"Young Master has kept you. Shouldn't you thank him?" Aunt Lin urged Bai Xian'er. She had been worried that Xiao Ye would be angry if he saw her. However, Xiao Ye's attitude seemed to indicate he was willing to keep Bai Xian'er.
The rain from the sky landed on Bai Xian'er's hair. She knew she must look quite pathetic at the moment. She clenched her fist. Saying "Young Master" to Xiao Ye felt more humiliating than anything else. But... Bai Xian'er truly had nothing and no one to rely on. Xiao Ye now possessed the life she once had. She could only beg him from hell.
"Thank you, Young Master."
Xiao Ye heard Bai Xian'er's voice, which seemed to carry a hint of a sob. How could she not feel miserable? After being a young lady for so many years, this was the first time Bai Xian'er had truly accepted the gap between her and Xiao Ye.
"Take the new maid to the villa and change your clothes."
Xiao Ye glanced indifferently at Bai Xian'er and turned to go back inside the villa. Bai Xian'er followed Aunt Lin and saw the surprised looks of the other maids. Previously, they had served Bai Xian'er, and now Bai Xian'er was on equal footing with them.
Bai Xian'er looked at herself in the mirror, her appearance haggard and pitiful. She was no longer radiant. From now on, she was Xiao Ye's maid.
"Bai family maids earn twenty thousand yuan a month."
After Bai Xian'er changed into a maid's uniform, she saw Xiao Ye lounging in the living room. His gaze scanned Bai Xian'er from head to toe, and his voice was indifferent. "If you don't do a good job, the Bai family will let you go at any time."
Bai Xian'er's body trembled. She lowered her head. "Young Master, I understand."
"Bai Xian'er, I know you're itching to get revenge, but I detest you just as much." Xiao Ye let out a sneer, seeing through Bai Xian'er's thoughts. Bai Xian'er looked at Xiao Ye's calm face, and bewilderment flooded her eyes. "Then why did you keep me here? To watch me make a fool of myself?"
Xiao Ye remained silent. Bai Xian'er didn't delve deeper, dismissing it as Xiao Ye's cruel amusement.
"Teach her what a maid should do first." As soon as Xiao Ye finished speaking, he went upstairs without paying further attention.
"Since the Young Master has asked you to stay, you are responsible for taking care of him." Aunt Lin handed Bai Xian'er a rag and then seriously instructed, "You'll be cleaning the Young Master's room. Try mopping the hallway first!"
The heavy bucket was brought to Bai Xian'er. Aunt Lin called two maids to supervise Bai Xian'er. Bai Xian'er had often bullied the maids when she was a young lady in the Bai family. Their expressions were a little cold, as Bai Xian'er was no longer a young lady anyway.
When the floor wasn't mopped to their satisfaction, the two maids spoke sarcastically. "You have to wipe it back and forth three times. Can one pass be clean enough!?"
Bai Xian'er's heart ached. She never imagined she would become a servant in the Bai family. If she hadn't been truly desperate for money, Bai Xian'er would never have subjected herself to such humiliation. Every moment was an agony for Bai Xian'er.
Her fair hands turned white from soaking in the water, and Bai Xian'er was so tired she couldn't straighten her back. The feedback she received was, "You're quite delicate."
When Xiao Ye appeared, the two maids immediately rushed to fawn over him, offering to massage his legs and shoulders, and serve him tea. Bai Xian'er couldn't help but feel sad. Carrying the heavy bucket, she slipped and fell in the bathroom.
"Master..." Bai Xian'er took out a camera from her clothes, feeling an unprecedented sense of helplessness. She clutched the camera she had intended for her master and cried softly.
In the evening, Bai Xian'er's parents returned. They dined with Xiao Ye.
"Dad, Mom..." Seeing her family return, Bai Xian'er's face lit up with emotion. She wore a maid's uniform and quickly approached the dining table. Aunt Lin anxiously stopped Bai Xian'er. "You cannot dine at the same table as the master and madam."
Bai Xian'er ignored Aunt Lin's obstruction, her heart filled with grievances. "It's me, Xian'er. Mom, Dad, look at me."
The couple sat stiffly at the dining table, their gazes fixed on Xiao Ye's calm demeanor. They coughed lightly. "We have a new maid?"
"Yes, I kept her," Xiao Ye said indifferently.
The wealthy madam looked at Bai Xian'er, her expression changing slightly. "Why is this maid so ill-mannered? Why is she intruding while we're eating?"
Bai Xian'er's eyes widened. She couldn't believe these were the words coming from the madam. However, the couple now knew about Xiao Ye's illness, and they doted on their son, feeling immense sympathy. Seeing Bai Xian'er, though slightly pleased, they didn't dare show it. Bai Xian'er believed then that she truly had no status in this entire household.
"I'll take you to where the maids eat." Aunt Lin grabbed Bai Xian'er and pulled her away. Xiao Ye's eyes fell on Bai Xian'er, his expression inscrutable.
"Xiao Ye, we will no longer consider Xian'er as our daughter. This is something we promised you long ago." The couple thought that Xiao Ye had asked Xian'er to come home this time to test their attitude. Xiao Ye shook his head at them. "I know. I'll keep her at home, but I just need a maid." The couple nodded hesitantly. They didn't understand the conflict between Xiao Ye and Bai Xian'er at school, but they wouldn't interfere in their affairs.
Bai Xian'er, dejected, arrived at the maids' quarters, a place she had never set foot in before. The maids, disliking Bai Xian'er, gave her the most dilapidated bed. Bai Xian'er found it impossible to lie down, as her潔癖 (cleanliness obsession) was quite severe. The maids sneered, "You don't have the life of a young lady, yet you're throwing a tantrum?" Bai Xian'er's face was pale. She hardened her heart and lay down on the bed. She tightly gripped a mobile phone and sweetly sent a message to her master. "Goodnight."
Two days passed. Bai Xian'er learned to do laundry and adapted to being a maid. She discovered that Xiao Ye suffered from a severe illness. Once, he vomited blood in the living room. Bai Xian'er was responsible for mopping the floor. She saw Xiao Ye smile at her. He coughed more violently. Bai Xian'er suspected Xiao Ye was doing it on purpose, and she listlessly mopped the floor.
"Little maid, remember to wipe it clean thoroughly." He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, his gaze towards Bai Xian'er seeming malevolent. Xiao Ye was helped onto the sofa by the maids, and a team of private doctors arrived. Bai Xian'er secretly grumbled, "This is retribution from heaven. Xiao Ye, you deserve to become a sickly person."
"Did I hear you speaking ill of me behind my back?" Xiao Ye's hearing was very sharp. His gaze fell on the nervous Bai Xian'er. Bai Xian'er, terrified, quickly admitted her mistake. "Young Master, I was wrong. I shouldn't have spoken ill of you."
"Your chores for today will be doubled." Bai Xian'er gritted her teeth in anger. Xiao Ye enjoyed his advantage with a playful smirk. The surrounding maids noticed that since Bai Xian'er became a maid, the usually weak Xiao Ye seemed to have regained his vitality and charm. He did not reveal his illness to Bai Xian'er, and the daily blood draws and treatments were conducted in private.
When Xiao Ye was still in school, he drove and took Bai Xian'er to school. Within a day, the entire school knew that Bai Xian'er was Xiao Ye's little maid.