Chapter 8: How to Win Someone's Heart
Niannian still answered without hesitation, "Yes."
He didn't even think about where Su Yanheng might take him. After just one day together, he instinctively believed that Su Yanheng would never hurt him.
"This job of mine is related to you too," Su Yanheng said while pulling Niannian into his arms. "When we're working, there will be many cameras pointed at us, and many people watching us. They'll know everything we do."
Niannian stiffened slightly and asked hesitantly, "Will they watch us when we're bathing or using the toilet?"
At his age, he had already developed a sense of shame. He didn't mind being seen by his big brother or the nanny, but if strangers saw him, he would die of embarrassment!
Su Yanheng: "..."
Su Yanheng: "Of course not. Anything involving privacy won't be filmed by the cameras."
"Then it's fine!" Niannian breathed a sigh of relief, wrapping his arms around Su Yanheng's neck and clinging to him affectionately. "Niannian wants to go to work with you, Niannian wants to stay with you."
Unable to resist, Su Yanheng planted a firm kiss on the little one's cheek, it was as soft as he had imagined. He couldn't hold back and kissed him several more times, making Niannian giggle with delight.
The nanny didn't disturb the brothers embracing each other and quietly slipped out of the room. As she opened the door, Ji Suize's figure appeared outside.
The third young master was always appearing and disappearing mysteriously. After being startled a few times, the nanny had grown accustomed to it. She calmly greeted Ji Suize, released the doorknob, and headed downstairs.
Thinking Ji Suize intended to enter the room, the nanny left the door open. After she left, Ji Suize remained standing in place, quietly watching the two inside.
Neither Niannian nor Su Yanheng noticed Ji Suize, nor did they know when he eventually left.
"Alright, it's time for you to sleep," Su Yanheng said after playing with the little one for a while. The clock pointed to nine, bedtime for children.
Niannian obediently crawled under the covers. As soon as Su Yanheng tucked him in, Niannian grabbed his hand.
"Won't you sleep with me?"
Su Yanheng smiled. "You want me to sleep with you?"
"Yes," Niannian replied, rolling over to face Su Yanheng. "I like sleeping with you."
Su Yanheng almost kissed the little one again. He restrained the impulse but didn't agree to the request.
Patting Niannian's bottom through the blanket, Su Yanheng said, "I can stay with you until you fall asleep, but I can't sleep with you."
"Why?" Niannian asked, confused.
Su Yanheng had already slept with him twice during the day. Why couldn't he at night?
Su Yanheng had told Zhao Shun that he could sleep because of Niannian, but deep down, he wasn't entirely sure. So, he wanted to test whether he could fall asleep alone.
Not wanting to burden the little one with his condition, he gently patted Niannian's bottom and told a white lie: "I still have work to do."
Niannian had long learned to read people's expressions. He knew Su Yanheng was lying but didn't call him out on it. Under Su Yanheng's coaxing, he slowly released his hand.
"Then finish your work quickly and go to bed early."
Su Yanheng smiled. "I will."
Su Yanheng stayed with his younger brother a little longer, quietly leaving the room only after Niannian had fallen asleep. Once back in his own room, he replied to Zhao Shun's message. Zhao Shun was overjoyed and, unlike usual, didn’t keep him chatting for hours. After just a few words, he hung up the phone, likely rushing off to discuss the collaboration with the production team.
Ji Suize paused for a moment in front of the keypad lock, giving it a few extra glances. The password had been compromised, and given his personality, he would normally change it immediately. But after lingering at the door, he decided against it.
His eldest brother always kept his word. If he said he’d have the lock removed tomorrow, he would definitely send someone to do it. So, changing the password now would be pointless.
Just as Ji Suize reached the bedside, Aunt Chen’s voice called from outside the door, "Third Young Master, shall I help you with your bath?"
It was a routine question, and Ji Suize’s answer was always "no." Sure enough, he opened the door and shook his head at her.
Aunt Chen continued, "Then I’ll draw the bath for you and wait outside."
Ever since Ji Suize could walk independently, he disliked being touched by others. After turning four, he refused help with bathing. Of course, the family couldn’t leave a four-year-old to bathe alone, so Aunt Chen’s main task was to keep an eye on him while he washed, ensuring nothing went wrong. Ji Suize never objected to this arrangement.
Once Aunt Chen had filled the tub, Ji Suize took his change of clothes and entered the bathroom. Aunt Chen left the door slightly ajar as she stepped out, leaving a small gap so she could keep an eye on him at all times.
Watching Ji Suize skillfully undress and step into the bathtub, Aunt Chen sighed softly. Before coming to the Su household, she had worked as a nanny for two other families. In all her years in this profession, she had never encountered a child so clever and well-behaved.
To her, Ji Suize’s silence wasn’t a problem. Instead, she found his maturity somewhat heartbreaking. Thinking of Su Younian, who had suddenly become so sensible, she sighed again.
She wondered when the master and mistress would finally come to their senses, let go of their grudges against each other, and truly take the time to see their children. If things continued like this, she worried these two obedient children might end up on a dangerous path.
Everything went smoothly. After Ji Suize finished his bath, Aunt Chen quietly left.
It was nearly ten o’clock, but Ji Suize had no intention of sleeping yet. He lay down on the bed and picked up a book he’d found in the study, planning to read. Just then, his phone on the nightstand rang, a message from his cousin, Ji Shiyu.
