Testing the waters~

Chi Ye came downstairs and sat on the sofa on the other side of Shen Zhiyi. He stretched his legs out, then drew them back.

He glanced at Shen Zhiyi, then quickly turned away again, like someone addicted to a game, constantly testing the other person's limits.

But the person opposite him remained unmoved, even somewhat disdainful.

"Shen Zhiyi," Chi Ye called.

Shen Zhiyi slowly turned to look at him, signaling for him to get on with whatever he had to say. Who knew that Chi Ye would fall silent after calling her name, even turning away when she looked over.

Shen Zhiyi paused. Her fingers rubbed against the remote in her hand before she slowly turned back.

Chi Ye's heart pounded. Whenever Shen Zhiyi looked at him, he would remember yesterday's scene, his face and ears flushing, his pounding heartbeat impossible to hide.

He was probably ill. In Shen Zhiyi's eyes, there was seriously something wrong with him.

"Shen Zhiyi," Chi Ye called again. Unlike before, his voice was slightly low and husky this time, with a probing note.

Those cool eyes turned toward him. Chi Ye lasted barely a few seconds before turning his head away in panic again. Shen Zhiyi put down the remote and sat up, then tossed it into Chi Ye's lap and left the living room expressionlessly.

But an air of anger radiated from her. It was difficult to describe, but she was indeed somewhat angry, the Housekeeper thought.

The Housekeeper looked back at Chi Ye. He was red from his neck to the roots of his ears, looking as though he had been put in a steamer and pulled back out.

"Y-young master, Miss Shen has left. She's angry."

Chi Ye waved a casual hand. "How could she be angry? She just doesn't like talking."

Watching Shen Zhiyi's retreating figure, the Housekeeper sighed softly. Anger was an exceptionally obvious emotion. Even with someone as normally impassive as Shen Zhiyi, the people around her would sense it to some degree once she became angry.

All he could say was that their young master had probably dug himself a hole this time. The Housekeeper decided to stay out of it. Some things the young master had to resolve himself. He was only a housekeeper; he only had so much of a role.

"Young master, in all these years, this is the first time I've seen your ears this red." He shook his head slightly and sighed. Having delivered his lines, he left the Villa, intending to make a trip back to the Old Residence.

Shen Zhiyi was unhappy. Even when unhappy, her expression remained the same, without much change. Once she returned to her room, she sat on the balcony by herself, staring into space.

She had always known she was unlikable, but Chi Ye's actions today had told her even more clearly that she really was loathsome.

She had thought this was normal. It was fine; if people disliked her, so be it. But Chi Ye was still a little different to her. He was the person who had stayed by her side the longest.

However much she tried to hide it, the fact was that she had slowly begun to accept a life with Chi Ye in it, with conversation over three meals a day.

But the truth was that Chi Ye disliked her too. Twice he had called her name, only to turn away in the end. Was he testing how much he could tolerate, or did he no longer want to see her at all, only refraining from saying so outright because of their contract and partnership?

The phone she had casually set aside lit up. She picked it up and took a look. Someone wanted her help carving a picture, and it was urgent.

She thought it over. She had no money now, and she still had to pay Chi Ye back, so she agreed. The client was generous, transferring a ten-thousand-yuan deposit straight away and saying there would be another twenty thousand once the work was finished.

Had someone not referred them, Shen Zhiyi would have thought she had encountered a scammer. The other person asked her to head out now so they could begin discussing it, their tone that of someone impatient.

Shen Zhiyi replied, asking them to wait a moment while she got ready to leave.

Chi Ye's Villa was in a good location, convenient for getting anywhere. The meeting place was the Art Studio at S University, so the other person was presumably a student there.

It was somewhere familiar to her, too. Once she confirmed the location, she felt the chances of the other person being a scammer were zero.

She took her things downstairs. The television was still on, but Chi Ye had gone who knew where. The Housekeeper had said that morning that he was returning to the Old Residence today, and now the house suddenly felt empty.

