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Xiang Changge brought a box, which contained four pieces, each no larger than a chicken egg.

She ate two at a time, finishing the whole box in two or three minutes.

Watching her polish off all the small buns without even asking if she wanted any, Yu Qing thought: "?"

Wait, who exactly is the boss here?

Yu Qing couldn't help but ask, "Did you not eat dinner tonight?"

Xiang Changge, who was drinking yogurt because the small buns had made her a bit thirsty, shook her head in confusion at the question.

So she hadn't eaten; no wonder she was eating with such focus.

Yu Qing's expression cleared, but the next moment, she heard Xiang Changge say, "I did eat. It's this late already, how could I not have eaten?"

Yu Qing, who hadn't eaten either lunch or dinner at this hour, thought: "..."

Was she subtly mocking her?

No, wait—how could she have such an appetite after already eating?

Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Yu Qing's mind of what Aunt Yang had said to her at noon.

Yu Qing's eyes drifted toward Xiang Changge's waist, almost against her own will.

She was still wearing the same clothes from this morning. Back then, she had thought Xiang Changge carried the meticulous air of a true housekeeper, but now, sitting on the floor using a box lid as a cushion—she was quite unconstrained.

Still, her waist seemed incredibly slender.

Yu Qing asked nonchalantly, "What did you eat?"

Xiang Changge finished her yogurt, tossed it into the trash bag she had brought, and replied casually, "A seafood feast and staff meal."

Yu Qing: "...What kind of seafood feast?"

A seafood feast sounded quite lavish.

Did she eat it at home? Or at a hotel outside? Did she go out today? When did that happen? Did she go alone?

For some reason, a flurry of questions suddenly sprouted in Yu Qing's mind.

Seeing Yu Qing's interest, Xiang Changge listed them off: "A pound of big shrimp stir-fried in typhoon shelter style, two pounds of salt-baked sea snails, a pound of baby octopus stir-fried with scallions, and oh, a winter melon and pork rib soup made with two flower crabs."

Yu Qing: "..."

That's what she called a seafood feast? Wasn't that just... a few stir-fried dishes?

Yu Qing took a careful look at Xiang Changge. Xiang Changge met her gaze frankly, and Yu Qing silently looked away.

Yu Qing's tone carried a hint of genuine bewilderment: "...You mean, your 'seafood feast' didn't include king crab, Australian lobster, Boston lobster, abalone, sea cucumber, or star grouper, right?"

Xiang Changge: "..."

Damn it, she's flaunting her wealth, isn't she? I really want to fight this rich girl!

The two fell into an awkward silence. After a moment, Yu Qing cleared her throat and spoke first: "If you want to eat those, just tell the kitchen to make them."

Xiang Changge replied coldly, "Thank you, Miss, but I must remind you that seafood is raw and cold; it is best you do not eat it for the time being."

Yu Qing, who actually didn't want to eat it at all: "..."

A strange emotion suddenly welled up in her heart.

That's right, Xiang Changge was an orphan who had even signed a contract with her family in exchange for her parents' financial support. Her definition of a "seafood feast" was surely different from her own.

Had what she just said been a bit hurtful?

Filled with a deep sense of guilt, Yu Qing lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I'll give you a hundred-thousand bonus this month, you..."

Yu Qing had intended to tell her to go taste a real seafood feast, but fearing it would hurt the other woman's pride, she stopped herself.

Xiang Changge: "?"

What? What just happened? What was she getting this month?

The System, watching from the sidelines, scoffed: "Hmph, now you see how wonderful the supporting female lead is! Our supporting female lead baby is truly an angel!"

Xiang Changge nodded frantically.

That's right, who said they wanted to fight this young lady? This young lady is truly too kind; she must protect her with her life!

System: "..."

Wait, its host couldn't have been corrupted, could she?

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is soft-mouthed, he who takes another's gifts is soft-handed." What if 8802 lost her resolve during missions because of the supporting lead's kindness?

System: "Host, I suggest you refuse it. This isn't a bonus; it's a blade meant to corrupt you!"

Xiang Changge ignored it entirely, looking only at Yu Qing with a perfect forty-five-degree smile: "Miss, are you tired, hungry, or thirsty? Would you like to eat something, or shall we head back?"

Yu Qing: "..."

Her mysterious, cold-hearted, ruthless housekeeper who always threatened her and knew exactly how to get under her skin seemed to have broken.

So, she could be bought with a mere pittance of money?

That was fine, then. After all, she had nothing but money.

