285 Cousin Is So Obedient
“Young Master, drink slowly.” The corners of Chang An’s mouth twitched. After following Young Master for so many years, he was not surprised by this scene at all. When he served tea, he even served the pot.
After drinking a pot of tea, Zhou Linghuai finally felt comfortable. He held his right wrist and stretched his muscles.
Chang An said, “Young Master, you stayed up all night again yesterday without closing your eyes.” Seeing the fatigue on his young master’s face, he couldn’t help but say, “Young Miss told me to keep an eye on your daily meals…”
Now that Chang An was only following the little girl’s orders, Zhou Linghuai glanced at him from the corner of his eye and interrupted him. “Don’t tell Cousin…”
Before he could finish speaking, the little girl’s clear and cheerful voice came from outside the door. “Cousin, what are you talking about? Don’t tell me what?”
Zhou Linghuai was stunned for a moment, wondering if he had heard wrongly. Why did he seem to have heard the little girl’s voice?
He turned to Chang An and asked, “What time is it now?”
Seeing his young master’s dazed expression, did he think that he was dreaming? Chang An wanted to laugh, but he did not dare to. “It’s 8am.”
Zhou Linghuai heaved a sigh of relief. It was still early, and the little girl usually didn’t come over so early. He had probably stayed up all night and was a little tired, so he was hallucinating.
Just as he was about to go to the inner room to freshen up, he heard a knock on the door.
The little girl’s cheerful voice came through the door. “Cousin, Cousin, open the door quickly. It’s so early in the morning. Why are you closing the door?”
Zhou Linghuai was sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. Even his face stiffened as he turned to look at the door.
The door of the study was closed, and he was talking to Chang An in a low voice. How could the little girl’s ears be so good that she could hear him from outside?
Seeing his young master’s expression change, Chang An immediately pursed his lips and chuckled. “I-I’ll clean up the study first. Ha, after talking to Young Miss, remember to eat breakfast…”
With that, he turned his head away. His shoulders trembled and he laughed and looked at the preliminary paintings on the desk.
Yu Youyao, who was standing under the Bodhi tree, revealed half of her face, but her eyes were filled with charm, as if they were filled with starlight.
If outsiders who did not know the person in the painting saw this, they did not know what to think.
Just like Gu Kaizhi’s “Ode to the Goddess of Luo”, how many scholars had fallen for a girl over the millennia?
Zhou Linghuai pursed his lips and looked at the large “Bodhisattva” that covered the table. Then, he turned his wheelchair and moved to the door.
Yu Youyao raised her hand and was about to continue knocking when the door opened with a creak.
Her cousin was sitting at the door. Sunlight slanted in, as if it were coating him with light. It was dazzling.
Yu Youyao narrowed her eyes. She suddenly felt that her cousin was competing with the sun and moon, like a celestial being.
She looked at her cousin and smiled. Her voice was sweet. “Cousin, you’ve closed the door. What are you doing in the study? Did I disturb you?”
As she spoke, she sniffed hard. When she smelled a strong smell of paint in the room, she poked her head into the study, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Zhou Linghuai couldn’t help but laugh. He turned his wheelchair and left the study.
Yu Youyao retracted her gaze and saw that her cousin’s face was pale and tired, and his eyes were bloodshot. Realization dawned on her, and her eyes widened.
“Cousin, did you stay up all night again last night? You still didn’t allow Chang An to tell me. You’re too careless with your health. You’re already so old, but you don’t know how to take good care of yourself. You… you’re really infuriating.”
Hearing the little girl’s angry voice, Zhou Linghuai’s lips curled up. “I had a sudden impulse and lost track of time.” At this point, he paused slightly and said, “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Yu Youyao could actually understand.
She had been too engrossed in polishing the incense beads yesterday. When she woke up, it was already 10pm. Seeing that she was completely oblivious, Nanny Xu did not want to disturb her, so she let her be.
However, her cousin was not in good health. How could he stand staying up late?
Staying up late was like boiling oil.
After enduring it once, the essence oil on his body would decrease a little.
For a moment, she did not think much of it, but as time passed, her good body would be ruined. It would take more than two or three days to nourish her damaged body.
Therefore, she had to take care of her body from a young age.
Seeing that the little girl was pouting and still a little unhappy, Zhou Linghuai explained, “During this period of time, my schedule has been very regular. I rest at nine every day and only get up at six in the morning. I take a nap at noon and have seven meals a day. In addition to the main meal, I also eat the medicinal cuisine you sent me in the morning, noon, and night. Uncle Sun said that my health is a little better.”
Her cousin explained his daily life seriously, just short of saying, “I’m very obedient.”
Yu Youyao burst out laughing. Her eyes were watery, and under the sunlight, there were sparkling lights flashing in her eyes.
She squatted in front of her cousin and smiled. “Cousin, you’re very obedient!”
Zhou Linghuai’s expression turned numb.
Yu Youyao giggled happily. “So, I won’t be angry if you stay up late occasionally. Cousin, you have to be as obedient as you are now every day in the future to recover as soon as possible.”
Zhou Linghuai was expressionless.
Yu Youyao hugged her cousin’s arm and looked at him eagerly. “Okay?”
The little girl tilted her head and looked at him expectantly. She gently tilted her head and killed him. However, Zhou Linghuai’s Adam’s apple bobbed and he closed his mouth without saying anything.
Yu Youyao shook her cousin’s arm again and wheedled, “Cousin, quickly promise me!”
Her tender voice made Zhou Linghuai’s ears itch. His eyes trembled a few times, and his lips moved as he let out a muffled “Mm.”
Yu Youyao smiled and stuffed the small box in her other hand into her cousin’s hand. “Cousin, you’re so obedient. This is a reward for you.”
At the sudden mention of the word “obedient”, Zhou Linghuai’s ears felt a little hot and red. He lowered his head to hide it and pressed his fist against his lips. He coughed lightly and cleared his throat, then saw an exquisite small box lying in his hand.
Zhou Linghuai was stunned for a moment. What had the little girl just said? Was this a reward?
What reward?
Yu Youyao looked at her cousin with a smile and urged, “Open it quickly.”
When Zhou Linghuai reacted, he suddenly felt that the gift he had received was not that exciting. However, when he saw the little girl smiling brightly, he couldn’t help but smile and open the box.
There was a string of beads in the box. He was in no hurry to pick them up. He looked up at the little girl and saw her lean over and pick up the beads in the box with her delicate fingers.