“Hello, you must be Mr. Hei.”
Ye Qingju’s voice was soft and fragile as she sat with effortless grace across from Hei Meilu.
Swallowing hard, Hei Meilu found himself completely captivated by her beauty, forgetting all about the humiliation he’d suffered earlier when texting her.
He rose with what he thought was a refined, gentlemanly smile and extended his hand.
“Miss Ye, pleasure to meet you.”
He didn’t call her Mrs. Qi—only “Miss Ye,” as if she were still an unmarried girl.
Even through the mask of politeness, Ye Qingju could smell the manipulative undertones from across the room.
She didn’t return the handshake—just offered a polite smile and sat back down.
Her composure embodied the full dignity of a woman from a powerful family.
Qi Xinian, summoned downstairs by Auntie Zhang, walked in just in time to witness this exact scene.
Hei Meilu didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed. He smoothly retracted his hand and sat down, throwing in a compliment.
“This red tea is excellent.”
To be chosen as the Qi family heir’s exclusive tutor, Hei Meilu was obviously no ordinary man.
An alumnus of a top-tier university, he’d completed his doctorate while still in his teens, with a dissertation that had been recognized by the national academy.
He had trophies in nearly every academic field.
And on top of all that, he had the looks.
Delicate features, scholarly demeanor—he exuded a kind of gentle intellectual charm that made women naturally drop their guard.
He was handsome, no doubt.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t Ye Qingju’s type—she preferred men who looked like action movie stars.
This guy looked like he’d vanish in a stiff breeze. Strip him down and he’d probably look like he was celebrating Children’s Day.
(t/n: "Children's Day" here humorously implies a childish or undeveloped physique.)
Ye Qingju waved Qi Xinian over.
“This is the tutor your uncle arranged for you. He’ll be coming to the house every day to help with your studies.”
When she said “our house,” the little dumpling glanced up at her with a complicated look in his eyes. Then he turned to Hei Meilu and replied earnestly,
“Hello, I’m Qi Xinian.”
Since this teacher had been arranged by his uncle, he would do his best to behave.
Hei Meilu praised Qi Xinian and introduced himself.
“Nice to meet you, young master. I’m Hei Meilu, your new tutor.”
And soon, your new stepfather, he added silently.
Hei Meilu opened his mouth to say more, but Ye Qingju stood up abruptly.
“Qi Xinian, take Mr. Hei upstairs. Let him get familiar with your study environment.”
Qi Xinian nodded and—unusually—followed her instructions without fuss.
Though still a child, he understood decorum. Whatever tension existed between him and Ye Qingju, he wouldn’t let outsiders laugh at their family drama.
Hei Meilu’s eyes flickered subtly.
Things weren’t quite going the way he’d expected.
This woman, who was practically a background prop in the original book, seemed to have real authority in the Qi household.
He could understand Auntie Zhang being loyal to her—but even the male lead listened to her?
Looks like he’d have to revise his plan to seduce the lonely rich housewife.
Women like her—so proper on the outside—were usually the easiest to seduce and the least proper behind closed doors.
He gave Ye Qingju a smile and a small nod, inwardly confident of victory.
Once the two had gone upstairs, Ye Qingju dismissed Auntie Zhang and finished her tea alone.
Then she asked calmly in her mind:
【If I want to expel a transmigrator from this world, is killing them the only way?】
【Yes, but only after they’ve died once. That’s when the world forcibly ejects their soul and the original host of the body returns.】
【However—important note—you can’t be the one to kill him.】
As evening approached, Hei Meilu, hiding his growing impatience, continued tutoring Qi Xinian.
He’d just gotten this high-IQ body and was dying to show off his vast academic knowledge—but this little brat picked up everything instantly, giving him no chance to perform. It was boring as hell.
“Mr. Hei, you can take a break. I’ll study on my own for a bit.”
Qi Xinian didn’t even look up as he spoke, seated neatly at his kid-sized desk.
That was exactly what Hei Meilu had been waiting for.
No need to maintain his "perfect tutor" persona in front of a child.
He smiled agreeably.
“Sounds good. I’ll go downstairs for a coffee.”
He stood and walked out, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Just as he reached the stairs, he heard a violin playing from the room at the far end of the hallway.
With his cultivated knowledge, he immediately recognized the piece—it was Schindler’s List, composed by John Williams.
(t/n: The user is likely aware, but for readers unfamiliar—this mournful piece from Spielberg’s film is often used to convey profound emotional suffering.)
The music began softly and gracefully, then gradually swelled with tremolo and sorrow.
Each note shimmered with pain and resignation, radiating deep loneliness—
As if it were beckoning him to dissolve into the melancholy dusk.
Drawn like a moth to flame, Hei Meilu stepped quietly across the thick carpet, inching toward the door.
Just as his hand brushed the handle, the music stopped.
His spellbound mind snapped back to clarity—and he couldn’t resist anymore.
He pushed the door open and declared,
“That was Schindler’s List, wasn’t it? Even if you hide your true self in daily life, I can hear your loneliness in that music! Don’t bury your feelings any longer, Ye—”
He didn’t finish the last two syllables.
The person who turned around wasn’t Ye Qingju—
It was an older woman, face kind, surprised, and slightly bashful.
Auntie Zhang, the Qi family’s all-purpose housekeeper.
Her eyes welled up with emotion as she stepped forward, trembling slightly.
“Mr. Hei… You understood my music?”
“You—”
“Sorry to disturb you!”
Hei Meilu slammed the door shut so fast he stunned his own arm.
Silence.
Humiliation.
This was, without a doubt, the most humiliating moment of both his lifetimes.
Violin, a grand estate, the warm afternoon light, the mysterious room at the end of the hall...
All the classic cues—and yet, the woman behind the music wasn’t Ye Qingju?
“Achoo!”
“Huh? Who’s thinking about me?”
Down in the pigsty, Ye Qingju rubbed her nose while checking on the newly castrated piglets.
The system suddenly chirped,
【Host, I think I just heard violin music.】
She paused, listening carefully for a moment, then smirked.
“Sounds nice, doesn’t it?”
“That’s Auntie Zhang. Don’t be fooled by her appearance—she graduated from a conservatory. Plays multiple instruments. Even that picky brat Qi Weiran once praised her.”
The system gasped.
【No way! That good!? Host, won’t you learn to play too? I wanna hear you play!】
Ye Qingju gently stroked a piglet’s head.
【Please. I’m more skilled at—well, pig-related tasks. Let’s leave it at that.】
【...Could you say that a bit more elegantly? Please?】
It quickly changed the subject.
【So, have you figured out how to deal with Hei Meilu?】
Ye Qingju stood and dusted herself off, her eyes gleaming.
【Isn’t it obvious? Use someone else’s knife.】
【Tonight marks Qi Xinian’s first official day living in the Qi household. Qi Weiran’s sure to come for dinner—symbolic occasion and all. And Hei Meilu—】
She didn’t get to finish that thought.
A voice sounded behind her.
“Miss Ye, there you are at last.”
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