Chapter 152: Handsome Wood

(1)

That night.

The on-duty servant, holding a flashlight, was making his routine rounds of the villa when halfway he saw the kitchen lights blazing.

She thought it was the cook, Aunt Tao, who had forgotten to turn them off; she rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked over, intending to turn them off.

Just as she reached the doorway, she unexpectedly saw a tall, slender figure standing before the sink.

"Little, young master, what are you doing here?!" The servant's drowsiness vanished instantly; she lowered her gaze, saw the pot in the boy's hand, and asked: "... Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you a late-night snack?"

Pei Du: "No need."

Although she had already been surprised once during the day, the servant still felt it unreal that the young master would speak to her.

"Young master, let me do it; how could I let you do it yourself?"

Pei Du turned his head and politely refused again: "No need."

"... Eh, okay." The young master obviously did not want to be disturbed; the servant, being perceptive, did not insist further, and only said before leaving the kitchen: "If you have any orders, just call me."

Then she heard the boy utter an assent.

The servant almost left the kitchen as if startled by favor, every sentence met with a response—could this be the quiet, gloomy young master they knew?

Moreover, how did the young master suddenly become interested in cooking?

About ten minutes later.

The servant noticed the kitchen lights dimming, and then came the sound of the young master's room door opening and closing.

When Pei Du entered holding the sweet drink, Shu Shu had just finished solving an eighth-order Rubik's cube out of boredom.

She asked:

Why is Shu Shu in Pei Du's room?

It was because of that bowl of "failed" taro ball fresh milk mochi from earlier today; Shu Shu said there was no need to remake it, but Pei Du insisted on making another batch.

Shu Shu first learned that the obstinate way of "handsome wood" was a pair of dark eyes, silently staring at her until she agreed.

Alright~

Shu Shu did not refuse.

She had originally been waiting for Pei Du in the kitchen, but as soon as he arrived, he drove her out.

Shu Shu asked why.

After two seconds of silence, she saw the boy furrow his brows and explain in a rather serious tone: "It would turn out bitter."

Shu Shu was even more puzzled.

"What does 'handsome wood' mean?" she wondered, "Could it be that she would still cause trouble for him?"

Shu Shu picked up a spoon, took a sip of the sweet drink Pei Du had remade, and praised: "Delicious."

This time it was truly delicious.

Pei Du was not surprised by this result, since he had already tasted it himself before bringing it over.

Shu Shu sat cross-legged on the carpet, and the soft cushion that had previously been ignored was finally sat upon by her.

"Handsome wood, what does it mean?"

As she was sipping the sweet drink, that sentence suddenly came from behind her.

Shu Shu's hand holding the spoon froze, and she turned her head.

On one side of the sofa, the boy with a cold, clear expression had his hands on his knees, even his sitting posture seeming obedient.

He gazed quietly at Shu Shu, a faint doubt in his dark pupils.

"..."

Then Shu Shu remembered.

Oh.

He was pretending to sleepwalk, so he had heard that nickname she used for him.

— How should one respond with high emotional intelligence when the person nicknamed learns of the nickname given to them?

Shu Shu blinked and gave Pei Du her answer: "You, guess?"

"It's very easy to guess."

After a brief silence, Pei Du shook his head, indicating he couldn't guess.

Shu Shu finished the sweet drink, prepared to leave, and before leaving she gave Pei Du two hints.

No.

It is explicit.

She said — appearance and personality.

Shu Shu left.

Pei Du continued sitting on the sofa, lowering his gaze as if in thought; after a moment he rose, went to the desk, opened the computer, and found that "contradiction consultant" from last night.

The chat box popped up instantly:

"Hello, what would you like to consult?"

Before Pei Du could even speak, two more lines popped up in succession.

"Huh, is that the same person from yesterday?"

"May I ask how your confession went? Was it smooth?"

"..."

Before he had even begun to ask, Pei Du felt the urge to close the webpage.

The person opposite probably also realized they were being too gossipy, and in a second returned to the same professional demeanor as their avatar: "Dear, may I ask what issue you'd like to consult today?"

Pei Du typed: "Besides contradictions, can I ask about something else?"

Opposite: "Sure, dear, as long as it's related to people, we can answer all your questions professionally."

The word "professional", Pei Du did not refute.

As mentioned in the plan, Shu Shu indeed was not angry with him.

