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Forget it. How could someone who had lived through the apocalypse and still managed to thrive in a place like that possibly be normal?

The system figured that if Yu Qing was crazy, then Xiang Changge definitely wasn't any more normal.

Xiang Changge shrugged and, in a tone much like Yu Qing's, said, "A-Tong, why are you being so stiff? I'm a very easygoing host."

The system: "..."

A host whose sanity was questionable, and a mission target with a maxed-out depression stat... Tongtong sure had it rough. It should've stayed broken in the factory.

But soon, it would get to be the female lead's puppy. Thinking about it that way, maybe this was bearable. With it around, it would definitely help the female lead regain her confidence in life!

The system suddenly pumped itself up and brimmed with confidence.

After receiving Xiang Changge's message this morning saying that she'd have a trial shift today, Chu Keke happily fried an extra egg for her younger sister.

Trial shifts came with pay. Two hours of work would be enough to take her sister in for another treatment.

With excitement bubbling inside her, Chu Keke left early.

Steward Xiang had said their travel expenses would be reimbursed, but saving money wherever possible was still best. In the end, Chu Keke took the bus partway, then hailed a car for the rest of the trip.

When she reached the foot of the mountain, the Yu Family's car was already waiting there.

Chu Keke also met her two new coworkers.

One was a student at City A's University of the Arts. She had an artistic air about her and seemed gentle and mild. She wasn't the kind of beauty who made people stare, but there was something very soothing about her.

She'd heard that the girl was good at all sorts of musical instruments and could paint, too.

The other seemed bright, sunny, and confident. As it happened, she went to the same university as Chu Keke, though she studied culinary arts while Chu Keke was in the School of Foreign Languages. They hadn't crossed paths before.

All three of them got along well. After chatting and introducing themselves in the car, they entered the Yu Family estate.

During yesterday's interview, they'd only been taken into the little villa off to the side. They'd already thought it was luxurious enough, but only after entering the main house did they understand what true opulence looked like.

The three of them immediately grew self-conscious.

Fortunately, Steward Xiang soon appeared.

She led them into a mahjong game that lasted more than half an hour.

As they played, she told them a few things to keep in mind and explained the young miss's temperament. Gradually, all three relaxed.

After another game ended, the steward said she would go fetch the young miss and told them to be ready. Then she left.

In Chu Keke's imagination, the young miss might be quite young, perhaps with a pale, haggard face, small and frail, just like her younger sister, who had congenital aplastic anemia.

She'd even rehearsed how she would talk to a child and what sort of tone she should use.

But when two sets of soft footsteps drew near and the game room door opened, the three of them—including Chu Keke—caught their breath at the sight of the two people who walked in. Their eyes flashed with admiration.

Author's note: Steward Xiang begins throwing her weight around [droopy-eared rabbit head] [droopy-eared rabbit head]

Little Yu: So you're saying I dug this hole for myself? [clown] [bursting into tears]

Xiang Xiang: [glasses] [dog with a rose in its mouth] [kiss]

Chapter 19: Xiang Changge Almost Lost Her Resolve

They'd already met Steward Xiang, so it didn't take much thought to figure out the identity of the person walking in front.

Actually, even if two strangers had walked in, they still would've quickly guessed which one was going to be their future boss.

The person in front had a distinctive air of effortless nobility and confidence, the kind rarely found in ordinary people.

Though she was walking through a villa so grand it could make anyone's jaw drop, she moved as if she were out for a stroll.

She wore a relaxed, pale green dress, with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Her long hair fell loosely around them, giving her a languid, carefree look, as if she'd just gotten out of bed.

That made sense, too. To her, this was nothing more than a quick meeting with a few people in some corner of her own home.

Both women had such striking presences that, at first, nobody even noticed their looks. Their gazes instinctively lowered before those captivating eyes.

Only when they drew closer could they make out their faces.

Chu Keke's first impression was that the other woman was very thin.

She was as frail as Chu Keke's younger sister, but unlike her sister, she didn't look worn down by illness.

