The blind boss's nanny

After cutting the cake, Lin Xiaoman sat down next to A Zhe and gently touched his hair.

"Ah Zhe,"

Her voice was very gentle.

"I left too early last time, and you weren't awake yet. I didn't mean to not tell you... I'm sorry."

Ah Zhe took a moment to process what she said, then looked up. His eyes, which never met anyone's gaze, now clearly reflected her image. He asked cautiously:

"So... are you still leaving today?"

The boy's eyes were filled with cautious anticipation.

Lin Xiaoman felt a pang of sadness, but still nodded gently and honestly:

"Yes, I'll be leaving later."

The light in A Zhe's eyes dimmed at a visible speed.

He lowered his head, silently poking at the cake on his plate with his fork, and said nothing more.

The atmosphere on the entire terrace seemed to have sombered.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xingqi immediately jumped up, raised her juice glass, and called out in a clear voice:

"Come on, let's play a game! Zhe, you're the boss today, what do you want to play?"

Aunt Mei stood to the side, looking at A Zhe's dejected profile, then at Lin Xiaoman, who was smiling gently but couldn't hide her unease, and sighed silently.

After dinner, with Leng Feng's tacit approval and guidance, Lin Xiaoman quietly went to the lawn behind the manor.

As dusk settled, the last rays of sunlight tinged the clouds with a pale purple hue.

She had just stood at the edge of the lawn when a golden figure rushed over from a distance like an arrow released from a bow!

It's a gold ingot.

It had clearly sensed the familiar scent long ago; as it ran towards us, it created a gust of wind, its ears snapping back, and it let out an excited whimper.

When it was a few steps away from Lin Xiaoman, it suddenly stopped, pushed off with its hind legs, and leaped into the air, eagerly rushing towards her—

"oops!"

Lin Xiaoman was thrown back several steps by the enormous force before she could barely stand.

But a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, and without hesitation, she opened her arms and hugged the furry dog ​​tightly.

"Alright, alright, Yuanbao...slow down, slow down..."

Her voice was interrupted by Yuanbao's passionate licking.

Yuanbao's wet nose kept rubbing against her cheeks and neck, its tail wagging incessantly, making "woof woof" sounds as if it were expressing its longing over the past few days.

Lin Xiaoman squatted down, buried her face in its warm, thick neck fur, and took a deep breath of the familiar scent of sunshine and grass.

She rubbed its ears, stroked its back, and softly called its name over and over again.

Yuanbao circled around her, nudging her hand with its head, and then brought her favorite ball and placed it at her feet.

The man and the dog lingered together for a long time in the deepening twilight, until the lights of the main house in the distance gradually came on.

Lin Xiaoman finally hardened her heart, cupped Yuanbao's face in her hands, pressed her forehead against Yuanbao's, and whispered:

"Alright, Yuanbao... you should go back now. The chairman will be looking for you later."

Yuanbao seemed to understand, its cheerful tail gradually drooped, and it let out a pitiful whimper.

Lin Xiaoman hugged it tightly again, then stood up and gently pushed it:

"Go."

Yuanbao took a few steps forward, then stopped and looked back at her; he took a few more steps, then looked back again.

Those wet, brown eyes, filled with incomprehension and longing, shone exceptionally bright in the twilight.

It wasn't until Lin Xiaoman waved to it and gestured for it to "go back quickly" that it slowly and forlornly trotted towards the main house, eventually disappearing into the deep shadows of the courtyard.

Lin Xiaoman stood there, gazing in the direction it had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

When Yuanbao returned to the main house, its tail was still drooping.

Lu Tingzhao sat on the living room sofa and heard the unusual, slow footsteps of the guide dog.

When Yuanbao approached and pressed her wet nose against the back of his hand, he keenly sensed a scent that shouldn't have been there...

A faint scent of orange blossom, and... a hint of creamy sweetness.

The man's fingers tightened slightly.

"Aunt Mei".

He called out to the air.

Aunt Mei quickly came from the direction of the kitchen, carrying a hand towel:

"Chairman, what are your orders?"

"Has someone been here just now?"

Lu Tingzhao's voice was calm, but beneath that calmness lurked some kind of undercurrent.

Aunt Mei's heart skipped a beat.

She looked at Yuanbao, who was still lying on the ground with his ears drooping, then at Lu Tingzhao's emotionless face. After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally chose to confess:

"It's...it's Xiaoman. Chairman, please don't blame her. Miss Xingqi begged her to come back. Today is Azhe's birthday, and that child keeps thinking about her..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yuanbao suddenly made a move that stunned both of them.

It bit Lu Tingzhao's trouser leg and began to pull it out gently but firmly.

A low, whimpering sound came from its throat, and its usually docile eyes were now filled with anxiety, as if to say:

Hurry! She might not have gone far!

"Gold ingot!"

Aunt Mei whispered a warning to stop her.

Lu Tingzhao raised his hand to stop her. He let Yuanbao tug at his trouser leg, remained silent for two seconds, and then asked:

"Ah Zhe's birthday? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

The air suddenly became quiet.

Aunt Mei was stunned. She looked at Lu Tingzhao and said tactfully:

"Chairman... I mentioned it to you at the dinner table last week. You responded with a 'I understand'."

She paused, then lowered her voice:

"I even specifically mentioned that Ah Zhe wanted to invite a friend over this year, and you...didn't object at the time."

Lu Tingzhao froze on the sofa.

He remembered. Aunt May had indeed mentioned it at dinner one of last week.

At that time, he was troubled by a tricky Braille contract, and he could hear Yuanbao rummaging through the bowl and the sound of the gardener pruning the branches in the distance... He did hear the words "birthday" and he did indeed respond casually.

But he completely forgot.

Or rather, since losing his sight, he has lost a clear perception of everything related to "dates" and "festivals." Darkness has turned time into a blurry chaos.

The servants in the manor receive a day off and a special red envelope on their birthdays.

They had no reason to specifically inform Lu Tingzhao again.

There would be no one specifically telling him that Ah Zhe's friend was Lin Xiaoman.

Seeing the man remain silent, Aunt Mei quickly spoke up.

"Chairman, Xiaoman really didn't go into the main house today. She was just on the lawn behind and on A-Zhe's terrace..."

In the living room, only Yuanbao's soft breathing could be heard.

After a long silence, Lu Tingzhao finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse:

Where is she now?

Aunt May thought about it carefully:

"Xiaoman should still be waiting outside. She came in Young Master Xingyuan's car, and he said he would take her home after he finished his work."

"Where are Xingyuan people?"

"He's playing dice with Ah Zhe."

Aunt Mei couldn't help but smile.

"He's been losing all afternoon and refuses to admit defeat; he's really going at it."

Lu Tingzhao remained silent for a moment.

"Call him over."