She glanced around, then carried her things to the entryway. Just then, Chi Ye walked in from outside, phone in hand, about to put it away.

Pushing the door open and seeing Shen Zhiyi in the entryway, he froze for a moment. Seeing her carrying her things, he asked in surprise,

"You're going out?"

Shen Zhiyi nodded. Once she had changed her shoes, she was about to walk past him when Chi Ye abruptly stopped her, asking with a frown,

"Where are you going? When will you be back? Are you meeting a guy or a girl?"

He asked three questions in one breath, looking somewhat anxious. Then he immediately dismissed them.

"Never mind. I'll drive you." He looked steadily at Shen Zhiyi. She avoided his gaze and tried to move past him, but he blocked her way completely again.

"I'm going to work. I don't need a ride."

Chi Ye shook his head.

"No. If you're working, that's all the more reason for me to drive you. Don't worry. I'll leave once I get you there and see who you're meeting."

Shen Zhiyi didn't understand. What did Chi Ye mean by this? He had been disgusted with her just now, and now he wanted to drive her?

On second thought, perhaps it made putting on an act easier. If he drove her out, someone would certainly see them. That way, word would reach Madam Ye more easily and lend things a little more credibility.

She pressed her lips together and stopped debating it with him. Looking at him, she replied,

"You drive."

Chi Ye picked up his car keys and told Shen Zhiyi to wait at the door; he would bring the car around to pick her up. Although he didn't know why she had suddenly changed her mind, it was enough that he had achieved his goal.

When the navigation brought them to S University, he was somewhat surprised.

"The work you mentioned was coming to S University? What are you going to do?"

S University's entrance had a grand design. Shen Zhiyi walked straight ahead without looking at it. Chi Ye kept pace with her and asked casually,

"Can you get in like this? You'd need the university's permission, or someone you know to take you in, wouldn't you?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shen Zhiyi took out a card and swiped her way in, showing no intention of waiting for him. Seeing the card she had suddenly produced, Chi Ye had no time to think and hurried in after her.

His way of getting into the university was simple: his face was his pass. He had donated money, after all.

Chi Ye still hadn't stopped talking, repeatedly asking Shen Zhiyi where she had gotten the card. Surely she hadn't borrowed someone else's?

Shen Zhiyi ignored him and headed toward the Department of Fine Arts classrooms with practiced familiarity. This wasn't Chi Ye's first time here. He had attended university abroad, but later, because he wanted to start a business, he had applied to come to S University as an exchange student.

Come to think of it, he was an honorary alumnus too. But Shen Zhiyi was...

Liu Muyan looked at her painting and nodded in satisfaction. Once the person she had hired arrived and carved it onto the surface, it would be finished.

She had asked quite a few people before finding this expert, who was said to be highly skilled.

Shen Zhiyi stood in the doorway of the art classroom and looked inside. A girl stood there with her back to them.

Chi Ye looked at the person in the classroom. Seeing that it was a girl, he relaxed. He reached out and knocked on the door.

"Hello."

Hearing the voice, Liu Muyan turned around. The next second, a look of horror appeared on her face as she cried,

"Mr. Chi!"

Liu Muyan couldn't for the life of her imagine how she had summoned this devil. Her mouth still hadn't closed. She cautiously asked,

"Don't tell me you're the expert I hired?"

Although there wasn't much of an age gap between them, Liu Muyan addressed him respectfully, afraid she wasn't showing Chi Ye enough respect.

Chi Ye waved a hand. "Not me. I brought someone here. What, you're the one who hired her?"

Only then did Liu Muyan notice a corner of snow-white clothing showing behind him, before Shen Zhiyi stepped out from behind Chi Ye. Her toolbox was in Chi Ye's hand, which was why Liu Muyan had been so shocked just now.

"That scared me to death. I thought I'd summoned a devil." She quietly patted her chest to soothe herself.