“Does having a low education level mean one doesn’t deserve a job or the things they like?”
By the end, she burst into tears again, looking utterly aggrieved.
Wu Zhenlin’s face darkened.
“Old Wu, Manman and I didn’t mean it that way,” Chen Yan hurriedly explained. “Fangfei wanted to work at the Yang family, and you know their current hiring requirements start at a bachelor’s degree. Manman and I just told her about it—we had no intention of mocking her.”
Wu Zhenlin nodded at Chen Yan. He spent little time with his daughter but had lived with his wife for so many years that he knew exactly what kind of person she was.
She was kind-hearted and would never mock his daughter.
But he owed his daughter so much that he couldn’t bring himself to scold her or embarrass her. For a moment, his honest face flushed red with anxiety.
Wu Fangfei delivered the final blow:
“With a stepmom comes a stepdad—do you still have any regard for my late mother?”
Wu Zhenlin could no longer bear it. His lips trembled as he looked toward his wife.
Seeing this, Hua Man pressed her lips together, grabbed Chen Yan, and headed outside.
“Manman?”
“Manman!”
Chen Yan pulled Hua Man to a stop and sighed. “Alright, if we leave like this, it’ll be too willful.”
After all, she was the elder, and tolerating the younger generation was her duty.
“Why can’t we be willful?” Hua Man’s gaze darkened. “Why shouldn’t we be?”
Chen Yan sighed. “I’m the elder.”
“Which law says elders can’t be willful?”
“Even if you as the elder can’t be willful, then let me be. I’m younger than her—shouldn’t I get to be willful by right?”
Chen Yan was stunned.
This version of Hua Man felt somewhat unfamiliar to her.
“Manman, we’re family. How can family members nitpick so much?” she persuaded. “Fangfei lost her mother young, and her dad wasn’t around much either, so she’s naturally sensitive. If we just walk away like this, imagine what she’ll think.”
Hua Man lowered her eyes.
Chen Yan considered Wu Fangfei so thoughtfully—had she forgotten that Hua Man had also grown up without her parents around?
She let go of the hand she had been gripping tightly and quietly watched as Chen Yan turned back, reentering the store. Soon, the three of them emerged together. Wu Fangfei had linked arms with Chen Yan again, a delicate pearl bracelet now adorning her wrist.
The three approached her.
It was as if nothing had happened. Wu Fangfei held one arm around Chen Yan and the other around Wu Zhenlin, smiling happily between the couple, like the picture of a warm family.
Hua Man dropped her gaze.
Everything that followed became utterly dull.
Wu Fangfei, as always, made a point of excluding her, crafting the illusion that she, Wu Zhenlin, and Chen Yan were the real family—taunting her in the process.
As a child, Hua Man might have felt hurt, but now she couldn’t muster any emotion.
She just found it childish.
After accompanying them to what was supposed to be a family reunion meal, she suggested returning to the hotel.
“It’s rare for the family to be out together—how can you not value it at all, Hua Man?” Wu Fangfei frowned unhappily. “Or do you have a problem with me?”
She was always stirring up trouble.
“I only have half a day off.” Hua Man replied calmly.
She was mindful of Chen Yan and didn’t make her words too harsh or turn the scene ugly.
This wasn’t her home, but it was already Chen Yan’s. She didn’t want Chen Yan and Wu Zhenlin to develop resentment because of her.
Wu Zhenlin said worriedly, “Then hurry back. Don’t be late and make the Eldest Miss…”
He trailed off, mindful of Wu Fangfei’s presence. But both Chen Yan and Hua Man understood.
Yang Zhao was unpredictable and had little patience—working for her wasn’t easy.
“Got it.” She nodded. “Mom, Uncle Wu, have fun.”
She hadn’t gone far when she heard Wu Fangfei’s complaint: “Dad, look at her—she still calls you ‘uncle.’ What an ungrateful wolf!”
Hua Man pretended not to hear.
When she returned to the hotel, Yang Zhao was taking her afternoon nap.
“The young miss is ill and in a bad mood—you can’t upset her again,” Yu Shan whispered to her.
From this, Hua Man instantly guessed that Yang Zhao had thrown another tantrum while she was away.
“Got it,” she agreed.
Yang Zhao’s nap times were usually fixed, but this time, probably due to her illness, she slept over an hour longer than usual before waking.
“Why’d you come back so soon?” Seeing Hua Man, Yang Zhao’s sullen expression softened a bit.
Hua Man: “Mm, already met them.”
Yang Zhao’s eyes flickered.
She made it sound like meeting her family was just a chore.
“How was it?” she asked, intrigued.
“Nothing special,” Hua Man said honestly. “Better staying at the hotel.”
Yu Shan, standing nearby, furrowed her brows. What kind of answer was that? But the young miss’s mood seemed much improved—she even looked a little pleased.
“Do you like staying at the hotel, or staying by my side?” Yang Zhao asked with great interest.
This was obviously an easy question, a loaded one even—an open-book test. Yu Shan didn’t need to think to know the answer.
Unfortunately, Hua Man went silent.
She actually went silent!
Yu Shan fell silent too, bracing for the young miss to erupt.
But against all odds, Yang Zhao laughed.
“Hua Man, you like staying by my side,” Yang Zhao answered for her. “Your silence proves it.”
