Qin Lou's sixth-order Rubik's Cube is definitely a psychological shadow for everyone except him and his little clam.
Because according to their experience of living together in the Qin family's old house for several years, as long as Qin Lou holds a sixth-order Rubik's Cube in his hand, it means that he is on the verge of going crazy or exploding at any time - only at this time, Song Shu will stuff a twisted sixth-order Rubik's Cube into Qin Lou's hand to divert his attention and calm him down.
Therefore, the sixth-order Rubik's Cube is a kind of warning in the eyes of others, probably similar to the red slogan "Minefield ahead, no creatures except clams and shells allowed".
And tonight, seeing this sixth-order Rubik's Cube that had not been seen for several years appear again between Qin Lou's slender fingers, the degree of psychological trauma that Song Ruyu and Song Shuai, brother and sister, suffered can be predicted.
The two of them turned around and looked at each other at the same time, and they could read the meaning of "take care" in each other's eyes.
The housekeeper was watching the show of the younger generation of the Qin family and almost couldn't help laughing. It was not until Qin Lou noticed something and glanced at him that he quickly straightened his face and said, "Song Shuai, Ru Yu, you two can sit over here. The young master and Miss Song Shu have been waiting for you for a while."
Song Ruyu subconsciously resisted the idea of having dinner at the same table with Qin Lou. This sounded terrifying. She opened her mouth to refuse, "We had already eaten before we came—"
"You guys have already had dinner, but you still rush to come here during our dinner time. Are you really here to disturb us?"
Qin Lou, who had looked up and asked that question after they came in and then lowered his eyes to play with the Rubik's Cube, finally spoke again. There was a lazy smile on his face, but there was a certain chill in his voice.
Song Ruyu choked, and Song Shuai quickly reached out to pull her, then smiled and said, "Brother, my sister said this because she was afraid of disturbing you. We are here to apologize, so how can we have the mood to eat dinner... If you don't mind, we will sit down?"
Qin Lou glanced at Song Shuai with a half-smile, then looked away.
Song Shuai breathed a sigh of relief, quickly gave Song Ruyu a look, and then pulled her to sit down.
The butler went to the side door of the restaurant and rang the bell. The door to the corridor leading to the kitchen was opened, and the servants came in with the prepared dining cart to serve the four people.
The chef who came to the house tonight was a French chef, and all the dishes were French-style. The first thing served in a soft white cloth basket was a lightly golden toasted bread. The bread was cut into beautiful small cubes, the outside was crispy and golden, with some chopped chives and other condiments, and the inside was soft and sweet.
Both the temperature and taste are perfect, and this small appetizer is enough to show the chef's professionalism.
It's a pity that Song Shu was the only one at the table who was in the mood to taste the food. The other three were all distracted - Qin Lou was concentrating on playing the Rubik's Cube with his long legs folded and leaning back in his chair. Song Ruyu and Song Shuai didn't even want to taste the food. They were so cautious in their eye contact that they probably didn't even pay attention to what they put in their mouths.
Under such circumstances, the atmosphere in the restaurant was so quiet that it was difficult to swallow the food.
About two minutes later, the Rubik's Cube in Qin Lou's hand made a slight "click" sound, and after the last layer was turned back, the Rubik's Cube was completely restored.
He held the Rubik's Cube in front of Song Shu in a showy manner.
"Look, a clam shell."
Song Shu paused while forking her appetizer bread, turned around and glanced at him, then she lowered her head to look at her watch before looking up, "It's much slower than before."
"Really?" Qin Lou pinched his slender knuckles. "I haven't moved for too long. My hands are rusty."
Song Shu nodded, "You can practice more later."
"Okay." Qin Lou agreed without hesitation, and then he held the back of the high-backed chair where Song Shu was sitting, and leaned over slightly. "Although it's a little slow, it turned out after all - is there any reward?"
"..." Song Shu stared at him silently for two seconds with a blank expression, and then he spoke, "What reward do you want?"
Qin Lou's eyes lit up, "Anything is fine?"
"no."
This time it was Qin Lou's turn to choke, "I haven't said it yet."
