The blind boss's nanny

Lin Xiaoman wanted to cry but had no tears.

This job, which she was originally grateful for, has now lost much of its appeal in her eyes.

She started counting the days on her fingers, and the first thing she did every morning when she woke up was to silently repeat to herself:

I will resist temptation! Beware of sugar-coated bullets! Uphold my professional ethics!

But ever since Lu Tingzhao made his point clear that day, he has become increasingly reckless in his actions.

In the early morning, Lin Xiaoman placed the perfectly fried, golden-brown sunny-side-up eggs on the table, speaking respectfully:

"Chairman, please have breakfast."

Lu Tingzhao took a bite of the egg white, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it. Suddenly, without warning, he spoke:

I dreamt about you last night.

Lin Xiaoman was startled and quickly looked around like a thief.

Fortunately, there was no one nearby; everyone was busy with their own things.

He found it both funny and infuriating. He was blind, he didn't even know what she looked like, yet he dreamed about her? In his dream, she was probably just a blurry mess of pixels!

She quickly adjusted her breathing, straightened her face, and advised in the most professional tone:

"Chairman, insomnia and vivid dreams may affect your mental state during the day. I suggest you reduce your caffeine intake today."

"You in my dreams,"

Lu Tingzhao, however, seemed not to hear her words, continuing slowly and deliberately, his voice gentle.

"She's smiling, which is cuter than her current serious face."

"That's probably because dreams automatically beautify reality."

Lin Xiaoman responded dryly, her words laced with barbs.

Lu Tingzhao simply smiled and didn't respond to her comment.

"Xiaoman, sit down and eat with me."

In the past, she would have sat down long ago while serving him food, without him even needing to say it. But today, she seemed rooted to the spot, as if she had a nail in her chair, her feet planted firmly on the ground, and she said with her neck stiff:

"Chairman... I don't think it's appropriate."

The man didn't insist, but quietly continued eating. After a few minutes, he spoke again:

"Xiaoman, hand me the orange juice."

Lin Xiaoman, like a robot receiving a command, swiftly pushed the glass to his side and then quickly retreated a meter away, as if he were some kind of dangerous radiation source.

Noticing the change in the airflow around him, Lu Tingzhao didn't look up and asked in a calm tone:

"Xiaoman, are you afraid of me?"

Lin Xiaoman, unable to bear it any longer, tried to change the subject:

"Chairman, your chicken breast is getting cold. Please eat it while it's hot."

Before she could finish speaking, Aunt Mei happened to pass by with a coffee pot. She glanced at Lin Xiaoman standing far away, while the orange juice glass in front of Lu Tingzhao was placed at an angle, and her brows immediately furrowed.

"Grain Buds!"

Aunt Mei lowered her voice in displeasure and strode over.

"What are you doing standing so far away? You didn't even cut the breakfast for the chairman, and the orange juice is placed so far off... You used to be so thoughtful in these things, what's wrong with you today?"

His tone was full of doubt and blame.

Lu Tingzhao spoke at the opportune moment, his voice gentle:

"Aunt Mei, it's alright, I just wanted to do it myself."

Aunt Mei glanced at Lu Tingzhao, who remained calm, then glared at Lin Xiaoman with a warning look in her eyes before turning and leaving.

Lin Xiaoman, seething with resentment, reluctantly moved back to the table. With a determined heart, she simply sat down in the chair next to him. While picking up a knife and fork to cut the chicken breast on his plate, she mentally raged with complaints:

This man was the one who started by saying those nonsensical and disturbing things! Now he's made Aunt Mei question my professional competence, and he's acting all magnanimous and kind!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his actions unconsciously became tinged with emotion.

She deftly cut the chicken breast into even pieces, and then... with lightning speed, she forked the tenderest-looking piece and popped it into her mouth.

Chewing on that tender meat, the frustration in my heart seemed to subside a little.

In the afternoon garden, Lin Xiaoman squatted in front of Yuanbao, holding a bone-shaped cookie in her hand, her expression serious.

"Comrade Yuanbao, the current situation is very serious."

She lowered her voice and glanced in the direction of the main building.

"Your owner's behavior has been very unusual lately."

Yuanbao stuck out his tongue, his eyes fixed on the biscuit.

He said he likes me.

Lin Xiaoman broke the cookie in half and gave half to Yuanbao.

"Is this reasonable? What does he want? Does he want me to always lie to him? Does he want me to always not do what he asks? Or...?"

She paused, then suddenly thought of something.

"Could it be that he's after my hot body and beautiful face? But he can't see me..."

Yuanbao chewed on a biscuit, its tail wagging happily.

"You don't understand."

Lin Xiaoman sighed and rubbed the dog's head.

"The human world is very complex. It could be a new type of stress test, a cognitive bias caused by brain injury, or even..."

She made a throat-slitting gesture.

"This is a sign of impending layoffs! Give them a little incentive first, then..."

"Woof!"

Yuanbao suddenly called out behind her.

Lin Xiaoman jumped up in fright, dropping the cookies on the ground. Yuanbao immediately snatched them up and ate them with lightning speed. She turned around... but there was no one there, only the wind blowing through the rose trellis.

She patted her chest and continued to complain to Yuanbao:

"In short, we must be vigilant! We can't fall for his sweet talk! Although..."

Her voice suddenly softened, and her ears turned slightly red.

"Although he does have a great physique, I can't help but steal glances at him when he's naked... but it's a physical reaction! Yes, a physical reaction I can't control!"

Behind the pillar at the corner, Lu Tingzhao leaned against the wall, his fist pressed against his lips, his shoulders trembling slightly.

She took a long time to walk the dog today. He originally just came out to find her, but he didn't expect to hear a "top-secret analysis" about himself.

Evening, the manor's network backend.

Ah Zhe was performing a routine firewall check when he suddenly detected several unusual search records from devices in Lin Xiaoman's room:

[My boss says he likes me, is that a sign he's about to lay me off? — Zhihu]

How can I distinguish between my boss's heartfelt confession and management strategy? — Baidu Knows

[As a nanny earning a million-dollar annual salary, should I quit my job after my employer confessed his feelings to me? — Baidu Tieba]

The boy stared blankly at the screen, then captured the search history, encrypted it, packaged it, and sent it to Lu Tingzhao's personal device through the internal system.

The postscript contains only one punctuation mark:

【? 】

Lu Tingzhao's phone vibrated.

He opened the screen reader and heard the "information" sent by Ah Zhe. He finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Outside the courtyard, Lin Xiaoman was again giving Yuanbao earnest advice:

"So, we need to take it seriously strategically, but be dismissive tactically... Hey, Yuanbao, why are you ignoring me today?"

That night, Lin Xiaoman had a whole night of bizarre and embarrassing dreams.

It's that kind of...colorful, unhealthy dream.

In her dream, a tall man pinned her down, his breath hot, kissing her until she almost suffocated.

She struggled between the dizziness of oxygen deprivation and the unfamiliar pleasure, her hands grasping haphazardly. Finally, at a climax on the verge of losing control, she gripped the other person's clothes tightly and pulled them forcefully towards her...