Seeing ghosts and good fortune.
Qin Hanyue: "Let's not talk about that. I went to the bakery across from the restaurant earlier to buy you a cake, a birthday cake."
Qiao Ying: "Didn't you already give me a gift?"
Qin Hanyue: "One thing has nothing to do with the other. On your birthday, having a birthday cake is the bare minimum ritual." He then looked towards Lin Cheng and politely asked, "Would the Duke like to try some too?"
Lin Cheng: "No need, sweets make my teeth hurt."
Qin Hanyue: "Thank you for today, Duke."
Lin Cheng: "It is I who should be thanking you, for eradicating harm on behalf of the people. After today, my image in the minds of the citizens has risen another level."
Lin Cheng spoke sarcastically.
He wasn't even wearing his official uniform. He had always turned a blind eye to these kinds of things, not meddling in too many matters.
But now this incident had happened right under his watch.
He could no longer just stand by and do nothing.
Qin Hanyue of course could hear the resentment in Lin Cheng's words, but he just plainly pretended not to understand and replied, "It's our duty."
"Hmph," Lin Cheng let out a quiet, cold snort.
Qin Hanyue led Qiao Ying upstairs.
Lin Cheng watched the two leave, then lowered his eyes to look at Dog Sa Ke, who was also staring after Qin Hanyue and Qiao Ying.
The dog tag was still hanging properly around Dog Sa Ke's neck.
Lin Cheng: "You were following them, how could you let Smith's people take him hostage?"
Dog Sa Ke turned his head to look at his master, barking several woofs.
Lin Cheng: "I don't understand, shut up."
Qin Hanyue helped the person to the sofa to sit down, and set down the cake.
"Why don't you let me take a quick shower first?"
Qiao Ying hissed in pain.
Qin Hanyue: "What's wrong?"
"Your behavior is making me suspect you got slept by Smith's daughter." Qiao Ying said very seriously. Qin Hanyue didn't have any severely pathological cleanliness obsession, he just got some perfume on his clothes.
Qin Hanyue: "......" Her words were too bold, she really had no restraint.
Getting slept by Smith's daughter, this line of words successfully disgusted Qin Hanyue.
"I can't stand the smell of this perfume, and was worried you'd mind."
"It's not that bad. Let's cut the cake."
Qin Hanyue wondered which part her "not that bad" referred to, his previous words, or the latter. Doesn't matter, both made him seem overly sensitive.
Qin Hanyue lit the birthday candle on the cake: "Make a wish?"
Qiao Ying: "I don't have one. Even if I did, I could make it come true myself. You can have the wish, if you believe in these kinds of things."
Qin Hanyue smiled: "I do, actually."
Qiao Ying: "Oh? Do tell."
Qin Hanyue gazed intensely at her: "I'll tell you after it comes true."
He took out his phone to take a picture together with Qiao Ying and the cake.
Then he cut a slice of cake and placed it in Qiao Ying's hand, and gave her a fork: "Try it."
Qiao Ying took a bite.
Qin Hanyue: "Sweet?"
Qiao Ying: "I can hardly say it's sour right? This time it isn't grapes at least."
Qin Hanyue smiled lightly, watching her eat. After a while, on impulse he picked up the cake server on the table, scooped a bit of cake from Qiao Ying's hand, and put it in his own mouth.
Qiao Ying noticed his actions.
Qin Hanyue's mouth was full of the rich, sweet cream: "Happy birthday."
That night, Qiao Ying took acupuncture and drank medicine again.
These Chinese medicines really weren't something ordinary people could stomach. So bitter her tongue curled up. Qiao Ying drank it down in one go, her stomach roiling.
Qin Hanyue suddenly grabbed her hand. In her palm he placed a round object, saying "It's candy."
Qiao Ying put the candy in her mouth, diluting the bitter taste.
On the morning of the fourth day after starting acupuncture and medicine, Qiao Ying's eyes could make out shifting silhouettes of people, and could see bright light.
By the sixth day, she could see even more blurry shapes.
Qin Hanyue stretched out a hand and waved it lightly in front of her eyes. Qiao Ying accurately grabbed his palm.
Qin Hanyue: "Feeling better?"
Qiao Ying: "I can see shadows."
