Chapter 2

I was nineteen when Qin Sili brought me home.

I’d never been to school. I could count the characters I recognized on my fingers.

Qin Sili asked if I wanted to go to school.

I said no.

Then he offered to teach me to read.

I said learning characters was too hard. I couldn’t do it.

He didn’t say anything else.

I’d come here to work. What kind of employee made his boss teach him to read?

Besides, if I went to school, I could kiss this well-paid job goodbye.

Luckily, being unable to read didn’t get in the way of caring for a little snake.

One time, I was feeding the little black snake when Qin Sili came over with a book.

“Ji Xiaoman. Want to hear a comic? I’ll read it to you.”

I didn’t know what a comic was.

But if the boss wanted to read me something, I’d listen.

Qin Sili read the words in the book aloud, one by one.

I laughed until I clutched my belly.

“Hahaha! This Ah Shuai is such a doofus!”

I couldn’t read the words, but I could understand the pictures.

As the boss read, I followed along with the illustrations.

Just when I was getting really into it, Qin Sili closed the book. “Bedtime. That’s enough for today.”

I still wanted more. “I’m not sleepy yet, Boss.”

“Well, I am. I’m going to bed.”

“Okay. Could you read me some more tomorrow? I want to hear the rest.”

Qin Sili agreed.

That night, I was listening to comics even in my dreams.

He read to me for several days, then suddenly stopped coming.

I had to go find him, comic book in hand.

And ask him to read it to me.

Qin Sili refused. “No more. Reading aloud every day dries my mouth out. It’s exhausting.”

My head drooped in disappointment. “Okay, then.”

But Qin Sili proceeded to read the comic right beside me.

Every so often, he gave a pleased little laugh.

It was torture. I couldn’t resist leaning over to read along.

Except all I understood were Ah Shuai’s exaggerated movements.

Every time Qin Sili laughed, I followed his eyes, trying to work out which part he was on.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand what was so funny.

“Boss, please. Read it to me.”

He still refused. “No. Read it yourself.”

My face went bright red.

“But I can’t read!”

Qin Sili acted as if he’d only just remembered. “Oh, right. I forgot. Nothing to be done, then. Go feed your snake.”

Then he went back to his comic, chuckling every so often.

I paced beside him in desperation.

“Boooss! Teach me to read! I want to read comics!”

From then on, Qin Sili taught me to read.

I learned slowly, but I could now get through a whole comic book on my own.

I’d read the entire Ah Shuai series.

Next, I was planning to start Hilarious School.

After dinner, Qin Sili tested my progress.

He handed me a sheet of paper. “Two columns of characters. Read them out, one at a time.”

Qin Sili sat on the sofa, idly playing with the little black snake.

I settled down at his feet.

Leaning over the coffee table, I pointed at the characters and read each one.

When I finished, I let out a relieved breath.

Great. I knew every character today.

If the boss caught me on one I didn’t know, there’d be a punishment.

“Now draw lines to match them into words.”

I took out a pencil and got to work. I checked my answers in my head before handing the paper to Qin Sili.

He barely glanced at it. “Read.”

I cleared my throat.

“Theme. Shabby. Story. Clingy. Transition. Browse. Criminal investigation…”

I was concentrating on reading when the little black snake suddenly climbed onto my arm.

It made me jump.

Once I’d settled it safely, I continued. “Husband.”

Then I looked up at Qin Sili.

Surely I’d passed today’s test without a hitch.

Qin Sili clicked his tongue, his handsome brows drawing together. “What are you calling me?”

Thinking I’d misread it, I hurriedly checked the paper.

“It says husband. I read it right. I matched the characters right too.”

I held the paper in front of his eyes so he could get a proper look.

“Boss, it’s husband!”

Qin Sili looked at the paper, then at me. The corners of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

“Yes. That’s right.”

Yes! Homework done.

I started to get up, but the boss held me down. “Not so fast. Write each word five times before you go.”

Qin Sili made me sit on the floor between his legs.

I was practically his prisoner, not allowed to leave until I finished.

Writing was so hard. I struggled to hold the pencil, forming each stroke carefully, but my characters still came out crooked.

Suddenly, I felt warmth behind me.

The next moment, Qin Sili took hold of my writing hand.

“How many times have I told you? Hold the pencil like this.”

He wrote with his hand wrapped around mine, adjusting my grip and occasionally murmuring reminders into my ear.

His breath tickled as he spoke.

My attention drifted to his hand, so close to me.

The boss didn’t just have a handsome face. Even his hands were good-looking.

Without quite knowing why, I lowered my head and sniffed his hand.

There was a faint scent of tobacco.

Qin Sili tightened his grip until it hurt a little.

“What are you, a puppy? Sniffing everything.”