episode 7

The male servant outfit is really inconvenient.

This is the conclusion He Xun reached after more than a month in office, accidentally stepping on the hem of his skirt and kneeling down to bow to the air countless times.

After being tripped for the fifth time today, he practically gritted his teeth as he got up from the ground.

He wasn't short, but the men's uniform was designed to be far too long. When he wore it, he looked almost as long as the large mop in the storeroom.

He had really been holding back for a long time, and he had never worn a skirt before. Every time he moved around in the villa, he could only awkwardly hold the hem of his dress as he walked, his elegant posture exactly like that of a European noblewoman from the late 17th to early 19th century.

But misfortunes never come singly. Just as He Xun was rubbing his knees against the wall and swallowed his anger, Aunt Mu floated over and instructed him to deliver afternoon tea to Mo Shilin in the study on the second floor.

"......"

He Xun closed his eyes, held back for a moment, and finally managed a polite smile: "Okay."

Only after his figure disappeared into the kitchen did the sprightly old butler, Uncle Li, walk in from the back garden and say, "That child seems really clever."

After amusing himself with his evaluation, he turned to Mu Xianglu and asked, "Xianglu, he's only been here for a little over a month, right? Why did he choose to work for Shi Lin so quickly?"

Upon seeing her old colleagues, Mu Xianglu's serious expression softened slightly.

Both of them were old men who had watched Mo Shilin grow up, so they naturally addressed him by his name in private.

She nodded and adjusted the frame of her glasses on the bridge of her nose with her right hand: "The people before weren't very smart. They panicked as soon as they saw Shi Lin and made more mistakes. I think he's alright."

*

He Xun doesn't have the habit of drinking hand-ground coffee, but he has a good learning ability. He spent a long time fiddling with online tutorials and managed to make a cup.

The maid, who was leaning against the refrigerator and had been yawning all day, saw this and hurriedly put the prepared desserts into a silver tray and handed them to him.

He Xun smiled and thanked him, then carried the tray upstairs.

With both hands occupied, he could no longer act like a European noblewoman and had to walk with a gentlemanly gait carrying a tray up the stairs. Even though he was being so careful, he still tripped and fell flat on his face on the last step.

The tray flew out with a 'clatter,' and He Xun lay on the ground, feeling an urge to burn the servant's clothes to ashes.

After a while—

He struggled to grip the stair railing, intending to get up, but as soon as he looked up, a familiar handsome face came into view.

Are you alright?

Mo Shilin looked down at He Xun, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Perhaps he was just passing through the living room on his way somewhere, because he was holding a silver-gray tablet in his hand, the screen lit up, displaying complex financial statements.

The man's tall figure loomed over him, and He Xun momentarily forgot to answer.

Sometimes he had to admit that although he had dealt with many male celebrities known for their good looks, the man in front of him was no less impressive than those celebrities.

Especially her demeanor.

That's really exciting.

Like a wolf.

The Big Bad Wolf.

The really big kind.

"Are you injured?"

Seeing that He Xun did not answer, Mo Shilin took another step forward and asked, "Do you want me to help you up?"

Perhaps sensing He Xun's absent-mindedness, he threw the tablet back onto the sofa before He Xun could reply, and reached out to pick He Xun up from the floor.

He Xun's body was a little stiff.

He wasn't nervous, he just felt embarrassed.

—Because the edges of his waist and buttocks were pressed tightly against the man's burning body.

Having such close physical contact with someone you're not very familiar with is really uncomfortable, and the reason for this awkward situation is that he was too engrossed in admiring the other person's face.

He Xun lowered his eyes to hide his embarrassment, cleared his throat, and was about to say thank you.

Mo Shilin, however, stepped back first, his dark pupils narrowing slightly as he asked with a playful tone, "Is he really that good-looking?"

"......"

The well-informed He Xun naturally understood what the other party was referring to.

nice.

Of course it looks good.

