Chapter 165: Making Things Difficult for Me with Someone Else’s Problem

“What’s wrong?” Cai Yirou grasped Xiaoxiao’s cold hand, but Xiaoxiao abruptly withdrew it. In her panic, she accidentally knocked over the coffee on the table, the stain spreading across the pristine tablecloth and dripping onto the floor.

“Sorry, I have something to do, I have to leave,” she stammered a brief farewell. Cai Yirou did not try to stop her. Xiaoxiao fled almost in a panic, disappearing around the corner. Cai Yirou faced the blindingly bright sunlight, her smile twisted and strained.

As Xiaoxiao passed through the tunnel recently, she suddenly wished she could stay hidden inside forever, afraid that the countless shafts of light outside would pierce through her. Once she had admired the myth of Kuafu chasing the sun, but now she feared drawing too close to the sun, for its glare would expose her fragile sorrow and cowardice, leaving her nowhere to hide.

She searched thoroughly through Jasmine Tang’s quarters but found nothing. It seemed Lin Shuo had hidden some things well—and, in truth, she wasn’t eager to find them.

That evening, Zeng Ziyu came by to deliver something to Lin Shuo and stayed for dinner. They chatted casually about market trends, though Xiaoxiao could barely follow. Recently, seeing Zeng Ziyu made her uneasy, so she ate only a few bites before going upstairs. Perhaps men enjoyed their conversations more when women weren’t around.

But this time, Xiaoxiao’s guess didn’t fail her. She had barely flipped through two news stories before Lin Shuo appeared, holding a cup of chrysanthemum tea.

“The weather’s dry; this helps clear the heat,” Lin Shuo said, sitting beside her and placing the freshly brewed tea on the table.

Xiaoxiao’s indifferent gaze remained fixed on the television screen as she leisurely switched channels. “Why don’t they show good old dramas anymore? It seems people nowadays aren’t very nostalgic,” she asked.

From a businessman’s perspective, Lin Shuo replied, “The TV stations care about profits. They broadcast whatever ratings are high. Besides, there aren’t enough time slots for new shows, let alone old ones. If you really want to watch them, there are plenty of resources online. No need to waste your energy arguing with the TV; it’s not worth it.”

Xiaoxiao let the matter drop, sensing no movement downstairs, and then asked, “Is he gone?”

“He’s sensible enough to know you’re still upset over Hua Mei’s affair. Of course, he wouldn’t dare provoke you again,” Lin Shuo said half-jokingly. “If he pushed you too far, the lady of the house might just chase him out with sticks.”

Xiaoxiao couldn’t bring herself to smile. Lin Shuo had never voiced an opinion about the matters between Zeng Ziyu and Hua Mei. Curiosity got the better of her. “What do you think about Zeng Ziyu’s situation?”

Without hesitation, Lin Shuo bluntly said, “He deserves it.”

Then Xiaoxiao asked, “What if it were you?” She gently twisted the ring on her finger, appearing indifferent but focusing all her attention, waiting for his answer.

After a long pause, he replied with genuine confusion, “Why do you always make me answer other people’s problems?”

Seeming to lose interest, she didn’t press further. Besides, he had just crowned her as “the lady of the house”—a title that alone proved how important she was.