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In the novel, Wen Qiaozhou was portrayed as an exceptionally lofty character. He’s the most handsome man in the entire novel, adept at reading people, extraordinarily intelligent, and possessing refined tastes. The Wen Qiaozhou that Xu Qingli encountered in reality also lived up to this portrayal. So even with his looks aside, his noble and elegant demeanor made it impossible for her to associate him with a food like stinky tofu.
Just watching Wen Qiaozhou eat it would feel like sacrilege, let alone daring to eat it in front of him herself.
As a result, Xu Qingli only dared to entertain the thought in her mind, never voicing it aloud.
But who would have thought that he not only ate it but actually liked it?
Xu Qingli could hardly believe it and couldn’t help asking again, “President Wen, you like stinky tofu too?”
Though she found it hard to reconcile Wen Qiaozhou with stinky tofu, since she loved it herself, she didn’t think any less of him for it. On the contrary, it made him seem much more down-to-earth because of it.
Therefore, her tone unknowingly carried a hint of anticipation.
At this moment, Wen Qiaozhou was holding his breath, torn over whether he should flee the scene without a shred of dignity left behind.
Hearing her question and seeing the sparkle in Xu Qingli’s eyes, he forced himself to lower the leg that had already prepared itself to act and reluctantly nodded.
Curse his damn pride.
The fact that she shared so many similar tastes with someone this good-looking made Xu Qingli even happier. She glanced down at the two portions of stinky tofu the butler had bought, both equal in size, and divided half from one portion into the other. Then, pushing the larger portion toward Wen Qiaozhou, she said cheerfully, “I can’t eat too much at night, or Sister Miaomiao will scold me. Here, you can have more.”
The corners of Wen Qiaozhou’s tightly pursed lips twitched slightly.
It seemed there was no way out of this without telling the truth—there was no way he could bring himself to eat this.
Why did such a food even exist?
Just as Wen Qiaozhou gritted his teeth and steeled himself to come clean to her, his phone rang.
It was Huo Wanfeng calling.
Never had Huo Wanfeng seemed more endearing. Wen Qiaozhou swiftly pulled out his phone and gestured to Xu Qingli that he needed to step out.
Xu Qingli certainly wouldn’t mind.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
Once outside the study, Wen Qiaozhou exhaled deeply in relief, then hurried straight to the courtyard. Taking a deep breath of the flower-scented air, he finally felt like he could breathe again and answered the call, “What is it?”
“Want to come over for cards?” Huo Wanfeng’s voice was brimming with joy. “Shu Ruan and I don’t feel like singing, and it’s no fun with just the two of us…”
With his ability to read minds, playing cards was like seeing everyone’s hands laid bare—utterly pointless—so Wen Qiaozhou rarely indulged in playing.
He was about to decline when Huo Wanfeng added, “If Little Pear Blossom joins too, it would be even more fun with the four of us.”
Wen Qiaozhou changed his answer. “Sure.”
Whether they played cards or not didn’t matter; getting Xu Qingli out of the study was the priority. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare see her again tonight. He really couldn’t muster the courage to re-enter that study anymore.
After hanging up, Wen Qiaozhou turned and asked the butler to fetch Xu Qingli, then went to change his clothes.
By the time he came downstairs, Xu Qingli was already waiting in the living room. Hearing his footsteps, she looked up, her expression puzzled when she saw his outfit.
“I noticed the wind picking up earlier, and it’s a bit chilly now.” Wen Qiaozhou handed the coat draped over his arm to Xu Qingli. “I brought an extra jacket for you. If you don’t mind, you can put it on.”
“Ah?” Xu Qingli was flustered. “Thank you, but I-I’m not cold.”
She had never worn a man’s clothes before, and the thought alone made her blush furiously. Far from feeling cold, she was actually a little warm.
“Then you can take it with you,” Wen Qiaozhou insisted, genuinely concerned about the strong wind outside. “You can wear it if you feel cold later.”
“Oh.” Not knowing how to refuse, Xu Qingli reluctantly took the coat and held it in her hands.
The fabric felt soft and luxurious. Worried she might wrinkle it, she loosened her grip slightly, leaving her feeling slightly uneasy.
“Let’s go.” Wen Qiaozhou led the way, heading to find Huo Wanfeng.
Tall and long-legged, he didn’t seem to be walking particularly fast, yet Xu Qingli had to quicken her pace just to keep up. “Where are we going? Aren’t we drawing the portrait anymore? I haven’t finished my sketch…”
Wen Qiaozhou glanced back at her, slowing his steps until they were walking side by side. “The drawing can wait. Huo Wanfeng said there’s something urgent, so let’s see what he needs first.”
“It probably isn’t anything urgent,” Xu Qingli muttered under her breath.
Wen Qiaozhou paused. “Hmm?”
