Hide-and-Seek on the Estate

He had initially thought that after everything he’d been through today, his appetite would be gone.

Yet, to his surprise, he ate an exceptional amount. Perhaps it was simply due to the lavish spread of dishes.

Luxuries like lobster and crab were rarely on his plate.

Such opportunities for a free feast were exceedingly rare, so Uncle Lin naturally seized the chance to eat his fill.

With a satisfied burp, Uncle Lin’s gaze wandered among the other guests.

In a blur, he thought he spotted a familiar figure ahead.

Seated in his row, he could only catch glimpses of her hair. It was only when she made larger movements that he could discern her profile.

Upon closer inspection, the young woman appeared to be Qin Ruoxue.

He recalled her mentioning to him previously that she would be attending this very banquet.

However, with so many eyes present, he found it awkward to greet Qin Ruoxue, so he simply leaned back in his chair, resting his eyes.

Noticing that the younger guests had largely finished their meal, the head of the Xu family, seated at the main table, suddenly spoke.

“Alright, everyone has eaten enough, I presume. Let us now turn our attention to more serious matters.”

At his command, the waiting maids swiftly stepped forward, clearing the remnants from the tables. Once they had finished, the younger guests also rose from the dining area.

As a newcomer, Uncle Lin was unsure of the situation. He only remembered being led out by one of the maids.

Outside, Uncle Lin squatted before a patch of grass, glumly gazing at the sky.

The sky remained ominously dark, yet showed no sign of rain, a fact that stirred a restless itch within Uncle Lin.

Bored, he pulled out his phone, intending to play a couple of games.

Suddenly, a pair of white sneakers entered his field of vision.

He lifted his head, greeting the beautiful young woman with a wave.

“Qin Ruoxue, how was the food?”

Today, Qin Ruoxue wore an oversized black jacket, paired with black casual trousers adorned with white stripes, giving her a rather cool appearance.

Qin Ruoxue shrugged helplessly, then grabbed Lin Yi by the arm, pulling him along as she spoke.

“Were you alright earlier? It seemed like those people were looking down on you.”

Lin Yi merely offered a bitter smile in response. What could he do? He was truly penniless.

In this novel’s world, money granted one absolute power.

Seeing his troubled expression, Qin Ruoxue’s own spirits began to sink.

They walked aimlessly for a while until Qin Ruoxue paused, beginning to survey their surroundings.

Noticing her stop, Lin Yi also looked around curiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“Lin Yi, do you want to play hide-and-seek?”

“Hide-and-seek?”

Lin Yi was taken aback. It had been an awfully long time since he’d last played such a game.

Firstly, he had no time. Secondly, he no longer had the kind of close friends he used to.

After a moment of thought, Lin Yi nodded. Even though the game seemed childish, not something an adult should play, he found himself intrigued.

What else was there for him to do right now?

Rather than just sitting around playing on his phone, he much preferred the feeling of playing with a friend.

“But with just the two of us, isn’t that a bit too few?”

“Nonsense, two people can absolutely play!”

Qin Ruoxue secretly hoped it would just be the two of them playing; an extra person would only dampen her mood.

“Well… alright then…”

Unable to refuse her enthusiastic invitation, Lin Yi reluctantly agreed.

Unlike the hide-and-seek he remembered, the version he played as a child involved one seeker and several hiders.

If a hider reached the starting point before being tagged, they won.

However, in this world’s hide-and-seek, one person sought, and several hid.

Victory was only achieved by catching the hider, much like a game of tag.

If there were more players, those who were caught could also join the search.

After explaining these rules, Qin Ruoxue suggested Lin Yi try a round.

****

For the first round, Lin Yi would hide, and Qin Ruoxue would seek.

Unfamiliar with the surrounding terrain, Lin Yi quickly found a nearby spot.

He crouched behind a low-lying bush, from where he could perfectly see Qin Ruoxue standing in the distance.

Beneath his feet lay a lush green lawn, and behind him, a vibrant array of flowers bloomed.

It was evident that the owner of this place had a deep fondness for flora.

Gardens like this one were scattered throughout the entire estate.

Nervously, Lin Yi remained hidden behind the bush, occasionally peeking out to check Qin Ruoxue’s position.

By this time, she had finished counting and was now strolling leisurely along the winding path.

Fearing Qin Ruoxue might spot him, Lin Yi only watched for a brief moment before retracting his head.

He tilted his head back, gazing at the gray sky. Thick, dark clouds slowly crept across, moving in a single direction, and he wondered when the rain would finally fall.

After a while, Lin Yi cautiously peeked out again.

His vision met nothing but empty space; Lin Yi searched for a long time but couldn’t find a trace of Qin Ruoxue.

A sense of unease began to stir within him. Lin Yi stiffly turned his head to look behind him, only to find nothing there either.

‘How strange. Even without a defined boundary, Qin Ruoxue surely wouldn’t have gone that far, would she?’

What Lin Yi didn’t realize, however, was this:

From behind the very bush he was hiding in, a head suddenly popped out.

A pair of sparkling, wide eyes stared intently at Lin Yi’s back.

Qin Ruoxue had been crouching beside Lin Yi for quite some time, as his chosen hiding spot was poor from the very beginning.

She had spotted him hiding there ages ago, but to spare his feelings, she hadn’t revealed herself.

She was curious to see how long it would take this silly boy to notice her.

Unaware that he had been discovered, Lin Yi leisurely pulled out his phone and opened a game.

At this, Qin Ruoxue could no longer contain herself. She had been squatting here patiently for ages, and not only had this fellow failed to notice her, but he was now casually playing a game!

“Lin Yi~!”

The familiar voice of the young woman exploded beside his ear, making Lin Yi’s ears ring.

Instinctively, Lin Yi looked up and met a pair of resentful eyes.

“Ah, hahaha, Qin Ruoxue, when did you get here?”

“What do you think?”

Qin Ruoxue puffed out her cheeks, retorting with annoyance. She had intended to playfully tease Lin Yi, but he had unexpectedly turned the tables on her.

The more she thought about it, the angrier Qin Ruoxue became. She clenched her small fist and playfully punched Lin Yi on the head.

Wincing in pain, he clutched his head and silently stood up.

“Uh… I just thought you hadn’t found me yet, so…”

Qin Ruoxue gazed at the young man before her, her golden eyes harboring a hint of anger.

No matter how Lin Yi tried to explain, she resolved to maintain her feigned anger.

If she didn’t curb his impudence now, Lin Yi would surely do the same next time.

If, during a real game, he kept hiding in one spot and playing on his phone, it would completely ruin the fun.

With that thought in mind, Qin Ruoxue, who had only taken a couple of steps, suddenly bumped into something hard.