The Ye Family Maid Corps’ employee dormitory complex.
This area sat roughly three hundred meters in a straight line from the villas of the Ye Family’s two eldest misses.
The distance had been carefully calculated.
On one hand, their work at the mansion wouldn’t intrude on the daily lives of the two eldest misses—the separation was far enough for that.
On the other hand, they could rush over to the villas at a moment’s notice if needed—the proximity made that possible.
It was a scientifically sound arrangement.
But honestly, Ye Zhibai had only strolled over to the dorms two or three times in total?
Even on her daily aimless walks dragging Guang Yu along, she made a point of steering clear of this area.
She just didn’t like coming here.
The reason was simple: every time she showed up, it left the newer little maids tense and jittery.
They assumed the eldest miss had come to inspect their work, and they’d stammer worse than Ye Zhibai herself.
Ah, she got it—back when she was a student, spotting the homeroom teacher out of nowhere had always given her the same hyper-nervous jitters.
The only difference was that the homeroom teacher never panicked, but Ye Zhibai did!
All of them lining up at once like that, leaving her with no clue where she should stand!
So she had resolved to visit as infrequently as possible.
The veteran staff who had worked for the Ye Family for years weren’t afraid of Ye Zhibai at all.
They knew the eldest miss was approachable, talented, and had a pleasant way of speaking.
But the new hires had no such insight.
That icy expression of hers made them think they were teetering on the edge of dismissal right after starting—terrifying!
Stepping into the area once more now brought back the exact same impression as before.
—This place didn’t look like employee dormitories at all… it resembled a tourist resort far more!
Just look at those scattered clusters of independent, low-rise courtyard homes.
Neat rows and columns, perfectly aligned.
No frills—just pristine uniformity, a testament to the Maid Corps’ disciplined ethos!
This was one of the perks the Ye Family provided to its on-duty maids.
When it came to food, clothing, housing, and transport, the Ye Family Maid Corps ranked at the absolute pinnacle of Qihai City’s job market.
Sticking to her principle of avoiding unnecessary fuss, Ye Zhibai held Yun’er’s hand this time as they slipped along the outer edge of the red-lacquered walls surrounding the courtyard dorms, keeping as low-key as possible.
Stealth was the priority, after all.
“Have you messaged Zihan?”
“I did. Told her to come out and pack some food from the kitchen—she can climb over with it…!”
“Rein in that edge of yours. Stay amiable; that’s how you keep the peace.”
“Fine… you’re right, Sister.”
“I’m not lecturing you… Sigh, anyway, we haven’t been spotted, have we?”
“Uh… well, we’ve actually been… Ahaha! No, no spotting at all! Don’t worry, Sister—you’re being so sneaky, there’s no way!”
“Good.”
Hmm… Yun’er just couldn’t bear to break the truth to her.
Sis, every maid in our family’s corps is a counter-surveillance pro. The instant we entered the dorm zone—even hugging the walls—our tracks were laid bare.
But her sister was all about subtlety! She didn’t want the spotlight, so Yun’er would play along.
The maids they passed by keenly sensed the arrival of the two eldest misses and shuddered in awe.
Yet when the Second Miss swiftly signaled for silence, they caught on quick and scurried back into their dorms.
Ah… we get it, we get it. The Eldest Miss wants to play hide-and-seek again, huh? We totally don’t see her!
The whole world knew Ye Zhibai was hiding.
Only Ye Zhibai believed her stealth was foolproof.
Such was the daily life of the Ye Family’s pampered eldest miss.
Convinced her infiltration had succeeded, Ye Zhibai peered around the red gate, poking out her little head to quietly survey the courtyard beyond.
Stealth observation mode—Ye Zhibai exclusive edition.
“Zihan must’ve gone to grab food from the kitchen… We’ve got so many maids.”
“The mansion side runs about forty strong…? Beyond cleaning and security, we’ve got computer whizzes, gardening experts—a real talent hub~”
“Nice… but why’s everyone rushing back inside?”
“This…! Lunch break must be starting soon!”
“Yeah…? That’s an early lunch break.”
Most of them caught on without a word.
That didn’t mean a couple of fresh little maids weren’t still chatting idly outdoors.
Sure enough, two who had just finished cleaning were giggling away, right on the opposite side of the gate where Ye Zhibai lurked.
Even as senior maids passing by desperately hinted for them to head inside, the pair just blinked in confusion.
Clearly, they were the earnest, slow-on-the-uptake sort.
“…Weird, why are all the seniors in such a hurry… Whatever, where were we?”
“You were sharing your impressions.”
“Oh yeah! I was saying how great it is working here! Madam Fang came back and gave everyone raises—starting pay this high, you sure it’s okay?”
“Sure is. If it’s too much, I suggest handing the extra to me.”
“No way~ Right now, I’m stuck on cleaning duty… But the Head Maid told me, with my Azure Flower University computer degree and solid foundation, if I sharpen my skills, I could move up to tech work~”
“For real? You’ve already had a one-on-one with the Head Maid?!”
