Chapter 222 - 97: Gu Qiuyan Picked the Wrong Opponent

Chapter 222: Chapter 97: Gu Qiuyan Picked the Wrong Opponent

"When did she get so eager to help?" Du Kang mumbled under his breath.

"It’s not just about being eager," Zhang Shutong said, finally understanding. "She probably feels awkward enough just eating at Gu Qiuyan’s house. If she just sat on the couch and waited, she’d feel like she couldn’t hold her head up high later, you know?"

"I agree," Qingyi analyzed. "It’s because Ruoping has a strong sense of self-respect. She doesn’t want us to be seen as freeloaders. Though, she’s probably the only one who thinks that way."

But Ruoping was the only girl in their group of close friends, and she genuinely wanted to help. They had to protect her pride. The three guys agreed to do some work together, but when they got to the kitchen, they realized there was no need for so many people.

The housekeeper was very touched, but she refused to let any of them help, insisting that she was the housekeeper and this was her job.

However, there were too many people eating today, and the housekeeper was truly overwhelmed. After refusing for a good while, she had no choice but to nod and agree.

But in the end, the work she assigned them was minuscule.

—Clean a few vegetables and, while they were at it, peel a few heads of garlic.

The group divided the labor. They were all capable, so this little bit of work was nothing to them.

Du Kang and Qingyi washed the vegetables; Zhang Shutong and Ruoping peeled the garlic.

They finished the job smoothly and quickly. Ruoping let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed she had finally gotten over that mental hurdle.

Zhang Shutong smiled at the sight, finding her rather cute.

But then Ruoping held her hand under her nose and frowned.

"Ugh, the smell is a little strong. I shouldn’t have cut my nails a couple of days ago."

"Easy fix."

This was something Zhang Shutong could handle.

He had already been to the villa three times, so he confidently led Ruoping to the restroom. He turned on the brass faucet, stepped aside, and told her which side was hot and which was cold, and that the bottle was hand soap—sparing no detail.

The sink was wide enough for two people, so they stood side-by-side in front of the mirror. As Ruoping meticulously scrubbed her hands, she was in the mood to ask:

"Well now, you seem to know your way around. How many times have you been here?"

"Her bathroom is huge. I saw it as soon as I walked in." Zhang Shutong didn’t want to lie, but he could change the subject.

"Heh." Ruoping didn’t say whether she believed him or not.

"By the way, I told Gu Qiuyan."

"Told her what?"

"I said our group was coming over, and I specifically mentioned you were here too." Zhang Shutong started slowly washing his own hands, feeling much more relaxed as he talked with Ruoping.

"And? She wasn’t mad?" Ruoping asked, glancing at him sideways.

"She said she’s not that petty."

"Oh, get lost! Are you calling me petty?" the girl laughed and scolded.

"No, I just thought this was a good opportunity. It’s not like you two have some huge grudge, so don’t..."

"Taking her side already?"

Zhang Shutong found that comment a bit strange.

’Am I some maiden about to be married off?’

He decided to pretend he hadn’t heard. To shut her up, Zhang Shutong proactively went to get a towel. He even remembered which one was for guests and took it down for her.

But Ruoping wasn’t finished washing yet, so he stood by, holding the towel and waiting.

Zhang Shutong thought for a moment.

"Are you jealous?"

"Get lost! Who likes you?"

"That’s not what I meant. Qingyi told me while we were washing vegetables that you might feel I’ve been getting too close to Gu Qiuyan lately, and you’re a little... left out?"

"He’s the smart one, is he?" Ruoping’s eyes widened. "I’m going to twist his ear when I get back."

So Zhang Shutong explained:

"Don’t blame him. If he hadn’t mentioned it, I really wouldn’t have thought of it. Since you’re the only girl in our group, I’ve been kind of ignoring your feelings. I can’t think of a great example right now, but... let’s say I suddenly got really close with some other guy and we became best buds. He and Du Kang wouldn’t be happy about that, right?"

"Alright, alright, I get it." Ruoping sighed and flicked her hands. "You’re a busy man now, saving the world all day long. How could a humble girl like me dare trouble you? Right? So don’t you worry your head about it. It’s not like I don’t understand."

Zhang Shutong smiled and handed her the towel.

Ruoping shot him a look. "I guess you have some conscience after all."

Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief too, feeling like he’d taken a great leap toward becoming more human.

He’d finally... maybe not resolved the little conflict between them, but at least improved the situation a bit.

"Don’t worry. I’m not really the type to comfort people, but... in short, the four of us are definitely the best. You get it, right?"

"Really?" Ruoping mumbled. "You said it."

"Mhm."

Zhang Shutong took the towel back, draped it over the rack, and glanced at Ruoping’s reflection in the mirror. Her face was a little red. He wanted to laugh but almost got his foot stomped on.

Someone was blushing.

Someone was relieved.

And someone else had just finished getting ready and was coming down.

The restroom and the elevator door were angled toward each other.

One could imagine what happened next.

Someone—