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"This one's pretty greasy. Don't eat too much."

Yu Qing opened her mouth.

She'd actually wanted to say that she didn't want any. The freshly cooked food just smelled especially good, and she'd only taken a couple of extra looks because she was curious.

Seeing Yu Qing looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, Xiang Changge glanced at the fairly generous portion of chicken wings. She hesitated for a few seconds, then served her another one.

Xiang Changge said, "All right, that's enough. No more."

They looked delicious. She wanted to eat more herself.

Yu Qing: "..."

Was she supposed to thank her?

Still, freshly cooked food really was delicious, with an aroma that the other dishes in front of her—which had already cooled a little—couldn't compare to.

Almost without thinking, Yu Qing finished both chicken wings.

When she came to her senses, she saw the food on the table disappearing at a visible speed. Then she looked at Xiang Changge, who was eating at a leisurely pace.

Holding her soup bowl, Yu Qing asked in confusion, "What did you do today?"

Did she really burn that many calories? Yu Qing remembered eating quite a lot at lunchtime.

Xiang Changge didn't know what Yu Qing meant. She only thought her employer was checking up on her work. Between bites, she quickly listed what she'd done that day.

"In the morning, I trained the new bodyguards and tested their skills. I also inspected the villa's landscaping to make sure the new gardeners and groundskeepers weren't slacking off."

"I checked the villa's expense records for the past few days, confirmed the discrepancies in the earlier accounts, contacted the lawyers, and reminded them not to forget to hold the previous purchasing manager accountable."

"..."

"I put together a budget for renovating the golf course and a feasibility plan for turning it into a pasture. Once you've looked them over and decided which one to approve, we can get started."

Yu Qing: "..."

Did they really have to turn her golf course into a livestock farm?

"Of course, I also helped you make incense and tried out the three temporary workers who just started caring for you."

"Oh, right. I also had someone check that the helicopter was in good condition, and looked up where the family yacht is currently docked and its usage records."

"..."

Yu Qing's head was spinning. "...Housekeeper, do you really have to do all that?"

Xiang Changge gave Yu Qing a slightly puzzled look. "Is that a lot? That's only the work at the villa."

"Xiushan hasn't had a thorough inspection in a long time. Weeds and wild trees have sprung up in some places behind the mountain. Once the new villa employees have finished training, I'll have someone clear Xiushan."

"Weeds and wild trees aren't a big deal. The main thing is preventing dangerous wild animals from settling there."

"Of course, we could plant some fruit trees while we're at it."

Chinese Tallow Trees were pretty, but you couldn't eat them. It'd be more practical to plant some fruit trees, especially with all that space on the mountain. That way, they'd have greenery and fruit. Now that would be perfect.

Xiang Changge said, "Once I've finished taking care of this little patch of land at Xiushan, I'll also check on how Yu Corporation is doing."

She was actually pretty curious. In the original novel, why had Yu Corporation ended up in the male lead's hands after Yu Qing died, becoming part of the Shangguan family's business?

Though most of the novel focused on the romantic entanglements between the male and female leads, a small section after Yu Qing's death described how the male lead arranged her funeral and then had to manage Yu Corporation, keeping busy while still finding time to comfort the female lead, who thought the supporting female character had died because of her.

The author had probably written that part to show how much the male lead loved the female lead. But Xiang Changge had only noticed one thing: the male lead had to manage Yu Corporation.

No, why the hell should he get to? Why should Yu Qing's family fortune end up belonging to him?

When she'd read that part, Xiang Changge, who hated the rich like a mortal enemy, had been so angry that she went and killed two hundred zombies before she could calm down.

Yu Qing, who couldn't even imagine having to do as much as Xiang Changge, silently made herself as small as a quail and sipped her soup.

This soup was delicious.

The other dishes were good, too.

And the salted egg yolk chicken wings Xiang Changge had just brought over, still piping hot, were especially tasty.

After the entire spread had been cleared, Yu Qing covered her mouth and gave a small burp.

Actually, she thought she didn't need to keep any small animals. All she had to do was eat with Xiang Changge every day, and they'd be sure to finish every last bite.

Xiang Changge ate quietly. She didn't make a point of serving Yu Qing food or removing fish bones for her.

