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She didn't have anything in particular she wanted to do.

Yu Qing pressed her lips together, feeling a little irritated.

To hide the little thoughts she'd just been having, Yu Qing kept making excuses. "It's too sudden. Maybe next time. Besides... besides, don't you still have to spend time with those three college students? Going for a drive now would get in the way."

When she finished, Yu Qing thought she really was too considerate.

It wasn't that she especially didn't want to go. She was only thinking of Xiang Changge.

With that in mind, Yu Qing finally lifted her eyelids and looked at Xiang Changge's expression.

She'd been so considerate, and Xiang Changge had just had such a good time with the others. Surely she'd take the opportunity to agree and say they could go next time.

But as soon as she looked up, she met those calm eyes.

Xiang Changge was watching her. Yu Qing didn't know how long she'd been doing so.

Yu Qing's heart clenched.

For a moment, as their eyes met, Yu Qing felt that Xiang Changge wasn't merely looking at her. It was as if she could see right into Yu Qing's heart, into the depths of her soul.

Yu Qing felt completely exposed in front of her.

The next second, she heard Xiang Changge explain, "I wasn't spending time with them. More precisely, I was training them."

"They were brought in to keep you company, Miss."

Xiang Changge didn't seem surprised that Yu Qing knew she'd invited the three young women over today.

"If you'd like them to start early, they can come with us."

"Keep me company?"

Yu Qing was taken aback.

They'd been hired for her?

"I don't need that."

Yu Qing's first instinct was to refuse.

"Of course," Xiang Changge replied smoothly. "Then I'll fire them now and find three new people to look after you, Miss."

Yu Qing: "..."

Would the three new hires be exactly like those three? No, not exactly—just completely indistinguishable from them?

"Would you like to interview them, Miss?"

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Then Yu Qing's somewhat faint voice sounded. "If I interview them, does that mean we won't go for a drive today?"

Xiang Changge thought it over before answering, "Of course. That's for you to decide, Miss."

What a hypocrite.

Yu Qing didn't say anything, only grumbling to herself.

Her hypocritical butler.

What did she mean, it was up to her? Was giving her two options really leaving the choice to her?

After Xiang Changge left, Yu Qing went over their little standoff in her mind.

She thought she'd lost because she cared too much about saving face and hadn't been willing to throw caution to the wind.

If she'd just said outright that she didn't want to go for a drive or interview anyone, then... then Xiang Changge might have driven her crazy.

She'd chatter away like a summer cicada—or a monk chanting sutras—and never let her have a moment's peace.

Was she here to look after Yu Qing or to test her patience?

Yu Qing kept grumbling to herself as she slowly got up, washed and tidied herself, and prepared to leave her room.

Before going out, she glanced at the lunch that had been brought to the little table by the window.

It was clearly the work of a nutritionist. It was well-balanced, sure, but it didn't look very appetizing.

Yu Qing turned and walked out.

As soon as she opened the door, she came face-to-face with the figure standing outside.

"You..."

Yu Qing froze for a moment.

She'd thought Xiang Changge had left. She hadn't expected her to still be here.

Had she been waiting for Yu Qing, or had she come up specifically to escort her?

"Let's go, Miss. They're on the second floor."

Xiang Changge didn't give it much thought. As she spoke, she led the way.

As a professional butler, waiting outside her employer's door and accompanying her to an "interview" was perfectly normal, wasn't it?

Yu Qing followed Xiang Changge. She wore comfortable slippers, soft, springy, and light, so her feet didn't tire at all.

The woman in front of her wore a fitted white shirt, a tailored skirt, and four-centimeter heels—a very professional, formal look.

Anyone who saw them in her home could tell at a glance who was the young lady and who was the butler. They might even praise Steward Xiang for her impeccable butler-like bearing.

But was all that really necessary?

Xiang Changge pressed the elevator button and stepped aside to let Yu Qing in. Only then did she follow and press the button for the second floor.

The sharp clicks of her heels against the floor rang out several times in the elevator.

