TIMO - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was two in the afternoon. In the current timeline, Fu Zhao had just graduated and didn't have a formal job, only helping with some trivial matters on the island. She had gotten back and finished tidying up when it was almost dawn yesterday, so naturally, she had slept in.

So, when Shi Nan said she was an early riser, she was obviously being sarcastic.

Fu Zhao froze for a few seconds upon hearing this, then stumbled in the next moment, frantically and almost tumbling down the stairs.

Luckily, she regained her balance a second later, but not before hearing a stifled, trembling laugh from the sofa.

Amidst the faint sound of laughter.

Fu Zhao descended the stairs with a composed expression, as if her heart hadn't skipped a beat. She went to the kitchen, took the meal out of the warming cabinet, and sat down at the dining table.

"Has Miss Shi eaten?" Fu Zhao couldn't help but ask. It had been a habit of hers since childhood to ask anyone present before a meal. "If you haven't..."

"I have. I ate lunch with Auntie Fu." Shi Nan casually flipped a page in her book. Her slender, fair fingers looked even paler under the sunlight streaming through the window. "Those prawns were quite good. You can have some more. I remember you're not allergic to seafood."

Fu Zhao's hand, holding her chopsticks, paused. She didn't understand why, after just one night, Shi Nan's "Island Master Fu" had become "Auntie Fu"; nor did she understand why Shi Nan would "remember" that she wasn't allergic to seafood.

But before she could voice these two questions, there was something else she was more curious, more desperate to know.

She closed her eyes and took a light breath to calm herself. When she opened them again, her gaze was steady. "May I ask, Miss Shi... why are you in my house right now?"

"And, why is Miss Shi wearing my clothes?"

"Pfft-"

Shi Nan couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes overflowing with amusement as she looked at Fu Zhao. She couldn't be blamed; it was just that Fu Zhao's attempt to act all serious despite clearly finding the situation strange was just too funny.

Unsurprisingly, after asking the question, Fu Zhao's ears instantly turned red again, several shades redder than the braised prawns in her bowl.

"I'm at your house because Auntie Fu invited me for lunch. She said I was in an unfamiliar place and could come over for meals whenever it was time, that I didn't need to be polite."

"As for wearing your clothes..." Shi Nan paused deliberately, closing the book in her hands. She waited until Fu Zhao looked over with questioning eyes before a subtle smile touched her lips and she continued, "I lost all my previous luggage. Auntie Fu said you and I are similar in height, so she gave me two sets of your clothes. If the Little Island Master minds, I can take them off right now."

Shi Nan said this, but she remained seated on the sofa, not moving an inch, showing no intention of changing her clothes.

Fu Zhao paused for a few seconds, her gaze sweeping over Shi Nan's long, straight legs before quickly looking away. She stared at the braised prawns in her bowl and said, "I don't mind. The temperature on the island varies greatly between day and night. It can get a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings. Miss Shi can buy some thicker clothes. You can go home now and have Xiao An order some for you; they can be delivered by tonight."

"It was my oversight. I neglected to arrange a housekeeping robot for Miss Shi. I'll contact a housekeeping company after I finish eating. That way, Miss Shi won't have to worry about dinner tonight."

It wasn't that she hadn't arranged it; rather, the original host had intended for Shi Nan to eat at her house all along. Fu Zhao, on the other hand, had completely forgotten about the matter and thus hadn't made any arrangements.

Shi Nan seemed to have expected her to say this. She casually placed the book on the table, tilted her head, and stared at Fu Zhao for a good while. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, but in the end, she didn't speak.

Fu Zhao grew flustered under her gaze, her hands faltering. After much thought, she added, "Of course, if Miss Shi would like to be a guest in my home, or have a meal, you are naturally welcome."

"Mhm~ Auntie Fu said the same thing this morning. In that case, I'll thank the Island Master and the Little Island Master in advance. Of course, once I'm settled, I won't trouble the Little Island Master forever."

Only then did Shi Nan retract her gaze, satisfied. She stood up from the sofa and began to stroll leisurely, examining the living room's decor, sculptures, and pottery. "The Little Island Master shouldn't mind me looking at these things, right?"

Fu Zhao followed Shi Nan's gaze and shook her head gently. "Not at all. Please, feel free, Miss Shi."

"These items are nothing special. If Miss Shi likes them, I can have some sent to your house today. If looking at them can lift your spirits, I would be honored."

Clearly, Fu Zhao was still worried about Shi Nan attempting to jump into the sea last night.

To this day, Shi Nan had not explained her reasons for doing so, just as Fu Zhao had not explained why she hadn't recognized Shi Nan at first.

They couldn't be completely honest with each other right now; they could only continue to probe.

They were like two people dancing the tango. They trusted each other the most, yet the secrets they most wanted to uncover were the ones the other held deepest.

"These vases, and these teapots and teacups... are they all made by that pottery blogger on StarNet, Ning Si?"

Shi Nan stopped in front of a row of vases by the window. They were all in soft, pinkish hues, shaped into various pouting expressions, and held roses of different colors.

"Yes, they are. I didn't expect Miss Shi to know this blogger as well."

A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Zhao's eyes. She cleared the finished dishes and placed them in the dishwasher, asking casually, "Mother loves roses, so we keep a lot of vases at home. She's very fond of these little vases with their designs. We both find them very cute. I'm surprised Miss Shi knows of her?"