“Totally, why would I lie! Bumped into her at the restaurant the day before yesterday. So commanding… no wonder she’s the gold standard of the Maid Corps; that aura!”
“So awesome, so awesome…! Sigh… my degree doesn’t line up as well. Capital University lit major— who knows what I’ll get assigned? Maybe a transfer to HQ?”
What kind of casual bragging fest was this!
Little Zhibai was stunned, confirming once more: her family’s Maid Corps was packed with monsters!
“Sigh… the pity is… three months in, and I still haven’t laid eyes on the Eldest Miss herself… Heard she came by last time, but I was on family leave that day—total miss! What a bummer! Woo… The seniors say our Eldest Miss is doll-cute~ Like the kind you just wanna scoop up and hug on sight! They call her cute but also cold and unapproachable—how’s that not contradictory?”
“Hey, hey… Careful with that talk. You know how protective the Second Miss is of the Eldest Miss? Stuff like that could get you in trouble.”
“Relax~ Second Miss isn’t here. If she were, I’d zip it, haha!”
Who’re you calling doll-like, huh!
I don’t bug you at work, and here you are ribbing me behind my back!
Well… not exactly ribbing? But why did it grate so much?!
Uh… Yun’er? Maybe unclench those fists? Your glare’s getting kinda scary?
Listen, even these little maids think the same.
“I saw the Second Miss at the last all-staff meeting… ridiculously pretty! But… she seems kinda fierce?”
“Kinda? I was in the second row—felt like crushing pressure. Could barely breathe. Seniors say she’s actually laid-back; didn’t seem that way to me…”
“Yeah, yeah. Second Miss is younger than us, but that presence? Total tiger vibes!”
“Shh…! Don’t jinx it, don’t jinx it!”
“Aw, don’t be such a scaredy-cat. Everyone says Second Miss isn’t around.”
Yun’er, easy now.
Like I said: rein in the hostility, stay amiable—that’s the mature way.
These little maids are green; they don’t know better. Can’t come down too hard.
Or else that “big tiger” label sticks for good.
Ye Zhibai silently prayed the two little maids would wrap it up and nap in their dorms already.
But no—they kept chattering!
“Still beats pacing indoors~ Manor’s air is fresh; rich folks have it made… Oh yeah! Ever hear that creepy story about the Eldest Miss from the seniors?”
“Huh? What creepy story—spill!”
“Ahem… Listen close. I heard from the seniors~ Sometimes, heading back from cleaning the Meeting Hall, they’d spot the Eldest Miss taking a solo stroll by the lake—just her!”
“What’s creepy about that? Everyone knows our Eldest Miss keeps to herself. Friends are rare for her; she’s notoriously lonesome. Woo… Thinking about it is kinda heartbreaking. No friends because back then her smarts weren’t… y’know. Anyway, Ye Family kept her under wraps for years. Nearly twenty now, and she’s barely left home.”
Ye Zhibai thought: Can’t you two pick nicer, politer topics?
“Hold on, let me finish! The creepy part isn’t her strolling solo by the lake. It’s that while walking, she’ll chat at the empty air behind her every so often!”
“?”
“Straight-up talking to nothing…! Secondhand story, so take it with salt. But that senior described it so vividly—didn’t sound made up! Not just talking—she swats at the air behind her, then winces like she smacked a rock, shaking her hand in pain. Look as close as you want: zilch there. Just air. Spooky or what!”
“Stop, stop—I hate ghost stories! Why tell ’em in broad daylight!”
“That’s exactly why—daylight makes it safe!”
“Hey, hey, hey, this topic is even more rude, you know?”
“Sorry, I really was careless sometimes while out on my strolls.”
The “air” behind me probably referred to Guang Yu.
“You can’t blame me for that! It was mostly because Guang Yu was always trailing behind me, nagging about wanting wasabi, wanting wasabi, insisting on blowing all my pocket money on wasabi. It was so infuriating that I couldn’t help but give her a hard slap across the face.”
That was the truth behind the ghost story—simple, crude, and easy to understand.
Little Zhibai decided it was better not to listen to their idle chatter anymore.
Zihan should have finished fetching lunch from the kitchen by now, right? She might as well head straight over to check—and maybe sneak a peek at whatever tasty treats were in there.
But who could have guessed…
Yun’er had beaten her to it.
Not just beaten her to it, either.
Her tone was chillingly cold.
“Sister… wait here just a moment. I have a few words to exchange with these two.”
“Hm? You…”
“Sorry, it was my negligence… I’ve left you feeling so lonely and bored all this time. To the point where Sister talks to the air out of sheer boredom… even though I’m right here at home… I deserve to die.”
“I’m done with this.”
Ye Zhibai couldn’t stop Yun’er from stepping out from the side.
After all, once Yun’er set her mind to something, she was like a raging bull—no stopping her.
Ye Zhibai shook her head speechlessly.
Just as expected, a shriek of terror rang out from the little maid.
“Se-Second Miss?! H-how… how are you here?!”
Ah… poor little maids.
Remember to find a secluded spot for your next idle chat, okay?
Otherwise, you’ll really run into the big tiger!
