Chapter 147

(1)

When Pei Du mentioned "fishermen," Shu Shu understood what he was talking about.

The dead memories suddenly launched an attack.

Shu Shu's embarrassment was plainly visible; Pei Du caught it, but he didn't stop, his eyes still on her as he leisurely finished the rest.

It seemed as if the purpose of his question wasn't to let Shu Shu recall and clear up confusion, but simply to enjoy watching her expression change.

Shu Shu didn't even need to ask Pei Du how he knew.

— Shu Lingchen, a big colander.

Just saying he always thought his dad was already dead would suffice; why say it in such detail?

This brat has a pretty good memory!

"……" Shu Shu's embarrassment faded after a few seconds, her expression returning to normal, and she replied after reading the chaotic message: "Nowadays life pressure is high; more job directions mean more opportunities to earn, so what's the problem?"

"No." Pei Du curled his lips, then asked: "Then, is the money I earned given to Yinyin to spend?"

Shu Shu: "……"

This place is so small that you can't even shift the stool to create a bit more space; more importantly, the cramped space amplifies any movement or sound inside, and even speaking voices unconsciously grow softer.

It's as if, as if the two of them were whispering intimately.

Shu Shu only needed to tilt her head slightly to make eye contact with Pei Du beside her; in this setting, whether people or lines of sight, she couldn't avoid it, so she, annoyed, took advantage of his lack of memory and spouted nonsense:

"No, you spend my money; you're broke, especially stingy—can't even afford a meal or a bouquet, and when it's time to pay you pretend to go to the restroom."

Pei Du paused slightly, a somewhat ashamed voice sounded: "Turns out, I used to live off my wife's money."

Shu Shu frowned and said solemnly: "Yes, that's right."

Hmph.

Now he subconsciously realizes he's actually a "pretty boy" who lives off his partner's money.

Let you ask, ask, ask.

The air fell silent again.

Shu Shu caught her breath; the topic could finally be skipped and ended.

Pei Du: "Why did Yinyin agree to let me live off her money?"

Pfft—

Shu Shu was glad she wasn't drinking water.

Why agree to let him live off her money?

Shu Shu couldn't help but look over, her gaze inevitably landing on Pei Du's face.

He sat beside her; the small stool was a bit uncomfortable for his long limbs, he tilted his head, and from this angle, the man's heroic nose bridge stood out especially high, not just the nose bridge—he was born with an outstanding facial contour.

His dark eyes were deep, his lashes sparse yet dense, and when his lips were lightly pursed, there was a sense of cold distance.

He was still waiting for her answer, his eyes continually fixed on her, the sense of distance dispelled.

This appearance……

Shu Shu didn't know what she had recalled, she dazed for a moment, her earlobes felt as if they were heating up, then she unnaturally turned her head: "Wh‑why would I agree? Of course it's because I was too young and pure back then—who doesn't have some embarrassing black history?"

Pei Du looked at Shu Shu, a faint smile in his eyes, as if he truly understood, and replied: "I see."

…

Shu Shu began to reflect on why she had chosen such a hidden spot.

Half a day passed.

Shu Lingchen still hasn't found this place.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed Pei Du about to speak, she quickly turned her head and asked: "Pei Du, is this your first time playing hide-and-seek?"

Pei Du: "En."

Shu Shu said: "Hide-and-seek actually has a rule: no talking, no moving."

After saying that, she added: "Also, no looking at others to disturb them."

Pei Du reminded: "Yinyin, that's three."

"……" Shu Shu: "Then it's three rules; you must follow them."

Pei Du nodded, indicating agreement.

…

Finally, they settled down.

After three minutes, a sound came from outside the door, as if Shu Lingchen had found Pei Muyin hiding in the restaurant, so the next seeker naturally became Pei Muyin.

Just a wall apart.

The daughter's obedient counting voice sounded.

The son's excited, chatty muttering about finding a hiding place was also skipped; he didn't know there was a small door beside him, behind which his mom and dad were hiding.

Shu Shu suddenly recalled, and in a tentative whisper asked Pei Du: "That night, did Shu Lingchen also say anything else to you?"

Pei Du silently looked at Shu Shu.

Shu Shu realized: "You can speak now."

Pei Du said: "No."

"Really?" Shu Shu narrowed her eyes, disbelieving: "If he really didn't say anything, shouldn't you be asking me what the 'other' refers to?"

That definitely means he did say something else.

