[Before entering this book, please deposit your brain here]
As summer approached, the nights grew stiflingly humid, with occasional flashes of lightning in the distant sky.
Lin You breathed in the oppressive air, still struggling to adapt.
She had simply gone to sleep one ordinary night and woken up transmigrated into a cannon-fodder female side character in a novel.
Four young masters from top chaebol families, each with their own peculiar issues, had pooled resources to build a specialized villa near the campus for their residence.
Among them: one detested sunlight, one was intensely averse to female contact with severe mysophobia, one suffered from anorexia, and another had somnambulism.
She was now the newly hired lifestyle assistant in this unique villa.
The female lead, Jiang Zhirou, through her interactions, had not only quietly captured the hearts of the four young masters but also subtly alleviated their conditions with her gentle yet resilient nature.
As for Lin You’s character, she served as the complete antithesis—constantly opposing Jiang Zhirou, ultimately meeting a tragic end.
Lin You had considered packing up and leaving immediately, but the astronomical penalty for breach of contract glaringly stated in the employment agreement jolted her back to reality.
Then she looked at the substantial salary, which amounted to a fortune in her eyes… Perhaps this job wasn’t completely unbearable.
Since she couldn’t escape for now, she might as well stabilize her position. After all, the plot had just begun. If she just fulfilled her duties diligently and stuck to her responsibilities, surviving shouldn’t be too difficult… right?
The thunder outside grew louder, yet the rain stubbornly refused to fall.
Just as she turned to leave, a chirpy voice called from around the corridor corner: “Lin You!”
It was Fang An’an, the assistant who had joined a month earlier.
Fang quickly approached her, her eyes discreetly sweeping over Lin You’s naturally lovely face—free of makeup yet still strikingly beautiful—before pursing her lips. She then pointed upstairs and declared: “Young Master Su hasn’t eaten anything all day. You should take the congee from the kitchen to him later.”
She said this as if it were the most natural request, though in reality, she was merely exploiting her seniority to pawn off the undesirable task.
Lin You knew perfectly well how resistant Su Jin was to eating nowadays. Rumor had it that when the previous assistant delivered a meal, he had outright flung the entire bowl of hot soup onto the floor.
The scalding liquid splashed onto the girl’s calf, leaving red marks. She had run off in tears immediately and submitted her resignation the next day.
Of course, that girl came from a wealthy family and had originally taken the job to get close to her crush. The incident had shattered her youthful infatuation in an instant.
Lin You frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with hesitation: “Me delivering it… Is that really appropriate? Didn’t Housekeeper Zhou assign this to you?”
Fang An’an waved her hand impatiently: “What’s inappropriate about it? We assistants are supposed to coordinate among ourselves anyway.”
She suddenly leaned in, the strong perfume she wore making Lin You’s head throb, and lowered her voice: “I’m giving you this chance because you’re new—it’s an opportunity to prove yourself.”
“If I didn’t have to help clean Young Master Lu’s bathroom later, this ‘fortunate task’ wouldn’t even fall to you.”
Lin You opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, light, graceful footsteps approached from behind.
The cloyingly sweet perfume in the air was subtly diluted by a faint, wispy fragrance of gardenias.
“An’an.”
Jiang Zhirou’s voice was like jade immersed in mountain spring water: “Lin You is still new, after all. She isn’t familiar with the environment here or the young masters’ habits yet.”
“It wouldn’t be wise to rashly send her to deliver Young Master Su’s meal—what if something goes wrong?”
As she spoke, she turned to Lin You, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “How about this: I’ll take it up later. Lin You, you…”
Her words were cut off by hurried footsteps.
Housekeeper Zhou appeared at the other end of the corridor, his gaze sweeping over the three gathered women before settling on Jiang Zhirou.
“Assistant Jiang, Young Master Shen Mo had some drinks during tonight’s business dinner and has already retired. Please bring him the hangover soup later.”
His tone was stern. “Make sure to thoroughly inspect the room and ensure no sharp objects have been left behind.”
“When intoxicated, Young Master Shen is highly prone to sleepwalking. Your primary duty is to ensure he remains in his room without injuring himself or wandering out.”
“If the situation shows any signs of getting out of control and you can’t reach anyone else, you must immediately call my private number.”
Jiang Zhirou paused briefly, her eyes reflecting just the right amount of concern before she nodded obediently. “Understood, Housekeeper Zhou.”
Housekeeper Zhou then immediately shifted his attention to Lin You and Fang An’an. “Fang An’an, has Young Master Su’s dinner been delivered?”
Fang An’an instinctively straightened her posture before quickly pointing at Lin You. “Housekeeper Zhou, I need to help clean the bathroom for Young Master Lu later and was preparing for that earlier.”
“I assigned the meal delivery to Lin You.”
Lin You: “…”
How conveniently she passed the buck.
Housekeeper Zhou looked at Lin You. “Assistant Lin, have you delivered it yet?”
Lin You shook her head calmly, adding, “Not yet, as Assistant Fang only just handed over the task to me.”
Did they think she’d silently take the blame? Not happening.
Housekeeper Zhou shot a stern glance at Fang An’an upon hearing this, making her immediately lower her head guiltily.
His expression darkened.
Madam Su had already called three times today expressing concern. If Su Jin refused to eat again tonight, they might have to summon the family doctor tomorrow, or even send him to the hospital.
“Alright, then deliver it immediately,” he said without further ado. “Young Master Su hasn’t eaten all day. The kitchen has prepared congee—just have him drink this.”
“Remember, you must watch him finish it before leaving. Understood?”
Right on cue, a low rumble of thunder echoed outside.
Following that, raindrops as large as beans began pelting noisily against the windowpanes, like countless tiny stones falling from the sky.
Lin You sighed inwardly. Turning her head slightly, she met Jiang Zhirou’s gaze.
The other woman wore an encouraging smile, a faint dimple visible on her right cheek. Yet for some reason, Lin You found that smile almost too perfectly crafted.
At this point, there was no use refusing.
She could only hope this anorexic young master would be in a slightly better mood today.
In the kitchen, the head chef was wiping the edge of a bowl with a snow-white towel.
Seeing Lin You enter, he silently handed her the bowl of seafood congee without a word.
Lin You accepted it with both hands, carefully testing the temperature against the back of her hand. Fortunately, it was warm—not scalding—just right for consumption.
The congee was garnished with a few fresh green scallions and pink shrimp, emitting a subtle, savory aroma.
As she carried the bowl upstairs, Lin You softened her footsteps.
Rounding the corner on the second floor, she coincidentally encountered Fang An’an and Jiang Zhirou walking together.
Fang An’an affectionately linked arms with Jiang Zhirou, leaning toward her as she spoke with exaggerated admiration: “Ah, Zhirou, you’re truly impressive. Housekeeper Zhou always assigns you the most important tasks, unlike us who end up doing all the thankless work…”
Jiang Zhirou’s voice remained gentle and modest: “Don’t say that. I’ve just been here half a year longer than you and am more familiar with things.”
“You’ll naturally improve with more time and experience.”
However, Lin You clearly noticed that while Jiang Zhirou was speaking, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted, and a hint of smugness flickered in her eyes.