Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 598 Zhang Defu Invites Zhan Mengyan to Read Comic Books Together

Zhan Yingying took Zhan Mengyan's arm and walked out of the courtyard, with Zhang Defu following closely behind.

Sunlight illuminated the figures of Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan side by side. Zhan Yingying gently linked arms with Zhan Mengyan, and the two chatted and laughed softly, intimately connected.

Zhang Defu stood not far away, his gaze fixed on the intertwined arms, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily as he swallowed a mouthful of envious saliva.

Zhan Yingying's gentleness and Zhan Mengyan's dependence intertwine to form an invisible net. He longs for that warm touch to belong to him—not as an observer, but as the one being held. If he could exchange all his days and nights for a moment of closeness with Zhan Yingying's arm gently resting on his shoulder, he would gladly trade all his days and nights for that.

Upon arriving at the Zhang family home, Zhang's mother, Li Fengzhen, warmly welcomed the two sisters into the house before heading to the kitchen. Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan also wanted to help in the kitchen, but Li Fengzhen pushed them back to the main house, saying, "It'll be ready soon, so you two don't need to help. The kitchen is small and can't accommodate so many people. You two go and wait, chat, eat some melon seeds and fruit. Defu, keep Yingying company, and talk to Mengyan."

The main room was filled with the warmth of the heating. Zhan Yingying naturally placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, like a vine entwining another, sharing whispers only they understood. Zhang Defu sat in one corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), unconsciously tapping the edge of the kang, his eyes glued to Zhan Yingying's movements. Envy surged again like a tide. He swallowed hard, imagining himself squeezing into that gap: Zhan Yingying's arm should be around him, not Zhan Mengyan's. A gentle breeze rustled the curtains, as if mocking his longing. He closed his eyes and imagined himself as the one being relied upon, not the lonely watcher.

Time flowed between the two sisters. The elder sister's arm linked with her younger sister's was like a tranquil oil painting. Zhang Defu gazed at them, his envy turning into an invisible chain that held his breath. Every time Zhan Mengyan laughed, it was like a needle piercing his expectations—he longed for Zhan Yingying's arm to steady his waist, not Zhan Mengyan's shoulder. The saliva he swallowed was like a bitter offering, dedicated to that unattainable intimacy. If fate were a painter, he would plead to sketch his outline, so that Zhan Yingying's tenderness would no longer remain a mirage.

"Hello, Sister Mengyan, let's read a comic book together."

As Zhang Defu spoke, he tilted his head back, holding up the slightly curled copy of "Wu Song Fights the Tiger." His face was flushed red, like a little squirrel eager to share its treasure. He stood on tiptoe, trying to hold the book up to Zhan Mengyan's face. When he tilted his head back, a tuft of hair sticking up at the back of his head trembled. His small eyes were wide open, the whites of his eyes almost squeezed to the corners, and his black pupils were as bright as water-soaked black beans, staring intently at the corner of Zhan Mengyan's mouth—where there was still a sugar stain left from eating an apple.

"Look, look, here! Wu Song almost killed that tiger!" Zhang Defu's voice was a little nasal, his neck was a bit sore from tilting his head back, but he still stubbornly held up the book, his fingers even turning slightly white from the force. Every now and then he would tug at Zhan Mengyan's clothes with his other hand, like a puppy afraid of being rejected, his eyes fixed on Zhan Mengyan, as if saying, "Answer me quickly, answer me quickly, I'm about to cry!"

Zhan Mengyan finally put down her teacup and reached out to ruffle Zhang Defu's shiny hair.

Zhang Defu immediately shoved the book into Jin Mengyan's hands, his small eyes curving into crescents and his mouth stretching to his ears.

"I knew it! Sister Mengyan is the best!"

As Zhang Defu spoke, he lightly nudged Zhan Mengyan's body with his elbow.