But she wasn't boring, either. When Yu Qing asked her about something, she'd tell her everything, right down to the smallest detail.

Listening as she ate—or simply eating in silence with Xiang Changge—both felt perfectly comfortable to her.

Seeing that Yu Qing had eaten quite a lot and didn't look at all out of sorts, Xiang Changge wondered to the system, "Yu Qing looks perfectly normal. A-Tong, are you sure you haven't glitched?"

She didn't look like someone whose depression index was over seventy.

System: "...You're the one who glitched."

This was clearly the result of Xiang Changge intervening.

It was getting late by the time they finished eating. Xiang Changge asked Yu Qing in advance, "Do you need me to come over tonight and provide your bedtime service?"

If Yu Qing did, she wouldn't go back to her own place yet. She'd wait downstairs in the kitchen, then leave after Yu Qing fell asleep.

What? She got to choose?

Yu Qing answered decisively, "No."

She even shared her opinion: "...Your bedtime service is really boring."

Xiang Changge didn't seem discouraged by the rejection. She even looked a little proud. "If bedtime service isn't boring, how's it supposed to help someone fall asleep?"

Yu Qing: "..."

She made it sound as if it actually made perfect sense.

Xiang Changge didn't say anything about Yu Qing turning down the bedtime service. She only reminded her, "Then remember to lie down at ten and start getting sleepy. Don't do anything else."

Otherwise, she'd come over.

Yu Qing looked away without meeting Xiang Changge's eyes and gave a vague reply.

After Xiang Changge cleared the table and left with the dishes, silence settled over the room again. Only a trace of food's aroma remained, a reminder that two people had been breathing here.

Taking in the scent, Yu Qing washed up in a peaceful mood, then curled up on the bay window with a book, planning to let her food settle before bed.

Maybe she was just too tired today, or maybe the meal had made her sleepy. She hadn't read for long before a wave of drowsiness swept over her.

She couldn't be bothered to move to the bed. In the end, Yu Qing leaned against a pillow and fell asleep right there on the bay window.

On the first floor, Xiang Changge gave the chef a look that said, You're a good person, as she watched the spicy crab in the pot finish cooking. Then she found a place to sit and waited for a meaty crab, still full of roe, to be served to her.

As she waited, Xiang Changge felt that something was off.

After a while, she tentatively called out in her mind, "System?"

"..."

There was no response.

Xiang Changge frowned. "A-Tong? Tongtong? Tongtong... sauce?"

"...What is it, waaah!"

The system, immersed in its own sorrow, replied to Xiang Changge in an ill-tempered voice, though she couldn't make out any emotion in its electronic tone.

Still, she could hear the sound of a cold wind howling in its voice.

"...What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

It had been quiet for so long. That wasn't like it. Could it have caught a virus?

"You're the one who caught a virus! This system is sad, waaah!"

Xiang Changge was puzzled. "Sad about what? Did something happen?"

The system was now both angry and sad. "!"

"Damn it, I knew you were a cold-hearted, awful host!"

"..."

Judging by its reaction, nothing important had happened.

Even so, Xiang Changge asked, "Why are you sad?"

This time, the system didn't make her wait. It wailed even louder. "Tongtong's so sad! I thought I could be Yu Qing's little puppy, but she just said she didn't need one, waaah! Doesn't that mean this system can't be her puppy? I'm so sad, waaah!"

Xiang Changge: "?"

"When did she say she didn't need one?"

System: "?"

"Just now! She said she didn't want one, and that it'd be enough to reduce the portions of her meals a little every day. Didn't you hear?"

Xiang Changge: "Huh?"

"Didn't she say she wanted a white dog?"

System: "?"

Was there a problem with 8802, or was there a problem with it?

After eating the spicy crab, Xiang Changge waited in the kitchen for a while longer. At ten past ten, she asked the system, "What's she doing?"

The system checked. "The female supporting character fell asleep on the bay window."

"The bay window?"

Xiang Changge thought it over for a moment, then finally got up and went upstairs.

She entered the room without making a sound. The luxurious chandelier was still on. Xiang Changge turned on a bedside lamp, switched off the chandelier, then walked over to the bay window.