Chapter 7: Rubbing Some Good Luck!
The live-in housekeeper, Jin-jie, arrived after the movie had finished playing.
She looked to be under fifty, with short hair and a slightly plump figure.
She was carrying many things when she came in. She said to Gu Jingxiu, “Xiao Gu-zong, I’ll go put my luggage in the nanny’s room. These are the vegetables and chestnuts I brought from my hometown. You guys haven’t had dinner yet, right? What would you like to eat tonight?”
Hearing the voice, Lin Zhile peeked over, only to see a back figure.
Seeing him poke his head out, Gu Jingxiu said languidly, “A new character has debuted. Do you need me to provide commentary for you?”
Lin Zhile gripped empty air like a microphone and piously held it up in front of him: “Please speak.”
Gu Jingxiu explained that Jin-jie had come to work for his family when he was five years old. For over a decade, she had been consistently diligent and responsible. Her personality was honest and sincere, and the Gu family trusted her very much.
“She is from Dongshan. She can cook both Northern and Southern cuisines, but she is especially skilled in Lu cuisine. Do you want to order a dish?”
The moment Lin Zhile heard Lu cuisine, something instantly popped into his mind: “Sweet and Sour Carp!”
Gu Jingxiu noticed that Lin Zhile really liked sweet foods.
Jin-jie changed into her work clothes and came out from the nanny’s room in the basement. At a glance, she saw Lin Zhile standing by the kitchen door.
Compared to the excessively handsome Gu Jingxiu, Lin Zhile’s appearance was far more appealing to the aunties.
Jin-jie smiled and asked Gu Jingxiu, “This is the child Boss Fang mentioned, right? Named Lin Zhile?”
Gu Jingxiu: “Mm.”
Lin Zhile greeted her a bit shyly: “Hello, Ayi.”
The look in Jin-jie’s eyes as she watched him was like looking at a little kitten, and her tone softened as well: “Hello. You can call me Jin-jie just like Xiao Gu-zong does. If there is anything you need me to do, just tell me directly.”
Receiving this goodwill, Lin Zhile smiled and nodded.
Jin-jie looked at his smiling face, and suddenly her gaze paused, her expression freezing slightly.
Her gaze changed in an instant, as if she were looking at someone else through Lin Zhile.
A moment later, realizing she was being somewhat impolite, Jin-jie smoothed the hair at her temples: “I just feel like I’ve seen Xiao Lin-xiansheng somewhere before. You look quite familiar.”
Lin Zhile looked at Gu Jingxiu, unsure if there was some unfinished meaning behind Jin-jie’s words.
However, he possessed a self-taught sweet mouth when it came to female elders, saying, “I also think Jin-jie looks familiar. The first time I saw you, I felt a deep sense of closeness!”
Hearing this, Jin-jie instantly couldn’t suppress the smile on her face: “Eh, good, good, good! I remember now. They all say good-looking people resemble each other; Xiao Lin-xiansheng looks like a celebrity!”
Having worked for the Gu family all these years, she had seen plenty of wealthy and noble young masters and young ladies. But in comparison, Xiao Lin-xiansheng was far more likable.
Neither obsequious nor supercilious, with a very good personality.
“There’s cooking fumes here. Don’t stand around here; I’ll call you when dinner is ready,” Jin-jie beckoned.
Once the two had walked far away, Jin-jie lowered her head and tied a knot in her apron, her thoughts wandering in a daze.
When he smiles, it really is too similar… but it shouldn’t be. That client’s daughter doesn’t have any children.
Dinner was a little late today, but it was genuinely delicious.
Jin-jie’s culinary skills were truly beyond words. Half of that sweet and sour carp with the upturned tail was devoured by Lin Zhile.
After dinner, Jin-jie also conveniently brewed some throat-soothing tea for Lin Zhile: “Listening to you speak, your throat sounds a little hoarse. Does your skin feel very dry? I’ll stew some pears for you to eat tomorrow.”
Lin Zhile had originally eaten until his belly was perfectly round and was lying on the sofa digesting. He hastily stood up, took the throat-soothing tea, and said happily, “Okay, thank you, Jin-jie.”
