The blind boss's nanny

Could it be... that I'm overthinking things?

The chairman... didn't care at all?

Lin Xiaoman's wildly beating heart calmed down a little, but the warmth of his palm against her wrist became increasingly clear, making her heart tremble.

"...Okay, okay."

Lin Xiaoman spoke in a barely audible voice, trying to ignore the sensation on her wrist, and tightened her grip on the soft handkerchief in her hand.

She leaned forward slightly, this time even more carefully, holding her breath and focusing all her attention on the light brown mark at the corner of his lips.

The delicate texture of the cotton handkerchief gently brushed against Lu Tingzhao's skin, the movements slow and meticulous, ensuring that not a drop remained.

My gaze inevitably lingered near his lips.

A man's jawline is clean and sharp, and the curve of his mouth... is actually quite attractive.

Her lips were of moderate thickness, with clearly defined cupid's bows, exuding a cool and alluring sexiness even without any expression. Especially just now…

stop!

Lin Xiaoman suddenly jolted, as if burned by the thought in her mind.

What are you thinking, Lin Xiaoman! Wake up!

She screamed wildly in her heart.

He's your boss! Your employer, the one you signed a contract with! Don't you have any professional ethics?!

How could you... how could you have such... such absurd fantasies about a blind patient with "brain damage" who needs your care?!

This is outrageous! This is so unprofessional! Lin Xiaoman, you've fallen!

A strong sense of self-reproach and shame overwhelmed her, making her wish she could dig a hole and disappear into it immediately.

"Is it ready yet?"

The man's deep voice rang out again, abruptly pulling her back to reality from her chaotic thoughts.

The voice was so close, yet remained calm; but to her ears, it felt strangely like it was hooked.

"Okay, okay!"

As if startled awake, Lin Xiaoman abruptly pulled her hand back and forcefully freed her wrist from his grasp.

She staggered back several steps before finally regaining a sense of security.

As the distance increased, the unsettling, ambiguous heat and the cloying sweetness in the air seemed to fade somewhat.

She kept her head down, not daring to look at the man at the desk any longer. Her fingers twisted the crumpled handkerchief, her voice weak and tense:

"It's clean... Chairman, if there's nothing else, I'll head out!"

Only after the study door closed behind her, isolating her from the space that had thrown her into chaos and the source of her deep-seated sins, did Lin Xiaoman lean against the cold corridor wall and let out a long breath.

She raised her hand and looked at her wrist, which he had just held, where the warmth and touch seemed to still linger.

Inside the study, Lu Tingzhao slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips rubbing together as if savoring the feeling of his hand holding her wrist, the rapid pulse throbbing beneath her delicate skin.

His gaze swept towards the doorway, and the faint smile on his lips deepened silently in the shadows unseen by anyone.

On a winter morning, the sky is dim and gray.

A fully loaded farm truck chugged into the side gate of the manor.

Lin Xiaoman had just finished feeding Yuanbao and returned when she saw Aunt Mei standing by the car, directing two gardeners to unload the goods.

The truck was loaded with logs of uniform size and neatly split.

"Aunt Mei, did we order all of this? There's so much wood."

Lin Xiaoman leaned closer and asked curiously.

The logs were piled up like a small mountain, more than enough to burn for a whole winter.

Aunt Mei was checking things in her notebook when she heard this and shook her head:

"It wasn't bought. It was sent by the villagers from Shuangxi Village on the other side of the mountain. The chairman paid for road repairs for them a few years ago, and they send over the best firewood every year."

She looked at the finely textured, dry, and sturdy wood, her tone tinged with nostalgia:

"In previous years, around this time, the chairman always liked to hold a big bonfire party by the lake, inviting friends and neighbors; it was very lively. All that wood would burn in one night..."

She sighed softly.

"Now, just let it burn slowly in the fireplace; it'll last all winter."

Lin Xiaoman nodded as if she understood, her gaze falling on the carefully trimmed firewood.

She recognized it as the best quality hardwood from the nearby mountains—it burned well, produced a strong fire, and emitted little smoke, clearly indicating that the person who delivered the firewood had put thought into it.

Something stirred slightly within me.

She recalled Lu Tingzhao's cold and aloof profile, which was always expressionless; she remembered his picky and demanding requirements; and she recalled the occasional aloofness and gloom he revealed.

So, he had done such a thing.

The kindness he extended was remembered by simple people year after year in the simplest way, and they reciprocated with the most tangible warmth in the cold winter.

She felt as if she had glimpsed a tiny, yet real, corner beneath the man's cold exterior.

Twenty minutes later, the sky darkened without warning, and leaden clouds pressed low over the distant mountain ridges, a harbinger of an impending change in the weather.

Aunt Mei quickly pulled out her phone to check the weather, and her brows immediately furrowed:

"Oh dear, the weather forecast says there will be a blizzard tomorrow! All this wood must be moved into the warehouse and stacked up immediately, otherwise it will be useless after getting wet from the snow!"

As she spoke, she deftly took off her thick coat, rolled up her sweater sleeves, and went forward to help carry the load.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoman quickly put down what she was holding and ran over to help.

Although the logs were neatly chopped, they were quite heavy. Lin Xiaoman carried five or six logs at a time, and after a few trips back and forth, she was already out of breath.

Aunt Mei is getting old, and her movements were clearly difficult, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Just as Lin Xiaoman finished stacking a bundle of logs in the warehouse and turned to grab another, she suddenly heard a short cry of pain from outside—

"Ouch!"

Startled, she rushed out and saw Aunt Mei with a pale face, one hand supporting her lower back, her body slightly hunched over as she leaned against the car, cold sweat instantly beading on her forehead.

"Aunt Mei!"

Lin Xiaoman quickly stepped forward to support her.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..."

Aunt Mei gasped, tried to move, but gasped again in pain.

"It seems like... I strained my back..."

Lin Xiaoman immediately and carefully helped Aunt Mei back to her room to lie down, and found a hot compress and ointment, her movements quick and gentle.

"Don't move, I'll take care of the rest."

The next day, Lin Xiaoman was like a wound-up toy.

First, I organized the account books, purchase orders, and employee schedules that Aunt Mei needed to review every day, read them to her in a clear and organized manner, and then carried them out one by one after she gave me her instructions.

She learned to draft the kitchen menu to ensure a balanced diet; she carefully checked the storeroom keys; she even asked about the gardener's pruning plans before letting them through.

The gears of the vast manor were smoothly put in place by her as the temporary "housekeeper," without the slightest mishap.

Whenever she had free time, she would sneak into Aunt Mei's room. She would bring over a pot of well-cooked chicken soup and watch Aunt Mei drink it.