Duanmu Ci stood at the door, hesitating whether to knock.
Years later, he faced this choice once again, but compared to his previous choice driven by "concern for the country and its people," this choice seemed utterly devoid of any nobility! Could it be that the increasingly decadent modern civilization of recent years had completely eroded his unwavering integrity as a scholar? Surely not…
"Bang!"
Who's knocking?
Duanmu Ci was startled and turned around to see that it was Qiu Xiaogong beside him who had done it. Seeing that her brother Duanmu hadn't knocked, she had "obediently" knocked once for him—just once…
That's really courting death...
The beginning is always the hardest. Now that Akishino has already pushed him forward and helped him take that first step, they'll have to face the rest together. It's nothing serious, just going home. Thinking too much about it now is just scaring myself. But what's with this inexplicable feeling of guilt?
With the immense courage to "sacrifice oneself for righteousness," Duanmu Ci rang the doorbell—
"Ding...dong." The simple ringtone has a rhythmic quality.
"My lord!" The door opened, and a beautiful face filled with joy appeared behind it. "My lord, why are you only returning now? I've been waiting for you for so long..."
The sound stopped abruptly.
Bu Tongxun stared hesitantly at Qiu Xiaogong, looking her up, down, left, and right. What... what does this girl mean? Why did the adults bring her home? Could it be...? Bu Tongxun didn't allow herself to think any further, because the thought was too terrifying for her.
Bu Tongxun's heart pounded with anxiety. Qiu Xiaogong, however, seemed oblivious, tiptoeing slightly. Her right hand lightly touched Duanmu Ci's shoulder beside her, causing Bu Tongxun to raise an eyebrow. The girl tilted her head, peering into the room through Bu Tongxun's ear—hmm, very beautiful. Qiu Xiaogong liked living here. The girl asked, "Is this Duanmu-gege's house? Will Qiu Xiaogong live here from now on?"
"Damn it!" Duanmu Ci kept a straight face, but inwardly he was screaming, "Were you sent by your brother to sabotage me?!"
"Hmm?!" Bu Tongxun's eyes narrowed slightly.
What's with this "Brother Duanmu" nickname? Brothers and sisters are the easiest targets for trouble, okay? What about Brother Bao and Sister Lin, Brother Jing and Sister Rong? Don't they all eventually become just "Loving Brother and Sister" or "Ai Gege Ai Meimei"? It sounds so taboo, doesn't it?!
And another thing. What does "Will Princess Akishino live here from now on?" mean? Who will live here? This little girl? On what grounds? Her age seems suspicious! Is she even an adult? The name Akishino doesn't sound Chinese at all! Did the adults go on a trip to Japan and bring back a "Yamato Nadeshiko" (ideal Japanese woman)? What a source of pride for Chinese men! A roundabout way to achieve their goal?
Bu Tongxun was indignant. "I've been by your side for so many years and I still haven't succeeded. You're so young and you want to steal my thunder? Aren't you afraid of being tricked?"
Seeing the several changes in her expression, more dramatic than a Sichuan opera face-changing act, Duanmu Ci knew what she was thinking and immediately explained, "Her full name is Chiba Akishino-nomiya, it's a bit long, just call her Akishino-nomiya. Akishino-nomiya is Wei Yue's junior sister... kind of like his sister. This time he asked me to bring his sister to Haishan to study, and I'm just taking care of her out of friendship, I don't have any other intentions, don't overthink it."
Oh...not just brother and sister. They're also teacher and student, a modern-day version of The Return of the Condor Heroes?
Bu Tongxun inwardly grumbled, but it wasn't right to keep people outside the door to talk all the time. She slightly turned her body to the side, "Have you eaten, sir? If not, please come and have something." Her voice was deliberately indifferent.
Duanmu Ci felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He immediately changed his shoes at the door and slipped inside, not daring to delay for a moment. Qiu Xiaogong followed suit and changed her shoes at the door as well, but just as she was about to go in, Bu Tongxun slightly stepped aside to block her. Duanmu Ci glanced back casually and saw Bu Tongxun's action, immediately becoming nervous, fearing that Qiu Xiaogong would slap the "roadblock" away. Fortunately, Bu Tongxun only hesitated for a moment and then stepped aside.
The teacher, who was also an adult, breathed a sigh of relief.
...
...
Sweet and sour pork ribs, boiled shrimp, Kung Pao chicken, braised abalone, Mapo tofu, purple cabbage and tofu salad, apple and egg pancakes, meatball and vermicelli soup… several common home-style dishes were laid out on the long table. Duanmu Ci sat at the end of the table, with Bu Tongxun and Qiu Xiaogong sitting opposite him on either side. Bu Tongxun kept staring at the girl opposite her, exuding a powerful aura, while the girl was only focused on the food.
"I didn't know we had guests, so I made a little less food than usual. Please don't take offense," Bu Tongxun said with a smile to Qiu Xiaogong, her words carrying a hidden meaning. The implication was clear: you're just a guest; know your place and don't have any unrealistic expectations...
The girl was still only looking at the food...
Duanmu Ci shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself that, judging from Qiu Xiaogong's temperament, your words were like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind person, and she had no intention of paying any attention to you.
To ease the tension, Duanmu Ci picked up his chopsticks and started eating, saying, "Stop talking and eat!"
Bu Tongxun casually placed a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs on Duanmu Ci's plate, then stared intently at Qiu Xiaogong, hoping to put some psychological pressure on the guest.
But after watching for a while, she realized that something was gradually getting wrong...
Akishino-miya actually ate very slowly, even leisurely, with graceful movements. But if you looked closely, you would find that she was actually eating quite slowly! Although she ate in a very slow and well-mannered manner, her chopsticks were incredibly precise. She could even pick up slippery rice noodles with perfect stability, without slipping at all—it was simply divine skill! Moreover, she was completely focused on the food and had no interest in "outwitting" her female housekeeper.
Duanmu Ci looked up and thought to himself that Akishino-no-miya had applied the methods of swordsmanship to chopsticks, wielding chopsticks like wielding a sword, which could be considered a kind of integration. Akishino-no-miya had grown up in a shrine, and although she had no worries about food and clothing, her life was probably not too exquisite or luxurious. Her food was probably quite simple, which explains why Akishino-no-miya regarded fried rice and rice bowls as the best food in the world.
Her palate was so bland; if someone were to cook her a packet of Master Kong instant noodles, wouldn't that completely redefine her understanding of food? Suddenly, a scene flashed into Duanmu Ci's mind—a sleazy boy confessing his love to Qiu Xiaogong, as beautiful as a spring flower petal, with a mere limited-edition packet of Master Kong instant noodles as his gift. Qiu Xiaogong happily accepted the "gift" and then cheerfully followed the boy away…
Girls should be raised in a lavish manner... Duanmu Ci suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
After finishing the meal, Mu Ci said to Bu Tongxun, "Let Qiu Xiaogong sleep in the room where Su Wuyu slept last time. Go and tidy up tomorrow and see if there's anything missing, and buy it for her."
Su Wuyu only stayed one night here last time, but this one... hehe. (To be continued...)
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