Under the doubtful gazes of the sisters, Jiang Yi and Jiang Han.
Wu Jun stood up from his seat and walked toward the cabinet where the rice cooker was. ’Since I’m already here,’ he thought, ’I have to at least give it a try.’
Jiang Han turned to look at Wu Jun. After a moment’s hesitation, she sighed and said, "Mr. Wu, I appreciate you coming. I know I’ve caused your company a lot of trouble. Regardless of what happens today, I will call my company and have them issue your certificate."
"Sis! You’re the best!" Jiang Yi was overjoyed by her sister’s sudden change of heart and happily grabbed her arm.
Jiang Yi, who was usually quiet and elegant in front of outsiders, rarely showed this playful side of hers, reserving it for her big sister.
Jiang Han had been staying at the hospital all this time, never leaving her daughter’s side.
As for delaying the certification for Wu Jun’s company, that had been He Qingfeng’s doing. He had come to the hospital and repeatedly pleaded with her, appealing to both her emotions and sense of reason until he’d finally coaxed her into agreeing.
When her sister called yesterday and mentioned the rumors spreading like wildfire online, Jiang Han realized she had played a part in fanning the flames. Her guilt deepened. She hadn’t expected her old classmate to have so many tricks up his sleeve.
Now, Wu Jun himself—the very person she had wronged—had shown up at her door. Not only that, but he was genuinely concerned about her daughter’s condition. On top of it all, her sister’s relationship with him seemed to be something special. She was so invested in his affairs, putting in a good word for him on the phone last night and even bringing him directly to the hospital to see her today.
As the older sister, seeing her younger sister—who was getting on in years and still single—finally bring a man to meet the family, she was genuinely happy for her.
Furthermore, Jiang Han’s first impression of Wu Jun was excellent. He was young and promising—already the CEO of a company at such a young age. He seemed like a fine young man.
She herself had gone through a failed marriage and was now divorced. She felt her sister had been affected by her experience to some extent, which was why she was still single.
Their elderly parents had long been hoping their younger daughter would get married soon. Now that there was finally a glimmer of hope, Jiang Han felt that if the conflict she’d created with her sister’s potential partner ruined their chances, she would become the great sinner of the Jiang Family.
"Then I must thank you in advance, Ms. Jiang." Wu Jun stopped and turned around, responding politely as he breathed a sigh of relief.
’To be honest,’ he thought, ’I’m only about seventy or eighty percent sure this will work. I can’t guarantee success.’
After all, this was his first time dealing with something like this. Hongyun Rice versus anorexia—there was no precedent for success.
"I don’t deserve your thanks," Jiang Han said, her face full of guilt. "Your company was entitled to this from the start. It was our fault at De Nuo. I’m just grateful you don’t hold it against us. I hope this incident doesn’t affect you and my little sister..."
"Sis, what are you talking about..." Seeing her sister’s words straying further and further off-topic and practically dragging her into a hole, Jiang Yi quickly cut her off.
"Let’s not talk about that. Let’s just put this whole thing behind us." The certificate issue was resolved before he’d even made his move. Wu Jun felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
"Wu Jun," Jiang Yi began, looking at him with a sigh, "Ranran has tried your rice before, and the results..." She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
"This isn’t Hongyun Rice." Wu Jun walked to the table and lifted the lid of the rice cooker. "What I brought this time is a rice that’s even better than Hongyun Rice."
"A rice that’s even better than Hongyun Rice?" Jiang Yi was stunned by his words.
She had never been fond of noodles, preferring rice ever since she was a child. She had tried all sorts of high-end imported rice on the market, some costing dozens or even hundreds of yuan, but Hongyun Rice was without a doubt the best she had eaten in years.
So for Wu Jun to claim he had something even better was quite a surprise.
While they were speaking, Wu Jun lifted the lid off the rice cooker.
A clear, delicate, and elegant aroma of rice instantly filled the hospital room.
It was so strong it even overpowered the characteristic smell of disinfectant in the room.
"It smells so good..." Jiang Han sniffed the air sharply and walked toward Wu Jun, her face alight with excitement.
But when she saw the glittering golden rice in the pot, she was completely dumbfounded.
’Is this really... rice?’
Seeing her sister’s baffled expression, Jiang Yi curiously leaned in for a look. And then, she too was stunned...
’This rice is just too beautiful!’
It was golden and glittering, exuding an air of luxury. Each grain was plump and perfectly formed, like a miniature work of art meticulously carved by a master craftsman!
Seeing the shocked expressions on the sisters’ faces, which mirrored his own when he first saw this Super Rice, Wu Jun wasn’t surprised. It would have been strange if they *weren’t* amazed.
Wu Jun explained, "This is a special-supply rice, produced through 108 rigorous processes. You won’t find it anywhere else, and it’s not yet available on the market."
"It looks delicious," Jiang Yi commented, swallowing audibly in a rather embarrassing fashion.
"Mama, what’s that smell? It’s so unusual," a weak voice asked. Jiang Churan, who had been lying listlessly on the bed feigning sleep, had suddenly turned over to look at the three people gathered around the rice cooker.
Hearing her daughter show interest in food for the first time, Jiang Han was so emotional she wanted to cry. After thanking Wu Jun profusely, she took out a bowl, filled it with rice, and brought it to the bedside.
"Ranran, have a taste and see what you think," Jiang Han said, her heart pounding with excitement as she held a small spoonful of rice to her daughter’s lips.
Wu Jun steadied Jiang Yi as they moved closer to watch, both of them feeling incredibly tense.
Jiang Churan first sniffed the air. The clear, refreshing fragrance rushed into her nostrils. Before she even took a bite, her taste buds were already prepared, her mouth watering. Her stomach stirred to life and began to churn, letting out a soft RUMBLE.
Seeing her daughter’s reaction before even eating, Jiang Han’s eyes filled with hope. She bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
In the past, her daughter would have a reflexive gag reaction at the sight of any food. Today was different. Today was very special.
"It looks pretty good," Jiang Churan commented, smiling at her mother before leaning forward and taking the spoonful of rice into her mouth.
Jiang Yi and her sister watched with bated breath, their gazes locked on Jiang Churan’s mouth, terrified that she would spit it out just like all the other times.
Jiang Han even held her hand out in front of her daughter, ready to catch the food she expected her to spit out.
But what they feared did not happen.
After chewing a few times, Jiang Churan swallowed. A look of delight spread across her small face. "What kind of rice is this? It’s delicious!"
Hearing her daughter’s praise for the rice, tears streamed down Jiang Han’s face. She hugged her daughter and began to sob.
It had been seven or eight years. This was the first time she had seen her daughter smile after eating something.
Watching from the side, Wu Jun felt his own eyes begin to sting.
Eating. For an ordinary person, it’s a mundane part of life. Three meals a day; miss one and you’ll feel starved.
But for the family of someone with anorexia, it was something incredibly precious.
To a patient with severe anorexia, a single bowl of rice was life itself.
After Jiang Yi comforted her sister for a moment, Jiang Han managed to stop sobbing. Smiling through her tears, she continued to feed her daughter until the small bowl of rice was finished.
After finishing the small bowl of rice, Jiang Churan had a look on her face that said she wasn’t done yet.