Gu Jingxiu’s house had humidifiers, so his skin wasn’t too dry, it was just his throat that felt uncomfortable.
“Oh, right.” Lin Zhile suddenly said, “It’s just that I have to go to the production crew to register tomorrow. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
Holding his clothes, Gu Jingxiu was just walking toward the laundry room. Passing by and hearing this, he said, “Have Caroline accompany you tomorrow.”
Truth be told, Lin Zhile was a bit afraid of Caroline. He stammered, “…Can I refuse? I feel like I can handle it myself.”
Gu Jingxiu stated, “Rejection overruled. Lin-laoshi managed to raise a son with great difficulty; what if I lose him on my watch?”
“…” Lin Zhile was dissatisfied. “Saying it like that makes it seem as though I’m an idiot who can’t take care of himself.”
Gu Jingxiu rejected his accusation: “Did I say that? Don’t just throw blame onto me willy-nilly.”
Lin Zhile puffed out his cheeks and stopped talking.
Watching them bicker, Jin-jie held back a smile and walked over: “That’s fine. I’ll just stew it at night and leave it in the stew pot. Whenever you get back is when you can eat it.”
“Okay.” It was a pity he couldn’t eat it freshly stewed. Lin Zhile agreed wiltedly.
Gu Jingxiu returned from the laundry room. It wasn’t quite bedtime yet, so he sat on the sofa replying to work messages.
The night breeze disturbed the curtains, and the leaves outside rustled, but the living room was incredibly tranquil.
Lin Zhile looked up and saw his focused side profile. He slowly scooted over from the other end of the sofa and pressed his forehead against Gu Jingxiu’s shoulder.
“Ge!”
He called out.
Gu Jingxiu allowed him to press against him and responded with a low “Mm.”
Lin Zhile called out again, “Ge!”
Gu Jingxiu didn’t reply this time, not knowing what the little rabbit was playing at now, and raised his hand to ruffle his furry head.
Lin Zhile was quite obedient, staying perfectly still and letting him pet him.
Last night, he had been anxious about being hated. Who knew that just over a dozen hours later, situated in the exact same place, the two of them could already be clinging to each other.
In the kitchen, Jin-jie watched the two people leaning against each other on the sofa. Revealing an auntie’s smile, she pulled out her phone and captured the scene on the sofa in a freeze-frame.
Afterwards, she tapped open WeChat and sent it to the person noted as ‘Forever Eighteen (Boss Fang)’.
Tonight, Gu Jingxiu reclaimed sovereignty over the master bedroom because Jin-jie had returned and tidied up the second-floor guest room for Lin Zhile to sleep in.
Having played for pretty much the whole day, it wasn’t until he was nestled in his quilt that Lin Zhile began to feel nervous about joining the production crew tomorrow.
Lin Xing knew about this matter and cheered him on from the other end of the phone.
Then he lamented, “It’s just a shame I can’t go back right now. On the day you win the championship, even if I have to swim, I will swim across the Atlantic Ocean to come see you.”
Lin Zhile smiled and said, “Share a bit of your optimism with me. I’ll be incredibly happy just passing the preliminaries.”
Lin Xing said, “Ah? I’ve already blown my own horn so loud, and you’re telling me this.”
“Lin Zhile, stand up straight and show some spine!”
Lin Zhile rolled over and buried his face in the quilt: “You have no idea how formidable the participating contestants are.”
The pink-haired girl he had added as a friend earlier, Luoluo, had been posting work photos on her Moments for the past two days. Among them was no shortage of appearances by various musicians who had long since made a name for themselves.
The ones with the lowest follower counts still had millions; there was absolutely no need for them to come participate in a competition. In comparison, Lin Zhile was an absolute amateur among amateurs.
Lin Xing clicked his tongue in awe, feeling that this crowd of musicians was truly too competitive.
Lin Zhile let out a long sigh and ultimately fell asleep accompanied by his melancholic thoughts.
Heading downstairs the next morning, he discovered that Caroline had already appeared by the dining table.
She had put on full makeup and looked like she was exuding an overpowering aura.
Lin Zhile greeted her, and she responded with a smile.
