Chapter 336: That’s a Good Boy
Even though Jiang Qingli was the one who needed help, Yi Nuo was so deferential that he was practically begging to be allowed to assist.
Afraid she might refuse, he added, "I promise I’ll handle it properly."
Through the screen, Jiang Qingli could almost picture his gray wolf Spiritual Body, its ears drooping dejectedly, so she agreed.
Entry and exit at the resort were strictly controlled, and the villas could only be accessed by registered occupants via facial scan.
Jiang Qingli notified the resort staff to bring Yi Nuo over, explaining that she would come down to let him in with her facial scan.
While waiting for Yi Nuo, Jiang Qingli dug out the things she’d bought that afternoon. She picked out a few items, planning to give them to him as a gift.
It was a holiday, after all. She couldn’t let him work for free, and he definitely wouldn’t accept money. A gift, however, he would probably take.
Jiang Qingli changed into a T-shirt and casual pants. While she waited, she passed the time by playing a little game Lin Xiyue had recommended.
The Third District was huge, and she wasn’t sure where Yi Nuo was coming from. Judging by the photo from Old Qin, it didn’t look close. She figured it would take him a while to get there.
But after just two rounds of the game, her terminal chimed with a message.
Yi Nuo: [Miss, I’m downstairs.]
Jiang Qingli: [!!!]
Jiang Qingli: [So fast! I’ll be right there! Wait for me!]
Yi Nuo: [No need to rush. Take your time, Miss.]
Jiang Qingli dashed out of her bedroom with the clothes in her arms. She was about to bolt for the door when she remembered that Ye Linyuan and Gu Nian were in the adjacent rooms. She immediately slowed down, tiptoeing down the stairs.
After a few steps, Jiang Qingli suddenly felt something was off.
’This is weird,’ she thought. ’I’m just going to see Yi Nuo, our family’s butler. It’s not like I’m meeting some secret lover I can’t be seen with. Why am I so tense?’
But even so, she couldn’t help but keep her steps light.
Once downstairs, Jiang Qingli crossed the courtyard and opened the main gate with a facial scan.
Jiang Qingli froze for a second when she saw the young man outside the gate.
Yi Nuo was wearing the same white T-shirt she had seen in Old Qin’s photo earlier, looking every bit the spirited youth.
He had a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm, and a modified hoverbike was parked behind him—the Third District’s urban layout was rugged and cramped, so many of the city’s rich kids enjoyed getting around on modified bikes.
He must have rushed over. Yi Nuo was sweating, the ends of his hair slightly damp. Strands of it fell across his forehead, and his chest rose and fell with his unsteady breathing.
But his eyes, when they met Jiang Qingli’s, were bright with delight.
This version of Yi Nuo seemed so much more alive than the usual, meticulous shadow who was always the epitome of professional duty.
His energy was infectious, and Jiang Qingli’s lips curved into a smile. "How did you get here so fast? And where’d you get the motorcycle?"
"This afternoon... I was hanging out with Uncle Sun. It’s his," Yi Nuo answered honestly.
"I didn’t know you could ride a motorcycle. How about you teach me sometime?" Jiang Qingli said. "I always wanted to learn when I was a kid."
But her family was afraid she’d get hurt, so they never let her try. Later, she got too busy with school and forgot all about it.
Yi Nuo nodded. "Okay."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Yi Nuo’s breathing gradually evened out. He looked at her, saying nothing.
But his sparkling eyes remained fixed on her, and the emotion threatening to spill from them gave one the strange sensation of being submerged in sweet, bubbly seltzer water.
Jiang Qingli handed him the dress, pointing at the stain. "Can this be washed out?" she asked, a little worried. "It’s a pretty big spot."
"Yes," Yi Nuo said. "But it might take a while... Is it okay if I take it with me to wash it? I can bring it back to you tomorrow, Miss."
"But..."
"It’s no trouble, Miss," Yi Nuo said. "It won’t be an inconvenience."
He paused, then said in a low voice, "Besides, there’s no one else who can do these things for you... right, Miss?"
The young man’s voice was soft, as if it might drift away on the wind, yet it held a hint of confidence.
’For some reason, I’m getting a bizarre image of a concubine from a historical drama, one who manages the household for her female master... Wait, what on earth am I thinking?’
