Rubbing his tired eyes and forcing himself to perk up, Lin Ruohuai had just sat down when a figure appeared in the crack of the door. Had he not closed it tightly just now?
As Lin Ruohuai looked at the person outside, his mind was entirely focused on the door—the quality was truly excellent; there wasn’t even a squeak when it opened or closed.
Wang Yisen hooked his finger at him: “Come out for the inspection.”
Lin Ruohuai made a ‘please enter’ gesture: “Aren’t we doing it in here?”
Wang Yisen’s mouth twitched: “Go to the first floor.”
Confused but compliant, Lin Ruohuai followed Wang Yisen downstairs. Uncle Chen was there as well, smiling at him politely.
What a great mindset, Lin thought. If I were the one whose bonus got docked, I’d see everyone as an enemy. I wouldn’t be able to smile.
Uncle Chen watched Lin’s massage technique from the side and expressed some surprise: “Your total study time hasn’t even reached three hours, yet you’ve learned to this level. It’s very good.”
Wang Yisen tilted his chin up: “He’s a professional.”
Lin Ruohuai: “I am not.”
Wang Yisen praised: “Modest.”
Lin Ruohuai scratched his head. No matter what he said, Dr. Wang would compliment him; it was becoming embarrassing.
Having passed the “exam,” Uncle Chen went to brew flower tea for them. Dr. Wang began explaining the precautions for massaging Shen Qi’s legs. Most of it had nothing to do with professional technique; the main point was to minimize his presence.
“Young Master Shen is unpredictable. Whether your strength is too heavy or too light, there’s a chance you’ll offend him. If you happen to get fired, my small clinic always welcomes you.”
Lin Ruohuai blankly accepted the business card. “Thank you.”
After saying that, he looked up: “Are you trying to poach me?”
Wang Yisen smiled without a word. He looked up and noticed someone had appeared at some unknown point, and immediately switched to a different kind of smile.
“Mr. Shen.”
The moment he heard the name, Lin Ruohuai’s scalp went numb. He didn’t even dare turn around to confirm.
“What are you talking about?”
The voice was cool, carrying a hint of a chilling draft that brushed past Lin Ruohuai’s back, leaving a trail of icy tingles.
Wang Yisen said cheerfully: “Discussing career prospects.”
“…”
Lin Ruohuai looked at the wheelchair with utter confusion. He clearly remembered that Shen Qi’s wheelchair made a whirring sound when it moved, but just now there had been no sound at all. He had no idea when the man had stood behind them.
Was he floating or flying?
Shen Qi: “A successful talk?”
Wang Yisen: “Mr. Lin expressed a strong desire for multifaceted learning and career planning to me.”
Lin Ruohuai refuted him on the spot: “I did not. You’re talking nonsense. That wasn’t me.”
Wang Yisen chuckled: “Don’t be stiff. We’re all acquaintances; what can’t be said to our faces?”
“…We aren’t exactly well-acquainted. We’ve known each other for less than three hours.” Lin Ruohuai directed this toward Shen Qi, afraid he would overthink things and torture him again by not being able to sleep at night.
Wang Yisen crossed his legs: “We’ve added each other on WeChat, saved phone numbers, and you even followed my Little Red Book account. Just now, you shared a Douyin video link and we added each other there too. You have all my social contact info—are we not ‘well-acquainted’?”
Lin Ruohuai: “…”
Bro, I yield. I truly yield!
Shen Qi had no interest in listening: “Are you finished talking?”
The atmosphere was strange; Lin Ruohuai could vaguely smell a “battleground” vibe. He realized he was still sitting and decided he needed to leave this place to cleanse his soul.
Sensing his intent, Shen Qi glanced at him: “Sit still.”
Lin Ruohuai immediately tucked away his thoughts and sat upright, hands on his thighs, looking incredibly well-behaved.
Wang Yisen also stopped talking and sat quietly, though he did uncross his legs.
Lin Ruohuai was sitting on a backless folding stool he’d grabbed earlier for convenience. Shen Qi easily maneuvered behind him. A necklace appeared in Shen Qi’s hand, and he moved to put it on Lin from behind.
The motion of fastening the clasp involved a slight tug, carrying a sense of restraint—like catching a cat.
Lin Ruohuai touched it; it felt familiar: “Ah, the one from last night.”
Shen Qi had already withdrawn his hand, his tone indifferent: “You left it behind last night.”
Lin Ruohuai touched the star pendant on the necklace. So, he had come specifically to return this. He turned his head: “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”
Shen Qi: “Oh.”
Wang Yisen’s eyes flickered. He suddenly remembered they were still missing a QQ contact, but when Shen Qi glanced over casually, he decided it was best to say his goodbyes first.
Shen Qi spoke coldly: “Uncle Chen, see the guest out.”
