Chapter Ninety-Four: Of Course I Have to Help My Lord With His Back Scrub
The timeline slightly rewinds.
At this very moment, while Young Master Sang was tragically accompanying the young lady, Hua Jianglian, in her boudoir to read comics…
Master Yu Xia, after a day’s labor, had finally arrived at her bedside.
The moonlight streamed in through the window as Yu Xia gazed at her battered hands, feeling a bitter silence descend upon her.
… It had indeed been many years since she last cooked.
In fact, she could hardly remember how many years had passed. Even chopping vegetables felt a bit awkward now.
She had cut her fingers multiple times, leaving them full of wounds and dripping blood.
It seemed she had long grown accustomed to relying on her spiritual power for everything. Even if she needed to chop vegetables, it was just a matter of a thought.
Now that her spiritual power was lost, Yu Xia suddenly realized that she couldn’t even handle the most mundane task of cooking.
It felt as if overnight, she had become useless.
And it wasn’t just about cooking.
Washing the dishes in icy water felt like torture. By the time she finished, her hands were bright red and stiff, and her skin was cracking.
After so many years, her skin, pampered and protected by spiritual energy, had grown a bit spoiled.
Even the simplest of tasks felt unbearable.
Besides, Yu Xia knew this was only the beginning.
She would probably have to endure this kind of life every day.
What would tomorrow bring? She glanced outside with a hint of worry.
——
——
The next morning, Yu Xia was awoken by the moist tongue of a cat licking her cheek.
At first, she was a bit irritable, wanting to swat the annoying cat away.
But as her mind cleared a little, she suddenly realized the time.
… Oh no.
She had overslept.
If she didn’t cook soon, she wouldn’t have time to make breakfast.
In a rush, she got up, barely having time to do more than a hasty wash before diving into the kitchen to prepare.
She hadn’t anticipated that she would adapt to this role so quickly.
Yet, one thing was clear in Yu Xia’s mind.
That was, everyone in the house despised her.
Yan Rouwan was discarded by her own hand.
Si Jingzhu hated her to the bone.
Shi Qingyan might be the only one who held no real grudge against her, but now she had completely succumbed to Young Master Sang’s whims.
They had all been part of the Water Moon Sect.
But in the Sang family now, they probably all wished for her to live a life worse than death.
Yu Xia knew that any mistakes she made could become an excuse for them to attack her.
In the end, what awaited her would be endless mockery and bullying.
So despite not having experienced such a miserable early rise in years, Yu Xia gritted her teeth and started preparing breakfast.
About half an hour later, Young Master Sang finally emerged from his room, stifling yawns.
“Good morning…”
“Good morning, my lord. Breakfast is ready.”
Sang Zhe looked at her in a daze for a moment, finally realizing she was referring to him.
“Uh, oh, I see…”
Seeing Yu Xia’s respectful demeanor as she kept her head bowed, Sang Zhe felt a bit out of place.
This was the same Master Yu Xia who stood tall and righteous even in prison.
Who would have thought she would bow down to reality so quickly?
After a while, Shi Qingyan and Si Jingzhu also got up, while Yan Rouwan came over after dressing up to join in on the breakfast and pet the cat.
Breakfast was nothing extravagant: just simple stir-fried cabbage, millet porridge, and steamed buns.
But warm and cozy, it made it hard to find fault.
Sang Zhe just wanted someone to cook for him. So with food in his belly, he happily prepared to head to work.
Only Si Jingzhu frowned, chewing on the bun for a long time before squeezing out a single line:
“The bun’s too spicy! Disgusting!”
Yu Xia: “?”
But she didn’t dare retort, only lowering her head, saying meekly:
“This servant knows she’s wrong…”
Seeing her like this, Si Jingzhu couldn’t find any further excuse to continue her assault, so she moodily turned her head and huffed.
Of course, she wasn’t satisfied with just letting Yu Xia lounge around comfortably as a maid.
She had to concoct some trouble, making Yu Xia’s days less than pleasant.
Just wait and see. She glared at Yu Xia in frustration.
And Yu Xia wasn’t stupid.
She could tell Si Jingzhu was deliberately stirring up trouble.
With her years of experience as Sect Leader, she felt handling an inexperienced young girl would be a piece of cake.
She was confident that as long as she kept her temper in check, Si Jingzhu wouldn’t be able to find trouble with her.
Thus, even when Si Jingzhu tried to provoke her without reason, Yu Xia remained calm and soft-spoken, always managing to apologize.
She made sure to never give her an opportunity to strike.
The battle between the two began the moment Sang Zhe stepped out the door for work.
——
——
Of course, Sang Zhe was completely oblivious to this.
As a corporate slave, every day was just the same three-point line, as long as it wasn’t the weekend.
Clocking in at work, goofing off, visiting Yan Rouwan’s office to play with the cat, then before clocking out, cleaning the Sect Leader’s room and keeping her company while reading comics.
After a long day filled with weariness but fulfillment, he stepped into the house again against the backdrop of the setting sun.
“I’m back—”
He hadn’t even finished speaking when he saw Yu Xia already standing respectfully at the door, bowing.
“My lord, you’ve had a hard day. The hot water is ready, you can soak whenever you wish.”
“Ah, oh…”
To be honest, he was still a bit unaccustomed.
Previously, this position was always occupied by his dear wife, who sweetly called him husband with doting eyes.
Now that it was replaced by Yu Xia, Sang Zhe always felt a bit awkward.
But her attitude was indeed sincere, and he couldn’t fault her, so he reluctantly changed clothes and walked into the bathroom, prepared to take a bath.
As he comfortably settled into the tub, Sang Zhe contentedly burped.
Outside, from behind the screen, Yu Xia’s voice came through:
“How’s the water temperature, my lord? Do you need me to add more hot water?”
“Ah… Yes. Add a little more.”
Yu Xia gracefully carried the hot water, pouring it along the edge of the tub.
It seemed she wasn’t too used to these caring actions; her movements felt a bit stiff.
And now that she was just a mortal, carrying a big bucket of hot water made a few beads of sweat form on her fair neck.
She awkwardly turned her gaze away, trying not to look at Sang Zhe soaking in the tub.
Sang Zhe felt it was quite awkward and embarrassing to be watched by a one-hundred-year-old aunt while bathing.
However.
One person didn’t think so.
Hiding at the bathroom door and secretly peeking inside, Si Jingzhu’s eyes glinted with mischief.
Moments later, just as Yu Xia finished pouring the hot water and was about to take her leave, a delicate voice floated in:
“Hey, don’t rush off.”
“As the maid to my lord, don’t you think pouring hot water is just checking one box off your to-do list?”
Not only did Sang Zhe stare dumbly, but Yu Xia also stammered for a long time before softly asking:
“Miss, what else does this servant need to do—”
“My lord is soaking.”
“As a maid, of course you should help my lord scrub his back!” A wicked smile flashed across Si Jingzhu’s face like a little demon.
Yu Xia: “… Huh?”
Sang Zhe: “… Huh?”
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