Miss: "I like you. I really want to be with you. Would you like to"

Dahai City.

Inside the villa where Lin Baizhi lived.

Knock, knock, knock!

Miss, Miss, please come out and eat something, otherwise it will be bad for your health. Nanny Wang looked worried, holding a tray of freshly cooked food in her hands.

Looking closely, there was already food placed on the floor by the door, but it had grown cold.

Then, Miss, I will leave the food at the door. Remember to come out and eat. If it gets cold, just let me know, and I will come up and make you a fresh batch...

Nanny Wang's calls received no response. She sighed, replaced the cold food with the freshly made meal in her hands, and left alone.

Obviously, Nanny Wang had repeated this exact process many times before.

That was indeed the case. It had been several hours since Lin Baizhi returned from the hospital. To be honest, in all her years of service, this was the first time Nanny Wang had seen her young lady look so flushed with blood.

It scared her so much that she thought her young lady was having an allergic reaction. Her face was as red as Lord Guan; how could something not be wrong?

Lin Baizhi had sprinted to her room at top speed, slammed the door shut with a bang, and had not come out for the past few hours. If it were not for the strange cries and muttering occasionally coming from inside, Nanny Wang would have called the police.

What in the world was wrong with their young lady?

Why had she been like this ever since she came back a few hours ago? Did she suffer some kind of shock outside?

It was now early morning, well past Nanny Wang's working hours, but she did not dare to leave, terrified that her young lady might have an accident.

The master and the young lady had treated her very well; she could not just abandon her duties!

Sitting on the sofa and thinking it over and over, Nanny Wang finally made a decision that went against her ancestors... oh wait, against her young lady's wishes: she was going to call the master!

Beep, beep, beep...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Dahai City, in a villa near the Lin Group headquarters.

A phone began to ring suddenly.

A pair of eyes opened in the darkness, round and glowing faintly.

Da Huang: ???

Another figure lying on the bed in the dark also began to grope around, looking a bit groggy. Clearly not as agile as Da Huang, he was still trying to turn on the light.

Click!

The room was illuminated. Lin Tianxiong looked at Da Huang, who had run over at some point, with confusion in his eyes.

Under Lin Tianxiong's shocked gaze, Da Huang very thoughtfully used its paw to tap the reject button on the phone screen, and the noisy ringing in the room ceased.

Ah, peace!

Da Huang opened its mouth, let out a yawn, and waddled back to its dog bed to resume sleeping, leaving a bewildered Lin Tianxiong frozen in place.

Lin Tianxiong: ...

This dog... is not exactly normal, is it?

Even Border Collies are not this smart, right?

The man and the dog were getting along quite well, having fast-forwarded to sleeping in the same room. There was no other way; leaving Da Huang alone outside... oh wait, letting a dog wander around alone made it too easy for it to get lost.

Who knows how many security guards had already been sent to get rabies vaccines. Currently, Lin Tianxiong was the only one it would not bite; anyone else who approached was bound to get nipped.

Lin Tianxiong had also issued orders that Da Huang must not be harmed violently, nor could it suffer psychological harm. This left the security guards completely helpless. The world was getting weirder these days; they actually had to consider a dog's mental health?

Sigh.

The final result was that Lin Tianxiong and Da Huang slept in the same room, and he even brought Da Huang along when going to work and handling business.

Fortunately, Da Huang was an extraordinary... dog. It was very smart and did not cause Lin Tianxiong any trouble. It only needed to be fed regularly. The only issue was that its diet was a bit strange. After eating premium dog food, beef, and goat milk, it absolutely had to have some crispy instant noodles or spicy strips; otherwise, it would start attacking people.

It would curse and swear, even though it was just barking... uh, no one was cursing people here, or rather, cursing dogs. But Lin Tianxiong genuinely felt like Da Huang was cursing and swearing, creating a very bizarre sense of deja vu.

After being barked at all morning, Lin Tianxiong finally compromised and gave it the crispy noodles, along with a moderate amount of spicy strips.

Unsure of how Ye Cheng used to feed Da Huang in the past, Lin Tianxiong could only feed it slowly, afraid of causing Da Huang any health issues. Crispy instant noodles, after all, were slightly healthier than spicy strips, or at least less harmful to a dog's body.

Lin Tianxiong got up and picked up the phone that Da Huang had just hung up, glancing at the screen.

Hmm? Nanny Wang? Confusion filled Lin Tianxiong's eyes.

At this hour, why was Nanny Wang calling?

Lin Baizhi had moved out to live on her own a long time ago. Worried about her, Lin Tianxiong had asked Nanny Wang, a veteran servant of the Lin family and practically one of their own, to go over and take care of her.

Unless it was a special emergency or an accident had happened, Nanny Wang would not call. At this thought, Lin Tianxiong's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly dialed back.

Beep, beep, beep...

The call connected quickly.

Master? Nanny Wang spoke tentatively, her tone filled with apology and self-blame.

