Yun Mei emerged from the thick smoke, coughing for a while after hearing the shouting. She said to Xiao Xun, "I brought some chestnuts from home. Seeing this fire, I thought it would be nice to stir-fry some candied chestnuts with you and your wife."
Xiao Xun quickly turned off the fire, turned on the range hood to its highest setting, and closed the kitchen door.
He brought Yun Mei, who looked as if she had "been through a battle," to Mu Jiahe. "This is our boss, President Mu."
Yun Mei sized up the cold and beautiful woman before her. "Isn't she your wife?"
Xiao Xun's face flushed. "What nonsense are you talking about? I told you, this is my boss, and yours too."
"Then your parents said they were sending me to be a nanny for your future wife."
Mu Jiahe's face showed a hint of a smile as she looked at this blunt and simple aunt. "What relation are you to Xiao Xun?"
Yun Mei pointed at Xiao Xun. "Oh! My maternal grandmother is my uncle's paternal cousin. By generation, I am his niece."
Mu Jiahe had just nodded when Yun Mei continued, "I washed my uncle's diapers when he was a child."
Xiao Xun quickly stopped Yun Mei. "Why do you keep bringing that up?"
Mu Jiahe waved her hand, signaling that it was alright, and then looked at Xiao Xun. "Since she's your niece, what should I call her?"
Xiao Xun was also considering this question when Yun Mei generously said, "Since the two of you will get married sooner or later, you can call me anything. Just call me Yun Mei like my uncle does! It sounds friendly."
Xiao Xun became anxious and tugged at Yun Mei's sleeve. "I've told you, don't talk nonsense. This is the boss."
Mu Jiahe ignored him and said, "Since you say so, I'll call you Yun Mei then."
Yun Mei readily agreed. "Alright!"
Mu Jiahe pointed to the kitchen. "What happened just now? Why is the whole place full of smoke?"
Fearing Yun Mei might say something wrong, Xiao Xun quickly explained, "Yun Mei brought some chestnuts from her hometown and was making candied chestnuts for you. The fire got too big, and the range hood's suction is weak, so it filled the room with smoke."
After speaking, he patted Yun Mei's arm. "Go see if the smoke in the kitchen has cleared. If it has, quickly start cooking for President Mu."
Yun Mei agreed and went inside.
Xiao Xun said to Mu Jiahe apologetically, "She's from the countryside and hasn't seen much. Please don't mind her."
Mu Jiahe sat down at the dining table. "It's fine. Why would I mind? This is exactly the kind of person I want."
Xiao Xun wasn't sure if Mu Jiahe was being genuine or joking, so he didn't say anything and went into the kitchen to help.
After the fire was extinguished, the range hood quickly cleared the smoke. However, a high-end non-stick pan was ruined. Xiao Xun felt heartbroken. If his father, who loved kitchenware more than himself, saw this, he would definitely scold him. He watched Yun Mei busy herself and instructed her, "Tonight, make a few of your signature dishes for President Mu. Remember, make them varied but in small portions. You can eat the rest yourself at noon, as we are usually not here for lunch."
Yun Mei pushed Xiao Xun away. "I know. You and President Mu can wait outside."
"Don't you need me to help out at all?"
Facing Xiao Xun's good intentions, Yun Mei said bluntly, "If you complain less, that's better than anything else."
This made Xiao Xun feel a bit awkward. He quickly said, "I was only looking out for you."
Yun Mei's cooking was different from Xiao Xun's. She only knew home-style dishes, without excessive oil or salt. She used very little seasoning and didn't understand much about controlling heat or oil temperature. However, the food she made had a unique flavor and was very comforting to eat.
Mu Jiahe unconsciously ate more and praised, "Yun Mei's cooking is really delicious."
Yun Mei stood to the side. "We're just country folk, stir-frying casually. I'm glad you like it."
Mu Jiahe motioned for her to sit down and join them. Yun Mei refused. "I still understand these basic rules. I used to be a nanny."
"Who said you're a nanny? Aren't you Xiao Xun's niece? Sit down, we're not strangers."
Xiao Xun also said to Yun Mei, "President Mu has said so, so sit down! This isn't ancient times, we don't have that custom in our house."
