Chapter 6: An Awkward Coexistence

Watching the somewhat strained exchange between Qingyun and Yueli, Huang Liang, who stood to one side, slowly let out a sigh.

He stepped forward, his voice gentler now, yet still carrying an indisputable note of persuasion.

“Young Miss, please do not be willful.” He bowed slightly, his tone respectful but firm.

“No matter what, you are still the Bai Residence’s only young miss. If you do not even have a maid at your side to attend you, then should word of it spread, it would reflect poorly on the Bai Residence’s dignity and on the Master’s reputation alike.”

He paused briefly, then looked calmly into Yueli’s golden eyes and continued in an even voice, “Surely... you would not wish for the Master to grow angry over this?”

As he spoke, he bent down and picked up a small shoe that had fallen beside the bed. His movements were natural as he slipped it onto Yueli’s foot and carefully tied the laces.

The posture was not entirely that of master and servant. Instead, it faintly carried the carefulness and helplessness of an elder tending to a younger generation.

Qingyun watched silently from the side, a trace of puzzlement passing through her heart.

Steward Huang’s attitude toward this Eldest Young Miss, who did not bear the Bai surname, seemed rather complicated. There was surface-level respect, and there was unmistakable distance, yet hidden beneath it all seemed to be the faintest trace of... protectiveness.

She suppressed the question in her heart and revealed none of it.

When Yueli heard the words “the Master,” her tightly pressed lips moved ever so slightly. Her long silver lashes lowered, concealing whatever emotion lay in her eyes.

She did not argue again, merely allowing Huang Liang to finish putting on her shoes. Then she gave the faintest nod, scarcely perceptible, which counted as permission for Qingyun to remain.

Seeing the matter more or less settled, Huang Liang seemed to relax a little.

He softly said a few words to reassure Yueli, then turned and walked out of the room. At the same time, he beckoned to Qingyun, signaling for her to follow. Clearly, he still had a few things to tell her in private.

Qingyun did not dare delay. She quickly forced as friendly a smile as she could onto her face for Yueli, who still wore a tense little expression and no emotion at all, then hurried after him.

The courtyard was overgrown with wild grass and felt even lonelier than the room within.

Huang Liang stopped beneath the corridor some distance from the door, turned to look at Qingyun, and spoke without preamble.

“There are some things I may as well say plainly to you. In this enormous Bai Residence, at present, I am probably the only one left who can still exchange a few words with the Young Miss and have her reluctantly listen to one or two of them.”

His gaze swept over the ruined courtyard, and he lowered his voice.

“Her status... is somewhat unusual. She is not favored in this residence, and she has spent years living alone in a place like this. It is only natural that her temperament should be somewhat withdrawn. One might even say she has certain flaws. In the future, when you get along with her, you must be more patient. In all things, indulge her a little. Do not oppose her lightly.”

Qingyun listened carefully and nodded. “Qingyun understands. Thank you for your guidance, Steward Huang.”

She knew very well that she was nothing more than a newly arrived maid whose indenture contract was firmly in others’ hands. For Huang Liang to tell her even this much already counted as a rare kindness, regardless of whether some other motive lay behind it.

Huang Liang then briefly explained the rules and locations for collecting meals each day and requesting supplies. After that, he did not stay long, but turned and left the remote courtyard.

Watching his back disappear beyond the moon gate, Qingyun stood alone in the desolate courtyard, feeling somewhat lost for a moment.

The road ahead seemed clear enough—she was to care for a girl imprisoned in this place.

And yet it was also utterly obscure—that girl was the future avenger, and Qingyun’s mind now held an incomprehensible “system” as well.

She rubbed at her temple.

Counting the years of her previous life, she was nearly forty years old already, yet at this moment she felt a deep helplessness.

In her previous life, she had been an only child, and her work environment had been simple. She had had almost no experience dealing with children.

After transmigrating, the son of this world’s parents—her nominal younger brother—had never shown her a pleasant face either, always barking orders at her whenever he pleased.

She truly did not understand what these half-grown children were thinking, especially a child like Yueli, whose background was complicated and whose temperament was obviously far from ordinary.

“Ah... I will just take it one step at a time,” she murmured softly to herself.

At the very least, that newly activated “system” was like a lifeline, letting her glimpse a sliver of change amid her despair.

Still, this was not the time to study it. She would have to wait until night, when she was alone, and examine it slowly then.

As for now, she had to do the work in front of her first. She could not take those five silver coins in monthly wages for nothing.

With that thought, Qingyun took a deep breath and turned back toward the doorway.

She did not enter rashly. Instead, she stood outside the threshold and spoke softly to the silver-haired figure still seated on the edge of the bed with her side turned toward the door.

“In that case, Young Miss, Qingyun will begin by tidying the courtyard, all right? The weeds in the yard should be cleared, and the stone path ought to be swept as well.”

The room remained quiet for a moment before Yueli’s cold voice came from within, carrying obvious rejection.

“Hmph. Do as you like. But you are not allowed to enter my room.”

Qingyun endured it patiently. Thinking of the girl’s fearsome reputation in the future, she tried her best to make her tone sound calm and reasonable.

“But, Young Miss, there is quite a lot of dust in the room as well. If it were cleaned properly, you would live more comfortably. And besides... this servant must have somewhere to rest at night, must she not? I saw a small side room in the inner chamber...”

She remembered catching a glimpse of it when she first entered. There was a small room separated by a cloth curtain inside the main chamber. It was usually a place where a maid on night duty might rest for a while. Though cramped, it was still better than sleeping out in the courtyard.

Who would have thought that Yueli’s attitude would be so unyielding, almost carrying the stubbornness of a child?

“That side room is none of my concern. But if you dare enter my room, then leave at once.”

Qingyun was struck speechless.

Only now did she fully understand how those maids and servant women sent here before her had ended up unable to continue.

Faced with a “mistress” who refused to let you enter her living space and resisted even the most basic daily service, there was simply no way to begin this job.

It was not a matter of whether the work was hard or not. It was that even the beginning was difficult.

A wave of irritation mixed with helplessness rose in her heart.

Looking at that small, tightly drawn figure inside the room, thinking of the future danger she had been forced into, and of how badly this beginning had already gone, she unconsciously muttered under her breath,

“She is really hard to serve...”

“Ah... that is bad.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Qingyun froze solid.

“How did I say what I was thinking out loud?”

She hurriedly looked up, only to meet Yueli’s gaze. At some point, the girl had already turned around and was now looking toward the doorway.

Those brilliant golden eyes had widened slightly. Clearly reflected within them were Qingyun’s panicked face and a trace of... disbelief?

The air seemed to freeze.

Qingyun opened her mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to salvage the situation, yet not a single word came out. All she could feel was the corner of her mouth twitching uncontrollably.