Lin Ruohuai’s eyes widened slowly.
Huh? Why is he leaving? I thought he’d stay for dinner.
Shen Qi’s voice rang out without warning: “The person has already walked away. If you can’t bear to let him go, you can chase after him.”
Lin Ruohuai naively thought he was being allowed to keep the guest for dinner: “Really?”
Shen Qi: “…”
“Then I’ll go call him; he shouldn’t have gone far.”
Shen Qi’s expression remained unchanged as he stroked his ring: “Try taking one step.”
Lin Ruohuai stopped instantly. Without turning his body, his feet shuffled backward—step, step, step—until he reached the back of Shen Qi’s wheelchair. “Then I’ll take Mr. Shen upstairs to rest.”
The wheelchair didn’t move. Was it stuck? As Lin Ruohuai leaned down to check, his forehead was gently nudged upward, and he bumped into the gaze of Shen Qi’s eyes.
“Aren’t you hungry? To the dining room.”
Sharp and heartless. Lin Ruohuai felt a bit afraid and hurriedly pulled back some distance, smiling: “Are you going to eat with us today? That’s wonderful. I’ll go see if the nutritionist has arrived.”
Shen Qi’s palm opened slightly, and his nerves suddenly felt sensitive. Lin Ruohuai’s face, like the skin elsewhere on his body, was snowy white, soft, and so slippery it was hard to grasp.
Arriving at the kitchen, Lin Ruohuai bypassed him to look ahead, then stood before him to report what the nutritionist had bought today.
Shen Qi didn’t listen to a word. He only saw the slight rise and fall of Lin Ruohuai’s chest as he spoke. The pale yellow shirt was a bit thin; looking closely, it seemed there was a bit of flesh there.
“Alright, that’s it. I’ve finished reporting today’s lunch menu. Does Mr. Shen have anything to add?”
Shen Qi: “Say it again.”
“…”
As Lin Ruohuai spoke, he followed Shen Qi’s instructions and walked to the kitchen island. It was a semi-open design, but the height was a bit lower than usual—as if it had been adapted for Shen Qi’s current seated height.
Lin Ruohuai put an apron on him with a look of sheer terror, terrified that he might blow up the kitchen.
If that happens, wouldn’t I die all over again?
Shen Qi’s interest in cooking lay in the fact that the pleasure was entirely in his own hands. The heat, the timing—it was all up to his whim. He didn’t follow recipes or traditional methods, relying entirely on his personal preference. As for whether it tasted good… well, it surely would.
Regarding Lin Ruohuai’s arrival, Shen Qi intended to watch him sink into this life bit by bit. Beautiful clothes, the desire for money—these were all good things.
Whatever Xie Yusheng offered, Shen Qi would only give more.
The old butler returned from outside but didn’t take a single step into the kitchen, waiting just outside. Lin Ruohuai stood beside him, watching Shen Qi’s culinary performance with a trembling heart.
Shen Qi only made one dish: Steamed Eggs with Dried Shrimp. It was surprisingly simple and rustic, but it didn’t smell fragrant at all.
The nutritionist placed that plate of eggs on the table along with the rest. Shen Qi sat at the head of the table, his eyelids drooping in thought. The atmosphere was oppressively quiet.
For the first time, Lin Ruohuai felt the old butler’s body tense up, as if a disaster were imminent.
Suddenly, a gaze fell upon him. Lin Ruohuai’s brow jumped as he locked eyes with Shen Qi: “Come and eat with me.”
Lin Ruohuai sensed the old butler’s relief. Uncle Chen leaned over slightly to tell him some dining etiquette—not that there was much to note. The key point was the last sentence: Dining with the master counts as one bonus commission.
With that, Uncle Chen bowed slightly and left the living room to go eat.
For a moment, only the maid responsible for serving the food and the two of them remained in the dining room.
Shen Qi saw him hesitate with his chopsticks: “Everything should be to your taste.”
Lin Ruohuai wasn’t a picky eater and could eat almost anything, but since his stomach had been upset last time, he didn’t quite dare to put random things in his mouth.
Shen Qi’s food was light and mostly stomach-friendly, which Lin Ruohuai could accept. He stared at the steamed eggs in front of him. The serving maid used a spoon to put some into his bowl.
One bite, and it was incredibly salty.
It was so salty his eyes turned red instantly.
He forced himself to swallow, his eyelashes trembling as he opened his mouth to gasp. He couldn’t believe this was considered edible.
Shen Qi wiped his mouth and said coldly: “If you’re unwilling, you can refuse. I won’t make things difficult for people.”
Yeah, right, Lin thought. You won’t “make things difficult,” you’ll just dock half a month’s bonus later.
Lin Ruohuai swallowed: “Mr. Shen, I also have professional integrity.”
