Bamboozling Caretaking

In reality, the entire episode could not have been more than a few seconds. Her forehead lay on his shoulder and her hands clutched his shirt, his hand coiled around her, and she began wailing into his embrace. It had all happened in the blink of an eye. Even Hao Kaiming and Su Huiqing looked over in surprise.

Hao Kaiming quickly recollected herself as if the slip-up had never existed.

Su Huiqing was much less mindful of her reaction. She openly gawked at the scene.

When Su Ting finally pulled herself together she hesitated to pull away. She had just cried her heart out into his shirt. Is she still supposed to face people like this?

His hand brushed over her back as if to calm her then it disappeared. A moment later he had reversed his shirt inside out over her head. Su Ting froze. Something next to her rustled. The shirt on her head was turned back again. With a quick gesture, the hand holding the shirt moved the shirt to a dry area and adeptly wiped her face without revealing anything. It even pinched her nose. He pulled back. Su Ting's revealed face had pink eyes and white lips from dehydration. Despite the loss of color on her face, her cheeks were tinted with blush. She opened her eyes wide to look at the man in front of her.

At some point, he had put a clean shirt on. He must carry it around in his capsule. Su Ting's capsule only carries a bottle of juice and some hygiene and makeup products. The dirty shirt had disappeared somewhere as well.

The man in front of her had attractive sword brows and phoenix eyes. Despite his shapely eyes, he wasn't overly attractive. He probably wouldn't be mistaken for a model when walking through a crowd. Instead, Su Ting felt as if he'd more likely blend in with the chaos of people. Yet it wasn't his appearance that grabbed her attention. He was calm without seeming mindlessly thoughtful and focused without seeming disregarding or dismissive. Each move he made was full of purpose; full of grace and without extra movements. Su Ting couldn't help the awe welling up in her as she watched him. It felt like he was immortal in the body of a human man. His essence couldn't help but seep out through his mortal facade.

His eyes were cast down. Su Ting looked down. A household delivery robot was handing him something he'd no doubt ordered while she cried.

He was wrapping ice cubes with a cheesecloth. He grabbed the spray bottle of water. She watched him raise it to her eye level. She closed her eyes. He gently touched her chin with a soft cloth and tilted her head up then sprayed and dried her face. She opened her eyes again to see him holding the cheesecloth and ice cubes. He watched her expression for acceptance for a moment then slowly pressed the covered ice cubes to her eyes.

Su Ting giggled. She had a quick wash in her capsule on her waist. It was like a mask with rubber around it like goggles to stick it to your face while the inside quickly sprayed, washed, rinsed, dried, then added a moisturizing toner to the face. She didn't mention it. This man had some very interesting ideas. He was more old-fashioned than she was.

Su Ting sat obediently rubbing the ice over her eyes for a moment. He used the soft cloth to dab her face again.

She pulled out a face moisturizer and navy blue eyeliner sticker from her capsule and put them on. "Can we move somewhere else and have a talk?"

He nodded and got up to leave.

Su Ting was a little surprised. She looked back and forth between the documents and his back.

'Didn't he need this signed? His family is poor, right?' She checked with He Ku.

'They are mid-low middle class, Master. Not poor.'

'Sure, but aren't the benefits what he's getting engaged with me for? He left without even making sure I'd sign it.' She hesitated for a moment. She looked back down and pressed the corner of the papers between her fingers to show her acceptance of the agreement.

The papers weren't plant-based like they looked to be. When her fingers were pressed against the paper and finger lines were read the paper dissipated into the air.

Su Ting got up to follow him only to realize Hao Kaiming was still in the room. She got up to walk to her. Su Ting waited silently. At the same time, she heard her new fiance open the door to leave. There was a rustling in the other room and footsteps drawing nearer. Su Ting saw Su Huiqing peek in through the corner of her eyes, but she kept her eyes forward on the woman walking towards her.

She couldn't remember the last time they'd spoken. Or the last time Hao Kaiming looked straight at her. She'd forgotten her stepmother's eyes were blue.

"Are you unsatisfied with the arrangement?" Her voice was deep, slow, and bold. The voice suited her.

Despite her delicate seeming appearance, her authoritative voice identified her as a capable leader. She had proven herself in this aspect again and again in her work as well. This is probably why Su Caisheng always leaves Su Ting and Su Huiqing's matters to her. For instance earlier when he stated a fact and walked away. Without looking at her or speaking to her he was allowed to keep himself in the illusion that she didn't exist. Or at least that he didn't have to acknowledge her existence.

Hao Kaiming had probably waited through her breakdown to make sure she signed the papers, but what was she asking about now?

Su Ting had heard the phrase from her before. In fact, it was probably one of the only phrases Su Ting heard when Hao Kaiming opened her mouth. In her past life, she got upset and wound herself in a ball of anger every time she heard such things. However, today she felt differently.

If she had just been here to make sure Su Ting signed the papers, there was no need to ask her anything. She didn't even need to stay in the room. Su Haiqing had disappeared somewhere at some point as well.

Su Ting recalled how early she'd arrived at the room. Su Ting didn't recall her having such a habit. The woman's other two husbands and wife usually kept her busy. Instead, Hao Kaiming was the type of person to walk up the steps and knock on the door on the dot. She had arrived shortly after Su Ting had. Su Ting had arrived earlier today because she didn't throw a fit, and Hao Kaiming had also uncharacteristically arrived almost half an hour earlier than necessary.

Her stepmother was looking out for her.