Ji Shiyu was the grandson of Ji Suize’s grandfather’s elder brother, four months younger than Ji Suize.
With Ji Shiyu’s parents busy with work and his grandparents living abroad, he spent most of his time at his grandfather’s house. Since Ji Suize often stayed there too, the two had grown close over time. Ji Shiyu had been following Ji Suize around since he learned to crawl and still loved sticking by his side.
Ji Suize tapped to play the voice message, and Ji Shiyu’s lively voice immediately broke the silence in the room: "What time are you coming over tomorrow? I’ll tell my mom so she can drop me off at Granduncle’s place early. I’ll bring the model kit I just got, we can assemble it together tomorrow!"
[Ji Suize: I won’t be coming over tomorrow.]
Ji Shiyu immediately called Ji Suize on voice chat. As soon as Ji Suize answered, Ji Shiyu shrieked, "Why aren't you coming anymore? Didn't we agree you'd stay at Granduncle's house for a while? I already told my mom, and I'm planning to stay there for a few days too. If you leave me alone at Granduncle's house, he'll nag me to death!"
Among the cousins in the Ji family, Ji Suize was the smartest and the most favored by the elders. Compared to him, Ji Shiyu, who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, was seen as a good-for-nothing. The elders knew what he was like and didn't expect much from him, but they still couldn't help nagging him occasionally when they saw how useless he was.
Especially Ji Suize's grandfather, every time he saw Ji Shiyu, he would lecture him for a long time, making Ji Shiyu avoid him at all costs. This time, he had only dared to tag along because Ji Suize was going too.
Ji Suize typed unhurriedly while Ji Shiyu's complaints continued without pause: "Ji Suize, how could you do this? You can't go back on your word, or your nose will grow long!"
After several complaints, Ji Shiyu finally received a reply from Ji Suize: 【When did I ever agree with you? I only said I was going to stay at my grandfather's house. You said you wanted to come, that has nothing to do with me.】
Ji Shiyu sniffled, feeling wronged. "You're so cold. And here I was thinking of letting you touch my new model kit."
【Ji Suize: Then thank you for your kindness.】
Ji Shiyu choked up and whined tearfully, "But I already told my mom. You know how she is, once she says something, she won't budge. If I back out now, she won't agree and will spank me hard. Do you really have the heart to leave me alone with Granduncle?"
【Ji Suize: My grandfather is getting old and needs company. He likes you a lot, it's a good chance for you to spend more time with him.】
Was that really liking him?!
Who would tease and toy with someone they liked?!
"Ji Suize!" Ji Shiyu roared in anger. "I'm never talking to you again!"
Ji Suize ignored him completely, put down his phone, and focused on his book.
He didn't hang up because he knew Ji Shiyu was just talking big. If he hung up, Ji Shiyu would call back right away, and he didn't want to deal with the back-and-forth.
After fuming for a long time without getting a single comforting word from Ji Suize, Ji Shiyu burst into loud sobs into the phone, catching his mother's attention.
"Ji Shiyu, look at the time, why aren't you asleep yet? Who are you calling?" As she spoke, Ji's mother glanced at Ji Shiyu's phone screen and sighed in exasperation. "You're staying up late and bothering Xiaoze too? If you want to cry, go cry somewhere else. Don't disturb Xiaoze."
Ji Shiyu cried even harder. "Waaah, Mom, Ji Suize bullied me and ignored me!"
Knowing her son all too well, Ji's mother remained indifferent. "Oh, I heard. Now hand over the phone first."
"Waaah, even you're bullying me! Am I even your son anymore?"
"You are. That's exactly why I can bully you, others don't get that privilege!"
Ji Shiyu: "Waaah…"
Ji Shiyu's crying suddenly cut off. Ji Suize glanced at the now-black phone screen before returning his gaze to the book.
His attention had been scattered from the start, not a single word had made its way into his mind.
After receiving the phone call from Ji Shiyu, he finally made a decision. His original plan to stay at his grandfather’s house for a few days had been altered because of "Su Younian."
He enjoyed solving difficult problems, and now, he had encountered the biggest challenge of his life,
How to make Su Younian willingly show his dimples to him, or even take the initiative to let him touch them.
He held a book titled How to Win Someone’s Heart in his hands, which he had found in the study. There was no name written on it to indicate who it belonged to.
The study was usually used by his father, so he assumed the book must be his. Judging by the curled and worn pages, it had been flipped through many times, otherwise, it wouldn’t have shown such signs of use.
Thinking about his parents’ strained relationship, Ji Suize began to doubt his decision.
If even his father, after reading such a book, couldn’t win his mother’s heart, then perhaps this book wouldn’t offer him any useful insights. It might even backfire.
Ji Suize started reading the opening pages again, but this time, he still couldn’t calm his mind enough to focus.
In the quiet of the night, the sound of a door opening suddenly echoed. The room closest to him was Su Younian’s, so the noise must have come from there.
Ji Suize put the book down and got out of bed, gently opening his own door. The door diagonally across from his was tightly shut. He widened the crack of his door just in time to catch a glimpse of Su Younian’s limping figure disappearing around the corner of the hallway.
That direction led to his older brother’s room.
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