Chapter 21: The Manor of Frost-Deep

Shi Chuchu was terrified that Long Yuan had left her and Long Xiaobao behind to head out on his own. With her biggest source of protection gone, the place suddenly felt like a den of wolves to her. She couldn’t be blamed for her cowardice; the way Shuang Ming looked at her always gave her the impression that he saw through everything. Furthermore, even the system couldn’t detect his corruption level, which was unsettlingly bizarre. Shi Chuchu made up her mind: until Long Yuan returned, she would keep a low profile and stay out of sight, making sure never to draw Shuang Ming’s attention.

Ten minutes later, however—

"Miss, the Master invites you and the two young masters to join him for lunch." Shuang Ming’s butler stood before her, bowing respectfully as he delivered the terrifying request.

Shi Chuchu’s instinct was to decline. But the next moment, her gaze fell upon the oblivious Long Xiaobao. Clearly, she had no room to refuse; as Long Xiaobao’s nanny, she was obligated to stay by his side while they were guests in someone else’s home. Despite her deep reluctance, she followed the servant to the dining pavilion half an hour later.

Shuang Ming sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over them indifferently. Shi Chuchu instinctively lowered her head, quietly seating Long Xiaobao before taking her place beside him. Shuang Ci sat down on the other side of the table with practiced ease. In truth, Shuang Ci was surprised; his father rarely invited him to lunch, so today was a novelty.

Shuang Ming glanced at Shi Chuchu and gestured to a seat across the way. "Miss Chu, your seat is over here."

Shi Chuchu’s heart tightened as she lowered her voice. "I have a pollen allergy, so it’s inconvenient for me to remove my mask to eat. Please, don’t trouble yourself on my account."

Shuang Ming stared at her for a long moment, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible arc. "Is that so? My personal physician is quite adept at treating pollen allergies. Perhaps I should summon him to examine you."

Shi Chuchu shook her head immediately, offering a stiff, dry laugh. "No need, it’s an old ailment. It’s nothing—"

Unfortunately, before she could finish, Shuang Ming had already instructed his butler: "Go, tell Dr. Yun to come."

Shi Chuchu was stunned. Something was wrong—very wrong! When had the cold and aloof Shuang Ming become so helpful?

*Host, be careful. I think Shuang Ming has started to suspect you,* the system’s voice whispered in her mind while she sat there, dazed.

Shi Chuchu felt like breaking down. She replied inwardly, "No kidding! I know he’s suspicious of me! Why don’t you try coming up with a solution instead?"

*Just in case, Host... why don’t you use your hypnosis skill on him?*

Shi Chuchu sighed, realizing there was no other choice. Soon, the doctor arrived, and Shi Chuchu braced herself to remove her mask. Throughout the process, she kept her peripheral vision locked on Shuang Ming, observing his expression. If he showed even the slightest sign of suspicion, she would hypnotize him without hesitation.

Fortunately, upon seeing her face, Shuang Ming’s expression remained entirely unmoved. Shi Chuchu exhaled sharply in relief. During the subsequent check-up, the doctor naturally couldn’t find anything, as she wasn’t actually suffering from any allergy. Shuang Ming didn’t seem to dwell on it, merely remarking, "What a pity," before continuing to eat with calm composure.

Shi Chuchu was baffled. "System, can you see Shuang Ming’s corruption level now?" she asked quietly while picking at her food.

*No... his corruption level remains unknown. I advise you not to let your guard down.*

Shi Chuchu frowned slightly, chewing her food mechanically. Suddenly, a bright red cherry tomato was placed into her plate by a chubby little hand. Long Xiaobao grinned at her, revealing a few tiny teeth.

"Mom... eat, fruit."

Shi Chuchu was amused by his silly expression and pinched his soft cheek. Just as they were sharing this tender mother-son moment, a faint "crack" echoed from Shuang Ming’s direction. The three of them looked up to see a hairline fracture on the glass cup in Shuang Ming’s hand, with pale green tea slowly seeping out.

A servant quickly handed him a clean towel, but even so, his clothes were stained with tea.

"Shuang Ci, keep Long Ye company. Father has matters to attend to."

With a calm expression, he stood up, gave Shuang Ci a brief instruction, and turned to leave. Shuang Ci nodded blankly, staring at his father’s retreating back, unable to process the moment for a long time. Though his father looked calm, he intuitively felt that something was off. Looking at the shattered cup on the table, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

That afternoon, Shi Chuchu did not see Shuang Ming again. She stayed with the two little ones, watching Long Xiaobao run around the Shuang family estate, playing to his heart's content, completely carefree.

Shuang Ci followed behind Long Xiaobao, patiently introducing him to everything that caught his interest and wiping his drool every now and then.

By evening, Long Xiaobao had explored most of the estate, and Long Yuan had finished his official duties and arrived to collect them. Seeing Long Yuan, Shi Chuchu was overcome with an unprecedented sense of relief. She couldn’t wait to leave this place.

"Xiaobao, did you have fun?" Long Yuan picked up Long Xiaobao, smiling as he looked at the boy’s flushed, excited face.

Long Xiaobao nodded vigorously. "Like brother."

It was clear that Long Xiaobao was very fond of the young boy who kept wiping his drool. Long Yuan smiled at Shuang Ci, and the butler behind him respectfully handed over an exquisite gift box.

"Young Master Shuang Ci, a small token of appreciation. Please accept it."

Shuang Ci paused and looked at his father, Shuang Ming. Seeing him nod, he accepted the gift. "Thank you, Uncle Long," he said politely.

Shuang Ming spoke softly, "Marshal, why not stay for dinner?"

Long Yuan, holding Long Xiaobao, declined with a light laugh. "Not today. It’s getting late, and Xiaobao needs to return early to rest."

Shuang Ming nodded slightly and walked them to the door.

That night, Shi Chuchu lay sprawled on the sofa in Long Xiaobao’s room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Heavens, this agonizing day was finally coming to an end; she never wanted to visit the Shuang estate again. She silently decided that she would take a few more bites from Long Yuan tonight to make up for the psychological trauma of the day.

However, before she could make a move, a piece of bad news that made her world go dark arrived unexpectedly.

At eight-thirty, Long Yuan came in to tell Long Xiaobao a bedtime story, as usual. Before the story began, Long Yuan informed her nonchalantly:

"The two cubs had a great time today. After discussing it with Priest Shuang Ming, I’ve decided that from now on, the weekend will be the two cubs' outing time."

"I’ll double your salary. On future days off, you will accompany Xiaobao just like you did today."