Chapter 10
Shi Liaoliao turned her head.
And suddenly found herself looking into those tea-brown eyes, clear as glass marbles in the light.
Shi Liaoliao: “………”
[Scared the hell out of me. You little brat, walking without a sound.]
Lu Yanzhou, the little brat: “………”
Following Shi Liaoliao’s gaze, the small boy saw Lu Yanzhou and gave an audible gasp.
“Lu…”
When Lu Yanzhou’s indifferent gaze swept over, Shi Liaoliao distinctly felt the person beside her stop breathing.
Yet Lu Yanzhou quickly looked away and back at Shi Liaoliao. “If you’re planning to sleep outside tonight, shall I bring you a quilt?”
Shi Liaoliao immediately lowered her eyes. “Sorry. I’ll go in right now.”
[Yanzhou, someone just called you handsome. Aren’t you afraid that sharp tongue will scare off your little fanboy?]
Yanzhou thought, What does it matter to me whether he runs off?
Shi Liaoliao was about to go inside when the boy standing stiffly beside her suddenly came to her senses and instinctively caught hold of her.
“You… live here?”
Resisting the urge to frown, Shi Liaoliao glanced at her crumpled cuff. First day of term, and she already had ironing to do.
“Yes.”
Pulling free again, she entered the private dorm at Number Thirteen without stopping to examine the other person’s complicated expression.
As his personal valet, she would live with Lu Yanzhou and take sole charge of his daily needs.
Learning this had been an enormous relief, since she’d expected to share a four-person room.
After a quick look at the ground-floor layout, Shi Liaoliao was very satisfied with how tidy it was. Before coming in, she’d steeled herself not to say “What the fuck” no matter how dirty, messy, or awful it turned out to be.
As soon as Lu Yanzhou entered, he sat on the cream sofa beside the floor-to-ceiling window, a laptop on his knees and several thick books stacked within reach.
Shi Liaoliao walked over and straightened the books that were in danger of toppling, then spoke softly. “Young master, may I have a moment of your time?”
[Yanzhou~ Look at me~]
Lu Yanzhou thought he’d really had enough.
“What is it?”
Despite the inward complaint, he patiently turned his attention to her.
Compared with people who treated servants as though they didn’t matter, Lu Yanzhou was actually quite a gentleman.
“I have something I’d like to give you.”
Precisely the right amount of curiosity appeared on Lu Yanzhou’s elegant face.
Inside: Hopefully not a stick.
Shi Liaoliao turned to fetch it. When she returned, she was carrying a flowerpot filled with soil.
“I followed a tutorial and planted daisy seeds in here.”
“I didn’t pull those flowers up, but I’m sorry you lost your flower bed. I’d like to give you this to make up for it.”
The casual smile faded from Lu Yanzhou’s lips.
His gaze settled on the bare flowerpot, his thick lashes lowered slightly, as though he were thinking.
Only after a long while did he say softly, “Thank you.”
“But…”
“Why is the pot pink?”
Shi Liaoliao replied without batting an eyelid, “It was the most expensive one. Suitable for someone of your standing.”
[Actually, it was buy one, get one free. I’m using the blue one to grow chives.]
Lu Yanzhou’s lips curved up slightly.
[Besides, a real man with a big ass ought to use pink!]
Lu Yanzhou’s lips curved down slightly.
“Leave it here. Your luggage is in your room. There’s a beginning-of-term ball tonight. Go and get ready.”
Shi Liaoliao had almost forgotten.
The new-student guide said that although Shengdon Academy had no welcoming ceremony, it did hold a beginning-of-term ball. All students, regardless of rank, had to attend.
“All right.”
She turned and left.
[Wonder if my room has a bathtub. Come to think of it, there’s no kitchen on the upper floor. Good thing I brought a pot. I can cook my own snail rice noodles, heh-heh.]
Hearing that lively voice, so different from her outward behavior, Lu Yanzhou shook his head with a quiet laugh.
Before he could return his attention to his paper, the phone wedged between the sofa cushions suddenly chimed.
