Xiaobao leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "Come on, I have been your biggest support for years. At least tell me the details."
Jian Ci, sipping his coffee that was more syrup than coffee, paused mid-drink. "Wait—you knew?"
Xiaobao gave him a look that screamed of course. "He's my brother after all."
Jian Ci blinked, incredulous. "You knew that Little Xi liked me?"
Xiaobao shook her head firmly, wagging her finger. "No, no, no. Loved you. Not liked you."
Yu Xi kept eating, his chopsticks moving with deliberate calm, as though the conversation was happening in another room.
Jian Ci stared at him, his voice soft with disbelief. "Turns out I am the last to know."
Xiaobao huffed. "Why do you think I was so annoyed every time you had your mental collapse? My brother would guide you, and the next day you would be running around with Alarna. Ugh, I wanted to bash that bitch's skull in."
Yu Xi's voice cut through, sharp but quiet. "Stop talking and eat."
