25 – (Revised) Tán Huāhuā
Tan Shen raised his eyes, his voice carrying a clear warning. “Don’t call me that.”
Xie Yurao didn’t see anything wrong with what she had called him.
Ever since she touched his Adam’s apple last time, he had been acting like a shy maiden, treating her with particular coldness.
So she called out again, “Tan Huahua~”
Her sweet, coquettish voice was soaked in sugar.
But Tan Shen was the epitome of a tough man—aloof, domineering, always exuding an inexplicable sense of control.
A man like this, wild and untamed.
How could he tolerate someone calling him “Tan Huahua”?
“Xie Yurao!” His voice was thick with anger and warning. “Try calling me that one more time?”
As it turned out, this reckless young lady immediately let out a whole string of them.
“Tan Hua, Little Tanhua, Tan Huahua~ Ah—”
The man grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off the bed as if she were a kitten.
“Let go of me!”
Xie Yurao flailed her fair, delicate legs, kicking at the man’s long legs, her little feet mercilessly stomping on him.
“Dog man! Old man! Can’t you take a joke?!”
Tan Shen was so angry his temples throbbed. With one hand, he grabbed both her little feet, picked up her high heels, and put them on her.
Then he tossed her right outside the door, unable to hold back as he spat out, “Go back to sleep. Stop coming out to cause trouble.”
Otherwise, he really might not be able to resist the urge to strangle her.
Xie Yurao: “??”
Cause trouble?
Look at that—was that any way to speak to his respected master?
The young lady immediately took a deep breath, placed her hands on her hips, and prepared to give him a good talking-to.
“You…”
Bang.
The door closed.
Xie Yurao even heard the heartless click of the lock turning inside.
“…”
Xie Yurao stood frozen for a full three seconds before furiously cursing him.
“Tan Shen! You bastard!!”
The person inside the door seemed to have gone deaf, completely ignoring her angry accusations.
Xie Yurao angrily slapped the door with her hand, only for the pain to make her palms go numb. The pampered young lady immediately gave up.
She stood there fuming for a while, planning to pretend to disappear. Maybe he would fall for it and open the door, and then she could finish him off in one strike.
But Tan Shen had no intention of opening the door at all.
Xie Yurao: “…” Even angrier now.
Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside her.
“Young Miss, what are you doing here?”
The maid Xiao Yu looked at her in confusion, then glanced at the tightly shut door. “This is Mr. Tan’s room. Are you here to see Mr. Tan, Young Miss?”
“No!” Xie Yurao glared at the closed door, gritting her small white teeth as she said fiercely, “I had no idea this was his room!”
Xiao Yu stared at her blankly.
Xie Yurao said, “Just passing by. I’m leaving!”
Miss Xie, clinging stubbornly to her pride, immediately stomped away in her high heels.
“Alright, take care, Young Miss,” Xiao Yu said softly and gently.
Xie Yurao had walked some distance before belatedly realizing something was off. While it was strange for her to appear outside Tan Shen’s room, it was also strange for this little maid to be there.
What was she doing here?
In her anger earlier, Xie Yurao hadn’t paid attention, but it seemed the little maid had been holding something in her hand?
She immediately turned to look.
What she saw next made the young lady even more furious. That dog man Tan Shen had actually opened the door?!
He would open the door for the little maid but not for her?
Furious, Xie Yurao turned around and started heading back.
“Young Miss.” A voice called out to her from behind.
Jiang Mingci came running over, slightly out of breath, his hair a bit disheveled, looking at her with a worried expression.
“Why did you come to the backyard? I’ve been looking for you for so long… What happened to your forehead?”
Xie Yurao paused in her steps, turned around, and said irritably, “Nothing.”
She couldn’t very well say she’d been smacked by the door by Tan Shen, could she? The young lady had her pride to consider.
Jiang Mingci hesitated for a moment, then suddenly reached out toward her head.
Xie Yurao frowned slightly and dodged.
Jiang Mingci smiled gently and said, “Don’t move, there’s hair stuck to the ointment.”
At his words, Xie Yurao immediately felt her forehead itching, so she let him brush the strands away.
“All done.”
Jiang Mingci blushed slightly, lowering his head with a hint of shyness.
Xie Yurao gave a faint “hmm” and turned back to watch the dog of a man and the maid, seeing the two of them whispering as if no one else was around.
They were too far away for her to hear.
Jiang Mingci said in surprise, “I always thought Bodyguard Tan was fierce, but it turns out he can be quite gentle with someone he likes.”
Xie Yurao frowned, displeased, and retorted, “Someone he likes?”
Tan Shen liked the little maid?
What nonsense was this little puppy spouting?
“Hmm.” Jiang Mingci gave a soft hum. “This morning, it was this same little maid who asked him to help retrieve the kite. Mr. Tan is usually so indifferent to people; this is the first time I’ve seen him so gentle…”
So gentle with the little maid, yet so harsh with her.
Xie Yurao felt inexplicably uncomfortable and, in a huff, turned and walked away.
“Young Miss, wait for me…” Jiang Mingci hurriedly chased after her.
Not far away, Tan Shen glanced over nonchalantly before looking away again.
His voice was calm as he asked, “Are you alright?”
Xiao Yu was currently very embarrassed, extremely embarrassed.
She had put on a full, beautiful makeup look today to meet her crush. Hearing the door open, she hurriedly moved closer.
Then, with a “bang,” she was smacked hard by the door.
Tan Shen: “…”
History repeats itself.
Unlike with Xie Yurao, whom he had immediately pulled back to check on after the door hit, he now remained standing where he was, unmoving.
“Sorry, this door opens outward.”
Xiao Yu held her head, never expecting her meeting with her crush to go like this. Between the pain and the embarrassment, her face flushed red.
She said softly, “It’s… it’s fine. These are cookies I made to thank you for helping me get the kite today.”
Ever since she accidentally saw Tan Shen in disheveled clothes last time, that scene of overwhelming, hormone-fueled sensuality had lingered in her mind, refusing to fade away.
And then today, when Mr. Tan climbed the tree to retrieve her kite, the young girl’s heart began to flutter.
Xiao Yu decided then and there that she would give it a try.
After all, a maid and a bodyguard were of similar status—it could be considered a match made in heaven.
Tan Shen shook his head. “No need for thanks.”
His refusal was straightforward and decisive, but Xiao Yu wasn’t discouraged.
She smiled gently and gracefully. “Please try them. I don’t mean anything else by it. I shared them with everyone, just to express my gratitude.”
“It was just a small favor.” Tan Shen said flatly. “I don’t like cookies. Please go back.”
Xiao Yu quickly called out to him, “Then, Mr. Tan, what do you like?”
Tan Shen paused slightly, as if his thoughts had been disturbed by a certain young lady. He genuinely considered the question.
What did he like?
Tan Shen felt he was like a stagnant pool of water, utterly placid and unmoving. Whether it was what he ate or where he lived, as long as it could sustain him and keep him warm, he didn’t care.
“I don’t like anything.”
Xiao Yu looked at him in surprise. Was he deliberately rejecting her?
Tan Shen was simply telling the truth—there really wasn’t anything he particularly liked or favored.
If he had to name something he disliked, there was one.
A certain spoiled, willful, and demanding young lady topped the list.