Just like Zhang Ma had said, Su Wanli was currently standing in the servant quarters on the second floor of the Su Residence, silently contemplating how she should go about meeting Meng Wange in a moment.
Looking at the maid outfit before her, which seemed to be about the right size, she lightly rubbed her chin twice.
It was a classic black-and-white color scheme. The skirt was fluffy and neat, a white ruffled apron was tied at the chest, and a tidy bow was fastened at the back.
‘This really is the most common style of maid outfit found in anime. I feel like after putting this on, I could go straight to a maid cafe and recite strange incantations over some omurice. Something like LOVE, LOVE, BECOME DELICIOUS…’
There was no one else in the servant quarters right now. The air held only a faint scent of incense, and Su Wanli’s mind began to cool down slightly.
Wait, even if it was to increase her attraction to Meng Wange, wasn’t this a bit too much? How could a Villainous Eldest Young Lady wander around in such degrading clothes, even if it was in her own home?
At the very least… she had to find some kind of excuse for herself…
Dammit! Was there really not a single motive to support her putting on a maid outfit to see Meng Wange?!
Roleplay? Experiencing life? Even princes in fairy tales wanted to swap identities with commoners who looked like them, so it wasn’t strange for her to have a similar idea…
‘No, no matter how I explain it, it’s weird!!’
But what if Meng Wange actually liked this style? She had worn that gorgeous red evening gown in front of her before, and at that time, Meng Wange didn’t seem to show any particular interest in her. Perhaps…
Did she just enjoy the feeling of a superior looking down while she herself bowed her head?
Su Wanli bit her lip, turned to lock the door of the dressing room, and took a deep breath.
Fine, she wouldn’t hesitate any longer. She just had to overcome her psychological barrier.
This was all for the System Task, all to increase Meng Wange’s…
It was just a maid outfit. She would give it her all!
—
Meanwhile, inside Su Wanli’s room—
Meng Wange was staring at the chair Su Wanli had just been sitting in, pursing her lips in confusion.
…So, what exactly had she done wrong?
If Su Wanli wasn’t trying to find a way to confirm her charm, then why would she unbutton her blouse right in front of her?
‘Was my thought just now really too much? Does she actually have other considerations in her heart?’
Recalling Su Wanli’s performance, Meng Wange lightly bit her lower lip and sat up from the bed.
‘Since she wasn’t satisfied with my reaction just now and even angrily swiped my fingers away, that means…’
The Su Wanli from a moment ago wasn’t looking for praise, nor was she trying to compare herself to her. She was just…
Just…
— “Meng Wange, do you… do you want to try touching my… that, my chest?”
Recalling those words, Meng Wange, who was already feeling a bit dizzy and feverish, couldn’t help but rub her temples.
‘Could it be that my fever is so bad I’m hallucinating? Were those words that turned my brain into a mess actually just my delusions? Did Su Wanli never even say them?’
No, she definitely wasn’t sick to that extent. Those words must have come from Su Wanli’s mouth…
But then, it was strange.
If Su Wanli’s words didn’t carry that kind of meaning, then what could it be for?
‘Meng Wange, stop using the fever as an excuse to give up thinking. Try to stand in Su Wanli’s shoes and seriously figure out where the problem lies.’
If she couldn’t find the reason from today’s events, then she should look back at the past properly…
Meng Wange silently looked at the notebooks on the desk that she had personally handed over to Su Wanli.
From the first day, she had made a promise to Su Wanli. As long as she was willing to let her stay at the Su Residence and remain by her side, she would do her best to help her enter the evening banquet yesterday. And at that time, Su Wanli had also said she was willing to give her this chance.
After the banquet ended, when she asked Su Wanli if she was happy, the other girl had responded with “keep it up in the future.” She had thought it was some kind of euphemism unique to Su Wanli, but now it seemed…
Perhaps because her performance last night was far from perfect, Su Wanli’s test for her hadn’t ended yet?
Today, she was being punished. In other words, it could also be seen as a trial, a test used to judge whether she could truly stay at the Sujia.
Then, what was the standard of the test?
Since Su Wanli was dissatisfied with her reaction just now, it meant that when faced with such an extraordinary scene, Su Wanli didn’t want her to show too obvious of a reaction. Instead, she likely wanted her to maintain her usual indifferent appearance.
That would explain why Su Wanli was so angry—her performance was the exact opposite of what she had hoped for.
‘I see. I need to remain steady, calm, and natural, don’t I?’
In that case…
Meng Wange took a deep breath, lightly wiped the sweat from her forehead, and prepared to get out of bed.
She would continue with today’s plan. First, she would find Su Wanli, give a reasonable explanation for her behavior just now, and then…
However, the moment Meng Wange placed her feet on the floor, an unstoppable wave of dizziness washed over her.
It was probably because she had been so immersed in thought. Although she had lied down for a while, she hadn’t gotten much actual rest. Facing Su Wanli in her current state would likely only produce the opposite effect.
Catching a faint whiff of Su Wanli’s gardenia scent in the air, Meng Wange rubbed her eyes and prepared to lie back down on the pillow.
‘I’ll sleep for a little while to clear my head, and then I’ll reconsider…’
‘I hope Miss Su has calmed down a bit by then. I will do my absolute best to make her satisfied with me…’
“Meng Wange.”
She seemed to hear Su Wanli’s voice.
“Hey, Meng Wange, Meng Wange? No sleeping! Do you have any idea how much resolve it took for me to put this on?! Wait, my Awake Value—!? Wake up right now!!”
A warm finger lightly poked Meng Wange’s forehead.
…Hmm?
Meng Wange forced her eyes open and looked at the figure by the bed.
Dressed in a puffy black-and-white maid outfit with a lace-edged headband on her head, a black-haired girl with a nervous and shy expression was poking her cheek with one finger while clutching the blanket on the bed with the other.
‘Is this… Su Wanli?’
Meng Wange blinked at this “Maid Eldest Miss,” then closed her eyes and turned her body to the other side.
‘Dreaming is an exhausting thing; it lowers the quality of sleep. I don’t have time to waste. I need to hurry up and let my body recover…’
…
“HEYYYY!!!!”