She shook her head to clear it of the strange thought.
Seeing this, Yi Nuo chuckled softly. "What are you thinking about, Miss?"
"Nothing," Jiang Qingli said, clearing her throat in a way that only made her look more suspicious. She handed him the dress.
Yi Nuo took it, folded it neatly, and placed it inside the hoverbike’s storage compartment.
At the same time, he took out a carton and handed it to her.
Jiang Qingli took it and saw it was a carton of plain milk. It was warm to the touch; he must have heated it before coming.
"I figured Mr. Ye and Mr. Gu probably wouldn’t have prepared anything for you, so I took the liberty of bringing this," Yi Nuo said softly. "They don’t have the special-grade products here, so I got the brand you used to like."
The milk Jiang Qingli usually drank before bed was a special-grade product from the farms in the Second District, made exclusively for the nobility. Of course, they wouldn’t have it here.
But Yi Nuo remembered a time when Jiang Qingli had been fond of a particular brand of strawberry milk. It wasn’t easy to find around here, but luckily, he found it after searching a few streets.
But there was no need to tell Jiang Qingli all that.
An excellent butler doesn’t elaborate on the complicated process; he simply presents a result that will satisfy his master.
Jiang Qingli tore open the packaging, unwrapped the straw, and had just taken a sip when she noticed Yi Nuo staring at her.
She gave him a questioning look, and he lowered his eyes, seeming a little embarrassed.
Jiang Qingli guessed that he probably wanted to watch her finish it.
’Such a serious and responsible butler.’
Jiang Qingli finished the milk, shook the empty carton, and said with a grin, "There, all done. You can rest easy now."
The girl’s eyes crinkled in a smile. For a moment, Yi Nuo was dazed, and the words he always said came out by sheer habit. "Miss, it’s getting late. Please get some rest."
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced at his left wrist for his watch.
But when he looked down, he realized he was in his casual clothes and wasn’t wearing one.
Yi Nuo: "..."
Jiang Qingli saw the whole thing and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Her laughter was clear and bright. The tips of the young man’s ears burned, convinced he’d made a fool of himself.
Once her laughter died down a bit, Yi Nuo rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "Sorry for making a fool of myself, Miss..."
"I’m not laughing at you, really," Jiang Qingli said, stifling a giggle. "I just think you’re really cute."
After saying that, she reached out and patted the top of Yi Nuo’s head.
His soft, short hair felt nice to the touch, just like the little wolf cub in his Spiritual Domain.
After a couple of pats, Jiang Qingli took out the gift she’d prepared and held it out to him. "Here. Thanks for helping me with the stain on my dress."
In her palm lay several solid gold brooches.
They were exquisitely carved in the shape of seashells, a perfect souvenir from the coastal city.
Yi Nuo hesitated, then picked out one shaped like a scallop.
Just as he picked it up, Jiang Qingli closed his fingers around all of the brooches. "They’re all for you!" she said with a grin.
"But..."
"Yi Nuo, when you receive a gift, you’re supposed to say ’thank you’," Jiang Qingli said, tilting her head. "Didn’t I teach you that?"
’She had.’
When he had first arrived at the Jiang Family, he hadn’t known how to interact with people. Jiang Qingli had tirelessly taught him to say "thank you."
Yi Nuo’s eyes filled with warmth as he said softly, "Thank you, Miss."
"That’s more like it," Jiang Qingli said, smiling again.
Yi Nuo smiled along with her.
’It’s a good thing it’s dark out,’ he thought.
’Otherwise, she would have definitely seen the blush spreading across my face.’
Before he left, Jiang Qingli reminded him to be careful.
Yi Nuo nodded, but then he suddenly felt an intense gaze fixed on him.
He fastened his helmet and looked up, his eyes meeting those of a young man in black, who was standing on the third-floor balcony, watching them through the glass.
Ye Linyuan’s expression was glacial as he yanked the curtains shut.
A few seconds later, he yanked them open again.
His gaze fell on the girl’s smiling profile, and his eyes churned with a mixture of confusion, frustration, and pain... yet also an overwhelming, uncontrollable infatuation that compelled him to watch her.
His heart was being torn apart by these complex emotions, as if they would rip through his flesh and blood to grow something alien inside him.