A new maid named Shi Chunyi recently joined the Forest City Quarter of Yong Road.
Because Princess Ruela’s maids were overwhelmed with work, Su Ling was temporarily assigned by Lady Ka Qiu to guide the new maid.
There was only one day left until the day Su Ling was supposed to meet Tii.
To free up more time for the shopping trip, Su Ling decided to finish the guidance work a day in advance.
“The flowers in the vase need to be replaced every day…”
It was her first time teaching other maids as a senior, so Su Ling felt a little nervous.
Su Ling stood by the table, holding a fresh bunch of nine-petal roses, ready to show Ruela how to arrange and trim the bouquet.
“First, select suitable flowers—different arrangements are used for different occasions.”
“Ha! I understand!”
Ruela stood nearby, holding a bundle of flowers, listening intently to Su Ling’s explanation.
She was a plump maid with a single ponytail, round cheeks, wearing earrings, with thick, deep-red short hair. She looked just like a country girl used to years of hard work.
“Next, trim the flower stems,” Su Ling demonstrated how to use the shears, “This makes the branches tidier and easier to insert into the flower base.”
With Su Ling’s guidance, Ruela carefully began to arrange the flowers herself. At first, she was a bit clumsy and flustered, but gradually, her movements became smoother and more practiced.
Just then, Su Ling noticed that Ruela’s gaze started to wander.
Following Ruela’s line of sight, Su Ling saw she was peering in the direction of the Study.
“Ruela, what are you looking at?” Su Ling asked softly.
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking… Perhaps Her Highness Sista is reading inside right now,” Ruela replied, her eyes still fixed in that direction, her brown irises filled with yearning. “Will I be able to see her again at lunch…”
Su Ling was a bit surprised.
“Sista means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
“Yes! Absolutely!” Ruela nodded vigorously.
“I’ve long heard of Princess Sista’s unrivaled beauty. She’s like a goddess—her long hair is so black and soft, her skin is so fine you can’t even see her pores, she’s got that graceful elegance, and her air is so romantic.”
A blush rose on Ruela’s face as if she was imagining Sista standing before her.
Su Ling gave a small, wry smile. She had long gotten used to Sista’s beauty, but still replied politely, “She really is quite beautiful.”
“See? Even you think so, Miss Su Ling! I envy you so much for being able to see such an enchanting beauty every day. Life would be perfect if I could do that!” Ruela excitedly grabbed Su Ling’s hand, her pudgy palm soft and warm.
“I even volunteered to Madam Ren Chang for work in the Study just to catch more glimpses of Her Highness. That face of hers is clearly a masterpiece made by the gods—”
Goodness, this maid is a hardcore fan of Sista!
Su Ling recalled Sista’s looks for a moment. But more than the cold, regal face, it was the memory of that evening’s smile that left the deepest impression on her.
“The rumors are true—Princess Sista…”
Ruela was still lost in her daydreams, so Su Ling was about to remind her to return to her work when Ruela suddenly squeezed Su Ling’s hands with emotion.
“By the way, Miss Su Ling, do you think I have a chance to become Her Highness’s personal maid?”
“The position of personal maid isn’t set in stone, right?”
“Is that so…”
“Then, if I work harder, does that mean I could serve as Her Highness’s personal maid together with you, Miss Su Ling? I want to stay by Princess Sista’s side every day and admire her beauty all day long!”
“Well,” Su Ling felt a bit embarrassed, “it’s really not that simple.”
Besides, the position of personal maid isn’t something you can just get by wanting it. What Ruela was saying sounded like wishful thinking.
“I see…”
Disappointment was written all over Ruela’s face, but she didn’t give up hope. She took a deep breath, then cautiously said to Su Ling, “Well, Miss Su Ling, I have a selfish request. I wonder if you would agree…”
Su Ling saw the expectant look in Ruela’s eyes and felt a twinge of pity.
“Go ahead, Ruela, what is it?”
“I know this might be too much to ask, but… would you be willing, when Princess Sista is brushing her hair, to secretly save me a strand of her black hair? Please! I swear, I’ll only keep it as a memento, and I absolutely won’t do anything disrespectful.”
Hair? Su Ling frowned slightly.
“I swear I won’t cause you any trouble! I just really, really like Her Highness—this is important to me. I promise to be very careful, and I won’t let anyone find out!”
Su Ling hesitated for a while, looking at the girl before her who was nearly obsessed with Sista.
“To be honest, this request is a little…”
“Please! I’ll give you all the sweets I’ve saved up!”
All her sweets? Su Ling’s lips twitched. Memories of certain obsessed fans from her previous life flashed through her mind.
She didn’t really want Ruela’s sweets, but seeing how desperate the girl was, Su Ling felt a bit moved.
After brushing Sista’s hair, it would be easy enough to pick up a fallen strand or two off the floor, pretending to clean up. Sista probably wouldn’t even notice, right?
“Alright then, just one strand…”
“Thank you so much, Miss Su Ling!” Ruela’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You’re my goddess!”
So, during her daily cleaning of Sista’s room, Su Ling deliberately searched for strands of Sista’s black hair.
She carefully moved aside the little tea table, lifted the heavy rug at the bedside, and, sure enough, found a few long, shiny black hairs quietly lying on the floor—ones that must have fallen during Sista’s hair brushing.
Su Ling’s heart thudded. She glanced around to confirm she was alone, then quickly and carefully picked up the long strands and gently held them in her hand.
Mission accomplished.
But just then, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and Sista’s elegant figure walked in.
Today, she wore a newly tailored guest dress: her black hair was coiled into a ring at the nape, and she wore a long, green city robe with festive sleeves. Where the light touched, the embroidery of trailing roses shimmered gently, giving her a mature and refined air.
Su Ling’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately straightened and bowed, respectfully greeting, “Your Highness, you’ve returned.”
Sista nodded slightly. “Have you finished cleaning?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Everything has been properly taken care of.”
Sista’s gaze swept around the room as if inspecting Su Ling’s work. Su Ling subconsciously tried to hide the hair behind her back, a little flustered.
“What are you doing with my hair?” Sista asked.
She found out in less than a second…!
How did she notice? Su Ling was sure she’d been discreet.
Sista arched her lips, revealing an inscrutable smile.
“Could it be that you want to collect it?”
“Well, I—”
Su Ling took a step back, but Sista immediately closed the distance.
“I didn’t expect you to have this sort of hobby,” she said, reaching out to take Su Ling’s wrist, raising her eyebrows. “I always thought you were seriously trying to keep your distance from me…”