“Oh, Shu Ruan texted me saying they’re short on players for cards. So, they must be together, right?” Xu Qingli hurriedly explained. “If it’s nothing important, maybe we… I mean, maybe I should get back to the portrait?”
She figured that since Wen Qiaozhou had asked her to help Wen Xiangxiang, then he also must care about her. She was even more afraid he might take his frustration out on Huo Wanfeng and Shu Ruan, so she wasn’t keen on joining them.
Wen Qiaozhou hadn’t expected Shu Ruan to text her. His offhand excuse had nearly been exposed, and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes due to the sheer embarrassment of it all. Clearing his throat, he said, “It’s fine. We won’t need it tonight anyway… It’s good to balance work and rest. I shouldn’t have taken up your free time in the first place.”
“I don’t mind,” Xu Qingli quickly waved her hands. “Drawing is like a form of relaxation for me.”
“Still, I’m imposing on you,” Wen Qiaozhou replied.
After going back and forth a few times, they arrived at their destination.
Huo Wanfeng had gone to fetch a pile of snacks and happened to run into them at the door. His face lit up with delight. “Come on in… Little Pear Blossom, what do you want to play?”
Seeing his undisguised enthusiasm, Xu Qingli sighed inwardly. “I’m not very good at games…”
“No problem! If you don’t know how, Seventh Brother Wen can teach you,” Huo Wanfeng said eagerly. “He’s an expert.”
Xu Qingli: “…I know how to play Fight the Landlord1.”
“Then let’s play Fight the Landlord!” Huo Wanfeng beamed, completely oblivious to the fact that Xu Qingli’s response clearly indicated she didn’t want Wen Qiaozhou teaching her. “Shu Ruan said she’s fine with Fight the Landlord too.”
Wen Qiaozhou’s gaze flickered slightly before he said nonchalantly, “But I don’t know how to play.”
“There’s actually something President Wen can’t do?” Huo Wanfeng was even more amused, laughing mercilessly before suddenly turning to Xu Qingli. “Then let Little Pear Blossom teach you.”
Xu Qingli: “…”
She was about to say she wasn’t good at teaching when Wen Qiaozhou already turned to smile at her, saying, “Then I’ll trouble you, Teacher Xu.”
The cool night breeze along the way had gradually calmed Xu Qingli down, but at his words, her face flushed again, warmth spreading through her body. Unconsciously, she held the coat in her hands a little further away.
“Huh? Why are you holding Seventh Brother Wen’s clothes?” Huo Wanfeng, sharp-eyed, recognized the jacket in her hand and turned to Wen Qiaozhou. “Aren’t you being too lazy? Can’t you carry your own clothes? Little Pear Blossom isn’t your assistant.”
Wen Qiaozhou recalled the hammer the chibi version of Xu Qingli had used to bonk him on the head earlier and wished he could borrow it right now to give Huo Wanfeng a couple more whacks.
How could someone become even more clueless after supposedly gaining awareness2?
Has he really gained awareness or not?
“Where’s Shu Ruan?” Xu Qingli, embarrassed by his words, used the excuse of looking for Shu Ruan to hurry into the house first.
The situation that should have been easy to explain had somehow turned the atmosphere ambiguous.
Wen Qiaozhou shot Huo Wanfeng a glance, shook his head, and followed her inside.
Huo Wanfeng was baffled, but since he was in a good mood today, he didn’t bother arguing with him. Hugging the snacks to his chest, he quickly caught up with them.
Xu Qingli and Shu Ruan were already seated and chatting. Huo Wanfeng hurried to sit beside Shu Ruan, placing the snacks on the table and enthusiastically offering, “Take whatever you like, help yourselves.”
Shu Ruan glanced at the snacks and picked out only a vegetable-flavoured pack. “I gain weight easily, so I shouldn’t eat too much…”
“You’re not fat at all,” Huo Wanfeng quickly interjected. “You’re just right now, even a bit on the thin side.”
“You’re not one of my fans…” Shu Ruan sighed helplessly and pushed the snacks toward Xu Qingli, changing the subject. “Pear Blossom, what do you want to eat?”
Although Xu Qingli wasn’t prone to weight gain, she knew she’d already eaten a lot tonight. Since she hadn’t left the entertainment industry yet, she still had to be somewhat mindful of her image. Remembering that Wen Qiaozhou hadn’t even gotten to eat his stinky tofu, she nudged the snacks toward him. “President Wen, you—”
“Seventh Brother Wen doesn’t eat snacks,” Huo Wanfeng cut in. “Little Pear Blossom, don’t worry about him. He’s ridiculously picky, especially with food. Anything with a slightly strong flavor—”
“Weren’t you going to play cards?” Wen Qiaozhou interrupted. “Are we still playing or not?”
“Yes, yes, we are.” Huo Wanfeng pulled out a deck of cards. “You don’t even know how to play yet, so why the rush?”
