Watching the two of them get older and older, with not even someone by the young master’s side to fuss over him or pour him a glass of water, he always felt terribly anxious.
Qiu Xianzhi had only lingered in his room for a second or two longer, and Jiang Zhuo was already leaning against the doorframe, craning his neck to peek inside.
Qiu Xianzhi beckoned to the fluffy head bobbing around at the doorway. “The door’s open, you can come in.”
By now, Jiang Zhuo had kept up his morning greeting for almost a month, and not once had he forgotten.
Qiu Xianzhi was standing in front of the mirror tying his tie. Jiang Zhuo stared like a curious child, watching those hands turn and loop, and in no time at all it was done.
Seeing Jiang Zhuo tilt his head like that, Qiu Xianzhi found it amusing. “Never seen a tie before?”
Jiang Zhuo nodded. “Never. I’ve only seen red scarves.”
Qiu Xianzhi said, “What color do you like? I’ll give you one.”
Qiu Xianzhi figured he could treat it as a first-meeting gift, and while he was at it, buy him a matching suit as a full set.
Jiang Zhuo hurriedly waved his hands. He had never tried wearing a suit before.
He imagined himself dressed like Qiu Xianzhi in a suit and tie, then quickly shook his head, throwing the strange image out of his mind.
Jiang Zhuo said, “I still like what I’m wearing now.”
Looking at Jiang Zhuo’s expression of refusal, Qiu Xianzhi nodded too. Dressed up all prim and proper like a little gentleman, he really wouldn’t look good.
Jiang Zhuo said, “Aunt Zhong made tangyuan this morning, and they’re little colorful ones too. Let’s hurry downstairs and eat.”
The moment food came up, Jiang Zhuo lit up all over, even his eyes shining.
Talking as they went, the two entered the elevator and headed downstairs for breakfast. Qi Ziling, who had appeared at some unknown point, was already eating and still remembered to greet them.
Qi Ziling said, “Morning, Ah Xian, little Jiang Zhuo. Come on, hurry up and eat breakfast!”
Jiang Zhuo said, “Good morning, little Qi Ling.”
Qiu Xianzhi shook his head. This temperament of his really wouldn’t let even the tiniest slight slide.
Qi Ziling was taken aback too. He liked this style of greeting.
Jiang Zhuo scooped up one tangyuan with his spoon to show Qiu Xianzhi, then dropped it into his bowl. “Look, look, a pink tangyuan.”
Afraid he might dislike it, Jiang Zhuo deliberately added, “I haven’t started eating yet.”
After saying that, he went right back to eating on his own. One tangyuan, garnished with two osmanthus blossoms, disappeared into his mouth in a single bite.
Seeing how genuinely happy Jiang Zhuo was eating, Qi Ziling’s mouth started itching again. “You look like you’ve never seen the world before. Here, Ah Xian, pink ones.” Qi Ziling pretended to scoop up a tangyuan too and move it toward Qiu Xianzhi’s bowl.
Before it even touched the rim of the bowl, he felt a shiver run through him. Then he met Qiu Xianzhi’s gaze, lifted and fixed on his wrist. Startled, he hurriedly pulled his hand back and shut up to eat breakfast.
He had gotten carried away. He’d forgotten that within fifty meters of Qiu Xianzhi, not a blade of grass grew, keep strangers away.
Qi Ziling said, “Aunt Zhong, is there any more? Get me another bowl.”
Aunt Zhong smilingly took his bowl. Jiang Zhuo was at the age where he was still growing, so he needed to eat more. That meant she had to make more, add more variety, and keep the nutrition balanced.
“Qiu Xianzhi, I’ll get you another bowl too.” Without waiting for an answer, Jiang Zhuo took both their bowls and went inside.
Watching him head into the kitchen, Qi Ziling sighed inwardly. It looked like Qiu Xianzhi’s lucky romance had really blossomed after all. Just look how thoughtful he was.
A little while later, Aunt Zhong brought him his tangyuan. Then he looked at the tangyuan in Jiang Zhuo and Qiu Xianzhi’s bowls and spat in his heart, Bah, thoughtful my ass.
Qi Ziling stirred the tangyuan in his own bowl. Every last one of them was the yellow kind he didn’t like. Stretching his neck for a look, he saw that the two of theirs had pink ones and white ones, pretty and delicious.
The little brat sure could hold a grudge. He’d clearly remembered being called a country bumpkin, so he’d deliberately served him a bowl with only yellow tangyuan.
Watching Jiang Zhuo’s every lively little move, Qiu Xianzhi only found it amusing and couldn’t help eating a couple more bites.
Full and satisfied, Qi Ziling truly couldn’t stand his assistant’s tearful pestering anymore, so with great reluctance, he could only throw himself into work.