The Young Master's Smile Resembles a Chrysanthemum

The young master put down his cheat sheet and confidently began to speak.

"Do you prefer winter melon or watermelon—"

"Watermelon, watermelon tastes better," Qiao Xi replied without turning around.

Yu Siyan: ?

Cheng Xi, watching from the shadows, was getting anxious!

That wasn't the question the young master was trying to ask!

Yu Siyan glanced at the paper and moved on to the next line—

"Do you know which day of the week I like the most? (Which day?) Every day I spend with you."

Yu Siyan: "Do you know which day of the week I like the most?"

"Friday," Qiao Xi answered promptly.

Yu Siyan: ?

He couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Your dad comes home for dinner on Fridays; you've been looking forward to it all week, haven't you?" Qiao Xi glanced at him sideways.

The young master was suddenly so touched that his face turned red!

He turned to Cheng Xi, who was hidden in a tree, and mouthed, "See? She knows me so well!"

Cheng Xi: "..."

Cheng Xi quickly jotted down in his notebook:

"July 29, cloudy. Dear lady in heaven, can you see? The young master is smiling like the chrysanthemums at your grave. Well, as long as he's happy. When you're not playing mahjong up there, please look out for him."

Yu Siyan realized that sweet talk wouldn't work.

Qiao Xi wouldn't respond with the standard answers he had prepared.

So, he turned to the second tactic—

"Step Two: Physical Contact! No technique, just tackle her!"

The young master quickly folded the paper and observed ahead.

Qiao Xi was looking at the statue of the mountain god.

"Xiao 6, don't you think this mountain god statue looks familiar?"

Xiao 6 replied, "It does a bit, but it's too high up to see clearly."

"I'll take a closer look; it feels oddly familiar."

With that, Qiao Xi rolled up her sleeves and jumped up!

The next second, there was a sudden "bang" from below!

She looked down to see the young master with his hands on the base of the statue. The impact made her whole body sway.

Yu Siyan: !

Qiao Xi: !

"Yu Siyan! Why did you push it?!"

"I didn't mean to push it! Weren't you just there?!"

Qiao Xi instantly realized: "You were trying to push me?!"

Yu Siyan: !!!

Qiao Xi jumped down and caught the falling statue, rolling a couple of times with it.

In the process, she got a clear look at the statue's face and was stunned.

Xiao 6 shouted, "Master! This mountain god statue looks a lot like you!"

The eyebrows, nose—everything was identical.

On closer inspection, even the grinning expression was exactly the same!

Qiao Xi pondered, "I don't remember ever having a task to become a mountain god, do I?"

In all her years at the Time-Space Administration Bureau, she had taken on bizarre tasks, been a cow, a horse, entered a wuxia world, and even ventured into a comic book realm, but she had never been a mountain god.

Suddenly, Xiao 6 exclaimed, "Wait, I remember now! This is a world in a book, created by an author. So, the statue's appearance... could it be the author's likeness?!"

Qiao Xi: ???

Xiao 6: !!!

"The more I think about it, the more plausible it seems!" Xiao 6 questioned, "Master! Have you written a book like this?!"

Qiao Xi: "I've traveled through over 20,000 worlds; how could I remember?"

Before they could discuss further, footsteps suddenly sounded from the entrance.

"We finally made it!" Zhou Ninghuan's panting voice came through.

Qiao Xi and Yu Siyan exchanged a glance.

"Hurry, lift it!" she urged, "If the villagers see this, they'll definitely behead us tonight!"

They tried to lift the statue, but it was too heavy!

The footsteps were getting closer!

And closer!

Xiao 6: "There's no time, no time at all!"

Qiao Xi suddenly stopped and looked towards the corner.

"Creak—"

The door opened.

Zhou Ninghuan paused to catch his breath.

He looked up to see the young master standing solemnly, hands clasped, lips pressed into a tight line, looking very serious.

"Young Master Yu, you arrived early?"

Zhou Ninghuan's eyes changed.

Arriving early! He must be secretly praying for the mountain god's blessing on their fields!

No way! They couldn't lose!

"You should be done praying, right?" Zhou Ninghuan squeezed in, "It's my turn!"

"No," Yu Siyan frowned, "I haven't done the final step, I haven't knelt yet..."

"Thud!"

Zhou Ninghuan knelt first!

A smug smile appeared on his face!

Hahaha! Mountain god, I knelt first! Bless me first! Theirs doesn't count!

No one noticed the "mountain god" statue twitch slightly.

Qiao Xi, covered in mud: "Xiao 6! I love this world! Please assign me tasks like this in the future! I'm begging you!"

Xiao 6: "..."

Yu Siyan, frowning, moved to the other side—

"Thud!"

Duan Fulin knelt second, a smile spreading on his face!

The two smart ones exchanged a glance, shouting in unison, "Mountain god, please bless us!"

[Why did they shove aside Yu Siyan?!]

[It doesn't look like Yu Siyan really wanted to kneel anyway; see how he only moved his mouth when he said he would kneel]

[Wait, why does the mountain god statue look familiar?]

[Did it just move? Am I seeing things? Is it really manifesting?!]

Up in the tree, Cheng Xi, who had seen everything: ( ꒪Д꒪)ノ

His eyes were practically bulging out!

Dear lady in heaven! Good thing you left early; you have no idea what kind of offspring you left behind! And even less idea about the kind of spouse this offspring found! It's a disaster! An absolute disaster!

When the group returned, Qiao Xi arrived last.

Zhou Ninghuan sneered, "Everyone else was praying to the mountain god, and only you were slacking off!"

Qiao Xi smiled brightly, "Zhou Ninghuan, no matter what kind of nonsense comes out of your mouth today, Daddy will forgive you."

Zhou Ninghuan: "..."

Crazy!

He stormed off.

Qiao Xi stopped and called Cheng Xi over, "How's the situation at the company?"

Cheng Xi suddenly stood at attention!

"Just as you predicted! The other side would send someone to cause trouble, either the eldest young master or someone else from the company! Today, it was the eldest young master! So, as per your instructions, we sent our best operative—Aunt Zhao!"

As he said the last two words, a suspicious blush appeared on his honest face.

At the company.

The situation was tense.

In the office, Li Cheng was causing trouble, demanding an audit. Sitting opposite him, Aunt Zhao kept her head down, remaining silent.

Li Cheng: "I'm not joking. This is a subsidiary company, and I'm the general manager. I have the right to audit your accounts."

Aunt Zhao stubbornly replied, "You've chased me all the way to the company; how could I think you're joking! But, young master, we're really not suitable!"

Li Cheng: ?

"What nonsense are you talking about? I said I want an audit!"

Aunt Zhao gritted her teeth and suddenly pulled out her phone, calling her son!

Her son said on the other end, "I can't accept this! I can't call him Dad! If you insist on marrying him, I'll jump from the second floor and kill myself!"

Click! The call ended!

Aunt Zhao: "Young master, I've refused you many times! Please leave!"

Li Cheng clenched his teeth, barely holding back his anger.

As he turned around, he saw Aunt Li, Uncle Liu, and several familiar faces—all employees at the Yu family!

Their eyes were shining with excitement!

Any one of them could ruin a person's reputation within five minutes with their mouths!

Li Cheng took a deep breath.

He had been in business for many years, but even he knew that he had lost this battle.