After years of navigating the workplace in her previous life, Jiang Sui had seen too many colleagues rise and fall. The greed and desire for wealth that would surface on their faces looked exactly the same as the uncle before her.
Thirty thousand for giving birth, Secret Arts Practitioner escorting for health—what nonsense.
Where in the world do pies just fall from the sky?
Jiang Sui was indeed desperate for money, but not to the point of trusting such a suspicious person.
“But there is one thing I’m really curious about. Uncle, you should be related to the recent Missing Person Case, right? And how did you know my exact identity?”
Lan City’s nights had been restless lately, with young men and women disappearing all the time. Meeting such a “kind” stranger at a time like this—how could anyone not be suspicious?
More than worrying about being targeted by a murderer, what Jiang Sui cared about was where this stranger had gotten her detailed information.
Guessing she was a Luo Family servant from her Maid Uniform was one thing, but to know she owed a huge Debt, and to deliberately act like a pie falling from the sky—a very tempting one at that.
Just as Jiang Sui finished speaking, the uncle’s expression suddenly twisted into something ferocious. He grabbed her slender arm, squeezing so hard it hurt.
If being nice didn’t work, then he’d use force.
One hand clamped down to keep her from escaping, while the other pulled a syringe filled with red liquid from his pocket. All he needed to do was jab it into her arm and push in a little. In less than thirty seconds, she’d be unconscious.
He hadn’t expected to meet such a sharp prey, but luckily he’d come prepared.
Jiang Sui’s eyes turned icy in that instant, but a sudden voice behind her broke the tension:
“Get lost!”
A figure wedged between them, delivering a solid kick to the uncle and sending him sprawling to the ground.
“Damn, can’t believe I ran into something like this.”
The newcomer was none other than Lu Yunze, who had dashed in from the alley’s entrance.
He picked up the syringe that had fallen to the ground, studied it for a moment, then took Jiang Sui’s arm in place of the uncle, pulling her protectively behind him.
Unlike the uncle, Lu Yunze was even faster, but his grip was gentle and didn’t hurt Jiang Sui at all.
“Damn it, another meddler.”
The uncle cursed under his breath, his gaze growing cold as he looked at the two of them.
After a brief standoff, he finally pulled up his hood. Under their watchful eyes, his form seemed to melt into the darkness.
“Tch, he ran off pretty fast.”
Only after confirming the man wouldn’t circle back did Lu Yunze breathe a sigh of relief and let go of Jiang Sui’s hand.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Jiang Sui glanced at her arm. The uncle’s hand had been like an iron clamp, leaving red marks on her slender wrist.
“How did you know I was here, Young Master?”
“You might not believe it, but a cat brought me here.”
Lu Yunze turned his head as he spoke, but there was no trace of any cat near the alley’s mouth—just the groceries he’d left at the entrance.
After Jiang Sui left the supermarket, saying she had errands to run, two extra cash registers had been opened. Lu Yunze rushed to the front of the line, checked out in no time, and left with all his things.
But after coming out, he couldn’t find any sign of Jiang Sui. Just as he was starting to worry, a black cat appeared and led him into this alley.
“I see. Looks like my luck is pretty good today.” Jiang Sui sounded a little absent-minded.
“Yeah, you really lucked out. If I’d come a minute later, would you really have agreed to that guy’s offer?” Instead of relief, Lu Yunze’s face grew more serious.
“Is the Young Master worried about me? I’m so touched.” Her tone hardly changed, but Jiang Sui still pretended to wipe away a tear.
“……”
Fine, he was being serious, so Jiang Sui dropped the act and smiled faintly.
“If I really had no way out, I would seriously consider it.”
She wasn’t joking. If such an opportunity truly arose, she’d probably agree.
“No way, you’d actually sell yourself to him?!”
Lu Yunze was dumbfounded.
“Isn’t it obvious that’s a trap? Either they lure you in and run after getting what they want, or they’re looking for guinea pigs for illegal Secret Art experiments. Even if you got all that money at once, do you really think they’d treat you well?”
“To make big money, you have to pay a price.” Jiang Sui gripped her right arm with her left hand, her bangs nearly covering her cold eyes.
“I really don’t get what you’re thinking.” Lu Yunze took a step closer. “Is money really that important to you?”
“Someone like the Young Master, who’s never had to worry about food or clothes, wouldn’t understand.”
There was a trace of mockery in Jiang Sui’s eyes—the first time she’d shown such an expression to Lu Yunze.
“I have to work as a servant for the Luo Family for thirty years, but if I agreed to him, just six. Lu Yunze, do you know how crushing a Debt of 1.8 million is? Do you know how much of my life thirty years as a servant would waste?”
Before and after transmigrating, Jiang Sui had never tasted the life of comfort he enjoyed. Every day, she had to struggle just to survive.
At least in her previous life, there hadn’t been such enormous financial pressure. After transmigrating, she was saddled with a huge Debt—couldn’t run, couldn’t slack off, and Lu Yunze was a ticking time bomb at her side.
With a shortcut like this in front of her, who wouldn’t be tempted?
Lu Yunze was struck speechless by her words and raked his hand through his hair.
Jiang Sui also realized she’d gone too far and looked away in silence.
The atmosphere turned icy cold, and in the end, it was Lu Yunze who spoke first:
“If you really want to get out of the Luo Family sooner, even relying on me is better than those shady guys.”
