Lin Wei seemed to feel something was off after speaking, so she added, “I… I’ll go prepare first… You can take a shower and come over afterward.”
Su Nuannuan had just finished P.E. class this afternoon and was still sniffling; maybe a shower would make her feel better. Yes, that had to be what she was thinking.
Su Nuannuan nodded absentmindedly, and Lin Wei first headed upstairs to the study.
Su Nuannuan returned to the bathroom, quickly took a shower, and changed into another set of clean, comfortable home clothes.
Lin Wei arrived in the study first, turned on the light, and laid out their textbooks and workbooks on the large desk. She stared blankly at the open books, her mind in disarray.
The study door wasn’t closed. After a while, Su Nuannuan timidly walked in with her head down, gently closing the door behind her. Having just finished showering, her skin was moist and her hair clung to her neck, making her look especially pure. Lin Wei blinked and quickly averted her gaze.
At that moment, around the corner in the hallway, Chen Li was quietly watching.
Seeing Su Nuannuan enter the study and close the door, she curled her lips in dissatisfaction and muttered softly, “That brat really knows how to play tricks… She actually tricked the young miss into the study.” Then she glanced toward the firmly shut door of Su Nuannuan’s bedroom. Her eyes lit up with a sly smile.
She tiptoed to the bedroom door, looked left and right cautiously, then gently twisted the doorknob and slipped inside, quickly leaving the door ajar.
Chen Li eagerly looked around but didn’t find her target. Finally, she looked toward the bathroom.
She switched on the bathroom light. Since Su Nuannuan had just showered, the room still held warm moisture and a faint fragrance. Chen Li inhaled deeply, intoxicated. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the small basin in the corner containing Su Nuannuan’s recently changed clothes.
She hurried over, squatted down, and carefully picked up the delicate undergarment adorned with a cute pattern, as if it still carried the young miss’s body heat.
Burying her face in it, she took a deep, blissful breath, a satisfied expression spreading across her face. “Haa, I’m the one closest to the young miss…”
Back in the study, Su Nuannuan’s arrival snapped Lin Wei out of her daze. She forced herself to look away, avoiding Su Nuannuan’s gaze, and tapped the textbooks on the desk with her fingers, keeping her voice deliberately calm: “Come sit.”
“Okay, sister.” Su Nuannuan obediently sat down on the chair beside her.
Lin Wei forced herself to start teaching, trying her best to concentrate fully. Su Nuannuan also focused intently on listening.
After a while, Lin Wei felt dry and parched. She reached for the cup on the desk, only to find it empty.
Setting the cup down, she stood up to get some water, but Su Nuannuan quickly took the cup from her.
“I… I’ll go, sister…”
Su Nuannuan hurried out of the study.
Watching her retreating back disappear behind the door, Lin Wei finally exhaled deeply.
She rubbed her temples, silently scolding herself—why had she told her to take a shower first? Her mind was now full of images of her just after her shower… she really smelled so good…
Su Nuannuan left the study and went to the living room to get water for Lin Wei. After filling the cup, she passed by her own bedroom door and suddenly noticed it was ajar, not fully closed.
“Huh?” she wondered, feeling a bit odd. I thought I closed it when I came out just now?
She gently pushed the door open. Everything inside was as usual, but the bathroom light was on! Strange—how did the bathroom light turn on? She set the cup down on the table and walked over to turn off the light.
The closer she got to the bathroom, the more she could hear muffled humming sounds coming from inside.
Su Nuannuan’s heart jumped. She felt scared. Could there be a thief hiding in the house? In her bathroom?
Holding her breath, she carefully tiptoed to the bathroom door and nervously peeked inside—
What she saw completely stunned her!
Chen Li was squatting with her back to the door in front of the basin with Su Nuannuan’s changed clothes. She tightly held the delicate undergarment in her hands, her face deeply buried in it, body trembling slightly, letting out intoxicated hums.
Su Nuannuan’s hand froze mid-air, her mouth slightly open, her brain seemingly crashed. She had no idea how to react.
What was Chen Li doing?
Just then, Chen Li seemed to sense someone staring from behind. She froze and slowly turned her head. Their eyes met!