If she didn’t like being by her side, she could have just said she preferred the hotel. But she stayed silent, meaning the answer was too embarrassing to admit.
With that in mind, her smile widened without restraint. “Manman, liking being by my side isn’t anything shameful.”
“You’re overthinking it.” Even exposed, Hua Man stayed composed and denied it. “I’m just tired and wanted to come back to rest.”
Overthinking?
Yang Zhao didn’t think so.
But this time, she didn’t call her out. Instead, she said, “If you’re tired, go rest.”
Yu Shan’s eyes widened.
Compared to the morning’s Yang Zhao, this one was like a spring breeze—gentle beyond reason.
In that instant, she thoroughly sensed how differently the young miss treated Hua Man.
She wilted, feeling a deep sense of defeat, like the flower she’d carefully tended for years had been ruthlessly plucked by someone else.
Only she understood this bitterness—no one could empathize.
With that thought, she shot Hua Man a resentful glare, then stood. “Young miss, I’m tired too. I need to rest.”
She pointed at Hua Man. “Let her take care of you. I’ll rest for a bit.”
With that, she bolted.
A competent servant knew to have good judgment—to vanish when needed and appear when required.
Now was the time to disappear, leaving space for the young miss and Hua Man to be alone.
“What now? Yu Shan’s gone,” Yang Zhao said with a smile, looking at Hua Man. “I can’t be left alone. If you want to rest, you’ll have to do it here.”
She lifted the thin blanket over herself. “Come here.”
Her words carried a smile, but her tone was dominantly unyielding.
Yang Zhao could be unusually obsessive at times—if you didn’t go along with her, she’d lose it.
After spending the morning with Chen Yan’s family, Hua Man was already mentally and physically exhausted. To avoid trouble, she didn’t refuse. “I’ll go change into something else.”
“Good.” Yang Zhao’s eyes curved in delight.
When Hua Man returned, she wore a fresh outfit. She was obedient—these past few days, she’d worn only the clothes Yang Zhao had picked for her.
But those clothes were fine for going out, not for sleeping in bed.
“You don’t have pajamas?”
The amusement in her eyes faded.
The first night they’d slept together, Hua Man had come straight from the shower in a bathrobe, which Yang Zhao had stripped off by bedtime. Last night had been too tiring, and with her feeling unwell, she hadn’t paid attention to what Hua Man wore. Now, thinking back, it hadn’t been pajamas either.
“I do,” Hua Man said, lowering her eyes. “Didn’t bring them.”
As a bodyguard, and with Yang Zhao bringing only her, she had to be ready to protect her at any moment—no need for pajamas.
Yang Zhao said unhappily, “These aren’t comfortable. Take them off.”
“It’s daytime.”
Though Hua Man really didn’t want to cause a scene, she couldn’t bring herself to lie naked in Yang Zhao’s bed during broad daylight. If someone walked in, the embarrassment would be unimaginable.
She didn’t want to lose face like that in front of acquaintances.
“So what if it’s daytime?” Yang Zhao dismissed.
Hua Man pressed her lips tight. “If my clothes make you uncomfortable, I can sleep next door, or on the tatami, or even on the floor.”
Yang Zhao’s brows furrowed.
She’d sleep on the floor before stripping down to sleep beside her.
She stared at Hua Man quietly for a few seconds before concluding, “You’re not happy?”
“No.” Hua Man denied.
But Yang Zhao was certain: “You’re not happy.”
Hua Man simply stopped speaking.
“Why?” Yang Zhao puzzled. “How could meeting your family make you unhappy?”
Hadn’t she said she missed her mom?
Seeing Hua Man silent, she offered, “If they upset you, I can punish them to vent your anger.”
At this, Hua Man had to speak: “They didn’t upset me.”
“Liar.” Yang Zhao shook her head.
Hua Man’s mood was off.
“I’m just tired,” Hua Man said, rubbing her brow. “Maybe I’m catching a cold.”
Yang Zhao paused for a few seconds, then laughed. “I remember someone being so confident, swearing they’d never get sick.”
“Yeah.” Better to slap her own face than involve others—it didn’t hurt, just a bit embarrassing.
Fortunately, though embarrassing, it didn’t anger Yang Zhao.
The tense atmosphere had fully dissipated.
Yang Zhao knew Hua Man felt unwell, and she was likely the culprit, but she felt no guilt—her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Since you’re not feeling well, rest up quick.”
She patted the spot beside her.
For Hua Man’s discomfort, she’d tolerate the outdoor clothes for now.
Hua Man climbed into bed.
Perhaps she really was exhausted, because as soon as she lay beside Yang Zhao, enveloped in her scent, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
Like finding a safe harbor.
This realization made Hua Man’s thoughts stutter.
“Sleep.”
Yang Zhao’s hand caressed her face. Hua Man looked up, meeting Yang Zhao’s deep black eyes.
They seemed filled with endless affection, nearly drowning her in it.
Did Yang Zhao really like her?
Hua Man grew confused.
She wasn’t the likable type—even her birth mother had abandoned her. Would someone like Yang Zhao really like her?
“What are you thinking?” Yang Zhao’s hand moved upward, stopping below her eyes. “You’re looking at me strangely.”
Hua Man stayed quiet.
She didn’t want to admit that, right now, what she craved most was for Yang Zhao to burrow into her arms and sleep like the previous two nights.