At least Lu Yunze wouldn’t covet her body.
“Why use errands as an excuse to shake me off?”
She was always staying close, yet Lu Yunze found himself understanding this maid less and less—her actions and thoughts were almost impossible to fathom.
“That’s not it.”
“Huh?”
“I really did have an errand. This.”
Like magic, Jiang Sui produced a cup of milk tea, catching Lu Yunze off guard.
“You bought this for me?”
“Of course. If I hadn’t seen how tired and hot you looked, I wouldn’t have splurged on it.”
She’d gone out of her way for him, only to run into that strange uncle and nearly hand her life over to someone else.
Even as someone living under another’s roof, Lu Yunze’s life was one of luxury—never lacking food or drink. Compared to Jiang Sui’s family circumstances, they were worlds apart.
Yet she was still willing to do something nice for him.
At that thought, the seriousness on Lu Yunze’s face faded, replaced by a trace of guilt.
“If the Young Master doesn’t want it, I’ll just throw it away…”
“Wait!”
Lu Yunze hurriedly stopped her and took the milk tea.
He pierced the straw, but instead of drinking, he looked into Jiang Sui’s calm, pale violet eyes.
“If something like this happens again, tell me first.”
“Why?” Jiang Sui frowned slightly.
Lu Yunze softened his tone. “Don’t forget, you’re still a Luo Family maid. I’m your supervisor. If you want to leave, I need to make sure the other party is qualified to buy you from me.”
It sounded weird, and even Lu Yunze himself wasn’t sure what he was saying. Still, it was better than letting things stay awkward.
Jiang Sui propped her chin up, as if savoring his words:
“So, Young Master sees me as his precious belonging?”
“Ah, no…” Lu Yunze panicked. “I didn’t mean you’re a thing—wait, that’s not it either…!”
The more he explained, the worse it sounded, and soon Lu Yunze was tangled in his own words.
“Pfft.”
Jiang Sui burst out laughing at his flustered look. It was the first time she’d laughed so freely in front of the Young Master. All the stiffness and unpleasantness melted away. She leaned back against the wall, twirling a strand of hair.
“I get what you mean, Young Master. You’re worried about me. Even if you really do see me as a thing, I honestly wouldn’t mind.”
Only when you value something enough do you hesitate to let it go.
From the look of things, there was no need for Jiang Sui to make up for their earlier argument—their relationship might have gotten even better.
Jiang Sui kept her amused expression, as if still replaying Lu Yunze’s reaction in her mind.
“As long as you understand.” Ignoring her last remark, Lu Yunze breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of milk tea to cover his embarrassment.
Hmm, matcha flavor, but not sweet enough.
At that moment, Jiang Sui poked him twice in the side.
“What?”
“Can I have a sip, Young Master?”
“Sure, want me to peel off the plastic film for you?”
“No need, I can manage.”
Just as he handed her the milk tea, Lu Yunze suddenly realized something was off. Knowing her, the way she’d drink it probably wasn’t what he expected.
Sure enough, she pinched the straw he’d just used between her fingers, a sly glint in her pale violet eyes.
Under Lu Yunze’s shrinking pupils, she put her lips to the straw and took a long sip.
“Tastes good. Very sweet.”
Jiang Sui even stuck out her little pink tongue and slowly licked the milk tea from her lips, as if performing a deliberately slow pantomime.
Seeing the blush rapidly rising on Lu Yunze’s face, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons.
“Is the Young Master thinking about an indirect kiss? Don’t tell me you’ve never done this with a friend before?”
Of course not. Since joining the Luo Family, Lu Yunze had barely any friends, let alone anyone to share drinks with.
“So, does this mean I’ve stolen your first time in a roundabout way?” Jiang Sui pretended to be shocked, covering her mouth lightly. “Even Miss Luo, your rumored girlfriend, never got this treatment. I, I…”
Seeing her look so startled, Lu Yunze hurried to reassure her, “It’s just a drink, that’s all.”
“Mm, interesting.”
At least I beat her to it!
Jiang Sui suddenly gave a scary smile. Lu Yunze’s mouth twitched, “Don’t worry, I don’t mind.”
“Oh.” Jiang Sui replied blandly, then took a second sip.
“Hm?”
A third sip.
“Hey!”
A fourth sip.
“Stop! Wasn’t this for me?”
After snatching the milk tea back from the maid, Lu Yunze was dismayed to find it already half gone.
Jiang Sui still looked unsatisfied, and whispered by his ear:
“This is our little secret, Young Master. Don’t tell Miss, okay?”
Her tone, mixed with the sweetness of milk tea, carried teasing, warning, and threat—but not a trace of guilt.
Lu Yunze couldn’t get angry; he could only finish the rest of the milk tea in silence.
His mind was filled with the image of Jiang Sui drinking milk tea, his perspective zooming in on her lips.
Hmm… did it just get sweeter?
Peak
I like the fact she’s honest, and that it advanced their relationship. It’s realistic to consider that option and the way he inadvertently considered her to now be “his” is very good writing. Ofc, since she already had him, she wouldn’t go anywhere else. After all between choosing a shady surrogate job from a shady place and sticking to the side of the main character who is garenteed to reach the pinnacle, anyone would choose the MC.