The blind boss's nanny

Chapter 45 We're used to always being together

Her fingers twisted the hem of her dress, her gaze fixed on the man's steady steps and Yuanbao's alert, perked-up ears.

Yuanbao clearly understood the special nature of this mission.

It stood before the first step, its body slightly leaning back, the leash providing firm resistance...

This is the standard gesture for a guide dog to signal "stop".

Lu Tingzhao stopped in his tracks:

"Yuanbao, continue."

The golden retriever whimpered with concern and looked hesitantly at Lin Xiaoman. Only after she nodded gently did Yuanbao cautiously step out with its front paws.

It turned back to check on Lin Xiaoman with each step it took, its fluffy tail held straight.

When Lu Tingzhao reached a certain step, the tip of his shoe accidentally hit the edge of the step.

Yuanbao immediately stepped aside to block his way, while Lin Xiaoman rushed forward to support his arm.

"Chairman, or..."

"Get out of the way."

The man's voice remained calm, yet it brooked no argument.

Lin Xiaoman bit her lip and stepped back to her original position, watching the man bend down and stroke Yuanbao's head:

"Good boy, you did the right thing, but you don't need to be overprotective."

In the following training sessions, Yuanbao learned to lightly rub his trouser leg before each turn to indicate the direction, while Lu Tingzhao judged the road conditions by observing the subtle changes in the tow rope.

On the rotating platform, Yuanbao suddenly stopped as a warning... It turned out that a cleaning cart forgotten by the cleaners was blocking the way.

Just as Lin Xiaoman was about to push the cleaning truck away,

"Turn left and detour."

Lu Tingzhao issued the instructions accurately.

When the last step was conquered, Yuanbao excitedly wagged its tail to show its pride.

Lu Tingzhao took out some snacks as a reward from his pocket, then turned his head and asked:

"Yuanbao, why did your breathing become rapid halfway through?"

Lin Xiaoman then remembered that there was a slightly curled edge on the carpet at the bottom of the middle step.

She quickly explained:

"Chairman, there's a spot where the carpet isn't laid flat..."

The man's face turned slightly, his voice devoid of emotion:

"Yuanbao seems to obey your commands more."

Lin Xiaoman's heart trembled slightly.

Although this man is blind, he can always accurately capture the most subtle truths in the darkness.

"No, Chairman..."

She quickly knelt down and stroked Yuanbao's fur.

"It's just a habit; we're always together."

Yuanbao wagged its tail happily, its wet nose rubbing back and forth between her and Lu Tingzhao, as if to confirm this statement.

Lu Tingzhao gently twisted the leash between his fingertips, raising an eyebrow slightly:

"us?"

This word suddenly made the air feel subtle.

Lin Xiaoman immediately realized her mistake... How could she compare her employer to herself?

"I meant... me and Yuanbao!"

She quickly knelt down and hugged the golden retriever's neck, and Yuanbao obediently licked her cheeks.

"We are all here to serve you."

She tilted her head back, her eyes crinkling with laughter:

"It's your four-legged guide, and I'm your human crutch; aren't we just your right-hand men?"

Lu Tingzhao's lips curled up:

"It seems you've really figured me out as your employer."

Yuanbao barked happily, its tail swishing back and forth on the stairs.

Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, merging the three figures into a warm and inviting mass.

The day before setting off to pay respects to their ancestors, Lin Xiaoman, unusually, took the initiative to contact Qin Xiu.

As Lu Tingzhao's most capable assistant, Qin Xiu was practically a carbon copy of his boss—efficient, sparing with words, and never revealing his emotions.

"Miss Lin, is there something important that you wanted to see me about?"

Qin Xiu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone polite yet distant.

Lin Xiaoman contacted him through Aunt Mei.

The two stood facing each other under the wisteria trellis in the backyard.

"Is it the chairman's turn? What's the matter?"

"No, Chairman, it's nothing. I just have something to say."

Lin Xiaoman gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.

Qin Xiu raised his wrist to check his watch and said businesslike:

"If it's about salary, we can just talk about it over the phone."

Qin Xiu knew very well that taking care of someone like Lu Tingzhao was indeed very difficult.

The nanny's request for a raise is perfectly reasonable.

He secretly calculated how much of a raise this nanny should receive.

"What's your ideal salary increase amount?"

"No--"

Lin Xiaoman regretted it as soon as she opened her mouth.

What did she just say?

She actually turned down a raise!

"Um... let me finish talking about other things first, then we can talk about this."

"Yes, please go ahead."

Qin Xiu remained expressionless.

Lin Xiaoman couldn't help but sigh inwardly... This person was practically a carbon copy of Lu Tingzhao, even their aloof and unapproachable demeanor was exactly the same.

That resemblance doesn't come from physical appearance or blood ties, but rather from a style of conduct and approach to things.

"Could you... persuade the chairman to cancel this ancestral worship trip?"

Qin Xiu was momentarily stunned:

"Is this what you wanted to say?"

Seeing the girl nod vigorously, he immediately rejected the idea:

"Impossible. Is there anything else?"

"Why not? Aren't you most concerned about the chairman? Don't you know how rugged and difficult the mountain road is? What if the chairman falls?"

"I know, I know everything."

"That?"

Qin Xiu's eyes flickered slightly behind his glasses.

"But this is the chairman's family matter."

"Should I go find the eldest young lady and the second young master?"