It looks absolutely gorgeous.

But how could she have asked such a question so innocently?

"good."

After careful consideration, He Xun gave his answer.

He lied. It wasn't just okay, it was really good.

"But you can't keep watching it."

"......"

He Xun felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

What kind of talk is that?

They even started discussing it seriously.

Besides, can't people even watch in broad daylight?

But He Xun didn't retort. He just said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have kept staring at you," and then bent down somewhat awkwardly to pick up the coffee cup and tray that had been thrown out.

"It doesn't matter."

Mo Shilin's voice drifted over from above again, and he even generously handed the dessert cake stuck to the wall to He Xun.

A gentleman is polite and has a refined demeanor.

It was as if he wasn't the one who had initiated physical contact and then subtly warned He Xun.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing He Xun stunned, the man raised an eyebrow and asked.

Confirming that he wasn't hallucinating, He Xun's lips twitched, and he shifted his gaze from the other person's veiny arms to their high, straight nose.

A very appropriate rule of eye contact.

He Xun shook his head with a smile that didn't reveal his teeth, then took the dessert and placed it on the tray.

*

The consequence of getting to know your boss well is that he'll ask you to work overtime next time.

When He Xun received another notice to go to the company to work overtime with Mo Shilin, he remained unfazed.

Whatever.

Anyway, you'll be treated like a beast of burden no matter where you are.

However, being on "field duty" is even more leisurely than staying at the Mo family's house.

This is the conclusion He Xun reached after idly flipping through a magazine on the history of internet development for an hour.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. There's really no need to have a maid accompany Mo Shilin on field trips, not only because Mo Shilin is a self-reliant adult man, but also because the company has an assistant.

But how could an unknown male servant like him possibly understand the affairs of wealthy families?

Bored out of his mind, He Xun got up and stretched, putting the rather thick magazine back in its place. But then he happened to glance at a 'Complete Guide to Tea' lying on the bookshelf, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.

Since Mo Shilin doesn't like Western-style coffee and desserts, how about trying Chinese-style tea?

Without compromising his own interests, he was still willing to maintain a good relationship with Mo Shilin, a boss who seemed relatively amiable.

He Xun decided to get up and go out to buy tea, and silently made a note of it on the expense report.

Um.

We will never let capitalists take a single penny from us.

He quietly pushed open the door and saw Mo Shilin standing by the window talking on the phone. He immediately fell silent and pointed to the door, indicating that he was going out.

Mo Shilin glanced at him, then waved his hand mercifully, granting his request.

......

Despite the lack of down-to-earth food stalls in the commercial area, there are quite a few hidden tea shops.

He Xun first searched for relevant guides on his phone, then went into a shop that looked quaint and bought a box of Jin Jun Mei tea, which is known as 'top-grade black tea', along with a kettle and teaware for brewing the tea.

This Jin Jun Mei tea is said to be harvested within the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve, making it extremely rare and a true gem among teas.

The owner, dressed in a white traditional Chinese robe, gave him a very professional explanation of the strict picking standards for Jin Jun Mei tea, such as picking the most tender buds, how many leaves the new shoots of the tea tree are considered mature, and picking 2-4 leaves when the top leaves are six or seven parts open, a process commonly known as 'open-face picking'...

Honestly, this premium tea course could probably sell for several thousand yuan online.

Unfortunately, He Xun, being an amateur, had no interest in or knowledge of tea-making techniques. He only caught a vague outline of what was being taught before politely smiling and bidding farewell to the shopkeeper.

When I returned to the office, Mo Shilin was still on the phone, but the language system had switched from Chinese to English.

This time, He Xun didn't disturb him. He quietly slipped into the inner room with a large bag full of food, looked at a fairly detailed tutorial on his phone for a while, and then started fiddling with it.

Although he didn't do it as meticulously as a professional tea master, he tried his best to do the whole process, including scalding the teapot, placing the tea, warming the cups, and pouring the tea from a high position. He did everything he could as long as it was feasible.

