The housekeeper burst out laughing as if she’d heard a joke. “Such a naive fresh graduate, Hua Man. Pies don’t just fall from the sky.”
Hua Man’s expression darkened.
“You’re the madame’s person, so of course she wouldn’t leave you with worries on that front. The dean only accepted your sister because of the madame’s influence. Otherwise, do you think it would have been that easy?”
“But if you insist on leaving, there’s no helping it. The madame isn’t running a charity.”
Hua Man’s face turned ugly. “Earlier, you told me that no matter the outcome, you’d guarantee my sister’s treatment.”
“I never said that.” The housekeeper’s attitude turned icy as she reneged without a second thought. “You can go back and check the contract.”
“Besides, the eldest miss has already accepted you, hasn’t she?” The housekeeper changed tack with a sigh. “As long as you’re by the eldest miss’s side, the madame won’t shortchange you. Your salary can double, and if you perform well, there’ll even be bonuses. You won’t find pay like that anywhere else.”
At those words, Hua Man’s eyes flickered.
So because the eldest miss had accepted her, they were forcing her to stay and be their dog.
“Perform well…” After pondering for a few seconds, Hua Man stared straight at the housekeeper. “What does ‘perform well’ mean? Becoming the madame’s and your spy?”
If she ever did anything they didn’t like, would they use her sister to control her?
Seeing Hua Man so bluntly expose the truth, the housekeeper’s expression softened. “Little Man, the madame brought you in, and your mother works for her too. We’re all in the same boat, aren’t we?”
The housekeeper didn’t deny it. She was even… threatening her.
Hua Man fell silent for a few seconds before finally nodding. “Yes.”
“Did the housekeeper talk to you?” Chen Yan asked, looking at her daughter.
Hua Man opened her eyes. “She talked to you?”
“Yeah.” Chen Yan sighed, her gaze serious as she looked at her daughter. “Manman, we can’t do anything illegal or criminal. That’s the bottom line for being human.”
Hearing those words, Hua Man quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She turned and hugged Chen Yan’s waist, mumbling in agreement. “Mm.”
Chen Yan had no idea she was handling her sister Hua Xi’s affairs.
Back when her parents divorced, Hua Man had been awarded to Chen Yan. Her father, Hua Qiang, had remarried a few years ago and had a daughter, Hua Xi.
When Hua Xi was born, Hua Qiang had just lost a ton at gambling and couldn’t even scrape together the money for the delivery. In the end, he’d come begging her, a high school senior at the time.
Hua Qiang was a gambler who’d borrowed from every friend and relative until no one would talk to him anymore. He’d knelt before her, crying and pleading, and she’d softened in the end.
Worried he’d gamble it away, she’d paid the fees herself and even seen her half-sister for the first time.
Hua Qiang was illiterate, so he’d left it to her to name the child.
The first time naming a baby, the first time holding one, the first time being called “big sister”…
They didn’t interact much, but the ties grew deeper.
Half a year ago, Hua Qiang and his wife died in a drunk-driving accident, leaving only the severely injured Hua Xi. As her half-sister—the adult one with the means—Hua Man had no choice but to take it on.
She’d just started her internship then. Because Hua Qiang had been drunk driving and damaged public property, the insurance payout either went to repairs or Hua Xi’s surgery, and it was gone in no time.
She’d borrowed a lot of money, but Hua Xi’s blindness and spinal injuries from the crash still hadn’t been treated.
Remembering that phone call and the housekeeper’s words, Hua Man hugged Chen Yan even tighter.
It had been ages since her daughter had been this affectionate. Chen Yan stroked her soft hair and sighed. “If the madame gives you trouble, go beg the eldest miss. She’ll help you.”
“Her?” Hua Man grumbled. “We should be grateful if she doesn’t kick us when we’re down.”
Chen Yan: “The eldest miss is a good person.”
“Your ‘good person’ inexplicably beat someone up today and shoved their face in a cake.”
Remembering the daytime scene, Hua Man frowned again.
A good person?
Yang Zhao was like the big villain in a drama—nowhere near “good person” territory.
What was even worse was that she’d gone soft on this vicious woman and even spent money to buy her medicine.
“Beat someone up?” Chen Yan’s expression grew odd. After a moment’s thought, realization dawned. “Miss Zhao, right?”
“She beats Zhao Yang often?” Seeing her mother’s reaction, Hua Man felt even worse.
If she stuck by Yang Zhao from now on, would she have to be the one throwing punches?
Unexpectedly, Chen Yan shook her head. “No, the eldest miss rarely lays hands on Miss Zhao.”
Hua Man frowned. “Mom, we’re both working for the Yang family now. You don’t have to keep these secrets from me, right?”
“The eldest miss really doesn’t hit people much.” Chen Yan sighed. “She had her reasons for hitting Miss Zhao today.”
After thinking it over, she lowered her voice. “I heard that years ago, on Miss Zhao’s birthday, the madame found out the master was keeping a mistress outside and had a illegitimate daughter.”
Hua Man’s eyes shifted slightly.
