Chapter 8: What a Fine Young Man, If Only He Didn't Have a Mouth

“I think I’m pretty bored right now.”

In other words, you have to chat with me.

Lu Yiqi pressed her lips together.

Ruthless, truly ruthless—a tough one.

But for food, she would endure.

She put on her professional fake smile once more. “So, what would you like to talk about?”

Xie Xu pondered for a moment, then answered, “How about you tell me a joke?”

An adult, asking to be told a joke?

Lu Yiqi muttered inwardly, “Such a childish man,” while quickly searching her mind for any jokes she knew.

“Once upon a time, there was a little fish who spoke very slowly. One day, it met a shark: ‘Sh-aa-ark, sh-aa-ark, wha-at do y-ou li-ke to ea-t?’ The shark replied, ‘I li-ke to ea-t li-ttle fish-es who spe-ak ve-ry slo-wly.’ The little fish said, ‘Oh, I see, I’m done for!’”

Lu Yiqi deliberately imitated the slow speech of both the little fish and the shark.

After she finished, the air hung heavy with awkward silence for several seconds as the two stared at each other.

Xie Xu asked, “That’s it?”

Lu Yiqi replied, “That’s it. Isn’t it funny?”

Xie Xu was silent again for a few seconds, then finally offered his verdict. “That’s really cold.”

Lu Yiqi replied instinctively, “Not cold,” then suddenly realized that Xie Xu meant her joke was a cold joke...

Looking at the situation before him, Xie Xu finally thought of a way to salvage it. He comforted her, “It’s alright, don’t take it to heart. Even cold jokes are still jokes.”

Lu Yiqi wanted to sew Xie Xu’s mouth shut.

What an excellent boy, if only he didn’t have a mouth.

Seeing Lu Yiqi showing signs of annoyance, Xie Xu’s brows furrowed into a tight line, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. He racked his brain for a way to cheer up a girl, but couldn’t come up with anything. In the end, he tentatively suggested, “How about you tell me another joke? I promise I’ll laugh.”

Lu Yiqi turned her head to the left, ignoring him.

Xie Xu, helpless, stood up and moved to the left side, then sat down again.

“Come on, give me a break, alright?”

His deep voice rose at the end, and Lu Yiqi was so stunned by his baritone that her thoughts scrambled.

Dazed, she spoke again. “Xiao Ming is in the hospital. His friend visits him. The doctor is present too. After chatting for a while, the friend leaves. But the doctor leaves with the friend. Do you know why?”

Xie Xu played along, “Why?”

Lu Yiqi opened her mouth, “Because the friend and the doctor left together!”

“......”

“Bet you couldn’t guess the answer!”

“No, I couldn’t.”

Just as Lu Yiqi felt smug that Xie Xu hadn’t figured it out, she suddenly realized—how had she let herself be led by him again? He asked her to tell another joke, and she actually did!

Infuriated, she saw Xie Xu still staring at her, as if waiting for her to amuse him. Without thinking, she snapped, “What are you looking at! If you can’t guess, at least laugh!”

This time, Xie Xu was genuinely amused by Lu Yiqi, his narrow eyes crinkling with laughter, making the entire world pale in comparison.

He laughed... and a suspicious blush crept up Lu Yiqi’s fair, smooth cheeks, like a streak of crimson cloud painting both sides of her face.

Lu Yiqi hurriedly stood up. “I need to go to the restroom.”

She fled, turned on the tap, splashed water on her face, and stared at her rosy reflection in the mirror, pressing her lips together.

So embarrassing.

She’d actually been laughed at until her face turned red.

It must be because Xie Xu was too handsome. If it had been someone ugly, laughing at her like that, Lu Yiqi believed she’d have slapped him and told him to stop laughing—if she was feeling generous.