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"This is a bit greasy, eat less of it."

Yu Qing opened her mouth.

In truth, she wanted to say she didn't want to eat it; the aroma of the freshly cooked dish was just quite strong, and she had merely looked at it a few extra times out of curiosity.

Seeing Yu Qing's hesitant expression, Xiang Changge looked at the generous portion of chicken wings, hesitated for a few seconds, and ultimately added another one to her plate.

Xiang Changge: "Alright, no more than that."

This looked delicious at first glance; she needed to eat more of it herself.

Yu Qing: "..."

Was she supposed to thank her?

However, food fresh out of the pan was indeed delicious, carrying a natural fragrance that the other dishes already growing cold in front of her couldn't match.

As if possessed, Yu Qing finished both chicken wings.

By the time she snapped out of it, she watched the dishes on the table disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye, then glanced at the unhurried Xiang Changge.

Yu Qing held her soup bowl and asked in confusion: "What all did you do today?"

Was the energy expenditure really that high? She remembered eating quite a lot at noon.

Xiang Changge didn't understand Yu Qing's meaning, assuming only that her employer was checking up on her work. Between bites, she quickly rattled off what she had done that day.

"I trained the new bodyguards this morning and took the opportunity to test their skills; I inspected the villa's landscaping to ensure the new gardeners and groundskeepers weren't slacking off."

"I also checked the villa's expense ledgers from the past few days, confirmed the loopholes in the previous accounts, and contacted the lawyers to urge them not to forget to hold the previous purchasing agent accountable."

"..."

"I drafted a renovation budget for the golf course, as well as a feasibility plan for converting the golf course into a pasture. Once you review and approve one, we can begin."

Yu Qing: "..."

Did she really have to turn her golf course into a livestock base?

"Of course, there was also assisting you, Miss, with incense making and conducting trial shifts for the three temporary workers hired to care for you."

"Oh, right, I also had someone inspect the family helicopter to ensure it was in good condition, and I looked up the current docking locations and usage logs for the family yachts."

"..."

Yu Qing felt her head spinning: "...A housekeeper has to do all this?"

Hearing this, Xiang Changge looked at Yu Qing with slight confusion: "Is it a lot? This is only the business within the villa."

"Xiushan hasn't had a large-scale patrol in a long time. Weeds and wild trees have grown in some areas behind the mountain. Once the new villa staff are trained, I intend to find people to clear out Xiushan."

"The weeds and trees are one thing, but the main priority is to prevent dangerous wild animals from coming to nest."

"Of course, I can also plant some fruit trees while I'm at it."

Although the Chinese Tallow Tree looked quite nice, it wasn't edible; it would be more practical to plant fruit trees, since the mountain was so big anyway. This way, it would serve as landscaping while also providing fruit—that was what you called perfect.

Xiang Changge: "Once I'm done with this little plot of land at Xiushan, I'll also go check on the development of the Yu Corporation."

She was actually quite curious: in the original book, why was it that after Yu Qing committed suicide, the Yu Corporation was essentially pocketed by the male lead and turned into a Shangguan family enterprise?

Although most of the book's content focused on the romantic entanglements between the leads, after Yu Qing died, a small portion of the text mentioned that the male lead, while busy managing the Yu Corporation and feeling overwhelmed, didn't forget to comfort the female lead, who felt that her existence had caused the death of the supporting character.

The author might have written this part to showcase the male lead's love for the female lead, but Xiang Changge only noticed the point about "the male lead managing the Yu Corporation."

No, why? By what right did Yu Qing's family fortune end up being his?

When she read that part, Xiang Changge, who hated the rich, was so angry she had to kill two hundred zombies just to calm down.

Yu Qing, who didn't even dare to imagine what she would do if she had to handle so much work, silently turned into a quail, just drinking her soup spoonful by spoonful.

This soup was truly delicious.

The food was also good.

The salted egg yolk chicken wings that Xiang Changge had just brought out, still steaming hot, were even more flavorful.

Once the table was wiped clean, Yu Qing covered her mouth and let out a small burp.

