TFSRITA Chapter 123

When their hopes were realized, it felt like an overwhelming surprise.

The moment the wheelchair appeared at the top of the staircase, a silent cheer erupted in the living room.

Yan Qing followed behind, meeting the teary-eyed gazes of the Chu family. She smiled softly and pushed Chu Zhao forward.

The furniture in the Chu household was designed to match the height of Chu Zhao’s wheelchair.

As she pushed him closer, everything fit perfectly—he didn’t even need to adjust his position.

However, Zhou Huaiya couldn’t help but notice something. As she looked at her eldest son, she whispered to her husband, “Does Zhao Zhao look like he’s blushing? Do you think he still has a fever?”

Chu Heng’s expression grew complicated. Was his wife suddenly being ridiculous?

Before, he had assumed his son wouldn’t develop feelings for a sixteen-year-old girl. Now, he wasn’t so sure. Yan Qing, despite her young age, carried herself with a maturity beyond her years. It wasn’t her appearance but her demeanor—like someone raised in a noble, powerful family.

His son, on the other hand… Chu Heng had rarely seen him act like a normal person. He was either completely withdrawn and unresponsive or in a manic state. At best, he could be stubborn. Watching his son interact with Yan Qing now, Chu Heng couldn’t help but feel like the last ten years of his son’s life had been wasted.

Chu Heng reassured his wife, “He’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Zhou Huaiya finally relaxed but kept her eyes on her son as if she couldn’t get enough of him.

Chu Heng and Chu Yang were no different, all watching quietly.

Chu Zhao, however, ignored their stares, not sparing Yan Qing a glance either.

“This is the duck blood I told you about. It’s very tender—try some,” Yan Qing said, using the communal chopsticks to place a piece in his bowl.

The sharp, spicy aroma made Chu Zhao sneeze several times before he even tasted it, his nose turning red. However, the flush on his face seemed to fade a little.

He looked down at the unfamiliar food in his bowl. Growing up, his parents had strictly forbidden him from eating heavily spiced or rich foods, saying they were bad for his digestion.

Yan Qing watched him expectantly, her expression filled with hope.

Slowly, Chu Zhao picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of the duck blood, and placed it in his mouth. At that moment, Yan Qing felt like a proud mother watching her picky child finally eat their meal. A soft, affectionate smile spread across her face.

“It’s not bad,” Chu Zhao said after taking a small bite. The spicy, savory flavor surprised him, his eyes widening slightly in amazement as he nodded in satisfaction.

A collective sigh of relief came from the Chu family.

Yan Qing suddenly realized that, at some point, she had joined the Chu parents and Chu Yang in staring at Chu Zhao intently as he ate.

Chu Zhao, seemingly accustomed to being watched, paid no attention and took another small bite.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Yan Qing quickly grabbed some food for herself.

The familiar flavors brought a layer of sweat to her forehead from the heat, but she didn’t mind. On the contrary, she enjoyed it even more.

As she glanced at Chu Zhao, who was still eating the duck blood in small bites, she thought for a moment and used the communal chopsticks again. “Here, try something else,” she said.

Chu Zhao nodded obediently, his slightly teary eyes from the spice looking at her with a hint of anticipation.

Yan Qing added pieces of beef, pork, crab sticks, and other hot pot staples to his bowl. When she turned back to look at him, she saw him panting from the spiciness, tongue sticking out slightly.

“You should eat a bite of rice between each bite of the spicy food,” she suggested. “It’ll help with the heat.”

Chu Zhao looked like he’d just had a revelation. His reddened lips parted slightly as he quickly said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Eat! Hurry up and eat!” Zhou Huaiya exclaimed. Watching her eldest son eat properly was like a dream come true. She looked over and saw her husband and youngest son hadn’t touched their food yet. She immediately urged them to start eating too.

During the meal, Zhou Huaiya tried a bite of the spicy hot pot. She wasn’t used to spicy food, and the heat made her eyes water and nose run.

Chu Heng suggested she stick to the non-spicy broth, but she stubbornly refused and kept eating from the spicy pot, even as her lips turned red from the heat.

Chu Zhao, too, ended up with bright red lips from the spice. However, after finishing, he quickly went upstairs, giving no one a chance to fuss over him.

Chu Yang barely ate anything, spending most of the time watching his brother. He thought to himself, My brother is so adorable!

But then it occurred to him—eating spicy food for the first time could upset one’s stomach. Alarmed, he quickly got up and left the table.

Chu Heng, busy tending to his wife, looked up and realized his youngest son was gone. “Where did that rascal run off to?” he muttered.

Through tears and sniffles, Zhou Huaiya cried, “Why do you care? Sob… It’s so spicy! Sob…”

Chu Heng could only laugh helplessly as he took the water Yan Qing handed him and gave it to his wife.

After a few sips, Zhou Huaiya felt the heat in her mouth and stomach subside. She finished the water in one go and took a deep breath before exclaiming, “This hot pot is pretty tasty!”

Chu Heng: “…”

About ten minutes later, Chu Yang returned, drenched in sweat and holding stomach medicine. He handed it out to Zhou Huaiya and Yan Qing.

“Please make sure my brother takes this, or he’ll end up with a stomachache,” he said.

Yan Qing nodded and went upstairs with the medicine.

When she turned back briefly, she saw Chu Yang sitting at the dining table, quickly finishing the leftovers.

What a perfect little brother, Yan Qing thought with a pang of envy.

She knocked on Chu Zhao’s door. “Chu Zhao, can I come in?”

“Yes,” he answered obediently.

When she entered, she saw him lying on the bed again. Without saying much, she walked over with a glass of water mixed with a special ingredient and said, “Drink this. It’ll help your stomach after eating something so spicy for the first time.”

“Okay,” Chu Zhao agreed readily and drank it without protest.

After finishing, he sighed in relief and lay back down his expression content.

This time, Yan Qing didn’t ask him anything. She could see the joy in his demeanor.