"Stop looking, the room isn't that big, you can't even hide in a mouse hole."
Da Bao said helpfully, wanting to save Er Bao some effort, thinking it would be better to just sit and rest instead of tiring himself out.
In the end, he would have to obediently hand over the Rubik's Cube to him anyway, so why bother with such a convoluted roundabout way?
"Mother said you can't play for such a long time," Er Bao said seriously. He had always obediently followed his mother's words.
Da Bao pressed his forehead in frustration. How did he end up with such a stubborn brother? Why couldn't he get through to him?
"Then hide it. Let's see who hides it faster and who finds it faster," Da Bao shrugged with an indifferent expression. No matter how Er Bao hid it, he was confident he could find it.
Therefore, no matter how much effort was spent, it would all be in vain. It would be better to just hand over the Rubik's Cube to him directly.
Er Bao didn't fall for Da Bao's words. He wouldn't be foolish enough to believe Da Bao again. If he didn't learn his lesson after being tricked once, then he would truly be an idiot.
Finding a relatively safe spot, Er Bao had already made up his mind. As soon as Da Bao went out, he would seize the opportunity to quickly hide the item.
For a moment, the air became a little quiet. Da Bao silently waited for Er Bao to finish hiding the item so he could reap the rewards.
Unbeknownst to him, Er Bao was also waiting for Da Bao to leave quickly so he could hide the item.
With both brothers harboring their own intentions, the situation fell into a brief stalemate. They were silently competing to see who would leave first. This continued for nearly an hour with no movement.
Finally, Cai Qing pushed open the door and walked in, indirectly ending the deadlock.
Cai Qing also sensed the strange atmosphere and her gaze darted back and forth between Da Bao and Er Bao. After a moment, she said, "Young masters, the food is ready. Madam has asked you to come and eat."
"Okay…"
The two little fellows nodded in unison, but after their voices had faded, neither of them made a move.
"Mother is calling us to eat, aren't you going?"
In terms of patience, Da Bao was lacking. He was the first to speak, admitting defeat to Er Bao.
"You go first, I'll change my clothes and then I'll go."
"I need to change too. You go first."
He wouldn't leave first. After saying that, Da Bao stood up and walked into the room. It was just a matter of waiting, so they would continue to wait.
The standoff between the two left Cai Qing in a dilemma. She had been here for so long, yet neither of them got up to follow her.
Madam must be getting anxious by now. Cai Qing helplessly spoke again, "Young masters, we need to go, otherwise Madam will be very impatient."
"Got it." Both of them still replied perfunctorily in unison, but they continued to dawdle, neither making a move to leave first.
Finally, Cai Qing could no longer wait. If they continued to stall, Madam would surely become anxious. In a situation of urgency, she had no choice but to resort to drastic measures.
"Young masters, the situation is urgent, so please forgive me."
As soon as she finished speaking, Cai Qing stepped forward, scooped up both children, one in each arm, and ran out.
Since they were both constantly yielding to each other and refusing to leave first, she had no choice but to make them leave together. This way, neither of them would be at a disadvantage.
Da Bao and Er Bao had not expected Cai Qing to do this. Their little faces immediately drooped. It seemed they would have to find another opportunity.
But next time, how could they find a suitable excuse to send the other away? It was truly vexing.
...
"Second Young Master, I've brought your medicine for today."
As per Madam's instructions, she had to deliver the medicine to the Second Young Master every noon. This added another task, and now she truly had no time to slack off.
Chu Qing only focused on placing the medicine down, then raised her eyes to survey the surroundings. She noticed that Ling Mu Zhu was nowhere to be seen. Where could a living person be at noon if not in his room?
Filled with doubt, Chu Qing searched around, calling out repeatedly towards the inner room. However, there was still no response.
Chu Qing's doubts grew even stronger. Finally, she pushed open the door and went inside. The room was empty, not even a shadow of a person. Could he really not be in the room?
Since no one knew when he would return, the medicine couldn't be drunk cold. Chu Qing hesitated for a moment, then decided to take the medicine away and place it on the stove to warm up, planning to bring it again later. She couldn't let Ling Mu Zhu drink cold medicine and hurt his stomach.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard a movement behind her. Instinctively, she turned around and saw Ling Mu Zhu emerge, his clothes disheveled.
Chu Qing let out an involuntary scream and quickly covered her eyes with both hands, stumbling as she turned away.
Ling Mu Zhu also hadn't expected Chu Qing to be there. His clothes were not properly fastened, and he had come out like this. This was truly embarrassing. He immediately began to adjust his clothes.
"Um… I didn't know you were here just now, so… so…"
It was extremely awkward. Ling Mu Zhu's face was flushed red. He hadn't expected something like this to happen. No explanation would be right at this moment; in fact, it would only make things worse.
"It's alright… I… I didn't see… didn't see anything…"
Chu Qing explained stammeringly, her heart pounding like a drum, not calming down at all.
"Then… then, the medicine… the medicine, I've left it outside. I'll… I'll be going now."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Qing, with her back to Ling Mu Zhu, hurriedly bowed and then hurried out, her steps as if something were chasing her.
In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Ling Mu Zhu, who had raised his hand high to call out to Chu Qing, finally lowered it dejectedly.
Exiting the inner room, he immediately spotted the still-warm soup medicine placed on the table. Ling Mu Zhu hesitated for a moment before picking up the bowl. Looking at the dark liquid inside, which emitted a bitter smell, he took a deep breath and drank it down in one gulp.
Instantly, a bitter taste spread throughout his mouth. It was truly awful to drink, and his brows furrowed tightly.
The effect of the eldest sister-in-law's medicine was indeed remarkable. After only drinking it for a day or two, he felt his body had improved significantly. He no longer felt as uncomfortable and weak when he woke up each morning as he used to.