"You did."
Qin Lou frowned and turned his head to look at the two people opposite him, "Did I say anything just now?"
Song Ruyu and Song Shuai, who were suddenly called out, almost choked on the food they were about to swallow. When they came to their senses, Song Ruyu looked at Song Shuai for help, and Song Shuai could only force himself to smile, "Brother, I didn't hear it either."
“Tsk.”
Qin Lou snorted in dissatisfaction.
He took his arm off the back of the chair behind Song Shu and placed it on the dining table covered with a white tablecloth, his dark eyes staring at Song Shuai without blinking.
"At times like this, you should say you heard it."
"?" Even though Song Shuai was used to flattering people, he didn't follow Qin Lou's train of thought this time. He looked at Qin Lou blankly.
But Qin Lou raised the corner of his mouth, smiling wantonly and complacently. He tilted his head with his cheekbones propped up, staring at Song Shu, who was still chewing his food with a slightly puffed face and no expression on his face. "Whatever my little clam says is right - if she says I said it, then it's what I said, even if she didn't say it."
Song Shuai: “…”
He suddenly discovered that the servile gene that had been stimulated in his bones was clearly inherited from his family - not just him, in front of Song Shu, Qin Lou was clearly much more servile than him!
However, even if Song Shuai had 100 times more courage, he would not dare to say this. He could only chew the appetizer bread that tasted like dog food in his mouth, smiling stiffly and nodding in agreement.
Qin Lou has moved back to next to Song Shu.
"Did you really hear what I just said?"
"You can't listen to it," Song Shu glanced at him helplessly, "What you are thinking is all written on your face."
Qin Lou laughed, "Oh? What am I thinking about? How come I don't know it myself?"
"..." Song Shu didn't want to jump into the trap, so he simply ignored him and said, "Eat."
"It's not too late to eat after we discuss the terms."
Song Shu was silent for a few seconds, then turned his head and asked, "Do you really want a reward?"
"… "
Qin Lou's eyes lit up and he nodded quickly.
The expectant expression made Song Ruyu and Song Shuai on the other side of the table feel complicated.
For many years, they hadn't seen Qin Lou suppress his nature and act like a good boy wagging his tail in front of anyone.
As expected, as soon as Song Shu came back, Qin Lou was no longer the crazy Qin Lou they knew. Or in another sense, Qin Lou would become even crazier than the one they usually saw.
Song Shu leaned her left hand on the edge of the dining table and hooked her index finger at Qin Lou who was sitting on her left: "Then come here, I'll give you a reward."
Qin Lou didn't even think about it, he dragged his chair in front of Song Shu, and then he watched the girl slowly lean over -
When the wolf light in someone's eyes was about to be suppressed, a fork with appetizer bread suddenly appeared in his field of vision, blocking his sight of Song Shu.
Before Qin Lou could react, the small piece of appetizer bread was pushed to his lips by the hand holding the silver fork.
Qin Lou was startled, but Song Shu remained calm: "Reward, you asked for it."
There was a ferocity hidden in Qin Lou's eyes, and his aggrieved emotion quickly faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"I don't want this reward..."
Before he could finish his words, Song Shu pushed the fork and stuffed the bread into his mouth while he opened his mouth.
"Bite it." The girl looked at him expressionlessly.
Qin Lou drooped his eyelids listlessly, but still opened his mouth and bit it obediently.
A faint smile flashed across Song Shu's eyes, but she quickly concealed it. Retracting the empty fork in her hand, Song Shu lowered her eyes and said in a steady voice: "Today's chef is very good, and the bread before the meal is also delicious. Try it, don't waste it."
"… "
Qin Lou didn't understand why his attempt to pretend to be pitiful didn't work at all this time. He lowered his eyes and thought hard for several seconds, and suddenly seemed to have figured something out.
Then Qin Lou held the small piece of bread before the meal in his mouth and looked back at the opposite side of the table—
The sudden cold gaze made Song Ruyu and Song Shuai stunned. Before they could react, Qin Lou's eyes fell on the plates in front of them.
