Xiao Tao stuck out her tongue. "You're the sly one. Director Yu followed your advice, and got some peace and quiet for a while."
Xu Yi's eyes widened. "Clever, clever—that's what I am. So, what did your Director Yu do?"
He had given Director Yu two suggestions at the time. One was, "What do you like about me? I'll change it." The other was to let Yuwen Tuo know that Director Yu was flirting with Yuwen Tuo's father.
Xiao Tao said, "My Director Yu just wrote a few vague lines expressing her admiration for Eldest Master. Once Yuwen Tuo found out, he quieted down. But judging by the way he acted, he might not have believed it completely."
Xu Yi said, "There's another way: your Director Yu could use the ugly-woman ploy. Eat more, let herself get scruffier, or show some strange habit people can't stand—like eating a lot of roasted soybeans."
Xiao Tao stamped her foot. "Forget it. My Director Yu loves beauty more than anyone. She even has the bathtub she uses for bathing fumigated with fragrant flowers over and over... Hey, why am I telling you this? All right, I've delivered the things, so I'll head back. Good luck!"
Xu Yi smiled and thanked her again. Xiao Tao sprang away, then came back. "All right, you should come with me after all. Director Yu's been in a bad mood these past couple of days. Go tell her a few jokes and cheer her up."
Xu Yi paused. "How about this? I'll tell you a couple, and you can remember them and repeat them to your Director Yu when you get back."
The Grand Competition was drawing near. He felt he needed to improve himself, and time was tight. He couldn't afford to waste it.
Xiao Tao's face