Lin Xin leaned lazily against the sofa, her gaze following Ye Linghua as she bustled back and forth, moving in and out of view.
Ye Linghua's movements were a bit clumsy, clearly not the work of someone accustomed to household chores.
But Lin Xin didn't point it out; she simply let Ye Linghua continue. From the moment she returned home, Ye Linghua had taken charge, even urging her to freshen up and take a shower. When Lin Xin returned to the living room, cleaned up and refreshed, she found that Ye Linghua had thoughtfully prepared a bowl of ginger tea for her.
Now, as Lin Xin sipped the warm tea, she watched Ye Linghua as she tidied up the mess.
Ding!
The sound of a text message pulled Lin Xin's attention to her phone resting on the side of the sofa. Picking it up, she saw a reply from her mother.
[I hired her]
Lin Xin narrowed her eyes, her suspicions about Ye Linghua slightly eased. The timing of Ye Linghua's appearance had been too coincidental, and her odd behavior had prompted Lin Xin to confirm with her mother.
Although her mother had vouched for Ye Linghua's identity, Lin Xin couldn't help but ask another question.
[What standards did you use?]
In the past, Lin Xin had hired housekeepers for this villa as well. But Zheng Lanwen had said she didn't like strangers invading her personal space, and Lin Xin had dismissed them. After that, she took it upon herself to handle the chores and cook meals, becoming adept at managing the household.
But Ye Linghua…
She wasn't just subpar compared to professional housekeepers; she wasn't even on Lin Xin's level. Lin Xin couldn't help but wonder how someone like this had passed the interview.
Her mother's reply was direct and unapologetic:
[She's good looking!]
[???]
[You care so much about appearances. Do you think I'd hire someone unattractive?]
Lin Xin sighed, rubbing her temple. "That's not the point. But still, she should at least know what she's doing, right?"
Despite her grumbling, Lin Xin couldn't help but recall the image of Ye Linghua earlier, holding the red umbrella and standing before her in the rain. Ultimately, she decided not to ask her mother to take Ye Linghua back.
By the time Ye Linghua finished tidying up the living room, she wiped the sweat from her brow and checked her phone. Her eyes widened. "What? It's already seven?"
Although this was her first time working as a housekeeper and she wasn't very skilled, even she knew it was dinnertime.
She rushed into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took a good look inside. To her surprise, it was fully stocked with all kinds of ingredients.
But…
"Sigh," Taking out her phone to call a friend. After three years in this world, she had at least managed to make a few useful contacts.
The call connected quickly. "Hello?"
Ye Linghua got straight to the point. "Tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus lettuce… a very small pig? And there's bird's nest, chicken, abalone… fish? There's a lot here. What can I make with this?"
There was a brief silence on the other end. "Your descriptions are… overly simplistic."
Ye Linghua frowned. "You don't understand?"
"Let me guess. The pig's for roasted suckling pig, and it doesn't matter what kind of bird's nest it is. But what about the chicken and fish? You need to be more specific. And why are you, someone who doesn't know how to cook, even asking this? From the sound of it, you're aiming for a full imperial feast. Do you really think you're up to the task?"
The sarcasm on the other end of the line stung. Ye Linghua clenched her hand on the refrigerator door, gritted her teeth, and retorted with a cold smile: "So, which do you think I'm better at—cooking a meal or beating you up?"
Another moment of silence. Then, her friend backpedaled: "With fingers as slender as yours, it would be a waste not to cook!"
Though her friend earnestly explained how to make dishes like bird's nest soup, roasted suckling pig, stuffed pomegranate chicken, and soup-filled yellow croaker, Ye Linghua didn't understand a word.
Expressionless, she hung up the phone and came to terms with the fact that she had overestimated her cooking abilities.
Fortunately, she wasn't completely helpless. She returned the more complicated ingredients to the fridge and took out a few simple ones instead: tomatoes, cucumbers, and asparagus lettuce.
She prepared three basic dishes: stir-fried eggs with tomatoes, smashed cucumbers, and sautéed asparagus lettuce.
When Lin Xin came to the dining table and saw the dishes, she cast another doubtful look at Ye Linghua.
Ye Linghua curved her lips into a gentle smile and calmly said, "I never claimed cooking was part of the job during the interview."
Lin Xin was speechless. "...Isn't that a basic skill?"
Ye Linghua just smiled without responding. Lin Xin sighed but didn't press further. A simple dinner wasn't a problem, especially since she wasn't in the mood to eat much today anyway.
The ingredients in the fridge had been ordered earlier that morning. Lin Xin had originally planned to celebrate her and Zheng Lanwen's five-year wedding anniversary with a special meal.
Yes, five years.
Five years ago, on this day, they had registered their marriage. It should have been a day to celebrate.
Who could have guessed that Zheng Lanwen would ask for a divorce on their anniversary?
