Ye Ling touched her hair lightly and said, “Thinking about our first encounter.”
“Butler Luther said that you chased twenty chaperons away. Why did you accept me? Did you harbor some dirty thoughts of me?”
“You’re overthinking.”
“Tsk.” Shen Qianshu looked away. Can’t you just let me think?
“Then why?” she asked.
“I liked the meals you cooked.”
Shen Qianshu was speechless.
Out of all reasons, she never thought that this would be it.
Shen Qianshu said, “I was raised in a wealthy family and well pampered too. I rarely cooked. When I came to Paris, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I learned to cook. I followed a cookbook step by step to cook for you. How bad exactly was the food that your previous chaperons made for you?”
“People who have the means to study overseas are definitely not from a poor background. Which one of them isn’t pampered? Only a few of them could cook.”
“So it actually isn’t because I’m pretty!”
“If I liked people who looked good, I would just have to look into the mirror every day. Why would I have to look at others?”
Shen Qianshu said, “… I really… feel like beating someone up!”
She pondered and still would not give up. “So, what were you thinking when you first met me?”
“I was thinking… how long it would take for this fragile-looking ‘caramel cake’… to pack up and leave.”
“You looked down on me, huh? Luther gave me such a high salary! I wouldn’t leave no matter what!”
It was as if the two knew what each other thought. They were careful, and they avoided the topic of that terrible night.
“Master, did your parents treat you well?”
“What do you define as well or not well?”
“Just, motherly love… fatherly love…”
“No such things!”
Shen Qianshu hugged him, feeling sorry for him. She lowered her head and kissed him by his chest through his pajamas.
“Luther… maybe.”
“Butler Luther really cares for you.”
“Mmhmm, I know.”
The two of them chatted lightly, and Shen Qianshu fell asleep on him. The next morning when they woke up, her back hurt, and her neck felt really stiff. While they were having breakfast, Tong Hua stared at her innocently while biting on a banana.
“Mommy, am I going to have a younger sister?”
Shen Qianshu asked, “What the heck?”
“Abstinence!” He spoke like an adult yet in a worried tone—similar to how Zhong Ran usually spoke. Actually, he had no idea what Zhong Ran meant by that, but it did not feel like it was something nice.
Shen Qianshu looked away. “Zhong Ran, what nonsense have you been teaching him again.”
Zhong Ran replied. “I’m innocent.”
Shen Qianshu’s phone had been ringing the whole morning. Initially, they were calls from Fang Xia. Later, there were calls from Shen Lin. There were also calls from others like Chen Wanwan… Shen Qianshu sparingly chose some calls to pick up and went to sleep after having her breakfast.
Finally, after waking up at noon, she then realized that Ye Ling was still at home.
“Master, you haven’t gone to work?”
“Mmhmm.” Ye Ling was in the living room and looking at an email. Tong Hua had his earphones on and was listening to some French recordings. Occasionally, he wrote some notes. Zhong Ran was playing a mobile game with earphones on. It was rare that everything was so peaceful.
It was raining outside, and there was a little bit of snow mixed in. It was cold and wet outside but warm indoors. The entire castle had heaters, causing Shen Qianshu to once again feel that this place was really for the rich. The temperature was not very high, and everyone was feeling lazy on such a winter day.
Shen Qianshu had a lot on her mind for the entire afternoon.
Eventually, Fang Xia stopped calling her. Shen Qianshu did not know what she wanted to say. As she had her phone in her hand, she received a message from Shen Lin.
Shen Lin: Our contract is ending in a year’s time. You had better not tell anyone that you have been helping me with designing. Otherwise, I will drag your name and reputation down with me when I fall.