Qin Hanyue took the chance to nestle her small hand into his own large one: "No rush, take it slowly."
There's always something to disrupt the atmosphere.
The servant knocked on the open door of the living room, entered, and said to Qin Hanyue who was on the sofa: "Mr. Qin, the housekeeper told me to pass on the message that Ms. Alice Smith, Mr. Smith's daughter, wishes to see you. Shall I let her in or decline on your behalf?"
Qin Hanyue maintained perfect decorum: "I do not know this person."
Two days later, Qiao Ying decided to return home. If not for Qin Hanyue being here, she would've waited until her eyes healed completely before going back, to avoid trouble on the way.
Lin Cheng's place was absolutely safe, she didn't need to worry about Shadow's people coming for her.
She had originally wanted to leave Dog Sa Ke here to continue recuperating from his injuries, but Dog Sa Ke insisted on following her back.
Lin Cheng was in his castle listening to a musical performance, surrounded by over a dozen cats and dogs.
A light rain fell outside the window. Sitting in the audience of the high-ceilinged music hall, with the sounds of cello, violin and piano filling the air, Lin Cheng sat cradling a cat in his arms. The scene was like an unrolling oil painting.
Qiao Ying came looking for Lin Cheng to tell him about returning home.
Lin Cheng raised a hand, and the performance came to an abrupt stop.
Dog Sa Ke was lying by Lin Cheng's feet, utterly engrossed in the music. Upon seeing Qiao Ying, he happily ran over, circled around her twice, then grabbed Qiao Ying's pants leg in his teeth and brought her to Lin Cheng.
It barked at Lin Cheng, then barked at Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying: "What's it doing?"
Lin Cheng shrugged. "I don't really understand either."
"Woof woof woof!" Dog Sa Ke made an effort to express itself.
Looking at Dog Sa Ke's expectant little face, Lin Cheng stroked the cat in his arms, an inscrutable expression on his face as he slowly translated: "It seems to want you to become this castle's lady."
Before Qiao Ying could reply,
Qin Hanyue stepped forward. "The Duke even understands animal language?"
Lin Cheng looked at him, smiling but not speaking.
Qiao Ying squatted down, cupping the dog's head in both hands and ruffling it. "I'm quite fond of this dog. I wonder if Boss Lin would be willing to part with it?"
Lin Cheng shook his head lightly, smiling at the corners of his mouth. His tone was lightly detached: "Ten Lin Yuxuans aren't worth as much as it." No room for discussion.
A day later.
As dusk approached,
Lin Cheng's private jet landed in the capital of Huaguo.
The Qin family car was already waiting outside the airport.
Qiao Ying: "Sa Ke, don't run around."
Qiao Ying: "So excited, your first time abroad?"
Qiao Ying: "Sa Ke, come back."
Dog Sa Ke followed behind with a dark look on his face, watching the sprightly poodle frolicking around Qiao Ying. His wound hurt.
Qin Yan: "It's just a name, don't fuss over a dog. We have an old saying in Huaguo, 'it was one family five hundred years ago'."
Dog Sa Ke coldly looked at Qin Yan, his cheeks tense, jowls quivering with his gnashing teeth.
He only said: "Your Chinese really sucks!"
Qin Yan: "Hey! You're a foreigner yet you say my Chinese sucks? I was trying to comfort you out of good intentions. No good deed goes unpunished as the saying goes!"
Upon entering the villa, Dog Sa Ke immediately bounded in as if it was his home, jumping around upstairs and down, checking out every nook and cranny of the rooms and kitchen.
Qiao Ying seriously wondered if this dog had some border collie genes mixed in.
After inspecting the new home, Dog Sa Ke came back, visibly less excited than earlier.
Qiao Ying: "What, don't like it?"
"Woof!"
Qin Yan thought to himself: This villa isn't even as big as its doghouse. No wonder it doesn't like it.
"It can't compare to your master's home. Just bear with it."
"Woof!"
Qin Hanyue spoke in a negotiating tone: "Could I stay here with you for a few nights?"
Qiao Ying: "I'll be fine by myself."
She returned so soon because she knew Qin Hanyue had a lot of company affairs to handle and didn't want to hinder his work.
After a moment of silence, Qin Hanyue said: "Alright."
