The blind boss's nanny

He can bankrupt his competitors with a few words, and he can also sever the tentacles reaching for his core interests at a warm family gathering.

His "explanations" always only provide the result, not the process;

Lu Tingxi understood, and she dared not have any further objections.

She bit her lower lip hard, suppressing the surging resentment and worry deep inside, finally managing to squeeze out a dry, hoarse sentence:

"……I see."

Lu Tingzhao stood there, listening to his sister's footsteps fade into the distance. After a long while, he slowly sat back down in his chair.

He looked out the window at the darkening horizon, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Three days later, Lu Tingzhou brought the first surveillance report.

"Brother, nothing seems amiss."

Lu Tingxi placed the tablet on the desk, his brow furrowed.

"Qin Xiu's communication records are completely normal. Apart from work-related contacts, he only communicates with a few regular service providers. His whereabouts are also very regular—company, estate, supermarket, apartment."

Lu Tingzhao flipped through the report, remaining silent.

The next second, Lu Tingzhao asked a question that Lu Tingzhou hadn't expected at all. His focus shifted to another, more subtle level:

"Qin Xiu,"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was meaningful:

"Has Qin Xiu shown any dissatisfaction with this job reshuffle? Or has he been negligent in his treatment of Tingxi?"

Lu Tingzhou was taken aback by the question, but quickly composed himself and carefully recalled what he had observed. After a moment, he shook his head, his tone certain:

"Absolutely not."

He added more specific details, which made the whole thing even more...intriguing:

"As far as I know, Qin Xiu actually has more personal time now. He's actually putting most of his energy into Tingxi."

Lu Tingzhou stroked his chin, trying to reconstruct what he knew:

"He personally repaired almost every part of Tingxi's villa that needed fixing, from small things like loose doorknobs and leaky faucets to large things like trimming the overgrown lawn and ornamental trees. And he did it very carefully. He even remembered to buy and replace the candles that Tingxi had casually mentioned liking."

He paused, his tone revealing an observation that even he found unbelievable:

"The strangest thing is... Big brother, he seems to really enjoy it. It's not the kind of feigned attentiveness, but... tsk, you might not believe it, but he seems to really enjoy this feeling of revolving around Tingxi and handling these trivial matters of life."

Lu Tingxi racked his brains and finally found a description that, while perhaps not entirely accurate, was vivid enough:

"It's like experiencing... the joys of being a husband in advance. And it's a completely voluntary experience."

These words plunged Lu Tingzhao into a long silence.

This was completely beyond his expectations. In his mind, Qin Xiu had always been another version of himself... calm, efficient, and goal-oriented, focusing his energy and ambition on climbing the ladder of career and power.

Those who have met Qin Xiu have always said that he is practically the second Lu Tingzhao.

They were so alike that sometimes Lu Tingzhao felt that, more than his two blood-related brothers, Qin Xiu was his spiritual brother, his sharpest blade, and the one who understood him best.

Such a person, who is suddenly promoted in name only and marginalized, should, according to common sense, be unwilling to accept it, plotting, or calmly seeking a way out of the predicament.

Instead of... retreating to a villa, happily fixing pipes and mowing the lawn, immersing himself in the mundane routine of "revolving around women."

Lu Tingzhao's fingertips tapped on the armrest, the rhythm becoming slow and heavy. His mind raced, considering all the possibilities:

Is Qin Xiu using a strategy of retreat to advance? By playing the harmless role of someone immersed in a gentle embrace, he lowers his guard while simultaneously binding himself firmly to Tingxi.

As his talisman and a bargaining chip for a future comeback?

Or perhaps... his feelings for Tingxi were genuine? So genuine that they could make him temporarily set aside his desire for power, willingly hide all his sharpness, and simply be a considerate partner?

Or perhaps, these two can coexist? Using genuine feelings to achieve a goal?

Lu Tingzhao couldn't be sure. The only thing he was certain of was that Qin Xiu was a more complex and elusive person than he had imagined.

His younger sister, however, seemed to have already become deeply involved.

This made him wary. If Qin Xiuzhen really had ulterior motives, then Tingxi was likely to become the most useful card in his hand, and also the card that made Lu Tingzhao most hesitant to use.

Lu Tingzhao sat alone in his study until late at night.

The cold moonlight outside the window made his angular profile appear even more sharp.

Qin Xiu's performance was impeccable from any angle.

He had already passed the loyalty test; he accepted the reduction of his power calmly and even turned to a more gentle life; and he showed unexpected patience and tenderness towards Tingxi.

Too much perfection is itself the biggest point of suspicion. Lu Tingzhao's rational mind was repeatedly sounding the alarm.

He knows himself too well, and therefore he knows people like himself too well. A person who is used to being in control and standing at the center of power will never so easily retreat to the background and settle for trivial matters.

Unless, he has a bigger scheme, or... he is trying his best to cover something up.

Tingxi's trust in and protection of Qin Xiu made the situation even more complicated. Emotional entanglements are often the greatest enemy of rational judgment and the weakness that opponents are most adept at exploiting.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Passive observation and gentle probing will only make him more cautious and keep his true intentions buried deeper in the face of an opponent as deep-thinking and skilled as Qin Xiu.

The longer it drags on, the greater the variables become, and the deeper Tingxi may fall into trouble.

He needs a "crisis." A crisis that is sudden and real enough to tear apart the calm facade and force people to make instinctive reactions.

Only in that moment of adrenaline surge, when there's no time for thought or calculation, does a person reveal their most fundamental logic and true choices.

He needs to actively create this opportunity.

When Lu Tingzhao walked out of the study, Lin Xiaoman's flight was passing through the equatorial air currents and heading towards the Southern Hemisphere.

Thirteen hours later, the plane landed at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport.

The sense of dislocation in time and space first comes from the temperature.

Stepping out of the cabin, Lin Xiaoman subconsciously tightened her thin spring clothes.

In April, spring is in full bloom in China, but in Australia in the Southern Hemisphere, it is already late autumn.

The air was crisp and dry, carrying a unique eucalyptus fragrance, quite different from the humid atmosphere of spring in China.

She opened her suitcase, took out a beige trench coat she had prepared in advance, and put it on, only then did she feel a little more comfortable.