, don’t bring this up again."

"I’ll have Uncle Li, Auntie Li, and Ao Xiang to keep me company. You can take Ao Lie with you to be by your side—then I’ll feel reassured."

)

"Yi Luowa!" Yi Weiyang’s voice suddenly became serious, startling the two brothers in the next room.

"You guys are seriously a pack of troublemakers!"

Yi Weiyang feigned anger. "Luowa, show some respect!"

Yi Weiyang pretended to be angry. "Good riddance! Your heart is all about your Fourth Brother now—you don’t care about this uncle at all!"

Yi Weiyang raised his hand to swat at her again, but Yi Luowa dodged with a laugh and pulled a funny face at him from a safe distance. "Ha! I hit a nerve, and now you want to hit me! Hmph. I’m not talking to you anymore—I’m done with you!"

"Exactly! So, isn’t Fifth Brother being ridiculously ungrateful?" Yi Luowa finally found her ally and beamed up at him triumphantly.

Yi Weiyang gave her an exasperated pat on the head. "When will you finally stop being so mischievous?"

"Don’t cry! I’ll take her out! We’re going right now!" Tong Aino panicked, grabbing Connie’s hand. "Let’s go!"

"Speaking of matches, she’s not just a child—she’s actually a year older than you!" Yi Weiyang chuckled lovingly. "But honestly, if those two could work out, they’d really be a perfect pair."

"Then take Connie out for a walk." Yi Luowa looked up at him. Seeing no sign of agreement, she sniffed and turned her face away.

Tong Aino chuckled. "Well, my brother and I are twins—wouldn’t it be strange if we weren’t alike?"

"Just get out!" Yi Weiyang began looking for something to toss at her.

"Tsk tsk, getting jealous now, are we?" Yi Luowa edged cautiously back toward the bed one step at a time. Seeing he didn’t seem inclined to actually hit her, she took another cautious step. "I mean it, though—how about I find you a girlfriend?"

"Second Uncle, did you hear that? I knew it—she’s mad because Old Seven upset her." Unable to win the argument, Tong Aino turned to Yi Weiyang with a pitiful expression.

"Got it." Yi Luowa nodded obediently. "Second Uncle, we’ll soon be heading to Xiawu. It’s a completely unfamiliar place, and with Tong Airui not around, I feel a little scared."

Yi Luowa giggled. "I’ve figured it out—Tong Airui’s dad clashes the most with his grand-uncle, but he cares deeply about his wife and Ai Ni. Oh, and Monica and You Jia are no good in his eyes either, because they ’stole away’ Big Sis Yu and Ai Ni. Second Uncle, isn’t Tong Airui’s dad just hilarious?"

"As long as Second Uncle is here, there’s nothing to fear. Even though I’ve lost my legs, I still have broad shoulders you can lean on." Yi Weiyang patted his shoulder as he spoke.

Yi Luowa recounted the events of the morning with a cheeky smile, making Yi Weiyang laugh nonstop.

"What do you think?" Yi Luowa huffed, grabbing Connie’s hand angrily. "If he won’t take you out, I will!"

"Come on, Sis. That’s not fair—I won’t tease you anymore," Tong Aino said with a tinge of guilt as he walked over and patted her shoulder lightly.

Yi Luowa blinked her large eyes. "Second Uncle, how about you find a wife? She can keep you company."

"But if I’m gone, what about you?"

"Ooh, someone in mind already?" Yi Luowa tilted her head and teased with a sly grin.

Meanwhile, after sending the two drama magnets away, Yi Luowa bounced back lightly to her second uncle’s hospital room. There, she found Tong Aino engrossed in lively chatter with her second uncle about everything under the sun, while Connie sat quietly to one side, pouting again.

Tong Aino smirked. "You’ve probably been pissed off by someone outside and are using me as your punching bag. Since my elder brother isn’t home these days, I’ll volunteer as your scapegoat for now!"