Eating without appetite, Lin Xin finished her meal quietly before heading upstairs alone. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor and dishes being cleared away echoed faintly behind her.
The grand yet elegant spiral staircase wound its way upward. Through the small windows along the wall, the silvery moonlight spilled in, casting a soft, flowing glow on the steps.
Lin Xin ascended the moonlit stairs to the second floor. From the dim hallway, she could see the bright lights from the first floor below.
What should have been a desolate first day after her divorce didn't feel quite as lonely.
At that moment, Lin Xin suddenly understood why her mother had arranged for a housekeeper today. With no energy to handle the household herself, and now living alone after the divorce, having someone around did make sense.
Without dwelling on it further, Lin Xin accepted the arrangement. It wasn't as if the household couldn't afford one more person.
As she reached her bedroom, Lin Xin noticed the guest room door was wide open.
In five years of marriage, Zheng Lanwen had never been willing to share a room with her. The two had always slept in separate rooms—Lin Xin in the master bedroom, Zheng Lanwen in the guest room.
A casual "good morning" before leaving the house, and a perfunctory "good night" before bed.
They were more like colleagues sharing a dormitory than a married couple.
Now that Lin Xin thought about it, these five years didn't hold many memories worth cherishing. By that measure, perhaps their anniversary wasn't worth celebrating after all.
Even so, Lin Xin found herself walking toward the guest room and peering inside.
In the past, Zheng Lanwen had forbidden her from entering.
Now she could, but the desire to do so had long since faded.
The room was empty, as expected. Lin Xin had already anticipated Zheng Lanwen's coldness and wasn't surprised to find the room cleared out, with nothing left behind—not even a hint of sentimentality.
Expressionless, Lin Xin closed the guest room door. In her heart, she also shut the door on her feelings for Zheng Lanwen.
Returning to her bedroom, Lin Xin turned on the lights, banishing the darkness. The room was decorated in a soft, elegant style—refined and cozy.
Just as she had carefully decorated the master bedroom in the past, Lin Xin had also prepared for today. She had scattered romantic rose petals and lit a soothing scented candle.
"Such a cruel contrast," Lin Xin muttered bitterly, shaking her head. Just as she was about to find something to distract herself, her phone suddenly rang.
Lin Xin froze. The ringtone was one she had specifically set for Zheng Lanwen's calls, back when she didn't want to miss a single one. She had never changed it since.
Why was Zheng Lanwen calling now?
To regret her decision? Ha, how confident must I be to think that?
Mocking herself inwardly, Lin Xin still answered the call.
On the other end, Zheng Lanwen's cool voice came through. "Lin Xin?"
Leaning back against the wall, Lin Xin responded with a soft "Mm."
There was silence again. Zheng Lanwen didn't continue.
The two of them, connected by the phone, could only hear each other's breathing. Neither spoke.
As the seconds ticked by, Lin Xin's initial flicker of hope gradually dimmed. Smiling bitterly, she broke the silence. "What is it?"
Only then did Zheng Lanwen react, murmuring an apology. "I'm sorry."
Lin Xin asked calmly, "Sorry for what?"
Zheng Lanwen didn't answer directly. Instead, she said, "I didn't mean to choose today for this."
Lin Xin laughed lightly. "Oh? So you're just realizing that now?"
"I'm sorry," Zheng Lanwen repeated, as if those were the only words she knew how to say.
Letting out a faint scoff, Lin Xin said coldly, "If you called just to apologize for divorcing me on our anniversary, it's unnecessary. We're already strangers now. And it's best we stay that way. Let's never see each other again."
With those harsh words, Lin Xin hung up the phone.
Even though Lin Xin had just said harsh words, she couldn't help but stare at her phone with a sense of loneliness, as if it wasn't her who had spoken those resolute words to Zheng Lanwen moments ago.
"In the end, if she forgot, it just means she didn't care."
How long had she spent preparing for today? The fully stocked fridge, the carefully decorated bedroom, and even the seductive white sheer nightgown she'd chosen—all of it was for this day.
Furious, Lin Xin threw her phone across the room.
At the same time, the bedroom door flew open, and Ye Linghua appeared in the doorway, her expression panicked as she called out, "What happened? Are you okay?!"
The moment the words left her lips, the room fell silent.
The moonlight streaming in through the window seemed colder, more detached.
Lin Xin froze mid-action, still in the posture of having thrown her phone. She turned to look at Ye Linghua, and although she felt something was off, the suddenness of it all left her momentarily speechless.
Ye Linghua, standing at the door, quickly realized how inappropriate her behavior was. She hesitated for a moment before offering a small smile and defending herself in a soft, sincere voice: "I wasn't eavesdropping."
Eavesdropping!
The word snapped Lin Xin out of her daze, and her face immediately turned red with anger. Forget Zheng Lanwen, forget the anniversary, forget the divorce!