A corner of Shen Qi’s heart moved. He saw Lin Ruohuai’s eyes were red, filled with tears that looked ready to fall, making it seem as though he were being bullied.
Was he being bullied? Not exactly. Not everyone was allowed to sit at the table with him, nor could just anyone eat the food he cooked. Uncle Chen was one; Lin Ruohuai was now another.
While Shen Qi was having these strange thoughts, Lin Ruohuai was wondering if he could claim this meal as a “workplace injury.” If so, it wouldn’t be impossible to eat more; he might even eat it happily.
Shen Qi remained expressionless: “If it’s bad, spit it out.”
While Lin Ruohuai was hesitating, the steamed eggs slid down his throat at lightning speed. His face instantly turned a sickly color.
Lin Ruohuai couldn’t bring himself to say it was bad directly, so he hinted diplomatically: “Can’t you taste anything?”
Shen Qi said: “If you think it’s good, it’s good. If you think it’s bad, it’s still good. Don’t you know how to lie?”
“…”
Self-deception? No thanks. His spirit hadn’t reached that level of cultivation yet.
Shen Qi picked up his chopsticks with very elegant movements. Lin Ruohuai noticed his fingers—long and jade-like to an absurd degree. Were those a normal person’s hands? They were beautiful.
Lin Ruohuai suddenly felt the meal wasn’t so hard to swallow after all.
Finishing the meal by watching Shen Qi’s fingers, Lin Ruohuai wiped his mouth and rinsed. Thinking about the notification of the incoming payment, he sighed: The flowers are so pretty, the sun is so bright—everything is just so wonderful.
Shen Qi was unconsciously drawn to his eyes; they were too bright: “It was that good?”
Shen Qi disliked eating with others. No matter who it was, they always looked lifeless, sickly, or like they were mourning for him while trying to hold it back. It was nauseating to watch. Over time, he preferred eating alone.
Lin Ruohuai looked up: “It was good!”
The tiled floor was covered in a layer of light. Sunlight fell on Lin Ruohuai’s fair profile, clearly illuminating the fine fuzz on his skin and a pair of clear, clean eyes. There wasn’t a trace of a lie; he was genuinely happy.
This wasn’t the first time Shen Qi had evaluated Xie Yusheng’s taste—it was indeed very good.
The daily task of massaging the leg muscles had already been done for today. Starting tomorrow, this task would be handed over to Lin Ruohuai. His base salary was fixed, but commissions were tied to specific tasks.
In the afternoon, Shen Qi had an online meeting with people from the company.
Uncle Chen took Lin to the backyard to pull weeds. Lin Ruohuai asked him under the sun: “Is there a commission for this too?”
Uncle Chen: “No.”
Lin Ruohuai immediately stopped working. He went under the apple tree, jumping up and down to pick apples; it was harvest season.
Uncle Chen followed behind, helping him collect them in a bamboo basket: “Mr. Lin, it’s better to integrate more into life. Being too goal-oriented makes it easy to lose the ability to find joy in observation.”
Lin Ruohuai took a hose to wash an apple and took a big bite: “Aren’t we just here to work?”
As soon as he finished, Lin Ruohuai sat in the grass and clutched his chest, “Ugh, so sour and astringent. It’s terrible. Ugh.”
Uncle Chen: “…”
Shen Qi’s top floor was tidied and cleaned by staff every day; only personal items required Lin Ruohuai’s help—such as lighting aromatherapy, organizing dropped documents or pen caps, and brewing coffee or tea.
Shen Qi was reviewing documents, rubbing his brow and speaking steadily on the phone. After hanging up, he turned his head and saw Lin Ruohuai staring blankly while holding a shawl.
Lin Ruohuai was displaying unprecedented sadness and longing for this brown checkered shawl. Since Shen Qi was the owner of said shawl, Lin’s motives were obvious.
Shen Qi spoke bluntly: “You want it?”
The next second, Lin Ruohuai folded the shawl and placed it neatly on the sofa: “No thanks, I can buy one myself.”
Shen Qi was indifferent: “Oh.”
Lin Ruohuai asked again: “Is it expensive?”
“Not expensive.”
Lin Ruohuai checked the price online: 167,000 yuan. He began to sweat. Shen Qi said unhurriedly, “I’ll buy it for you.”
Lin Ruohuai replied instantly: “Thank you, Mr. Shen!”
Shen Qi turned his head, his lips curling into a cool arc. He’d agreed so fast, it was as if he’d been waiting for Shen Qi to offer.
Lin Ruohuai saw his coffee cup was empty and naturally went into the pantry to brew more. Shen Qi watched his back, lost in thought.
After a while, Shen Qi expressionlessly called Assistant Lin to order the shawl.