What Could Possibly Go Wrong... Right?

The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Jianxia froze on the spot.

A m-maid?!

Those two words were like burning coals, scorching their way from her ears to her cheeks in an instant.

A string of images flashed uncontrollably through her mind—herself in a black-and-white maid uniform with a white apron tied around her waist, lowering her head as she served tea to Jiang Yubai on the sofa.

And while being ordered around, she would even have to timidly call him "Master" in a soft, meek voice.

"I... I..." Lin Jianxia's tongue tied itself in knots. Clinging to her last shred of hope, she asked, "Then... what exactly would a maid have to... do?"

Jiang Yubai gave a cold laugh. "What do you think?"

"You don't seriously think things just happen to be that convenient, do you? You can't pay your rent, and the person who comes down to collect it just happens to be your classmate?"

"Why don't you think about why, after living here for so long, I'm the one who came this time?"

Lin Jianxia's expression shifted.

Jiang Yubai sprawled across the sofa, putting on the air of a spoiled young master as he drawled lazily,

"Of course, it's because—this was all arranged by me."

At those words, the blush of embarrassment and indignation on Lin Jianxia's face swiftly faded. The color drained inch by inch from her cheeks, and even her lips turned slightly pale.

She knew it!

Those rumors about him juggling several girls at once and having a chaotic private life really hadn't come from nowhere...

She quickly glanced up to find Jiang Yubai looking at her with a faintly amused smile, without the slightest intention of hiding anything.

His gaze sent a chill down Lin Jianxia's spine. She forced herself to speak again.

"I... I..."

But the words caught in her throat, leaving only the faintest breath of air.

What was she supposed to do? What could she possibly do?

A stinging ache spread from her nose to her eyes. A wave of grievance rose in her heart, nearly drowning her.

No.

No.

Just as Lin Jianxia clenched her teeth and prepared to throw caution to the wind, Jiang Yubai suddenly snorted with laughter and casually waved a hand.

"I was kidding."

"..."

Lin Jianxia blanked out for a moment, unable to believe what she had heard.

"...Huh?"

She had only just worked up the courage to throw this shameless bastard out. She had even nearly figured out which underpass she and her sister would sleep under...

What the hell did he mean, he was kidding?!

Seeing Lin Jianxia completely stunned, her eyes slightly widened in a daze, Jiang Yubai felt thoroughly satisfied. The earlier irritation of being mistaken for a "pervert" vanished at once.

He rose to his feet and said casually,

"One week should be enough, right? I'll give Landlady Li a heads-up. Next Saturday, just pay the rent directly to her."

With that, Jiang Yubai ignored her reaction and walked toward the door in a rather good mood.

His hand had just settled on the doorknob when he seemed to recall something and suddenly turned back around.

"Oh, and—"

Lin Jianxia's shoulders, which had just relaxed slightly, instantly tensed. Her entire body trembled like a startled rabbit, her eyes full of wary suspicion that read, What are you trying to do now?

"Is that really necessary..." Jiang Yubai said irritably, stressing his next words. "And don't believe every rumor you hear!"

Only then did he wave his hand, turn around, and pull open the door.

Even after the faint sounds of Jiang Yubai talking with Landlady Li came from outside, Lin Jianxia still stood there blankly, unable to quite process what had happened.

This... was over?

So she could pay the rent next Saturday, and she and her sister did not have to pack up today and sleep under a bridge?

This classmate Jiang Yubai had really just... come by to collect rent by coincidence?

While Lin Jianxia was still dazed, a soft creak came from the doorway.

Looking up, she saw Landlady Li's plump figure shuffle inside. She walked straight up to her, wearing a smug expression.

"Well? Didn't that solve it?" she said as if it were only natural. "Don't say Auntie Li didn't help you."

"Help... me...?" Lin Jianxia repeated hesitantly.

Seeing her baffled expression, Auntie Li looked rather frustrated at her failure to understand.

"How can you be so dense, child? He said you're in the same class. Isn't it obvious he came here for you?!"

"I'm telling you, with such a good connection, why aren't you grabbing hold of it while you can? What are you waiting for?"

She leaned closer and lowered her voice, looking as though she were passing on valuable experience. "I can't postpone your rent, but he can!"

"It's only postponed for now. Spend more time with him, build a good relationship, and maybe he'll waive it altogether. Then you won't have to worry about it anymore!"

"Auntie Li!"

