They still lost the match. Putting aside objective disadvantages like their position, even for Zhi Li, taking on those two alone was simply too difficult. And so, through their own stupidity, they activated the twenty-four hours of attentive servant service they had brought upon themselves. Lan Yin’s first demand was for them to clean the entire villa. Ke Bu held a rag, wiping here and swiping there. Lan Yin appeared behind him without a sound, pressed the back of his head, and shoved his face against the wall. “Slacking off?”
“No, no. Your Highness, you’ve misunderstood me. I was only thinking about your son and got distracted.” Ke Bu immediately dragged Zhi Li into it. “He and Uncle Zhi have been in the room upstairs for more than an hour. What exactly are they doing?”
“A test or something. Who knows?” Lan Yin looked thoroughly disgusted. “Zhi Li finally comes back for summer vacation, so he should be allowed to play as much as he wants. That man keeps saying Zhi Li is about to enter his third year and there are more important things than playing. I refuse to let my baby go out into society and work while watching other people’s moods. Who does that man think he is? He can just earn enough money to support all of us himself.”
Ke Bu once again confirmed that apart from her appearance, the woman behind him had very few good points.
“Hey, the Zhi Zuo Si you wanted to see is back.” Bored, Lan Yin started provoking Su You Yan. Su You Yan mechanically dragged the mop across the floor while reading, pretending she hadn’t heard. Lan Yin pouted. “You people are so boring. I’m going to sleep.” After she left, Ke Bu silently shifted closer to Su You Yan. “You really aren’t planning to tell him?”
“I’m going to find him in a little while.” Su You Yan’s emotionless answer still surprised Ke Bu. She continued, “I want to cut these feelings off as soon as possible. Lan Yin was right. Sometimes it’s difficult to solve something by yourself. Apparently, I need to hear him reject me personally before I can give up, while this admiration still isn’t very deep.” There wasn’t a trace of sadness in her. For feelings that had once been something she could only hide inside herself, reaching this point was already enough. Her emotions were as cool as her personality.
Did some people confess only so they could get their hearts broken? Ke Bu had asked himself the question, but even he couldn’t think of the answer.
“Ke Bu, come outside!” Ying Xiu Jie shouted from outdoors. Ke Bu wanted to stay and keep Su You Yan company, but judging from her expression, she seemed to want some quiet time alone more than companionship. He opened his mouth, yet couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say. In the end, he only placed a hand on You Yan’s arm, gave it a light squeeze, and ran outside.
“What is it?” Ke Bu asked the moment he stepped out. Ying Xiu Jie propped a long ladder against the exterior wall and beckoned him over. “We’re short on manpower. I’ll hold the ladder. You climb up.”
“We have to clean the outside walls too? And why am I climbing while you hold it?”
“How could I trust you with my life?”
Ke Bu had to admit Ying Xiu Jie made a very good point. And because this was Ying Xiu Jie, Ke Bu couldn’t even use the same argument against him. His uprightness and loyalty in certain areas were obvious to everyone. Ke Bu narrowed his eyes at the long ladder, picked up a small bucket, and climbed. On the way, he even had to wave away spiderwebs drifting in front of his face.
“Right there!”
“I can see it.” Ke Bu scrubbed hard while muttering, “Will water even clean this off? Zhi Li has it easy. If there were a machine that could swap souls, I’d really like to switch with him for one day and see what being Zhi Li feels like.”
“No. I don’t want to sleep with myself.” The voice came from above Ke Bu as the window over his head opened.
“You scared me! What if I fell?!”
Zhi Li rested both elbows on the windowsill and leaned out, looking down at Ke Bu. The sea breeze stirred his hair and collar. “If you fell, I’d take responsibility.”
“How would you take responsibility?”
“I’ll think about that when you actually fall.”
“Crafty.” Ke Bu cursed softly, then asked, “Where’s your dad?”
“He left a little while ago.”
“He was making you study?”
“Why do you keep bringing him up? Are you interested in him too?”
“How could I possibly be?!” The question was ridiculous. The person Ke Bu had fallen in love with had inherited every beautiful thing from Lan Yin and Zhi Zuo Si. How could his eyes or heart have room left for anybody else?
“Good. I’m not giving you to my dad.”
“Your dad wouldn’t want me either!”
“Hey, Ke Bu. Come up a little higher.” Zhi Li crooked his finger. Ke Bu looked confused. “Why?” Even while asking, he climbed another two rungs. When he lifted his hand, it could just reach Zhi Li. Zhi Li caught it. “What do you think?” After speaking, Zhi Li kissed Ke Bu’s fingertip. Ke Bu refused to acknowledge what it did to him and pulled his hand away. “It’s dirty.”
“I don’t mind.” Something at the corner of Zhi Li’s mouth began teasing Ke Bu’s heart—a smile so faint, so shallow. Ke Bu gripped the ladder securely, afraid he really might be bewitched enough to fall.
“Do you need me to leave?! There’s still somebody down here!” Ying Xiu Jie shouted from below.
“I know!” Ke Bu shouted back. When he looked up again, Zhi Li had vanished. But not long afterward, he appeared once more with an ice pop between his teeth. “The spot to your left is still dirty. Are you actually cleaning properly?”
“I’m the one who should be asking you—was everything that happened just now a hallucination?”
“Daddy, what are you looking at? I want to see too!” Zhi Xiao Ke and Zhi Xiao Xun climbed onto little stools. Their round eyes flattened the instant they spotted Ke Bu. The way that family looked at people really was emotionally damaging. Zhi Xiao Ke covered one side of her mouth with her hand. “Ohohoho, I can see the future where you marry into our family.” She had definitely watched too many cartoons. Zhi Xiao Xun kept scratching his hair and stuck his little head out. “I’ll let you eat my dandruff.”
“You two brats, don’t let me catch you. I’ll spank your asses until they swell.”
“Ohohohoho, big pervert! Sexually harassing children!”
“Hmph! Lan Yin told us you’re the one whose butt swells up. Daddy hits you all the time, right?!”
“I only…” Zhi Li hadn’t even finished before Ke Bu’s shout stopped him. “I know what you’re about to say! Don’t say another word!” Ke Bu would rather let them misunderstand than tell them the truth. Even while talking, he somehow managed to finish cleaning the stains from the wall. As Ke Bu breathed out in relief, Zhi Li shoved the half-eaten ice pop into his mouth. “Your reward.” Ke Bu bit off a piece, the cold sensation traveling down his throat and into his stomach. He scrunched his face at Zhi Li. “What a cheap reward.”
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