Yu Qing shifted into a more comfortable position and tilted her chin up slightly. "I'm hungry. Bring me something to eat."

"Certainly. Right now, we have fruit, nuts, and a small container of food. What would you like, Miss?" Steward Xiang asked, ever the dutiful servant.

Yu Qing, who had been craving a small bread roll: "..."

"The food, then."

With no other choice, Yu Qing had to pick the only option that would actually fill her up.

Xiang Changge then naturally produced the insulated lunchbox, which had been prepared for Yu Qing all along.

In addition to the nutritious meal planned by the dietician, Xiang Changge had also had someone add two cola chicken wings and three pieces of braised pork ribs.

It was simple: the nutritious meal looked too bland, and Xiang Changge was afraid it wouldn't whet Yu Qing's appetite.

Opening the lunchbox and taking out the chopsticks, Xiang Changge asked with thoughtful care, "Would you like me to feed you?"

Yu Qing: "...No need."

No, she really needs to go back to being that unyielding, imposing figure. This current version is just too hard to get used to.

Author's Note: Steward Xiang: Don't mind me, this is my strategy.

System: [Question Mark][Question Mark][Question Mark]

-

I discovered that I actually have more nutrient fluids than bookmarks. Could I be a legendary "treasure novel"? The kind where readers are so afraid I'll run away that they try to keep me here with nutrient fluids? [Wailing][Wailing][Wailing]

[Gold Ingot] Remember to leave a comment on this chapter [Gold Ingot]

Chapter 16: Miss, I'm Not That Kind of Person...

It wasn't just the steward by her side that she wasn't used to; it was this moment as well.

A small board could be flipped out from the side of the wheelchair's armrest, and once it was rested across both armrests, it became a small table sitting right over her lap.

The lunchbox, divided into compartments for different dishes, was placed on the board. Yu Qing picked up her chopsticks and ate pickily, her gaze shifting back and forth between the food in front of her and the mountain scenery at her feet.

For the first time, she wasn't eating at home, but here on the mountainside, sitting in a wheelchair.

The sunset slowly faded from orange-red to a dim hue. Night hadn't fully fallen yet, but a pale crescent moon had already hung itself in the sky. The surroundings were filled with the noisy chirping of insects, mixed with the scent of nature.

Yu Qing felt that this moment was very unfamiliar.

But she didn't hate this unfamiliarity.

Looking at the scenery before her, she felt she should be thinking about something, but her heart was very quiet—so quiet that she wasn't thinking about anything at all, nor did she want to.

The food was delicious, and she ate a few extra bites.

"Crunch, crunch--"

A faint sound reached her ears. Yu Qing glanced to the side; her steward had started working on the remaining two bags of nuts.

She held the nuts in her hand, stuffing them into her mouth, chewing incessantly without pause. Yet, her eyes remained fixed on the distance, like an emotionless nut-obliterating machine, or perhaps a tourist lost in the scenery.

In the blue hour of the evening, the aura around her had softened as well.

Yu Qing couldn't help but wonder if her focus was on the taste of the nuts, the scenery before her, or if she, too, had her own thoughts swirling within.

Unexpectedly, she felt a bit curious.

So, after swallowing the food in her mouth, she asked softly, "What are you thinking about?"

Xiang Changge didn't look at Yu Qing. Hearing the question, she replied naturally, "The moon."

The moon?

Yu Qing turned her gaze to look at the moon as well.

People often project all sorts of inexplicable things onto the moon, but at the end of the day, it was just a natural satellite of Earth composed of silicate minerals.

It knew nothing, allowing humans to let their emotions run wild while looking at it. Just like herself—others only envied her wealth, never knowing that her inner world was a barren wasteland.

What was the point of having so much money, anyway?

In a brief instant, Yu Qing's thoughts surged, and the food before her seemed to lose its flavor. Just as she was about to put down her chopsticks, she heard Xiang Changge continue, "I'm craving mooncakes... preferably the lotus seed paste with egg yolk kind."

"Too bad the Mid-Autumn Festival is still a long way off."

"..."

Yu Qing's chopsticks took a detour, picking up a piece of spinach from the box, and she expressionlessly shoved it into her mouth.

She had realized it: her steward had absolutely no literary refinement.

After finishing the small bag of mixed nuts, Xiang Changge clapped her hands together. She took one last look at the crescent moon in the sky and muttered to herself, "Maybe I'll go back and have a banana split. The kitchen should know how to make one."

Bananas, splits—they were both quite similar to this moon.