Lip Reading: The President's Unspeakable Side, Mr. President, Your Face Is So Red~

On the small path.

Ye Cheng walked alone while muttering to himself, "This should be the right way. Up ahead... seems to be the president's villa!"

From a distance, Ye Cheng could already see a solitary villa perched on a hill. Such a villa could only belong to the Dongfang Family.

Though there were many standalone villas on campus, the occupancy rate wasn’t high. Earlier, Ye Cheng had taken a wrong turn and spotted another equally extravagant villa, with a massive "Xia" character displayed on the lawn.

Xia?

Was there someone like that at the school?

Ye Cheng had half a mind to keep searching for the location of the young mistress’s villa, but time was running short. After some thought, he decided to drop it—licking the president’s shoes was more important right now.

Upon reaching the Dongfang Family’s villa area, he was greeted by the sight of two enormous characters, "Dongfang," proudly displayed on the lawn.

"Tsk tsk tsk, damn rich people!"

Ye Cheng gritted his teeth, swearing that one day he would trample over those characters. What? You think it’s too difficult?

How hard could it be? Just climb up there during cleaning duty and stomp on them a few extra times while wiping. Wait, don’t tell me you actually thought I meant taking down the Dongfang Family?

Don’t be naive, kid. This is just the delusional fantasy of someone about to be chopped into mincemeat.

Toppling a behemoth is no easy feat—crushing you would be simpler than squashing an ant. Young man, cut back on those hot-blooded fantasies. Once you step into the real world, you’ll understand. Better to obediently submit and happily lick shoes!

Whoo-hoo, here I come, President!

Ye Cheng quickened his pace. From afar, he could already see the president and her little secretary up on the villa’s terrace.

However, their poses were a bit odd. The secretary was hunched over a telescope, seemingly observing something, while the president lurked behind her, sneakily holding up her phone as if taking pictures of the secretary?

Ye Cheng had excellent eyesight. After watching for a while, he activated his "skill"—lip-reading—and roughly deciphered their conversation.

"What? He’s still not back?"

"That jerk… it’s so late already…"

"Huh? Miss, when did you come up here…"

"Idiot, stay right there!"

"Wahh! No, Miss, I’m sorry, wahh…"

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself…"

All these lines were pieced together by Ye Cheng through lip-reading. His eyebrows shot up—it seemed he’d stumbled upon something scandalous. The airheaded secretary and the president were secretly spying on something?

Ye Cheng followed the telescope’s line of sight and… saw the student dormitory building on the opposite hill—the one he lived in.

Ye Cheng: "???"

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he sucked in a sharp breath. He quickly decided to pretend he’d seen nothing. If the president found out he knew this secret, he might end up silenced for good.

"I know nothing. I saw nothing. I know nothing…"

After a quick round of self-hypnosis, Ye Cheng continued toward the president’s villa. To avoid suspicion and make his arrival seem "natural," he shouted loudly.

"President! Open up! It’s me!!!"

Ye Cheng’s booming voice echoed. Dongfang Zhixia, who had been lost in thought, instantly turned as flustered as her secretary, her eyes spinning in dizzy circles.

Especially after getting a clear look at Ye Cheng’s current outfit, her brain practically short-circuited. This scene bore an uncanny resemblance to certain images from her recent dreams…

Dongfang Zhixia: "!!!"

"You jerk, shut up!!!"

A few minutes later.

Ye Cheng was finally let inside by the president.

Like an overly curious child, he began inspecting every corner of the villa. Dongfang Zhixia and the secretary were still upstairs—Ye Cheng had been granted entry via remote-controlled locks.

"President?"

Seeing the empty first floor, Ye Cheng tentatively called out. His voice traveled up the stairs, and soon, Dongfang Zhixia’s voice—laced with suppressed fury—responded.

"Shut up. If you dare come upstairs, you’re dead!"

Ye Cheng: "..."

Was this really necessary? He’d only asked out of habit.

Deciding not to push his luck, Ye Cheng sat quietly on the living room sofa and helped himself to a cake the secretary had hidden away for a late-night snack. Ye Cheng was sharp—he instantly recognized it as the secretary’s, not the president’s.

Had it been the president’s, he wouldn’t have dared touch it. But since it belonged to the airheaded secretary? No problem. Worst case, she’d puff her cheeks and call him a "jerk," and that would be the end of it.

The strong must mercilessly bully the weak!