Chen Li was utterly dumbfounded. The young miss? Wasn’t she supposed to be studying in the study? How did she come back so quickly…
This was bad! So bad! She’d been too hasty and excited when coming in and forgot to close the door tightly. She hadn’t even noticed the young miss had returned!
Chen Li’s face instantly turned pale. She panicked, trying to hide what she was holding, but didn’t know where to put it. Frantic, she stood up.
Seeing her like this, Su Nuannuan instinctively took a small step back, frightened.
Chen Li’s mind raced, desperately searching for a way out. She looked at Su Nuannuan’s bewildered face and an idea struck her.
Chen Li! Stay calm…
“Y-young miss, please don’t be afraid…” Chen Li tried to keep her voice calm, though it trembled with tears. She slowly stepped forward, attempting to take Su Nuannuan’s hand.
Su Nuannuan instinctively pulled back but was still held. Her cheeks flushed: “Ch-Chen Li… what… what were you doing just now?”
Seeing that Su Nuannuan was only shocked and confused, without jumping to worse conclusions, Chen Li immediately seized the moment, launching into her act.
Suddenly, with a “thud,” she knelt before Su Nuannuan, putting on a deeply repentant expression, her eyes reddened: “Young miss, I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong!”
Su Nuannuan was startled by the sudden act and hurried to help her up. “Chen Li… don’t do this… get up quickly… if you have something to say, say it.”
“No, young miss, I won’t get up until you let me finish!” Chen Li wept, beginning to fabricate a story. “Young miss, I just… I just missed you so much and was afraid of losing you! Recently, you’ve been close to the eldest young miss, and I… I was scared you’d no longer need me. I was… I was just confused for a moment.”
Listening to what sounded like a reasonable explanation, Su Nuannuan frowned, her expression a mix of embarrassment and helplessness. She half-kneeling as well: “H-how could that be? How could I not need Chen Li?”
Chen Li continued her performance, tears streaming like rain. “Young miss, you don’t know how much I love this job, how much I love taking care of you! To me, you’re not just my young miss, but… one of the most important people in my life. I swear I won’t do this again! Please don’t drive me away… I just want to always be with you, to take care of you…”
Seeing Chen Li so heartbroken, Su Nuannuan softened.
She felt what Chen Li did was a bit inappropriate… but maybe… it was because she cared too much? And maybe, she herself was at fault for neglecting Chen Li’s feelings?
She lowered her head, bit her lip, and finally spoke softly: “I-it’s… it’s okay, Chen Li. Please get up… I won’t drive you away…”
Su Nuannuan sighed. Well, what she said didn’t really count right now.
“J-just don’t do this again,” Su Nuannuan said, cheeks burning red.
Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief but kept the expression of deep regret on her face. “R-really? Young miss, you really forgive me?” She said this, excitedly standing and hugging Su Nuannuan, burying her face in her shoulder to hide her guilty expression.
Isn’t deceiving the innocent young miss… going too far?
Just then—
“Knock, knock, knock!” Su Nuannuan’s bedroom door was knocked. Lin Wei’s voice came from outside: “Su Nuannuan, you… are you alright?”
Outside, Lin Wei looked confused. She had waited in the study for Su Nuannuan to come get water for a long time, then came looking for her.
The two inside were startled by the sudden sound. Chen Li immediately released Su Nuannuan, terrified as she looked toward the door. If that brat found out, she was finished…
Su Nuannuan was also flustered. Chen Li begged her with silent mouth movements, desperately mouthing “don’t.” She replied blankly to the door, “Sis… I’ll be right out!”
Hearing Lin Wei’s footsteps leave outside, the two finally exhaled together.
Su Nuannuan gave Chen Li a complicated glance and whispered, “Chen Li, you… you’d better clean up and go out. I… I’m going to study.” With that, she picked up the water cup and left the room.
Watching Su Nuannuan leave, Chen Li finally relaxed completely, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
That was truly… truly…
Too thrilling! A delighted smile spread across her face as she thought about the young miss’s shy and embarrassed expression just now. She twisted her legs excitedly—young miss was just too adorable…
Meanwhile, Su Nuannuan held the cup, her heart heavy as she walked back to the study.