Sorry, my phone just fell to the floor and hung up by itself. What is wrong, Nanny Wang? Is there a problem with Baizhi? Lin Tianxiong skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

His daughter's matters were the most important!

Nanny Wang felt terrified. How could she let her master apologize to her? She instinctively wanted to say something, but then she heard Lin Tianxiong speak from the other end of the line.

Nanny Wang, just tell me what happened first.

Nanny Wang finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly explained the situation to Lin Tianxiong.

Master, if it is convenient for you right now, could you perhaps come over and persuade the young lady? She has not eaten anything for most of the day, and I am afraid she will get sick... Nanny Wang's voice was full of worry and guilt.

Lin Tianxiong frowned deeply. Alright, I understand. I will come over right away. Nanny Wang, keep a close eye on Baizhi.

Yes, Master, I will. I will definitely watch over the young lady! Nanny Wang promised.

The call ended.

Lin Tianxiong's expression turned grave. He had a few guesses, though he could not be sure. It was probably related to Ye Cheng. After all... over the years, the only thing that could affect his daughter's emotions like this was matters concerning Ye Cheng.

Did she fail, or was she rejected? Lin Tianxiong raised an eyebrow, muttering to himself instinctively.

This was probably the worst-case scenario. For his daughter... it was indeed a terrible thing. She might even do something extreme!

The more Lin Tianxiong thought about it, the more panicked he became. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He quickly scrambled out of bed, threw on his clothes, scooped up Da Huang, and rushed out.

Da Huang: ???

Several question marks popped up over the head of Da Huang, who had just gone back to sleep.

Da Huang, come take a trip with me. When we get back, I will treat you to barbecue... and crispy instant noodles.

Lin Tianxiong said as he carried Da Huang under his arm down the stairs. Da Huang's eyes instantly cleared up. It closed its eyes to continue sleeping, preparing to digest and make room for the food later.

Vroom vroom.

A black private car drove out of the villa, setting off first, followed closely by the Lin family's logistics support staff, with an ambulance trailing behind. They went with Lin Tianxiong to the villa where Lin Baizhi was staying.

More than ten minutes later.

The car stopped. Lin Tianxiong and Da Huang, one man and one dog, got out of the car one after another and ran towards the villa.

Nanny Wang had been waiting at the door for a long time. She stood there with a face full of sorrow, but when she saw Lin Tianxiong arrive, it was as if she had seen a savior, and hope appeared in her eyes.

"Master!"

Lin Tianxiong nodded: "Let's go inside to talk."

Inside the villa.

Nanny Wang laid out the cause and sequence of events, as well as all the surveillance footage from inside the villa. Lin Tianxiong frowned, seemingly thinking about something... After a long time, the doubt in his eyes dissipated.

He was sure it had something to do with Ye Cheng. His daughter acting like that... wasn't it obvious she was just too shy?

Her face was so red...

So, did he do something out of line or excessive?

If that were really the case, shouldn't their daughter be very happy? Why would she be this shy? Could it be that she only loved the idea of him?

"Woof!"

Da Huang's bark interrupted Lin Tianxiong's thoughts. He snapped back to reality to find a pair of eager eyes staring at him.

Lin Tianxiong: "..."

"Nanny Wang, do we have any starch sausages or anything at home?" Lin Tianxiong asked, and Nanny Wang looked confused.

A moment later.

Nanny Wang was frying starch sausages in the first-floor kitchen. Da Huang squatted next to her with a bowl in front of him.

She sprinkled seasoning on a starch sausage that had been scored with a knife.

"Da Huang, is this okay?" Nanny Wang asked tentatively. She just said it casually, after all, it was the dog their master had brought over, so naturally, it couldn't be lumped in with ordinary local dogs.

Although... the Da Huang in front of her looked like the most common local dog found in rural areas, just a bit plumper and stronger, and... his eyes were too lively.

Not like a dog at all.

A magical scene unfolded. Da Huang sniffed it, then nodded, signaling with his eyes for Nanny Wang to put it in the bowl in front of him.

Nanny Wang: "???"

"Oh my goodness!" Nanny Wang was shocked, her eyes full of disbelief. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation. This dog could actually understand her!

"This isn't a Border Collie, is it?" Nanny Wang squatted down to look closely for a while, wanting to reach out and pet him, but remembering her master's instructions just now, she gave up.

There was another reason. Da Huang was so smart; if she petted him randomly now and he snitched on her later, what would she do?

"Da Huang, I'll make you more food, can you let me pet you?" Nanny Wang didn't know what came over her, suddenly starting negotiations with a dog.

Da Huang ignored Nanny Wang, just kept eating the starch sausage in front of him. After finishing, he motioned for Nanny Wang to make more...

Nanny Wang: "..."

Did he not understand, or did he understand and just ignore her?

After all, making starch sausages for Da Huang was a requirement left by their master. Even if he didn't let her pet him, she still had to make them. If he let her pet him, he would be at a disadvantage.