What Ye Cheng didn’t know was that while the cake did belong to the secretary, Dongfang Zhixia had already taken a bite out of it earlier. In other words, one small cake, three participants—and it vanished right into Ye Cheng’s stomach.

Had the president not been involved, Ye Cheng’s "bully the weak" plan would’ve gone off without a hitch. But… her participation introduced an unforeseen complication.

Upstairs.

Dongfang Zhixia splashed cold water on her face, taking several deep breaths to suppress the lingering flush on her cheeks. As for the secretary… she was still sprawled on the floor.

What an idiot. Couldn’t even handle this much?

So what if he was dressed a little lightly? So what if—

Dongfang Zhixia’s thoughts derailed, the redness creeping back up her neck as her brain turned to mush, her eyes spinning once more.

Splash, splash. Another minute or two passed before she finally steadied her breathing, drying her face with a towel while muttering to herself.

"Guess I overdid it with exercise today… My face has been red for so long…"

Having found a plausible excuse, the president quickly regained her composure. She tied up her hair and finally headed downstairs to meet Ye Cheng.

Tap, tap, tap.

Light, steady footsteps descended the stairs. Hearing the sound, Ye Cheng hurriedly stuffed the remaining snacks—also the secretary’s hidden stash—into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

"What are you eating?" Dongfang Zhixia frowned, standing at the foot of the stairs and eyeing him coldly.

Ye Cheng thumped his chest twice, forcing down the mouthful before replying, "Nothing? President, you must be mistaken. I didn’t eat anything."

Dongfang Zhixia: "???"

Her sharp gaze swept over the empty table and fruit platter. There was no doubt—this jerk had polished off all the household’s fruits.

But if she recalled correctly… there had also been a half-eaten cake on the coffee table earlier. Now… it was gone too.

Meaning… he ate it?

Isn't this just an indirect...

Unable to suppress her wandering thoughts, Dongfang Zhixia's body reacted instinctively—her heartbeat quickened, and a flush began spreading across her skin.

Ye Cheng blinked. "President, your face is so red, like a chameleon. Hahaha..."

The moment those words left his mouth, Ye Cheng regretted it. Because... the president's face instantly paled, and worse... she was now staring at him with the look of someone eyeing a dead man.

Gulp. Ye Cheng swallowed hard and shrank back into the sofa. "Uh... President, I was just joking. Your face is totally pale."

"Oh, it's fine. I am pale. But you're about to turn red." Dongfang Zhixia said calmly.

Ye Cheng: "..."

Tap, tap, tap. With her face now drained of color, Dongfang Zhixia descended the stairs, and then...

This time, it was Ye Cheng's turn to turn red.

A few minutes later.

Ye Cheng, with his "bright red cheeks," knelt before Dongfang Zhixia, muttering under his breath, "President, I’ve noticed you take things way too seriously..."

"Oh? I take things seriously?" Dongfang Zhixia crossed her legs, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Ye Cheng, who was dressed like one of the "Calabash Brothers."

"Where are your clothes?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Uh... maybe they got homesick and ran back on their own?" Ye Cheng's eyes darted around, guilt written all over his face. He couldn’t exactly admit he’d sold them for ten grand, could he?

"Oh, they ran back? Fine... Hello? Yes, this is Dongfang Zhixia. I’ve got a pervert here—could you come over?"

"NOOO, PRESIDENT!!!" Ye Cheng instantly slid into a desperate kneel, clinging to Dongfang Zhixia’s crossed leg as he "sobbed" dramatically.

Dongfang Zhixia smirked coldly, raising her phone to summon backup and have Ye Cheng hauled away. Showing up in the middle of the night dressed like a "Calabash Brother" was a blatant violation of school rules—and not just any rule. He could easily be locked up for this.

If Dongfang Zhixia wanted to... it all depended on her mood. She held all the power now, and the thought brought a confident curve to her lips.

But... it didn’t take long for that smile to vanish. Something felt... off.

She’d already been struggling to keep her composure earlier, and now, with Ye Cheng dressed like this...

At a visible speed, the president’s fair cheeks flushed crimson once more—like a chameleon changing colors.

"Y-you—get up, you idiot...!"

Her voice wavered, soft with embarrassment. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, fists clenched like she was ready to punch him. Was this guy an idiot? Just grabbing her like that...

Dongfang Zhixia’s vision began to swim...