Chapter 26
In order to avenge his female friend who was forced to transfer schools, Li Xu, on the advice of his cronies, carried out a series of very immature acts of revenge.
Countless little pranks, like placing a basin of water on top of the door. Wen Zhiling pushed open the door, and the blue basin of water overturned on the ground, soaking half her body and leaving her hair dripping wet.
A clumsy attempt to frame someone has ruined the freshly cleaned guest room, leaving stains everywhere and dirty water splashed on the sheets. The hostess and her guest are talking in the meeting room; they'll be staying overnight in an hour.
Staying up late at night and damaging the garden, the parts that Wen Zhiling had learned to prune from the gardener the day before were now bare, resembling ravines and mountain ranges.
And the most egregious incident occurred on a day when the lady of the house was clearly in a bad mood, when he attacked her piano.
Sixteen-year-old Li Xu leaned against the piano, a rebellious teenager in the prime of his life, with three silver earrings on each ear and two skull necklaces around his neck that shimmered with golden light in the sunlight.
He kicked over the piano stool, put one hand in his pocket, and greeted her warmly, "Good morning."
He was no different from the ill-fated piano, his cuffs and arms stained with black paint, yet he seemed completely unconcerned about his ruined expensive clothes. With a raised chin and a beaming smile, he said, "Lingzhi, you're so careless! How did you manage to get my mother's piano so dirty?"
Wen Zhiling stood at the doorway and was stunned when she saw the mess inside.
She suspected that Li Xu had mental problems.
Is this revenge against her, or is he actually taking the opportunity to strike at his mother?
The expensive piano, which was bought at a high price from the auction house, was covered in black paint. The white keys were cleaned with a single key, creating a harmonious and symmetrical effect.
Li Xu urged, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Wen Zhiling looked up: "Young Master."
Wen Zhiling's voice was soft, with little pitch variation, sounding gentle and sweet, like oatmeal cream-flavored glutinous rice cake.
Li Xu was quite pleased with the way she was addressed and responded with a "Hmm?" in a much better mood.
Wen Zhiling hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of the best way to phrase it.
The light from the corridor shone through the doorway, bathing half of the girl's body in sunlight. It was the weekend, and she wasn't going out. She was wearing a matching blue and white outfit with a navy blue belt around her waist, which accentuated her slender figure and fair complexion.
Li Xu patiently gave him a little more time.
He didn't know when it started, but he found Wen Zhiling to be a very interesting person. It was as if, by loosening the thin navy blue ribbon, one could glimpse her inner self, which was perhaps sweet and soft, just like her gentle, obedient, and good-tempered nature. No matter how she was bullied, she didn't show it, didn't tell on anyone, and resolved things calmly.
As for what she couldn't handle? Li Xu thought back and realized there seemed to be nothing she couldn't solve. Of course, Li Xu didn't rule out the possibility that she was stabbing him in the back.
Li Xu's mood improved even more. "Tell me, what do you want to say?"
Wen Zhiling hesitated: "Then I'll tell you."
Li Xu: "Mm."
Wen Zhiling bluntly asked, "Are you stupid?"
Li Xu: "..."
He jumped off the piano, furious, and tried to grab the person, shouting, "What did you say?"
Wen Zhiling dodged backward, nimbly avoiding Li Xu, and glanced disdainfully at the ink spot on his tiger's mouth. "Do you think Madam will believe that I did this? I'm not stupid, and neither is she. It's just you."
Li Xu glanced back. He had just had a big argument with Ms. Lin this morning, and his attempts to be cunning in the heat of the moment were completely pointless.
He stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "That's true."
But the young master quickly came to a change of heart, his voice light and cheerful, "However, when she comes back and sees the piano like this, someone will still have to clean it, right?"
Wen Zhiling's smile vanished.
Ignoring Wen Zhiling's objections, Li Xu forcibly put his arm around her thin shoulders and said affectionately, "So I'm not stupid either, nobody's stupid, but someone's going to be in trouble."
Wen Zhiling mentally stepped on Li Xu's foot, but physically only moved his hand away. Yes. Thank you. Thank you and your whole family.
However, Wen Zhiling was not asked to deal with the piano in the end. After the wife returned, Li Xu and Ms. Lin had a big fight, and the innocent piano was eventually moved to the warehouse.
The alarm clock rang, and the morning sun shone on the bed. Wen Zhiling opened her eyes, her eyes stinging from the sunlight.
She slowly washed up, went downstairs, and as soon as she turned onto the second floor, she smelled the aroma of toasting bread.
"Ahhh, Wanwan! Are you sure this isn't going to be cooked? It's burnt! It's burnt!" Lu Siyi screamed.
"No, it tastes better when it's a little darker—good morning, Zhiling, it's a bit sunny today, remember to apply more sunscreen." Li Wan skillfully flipped the pan, the aroma of butter filling a half-dark bread.
Wen Zhiling stared blankly for a moment, then hesitated, "Let me do it..."
Li Wan blocked the flame with a spatula, saying, "You worked hard yesterday, so just sit there today. I've made enough for six people, it'll be ready in a minute."
Lu Qin was sitting at the table drinking milk when Li Xu came down the stairs from the other side.
Lu Qin turned a page of the tourist guide and casually said, "Good morning."
Li Xu and Wen Zhiling reached for the chairs at the same time, and their hands touched.
Li Xu looked up at Wen Zhiling, who repeated "Good morning," let go of his hand, and pulled out a chair next to her to sit down.
Lu Siyi turned around with the burnt bread in her hand and saw this scene. She exclaimed "Wow!" in a very entertaining way.
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