Yu Qing lowered her eyes.

Those professional-looking, matte nude pointed-toe heels suited Xiang Changge, to be honest.

Her ankles were slender and pale. If Yu Qing looked closely, she could just make out faint veins, drawing the eye.

Yu Qing lifted her gaze and looked at the profile of the woman standing beside her.

Xiang Changge was already tall, and the heels made her seem even more imposing.

Yu Qing, who was barely five foot three, came up almost a head shorter standing next to her.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Yu Qing asked.

The elevator was quick. In the time it took to say that one sentence, they'd already reached the second floor.

Xiang Changge let Yu Qing step out, then looked at her in puzzlement.

Yu Qing glanced down at her shoes. "The heels, the work clothes. Don't they hurt or feel restrictive? This isn't an office. It's just home."

After saying that, Yu Qing shuffled out in her slippers.

Behind her, Xiang Changge lowered her head and looked at her feet.

Hurt? Not really.

After spending so long in the apocalypse, her life now felt like heaven compared to before.

It was only wearing heels.

Xiang Changge had never been a butler, but the information in her mind from the system told her that a good butler should dress appropriately, treat her employer with respect, and be considerate of her needs.

Xiang Changge remembered the butler who had handed the job over to her.

She'd been a graceful, elegant, and well-mannered woman. Xiang Changge had figured all butlers were supposed to be like that.

She wasn't sure she could manage to be graceful and elegant, but putting on certain clothes and shoes was just like slipping into another skin. It was no big deal.

But Yu Qing had asked if it hurt.

Xiang Changge caught up with Yu Qing and replied, "I thought this was how a butler was supposed to dress."

Yu Qing walked leisurely toward the tea room with her arms folded. At that, she looked at Xiang Changge in surprise.

So that was what she thought.

Yu Qing smiled, but there was no emotion in her dark eyes.

"There won't be any outsiders here. And everyone in the house knows you. Everyone knows you're the butler."

"Does whether you're a butler have anything to do with what clothes or shoes you wear? Even if you wore a mascot costume, people would still call you Steward Xiang when they saw you."

Yu Qing's voice was soft and cool, bringing to mind a little stream flowing beneath the snow-capped mountains.

It was cold, yet gentle.

And gentle, yet edged with a bone-deep chill.

This was a place with only a handful of people. What was the point of dressing so carefully, properly, and formally?

She didn't need anyone to say her butler was competent and excellent. Of course, no one would say that anyway.

"You don't have to be so stiff. I'm an easygoing employer."

"Especially since this easygoing employer gets threatened by you every day."

As she spoke, Yu Qing glanced at Xiang Changge again. Her look carried more than a little resentment and frustration.

Xiang Changge didn't notice Yu Qing's expression. At that moment, she felt as if a light had suddenly dawned on her.

Right.

There were only a few people in the house. If she didn't like someone, she could just fire them. Even Yu Qing couldn't easily fire her. In other words—

"So I'm the boss of this house?"

Yu Qing stumbled and nearly fell flat on her face.

She stared at Xiang Changge in shock.

Xiang Changge looked back at her.

At that moment, the gray-brown eyes were filled with the dawning realization of someone who'd finally understood.

Yu Qing: "..."

What had just happened? She'd only seen Xiang Changge being so "stiff" and kindly reminded her. How had she suddenly ended up feeling like her position was under threat?

...Had Xiang Changge really never realized this before?

Xiang Changge, who'd just realized she could rule the Yu Family, couldn't help feeling pleased with herself as she asked the system, "A-Tong, this world exists for Yu Qing, and now I can keep her in line. So, in other words, doesn't that make me the god of this world?"

The system replied calmly, "Sure."

Xiang Changge brightened. "Really?!"

She'd actually believed it!

This host was a little too confident.

The system snapped, "The 'god' in 'goddamn lunatic.'"

How was that not being a "god"?

"Stop focusing on irrelevant things. This is a normal, proper world with strict order. If you have delusions, get them treated!"