The story of an ugly duckling transforming into a beautiful swan was something Ye Ning had heard since he was a child.
But in this surreal reality, it was the first time he had witnessed it.
Who would have thought that this girl, after being cleaned and bathed, could be so beautiful?
"This young girl is clever. She intentionally made herself look extremely dirty. Otherwise, how could she have made it to the imperial capital?"
Uncle Huang said with a knowing smile.
Ye Ning nodded lightly.
In times of chaos, girls like her had no place to rely on, but her extraordinary beauty made her susceptible to various situations.
"Unfortunately."
Ye Ning sighed.
This girl was born in the wrong era.
If she were placed in his past life, solely based on her beauty, she would undoubtedly be a campus goddess, with a long line of suitors trailing behind her.
"I'll go rest first, Young Master."
Uncle Huang said, leaving Xuan Xuan behind as he turned to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Ye Ning jolted, rushing outside to check.
But Uncle Huang was nowhere to be seen.
He was as fast as lightning.
Only Xuan Xuan stood timidly in place, bowing her head and looking at her small shoes.
"I said I didn't need a maid, but it seems that no one takes that seriously."
Ye Ning said with a mix of laughter and tears.
How could the intentions of Uncle Huang be unclear?
This was a clear sign of matchmaking, bringing such a spiritually refined young girl into Ye Ning's room.
In his simple mindset, if Ye Ning accepted Xuan Xuan into his room, it would be considered her destiny.
But the problem was, how could Ye Ning lay a hand on her?
On their first meeting, with no knowledge or understanding, especially at such a young age.
Ye Ning himself was still in ninth grade at that time.
If he were to lay a hand on her, wouldn't he be a beast?
"You go rest."
Ye Ning pointed towards the bed.
Xuan Xuan's body trembled, her eyes flickering involuntarily.
But it seemed that she had thought of something, as if accepting her fate with gritted teeth.
She bowed her head, slowly crawled onto the bed, and then lay down.
Ye Ning approached the bedside.
He slowly covered her with the quilt.
Xuan Xuan closed her eyes, her breathing becoming erratic.
But Ye Ning didn't do anything.
He simply adjusted the pillow and stood up directly.
When Xuan Xuan opened her eyes wide and looked over, Ye Ning had already prepared his own sleeping place and yawned.
"Sleep well."
He said.
The light went off.
Ye Ning fell asleep quickly.
For him, he did all of this almost without any thought.
For such a pitiable deaf and mute girl, he, as a grown man, naturally had to take care of her.
Displaying a bit of elegance was nothing.
In his past life, this was considered a common value in society.
But for Xuan Xuan, the impact was immense.
She opened her eyes wide, unable to sink into sleep.
If someone could pass through the darkness at this moment and see her eyes, they would surely notice the stark contrast.
Previously, her eyes were filled with timidity, haziness, and self-doubt, but now they were icy.
Icy, like a killing machine, devoid of any emotions.
However, deep within her eyes, there was a hint of fascination.
"This person is truly a gentleman."
Before coming here, the official of Secret intelligence agency had provided her with detailed information about Ye Ning.
In summary, it could be described in six words: Holy and virtuous demeanor, contemporary gentleman.
At first, she didn't pay much attention to it.
In this world, people may have an appearance of righteousness, but their hearts were filled with desires.
They may seem well-dressed, but in reality, they had hidden agendas.
Especially for someone like her, who had no one to rely on, being a "soft and vulnerable character" made her an easy target for bullying and further ignited the beastly instincts in the hearts of men.
She understood all too well the allure she held for men.
She originally believed that Ye Ning would not be able to resist and would act against her.
After all, it was like a piece of meat being offered to him on a silver platter.
Who would refuse such an opportunity?
Who could resist?
At first, she had mentally prepared herself for sacrifice.
Because the official made it very clear that Ye Ning's life was of utmost importance, and her mission was to stay by his side and spare no effort in ensuring his safety!
With the words spoken to this extent, did she have any other choice?
She could only accept her fate.
But Ye Ning's reaction surpassed her expectations, to the point where her perception of "humanity" had changed.
"So there are truly good people in this world."
She murmured to herself.
Inside the room, Ye Ning's breathing was steady.
Outside the room, there would occasionally be a cold breeze blowing through, but for the most part, it was quiet.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she had experienced such a normal life.
It had been so long that she couldn't adapt to it anymore.
The next day, Ye Ning woke up.
He stretched his back and saw the mute little girl holding onto his clothes, standing there waiting for him for a long time.
Ye Ning was taken aback, he glanced over and saw that the basin was filled with water and the towel was neatly prepared.
"I've already said it, you don't need to see yourself as a maid."
Ye Ning had nothing else to say.
But the deaf and mute girl, without saying a word, her submissive and pitiful appearance spoke for itself.
The one who didn't know would think that Ye Ning was bullying her.
"Alright, I surrender. You can come in now."
Ye Ning's mouth twitched slightly as he extended his arms, assuming a posture of receiving her service.
The mute little girl dressed him.
From Ye Ning's perspective, he couldn't see it, but she revealed a faint smile.
"This person is truly interesting."
She was witnessing for the first time a man unfamiliar with the company of beautiful women being served.
"Ah, this damned feudal society is about to erode me."
Ye Ning was served by dressing him.
Served by washing his face.
Served by having his meals.
With each sequence of actions, he felt numb.
It wasn't that his willpower was weak, but rather the corrosive power of this feudal society was too formidable.
This kind of feeling wasn't too bad, actually.
It was just a bit unfamiliar.
"You wait at home, I'll go out to work."
Ye Ning arranged everything for the mute little girl.
And then he went outside.
There was no need to say it, he was still going to the Overwatch Council.
Looking from a distance, the main gate was tightly closed.
"These people really don't know how to work?"
Ye Ning was furious, gritting his teeth.
He had already made "three trips to the door of the Overwatch Council," yet he couldn't even enter through the gate.
How could he tolerate this?
But today was slightly different from usual.
At the entrance of the Overwatch Council, there was someone familiar standing there.
When he saw Ye Ning approaching, he was also a little surprised and went forward to welcome him, clasping his hands together and saying.
"Greetings, Lord Ye."