Lin Jianxia's face immediately flushed red. This time, it was not from embarrassment, but anger.

"I'll pay the rent on time myself." She took a deep breath and suppressed the anger rising inside her. "Please don't do this again. Don't lock us alone in a room together."

Auntie Li was stunned by her sudden fierce reaction. Then she gave a dismissive "Hey" and waved her hand.

"How could I really lock you two in there together? The door wasn't even fully locked. I deliberately left a crack open."

"Besides, I was guarding the hallway outside. If he really dared try anything, I'd have been the first one to rush in."

Those words instead left Lin Jianxia, whose chest was heaving with anger, momentarily speechless.

She said she wanted to help them, yet every word implied that Lin Jianxia should curry favor with Jiang Yubai. But when Lin Jianxia wanted to get angry, this landlady really did seem to have some genuine concern for the sisters.

It was just that this method... she truly could not accept it.

Meanwhile, Auntie Li was still chattering away.

"From what Auntie's seen, that boy surnamed Jiang is quite handsome and has a good personality too. People will definitely be fighting over him in the future."

The helplessness in Lin Jianxia's heart grew heavier and heavier. She could only respond perfunctorily.

"Okay, Auntie Li, I understand... Please go get back to your work..."

Auntie Li shook her head somewhat regretfully as she turned to leave, still muttering nonstop.

"Sigh, you won't listen now, but you'll know later that Auntie's doing this for your own good... Oh, and remember to pay the rent on Saturday."

After seeing Landlady Li off, Lin Jianxia felt weak all over. She leaned against the sofa and let out a long sigh.

The outcome was clearly good... so why was she this exhausted...?

In the silence, light footsteps sounded behind her.

Lin Jianxia quickly rubbed her cheeks, pulled herself together, and turned toward the person beside her with a bright smile.

"Wanwan, what is it?"

Lin Tingwan stood quietly observing for a moment, then lowered her head and wrote a line in her small notebook before holding it up in front of Lin Jianxia.

"Is Sister unhappy?"

Lin Jianxia's smile faltered. She hurriedly waved her hands. "Not at all, not at all. Auntie Li agreed to let us pay the rent later. It's fine."

Lin Tingwan silently looked at her sister for two seconds, lowered the notebook, and began writing again.

This time, the pen touched the paper much more lightly, making almost no sound.

"I'm holding Sister back."

The instant she saw those words, Lin Jianxia's heart nearly stopped. She rose almost immediately and placed both hands on her sister's shoulders.

"Wanwan, listen to me—never!"

"It was my choice to live with you. It's the decision I will never regret most in my life."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "You're never allowed to say something like that again, understand?"

Lin Tingwan nodded to show that she understood.

She lowered her lashes and thought for a moment, then carefully wrote a new line in the notebook and held it up again.

"Jiang Yubai is a good person."

Lin Jianxia's expression went blank. Drawing on her years of experience living with her sister, she instantly understood Lin Tingwan's logic.

The landlady would not postpone the rent—Jiang Yubai came—the landlady agreed to postpone it.

Jiang Yubai was a good person.

The conclusion was not exactly wrong, but... but...

Jiang Yubai's faintly amused gaze before he left flashed through her mind, along with that deliberately drawn-out "I was kidding"...

The pent-up anger in Lin Jianxia's chest surged back up at once, and her tone unconsciously became more irritated.

"He is absolutely not a good person!!"

Lin Tingwan tilted her head. Rarely, she did not agree with her sister. Instead, she neatly wrote down another question.

"Is Jiang Yubai not a good person?"

"Yes! Wanwan, remember this—he's a bad person. Don't talk to him in the future, and don't casually answer him either!" Lin Jianxia nodded firmly.

What was that supposed to mean? Even if Jiang Yubai was not the spoiled young master she had initially thought he was, he definitely could not be considered a good person.

What kind of decent person could seriously tell someone to become his maid?!

Lin Tingwan seemed somewhat confused, but in the end, she obediently nodded.

Only after seeing her sister agree did Lin Jianxia let out a breath of relief.

If that Jiang Yubai, who was full of bad intentions, had too much contact with Wanwan, her little sister would one hundred percent be led astray. She might not even realize it if she got bullied.

But thankfully, as long as they could gather enough rent this weekend, they probably would not have anything to do with this Young Master Jiang in the future.

Yet for some reason, Lin Jianxia could not shake the ominous feeling in her heart.

Surely...

Nothing else could possibly go wrong, right?