Her slightness seemed more like the result of not eating properly or being weighed down by a gloomy mood.

The woman's exquisite yet lifeless eyes confirmed Chu Keke's guess.

Her chin was pointed, and her lips were pale. Only the faint redness around her eyes provided any color. Looking at her made people instinctively hold their breath, afraid they might disturb her by accident.

After entering, her dark eyes, their lids drooping slightly, swept around the room and passed over the three of them before she lowered her gaze with indifference.

A little cold.

That was what Chu Keke thought.

But it was only natural. How could a wealthy young miss be warm to just anyone?

Still, the woman was quite different from what Chu Keke had expected. Steward Xiang hadn't revealed much about their employer during the interview. Chu Keke had assumed the young miss would be a little girl; she hadn't expected someone around her own age.

Were they supposed to keep her company?

Steward Xiang had made it very clear on the way here and just now: their job was to make the young miss happy, entertain her, and take good care of her. But now that Chu Keke had seen her, she couldn't help wondering if she could really do the job.

The woman looked so aloof and noble, so difficult to approach. Could they really manage?

There were plenty of other servants in the villa. If Chu Keke had nothing special to offer, she'd surely be dismissed soon.

Chu Keke clenched her hands in front of her.

But she needed this job.

So she would definitely do well!

In almost an instant, Chu Keke pulled herself out of her low spirits and rallied.

Chu Keke, who wore her heart on her sleeve and couldn't hide anything, didn't notice that while she was caught up in her own emotions and silently acting out a whole change of mood, Yu Qing had glanced at her again from nearby.

Yu Qing: "..."

What kind of people had Xiang Changge found for her?

"I'll introduce everyone. This is Miss Yu, the owner of Xiushan." Xiang Changge paid no attention to what any of them were feeling. After finding Yu Qing a chair, she began introducing them.

At Xiang Changge's words, the three women stood and greeted Yu Qing.

Yu Qing gave a slight nod, her bored gaze drifting around the room.

This had originally been a tea-storage room, meant for keeping aged tea, but it was quite spacious.

After it had been converted into a game room, the tea and shelves were moved out. Two square tables and a mahjong table had been brought in. There was also a chessboard and a Go board, all of which suited the name "game room."

There was plenty of stuff, and the room looked full. To Yu Qing, it even felt a little cramped.

She'd never been in a room this small.

After introducing Yu Qing, Xiang Changge introduced the three women as well.

"Yao Ningran, a third-year student at the University of the Arts. She knows a little about every kind of musical instrument and has some experience with painting, too. When you play piano or paint, Miss, she can help you out."

Yu Qing: "..."

She just wanted to be left alone.

"Ge Bufan, a third-year culinary arts student at A University. Besides cooking, she knows quite a bit about photography. Oh, and she's very good at making Western pastries."

"When you're hungry, Miss, you can ask her for suggestions on what you might like to eat."

Yu Qing: "..."

Would she ever be hungry?

"Chu Keke is also a student at A University. She's in the School of Foreign Languages, majoring in Russian, and she's minoring in Japanese. Her English is quite good, too. If you want to read a book in its original language, Miss, you can ask her to read it aloud to you."

Yu Qing: "..."

She didn't want to listen to someone chanting scripture.

Yu Qing had originally heard from Aunt Yang that Xiang Changge had hired three fresh-faced college students. She'd thought Xiang Changge had deliberately found them to keep herself company.

Later, Xiang Changge had said that she'd actually hired the three women for Yu Qing.

Yu Qing hadn't really believed her.

She didn't need anyone to keep her company. What kind of companionship could money buy? She was destined to be alone. She didn't need this sort of material companionship.

And if she didn't need them, then the three women would surely end up keeping Xiang Changge company instead.

The four of them would live happily ever after in her home. It sounded like a lovely ending.

And now Yu Qing had been forced to come and take a look, just to go through the motions. If she hadn't, Xiang Changge would've taken her for a ride in the sky.

But after hearing Xiang Changge's introductions, Yu Qing felt something inexplicable stir inside her.