268: Chapter 268 2/3 ➜ 1/3 - 2

Plan B, launch!

"Use it if you want; if not, then forget it."

Jiang Ye snorted in annoyance, turned around, and took the bath lily back to his room to throw it in the bathroom. Then, he picked up the laundry basket he had prepared earlier and walked back to the living room.

He found the optimal spot for a "chance encounter," placing one foot in front of the other in an extremely natural "walking" pose, and began to wait patiently for his prey to emerge.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Ten minutes later, Ye Cheng came out of her room with her phone, typing with her head down as she walked toward Guest Bathroom No. 2.

As she passed Jiang Ye, who was "frozen" in place, her footsteps paused. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of this figure in a bizarre pose.

"Hi, Cheng Cheng, going to the bathroom?"

"..."

Ye Cheng let out a soft "mm" from her nose, quickened her pace, and quickly ducked into the bathroom, closing the door with a "thud."

When she finished and came out, she still looked straight ahead, going directly back to her room, treating Jiang Ye as if he were air the entire time.

Her long experience in "combat" told her that when she didn't know what this guy was up to, the best strategy was to ignore him completely.

Otherwise, she might fall into a trap he had specifically prepared for her.

After another agonizing fifteen minutes, just as Jiang Ye felt his lower back was about to give out and was frantically complaining in his head that "women are so slow in the shower," the sound of water in Guest Bathroom No. 1 finally stopped.

Jiang Ye's spirits lifted. He was about to adjust his expression and get into character when he suddenly froze.

Damn! I'm such an idiot!

It would have been soon enough to strike a pose after the water stopped!

I struck that pose for nothing for so long that my legs are freaking numb!

But now was not the time for regret. He quickly focused, forcing a natural expression onto his face that said, "Oh, what a coincidence, I'm just about to do laundry." He shifted his body slightly to make the pose look more dynamic.

Five minutes later, the door to Guest Bathroom No. 1 opened with a "click."

Su Ning had finished her shower and changed into pajamas. Her wet hair was wrapped in a hair-drying cap, and she was patting toner onto her cheeks while walking out in slippers.

As soon as the door opened, she saw Jiang Ye, who had just happened to take a step forward while holding a laundry basket, looking like he was about to do laundry.

"Eh? Big brother? Have you been lurking here this whole time? And you still say you weren't trying to take advantage of me?"

Jiang Ye, whose legs were already numb from standing there for half an hour for nothing, almost exploded with anger upon hearing this.

No!

What's wrong with Su Ning?

Can't she see my carefully designed, seamless "chance encounter" and obvious "passing by"?

Wasn't this just like throwing a wink at a blind man?

He rolled his eyes in annoyance and slapped the laundry basket in his hands loudly.

"Who's lurking?! I'm passing by! Passing by, do you understand?! I'm going to do laundry! Laun! Dry!"

Su Ning glanced at the basket in his arms and curled her lip. "Fine, do the laundry then. Why are you being so aggressive..."

Jiang Ye snorted. His gaze quickly swept over the laundry basket in the guest bathroom, which already held a few items of clothing, and he cleared his throat with feigned nonchalance.

"Um... so... where's your dirty laundry? Want me to wash it together? I'm doing it anyway."

He paused and added another sentence, trying to use reverse psychology. "Eh? You wouldn't be looking down on your dear big brother and landlord, would you?"

Su Ning blinked and tilted her head suspiciously.

She didn't have any fussy principles about having to wash men's and women's clothes separately or hand-washing underwear.

It was just...

Big brother taking the initiative to help with laundry? Why did it feel so weird?

Seeing her frozen in place with the toner bottle, her face clearly written with "suspicion," Jiang Ye quickly put on an impatient look to urge her.

"Are you washing them or not? If not, get in line. Wait until I'm done, then come out and wash them yourself. But I won't call you then; don't fall asleep and forget, dragging it until tomorrow. In this winter weather, clothes won't dry in a day. You'll have to stuff half-damp clothes into your suitcase for the whole trip the day after tomorrow..."

He spoke faster and faster, his expression becoming more "solemn."

"Tsk, think about it. How much bacteria and mold would grow! When you wear them later, what if they cause skin allergies, rashes, itching, or peeling? It might even lead to a large-scale fungal infection, dermatitis, eczema, or even..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Don't say any more!"

Su Ning was so frightened by his string of terrifying descriptions that she shuddered, already feeling itchy.

She quickly turned and rushed back into the bathroom, grabbing the pajamas, underwear, and socks she had just changed out of into a messy bundle and running back out.

"I'll wash them! I'll wash them, okay! Big brother, why are you scaring people? That sounded so creepy..."

"Who's scaring you?"

Jiang Ye watched her actions, his expression unchanging as he maintained his "cool" persona.

"This is a reasonable deduction based on scientific common sense! Hurry up, don't dawdle. I'm going to sleep after I finish this batch; I'm tired."

"Oh, oh, I got it..."

Su Ning curled her lip, walked forward with her bundle of clothes, and reached out to drop them into the large laundry basket he was holding.

Jiang Ye held his breath, his eyes locked onto her fair little hand, watching the bundle of clothes get closer and closer to his basket, as if he could already hear the sweet notification sound of a completed mission...

Just as Su Ning's hand hung over the laundry basket and her fingers loosened slightly, with the clothes about to drop—

In the next second, she suddenly seemed to remember something. Her wrist flipped, her fingers snapped shut, and she tightly gripped the bundle of clothes again.

Jiang Ye's eyelid twitched violently, and an ominous feeling surged in his heart.

"What are you doing now? Are you washing them or not? Let go!"

"Let go? If I let go, I'll fall for it!"

Su Ning pulled the clothes back into her arms, tilted her head, and circled the frozen Jiang Ye twice with a smile before standing in front of him again.

"Big brother~ level with me. Do you... want to have a 'buffet'?"

"..."

Jiang Ye was rolling his eyes to the heavens in his mind, but he still feigned composure, deliberately frowning.

"What buffet? What nonsense! I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Seeing his "stubborn as a dead duck" look, Su Ning laughed even harder, revealing her two little tiger teeth.

"You really don't understand? Big brother~ just tell the truth! What's there to be embarrassed about? We're so close!"

"I, Jiang Ye, am an upright and honorable man who never tells a single word of truth. What 'truth' are you expecting from me?"

"Oh! Big brother, look, I've already brought the things out. If your 'urge' is kicking in, just say so! You know that as long as you ask, I'll definitely help you!"

"Hmph! In your dreams! I have nothing to say to you!"

Jiang Ye snorted coldly, stiffening his neck with an air of "unyielding" integrity.

"Don't think you can make me surrender with these tactics! Cheng Cheng... Cheng Cheng will definitely come to save me!"

At that moment, Lin Wanxing came out with an empty water cup, seemingly intending to get water from the living room.

Listening to their nonsensical conversation that sounded like an interrogation, she scratched her head in confusion.

"What are you two... rehearsing now? Did you get a new role? The lines are so bizarre... Jiang Ye, are you playing a special agent?"

Jiang Ye, Su Ning: "..."

Both were simultaneously at a loss for words, and the atmosphere became awkward for a moment.