If it was the former, at least it proved he was still a normal dog, but if it was the latter... that would be too awesome!

Nanny Wang even wanted to bring over the little Samoyed she raised to mate with Da Huang. So smart, truly lovable...

Da Huang sat cross-legged on the floor, waiting for his starch sausage. Upstairs, Lin Tianxiong was still standing at the door, muttering something. Unfortunately, he was now an incompetent old father, and his daughter wouldn't open the door.

"Daughter, what happened? Can you tell Dad?"

"Let's figure out a way together, don't keep it all bottled up inside."

"Daughter, can you say something? Dad is very worried when you don't say a word..."

Inside the room.

It was pitch black. Lin Baizhi curled up on the bed, having turned off her phone and everything else. She didn't dare look at any messages or calls, afraid they were from Ye Cheng.

The plan she thought was so clever had unexpectedly been exposed from the very beginning.

Listening to her brother's words, he knew from the start, and he even took care of her feelings and played along with her for a long time. So, what was this, playing house?

No... it was playing house!

Lin Baizhi suddenly realized that maybe from the beginning, her brother only treated this as a childhood game of playing house. After all, they had done things like this a lot in the past.

Like Ye Cheng playing the head of the household, her playing the virtuous wife, and the other kids in the orphanage playing their sons, daughters, or Wangcai or something. Oh right, Wangcai was the name of the dog.

Unfortunately, Ye Cheng always fought to play Wangcai, and the game of playing house always ended unhappily. After all, Lin Baizhi still had her pride. If Ye Cheng was Wangcai, wouldn't she be...

Ahhh!!!

Lin Baizhi recalled the past events once again, her face turning red. She wrapped herself in the blanket, too ashamed to see anyone.

Lin Baizhi naturally heard the voice of her kind old father outside the door, but she didn't want to say anything right now. She wanted to die...

Liars, they were all liars. TV shows and novels were all liars. It wasn't like this at all. Shouldn't it be a beautiful encounter, a wonderful reunion?

What was playing house all about?

Then what were all those things she did before?

The playground, the cafeteria, the little grove, the hotel video... what did all those count as!

Ahhh!!!

"Dad, stop talking, just go. Let me be alone for a bit, I..." Lin Baizhi's voice trailed off into incomprehensible sounds at the end, so ashamed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

The more Lin Baizhi said this, the more uneasy Lin Tianxiong felt, and he didn't dare to leave.

What exactly had happened to push his daughter to this state?

"Dad... I, I don't want to live anymore, woo woo woo... I have no face to see anyone, woo woo woo..." Lin Baizhi started crying at the end. It was too embarrassing, too embarrassing, woo woo woo...

Lin Tianxiong: "???"

"Daughter, daughter, what's wrong? Open the door first, we can talk about anything, don't be impulsive!" Lin Tianxiong's face was pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

What exactly was so terrible!

After crying for a while, Lin Baizhi recovered.

"It's nothing, Dad. I was just joking earlier, sorry for making you worry..." Lin Baizhi's voice carried a hint of apology.

Lin Tianxiong: "???"

These words... why did they sound so wrong?

It felt like she was leaving her last words?

With such a huge mood swing, why did it feel like she had broken down?

It couldn't be, right?

Lin Tianxiong's heart skipped a beat, his heartbeat quickened, and his back was gradually soaked with cold sweat. Lin Baizhi's next sentence completely shattered the last psychological defense of a kind old father!

"Dad, I'm useless..." Lin Baizhi's signature humble voice of a "cowardly lizard" came through, echoing in the room. It was all her fault for being useless, unable to win over her brother, so she could only play the ostrich, woo woo woo...

"Bang bang bang!"

No!!!

Lin Tianxiong's eyes were completely red. He couldn't care less about anything else; ensuring his daughter's safety was all that mattered. He slammed his body fiercely against the door. "Sweetheart, please don't do anything stupid!"

"Dad, the door isn't locked. Stop slamming into it..." Lin Baizhi's faint voice drifted out from inside the room.

Lin Tianxiong: "???"

...

The hospital.

Even though it was already the middle of the night, Ye Cheng was wide awake, focusing all his attention on drafting a "mini-essay" for the Eldest Miss.

"This should be about right, shouldn't it?" Ye Cheng poked his smooth chin and muttered uncertainly. He read through the entire draft. Hmm... it was full of genuine emotion. It would definitely touch the Eldest Miss's heart!

Click send!

Ding!

The long message was sent successfully, and Ye Cheng's face turned a shade of green.

Then... he swiped back to his background apps and returned to watching mind-numbing short videos, letting his brain completely smooth out... Woohoo!!!

Buzz buzz!

His phone vibrated.

"That fast?" Ye Cheng raised an eyebrow and swiped back to the chat window, ready to see what the Eldest Miss had replied with.

"I like you, and I really want to be with you. Are you willing?" The contact name read... Eldest Miss.

Ye Cheng: "???"