Actually, she felt she didn't need to raise any small animals; she just needed to eat with Xiang Changge every day, and she was certain they wouldn't have any leftovers.

Xiang Changge ate quite quietly and wouldn't go out of her way to put food on her plate or pick out fish bones or anything like that.

Yet, it wasn't boring; if she asked her about something, she would recount it in detail, as if she were counting her own family treasures.

Listening while eating, or eating in silence with her, were both within her range of acceptance.

Watching Yu Qing, who had eaten quite a bit and showed no abnormalities on her face, Xiang Changge asked the system in her heart with some confusion: "Yu Qing looks very normal, A-Tong, you didn't glitch, did you?"

This didn't look like someone with a depression index of over seventy.

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

This was clearly the result of her own intervention.

It wasn't early by the time they finished eating, so Xiang Changge asked Yu Qing in advance: "Do you still need me to come over and provide bedtime service tonight?"

If she needed it, she wouldn't go back to her own room yet; she would just stay in the kitchen downstairs for a while and leave after Yu Qing fell asleep.

What, she actually had a choice in this?

Yu Qing naturally answered without hesitation: "Not necessary."

She even offered her own opinion: "...Your bedtime service is really quite boring."

Xiang Changge, having been rejected, didn't seem the least bit discouraged; in fact, she sounded rather proud: "If bedtime service wasn't boring, how could it possibly put someone to sleep?"

Yu Qing: "..."

It was as if what she said actually made perfect sense.

Regarding Yu Qing's choice to decline the bedtime service, Xiang Changge didn't say anything, only reminding her: "Then remember to lie down by ten o'clock to cultivate sleepiness, and don't do anything else."

Otherwise, she would come over.

Yu Qing averted her gaze, not looking at Xiang Changge, and gave a vague response.

Once Xiang Changge finished tidying the table and left with the used bowls and chopsticks, the room fell silent again, with only a lingering trace of the food's aroma signaling that two people had been breathing here.

Inhaling this scent, Yu Qing went to wash up with a peaceful heart, then grabbed a book and curled up on the bay window, intending to digest her meal before going to sleep.

Whether it was because she was truly exhausted today or suffering from a post-meal carb coma, she felt a surging wave of sleepiness wash over her after only a short while of reading.

Too lazy to move to the bed, Yu Qing finally leaned against a pillow and drifted off to sleep right there on the bay window.

On the first floor, watching the spicy crab ready to be taken out of the pot, Xiang Changge gave the chef a "you're a good person" look, then found a random spot to sit down, waiting for the roe-filled hairy crab to be placed in front of her.

During the wait, Xiang Changge felt like 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...-chan?"

"...What do you want, wuu!"

The system, immersed in its own sorrowful emotions, responded to Xiang Changge with irritation, though Xiang Changge couldn't discern any mood from its electronic voice.

However, she did hear the "wuu" sound that felt like a cold wind blowing.

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

It hadn't spoken for so long, which wasn't like it at all; could it have caught a virus?

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

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, bad host!"

"..."

Seeing it like this, it seemed nothing important had actually happened.

Still, Xiang Changge asked one more time: "Why are you sad?"

This time the system didn't play hard to get; it wailed even louder: "Tongtong is so sad. I thought I could be a dog for baby Yu Qing, but she just said she didn't need one, wuuuuuu. Doesn't that mean this system can't be her little puppy anymore? Wuuuuuu, so sad, wuuuuuu."

Xiang Changge: "?"

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

System: "?"

"Just now! She said she didn't want one, and that you only need to reduce her food portions a little every day. Didn't you hear her?"

Xiang Changge: "Huh?"

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

System: "?"

Is there something wrong with 8802, or is there something wrong with me?

After eating the spicy crab and waiting in the kitchen for quite a while, at ten-ten, Xiang Changge asked the system: "What is she doing?"

The system checked: "Baby supporting character is asleep on the bay window."

"The bay window?"

Xiang Changge pondered for a moment, then finally got up and went upstairs.

Entering the room silently, the luxurious chandelier was still on. Xiang Changge turned on a bedside lamp before switching off the chandelier, only then walking over to the bay window at the side.