Then he stretched out his hand and pressed it flat in the air.
Song Ruyu still didn't understand, but Song Shuai reacted immediately and quickly pulled Song Ruyu's sleeve.
"Head down and eat."
Song Ruyu had been stiff since she entered the restaurant, following Song Shuai's instructions step by step and lowering her head.
Seeing the two of them doing as he was told, Qin Lou stood up and walked to Song Shu's chair. Then he squatted down, pressing on the back of the chair, until he was in front of Song Shu.
The fork in Song Shu's hand stopped again. She turned her head silently and glanced calmly at Qin Lou who was half-kneeling in front of her.
Qin Lou held a piece of bread in his mouth, not saying a word or moving, just looking at her quietly.
Song Shu frowned slightly, "... No."
Qin Lou still didn't speak or move.
After a few seconds of stalemate, Song Shu finally compromised. She raised her eyes to make sure that neither of the brother and sister opposite dared to look up, and then she turned sideways.
The girl's hand rested lightly on Qin Lou's shoulder. She lowered her head with her eyes slightly downcast and took a small bite of the bread he was chewing.
Song Shu knew Qin Lou's aggressive nature very well, so she wanted to retreat and leave immediately after biting him, but it was too late.
Qin Lou had planned to lower his hand that was resting on the back of her chair and pull Song Shu towards him. He used the tip of his tongue to hook the bread that Song Shu had taken a small bite of into her mouth. At the same time, he slightly raised his body and licked her rosy lips lightly.
“…Qinlou.”
By the time Song Shu retreated, she had already been taken advantage of enough. Her eyes were slightly annoyed, and even her fair face, which usually showed no obvious emotions, was flushed with an uncontrollable blush.
Qin Lou finished the bread triumphantly, "You're right, the chef did a good job... It's really sweet and delicious."
While speaking, that person's wolf-like eyes almost never left Song Shu's lips.
Song Shuwei clutched the knife and fork, and turned away with some annoyance and helplessness.
"Are you angry?" Qin Lou moved forward.
“…” Song Shu said nothing.
Qin Lou reflected on himself and said, "I won't bother you like this at the dinner table again."
Song Shu glanced at him, obviously distrustful.
"But you can't blame me. You were the one who indulged me."
"… "
"You clearly know what I'm going to do, right, little clam?" Qin Lou leaned over to her ear, smiling happily, but more complicatedly, "If you hadn't been soft-hearted at the first step, I wouldn't have done anything. But you knew I had set a trap for you, but you still jumped in. Who should you blame for this?"
Song Shu gritted his teeth slightly, "I won't do that next time."
"Ah, really?" Qin Lou's tone dropped.
Song Shu's face was wooden. "It's useless to pretend to be pitiful at this time. Do you think I will be soft-hearted again after the lesson I just learned?"
"I don't know." Qin Lou whispered, and simply squatted down, leaning down to her knees, looking up at her handsome and lost face, "Will you ignore me next time?"
Song Shu: “…”
After a while, Song Shu laughed out of anger.
Not sure if she was laughing at herself or Qin Lou, the girl just lowered her eyes, curled the corners of her lips, and said helplessly and softly: "Okay, you win... lunatic."
Qin Lou's eyes flickered slightly.
Song Shu felt a little uncomfortable with his eyes that were gradually unable to conceal his deep emotions and desires. She looked away and lightly kicked his calf with her toes.
"Eat, stop making trouble. You're almost having indigestion after just one dinner."
Qin Lou was silent for a long time, slowly pushing the unwilling beast in his heart back into the cage.
He lowered his eyes to hide the dark light in his pupils.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"… "
During the dinner, Song Ruyu and Song Shuai almost choked and were sent to the hospital several times. However, the self-criticism that Song Ruyu had prepared and recited for a long time was completely useless.
Because after dinner, Qin Lou unceremoniously ordered them to leave, with no intention of keeping them any longer.
Song Ruyu wanted to say something but was stopped by Song Shuai, who had understood something after this dinner.