“When they finally tracked down the master, they were all celebrating the birthday. The previous madame argued with them and must have said something excessive. Miss Zhao accidentally pushed her…”
Hua Man held her breath. “And then the eldest miss’s mother died?”
Chen Yan shook her head. “No, but she lost the baby.”
Not only the baby—she’d suffered massive physical and mental trauma, her health declining until she passed away.
Hua Man fell silent.
No wonder Yang Zhao had hit Zhao Yang today.
Inevitably, she recalled Yang Zhao’s reddened eyes, and the more she thought, the worse she felt.
On her second night in the Yang residence, Hua Man lost sleep again.
The next day, she arrived at the eldest miss’s side with dark circles under her eyes.
Yang Zhao was enjoying breakfast.
Spotting Hua Man, Yang Zhao laughed. “Manman, what naughty things did you get up to last night?”
She pointed lazily at the area under her own eyes, smiling. “How’d you turn into a panda?”
Faced with the teasing, Hua Man’s face heated up.
She couldn’t exactly say the culprit was Yang Zhao herself—that her mind had been full of Hua Xi and her all night.
Yang Zhao finished her breakfast leisurely before looking up at her again. “Manman, you haven’t forgotten yesterday’s bet, have you? Or…”
She dragged out the word on purpose. “Did you stay up all night because you lost the bet?”
Hua Man: “…”
Last night, she’d been lost in thoughts of family drama and had completely forgotten about the bet with her.
But she couldn’t admit that. Hua Man lowered her head, tacitly accepting it.
“Hmph.” Yu Shan snorted coldly. “You were all big talk yesterday about quitting, but here you are today, back like an obedient little puppy? Who do you think you are, coming and going as you please?”
Though she’d only been on the job a few days, Hua Man had already grown somewhat numb to Yu Shan’s snide remarks, feeling no ripples inside.
“Alright, Shanshan.” The eldest miss seemed to be in a good mood today. She stretched lazily. “Manman, a bet’s a bet.”
A bet’s a bet?
Hua Man grumbled inwardly. Had she chosen to bet willingly?
Sure, Yang Zhao had her reasons for the fight, but her moody dominance was real too.
Hua Man thought back to her misunderstanding of the eldest miss yesterday.
Though Yang Zhao herself was unaware, it was eating at her. Her mind kept flashing to those red-rimmed eyes. Using this bet to ease her own discomfort wasn’t a bad idea.
“Mm.” She nodded. “A bet’s a bet.”
Yang Zhao eyed her thoughtfully. “Then you owe me a favor.”
“I won’t do anything illegal, criminal, or immoral.” Hua Man spoke up quickly.
At that moment, she had no idea what price she’d pay for this bet.
“Mm.” The eldest miss seemed to mull it over. Under Hua Man’s anxious gaze, she said meaningfully, “We’ll put it on hold for now.”
Hua Man: “…”
The suspense of the guillotine hanging was even more agonizing.
The eldest miss looked spirited today, but Hua Man remained on edge, feeling like a ticking bomb that could explode anytime. The uncertainty was unnerving.
Fortunately, the eldest miss had no plans to go out—or so she thought, until the housekeeper arrived.
“Eldest miss, the master heard about your injury and was very worried. He’s rushing back from abroad and will be home today for lunch with you.”
Hua Man instinctively held her breath at the news. That cheating bastard…
She glanced at Yang Zhao, who looked utterly disgusted. “Eat with me? Who does he think he is?”
She showed zero regard for him being her biological father—zero face given.
The servants around seemed unfazed. The housekeeper advised softly, “Miss, the master hasn’t been home in ages. He’s been talking about you abroad and even brought gifts.”
Yang Zhao scoffed. “Gifts? He got one for me and for Zhao Yang, right?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did he come back because I got hurt, or because Zhao Yang did?”
The housekeeper smiled awkwardly, at a loss for words.
Once the housekeeper left, the eldest miss rose from the sofa and ordered Yu Shan, “Bring over the new styles from OIOI.”
Yu Shan obeyed promptly, soon having clothes delivered for the eldest miss to choose from.
Seeing the familiar scene, Hua Man’s brow twitched.
Even as she followed the dolled-up eldest miss toward the main hall, her guess proved correct.
“What’s with that look?” Yang Zhao tilted her head with an amused glance at Hua Man’s expression. “Someone might think you’re heading into battle.”
Hua Man hesitated.
Was there a difference?
The eldest miss had just refused lunch, but now, upon hearing the servants report that the master and madame were dining, she charged over aggressively. Her intentions were obvious.
How wasn’t a Shura field a battlefield?
After a long pause, she managed, “Didn’t you say you weren’t going?”
“If I didn’t say that, how could I catch them in their happy family bliss?” Yang Zhao curved her lips in a smile.
Seeing those beautiful eyes devoid of any mirth, Hua Man swallowed her words.
The eldest miss was clearly there to wreak havoc. Hua Man even saw Yu Shan bringing that whip of hers.
Hua Man worried anxiously. The eldest miss wouldn’t beat her own father too, would she?
![After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]](https://i0.wp.com/dobytranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/System-novel-yuri-1.jpg?resize=151,215 "After I Abandoned the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]")
