Chapter 93: Maid

After returning from the trip, their days settled back into a steady, peaceful routine.

Neither Sheng Shubai nor Lu Jia lacked property under their names, but they still planned to move into the new house that both sets of parents had jointly purchased.

The new house was a small villa not far from C University.

They intended to live there for two years, until Lu Jia graduated from C University.

From design to decoration, they put a lot of thought into it.

According to Lu Jia and Sheng Shubai’s vision, the entire three-story building was designed as a printmaking studio, with a dedicated storage room set aside for Sheng Shubai’s various watercolor paints.

When designing the soft furnishings, they deliberately hung their works from over the years on the walls.

Sheng Shubai brought a print from her family home in Z City, one from before she turned eighteen. She originally wanted to hang it in a more obscure corner, but Lu Jia refused and insisted on placing it in the most prominent spot in the center of the wall.

Below it, a small wooden plaque served as a platform, holding the wood carving pair that she had promised to give Sheng Shubai for New Year’s—the likenesses of the two of them.

The new house was ready to move into, and today was moving day.

Early in the morning, as they prepared to leave the apartment in the neighborhood, Lu Jia felt a rare twinge of reluctance and let out a soft sigh.

Sheng Shubai was right there with her, helping sort through the study.

They could leave the daily necessities behind, but Lu Jia wanted to take many of her books and small items.

Though they were all odds and ends, quite a few of the wood carvings she had made to pass the time featured intricate details, held together only by the wood itself—one mishandling and they could break.

Afraid the movers might damage them, they decided to pack them up first.

Hearing the girl sigh, Sheng Shubai raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Unwilling to live with me?”

Though it was a question, the teasing glint in her eyes was unmistakable.

How could Lu Jia be unwilling?

Though they had practically been living together before, they still had to coordinate each night—whether to stay in the neighborhood apartment or go to the nearby C University place, which had a double bathtub big enough for both of them.

Now, things were different.

They had a fixed home.

The word “home,” like “wife,” held a special place in Lu Jia’s heart.

Every time she thought about how Sheng Shubai would soon be her fiancée, and then her wife, a trickle of sweetness welled up in her chest.

She shook her head and smiled. “I was just thinking about how we first moved here last year. It’s been less than a year, and now we’re… getting engaged.”

In worldly terms, the time wasn’t long.

Some people’s ambiguous flirtations or secret crushes might last several times longer than the time they had known each other.

But for them, so much had happened in between.

So much that their lives had long since grown accustomed to each other’s presence, and they were fully prepared to spend the rest of their lives together.

Lu Jia explained earnestly, softening Sheng Shubai’s expression.

They didn’t stop their work, moving several layers of books from the outer bookshelf into storage boxes. What remained were the drawers and cabinets.

“Lu Jia, this is…?”

Lu Jia was securing several wood carvings from the display cabinet into acrylic boxes when she heard Sheng Shubai call her. She turned to see the woman holding a fairly substantial packaging box.

It was the necklace she had asked Qin Yuan to buy for her earlier.

Luxury brands loved their layers of packaging, and even for a single necklace, the box was conspicuously large.

The outer box bore the brand logo, which Sheng Shubai naturally recognized. Lu Jia hadn’t planned to hide it anyway.

“It was the New Year’s gift I planned to give you back then. It was out of stock domestically at the time, so I asked Qin Yuan to have it shipped from abroad.”

She paused for a few seconds, choosing her words carefully. “Later, she… confessed. I was afraid you’d get jealous, so I put it away, planning to regift it to someone else someday.”

A lot had happened in between—like the period when things had cooled between her and Sheng Shubai, and then when they finally laid everything bare.

But she had no intention of giving it to Sheng Shubai anymore and had prepared a different New Year’s gift instead.

Even though she could have omitted who bought it, Lu Jia didn’t want to do that.

The necklace wasn’t cheap. She had originally planned to give it to her cousin as a wedding gift, but now Sheng Shubai had seen it.

Sheng Shubai set the packaging box on the desk and gave her a light, sidelong glance. “Mm, got it.”

“You’re not upset, are you?”

Lu Jia abandoned the wood carving, whether it was positioned right or not, and came over to take Sheng Shubai’s hand. “Jiejie?”

“No.” Sheng Shubai’s tone was casual as she prepared to continue packing for Lu Jia.

Lu Jia didn’t believe her.

She looked at Sheng Shubai earnestly, blocking the woman’s move to open the next storage cabinet.