The two men stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving, Song Shuai suddenly remembered something and said to Qin Lou, "Brother, a school leader from No. 2 Middle School contacted me not long ago. He said that this Sunday is the anniversary ceremony of Q City No. 2 Middle School, and there is an alumni meeting at the end. He asked me to ask if you have time to go back to school, hoping to arrange a speech for you."
"Speech?" Qin Lou looked up in surprise. "What speech?"
"Well, it's probably similar to the encouragement given by successful honorary alumni to their juniors in school?" Song Shuai scratched the back of his head and said uncertainly.
Qin Lou sneered, "Are they sure I'm an 'honorary alumnus'?"
"..." Thinking of Qin Lou's "great achievements" in school that were enough to be recorded in the school's history, Song Shuai smiled awkwardly, and then said frankly: "After all, they probably just want to use your name to promote the school. If you don't want to go, I will reject them for you, okay?"
Qin Lou was about to nod when he suddenly stopped.
After a moment, he raised his eyes slightly, his eyes sparkling with light—
"If it's an alumni meeting, can I bring someone with me?"
Song Shuai was stunned. "It should be possible. They didn't say. But it's nothing. It's great to have you. They won't even refuse this request."
"Okay," Qin Lou curled his lips and smiled solemnly, "Then tell them I'll go."
"… "
Facing Qin Lou's eyes, Song Shuai shuddered instinctively: Although he didn't guess what Qin Lou's intention was, he felt that he had to observe a three-second silence for the person who suddenly became Qin Lou's concern for some unknown reason.
After Song Ruyu and Song Shuai left, Song Shu walked over to Qin Lou.
"You're going back to No. 2 Middle School this Sunday?"
"Well," Qin Lou lowered his eyes and looked at her with a smile, "Little Clam, come back with me?"
"… Why?" Song Shu asked.
Qin Lou was silent for a moment, then smiled, "Are you asking me why I want to go back, or why I want to bring you with me?"
Song Shu glanced at him calmly, "Aren't the causes of these two problems the same?"
"Yes." Qin Lou laughed softly, "You'll know when you go there, so do you want to go with me?"
Song Shu glanced at him calmly: "Do I have a choice not to go?"
"No."
"Then why are you asking?"
"To show fairness."
"… "
Song Shu was too lazy to pay attention to him and turned around to go upstairs.
Qin Lou's voice behind him kept coming up, "Are you going or not, little clam?"
"… "
The girl walked slowly up the wooden stairs leading to the second floor. When she turned the corner and was about to disappear, a slight echo came down.
"go."
"… "
Qin Lou lowered his eyes in joy and smiled silently.
The butler was standing nearby, and after witnessing the whole process, he finally couldn't help but smile.
"Just like the young master loves Miss Song Shu, the young lady also loves you, the young master."
Qin Lou raised his eyes, "Really?" Those eyes, which used to be filled with the unbridled wantonness of a madman, were now rarely gentle and full of smiles.
The housekeeper still smiled kindly: "Master, you clearly know it, why are you asking me?"
“Although I know it, I also like to hear it from others.”
"What did you hear?"
"I heard you tell me that she loves me very much." Qin Lou couldn't help but curl his lips.
The housekeeper was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "That is something that does not need to be verified. Even if the young master asked the question knowingly, there is no choice. Miss Song Shu is reluctant to let your words go to waste, so she will indulge you to agree. There should be no one in this world who loves you more than her."
Qin Lou lowered his eyes.
"Me too."
After saying that, Qin Lou smiled happily. He followed the figure that had already left and walked up the stairs step by step.
The butler stood at the foot of the first floor stairs. After both of them went up, he shook his head and smiled.
"So, Master Crazy and Miss Clam are a perfect match."
The family's servant pushed the dining cart over and raised his head when he heard the words, half jokingly.
"Mr. Butler, please don't let the young master hear it - he doesn't like others calling him Miss Song Shu like that. He will definitely be jealous if he hears it."
The butler smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes, I almost forgot."
"… "
On Sunday, Q City No. 2 Middle School held its anniversary ceremony.
