Like she had told him, the old man Zhou really did not come back home the next day. When they ate dinner with just the two of them Zhou Hua Fan would always arrogantly order him to come down to eat while he spent most of his time studying in his room and finishing assignments. At first Liang Zhong Zermin felt it was annoying but as the days pass by peacefully like this he began to realize. This wasn't so bad. In fact, he even fancied the idea of truly moving into the home seeing as the staff treated him warmly without any awkward disrespect. Though they made no attempts to become close with him they made sure he was welcome.
It was an odd experience for him. The people of the house were truly trained professionals. They did not have any greedy eyes or intentions besides that of wanting to make a living. He was even allowed to roam the estate without a guard or someone to watch him. He had never come across such a capable group of people. But he did notice an odd habit the people here had after waking up early one morning for a drink of water. They were afraid yet fond of someone in the house. And obviously, that person could only be the girl who lived two doors down from his own. Zhong Zemin dressed in a casual pair of clothes stretched while opening his door only to hear a group of people murmuring amongst themselves a few feet away from him. Furrowing his brow the young man looks over to see a small gathering of people in charge of cleaning and tending the Hua Fan.
Four middle-aged women crowd around in a circle and were making strange gestures while looking exasperated once in a while. Seeing as he had yet to be noticed Zhong Zemin held his breath and attempted to hear what they were saying. They were not planning to harm Hua Fan, were they? He narrows his eyes at them suspiciously. "...-ck. You can't take back what you just did!" One of them scowls, "If I can't then neither can she! We're all adults here why must we fight all the time? I said this could have been arranged easily if we just took turns before but you all disagreed and now look what happened." The one whose back was to Zhong Zemin seemed to speak seeming exasperated and annoyed with her companions. "Why are you all squabbling like this?"
"If housekeeper Shuang saw us like this each morning he is sure to scold us and we may very well lose our jobs! Unlike you three I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old at home I need to feed!" They all give her the stink eye and simultaneously tell her with dry tones of voice. "Then you back out first." "...." The woman with her back to Zhong Zemin went silent for a while, though he could not see her expression he was sure it was not good. ".....I never said that." She protests a bit hesitantly making them all roll their eyes in sync. "A four-way game makes no sense. Even my nephew is smarter than us at this point! Let's just decide by two on two and then the winners do the same to decide who wins."
They all agree reluctantly "To think the day I would let the fate of my job for the day be decided by a game." One of them grumbles rather humorously making Zhong Zemin's frown fade away as confusion replaces it. Job for the day? Out of them all, the youngest-looking one was the one to speak up afterward and lead the charge. All of them with a single hand out forming fists stood at the ready with nervous expressions. "Ready? Rock paper scissors shoot!" Zhong Zemin's expression blanks out. "....." He slowly shut his door and wisely went back to his desk pretending not to hear sounds of distress and complaint when two people lost and two won. An hour later he exits his room in a button-up and a pair of black trousers looking very much like a handsome scholar once more after grooming himself.
When he walks down the stairs and into the living room he pauses at the bottom of the steps. Hua Fan was sitting at the table nibbling on snacks and focusing on her papers seriously while one of the maids he recognized as the younger maid happily stood behind her at attention. The girl looks over at him with a tilt of her head, a hint of confusion on her face. "Why are you up so early? Didn't you pull an all-nighter to finish your essay?" Zhong Zemin's tired gaze went from the pretty girl sitting on the sofa doing her own homework to the maid behind her who considerately fluffs the pillow behind her. His gaze wanders away as he answers her with a simple "Hmm." Hearing his rude answer Hua Fan frowns prettily. "What kind of answer is that? Don't you have any manners? A yes or no should suffice."
Zhong Zemin sat beside her and took the mini muffin she was eating from her hand causing a scowl to form on two faces, one on the maid and one on Hua Fan. While moving to take a bite he "considerately" gave an explanation. "Eating so many snacks is not good for you." She frowns "Ha?! Brother Liang who are you to take charge of what can and cannot eat?!" "In one year I will be your doctor." She scoffs at him with a light sneer while watching him consume her muffin angrily. "You have to study for ten more years before you can become a doctor!" Zhong Zemin gave her a strange smile that made the hairs on her arm stand on end. "Says who? I entered college at sixteen and I'm in my last year right now."
Her expression made him want to laugh as it was frozen mid disbelief and anger. Finding joy in her misery Zhong Zemin teases the girl lightly "Haven't you been curious as to why I have been working so hard these days? In fact, I had already discussed it with your grandfather the day I came here." "Ye Ye?" She echos with disbelief, so, this person in front of her is actually..a genius? The handsome young man smiled at her with a breathtaking grin if it wasn't for the teasing glint in his eyes that was meant to provoke her. "Not just anyone can become the tutor of the Zhou heiress, you didn't think I was just a simpleton, did you?"
"In fact, in addition to becoming your personal doctor, I will also be your escort from now on. That means even if you are shopping or having fun with your "friends" I will also be accompanying you until you come home." Hua Fan's cheeks turn red and her eyes darken somewhat angrily at his gloating, "On whose orders?"