Lu Yanzhou assumed it would be a message from a friend, but unexpectedly…
Bai Liye (youngest daughter of the Bai family in the south of the city): Lu Yanzhou, did you know Shi Liaoliao is gay?
Bai Liye (youngest daughter of the Bai family in the south of the city): Your family’s gardener can testify to it. He said Shi Liaoliao admitted it to his face.
Bai Liye (youngest daughter of the Bai family in the south of the city): He keeps me from seeing you behind your back. Every time I come to the Lu house, he won’t let me in. Everyone who likes you gets turned away. Isn’t it obvious what he’s thinking?
Lu Yanzhou’s gaze paused, then slowly moved to the pale pink flowerpot beside the window.
Without expression, he blocked Bai Liye.
Lu Yanzhou thought he might actually have believed it if he couldn’t hear the valet’s thoughts.
“Still.”
After a brief pause, his voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible.
“I really shouldn’t get too close to someone who works for my father…”
…
“We’re screwed, Wanwan.”
Emerging from her inspection of the bathroom, Shi Liaoliao wore a grave expression.
The hamster, bouncing about on the soft bed, turned its head. [What’s wrong, host? Forgot your ID or your money?]
Shi Liaoliao: “I forgot my fake dick.”
Wanwan: [………]
Was she that adventurous…?
One look at those shocked little black-bean eyes told her this little system had absolutely misunderstood.
“No. I had it custom-made. I usually secure it between my legs. The uniform trousers are tight to begin with. If there’s nothing there, people will notice.”
She swore it was perfectly innocent!
Besides, she had to go to that ball tonight. She couldn’t do without it.
Wanwan scratched its head and rummaged around. Then its eyes lit up.
[Host! How about using these instead?!]
Shi Liaoliao walked over and picked up the bag.
It held glow sticks, a free gift she’d received for spending enough on snacks at the supermarket.
[They’re a bit thin, but you can take a few and tie them together.]
There was no other option. For now, she really didn’t have a better substitute.
By the time Shi Liaoliao had everything ready, the sky had darkened.
The uniforms issued by Shengdon Academy included a formal suit for functions, sparing Shi Liaoliao from having to wear her school uniform.
She went downstairs to find Lu Yanzhou, who had already changed.
As expected, he wasn’t wearing the academy’s plain, standard-issue suit.
He was almost nineteen. Though a little youthful softness still lingered in his face, his build and bearing were already entirely those of a man.
An off-white three-piece suit was paired with a satin tie in gold and brown stripes. The hair on one side of his forehead had been swept up with gel, exposing the smooth contours of his face. He looked even more handsome and aristocratic than usual.
Shi Liaoliao whistled inwardly.
[Not bad, Yanzhou. Very old money.]
Lu Yanzhou briefly surveyed the little valet’s outfit, then looked away.
“Let’s go.”
Shi Liaoliao stepped up behind him. She keenly sensed that his manner had grown a little colder, but assumed the young master was in a bad mood and didn’t give it much thought.
Shengdon Academy was vast. The evening’s ball was in Banquet Hall One, and students ranked B or above were allowed to drive.
Lu Yanzhou’s car was a silver-gray supercar. Its design wasn’t particularly flashy; like him, it wore its luxury quietly.
Shi Liaoliao took the keys and automatically went to the driver’s seat to act as chauffeur.
Lu Yanzhou was prone to carsickness. He wasn’t so particular about seating in his own car, so he sat in the front passenger seat.
Shi Liaoliao sat down and fastened her seat belt. Just as she was about to check that Lu Yanzhou was ready to leave, she distinctly felt the glow sticks strapped to her leg lever upward!
Her breath caught. She jerked her head down.
A certain part of her trousers was sticking up.
And the worst part was…
Lu Yanzhou, Young Master Lu, the person Shi Liaoliao served, had turned his gaze over at some point.
Now those beautiful tea-brown eyes, as clear as glass marbles, were quietly fixed on that spot.
His expression was indescribably complicated.