Pei Du didn't look guilty; instead, a hint of anticipation shone in his dark eyes: "Yinyin, do you want to know?"

The implication was—Yinyin wants to know what the son said to me, and I can tell Yinyin.

"……" Shu Shu felt that answering would be falling for a trap, she turned her head: "I don't want to."

"Good."

Pei Du's tone still sounded a bit regretful.

Shu Shu was brainstorming:

What did the big-colander silly hare say to Pei Du? He's so foolish, maybe he'll end up saying something he doesn't want to, being led by Pei Du.

Such a situation will not be allowed to happen again.

Later, when she goes out, she'll give the silly hare a lesson on 'thought construction'!

Shu Shu was thinking.

Yinyin—

Forgot to seal it, Shu Shu raised her hand and made a zipper motion at her lips: 'All right, speaking time is over.'

But then she heard Pei Du say: 'The last question.'

Shu Shu looked skeptical.

Really the last question?

Pei Du's expression was firm, indicating that after asking this last question, he would really not speak again.

Shu Shu nodded readily: 'All right, go ahead and ask.'

Pei Du paused, then asked: 'How did we meet?'

Shu Shu froze for a moment, not expecting Pei Du to ask that; her expression showed no surprise: 'Is that the question?'

Hmm.

Then, have you finished asking?

Hmm.

Shu Shu said confidently: 'OK, since the questioning is over, speaking time ends; let's continue focusing on hide-and-seek.'

She agreed to let Pei Du ask, but she didn't promise she would definitely answer.

"……"

Regarding Shu Shu's behavior akin to playing dumb, Pei Du first stared, then lowered his eyes, and let out a silent, helpless laugh.

…

The place where Shu Shu hid was indeed as she had expected, a heaven-chosen spot.

Shu Lingchen and Pei Muyin were taken turns being found, then becoming the seekers, yet no matter how hard they tried, they could not find Shu Shu and Pei Du.

This made Shu Lingchen doubt: 'Did they run out to hide?!'

He seemed to pull out his phone to send a voice message to Shu Shu or Pei Du.

'The game rules say hiding spots can only be inside the villa—how can you cheat? That's too much!'

Shu Lingchen confidently told his sister: 'They definitely cheated; let's go look for them together.'

Not long after, the outside grew quiet.

I guess the two kids really teamed up to go find someone.

'I'm not playing anymore.'

Shu Shu got up to open the door, simply gave herself away, and then hid so that the two kids would have to look for her to the point of calling the police.

Moreover…… there is a reason.

She can't continue staying here with Pei Du; who knows what earth-shattering thing he might say next.

…

Shu Lingchen took Pei Muyin around the outside of the villa, and just as he returned inside, he saw Shu Shu and Pei Du.

The boy walked over, face full of surprise: 'No, where did you guys come from? I clearly searched everywhere, yet I couldn't find you.'

Shu Shu showed her son the secret door.

'Holy shit, what's the difference between this and using a cheat?'

Shu Lingchen also went in to feel it out, muttering in amazement, accusing his mom of being unfair for not bringing him along to hide.

Shu Shu shrugged, accepting her son's protest without any burden, saying whoever let him be the first catcher.

Hide-and-seek officially ended.

…

Soon it was evening.

Dinner was made by Pei Du.

Shu Shu noticed that from the time she came out of the small storeroom, Pei Du's gaze had been intermittently directed at her.

He wanted to know the answer to that question.

Night fell.

Inside the bedroom.

Shu Shu tucked the blanket for her daughter, who was already asleep hugging her stuffed bear, and lowered the bedside lamp's brightness.

'How did we meet?'

Shu Shu lay on her back on the soft pillow, Pei Du's voice echoed in her mind, drowsiness gradually welled up, she slowly closed her eyes, entering sleep with that question.

(2)

"x year x month x day."

The weather is sunny, no wait, the sun is gone, it's cloudy, looks like it might rain, no wait, the sun came out again, so it's still sunny.

Today something especially embarrassing happened.

That good-looking little piece of wood, I thought he was mute and couldn't speak.

Then I used sign language toward him for three days.

Until the fourth day, he suddenly asked me, what do all these mean?

Ahhhhh.

Awkward.

Kind people would normally keep pretending they can't speak to avoid embarrassing others, right?

So, he's not kind, how can he be like this?"

—One of Shu Shu's diary entries saved in her phone's memo app, written only when the mood strikes.

"Shuyin."

Someone shouted.