After a brief pause, he sent a message: "Someone called me 'handsome wood', I asked what that meant, and the other party said the five words 'appearance and personality'—how should I understand that?"

Opposite: "Is that 'someone' the 'her' you mentioned yesterday?"

……

Pei Du: "Does it matter whether it's yes or no?"

Opposite: "Of course, dear, this will directly affect our judgment, causing the answer we give you to be biased."

Pei Du: "Yes."

Just like yesterday, after about a minute's interval, the opposite side first threw over a 9.9 yuan payment code, and after Pei Du finished paying, the familiar document was instantly sent over.

Probably because the impact of yesterday's "plan" was too great, Pei Du's knuckles gripping the mouse tensed for a moment before he clicked in.

It was still just a few lines of text.

"Dear, based on the information you provided, our analysis is as follows——"

"The other party called you 'handsome wood', and indicated that this is based on your appearance and personality; so we first look at 'handsome': your looks definitely belong to the outstanding type, and even if we step back, at least they fall within her preferred range, indicating you match her ideal type."

"And 'wood'—there's a saying called 'personally wooden', meaning you usually aren't good at expressing yourself, habitually silent and reserved; in her eyes, your image is likely monotonous, even more so boring."

"The fact that the other party could give you the nickname 'handsome wood' presupposes they noticed you, but the factors that drew her attention mainly come from your appearance; for now she is temporarily interested in you, but she will easily lose interest due to your boring personality."

"So, we suggest you need to make certain changes, dare to express your thoughts."

Pei Du finished reading, then sent a screenshot of that sentence about the ideal type.

"What does 'ideal type' mean?"

Opposite replied: "Ideal type usually refers to a person's ideal partner, that is, someone she wants to date and be together with."

The second time.

Pei Du, in a fluster, closed the page.

(2)

Shu Shu felt that the insomnia of "handsome wood" seemed to have worsened.

At the dining table.

The youth's dark lashes drooped listlessly, and the black circles under his pallid eyes looked even deeper than when she first arrived at the villa.

"You, what's wrong?"

Shu Shu held the chestnut pumpkin cake she had made to repay Pei Du's sweet water, and moved close to him to look at him.

Different from yesterday's evasion.

Pei Du lifted his gaze toward Shu Shu; his sight fell on the girl's fair face, sweeping from her smooth forehead to her delicate nose, to her softly contoured chin, and finally resting on her lovely peach-blossom eyes.

After locking eyes for a moment, his voice low and hoarse: "It's fine."

Pei Du then looked at Shu Shu's hand, silently asking what it was.

"Chestnut pumpkin cake, want to try a bite?"

Pei Du nodded.

—You're probably habitually silent and reserved, right.

Pei Du added: "Good."

Shu Shu handed the little silver spoon to Pei Du; Aunt Tao said that "handsome wood" doesn't often eat sweets, but basically everything she makes is sweet, and she doesn't know whether he likes it.

"How is it?"

"Very delicious." Pei Du paused, then asked: "Did you make it?"

Shu Shu: "Mm, yes."

Pei Du pressed his lips for a few seconds, looked at Shu Shu, opened his mouth and said: "... You're really amazing."

Shu Shu: "???"

No, she heard what?

If we say the rarity of "handsome wood" speaking is fifty, then hearing this kind of "proactive compliment" from his mouth would instantly skyrocket to a hundred.

Shu Shu uttered a question from the depths of her soul: "You really aren't feeling anything, are you?"

Pei Du: "Why are you asking that?" He had just clearly answered that he was fine.

Shu Shu solemnly said: "Because you're a bit out of character."

Seeing Pei Du's puzzled look, she explained in plain terms: "It means you're not quite like your usual self."

Pei Du asked: "How am I usually?"

"Your usual self—" Shu Shu tried to use milder words: "Um… quiet, introverted, reserved."

Quiet, introverted, reserved.

Pei Du heard it, silently pondering.

These all match what last night's plan document said: "not good at expressing, silent and reserved."

So in Shuyin's eyes, his image really is monotonous, boring.

……

Pei Du gazed at Shu Shu's eyes, looking thoughtful.

Shu Shu thought that relying on sleepwalking to twist a Rubik's cube to cope with insomnia was an unadvisable strategy.

That day.

She said to Pei Du: "I have a method, do you want to try it?"

Pei Du nodded: "Good."

