Chapter 31 Part 2

The "little zombie" started moving again.

One moment doing the splits, the next kicking its legs, then wiggling its backside. Its exaggerated movements were incredibly stiff, yet that duck-footed stance was remarkably expressive. Ding Xian was utterly amused, hugging a pillow and laughing heartily.

Zhou Siyue: "Happy now?"

Ding Xian suppressed her laughter. "It's quite interesting."

Zhou Siyue tossed the joystick aside. "Alright, test successful."

"Te... test?" Ding Xian froze.

"A comedian robot, specifically designed to treat mental patients."

Ding Xian threw the pillow she was holding. "You're the mental patient—"

Zhou Siyue caught it with a smile. "Didn't you ask me what I wanted to do earlier?"

"You want to make this?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

"Think about it, if I could cure all the mental illnesses in the world, I'd probably go down in history."

Ding Xian threw another pillow. "You should cure yourself first, Director Zhou."

Zhou Siyue laughed, falling back onto the sofa. He looked especially handsome and vibrant when he laughed. Ding Xian couldn't help but curve her lips as well. Before long, they both stopped at the same time, gradually ceasing to laugh, and stared at each other for a few seconds.

The living room clock pointed to seven, ticking away second by second. A single man and woman sat in the room, and the atmosphere was ambiguous. At that time, Ding Xian always felt that when this scene was played on TV, the male and female protagonists would always embrace and kiss, then the screen would go black.

Her face just flushed red.

However, the scene from TV didn't happen. Instead, some untimely sounds arose, "Gugugu—"

Ding Xian lowered her head, looking at her stomach, and whispered, "Zhou Siyue, I'm hungry."

"I must owe you from a past life!" Zhou Siyue threw down the pillow and turned into the kitchen.

...

How would Young Master Zhou know how to cook? There were still two bags of instant noodles left in the kitchen, bought just yesterday. He carelessly tore open the packaging, asking her, "Shrimp and fish cake or braised beef?"

"Whatever."

"Choose quickly." He was getting impatient again.

"Shrimp and fish cake, then."

"Go boil water." Young Master Zhou commanded.

'He's even bossing you around now?'

Ding Xian still obediently went to find the kettle. "Auntie isn't here, do you always eat like this?"

"Occasionally, I eat out with Jiang Chen."

"When my mom cooks instant noodles, she adds an egg or ham sausage, and she cooks them in a pot, not just with hot water."

Zhou Siyue tore open the seasoning packet, casually tossed it into the trash bag, and scoffed at her, "If I had that much time, why would I eat instant noodles?"

Two minutes later, Zhou Siyue leaned against the door and asked her, "There are eggs in the fridge, want me to boil two for you?"

Ding Xian nodded frantically, "Yes, please!"

Then, Ding Xian saw Zhou Siyue drop two eggs into the pot.

"Usually, they're cracked open and fried with oil—" Before she could finish, Zhou Siyue's gaze swept over her, implying, 'You don't want it?' Ding Xian timidly lowered her head again and whispered, "Boiled, boiled is delicious too."

After eating, it was already eight o'clock.

Zhou Siyue put on the jacket from the sofa, ready to take Ding Xian home, but the little girl remained still.

"Running away from home won't work with your mom; she won't fall for that at all. If she wanted to find you, she would have already shouted your name all over this alley. And before you have the ability to defy your mom, don't waste your effort, just go home obediently."

Ding Xian stiffened her neck and said, "I don't want to go back. Why don't you let me stay for one night?"

"Dream on." He retorted without hesitation.

"Stingy."

"Get up quickly, don't be a brat."

Ding Xian stood up and said softly, "Then I'll go find someone else."

"You wouldn't dare."

...

In the end, Zhou Siyue still escorted Ding Xian home that night. When Ye Wanxian saw Zhou Siyue, her mind was momentarily blank, wondering how these two ended up together.

Zhou Siyue politely and humbly returned her to Ye Wanxian, casually fabricating a few reasons that sounded quite plausible. He didn't expose Ding Xian and even helped her smooth things over, instantly doubling Ye Wanxian's good impression of him.

"We just ran into each other on the way back, so we had dinner together and came back. My parents just left for a business trip, and they asked me to deliver something, so we came together."

Ye Wanxian took the small pastry from Zhou Siyue's hand, feeling quite delighted, and looked at Zhou Siyue: "Were the furong cakes I made last time delicious?"

"They were very delicious. Some people from my dad's office even asked for them a few times."

"That's good then. I'll make more for you next time and have Xianxian deliver them. Did this girl, Xianxian, cause you any trouble?"

"We're deskmates, and she's quite obedient."

Ye Wanxian was surprised. "You two are deskmates?"

Zhou Siyue nodded. "Yes, she didn't tell you?"

"This child doesn't really like to talk about school."

Ye Wanxian glanced at Ding Xian, her tone even. "You go inside first. I want to say a few words to Siyue."

After Ding Xian went in, Ye Wanxian, still uneasy, looked back once more, then mysteriously pulled Zhou Siyue aside.

The young man looked down at his wrist which she was holding, frowning slightly, but still refrained from speaking.

The two walked towards the tree by the entrance.

Ye Wanxian glanced around again, then lowered her voice to Zhou Siyue, "Are there any boys at school pursuing our Xianxian?"

For some reason, Zhou Siyue remembered Liu Xiaofeng's flushed face.

"Did she tell you?"

Zhou Siyue pulled his hand back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and turned his head to look.

Ye Wanxian was startled for a moment, then simply went with the flow, attempting to extract information from Zhou Siyue. "It seems so. A boy gave her a note, and I've noticed she's been distracted with her studies lately. I don't know if it's related to this."