Right now, her mind was occupied with one thought: How dare this housekeeper eavesdrop on my phone call?!
Lin Xin shot to her feet and strode toward Ye Linghua. The latter instinctively swallowed and began retreating, raising her hands in a placating gesture as she explained: "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop! I just came up to ask which room I'm supposed to sleep in. You know, even though I'm a housekeeper, I still need a place to sleep, right? You wouldn't make me sleep in the living room, would you? Wait, calm down! Don't get angry—it's not worth it if you make yourself sick over this!"
Ye Linghua's frantic string of words didn't calm Lin Xin down; if anything, it made her angrier.
"So, you're saying this is my fault?" Lin Xin snapped.
"No, no, no!" Ye Linghua quickly replied, her smile still intact. She wasn't intimidated by Lin Xin's fiery expression but sensibly admitted, "It's my fault, all my fault. How could it possibly be your fault?"
For some inexplicable reason, Lin Xin felt even angrier at her response, even though she was admitting fault.
Seeing Lin Xin's face turn red with rage, Ye Linghua sighed inwardly. At the same time, she couldn't help but find the situation a bit amusing. Still, she explained, "I didn't have time to knock. You picked up the phone as soon as I got here."
Lin Xin glared at her. "So, you couldn't have walked away?"
"I didn't have time for that either. Before I could react, you two had already started and finished your whole conversation," Ye Linghua said, sounding aggrieved.
Lin Xin's head throbbed with frustration, and she felt a wave of dizziness. "So, you're saying it's still my fault in the end?"
Ye Linghua quickly backtracked, "It's my fault, my fault!"
Lin Xin's eyes narrowed. "When you apologize, it makes me angrier."
Ye Linghua froze. "Huh? Uh… so... it's your fault?"
"Ye Linghua!!!"
Ye Linghua held up her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! Just tell me what you want me to say, and I'll say it!"
Lin Xin hesitated, a flicker of something stirring in her heart, but she still couldn't help retorting, "Why should I tell you?"
The two of them continued their strange standoff, one advancing and the other retreating. Soon, Ye Linghua found herself backed into the staircase at the end of the hallway.
Unfamiliar with the layout of the villa, Ye Linghua didn't realize the staircase was right behind her.
Lin Xin, who was still fuming, suddenly noticed Ye Linghua's precarious position. Seeing her continue to step backward, her heart clenched. Without thinking, she lunged forward to grab her.
In Ye Linghua's eyes, she only saw Lin Xin's panicked expression as she reached out. At the same time, Ye Linghua felt her own foot step into thin air.
Everything happened in an instant.
The moment Ye Linghua realized she'd missed a step, her body's reflexes kicked in. With surprising agility, she reached out and grabbed the wall, using it to pull herself back to safety.
But Lin Xin, having thrown herself forward to catch Ye Linghua, was now off balance. Her outstretched hands grasped at nothing, and her momentum sent her hurtling toward the open staircase.
Seeing Lin Xin about to fall, Ye Linghua reacted instinctively. She spun around and grabbed Lin Xin's wrist just in time.
The moment felt both incredibly long and unbearably short.
Lin Xin clearly felt the strength in Ye Linghua's grip. The force with which she was pulled forward, the protective warmth of Ye Linghua's arms around her, and the slight numbness in her head where Ye Linghua shielded it—all of it registered vividly in her mind.
Then came the fall.
The two of them tumbled together down the spiral staircase, the lack of a landing causing them to roll all the way from the second floor to the first.
When they finally came to a stop, sprawled on the living room floor, Lin Xin was dazed. She couldn't tell up from down, east from west. But she quickly realized that Ye Linghua had done her best to shield her during the fall. Her head didn't hurt, and though her body was a bit sore, it wasn't serious. Other than the lingering dizziness, she felt no discomfort.
Everything had happened so suddenly. Lin Xin stared blankly at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, her mind struggling to process what had just occurred.
Beside her, Ye Linghua quickly recovered from the dizziness and scrambled to her side. Her expression was filled with genuine worry as she leaned over and asked, "Are you okay?"
For the first time since they'd met, Ye Linghua's face wasn't adorned with her usual calm, gentle smile. Her brows were furrowed with concern, her eyes filled with worry.
Earlier, even when Lin Xin had been questioning her angrily, Ye Linghua had been able to maintain her composure and smile. But now, she was visibly anxious.
It was a strange sight for Lin Xin. Why was this woman so concerned about her?
They were strangers who had only just met. Lin Xin had even been yelling at her not long ago.
And yet, Ye Linghua had gone out of her way to protect her, to the point of putting herself at risk.
Lin Xin couldn't understand it. Why would someone care so much for a stranger?
But in the midst of her confusion, she felt a faint warmth in her chest—a warmth brought by this stranger.