I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 183 - 180: Shocked—Big Cousin Is in Love?

But when she knocked on her cousin’s door, the one who opened it wasn’t her cousin...

Standing there was a tall man with wet hair, familiar yet not too familiar, just someone she’d met twice—Mr. Baozi from Orchid Restaurant, who had also helped deliver Hehua and Jiang Beihua back to Qingshan Village, and now he was here visiting the third room with gifts.

Logically, he should be more familiar with her, so how was he so familiar with her cousin?

No, this isn’t just familiarity!

Jiang Mingyue scrutinized him. Black trousers, hard to see, but the white shirt he wore was definitely her cousin’s. In his past life, he always liked to embroider two small figures riding a crescent moon on the sleeves. She couldn’t believe Mr. Xie Yunhai would have the same taste, even if he did, could he design the exact same pattern? The answer was no. Because she designed it in the past life, the figures were her and her brother.

Moreover, in her brother’s home, wearing her brother’s clothes, dragging her brother’s slippers, with hair that was still freshly washed—this... seemed like cohabitation!

Jiang Mingyue almost choked on her own bold thought.

This guy was calm. He greeted her with a smile as she sized him up, and only spoke after she’d finished her inspection.

"Yueyue’s here, tired? Sit down and rest a bit, I’ll get you some water."

Given her earlier assumptions, Jiang Mingyue surprisingly accepted his hospitable demeanor with ease.

Meanwhile, her cousin emerged from the bathroom with similarly wet hair.

Jiang Mingyue: "..." What luck today, unbelievable!

The key was how open and honest he was about it. Have they reached the stage of meeting the family already?

Jiang Mingyue: Or was she overthinking? Maybe seeing too much in her past life had made her quite accepting of such things. Back then, she often ate with her cousin at the Sky Garden Restaurant and often saw people making out in the elevator. She would watch and appreciate until her cousin forcibly dragged her out, then she could still discuss it with him.

Anyway, she’d always managed to annoy him.

Her cousin should like girls, right!

"Here’s the water, Yueyue, it’s a bit hot! Be careful."

"Okay, thank you!"

Xie Yunhai wisely gave the siblings space: "Yueyue, Jiang, I’m going back to my room to write the plan, you guys chat."

Her cousin responded with a nonchalant "Hmm."

Jiang Mingyue again: They really weren’t in that kind of relationship?

Until her cousin dried his hair and sat facing her, on his previously pale neck... cough, cough, what did she see?

Strawberries?

Marks?

It wasn’t until she saw the bite marks that it was confirmed!

Her feelings were complex! She had been hoping her cousin would marry and bring home a sister-in-law, giving her a niece or nephew to play with, but now... those hopes might be dashed.

After all, he knew what his little sister was pondering in her mind with just one glance.

Jiang Ming’an chuckled: "Dismiss your wild imagination, your brother here is decent, still waiting to meet the fated girl to marry and have kids with."

Jiang Mingyue: "..." So, she was overthinking it after all.

"Cough, cough... Brother, be reasonable, am I that kind of person?"

"You are!"

Jiang Mingyue: "..."

The next second.

"Yueyue, you came just in time, quickly fetch me some wine, you wouldn’t believe how fanatical those drunks are, out of ten vats of wine, I only had a few sips. If it weren’t for constant business trips, I’d rush to you for wine multiple times. And you, I asked Pan, he said you came by several times, why not visit me?"

A look of righteous entitlement while the next second he turns to questioning.

Jiang Mingyue, utterly exhausted: her mouth is just enough to rest on her shoulder, and now he’s asking her to visit him. Isn’t this just an indirect way of demanding home delivery?

"A few sips? Brother, are you getting better at bragging? With your love for wine, do you think I’d believe it?"

Not wanting someone to care in the least about his lie being exposed: "I’m your brother, of course, you have to believe me."

Jiang Mingyue: "..." If he weren’t her brother, she’d consider cracking his skull to see what’s inside.

"The more wine, the better. I need everything else too, and don’t forget the fish, go check the kitchen for what I lack and prepare it for me."

"Aren’t you going on a business trip? Leaving stuff here might tempt thieves?"

"My things, who dares? Oh, Yueyue, I’ve also bought No. 43 Magpie Street, that’ll be my place eventually. I’ll give you a key, next time you can go straight there, soon I’ll be moving home. And the business trip is only two days, I’ll be back soon."

"Then why keep stuff here?"

"The place needs renovation and cleaning, when I’m back from the trip I’ll hire people for it. No. 43 isn’t like your No. 42; your courtyard was renovated later, doesn’t require any fixing."

"Then why buy it?"

"Don’t want to but had to because I wanted to stay close to you. Actually didn’t want to buy, living at No. 42 was enough but there’s always a stray dog following, with my sister having secrets, moving in would make her unsafe."

In the past, Jiang Mingyue would be somewhat touched, but today not so much... Although he denied it, she still believed the courtyard might also be for consideration for the other. After all, the current house is two bedrooms and a living room, quite convenient for two people. A lot of families squeeze into one bedroom.

The only... probably not wanting others to see Mr. Xie.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Mingyue denied: "I wasn’t thinking about nonsense, it’s you who is feeling guilty. Alright, I’ll go to the kitchen."

In the kitchen, she marvels once again at her brother, the Taotie. She believes she could give him all food in her space and he’d still consume it all without waste.

She’d given so much last time, now even the residue is gone.

Jiang Ming’an followed, but didn’t enter the kitchen, just leaned against the wall.

"Told you so, here it’s entirely depleted."

"Is that all, are you starved now?"

Jiang Ming’an chuckled: "...what kind of talk is that? Saving breakfast, lunching casually at the cafeteria, dining at the state-run restaurant, living like this for half a month."

"Isn’t that good? Young guys prefer not to stay home cooking."

"Your brother loves it. Haven’t you noticed, while those dishes outside taste alright, can ingredients compare to yours?"

She recalled him saying the same in her past life, encouraging her to plant more grain and vegetables. But she was lazy, with special supplies why should she plant? She refused. Eventually, her space only grew medicine for a few professors.

Back then she thought her cousin wanted to keep her busy, avoiding idleness and frequent absence.

Looking back, he might be simply stating space ingredients are superior, aiding health enhancement. Her cousin probably tested her occasional crops, didn’t he?

Sigh! Not thinking further, recall brings random melancholy.

Jiang Mingyue quickly brought out 20 pounds of rice, 100 pounds of flour. Her brother reminded: "More rice, this isn’t enough."

"None left! Haven’t grown rice for ages." Technically donated it.

"I’ll reserve more for you next time."

Kept fetching, but now placed in an empty room—a huge pot of braised chicken, twenty of them, a huge pot of braised rabbit, seeing her brother’s satisfied face.

Retorts: All he thinks of is eating.