Yi Weiyang put on a serious face and said, "Your second uncle’s just trying to tell you—don’t bother your aunt about my business. If I want to find someone, I’ll do it myself. She already has her hands full—don’t give her more trouble!"

"Connie’s a princess of Ramat?" Yi Weiyang froze in surprise. "That girl seems so down-to-earth—there’s not a single trace of royal airs about her."

Yi Luowa puffed her cheeks. "So, you’ll do anything I say?"

"It’s not quite that simple, Luowa. Relationships between men and women have their own mysteries—it’s all up to fate." Yi Weiyang smiled warmly. "By the way, I heard that Tong Yao and Long Che treat you well. Are you comfortable staying with their family?"

"Second Uncle, you have good taste! Connie likes Fifth Brother but is too shy to say it. Fifth Brother, on the other hand, is acting ridiculously high-and-mighty. Look at him—sometimes, I just want to slap him. Connie’s a princess, for crying out loud! It’s already a concession for her to fancy him, and yet he’s acting all indifferent. Hmph. If Tong Airui were home, I’d get him to teach that guy a lesson!"

Hearing her voice begin to quiver, Yi Weiyang lightly patted her cheek, gently coaxing, "A great man’s ambitions take him far and wide. Besides, Airui is part of Shenying—he can’t always stay by your side. Luowa, if you’ve truly chosen him, you need to accept his identity. You also need to learn to be strong and live independently. When he’s here, live well with him; when he’s not, live even better. Only then will Airui be able to focus on his responsibilities without worrying about you."

Tong Aino nodded instantly. "Of course! Didn’t I tell you before? I’ll always listen to you!"

Yi Luowa pursed her lips and rubbed her arm where he’d swatted. "You’ve clearly never seen how sweet Tong Airui’s parents and his aunt and uncle are. If you had, your heart would be positively brimming with springtime feelings!"

"Luowa, don’t be mad. It’s not that Fifth Brother doesn’t want to take me out—it’s just that I find listening to Second Uncle and Fifth Brother’s chat quite entertaining, so I didn’t feel like going anymore," Connie said with a cheerful smile. "Why don’t you join us? I guarantee you’ll be laughing uncontrollably."

Tong Aino followed her gaze and saw Yi Luowa covering her face, her shoulders shaking dramatically as if "crying." He shot an annoyed glance at the still-laughing Connie and barked, "You really have a big heart! Move it!"

Mai Zekai had no idea what she was thinking. But something felt off today—why were the usually fiery and enthusiastic young nurses now avoiding him like he was a plague?

Yi Luowa hesitated, lowering her defenses as she took half a step forward, only to retreat an entire step. "Only a fool would believe that!"

"Who’s made you mad now?" Yi Weiyang asked with a good-natured smile.

"I’m doing this for their own good!" Yi Luowa grinned cheekily at her second uncle. "What do you think, Uncle? Isn’t Connie a good match for Tong Aino?"

Yi Luowa helpfully joined in his search, eventually grabbing a towel and tossing it onto the bed. "Here, use this—it doesn’t hurt."

"Yi Luowa!" Yi Weiyang roared even louder this time.

Yi Weiyang chuckled fondly. "Long Che loves his family fiercely, but he’s tough on outsiders. You’d best tread wisely when interacting with him. Tong Yao, on the other hand, is genuinely kindhearted. If you ever need anything, go to her. Treat her like your own mother, and she’ll treat you like her own daughter in return."

"If Second Uncle’s health improves and Tong Airui still hasn’t returned, then I just might!" At the mention of Tong Airui, Yi Luowa’s mood took a nosedive. She flopped onto the chair, sulking like a defeated rooster.

"I understand all that, but it’s just hard to put into practice sometimes." Yi Luowa puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Second Uncle, once we’re at Xiawu, I don’t want to stay at their home—I want to stay with you."

Yi Weiyang was so exasperated he had to laugh. "Come here. I won’t hit you."

Yi Luowa froze in place. Her second uncle had chosen to remain single... for her sake!