“If you’re upset, can you tell me? I’m afraid I won’t notice and you’ll have to deal with it alone.”

Sheng Shubai looked back at her steadily.

Lu Jia couldn’t quite read the meaning in her expression; she only felt that the woman’s gaze carried a deep significance.

Based on past experience, she… probably hadn’t gotten the coaxing method wrong, right?

Seeing Sheng Shubai say nothing for a long time, Lu Jia started to second-guess herself.

Just as she leaned in to coax her with a kiss, the woman curved her beautiful eyebrows into a smile. “I was fine originally, but if you want to coax me…”

She paused mid-sentence, her words drifting lightly into Lu Jia’s ear. “…You can treat it as me being jealous.”

That confession had been so bold and public.

And their own relationship still hadn’t been formally announced to the world. In comparison, Sheng Shubai did feel a bit sour about it.

Of course, until Lu Jia graduated, it wasn’t convenient to be too high-profile.

Sheng Shubai felt secure in her position and background; she wasn’t afraid of backbone-stabbing gossip—nobody dared say anything to her face anyway. But for Lu Jia’s future development, she didn’t want the girl to face unnecessary rumors.

She had held back, refraining from making a big fanfare about their relationship, but she hadn’t hidden their impending engagement either.

The Sheng family planned a grand engagement banquet. Not every professor from the C University Academy of Fine Arts would attend, but at least half would have their schedules cleared.

Fortunately, it was set for midsummer vacation; otherwise, there might not have been enough professors left teaching.

That jar of vinegar had fermented in her heart for so long, and now being brought up again, she realized it had unknowingly turned into watered-down old vinegar.

Not too sour, but still a bit off-tasting.

After they got together, it was the first time Sheng Shubai had admitted to jealousy over something from so long ago.

Even so, Lu Jia felt she ought to coax her properly.

She hooked her pinky with the woman’s, very gently. “So how should I coax you to make you feel better?”

“That new set that arrived a couple days ago—you haven’t worn it yet, right?”

Sheng Shubai kissed her lips, gently sucking on the spot where she had just nipped with her teeth.

The girl’s lips were soft; even a light bite left a clear tooth mark. Glossed with the moisture from the kiss, they looked even more enticing.

Unfortunately, the movers had arrived.

It wasn’t convenient to continue kissing, so Sheng Shubai reluctantly released Lu Jia and murmured by her ear. “Don’t forget—wear it for me tonight.”

–

The movers were efficient; everything was packed up by noon.

Today marked the first official day in their new home.

By rights, there should have been a housewarming banquet. But Sheng Shuyun couldn’t get away from the company, Old Madam Sheng had been invited out of town recently, and Lu Manwan’s research institute made leave even harder.

After consulting Sheng Shubai, Lu Jia had invited her shijie and Advisor Rong a few days earlier. Sheng Shubai then called Ji Jinnian and Tang Yue, making six people for a cozy housewarming dinner.

Lu Jia’s cooking skills had improved a lot by now, and for the first meal in the new home, she naturally wanted to cook herself.

The kitchen was spacious. Sheng Shubai had come in to stick to her at first.

But someone had to greet the guests, so after a kiss on the cheek from Lu Jia, she went to answer the door.

The two pairs—or rather, one established couple and one almost-couple—must have coordinated their arrival times, as they showed up together, all bearing gifts.

After some greetings, Shi Mengxi came into the kitchen to help. Soon, Rong Yi followed.

She simply couldn’t stand listening to Sheng Shubai go on about “engagement,” “wedding,” “little Jia…,” “after graduation…” with that smug, beaming expression.

Having been Lu Jia’s teacher for three years, Rong Yi knew her talent and how much harder she worked than others.

She also knew her student would likely move on to better platforms afterward.

But Rong Yi still couldn’t stomach Sheng Shubai… deliberately flaunting it in front of her.

Moreover, Professor Ji, the other one present, was chiming in agreement.

The two of them chatted from girlfriends to all sorts of daily couple details. Rong Yi wanted to eavesdrop and learn how to date ahead of time but was too embarrassed to join in.

Worse, Sheng Shubai seemed to sense her intent, subtly pointing out how slow her progress with Shi Mengxi was.

Rong Yi simply fled to the kitchen—out of sight, out of mind.

The housewarming dinner started in the evening and didn’t wrap up until eight or nine.