Shu Shu took a while to realize they were calling her. She had fallen asleep again, dreaming of past events.

Back then, her name was still—Shuyin.

"I'm coming."

Shu Shu got up.

It was the cook, Aunt Tao, calling her.

She counted the days; it had been exactly seven days since she arrived here.

The villa is located in a very secluded spot, with no neighbors; the surroundings are either mountains or trees, and there is only one master in the villa.

That is the handsome wooden youth.

His surname is Pei, and his name is Pei Du.

Probably also to avoid offending him, the servants never casually mention the master's name; in the villa they all uniformly call him:

"Young Master."

Shu Shu doesn't call him by name; in her heart she calls him "handsome wood."

During these days here, Shu Shu actually sees him rarely; the handsome wood, aside from meals, basically stays in his room and doesn't come out easily.

So he's so pale because he doesn't get much sun?

Being a little maid here is quite leisurely; there are no strict rules, the atmosphere is even decent—from the butler to the cook to the servants, there are only seven people total, and each just needs to do their own duty.

Shu Shu only needs to help Aunt Tao with odd jobs, and sometimes not even that.

Aunt Tao is a friendly lady; she often handles small chores herself without calling Shu Shu, because Shu Shu can teach her third-grade granddaughter homework.

The kind of video lessons.

As mentioned before, this place is remote; the villa's servants, aside from quitting, cannot leave this place or go home.

With Shu Shu's tutoring, Aunt Tao's granddaughter's grades have risen straight up.

"Can the young be taught?" It seems not.

Aunt Tao laughed and cried as she told Shu Shu: "That mischievous little imp just thinks you're pretty; every day after school she nags her mom to video call me, saying she wants the pretty sister to give her lessons."

…

Shu Shu came to the kitchen.

Aunt Tao pointed at the things on the counter and said, "Little Shuyin, help me bring this bowl of soup to the dining room."

"Sure thing."

Lunchtime has arrived.

He should have come out of his room.

Sure enough, when Shu Shu arrived at the dining room holding the tray with both hands, a figure sat at the large table.

The youth wore a simple sweatshirt and long pants, his black hair slightly long over his forehead; he hadn't moved his chopsticks, his hands rested on his knees, eyes lowered quietly, giving off a cold, aloof feeling.

I don't know if his wardrobe contains any colors besides black and gray.

Shu Shu, head down, placed the soup on the table while thinking.

Why must she keep her head down?

Because the sign-language mishap happened yesterday; she had gestured to him "careful, hot, drink later," and he asked what that meant.

The handsome wood surely thinks she's a weirdo.

If only he could temporarily lose his memory and forget yesterday's embarrassing moment.

But it seems, not possible.

From the moment Shu Shu appeared in the dining room, the originally expressionless youth noticed, lifted his thin eyelids, revealing his dark pupils, and his gaze fell on her.

"……"

I can't see me, I can't see me, I can't see me.

Shu Shu kept chanting silently in her heart.

However, after she set down the soup and moved two steps from left to right, his seated posture didn't move, but his gaze followed her two steps sideways.

Looking, looking, still looking—doesn't he know she's embarrassed?

Shu Shu couldn't stand this "torment"; just as she wanted to look back, she met his gaze with an upright, righteous stare, silently asking what he was looking at.

Just as she lifted her head, right before they were about to make eye contact, he almost simultaneously shifted his gaze away.

"……"

He, what does he mean?

Fortunately, after that the handsome wood didn't look at her again.

He returned to his former aloof demeanor, in which nothing could draw his attention, as if the sign-language mishap had never happened.

Hmm, this is best.

…

Shu Shu discovered something.

That is, people with very pale skin who stay up late are easily noticed.

The handsome guy just has somewhat heavy dark circles.

Shu Shu guessed randomly.

Could it be that he plays games in his room every night until late?

…

That afternoon, the sunshine was just right.

The steward Zhoubo was directing the servants to do something in the courtyard.

Shu Shu walked over to take a look.

Several servants each held a rag, wiping—magic cubes.

Magic cubes of various shapes and numbers of faces, in all sorts of varieties, filled three large baskets.

Shu Shu curiously asked Aunt Tao where all these magic cubes came from.

Aunt Tao said they all belonged to the young master.

Shu Shu naturally knew they were the handsome guy's; she was asking what they were for—no thirty pairs of hands could play with them all.

For collecting?

But Shu Shu saw that they were just ordinary styles, with no collectible value.

Only one day did she finally learn what they were used for—