The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Ye Shu's heart began to race inexplicably, and he subconsciously reached out with his chopsticks to take it.

But just as he reached out with his chopsticks, Zhi Qiu slightly twisted her wrist and dodged them.

The baby bok choy was back in his mouth, and Sister Zhi Qiu's gentle voice came again:

"No, this time, your older sister has to feed you. Come on, open your mouth, ah—"

"Sister Zhi Qiu! This...this isn't quite right..."

Therefore, you can't eat hot pot in the middle of summer. Ye Shu's face felt like it was on fire.

"Um?"

Zhi Qiu's narrowed eyes opened slightly, her pupils gleaming with a deep light beneath her long eyelashes, locking onto Ye Shu's panicked gaze. Her voice remained gentle, yet Ye Shu had a nagging feeling that something was amiss.

"What's wrong? Are you disgusted with your older sister... or do you not trust her?"

No! No!

Ye Shu felt uneasy under her gaze. That look made Ye Shu feel as if there was a giant spider crawling across from her, and she was just a small flying insect stuck in the spider web.

Under that gaze that was a mixture of gentleness and dominance, Ye Shu's mind went blank for a moment. She closed her eyes and stiffly opened her mouth towards the bok choy.

However, just as he was about to touch the baby bok choy, his chopsticks suddenly retracted.

Ye Shu missed her target and opened her eyes in a daze, only to see Zhi Qiu already putting the baby bok choy into her mouth with a sly smile on her face.

She lightly dabbed her lips with a napkin, her expression innocent, but her tone betrayed an undisguised smugness:

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, little brother Shu, my arms are a bit sore from holding it up for so long."

Your Majesty, she's playing a trick on you!

This line immediately popped into Ye Shu's head.

Looking at the smug woman opposite him, a surge of heat rushed to his head, and his face turned bright red, like a meatball in a pot.

"Oh, look how wronged this child is."

Zhi Qiu, enjoying Ye Shu's portrayal of Guan Yu across from her, was in high spirits. She leaned forward even further, lowered her voice, and whispered seductively:

"Hey, little Shu, do you really want to eat? Hmm? If you want your big sister to feed you... just ask me, and I might consider feeding you again, okay?"

"Sister Zhi Qiu! Stop playing around!"

Ye Shu wished he could disappear into the ground; his voice was trembling. Not for any other reason than that, just a moment ago, he had almost begged her!

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore~"

Knowing when to stop, Zhi Qiu picked up another large piece of meat and obediently placed it in his bowl this time.

"Our little Shu is so shy! He turns red so easily when teased. He's so cute!"

Ye Shu lowered his head and frantically shoveled meat into his bowl, not daring to look at her again.

This Sister Zhi Qiu... she's as gentle as an angel, but when she's wicked, she's a complete witch! Her level is too high; I'm no match for her at all.

Ye Shu was sweating profusely and feeling uneasy as he ate the hotpot. The unintentional glances from Sister Zhi Qiu across from him made him extremely uncomfortable.

Having finally endured the meal, Ye Shu rushed to clear away the dishes and chopsticks, then rushed into the kitchen sink, turned on the tap, and let the rushing water drown out her still pounding heart.

Just as he was bowing his head and silently reciting the Pure Land Sutra, he suddenly felt a heat behind his ear.

"Little Shu, you've worked hard~ Do you want me to help you wash up?"

Ye Shu was so startled that his hand trembled, and the plate almost slipped into the sink. He didn't dare turn his head, his back instantly stiffening.

"No need! Really, no need! I can manage on my own! Sister Zhi Qiu, you...you should go and rest!"

His face was still burning with anger, how could he dare to let this seemingly dangerous Sister Zhi Qiu get close to him?

As Zhi Qiu watched Ye Shu's back stiffen instantly and her ears turn bright red, her smile grew even brighter, and the little fox in her heart wagged its tail triumphantly.

So you're already wary of me? That's...so cute, it makes me want to tease you a little more.

Instead of leaving, she took a step forward, almost pressing herself against Ye Shu's back, and gently breathed on the back of his neck, saying:

"Well, I smell like hotpot right now, so I'm going to take a shower first~"

"Cough! Cough cough cough..."

Startled by the sudden, warm teasing breath, Ye Shu couldn't catch his breath and choked on his saliva.

Standing behind Ye Shu, Zhi Qiu watched his adorable appearance and felt that the desired effect had been achieved. She chuckled contentedly, then turned and walked into the bathroom.

Ye Shu coughed for a long time before he recovered. He was panting and rubbing the plate in his hands like a robot.

bath?!

Why did she tell me this?!

A: She's implying that I need to clean the bathroom floor after she showers.

B: She's actually the Snail Fairy, and she's going to reveal her true form in the bathroom, trick me into going in, and then eat me.

C: She... is seducing me?

Ye Shu's mind was being bombarded with these three options, especially the last one, which practically occupied all his thoughts. This caused his hands to completely freeze; he had been scrubbing a plate for five minutes, almost to the point of tearing it.

He shook his head, trying to shake off these chaotic thoughts, and sped up his dishwashing, wanting only to escape this dangerous area as soon as possible before the witch emerged from seclusion.

Soon, the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. This sound was exceptionally clear to Ye Shu's ears, like a cat's claws, gently scratching at his heart, making his heart, which had just calmed down a little, accelerate again.

As the sound of water filled the air, Ye Shu couldn't help but conjure up images of hazy moonlight and birds—images definitely not suitable for children.

Despite his rationality telling him he shouldn't, the instincts of a young man made it harder for him to suppress the corners of his mouth than an AK could, revealing a smile that was both silly and lewd.

Then, just as the movie in his mind reached a crucial point.

"Little Shu, my little brother~"

Inside the bathroom, Zhi Qiu's voice, accompanied by the steam, pierced through the door.

"Huh?! Ah...Yes! What's wrong, Sister Zhiqiu?"

Ye Shu was startled and instantly pulled back to reality from her daydreams. Her heart pounded wildly, as if she had been caught doing something wrong, and her voice was filled with guilt.

Does she have mind-reading abilities? Why did she call me at this particular time?

Zhi Qiu's voice, tinged with amusement, came through the sound of water:

"Huh? Your voice... it sounds a little flustered. Are you... thinking about something bad while you're out? Hmm?"

"No! Absolutely not! How could that be! I'm... I'm washing the dishes carefully! Very carefully... I love washing dishes so much..."

Ye Shu hurriedly turned up the tap, turned around and shouted an explanation towards the door, so guilty that he almost bit his tongue.

This Sister Zhi Qiu is terrifying! In front of her, I feel like I've been stripped naked, with absolutely no secrets left!

The water continued to splash, and Zhi Qiu seemed amused by his reaction, chuckling softly, wanting to continue teasing him:

"No, little Shu~ I'm going to criticize you for this unhealthy thinking... Ouch!"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly let out a scream.

Immediately afterwards, there was a muffled "plop," like something heavy slipping and falling into the water, mixed with the messy sound of plastic bottles and cans being knocked over.

The last vestiges of blush and unhealthy thoughts on Ye Shu's face vanished instantly in fright, her heart tightening. She dropped the plate and rushed to the bathroom door, shouting inside:

"Sister Zhiqiu?! What happened to you?! Did you fall?!"