The girl cowered like a frightened little rabbit, her tattered clothes starkly out of place amidst the lavish surroundings.
Her eyes were hauntingly vacant, as if her soul had been lost.
A flicker of sympathy stirred in Mu Xi’s heart.
She stepped forward gently and softened her voice, “Hello, my name is Mu Xi. What’s yours?”
The girl timidly lifted her head, glanced at Mu Xi, then quickly lowered it again.
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “Little An.”
“Little An?” Mu Xi repeated the name, sensing it matched the girl’s fragile aura—both delicate and vulnerable.
“Don’t be afraid. This is the Manor; it’s very safe here.”
Mu Xi tried to comfort her, forcing her smile to appear kinder.
“You don’t have to be so guarded. This isn’t some dangerous wilderness. No one will hurt you.”
Little An trembled slightly at these words, retreating further into silence.
She clung tightly to Lady Karin’s dress, as if it were her only anchor.
A flicker of elusive fear flashed in her hollow eyes—like a stray kitten abandoned on a stormy night, helpless and pitiful.
Mu Xi looked at her and felt that faint sympathy deepen.
She had a vague sense that this little girl hid stories unknown to others.
Ye Lan and Lady Karin finished their conversation.
Ye Lan gave a few instructions before preparing to leave the Manor.
Before departing, she ordered Mu Xi to attend to Lady Karin’s bath.
Though reluctant, Mu Xi knew Ye Lan’s commands were ironclad.
She had no choice but to comply.
The bathroom was spacious and luxurious, a massive bathtub rimmed with golden patterns.
Steam swirled in the air, filled with a rich floral fragrance from Lady Karin’s personal essential oils.
Mu Xi quietly tested the water temperature, ensuring it was just right, then added some special bath salts made by Ye Lan—though called salts, they were actually concoctions to make the skin more tender.
With Mu Xi’s support, Lady Karin slowly entered the bathroom.
She still wore that mink coat as if it were a symbol of her status, never letting it out of sight.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me undress!” Lady Karin shot Mu Xi an impatient glance.
Mu Xi lowered her eyes and went behind her, carefully unbuttoning the mink coat.
The heavy fur slid down, revealing the silk robe beneath.
Under the robe, Lady Karin’s well-maintained figure was faintly visible.
“Too slow, like a snail.” Lady Karin complained sharply.
“Ye Lan really hired a clumsy fool like you to serve me? Her taste is going downhill fast.”
Mu Xi sneered silently but kept her expression obedient.
She said softly, “Madam, please step over to the bathtub.”
Lady Karin strutted arrogantly to the tub’s edge.
Mu Xi tentatively reached out to support her but was abruptly pushed away.
“Don’t touch me! You smell cheap! Stay away from me!”
Mu Xi’s hand froze midair, fury bubbling beneath her calm.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her displeasure.
The scent of cream and milk was specially mixed by Ye Lan to make Mu Xi seem more like a ‘pet.’
Lady Karin’s accusation of ‘cheapness’ was nothing but deliberate belittlement.
Lady Karin removed her robe herself and stepped into the tub.
Warm water caressed her skin, and she sighed in comfort, no longer criticizing Mu Xi’s movements.
“The water temperature is okay,” she said, half-reclining with her eyes closed, commanding, “Massage my shoulders, harder.”
Mu Xi stepped to the edge and began kneading Lady Karin’s shoulders.
Her technique was gentle yet professional—skills Ye Lan had painstakingly taught her to better serve high-ranking guests.
“Too soft! Didn’t you eat?” Lady Karin frowned in dissatisfaction, “Harder! Harder! Are you just tickling me?”
Mu Xi cursed inwardly—’this old witch was impossible to please.’
She increased the pressure slightly, her fingertips subtly pressing key points on Lady Karin’s shoulder and neck.
“Ah—” Lady Karin yelped in pain, eyes snapping open as she glared at Mu Xi, “You bastard! Did you do that on purpose? Trying to hurt me?”
Mu Xi blinked innocently, her voice still gentle, “Madam, I’m sorry, I didn’t control the pressure well. You said harder, so I pressed a little more.”
Lady Karin was momentarily speechless, stunned by Mu Xi’s innocent look.
After glaring at her for a while, she snorted coldly, “Useless! You can’t even give a proper massage! Get away! I’ll do it myself!”
Mu Xi stepped back, inwardly pleased.
‘Serves you right for nitpicking—pain suits you.’
Lady Karin roughly rubbed her own shoulders, her face darkening with lingering anger.
The bathroom fell into silence, save for the sound of water and Lady Karin’s occasional grumbles.
Mu Xi stood quietly nearby, watching her with a mixture of disdain and mockery.
This was the so-called noblewoman—arrogant, picky, and bitter.
Beneath her gold-encrusted exterior lay a pitifully empty core.
And Mu Xi had to kowtow to such a person.
It was both pathetic and ridiculous.
After soaking a while, Lady Karin seemed bored again and started finding faults.
“The water’s cold! Change it! Are you dead or what? Can’t you see the water’s cold?”
Mu Xi twitched at the corner of her mouth and went to the tub to drain some cold water before adding hot water.
But as soon as she touched the faucet, Lady Karin cut her off rudely.
“Who told you to drain cold water?! I want hot water! Hot water! Are you deaf?!” Lady Karin shrieked, her voice grating.
Mu Xi patiently explained, “Madam, adding hot water directly might burn your skin. It’s better to drain some cold water first, then slowly add hot water…”
“I said hot water! Can’t you understand human speech? Are you a pig?!”
Lady Karin ignored Mu Xi’s words, yelling hysterically, spitting saliva onto Mu Xi’s face.
Mu Xi’s smile froze, fury erupting beyond control.
Her eyes turned icy as she stared at Lady Karin, her voice calm but dripping with subtle sarcasm, “Madam, you’re right. I really am a pig.”
Lady Karin froze, caught off guard by the unexpected response, momentarily stunned.
Mu Xi continued in the same gentle tone, but laced with biting irony, “Of course pigs don’t understand human speech; they only follow their owner’s orders. Since you want hot water, I’ll give you hot water. If you get burned, don’t blame this pig for not warning you.”
With that, Mu Xi turned on the hot water faucet fully.
Scalding water poured into the tub instantly, steam billowing thick and hot.
Startled, Lady Karin screamed and jumped out of the tub.
“Ah! You’re burning me! You filthy bitch! How dare you?! I’m telling Ye Lan! I’ll make her punish you severely!”
Lady Karin scrambled out, soaking wet, her hair plastered messily to her face—no trace of noble grace left.
Mu Xi watched her in this wild state, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
‘Serves you right to get burned, old witch.’