Jin-jie brought breakfast to the table. Looking at the extra bowl of pear soup placed in front of him, Lin Zhile felt a bit overwhelmed by the favor: “Thank you, Jin-jie. You must have woken up very early, right?!”
Jin-jie didn’t answer, merely asking, “Drink it and see if you like it? I didn’t add much sugar.”
This pear had its core removed in advance and was stewed whole with rock sugar. Once stewed, it was mashed into small pieces with a spoon.
It tasted incredibly sweet and clear, and the pear flesh had become soft yet chewy, exceedingly delicious.
“Super delicious!” Lin Zhile said.
“As long as Xiao Lin-xiansheng likes it.”
“Where’s my Ge?” Having finished breakfast, Lin Zhile noticed the master seat at the dining table was completely empty, finally remembering his cheap cousin.
Before Caroline could figure out who this ‘Ge’ he was talking about was, Jin-jie said, “Xiao Gu-zong woke up at 6 o’clock. Every morning, he has to work out for an hour before he eats.”
Lin Zhile nodded.
He gave a thumbs up in his heart. No wonder his body was so fit.
Meanwhile, on the side, Caroline looked at the empty pear soup bowl. Her expression changed slightly as she finally felt that things seemed a little off.
Because he was going to participate in a show after all, it wasn’t appropriate for Lin Zhile to wear some white t-shirt again. After breakfast, he returned to his room to change his clothes.
It was the most basic style—a button-up shirt paired with a knit vest. At a glance, he looked exactly like a clean-cut male university student.
In the entertainment industry, everyone had eyes as sharp as torches. Caroline could tell the cheapness of the clothes in a single glance.
However, as the saying goes, a face is the best fashion accessory. As far as Lin Zhile was concerned, even wearing a burlap sack would look good.
Caroline’s appreciation was concealed in her gaze, while Jin-jie was much more straightforward. She looked at him several times and opened her mouth to praise, “This outfit looks very nice on you!”
Right at this moment, Gu Jingxiu walked up from the basement, catching this outfit change perfectly.
He took a look, but he had a somewhat different opinion: “It seems a bit plain. Do you want me to have Caroline take you to buy a couple of outfits?”
Lin Zhile shook his head.
It wasn’t that he didn’t recognize those brands on Gu Jingxiu’s body; a single piece was worth a year of his tuition.
Lin Zhile leaned in front of him and said mysteriously, “If you truly want to help me, right now, all you have to do is extend your left hand.”
Gu Jingxiu: ?
Unable to guess what he wanted to do, Gu Jingxiu still raised his hand as told—
Then he saw Lin Zhile bring both hands together and grasp his hand.
The two had a height difference of nearly ten centimeters. Standing so close, Lin Zhile needed to tilt his head up slightly.
His slender and delicate eyes curved slightly, his aegyo sal instantly surfacing, and his smiling eyes became incredibly sweet in a flash.
His pupils were a deep azure-black, floating with a speck of light, seemingly reflecting the person right before him.
Because Lin Zhile had an innate physical deficiency, his palms were cold, making the tactile sensation in the place being held exceptionally distinct.
Gu Jingxiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. A trace of numbness arose from his left hand enclosed by Lin Zhile, spreading upwards along his palm.
Lin Zhile didn’t perceive the discomfort of the person in front of him at all. He rubbed Gu Jingxiu’s palm a few times, muttering words under his breath as he rubbed.
Gu Jingxiu managed to catch a few phrases like “Rubbing some good luck!”.
Gu Jingxiu: “…”
Turns out, he was treating him like a mascot.
Although this kind of behavior brought no substantive changes, it could provide immense spiritual comfort to a person.
Lin Zhile quickly finished casting his spell and sweetly thanked Gu Jingxiu.
Two seconds later, Gu Jingxiu said, “Lin Zhile, remember to pay it back.”
Having mooched off someone else’s good luck, of course he had to say some pleasant words. Lin Zhile said, “Of course, of course.”
And he didn’t forget to gently place Gu Jingxiu’s hand back to its original position.
As the slightly cool, delicate touch on his palm vanished, Gu Jingxiu’s left hand hanging by his side subconsciously curled up.
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