"What are you holding in your hand?" Yun Ke asked, furrowing his brow when Ye Zhizhou didn't respond, taking a step forward.
Ye Zhizhou quickly averted his gaze, pretended to be timid and introverted, and quietly replied, "It's nothing... Yun Ge, have you eaten?"
Yun Ke didn't ease his expression due to Ye Zhizhou's response; in fact, his tone grew colder and more ruthless. "Look at me when you speak."
Ye Zhizhou obediently raised his head, locking eyes with the displeased man.
Displeased?
What's wrong? He's actually unhappy that I asked if he had eaten?
After a brief moment of complaining inwardly, Ye Zhizhou lowered his head and quickly reviewed the personality setting of the original host. He then pondered for three seconds and figured out why Yun Ke was displeased. Finally, he sighed inwardly and mentally flipped Yun Ke the middle finger.
So, it wasn't because Yun Ke was unhappy about my greeting, but rather he's simply dissatisfied with Du Yang!
According to the information, Du Yang was described as a "family friend's orphan adopted by the Yun family." However, from the memories of the original host, Du Yang's identity was far from being as simple as "a family friend's orphan." He was Yun Ke's younger brother-in-law! Yes, before the female lead arrived, Yun Ke had a wife. Unfortunately, that wife had a terrible fate; she died on their wedding day. Yep, it was a car accident, and she died trying to save Yun Ke.
A wedding turning into a funeral—a real tragedy.
And this unfortunate wife was none other than Du Yang's elder sister, Du Yun.
When Du Yun passed away, she left behind the vast family estate of the Du family with no one to inherit it. At that time, Du Yang was still young, and the Du family had dwindled down to just the two siblings. Yun Ke had no choice but to take over everything on behalf of Du Yun's status as his spouse. He planned to pass on the family estate to Du Yang once he grew up to be a qualified heir. However, due to the loss of their parents at a young age, Du Yang had strayed from the right path, becoming timid and weak, much to Yun Ke's disappointment. Apparently, Ye Zhizhou's recent display of timidity and introversion had hit Yun Ke's nerve of "cultivating an excellent successor."
Ye Zhizhou wanted to sigh again.
Yun Ke saw him raise his head briefly, only to quickly avert his gaze after locking eyes with him. Yun Ke's expression grew darker, and his tone became even colder. "I told you to look at me when you speak."
His temper was really bad.
To avoid being frozen by one of the male leads' icy demeanor right after arriving, Ye Zhizhou couldn't afford to continue acting "timid and introverted."
He raised his head again, this time meeting Yun Ke's cold gaze without flinching.
Then, Yun Ke, with a displeased expression on his face, asked, "Do you have a problem with me?"
... Seriously?
That look he just gave was clearly a mix of arrogance and confidence. Did the male lead have an eye problem?
Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but give him a glare.
His eyes, which were usually filled with fear and anxiety, were now surprisingly full of vitality, sparkling and devoid of their usual evasiveness. Yun Ke was somewhat surprised and even doubted his own eyes. He couldn't help but look deep into those eyes, but they blinked rapidly and then closed tightly, shielded by a plump hand.
Was that lively look just an illusion? Yun Ke wondered. Although he still harbored some dissatisfaction with the boy's personality, his expression finally softened, and his tone carried a rare hint of warmth. "What's wrong?"
"My eyes got sand in them." Ye Zhizhou pitifully lowered his hand, wiping away the tears that had welled up in his eyes due to the irritation. He inwardly lamented his bad luck today.
Due to the difference in height and their positions, Yun Ke could only see the top of Ye Zhizhou's head when he lowered it. It was small and framed by jet-black, soft hair, looking somewhat cute. Despite his strange thoughts, Yun Ke resumed his impassive expression and said, "Let's go inside for dinner."
Ye Zhizhou, determined to avoid being frozen by one of the male leads' icy demeanor right after his arrival, couldn't afford to continue acting "timid and introverted." He tugged on Yun Ke's sleeve and headed toward the dining room, saying urgently, "Yun Ge, I'm really hungry. Let's eat quickly."
Yun Ke, who usually didn't let anyone approach him easily, felt somewhat annoyed at being pulled like this. The idea that had briefly crossed his mind because of Bai Li's words was pushed aside. He wanted to shake off Ye Zhizhou's hand but couldn't help but recall the lively and spirited gaze from earlier.
Was that really such a beautiful gaze? Bright and lively, making one involuntarily want to gaze deeper into it.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the chubby hand gripping his sleeve and the disheveled strand of hair at the back of the boy's head. He reluctantly relaxed his arm and removed the pressure from Ye Zhizhou's grip.
