In the morning, at the front gate of the old Zhong house, a girl in house clothes was giving instructions to her older brother, who was about to go out.
“Gege, is everything ready?”
“Mm. There shouldn’t be anything left out.”
Zhong Xinya circled around Zhong Siji.
“I didn’t expect Gege would choose to do door-to-door housekeeping.”
Zhong Siji checked the tools once more, confirmed there was nothing wrong, and packed them all into the bag.
“I thought you would object.”
“Eh? Why would Gege think Xinya would object?”
“After all, I have to go into other people’s homes. I thought you would worry… about my safety and such.”
“Xinya will of course worry. But since it’s something Gege decided, Xinya doesn’t want to interfere with Gege’s decision either.”
“Xinya…” Zhong Siji was deeply moved.
So this is what it feels like to be supported by family?
“Then this outfit…” Zhong Siji tugged at the high collar.
Working in weather this hot while wrapped up this tightly was going to be miserable.
If only he could put back on the loose short sleeves he had picked at first.
“No!”
That figured.
This girl had always been better at talking than singing.
She had already made him change, so of course there was no reason to change back.
“Gege, please give a little consideration to Tian City’s crime rate.”
Ah?
What kind of crooked logic is that?
If I wear a loose short-sleeve shirt the crime rate goes up?
This is obviously twisting words!
Do we men still have the freedom to dress?
So angry I’m shaking and cold.
Hell is empty, and little demons walk the earth.
I cannot help but ask…
“I got it, I got it. Where would there be that many criminals? Besides, if a criminal shows up I’ll send him flying with two punches.”
Although being refused outright left him with no good comeback, did he, as the older brother, not want face?
He hurriedly threw out a fierce line to salvage a little self-respect.
“I got it~~ I got it~~ Gege is the most amazing.”
Zhong Xinya coaxed Zhong Siji the way one coaxes a child.
Did she not understand her own older brother?
After giving a club she had to give a date.
If she did not give him this step down, this old child really would get a little sulky.
Really.
Sometimes he was reliable like an adult, and sometimes he was childish like an elementary schooler.
It made a person want both to act spoiled and to dote on him.
“Then I’m heading out? At noon I should be able to come back.”
“Got it. Have a safe trip, okay? Gege!”
It kind of feels like a wife seeing her husband off.
Although the roles seem reversed, this Xinya… doesn’t mind it one bit, you know?
***
“Sibiling Studio Apartments, fifth floor, room 504, Miss Kou-Tian… mm, this is it.”
Zhong Siji wiped the fine sweat dripping from his forehead.
All the way here he did not know how many people had cast curious looks at this bizarre outfit of his, especially the women, who looked as if they were staring at some rare animal.
It was not that he discriminated against work uniforms or anything, but since there was no hard requirement to wear one, why insist on putting it on in weather this hot?
This big brother of his really had no dignity at all.
Zhong Siji sighed, took out his phone, and prepared to notify the employer to open the door through the app-encrypted employer number.
“Di-du di-du di-du~~ The number you have dialed is temporarily unanswered. Please try again later~~”
“Eh? Is she busy?” Zhong Siji called again, and again no one answered.
There was no helping it.
He could only knock.
If he could, he also did not want to knock on doors in this kind of studio apartment.
After all, it was easy to get scolded by the neighbors.
“Miss Kou-Tian? Miss Kou-Tian, are you home? I’m a staff member from Edison Housekeeping Service Network. Could I trouble you to open the door?”
***
Wu Di was woken by a burst of dull knocking and a familiar-sounding call.
The moment she opened her eyes, her head hurt fiercely.
She wanted to tell the person at the door to wait a moment, but her mouth was so dry she could not speak.
She could only force her uncomfortable body up and first pour a cup of water to moisten her throat.
Once a cup of water went down, her throat immediately felt a little better.
“Wait a moment. I’ll change. I’ll be right there.”
From the voice it was a relatively young man.
Going out to receive him wearing only a bra and big shorts was indeed a little inappropriate.
After thinking, Wu Di bent down, picked a white loose shirt that still counted as clean from the piles of clothes on the floor, and put it on, then casually scooped up a pair of shorts that could cover most of her thighs and put those on as well.
These days you had to be on guard.
If the one who came happened to have bad intentions, her reputation would still be a small matter.
She might not only lose her job but also go to jail.
What am I thinking?
The men who do this job should all be older, right?
Maybe the voice only sounds young.
Dressed, she held the wall with one hand and kicked aside the trash at her feet as she walked toward the entryway.
Even with a face as thick as hers, she could not help blushing at the trash all over the floor.
Thankfully the one coming was a man she did not know.
If her own students saw this, how humiliating would that be?
If it were Siji, he would definitely laugh at her for being this slovenly and still wanting to date.
In front of him she would not have half a shred of a teacher’s dignity left.
“Sorry, sorry for being late. The house is a bit messy. It may take some extra time. I’ll have to trouble you… ah.”
What met her eyes was that familiar face, the very one she had just been thinking would make her lose so much face if it were him.
Wu Di went completely blank on the spot.
If possible, please tell me this is a dream…
Unfortunately, it was not.
Although this employer’s voice sounded a little familiar, Zhong Siji did not think he knew any drunks.
Compared with the looks of this person who had clearly drunk herself into a blackout last night, he was still more concerned with the coming workload.
Judging from the foul alcoholic stench that rushed at his face the moment the door opened, this job was not going to be easy.
But when he truly saw the scene inside the room clearly, he still could not help drawing in a cold breath.
Clothes, pants, and skirts thrown around at random, trash bags piled into a little mountain, leftover takeout boxes, and beer bottles rolled everywhere—every last one of them was challenging his optic nerves.
This person was really slovenly.
If this pile of trash stacked up for a few more days, she would be spending her nights with rats and cockroaches.
But it was still better than those two sloppy drunks.
If she did not clean, she would at least hire someone to clean it up.
With this amount, though, one morning was definitely not enough to finish.
He would have to apologize to Xinya first.
“What’s all this about trouble or not? This is my job to begin with. Edison Housekeeping employee number 7564 is happy to serve you… ah.”
What was going on?
How did the drunk in front of him look exactly like Teacher Wu Di?
Aside from that face, there was not a trace of that kind, capable teacher to be seen.
Was he dreaming?
That was impossible.
Which meant that while he was working a side job, he had been caught by a teacher from school.
“Waaaaaah! Si… Siji?”
“Waaaaaah! Tea… Teacher Wu Di?”
All right.
That confirmed it.
This was not someone who merely looked alike.
It was one hundred percent—