For Sean, teaching someone basic knowledge was an easy task. But he was surprised at how smart Zora was—not only could she memorize things quickly, but she was also very talented and able to understand new things easily.
In just one afternoon, she had already learned half the dictionary. Sean believed she would be able to recognize all the words within two or three days.
As he watched her serious expression, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought. The more he looked at her, the more confused he felt.
Had the past sixteen years of Zora's life been truly foolish, or was she pretending? If she was really foolish, how could she possess such deep inner strength, medical knowledge, and incredible memory? But if she was pretending, her reading level was lower than that of a three-year-old.
"What about this word?"
"You're daydreaming again—keep going."
Zora waved her hand in front of Sean's eyes.
"It's been over two hours already. Let's stop for today. You should rest too."
"Are you hungry? Want to eat together?"
Sean smiled slightly but didn't voice his thoughts. Everyone had their secrets—he was no exception.
"I'm not hungry yet. Can you take off your clothes now?"
Seeing Sean look surprised, Zora quickly explained, "No, no, don't misunderstand—I want to detoxify your body. I still need to discuss the exam with my mother tonight. If I'm late, it might cause trouble."
"I think from now on, we should do this during the day—you teach me to read, I detoxify you. It's not very proper for me to sneak into your room every night."
Sean's lips curled into a soft smile. "I didn't misunderstand."
"Come with me to the inner room."
His deep voice was both calm and seductive, making Zora almost lose focus again.
She patted her cheeks quickly and followed Sean inside.
The room was Sean's resting place at the Baihui Study. It wasn't large, but it was neatly arranged with a calming scent of bamboo in the air.
Sean walked to the bed and began to undo his robe. The purple robe slipped off his shoulders, long hair falling behind him and covering just enough skin to make the scene even more tempting.
Hearing nothing from behind, Sean glanced back.
The golden glow of the sunset came through the window, casting a dreamlike light on his face, making him look almost divine.
Zora stared, frozen in place, face flushing red, heart pounding faster and faster.
"What's wrong?" Sean's smile deepened, a rare warmth showing in his cold features.
"Ah—n-nothing!"
Zora blinked nervously and stepped forward.
She grumbled silently—Sean was simply too handsome. Just a look or a small movement could leave someone dazed. He didn't even need to say anything—he was a natural charmer!
"Do you know…"
"Hm?"
"Being this handsome… is kind of against the rules."
"Pfft—"
"Hahaha—"
Sean laughed out loud.
Zora: "..."
"You think I'm handsome?"
Sean had turned his head away, so his expression wasn't visible, but from his tone, it was clear—he wasn't angry.
"Be more confident. Don't say 'think'—I am handsome."
The smile on Sean's face grew even brighter. He had never cared much about his appearance. In fact, he had often been troubled by it. But this was the first time he felt glad—glad that she liked good-looking men, and that he looked like this…
Zora sat cross-legged on the bed, and Sean stayed quiet.
Her cool hands touched his back, making him shiver slightly. Then a warm energy flowed into him, and both closed their eyes.
Half an hour later.
Zora finished and flopped onto the bed.
"So tired…"
"Rest a bit. I'll go arrange dinner."
Sean got dressed and glanced at her with a hint of concern. He called out, "Nat, go to Yue Lai Restaurant and bring back a few signature dishes. Make sure to get extra meat."
"Yes, I'll go right away."
Nat was briefly surprised. His young master usually avoided meat, but he didn't dare question and quickly left.
As Nat reached the first floor, Lillian hurried over to ask about the situation. The young master and Zora had been alone for the whole afternoon—how could she not be worried? Especially with Zora's wild reputation. If any rumors spread, it could ruin Sean's name.
"How did it go?"
Nat shook his head. "The young master told me to get takeout from Yue Lai. I'll be back soon."
Lillian nodded and let him go, rubbing her hands nervously as she paced.
"This lamb is amazing! The fish is great too! And the pork—so delicious! Oh, and this one…"
Zora was eating with her mouth full, even grabbing food for Sean.
Every time she ate, she felt like she was in heaven. Since arriving in this world, she'd had hot, tasty food every day—it was the best!
"If you like it, eat more," Sean said with a smile, still eating slowly. This was their first meal together, and he found Zora very cute. Watching her eat even made him feel hungrier.
After dinner, Zora said goodbye to Sean and returned to the mansion with Lisa.
By the time they arrived, it was around 7 p.m.
"You're finally back, Miss. The Madam is waiting in the study. Please follow me."
As soon as Zora stepped out of the carriage, she was led to Madam Bai's study.
Zora felt a bit nervous. She knew she was at fault for what happened with the tutor earlier.
"Greetings, Mother."
Zora bowed politely, looking very obedient.
"So you still remember to come home. Have you had dinner?"
Madam Bai glanced at her daughter. Seeing her so well-behaved, her anger eased.
"I studied today, used my brain a lot, got very hungry, so I ate before coming back."
"Oh? And what kind of studying was that? The tutor left angry again today. Tell me how you studied."
Madam Bai snorted coldly.
Zora didn't hide anything. She explained how she overslept, missed the tutor, went to the study hall hoping to find another teacher, ran into Sean, and how he agreed to teach her. She even described how clever she was and how much she learned.
Now Madam Bai was the surprised one. "So you're saying, the young master from the Grand Tutor's family is teaching you to read and write?"
Zora nodded, then casually poured herself and Madam Bai some tea.
"You really are something—coming up with such an idea."
Zora: "..."
"I heard that Sean is extremely talented, but unfortunately born a man. Otherwise, he'd be a top scholar. If he's willing to teach you, that's good."
"Being close helps win the heart. It was a good thing the tutor left today."
Madam Bai completely ignored Zora's claims of brilliance and focused only on what seemed to be a budding romance—and a perfect son-in-law within reach.