Well, let's go along with it this time.
Meanwhile, Bai Li, who had been left behind, watched the two gradually disappear behind the door, feeling a sudden unease. What was going on? The chubby boy who would eagerly approach her with a few words of concern was ignoring her today? Was it really because he didn't like tulips? Annoying! If he didn't like them, he should have said so yesterday. Now she had embarrassed herself in front of Yun Ge.
It wasn't until they sat down in the brightly lit dining room that Ye Zhizhou could get a clear look at Yun Ke's appearance. His sharp eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, straight nose, sensual lips, and a perfectly chiseled face... What a perfect, cold, and restrained beauty. It was almost otherworldly.
He looked at Yun Ke and then at his own current appearance. Ye Zhizhou gained a deep understanding of this world's favoritism.
"What are you looking at?"
"I'm looking at how handsome you are."
Yun Ke's chopsticks paused for a moment, and Ye Zhizhou's mind also froze for a moment.
This setting is way too over-the-top.
The atmosphere at the dining table suddenly turned heavy. After a while, just when Ye Zhizhou thought the earlier conversation might have been a hallucination, Yun Ke's indifferent voice broke the silence, "You'll also become quite handsome in the future."
Ye Zhizhou lowered his head and looked at his chubby hands and round belly, silently expressing his doubt.
"The Du family has no ugly people."
"...So, did the original host have a genetic mutation?"
"And no fat people."
"...Is this guy ever going to have a normal conversation?"
"You'll naturally slim down once you grow taller."
"...Thank you for the prediction." He finally understood that Yun Ke wasn't dissatisfied with the original host; on the contrary, he had excessive confidence in him. Slim down after growing taller? The original host was seventeen years old, 175 cm tall, and weighed 85 kilograms! How much taller did he need to grow to become both slim and handsome?
"No need to be polite. Show me your midterm exam results after dinner."
"Okay."
After the weight-related conversation, the dining table was silent with just the two of them. Chef Wang's cooking was excellent, and Ye Zhizhou, who usually relied on nutritional supplements and takeout, was quite satisfied with the meal.
It wasn't until he finished drinking milk after the meal that Ye Zhizhou suddenly realized that the female lead was not at the dining table. Curious, he asked, "Where's Lily? Isn't she eating with us?" According to the information provided by the system, Yun Ke had a good relationship with Bai Li. Although he employed her as a gardener for his house, he never treated her as a servant, and they always ate together.
Yun Ke, who was about to leave the table for his study, sat back down upon hearing the question. He looked Ye Zhizhou up and down with an expressionless face.
Ye Zhizhou felt a bit uneasy under his scrutiny and involuntarily shrank back. He asked, "What's wrong? Do I have rice grains on my face?"
Yun Ke furrowed his brow, his expression darkening.
Ye Zhizhou suddenly understood the reason for his displeasure. Under Yun Ke's icy gaze, he quickly sat up straight, as if he hadn't been the one to cower just moments ago. No need to say it; Yun Ke's "cultivate an heir" instincts had been triggered again.
Yun Ke finally relaxed his expression. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, finding the sudden change in the boy's behavior quite amusing. In a casual tone, he asked, "Do you like Miss Bai?"
"Miss Bai?" Ye Zhizhou found the term unfamiliar. He was puzzled internally but didn't show it. He shook his head and said, "No, I don't like her." He wasn't one of those blind two-timers who wanted to have it both ways with the male leads. A "gentle and kind" woman like her was not someone he dared to like.
Yun Ke, however, wore a thoughtful expression and said slowly, "I thought you liked her."
"I didn't." Maybe the original host did, but unfortunately, the original host was no longer present.
"I understand." Yun Ke nodded, stood up, adjusted his clothes, and returned to his indifferent demeanor. "Come with me to the study, and bring your midterm report card and test papers."
"What do you understand?" Ye Zhizhou was having trouble keeping up with his train of thought. He quickly grabbed his backpack from a nearby chair and followed Yun Ke, who had long legs and was walking fast. However, just as he caught up with him and was about to speak, he locked eyes with Bai Li, who was standing at the corner between the dining room and the living room, holding a tea tray.
Bai Li's eyes were red, and she looked at Du Yang as if she were looking at a heartless traitor. She appeared fragile and choked back her sadness as she trembled, saying, "Xiao Yang, I didn't expect you to dislike me... Did I do something to upset you?"