The invitation letter had been personally delivered by Song Shuai the day before. The official honorary alumni speech was held in the evening, and Qin Lou and Song Shu had lunch at noon and arrived at No. 2 Middle School in advance.
After receiving the news, the relevant leaders in charge of the school hurried to the school gate. When the Qin family's special car sent Qin Lou and Song Shu to the outside of the school gate, the other party had already come to greet them with a smile on their faces.
"Boss Qin, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Liu Yusheng, the person in charge of this celebration." The man shook hands with Qin Lou and said with a smile, "I'm responsible for receiving you today. If there's anything I've neglected, just let me know and I'll make it right."
After Liu Yusheng finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Song Shu who was standing beside Qin Lou, "Who is this...?"
Song Shu was about to speak when Qin Lou spoke first: "My fiancée is also a student in the same grade as me in the second middle school."
"Oh? I didn't expect that we would have such a fate." Liu Yusheng said in surprise, then laughed. He stretched out his hand to Song Shu, "How should I address you?"
Song Shu shook hands lightly with the other party, then lowered her head. She smiled faintly, "Teacher Liu, you are too polite. Just call me Song Shu."
"Okay, then I'll show you two around the school?"
"… "
Liu Yusheng took Qin Lou and Song Shu to take a quick look at a few iconic buildings in No. 2 Middle School, thus ending the tour.
"The school hasn't changed that much in the past two years, so you two should feel somewhat familiar with each other," Liu Yusheng said. "I see you must be tired after walking so far. Shall I take you to the lounge for the school anniversary ceremony?"
Song Shu was about to nod when Qin Lou, who had been lazy and uninterested, suddenly looked up and asked, "Today is the school anniversary. Most of the teachers in the school should be here?"
"Of course." Liu Yusheng answered and asked doubtfully, "Boss Qin wants to...?"
Qin Lou smiled slightly, "I want to visit a teacher."
Liu Yusheng was stunned for a moment, then reacted, "Oh, so President Qin has a mentor he wants to visit? You are really thoughtful. However, I am not very familiar with the arrangement of the teaching teachers in the school, so I have to trouble you to give me the name of my respected teacher, and I will go to the Academic Affairs Office to check it."
Qin Lou didn't even think about it, "We'll go with you."
Liu Yusheng glanced at Qin Lou in surprise, but nodded, "Okay. The two of you follow me."
"… "
While Liu Yusheng turned around and walked to the front, Song Shu indifferently withdrew his gaze and glanced at Qin Lou.
"Is this the real reason why you came back to school?"
Qin Lou curled his lips and smiled nonchalantly, "Yeah."
"You hardly ever came to school in the junior high school. Even in the senior high school, most teachers were pissed off by you. Why don't I remember you having any 'mentor' to visit?"
“… Yes, of course.”
The smile in Qin Lou's eyes faded.
"But it's not mine, it's yours."
Song Shu turned to him in confusion, "Mine?"
Qin Lou laughed, "Have you forgotten that once when I saw you, your head teacher at that time called you to the office and warned you to stay as far away from people like me as possible?"
Song Shu choked.
Her memory was not bad, so even though she had forgotten almost everything about this incident, when Qin Lou mentioned it, she could still barely recall the scene of that day from her mind.
Song Shu thought for a few seconds and sighed, "That head teacher is not the first person to say this to me."
Qin Lou sneered, "Then I don't care, I only heard what he said."
Song Shu was helpless, "It's been so many years since this happened, and it doesn't seem to have any impact on us... Aren't you holding a grudge too much?"
Qin Lou said: "Do you now know how much I hold a grudge?"
"… "
Seeing that Song Shu didn't say anything, Qin Lou stretched out his hand and hooked her finger, and asked maliciously:
"What do you think we should do later?"
"'us'?"
"Yeah, of course we have to do something together."
"… such as?"
"Well, let me think about it," Qin Lou's eyes flickered and a smile appeared on his face, "Will a French kiss in front of him not be enough?"
Song Shu: “.”
Song Shu's usually expressionless face finally couldn't hide the hint of blush.
She gritted her teeth.
"Be a human being, Qin Lou."