Wen Qiaozhou ignored him and turned to Xu Qingli. “Teacher Xu, could you explain the rules to me?”
In her original world, quite a few people had called Xu Qingli “Teacher Xu,” but when Wen Qiaozhou said it, the feeling behind it felt inexplicably different.
Maybe it was his voice, which was naturally deep and magnetic, like rough gravel rolling over her ears, leaving an odd itch in her heart.
“Don’t call me that,” Xu Qingli whispered.
Her tone was normal, but Wen Qiaozhou saw the little girl above her head sitting on a chair, hands clapped over her ears, cheeks slightly flushed, little feet kicking up and down, shaking her head like a rattle drum. Combined with her words, it felt as if Xu Qingli was being coquettish with him.
Wen Qiaozhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he rolled up his sleeves a little. “Then what should I call you?”
“Just my name, or like the others, Pear Blossom is fine.” Xu Qingli lowered her head, quickly searched up the rules for Fight the Landlord, and handed her phone to Wen Qiaozhou. “As for the rules… since you’re so smart, you’ll probably understand just by looking, right?”
Wen Qiaozhou: “…”
Wasn’t this putting him in a difficult position?
After a brief consideration, Wen Qiaozhou chose the option of being “so smart,” “Then I’ll take a look first and ask you if I don’t understand something.”
“Okay.” Xu Qingli exhaled in relief and instinctively grabbed a bag of chips, opening it and taking a bite.
Eating chips was such a great way to relieve stress.
Beside them, Shu Ruan noticed their interaction and looked thoughtfully at Huo Wanfeng.
Huo Wanfeng suddenly became sharp-witted at this moment, winking at her to imply that there was indeed something going on between them.
Afraid she might not understand, he even took out his phone, preparing to send her a message.
But just then, a new notification popped up on Huo Wanfeng’s phone. His finger accidentally tapped it, opening a photo of a man.
Although Shu Ruan was standing close to him and wasn’t intentionally trying to peek, the photo still inevitably entered her line of sight, causing her to instinctively lean back slightly.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, I don’t know this guy,” Huo Wanfeng said, baffled, worried she might think he had some strange kink. He quickly minimized the photo to check the message and soon figured it out. “This is the arranged marriage prospect someone introduced to Xiangxiang.”
“Huh?” Upon overhearing this, Xu Qingli craned her neck and asked, “Xiangxiang’s arranged marriage prospect? Can I take a look?”
Wen Qiaozhou had said the man was old, ugly, short, and dark.
She wanted to see just how shabby he was. If it really was that bad, she even felt like encouraging Wen Xiangxiang to stand up against it.
“Sure,” Huo Wanfeng pushed his phone toward her. “He’s actually quite good-looking.”
“Huh?” Xu Qingli couldn’t help but blurt out, “But wasn’t it said… that his conditions weren’t very good?”
She eagerly lowered her head to look at the photo, failing to notice the slightly stiff expression of Wen Qiaozhou sitting beside her.
Was every single force tonight determined to expose him?
The man in the photo appeared to be around thirty. Though the half-body shot didn’t reveal his height, he had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and an upright demeanor. He didn’t look dark in the photo, though it didn’t rule out the possibility of photo editing. But even if he were a bit darker, he’d still be a traditionally handsome man.
Xu Qingli couldn’t help but push the phone toward Wen Qiaozhou, gesturing for him to take a look.
This didn’t seem too shabby at all?
“These conditions aren’t good enough for you? They’re only slightly worse than mine,” Huo Wanfeng teased, unaware that Xu Qingli had already been misled by Wen Qiaozhou. “Little Pear Blossom, your standards are a bit high.”
Wen Qiaozhou cleared his throat, barely glancing at the photo before looking up at Huo Wanfeng. “Is this the one whose family sells fish?”
“What do you mean by selling fish? Didn’t I tell you before? His family is in the seafood import-export business,” Huo Wanfeng said helplessly. “Never mind, in President Wen’s eyes, there’s practically no difference between seafood and fish.”
Wen Qiaozhou glanced at Xu Qingli.
Suddenly, it dawned on Xu Qingli. “President Wen, do you consider anyone shorter than you short, anyone less handsome than you ugly, and anyone less fair-skinned than you dark?”
“He’s a pampered young master who lives in the clouds,” Huo Wanfeng chimed in, intending to mock Wen Qiaozhou, though he inadvertently ended up helping him out.
Wen Qiaozhou: “…”
Thanks to both of you, his cover hadn’t been blown—for now.
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- Dou Dizhu (Fight the Landlord) is a popular three-player Chinese card game, typically using a 54-card deck, where one “landlord” plays against two “peasants” to be the first to discard all cards. Players bid for the landlord role, aiming for specific combinations like pairs, sequences, bombs (4 of a kind), or rockets (both jokers). ↩︎
- Used in the context of ‘gaining awareness’ of their own feelings/opposite gender. ↩︎