Yun Mei quickly stepped back. "No, no, I've prepared food for myself in the kitchen, I'll just have something quick. I also have a soup, I'll bring it over for you."
After she went into the kitchen, Xiao Xun said to Mu Jiahe, "See, my relative is quite polite, isn't she?"
Mu Jiahe looked at the kitchen. "This isn't politeness. This is knowing her place. Although she's related to you, she won't let that relationship change her position. That's very good. Keep her. I like her."
After dinner, Xiao Xun gave Yun Mei a few more instructions. "Remember, President Mu's and my room is on the second floor, and we won't come down at night. If you hear any noise from upstairs, call the police immediately."
Yun Mei looked around the house. "Is this place prone to theft?"
Xiao Xun said to Yun Mei, "Better safe than sorry. The nanny who cleans every day will come in the morning and afternoon, you should know this already. Just monitor their work and find fault with them.
You don't need to go out to buy groceries. Someone will come to replenish the refrigerator's ingredients every day. If you want anything, or feel anything needs to be replenished, just tell that person. As for what he'll chat with you about, that depends on you. I don't have any specific requirements, just don't go too far."
Yun Mei listened, confused. "What can he chat with me about? I don't even know him."
"Right, remember this, no matter when, no matter what happens, do not go to the second floor."
Yun Mei nodded. "I remember, I remember everything."
"Alright, then if there's nothing else, you can go back to your room. Watch TV, take a bath, or go to bed early. You must have been tired from the long car ride all day and not resting."
After speaking, Xiao Xun glanced at the dining table and saw that Mu Jiahe had already gone upstairs. He then said to Yun Mei, "I'm going up to rest as well. Please start preparing breakfast around seven in the morning."
Returning to the master bedroom on the second floor, Mu Jiahe was looking at her phone. Hearing Xiao Xun's footsteps, she asked him, "Did you tell your niece not to go to the second floor?"
Xiao Xun closed the master bedroom door and locked it from the inside. "Yes, I told her the first thing when she came in. I emphasized it again just now."
Mu Jiahe nodded. "Good, go take a shower."
Xiao Xun agreed and as he walked towards the bathroom, he suddenly felt like an old married couple, like lovers who had been together for a long time.
After showering, he returned to the bed. Mu Jiahe was still looking at her phone.
"What are you looking at?"
Seeing Mu Jiahe so engrossed, Xiao Xun asked.
Mu Jiahe replied without looking up, "The online reviews of our new phone."
"Aren't they all great?"
Mu Jiahe shook her head. "That's all a facade. To find the truth, you need to go to places without lies."
Xiao Xun looked indifferent and picked up his phone. His phone used the Star Map system. While its functions might not be as extensive as Cloud Map's, it was a closed system, making it difficult to crack. The risk was too high unless the user voluntarily gave up the underlying protocols. However, the moment they did, it meant they could never update to newer versions.
Xiao Xun had rested all afternoon and wasn't sleepy at night, so he lay in bed awake.
Mu Jiahe saw Xiao Xun constantly looking at her out of the corner of her eye and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Xiao Xun stared with wide eyes, motionless, like a sculpture. "Nothing."
Mu Jiahe turned to look at him. "Then why are you staring at me?"
"Admiring you."
Xiao Xun was telling the truth. Such a cold, proud, and captivating beauty was someone anyone would want to look at. However, most people would not dare to meet her gaze directly, let alone have any improper thoughts. She was the kind of woman one wouldn't even dare to think about.
Now, lying next to someone who had been a 'loser' for over twenty years, shouldn't he take a good look?
Xiao Xun said with emotion, "It truly feels like a dream. I'm afraid I'll wake up and still be in class, being hit with chalk by the teacher."
Mu Jiahe lay on her side, her gaze fixed on Xiao Xun. "If you could go back in time, what would your thoughts be?"
Xiao Xun considered Mu Jiahe's question carefully. "If I could, I would definitely not study computer science, nor would I come to the big city. Just let me stay in the well. It's quite good. The more you see, the less you can sleep, and the easier it is to 'see ghosts'."