Ye Wen propped her chin on her hand, gazing absently out the window at an oriole perched on a branch. The little bird, with its bead-like black eyes, nimbly preened its feathers while scanning its surroundings.

"Miss, time for dinner~" Shuizishi's voice snapped Ye Wen back to reality. When she looked again, the oriole had vanished without a trace.

After dinner, Shuizishi busied herself clearing the tableware. Ye Wen soaked comfortably in the bathtub. By the time she emerged, the little maid had already mopped the floors and tidied the entire house spotless.

*"Whoever marries you will be truly blessed."*

Ye Wen surveyed the immaculate room and sighed inwardly—her heartfelt remark, of course, was written on paper.

"Eh, it's nothing much," Shuizishi replied with a faint blush, smiling. "Truth is, I adore you even more, Young Miss!"

Ye Wen froze, her cheeks flushing slightly. She then shut her bedroom door firmly.

"Haha, Young Miss, don't be shy!"

Naturally, there was no reply. The maid undressed and slipped into the bathtub. Her weary body instantly relaxed under the warm water.

A top-tier laptop sat on the bedroom desk—costly for its time, boasting specs years ahead of the mainstream. Yet the game Ye Wen had played before remained utterly unsearchable online, as if it had never existed.

She scrolled through web pages and finally found this year's new release: Lineage II. Back in the day, it had reigned for years with peak-tier graphics!

Days passed at home. Ye Wen refused Shuizishi's daily help with morning wash-ups, insisting on doing it herself. But each time, she'd just hastily wipe her face with a towel.

"Young—Miss!" One Monday morning, Ye Wen had risen unusually early for school and the flag-raising ceremony. She was casually dabbing her face with a towel when Shuizishi, standing by the door, caught the whole scene.

"Young Miss! How many times must I say this? Girls' skin is delicate—especially your cheeks! Cheeks! Understand? Keep moisture on the surface. Pat gently with a sponge. And no facial cleanser again? Ugh! Such a pretty face will ruin itself at this rate!" Shuizishi ranted on while Ye Wen watched her, eyelids drooping. "No more! I'll wash your face from now on. You can't take care of yourself at all!"

Ignoring Ye Wen's protests, Shuizishi washed her face. Ye Wen, weaker in strength, reluctantly gave in.

Afterward, Ye Wen pouted like a wronged little wife.

"Young Miss, it's all for your own good... Honestly, you're hopeless at self-care..."

*"We agreed I'd do it myself."*

"You do it poorly! Promise you'll follow my method then."

*"So troublesome."*

"Then I'll do it for you."

Ye Wen shook her head vigorously.

"Follow my method."

Ye Wen nodded in surrender once more.

"Good girl~"

After breakfast, Shuizishi tied Ye Wen's hair into twin ponytails and clipped on a cute white bow. Once dressed simply, they headed to school together.

"I'm heading home," Shuizishi waved at the school gate.

Ye Wen waved back, bidding farewell before stepping onto campus again.

Nearly two weeks had passed since the incident. News of Ye Wen's kidnapping had died down, fading from classmates' after-school gossip.

"Wenwen~!" Jin Jing, seated at her desk, cried out in delight. "You're finally back!"

Ye Wen nodded.

Jin Jing rushed over, hugging Ye Wen tightly and patting her up and down. "Are you okay?"

Ye Wen shook her head.

"Wenwen! I've missed you so much! Did you miss me?" Lu Yu's voice called out unmistakably.

Ye Wen shook her head again.

"Ugh—how cruel! You didn't miss me at all!"

"Hehe~!" Jin Jing covered her mouth, giggling. "Lu Yu hasn't copied your homework for two weeks. She's dying without you."

Ye Wen set down her bag, pulled out a sticky-note pad and pen, and scribbled: *"You just miss the homework."*

"Ahem, that's just one reason!" Lu Yu coughed, flustered.

Qiu Yi stole a glance at Ye Wen, his face reddening as he recalled leaning against her that day—her soft body, the sweet milky scent clinging to her.

*"Morning."* Ye Wen tore off a sticky note and slapped it onto Qiu Yi's forehead—the pad had adhesive backing.

"Ah... morning..." Qiu Yi mumbled, using the note's removal to hide his flushed face. He turned to the window, pretending to admire the view.

Lu Yu subtly leaned away, spotting Qiu Yi's crimson cheeks.

"What's so funny?" Jin Jing asked, puzzled.

Lu Yu pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh, and pointed at Qiu Yi's face with her other hand.

"He's blushing," Jin Jing stated.

"Hm?" Ye Wen tilted her head, leaning forward to inspect Qiu Yi's face.

Qiu Yi craned his neck like a goose, desperate to hide his blush from Ye Wen.

"What are y—" He turned, only to find a small, expressionless face inches away. Her bright, spirited eyes radiated pure confusion.

"Eh?!" Qiu Yi yelped, jerking backward and tumbling to the floor.

Ye Wen peered down at him, bewildered by his antics. She reached out to feel his forehead but stopped when he scrambled away.

*"Fever?"* She handed him a note.

"N-no... ahem, I mean... can you still not speak?" Qiu Yi stammered, steering the topic away.

Ye Wen's head drooped slightly, her mood dimming.

"Huh? Little Wenwen can't talk?" Lu Yu gasped in shock.

"What's wrong, Wenwen?" Jin Jing asked worriedly.

They'd assumed Ye Wen was just playfully silent, writing notes for fun. Now they realized it was serious.

"Hm..." Ye Wen bit her lip, then wrote simply on the paper: *"Aphasia."*

The two girls exchanged confused glances before turning to Qiu Yi—he seemed to know the truth.