Chapter 16: Zhou Wan'er's Discovery

Ventriloquism!

Staring at the lottery result, Ye Qinghe shook his head.

Completely useless!

Those fifty kilometres had been for nothing. Sure, there had been quite a few body recovery options in the draw, but his luck was terrible — he'd landed on the one skill that was absolutely worthless to him.

At four-fifty, Zhou Wan'er came rushing over.

"I brought you a milk tea! And some fried chicken legs from the stall out front! Want any?"

Zhou Wan'er had a key to Ye Qinghe's place. She pushed open the door, stepped inside, set everything she was carrying on the table, then collapsed onto the sofa and grabbed a palm-leaf fan from beside her, fanning herself vigorously.

"I'll pass on the chicken leg, but I'll take the milk tea!"

Ye Qinghe had eaten a decent lunch and wasn't the least bit hungry.

"Hold on, let me catch my breath first, then I'll help you drink it!"

Zhou Wan'er reached down and tugged up the hem of her short-sleeved shirt, fanning air underneath it with the palm fan. A wide expanse of skin — faintly damp with sweat — was suddenly on full display right in front of Ye Qinghe.

Zhou Wan'er had a great figure. Her waist didn't sport a six-pack, but it was perfectly smooth, and especially when she straightened up like this, it was quite a sight to behold.

Ye Qinghe couldn't help but stare, completely transfixed.

"Nice view, huh?"

Zhou Wan'er, still fanning herself, suddenly noticed someone watching her. Catching Ye Qinghe's expression, a mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Huh?! What?"

The moment Ye Qinghe heard her, he snapped back to reality and immediately pretended he hadn't been looking at all — just staring blankly in that general direction.

"Your acting needs work. It's fine to look! Call me 'Daddy' and I'll let you see even more!"

Zhou Wan'er burst out laughing. Ye Qinghe like this was absolutely hilarious.

Ye Qinghe turned his head away, fixing his gaze on the ceiling, refusing to engage with this lunatic.

"All the desire, none of the nerve!"

Pursed lips, Zhou Wan'er fanned herself a little longer until she felt sufficiently cooled down, then picked up the milk tea and walked over to Ye Qinghe.

When she'd first come in, it had been so hot that she hadn't paid much attention. But now, walking over and seeing Ye Qinghe lying there staring at the projection on the ceiling, something shifted inside her — her heart softened without warning.

He must be in so much pain living like this.

"What's wrong?"

This time it was Ye Qinghe's turn to ask. She was just standing there, motionless, with that look of tender pity on her face — it made him deeply uncomfortable.

He liked the Zhou Wan'er who never shut up, who constantly bantered and joked with him.

"Nothing. Qinghe, I'll come by more often from now on."

Zhou Wan'er's voice had turned incredibly gentle — a tone Ye Qinghe had never heard from her before.

Damn that System!!!

I don't want this kind of aura!!!

I want the aura of a tough guy — the kind where even lying flat on his back, anyone who sees him thinks, "now there's a real man"!

Ye Qinghe raged internally.

Ye Dali was like this, and now Zhou Wan'er too — was everyone who saw him from now on going to treat him this way?

"Can you please not talk to me in that soft, gentle voice? It's giving me goosebumps all over the floor. Talk normally! I still prefer your tough-girl side!"

Ye Qinghe's words snapped Zhou Wan'er back somewhat. She shot him an annoyed look, walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, gulped down half the milk tea herself, then tilted it sideways and held it up to Ye Qinghe's lips.

"I must have lost my mind just now — actually feeling sorry for you?! I shouldn't be this nice to you. I was even thinking of buying you milk tea? I should've drunk it all before I walked in and just shown you an empty cup!!!"

This was the Zhou Wan'er Ye Qinghe felt was right.

After Ye Qinghe had a few sips and the milk tea was set aside, Zhou Wan'er first cleaned him up and gave him a brief massage, then pulled out the English academic papers she'd brought along and had Ye Qinghe help her translate them.

By the time the translation was done, it was past seven. Zhou Wan'er went out and bought food, then came back.

"Why do I feel like you're a little different today? Especially when you're not talking — there's always this feeling about you like..." Zhou Wan'er said as she fed Ye Qinghe, voicing the impression she'd been sitting with, though she couldn't quite find the right word. "Yandere? That's not quite it either. It's more like... you remind me of Lin Daiyu."

"How would I know? I can't even see my own face right now, so how am I supposed to know what you're talking about? Maybe you've got your monthly visitor and you're just feeling all melancholy and sentimental?"

Ye Qinghe flatly denied it.

He knew perfectly well what was going on, but there was no way he could say it out loud.

"You're the one with a monthly visitor! I'm perfectly fine!"

Zhou Wan'er couldn't help but swat Ye Qinghe.

"Oh right — I'll take this translation back with me. I can probably drum up a few more jobs for you at school. I'll come by again after class tomorrow, and we can try to knock out two more a day."

"The next few days probably won't work. I have to go out tomorrow — it'll take a few days."

"Going out for a few days? What for? Is it the hospital? Do you want me to come find you there?"

Zhou Wan'er assumed Ye Qinghe was showing signs of physical recovery and needed to go in for a period of treatment.

"No, I signed up for Stand Till the End. The recording is the day after tomorrow, so we're heading to Jinling tomorrow. We probably won't be back until Thursday — if we only record one episode, that is."

Ye Qinghe wasn't sure whether shows like this recorded one episode per session or several at a time.

"You? Signed up for Stand Till the End? Are you serious?"

Zhou Wan'er's jaw dropped. Ye Qinghe, in his current physical condition, going on a variety show to record?

Was he joking?

She hadn't watched the show much, but she knew the gist of it — contestants kept answering questions, testing who had the broadest knowledge and the fastest response time. Given Ye Qinghe's situation, how was he supposed to buzz in?

"For real. The tickets are already sorted — the production team bought them. The hotel over there is booked by them too."

Ye Qinghe's answer made it clear to Zhou Wan'er that this was no joke.

"Just you and your uncle going?"

Zhou Wan'er's eyes flickered.

"Who else?"

Ye Qinghe was a little puzzled.

"Can I come along? I've never been to a show recording before — I'd love to see what it's actually like. And I'm a fan of the host, Brother Xiang. It'd be great to see him in person and get an autograph."

Zhou Wan'er said, a little sheepishly.

"You? The tickets are already booked — if you want to come, you'd have to buy your own. And you'd need to sort out your own hotel room too. On top of that, we don't even know exactly how many days it'll be. Can you really take three or four days off and skip class?"

Ye Qinghe's words slowly drained the excitement from Zhou Wan'er's face.

He was right — if she went, she'd need to take several days off, and there was no way her homeroom teacher would approve that much leave.

"Ugh!"

"Don't sigh. Call me 'Godfather' and I'll bring you back a signed photo!"

Seeing her like that, Ye Qinghe said with a grin.

"Get out of here! I just wanted to go to a show recording — and you think a signed photo is worth me calling you Godfather? Not a chance!"

Zhou Wan'er pursed her lips and said dismissively.

"Alright, I'm done chatting. I'm heading back. I won't see you off tomorrow then — I'll come by again when you're back!"