The wine was a few bottles of red that Ji Jinnian brought—ones Sheng Shubai had been eyeing for a while, so she simply opened them.

No one at the table abstained; even Rong Yi poured herself half a glass and took a sip during the toast.

She wasn’t drunk, but someone else was quite tipsy.

Shi Mengxi leaned against her, her soft breath brushing close. Rong Yi stiffened, then softened her movements to hold the girl steady.

“Shijie, are you okay?”

Lu Jia noticed their position and asked with concern.

She was already considering, after the dinner ended, whether to send Shi Mengxi home or… take her back to where she was staying now.

Rong Yi came back to herself and answered for the mumbling Shi Mengxi. “She’s a bit drunk.”

She knew her shijie had built up a tolerance over the time they’d drunk together. Tonight’s red wine had a kick, but the amount was far from enough to floor her…

Lu Jia saw through it but said nothing.

Ji Jinnian and Tang Yue, who knew the alcohol content well, stayed silent too.

As true veterans of romance, they were all too familiar with this awkward mentor-student dynamic.

Only after the meal ended did Sheng Shubai and Lu Jia see the two pairs off to their cars, waiting until the designated drivers arrived before leaving.

Earlier, Shi Mengxi had sobered up a bit on the sofa while the others tidied the living room and dining area.

Glancing at the time, Lu Jia headed to the bedroom first.

“What for?”

Sheng Shubai asked, though she knew.

Lu Jia explained seriously. “To get that… outfit. You said I’d wear it for you tonight. Planning to put it in the bathroom first.”

Thinking of the maid outfit’s overall style, plus the included accessories.

Lu Jia felt too embarrassed to elaborate.

Sheng Shubai chuckled lightly. “Getting shy now?”

They had done everything, tried all sorts of variations.

But their previous outfits had mostly been skimpy fabric or cleverly exposed spots. They hadn’t tried something truly roleplay-oriented like this before.

Cat ears, bell collar, maid outfit.

Just imagining how obedient and soft Lu Jia would look in it had Sheng Shubai anticipating already.

After all, it was the promised consolation to coax her.

Lu Jia didn’t change in the bathroom and come out. Obeying the woman, they showered together first, then… she put it on right in front of Sheng Shubai.

Her skin was already tinged faint pink from the steam, freshly marked with new kiss bruises from their closeness.

Lu Jia wore nothing.

In front of the woman, she unfolded the maid outfit, which actually had a fair amount of fabric.

It was the style they had picked together—the skirt hem only a few inches below her thighs, but rising up, it covered her waist and navel.

But… unlike other styles that had a cutout circle of fabric or a liftable flap.

The one Sheng Shubai deliberately chose had fabric that didn’t cover the collarbone at the top, not even reaching the chest—it only framed the undersides of her full, pretty softness, leaving the rest entirely exposed.

Pale and warm, on full display.

Around her neck was the matching bell collar, a small black bow dangling above the bell.

As Lu Jia dressed, she saw the woman leaning casually against the headboard.

“Jiejie…”

The open-back tie at the lower waist was tricky to fasten. She called to Sheng Shubai, hoping she’d come help.

But Sheng Shubai raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping slowly from top to bottom. “Lu Jia, what are you supposed to call me?”

Lu Jia’s lashes trembled, her ear tips heating.

She said softly, “Second Miss.”

A maid was supposed to serve her miss properly—that was common knowledge.

While carefully massaging Sheng Shubai’s arms, Lu Jia also had to lean forward proactively, offering the part conveniently exposed at her front to the woman’s lips for her to suckle, tease, and fondle.

All in the name of Second Miss not needing to lift a finger to eat.

Someone would feed it right to her mouth.

If she was hungry, there was food to eat. If thirsty… naturally, there was water that could be fed right to her mouth.

Sheng Shubai leaned back, gazing meaningfully at Lu Jia, who sat astride her. The girl’s warm, soft position rubbed right against her abdominal muscles, the sensation exceptionally clear.

“Riding on Second Miss’s body is truly presumptuous.”

The woman’s tone drawled lazily, laced with a soft, seductive hook that easily made Lu Jia’s waist go weak:

“So… shouldn’t you come please me a little?”

Lu Jia thought that Sheng Shubai was the one who had made her sit there in the first place.

She was teasing her in circles again.

Slender fingers lifted, gently tapping at her lips.

Sheng Shubai’s voice turned flirtatious: “Good girl, come sit over here.”