"Yes, I do."

Shi Nan's gaze shifted from the vases and landed lightly on Fu Zhao. "I just didn't expect these little knick-knacks to be placed among the Little Island Master's many priceless paintings and sculptures."

Fu Zhao's steps faltered for a moment. She met Shi Nan's luminous eyes and smiled. "How could anyone dislike such cute vases?"

"At least, compared to those famous paintings and sculptures, I prefer the one-of-a-kind pottery pieces made by Ning Si. After all, in an age of machine-made crafts, it's very rare to find someone who loves making things by hand."

"If Miss Shi likes them, you can take a few back with you."

Shi Nan raised her eyes in surprise, her long lashes fluttering as she blinked. She looked at Fu Zhao with a slight curve to her brows. "Seeing how much the Little Island Master likes them, and since they're one-of-a-kind, you're still willing to part with them for me?"

"Please don't be polite, Miss Shi." Fu Zhao's tone was gentle. "After all, you are Nanke Island's most honored guest. This small gift is nothing. As long as you like it."

"Although 'Miss Stone' has now become Shi Nan, and I don't know why we met under such circumstances, it's still as I said: whether you're 'Miss Stone' or Shi Nan, I hope you can be comfortable on the island."

Of course, Shi Nan could comfortably stay on the island for a month and then leave.

And she, in turn, could finally be at ease and forget that heart-wrenching ending that pricked her whenever she thought of it.

"Nanke Island's most honored guest..."

Shi Nan lowered her eyes, repeating the phrase softly before raising the corners of her lips into a smile. "No, thank you. Since the Little Island Master likes them so much, I won't deprive you of your hobby."

As she spoke, she tilted her head, and the long hair from her side part fell forward, blocking the light from the side and hiding her expression. "Besides, I'm not particularly fond of them."

"And that Ning Si hasn't made any new pieces in a long time. I'd rather not steal what you love."

"Didn't she just release a new piece two weeks ago? I remember she updates about once every two or three weeks." Fu Zhao replied subconsciously, but Shi Nan's tone was so certain that she wasn't sure what was going on.

"Is that so?"

Shi Nan asked back. After a moment's pause, she realized and smiled. "Ah, yes. Perhaps I misremembered."

"Yes, you probably did."

Fu Zhao raised her hand to look at the watch on her wrist. The black band and face looked almost identical to Shi Nan's. At that thought, she immediately dropped her hand and cleared her throat unnaturally. "If Miss Shi has no plans this afternoon, please feel free to do as you wish. I have to go-"

"Number Ten~~ play the recording Auntie Fu left for the Little Island Master."

Before she could finish, Shi Nan called out. The smart speaker placed in the middle of the row of vases lit up, and a voice almost identical to Fu Zhao's sounded out, "Of course, Miss Shi Nan."

Fu Zhao froze, feeling her ears begin to burn again. The heat instantly made her head buzz and her palms start to sweat.

She had no idea how secretly sentimental the original host was to have set the voice of the smart speaker and home control system she planned to give Shi Nan to her own. Fortunately, she had discovered the voice setting on this speaker and control unit earlier and had someone change it in time, also bringing the speaker back to her own house.

But she never expected that the place she had casually put it would be discovered by Fu Wanqing, who was now using it all the time.

And now, even "Number Ten's" original intended owner-Shi Nan-knew about it.

And she also knew that "Fu Zhao" had sentimentally named this smart speaker "Number Ten." A smart speaker with a voice identical to Fu Zhao's, named "Number Ten," whose original owner was "Shi Nan."

It was a gift that was now just embarrassing for the current Fu Zhao. Unwrapped, it revealed nothing but awkwardness.

"Zhaozhao~ Nannan just arrived, so take her around the island today to get familiar with the place, okay~ You don't need to come to the office, and don't let me find out you didn't take Nannan out, or I won't let you in the house tonight~~ Oh, right, there's an island-wide flower-throwing parade today. You can take Nannan to see it."

Who gets threatened by their parents with being locked out of the house at twenty-two?

Fu Zhao pressed her forehead, trying her best to maintain a calm exterior as she listened impassively to Fu Wanqing's recording.

The air fell silent after the recording finished.

Shi Nan didn't speak, merely wandering around the living room at a leisurely pace, the soft slap of her slippers echoing. She then cast a seemingly casual glance over, her slightly curved eyes holding a hint of schadenfreude, as if to say, "I never thought the self-reliant Little Island Master was still a child who has to obediently listen to her parents."

"Well..."

Fu Zhao pressed her lips together, racking her brain before forcing out, "Miss Shi must have been so tired yesterday. You probably want to rest at home today, right?"

"I..."

As she spoke, she grabbed her jacket, wanting to flee the scene of the crime as quickly as possible. Fu Wanqing was probably just bluffing anyway; she wouldn't really lock her out.

"I'm not tired."

Before Fu Zhao could finish her sentence, find an excuse, or even walk out the door, Shi Nan spoke, cutting her off. She leaned languidly against the doorframe, her long, fair arm blocking Fu Zhao's chest. She winked, her lashes curling up, the light in her eyes dancing with a hint of slyness.

"No matter how tiring it was, it can't compare to how tired the Little Island Master must be after dropping me off, settling in a drunk Auntie Fu..."

"And then coming back to the entrance of Building 2 in the middle of the night to install an alarm and fix the streetlights."

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