Chapter 164: Peeling Apples!

“Thanks, Yao Yao!” Sister Lin handed the bag to Tang Shuyao, then glared at me. “You still know how to come back, huh?”  

“I was only out for a bit!” I said helplessly.  

“Then hurry up and take the groceries from Mei’er! Are you so shameless as a grown man?” Sister Lin pointed at the bag Mei’er was holding.  

I took Mei’er’s bag and grabbed Tang Shuyao’s too. “I’ll cook something delicious to reward you all!”  

“I’ll call Sister Mengdie down to help you!” Tang Shuyao ran upstairs excitedly.  

Suddenly, I wondered—Is my cooking really that good?

I put the groceries in the kitchen and sighed. Honestly, I don’t have much variety—just simple home-cooked dishes. But Sister Lin bought way too much stuff. Some of it I can’t even use.  

Qin Mengdie walked into the kitchen. “Need any help?”  

“There’s some stuff I can’t cook, so I’m counting on you!” I picked out the unfamiliar ingredients, handed them to her, and smiled.  

“Sure.” Qin Mengdie took them calmly.  

Sister Lin had bought tomatoes again—probably because she liked my tomato and egg stir-fry last time.  

Qin Mengdie washed some apples, put them on a plate, and said, “Peel these. We can make a fruit platter later.”  

“OK! No problem!” I took the apples and knife, then made an excuse. “I’ve got something to do. Heading to my room real quick. Hold the fort!”  

I didn’t wait for her response and walked off with the apples and knife.  

“Narcissist, where are you going? Not cooking?” Tang Shuyao teased, like she’d caught a deserter.  

I smiled helplessly. “Qin Mengdie’s in the kitchen. I’ll be back soon—urgent business!” I went to my room and shut the door.  

While peeling an apple, I opened my laptop, set it to auto-scroll, and checked an email from Qin Shousheng.  

A picture of a beautiful woman popped up. Holy crap! No mistake—it’s really her!  

I’d suspected Qin Mengdie might be my protection target, and now it’s confirmed—she is.  

The info was detailed, though it lacked her measurements—the stuff I actually wanted to know.  

Qin Shousheng, probably worried I’d forget what she looked like, attached another photo of her at the end.  

This email might’ve been pre-written and only sent today. I’d told him before that I knew Qin Mengdie.  

Once I finished reading, per Qin Shousheng’s instructions, I had to delete it. 

Just as I was about to, a scream came from behind: “You’re j9rking off to Sister Mengdie’s photo!”  

I turned—damn! Tang Shuyao, that little brat, had snuck into my room.  

Before I could explain, she ran out in a panic, yelling, “Sister Mengdie! Sister Mengdie! The narcissist is j9rking off to your photo!”  

What the hell is this mess?  

Forgetting the apple, I deleted the email and chased after her.  

As I stepped out, Tang Shuyao stood there, hands on hips, pointing at me. “Didn’t expect you to be this kind of person!”  

Qin Mengdie looked at me with disgust.  

“I wasn’t j9rking off to her photo! I was just peeling an apple, okay?” I held up the half-peeled apple.  

Tang Shuyao scoffed. “Then why do you have Sister Mengdie’s photo? You’re not just a narcissist—you’re a pervert!”  

“I was browsing the school forum, alright?” I’d already planned my excuse.  

“You mean the freshman beauty ranking post?” Qin Mengdie finally spoke.  

“Yeah! I just wanted to see who the freshmen beauties were. Then Tang Shuyao barged in accusing me of j9rking off!” I acted wronged, relieved Qin Mengdie played along.  

She glanced at me, then said to Tang Shuyao, “I asked him to peel the apples. Looks like you misunderstood, Yao Yao.”  

“Uh… s-sorry!” Tang Shuyao mumbled, head down.  

I sighed in relief—crisis averted.  

Magnanimously, I said to Tang Shuyao, “Since it’s cleared up, let’s drop it!”  

“You should stop browsing those pointless forums,” Qin Mengdie said coolly before heading back to the kitchen.  

“Look before you leap next time. Don’t jump to conclusions halfway!” I said to Tang Shuyao helplessly.  

She pouted. “Your apple-peeling pose looked so much like j9rking off! It’s not all my fault!”  

“Uh… do you even know what j9rking off means?” I asked, exasperated. How could the Tang family’s young lady toss around words like that?  

“Of course I do! Sister Mengxin taught me!” Her reply nearly made me choke. 

D*mn! How many innocent minds has Sister Lin corrupted?  

Back in the kitchen, I helped Qin Mengdie finish cooking, and everyone gathered around the table to eat.  

Xu Xin, though treated with True Qi, was still weak from a fever during her period. She’d been in bed all morning and only came down for food.  

“Xu Xin, how’re you feeling?” I asked while eating.  

She paused, then smiled. “Much better…”  

“Good!” I smiled back and kept eating.  

But that one line ticked off Sister Lin. “You don’t care how your big sister’s doing?”  

“You’re bouncing around like a tiger—I can tell you’re fine. Why ask?” I chewed, unimpressed.  

“Tch! I bet you’re smitten with Xu Xin’s beauty!” Sister Lin teased.  

Mid-bite, I choked on her words, coughing speechlessly.  

Seeing me like that, she grinned wider. “Big sister thinks all the girls in this house are great. Why not take them all?”  

I’d love to! 

Wait—no, I only love Mei’er. My loyalty’s unshakable!  

But the real bombshell came next.  

Tang Shuyao swallowed her food and laughed. “With all of us here, we’d drain him dry!”  

Oh my God, Miss Tang, you’ve got no filter!