They must have plenty of free time.

He Xun curled his lips into a self-deprecating smile, then gently picked up the teacup to examine it.

The reputation of this top-grade black tea is well-deserved. The tea leaves are tightly rolled and delicate, and after brewing, they turn amber in color and have a faintly sweet aroma.

As luck would have it, just as he held his breath and took a deep sniff, Mo Shilin pushed the door open and came in.

"Young Master Mo." He put down his teacup and explained, "I made you a pot of tea, have a taste."

Mo Shilin moved closer, his gaze sweeping over the scattered items on the table, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Jin Jun Mei?"

He Xun sincerely praised, "You have such a broad knowledge base."

"It's written on the box."

"......"

He Xun paused for a second, then turned around, picked up the teacup, and said with some doubt, "The shop owner told me that this can be brewed 12 times in a row. I don't know if that's true or not."

Hearing He Xun's unconscious mutterings, Mo Shilin curled his lips into a smile.

"So thoughtful! How should I reward you?"

He leaned down, his hands slipping under He Xun's waist and bracing themselves on the edge of the table. If someone were to suddenly walk in and see this scene, they would definitely think he was holding the person in his arms.

But actually, no.

His hand didn't touch He Xun's body; it simply reached past He Xun's waist and casually fiddled with the empty teacup on the table.

The woody scent emanating from the man subtly entered my nostrils, like a snake slowly slithering down my spine.

Adults' seduction is always subtle and understated, stopping short of revealing their true intentions.

But He Xun had no intention of taking the bait.

He glanced at Mo Shilin, his eyes carrying a hint of cold calm: "It would be good if the end-of-month bonus were a bit bigger."

Mo Shilin then lowered his eyes to meet his dark, indifferent gaze. After a few seconds, he put down his teacup, stepped back, and smiled good-naturedly: "No problem."

*

As night falls, the city lights shine brightly, and the day passes by in a flash.

After dawdling all afternoon, He Xun went out and bought Mo Shilin a garlic cream pasta, thus completing the last task of the day.

But fate is unpredictable. Just as he was about to leave work, he suddenly felt dizzy as he passed Mo Shilin's desk, causing him to slip and fall backward. Fortunately, Mo Shilin was right next to him and caught him quickly.

"What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Mo Shilin held his shoulder and asked considerately.

He Xun's heart was pounding, and his face was pale. He closed his eyes and calmed down for a while before shaking his head and saying, "It's nothing serious, I'm just a little panicked."

After saying that, he added with a forced smile to show his sincerity: "You really don't need to go to the hospital."

Seeing this, Mo Shilin let go of his hand, told him to sit on the sofa, and then went to get a disposable paper cup to pour him water.

After a while, He Xun's complexion gradually returned to normal. He glanced out the window; the night was deep.

It will be too late if we don't go back now.

He took a sip of warm water, cleared his throat, and turned his head, about to speak tactfully, when Mo Shilin spoke first, telling him to go to the inner room to rest.

He Xun, of course, could not agree.

He slept in the inner room, so where did Mo Shilin sleep?

On the street? On the floor? Sleeping together?

That's not right.

But Mo Shilin said quite reasonably, "Don't run around aimlessly. You've only come to the company twice and gone out three times. Once you tore your clothes, and once you felt dizzy while buying food. If you go out four more times, should I go to the hospital to find you?"

His expression was calm, without any ulterior motives, and he genuinely seemed to be simply concerned about his subordinates.

He Xun didn't speak, but stared calmly into his eyes, as if judging the truthfulness of his words.

Mo Shilin glanced at him, pointed to the documents on the table and said, "I won't be able to sleep tonight, so you can go. Besides, I don't have a habit of mistreating servants."

After a while—

He Xun looked away and nodded in agreement.

Forget it, this is the only time. There will be no next time.