Shu Shu froze for a moment: "I still haven't said what the method is." She agreed so readily.

Pei Du asked: "How to do it."

Shu Shu had also experienced a long period of insomnia before; Cheng Ya Jie told her a method, namely to make herself tired.

Very simple and brutal.

Directly use exercise to flood the body's functions, making the body feel physiological fatigue.

Shu Shu tried it and found it more effective than taking medicine.

She had just finished speaking when Pei Du stood up and returned to his room; five minutes later, he came out wearing sportswear, walked up to Shu Shu, and said in a low, calm voice: "Let's go."

Shu Shu: "……" That fast?

…

This villa backs onto the mountain, showing a trend from top to bottom; the roads around for entry and exit are all smooth asphalt, very suitable for running.

Shortly after dinner, a breeze occasionally blew through the mountains.

Two shadows, one deep and one light, appeared at a steady jog on a winding path; their goal was the viewing platform at the top of the path's end.

"Do you want to rest a bit?"

This was the fifth time Shu Shu had asked Pei Du this.

By then they had already run to the steps leading down to the viewing platform.

Pei Du stopped; his angular face showed no sign of exertion, only his brows furrowed: "Am I very weak?"

Why keep asking him if he wants to rest.

Shu Shu asking like that is, of course, understandable.

After all, Aunt Tao constantly mutters about giving the handsome wood a stew to nourish the body.

The girl clenched her fists, said nothing, but Pei Du already got the answer from her expression.

It seems that, besides being inarticulate and taciturn, I also have an impression label here at Shuyin—frail.

A moment of silence.

Pei Du seemed to have made a major decision; he stepped two paces closer and, with somewhat unnatural motion, opened his arms toward Shu Shu.

Shu Shu blinked, puzzled: "What are you doing?"

The next second.

Then I heard the boy's eyes especially earnest, uttering a few words: "I'll carry you up."

Shu Shu: "……!!!"

Is this really the handsome wood?!

She now seriously suspects that after she drank the sweet water and left last night, he was swapped by a mysterious person; although his face is still the original, the person is no longer the original!

In the end, Shu Shu still refused Pei Du.

But Pei Du didn't understand.

He was clearly following the plan as stated above; Shuyin misunderstood him as frail, so he suggested carrying her up to show he wasn't frail.

But Shuyin did not agree.

…

Shu Shu specifically had Pei Du first put away all the Rubik's cubes; the day after finishing the run, she eagerly checked the results.

Pei Du's fatigue was noticeably less than these past two days.

Shu Shu's eyes brightened as she said: "Looks like this method works for you too, huh."

Also?

Pei Du caught a key word.

"You, also suffer from insomnia?"

Shu Shu paused, then replied: "I used to have it."

Pei Du asked: "Is there something on your mind? Poor grades, or... a breakup?"

Shu Shu said resentfully: "How did you steal my lines?"

"So, what is it?"

Shu Shu also imitated Pei Du's speech: "No bad studies, also no breakup."

Pei Du: "Hmm."

Shu Shu hurriedly changed the topic: "Since this method works, we should keep at it."

Pei Du looked at Shu Shu, moved his lips, but still didn't tell her the real reason for his severe insomnia these past two days.

…

The third day of persisting with running.

Shu Shu and Pei Du picked up a dog.

Oh no.

There were two dogs, one big and one small, curled up in the grass by the road; when discovered, the big dog had already lost vital signs, while the small dog nestled in its arms kept whining.

Shu Shu took off her coat, wrapped it around, and carefully held it to her chest.

It was a white puppy, its eyes not yet opened; it looked cold, and sensing warmth, it whined even louder.

"What a poor little dog."

Pei Du glanced at Shu Shu's obviously pained expression and said: "Take it home, raise it."

…

Shu Shu had no experience raising dogs, especially puppies.

Fortunately, Auntie Tao knew; she took out a bag of goat milk powder, and with a plastic syringe she fed the puppy little by little, sighing, "This little guy is quite promising, eating so well, he's sure to survive."

As Auntie Tao said, after caring for it continuously for eight or nine days, the puppy opened its eyes.

No one knew what breed it was.

Its whole body was milky-white fur, fluffy, with a pink nose tip; most notably, its four paws were gray, as if wearing little socks.

Shu Shu gave it the name, Great Blessing.

Just that kind of soft and fragrant milk great blessing's great blessing.