Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 49: Determined to Break Free, No Matter What

It would be unfair to say that Su Yijia was accustomed to caring for others in such a manner. In fact, it was the farthest thing from the truth. Before entering the fictional world, she was nothing short of a pampered princess.

Her family was not among the world’s top-tier billionaires, but their company was well-known around the nation. Although she had been shielded from media exposure, her natural brilliance was evident from a young age. She had skipped grades in school, entered a prestigious university’s youth program, and even clinched world championship titles while basking in the limelight of public adoration.

By the age of eighteen, she had been admitted to a prestigious research institute with full support from her country and substantial investments from her family. At just twenty, she established her own research team and produced remarkable research findings. Not only did she win the coveted Wolf Chemistry Prize, but the money from her patent sales also helped her family’s business thrive.

In the following four years, she secured one major patent and three minor ones, establishing her reputation in the global academic community. Had she not entered this novel’s world, she would have had another chance to vie for even more prestigious awards at year-end.

Despite her pampered upbringing and lack of prior experience in caregiving, Su Yijia’s genuine desire to care for Qin Kaize was undeniable.

From a young age, she had been protected from the harsh realities of the world. This unique perspective allowed her to truly appreciate the sacrifices that people like Qin Kaize made for the safety and well-being of ordinary citizens.

Comfort, family, leisure time, equality in life, and even life itself—the things Qin Kaize had given up were starkly clear to her. Her respect and admiration for him stemmed not from romantic feelings but from a deep sense of awe.

After brushing Qin Kaize’s teeth and washing his face, Su Yijia took care of herself as well. She then retrieved a bowl of steamed egg custard from the kitchen. She crushed it and added a little lukewarm water to make it easier to swallow, and then proceeded to feed Qin Kaize spoonfuls of the nourishing meal.

Gao Huabin stood by, feeling a bit awkward. He scratched his head, realizing that nobody was paying attention to him.

Just a moment ago, Gao Huabin had assumed that the steamed eggs were for Su Yijia, so he had only used two eggs. If he had known they were for Qin Kaize, he would have definitely used four; otherwise, how could he stay full?

"Yijia, eating steamed egg custard alone in the morning won’t keep you full. I’ve prepared some rice congee for Qin Kaize. Please feed him some," Qin’s mother hurriedly approached with a bowl of white congee in her hands.

Seeing everyone’s expressions indicating no ill feelings, she tucked her tail between her legs and extended an olive branch.

"But I must say, Yijia, you should try to wake up earlier in the future. Kaize used to have breakfast at six in the morning. Today, you’ve delayed it by three hours," she added.

Su Yijia was about to acknowledge that she had indeed overslept that day when Xia Weiguo interjected, "What’s the problem if Kaize, a grown man, eats breakfast a bit later? People from our unit aren’t porcelain dolls; they can handle such minor inconveniences without complaining to their wives."

Qin’s mother clearly hadn’t expected that Su Yijia, who was clearly in the wrong, would be defended by Xia Weiguo, who usually cherished Qin Kaize. Not only did he not blame her, but he also supported her.

Su Yijia almost burst into laughter. Xia Weiguo looked at her and cheerfully said, "Yijia, you don’t have to listen to her nonsense. Kaize used to wake up at six every morning because he had to run for an hour at five, expending energy before he got hungry. You, on the other hand, sleep until you naturally wake up! Only when you’re well-rested can you have energy."

Qin Kaize blinked twice, expressing his agreement.

Xia Weiguo laughed even more heartily. "See, even Kaize agrees."

Su Yijia playfully added, "He has the best temper. Even when he gets heat rash on his back from sweating so much, he doesn’t get angry."

Not only did she point out that none of them had taken good care of Qin Kaize, but she also brought up the fact that they had taken away his electric fan. This dug the knife in deeper, leaving Qin’s mother almost trembling with anger.

Under the disapproving glares of those present, she dared not say a word and just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Oh, by the way, did you add anything to this congee? Plain white congee has no nutritional value, and it can make people gain unhealthy weight easily. I once had a high fever of thirty-nine degrees and drank nothing but white congee for a whole week. I gained six pounds and felt dizzy and lightheaded when I tried to walk a bit. It’s not good for Kaize to be too skinny, but being overweight, especially with unhealthy weight gain, would be worse." Su Yijia continued her onslaught, stabbing with her words again.

Her rapid-fire, cutting remarks made Qin’s mother regret her decision even more.

She shouldn’t have provoked this woman in the first place.

"I didn’t want to cook plain congee for Kaize, but anything else would be too hard for him to eat, and he might choke," Qin’s mother defended herself, sounding quite wronged.

However, her argument didn’t gain any approval from Xia Weiguo and Gao Huabin. They looked at her as if she were a fool.

"It’s about the intention! My sister-in-law makes better congee for the boss. The day before yesterday, she stewed winter melon with spare ribs, then filtered out the residue to make congee. The winter melon was so soft it practically melted into the congee. The combination of spare rib soup, winter melon, and congee made it incredibly delicious. Yesterday, she made green bean congee, and she even crushed egg yolks into powder and added them while cooking. If you have the intention, there’s no nutrient you can’t supplement." Gao Huabin sneered and mocked.

Qin’s mother hadn’t expected that Su Yijia, dealing with a practically lifeless person, could actually care for him this much. She was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to call her foolish or skilled at pretending. In the end, she could only laugh awkwardly and retreat.

"Let’s just have some plain congee for now. I’ll go buy groceries later and make fish soup, filtering it with gauze, and then use it to make congee," Su Yijia said, planning to impress everyone with a table full of delicious dishes, especially since Xia Weiguo would be leaving tomorrow.

She also intended to use the opportunity to entice those outsiders. However, Xia Weiguo would never give her that chance.

"You stay home and accompany Kaize. I’ll go buy the groceries. I’ve already arranged for everything, and the major items for the wedding will arrive at the supply and marketing cooperative around 10:30. I need to go check and sign for them."

Su Yijia’s heart sank a little, but she didn’t dare to argue further. If Xia Weiguo noticed that she still had some hidden intentions, he might emphasize and remind her repeatedly. It could even lead to her losing any chance of leaving the house. However, she was determined to go outside, even if it meant digging a hole like a dog or learning from a groundhog to dig a tunnel.

The system had given her this task, indicating that if she didn’t intervene, the old professor’s fate was sealed. This was about whether Qin Kaize could be cured, and she couldn’t possibly give up on him. Her mind was full of schemes, and Su Yijia pretended to look delighted.

"You’ve bought everything so quickly? I remember these televisions; there are only three available in the Hu City market each month. People start queuing up early on the first day, and now it’s already the twentieth."