"Are you satisfied, nanny miss…?"
The young butler, who had a very dignified appearance, gave Ren Siyi a rough tour of the room areas.
Ren Siyi calculated that the area she could move around in was less than one-tenth of the entire mansion.
However, the level of luxury and splendor had already made countless "holy crap, holy crap, holy crap" exclamations pop up in Ren Siyi's mind.
A country girl stumbling into a heavenly palace!
She especially watched videos like "Uncle X Takes You to See Mansions" on that small video site to broaden her horizons.
But she swore that all the mansions she'd seen in videos were nothing compared to the Shen family mansion—like a minor sorcerer compared to a great one.
Living in such a beautiful villa for two months—oh my god, she couldn't imagine how cheerful and happy a girl she would become.
As she thought about it, Ren Siyi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The butler looked at her sternly, and she immediately regained her composure: "Ahem, nothing's wrong, please continue."
"The third floor is the master's private area," the butler, Lu Sen, said with a stern face, warning Ren Siyi. "Without the master's invitation, you must never enter, including the study from earlier."
"I can't go in to read books?"
"Absolutely not, unless you have the master's permission."
Well then…
The book-loving girl felt a bit disappointed, but it didn't matter—once she got her salary, she could buy as many books as she wanted.
"You call him… 'master'?"
"Yes."
"Can't you call him 'boss'? That title…"
Ren Siyi had a bit of a nitpicking personality and laughed, saying, "It's very unsocialist."
The butler remained with his poker-faced expression, staring at her.
Ren Siyi coughed awkwardly: "Forget I said that."
Butler Lu Sen continued: "The second floor has various entertainment rooms and multi-functional areas, including an indoor temperature-controlled swimming pool. You may use them freely."
"I can use all of them!" Ren Siyi was delighted.
"After completing your assigned duties," he added.
"Okay, okay, of course, of course."
After the tour, Ren Siyi could already foresee how happy her future life would be. She swore she would work hard, strive to complete the contract term, and if she could renew it, that would be even more perfect.
She probed the butler: "Butler Lu, if I may ask, what hobbies do the two masters of the house usually have?"
Catering to their tastes was definitely the right move.
Lu Sen said expressionlessly: "The young master prefers innocent college girls. As for the master, he prefers those in power who dominate the world."
Ren Siyi: !!
Listen to this—was that even human speech?
"I'll take you to your room on the second floor. After you rest for a bit, you'll need to go attend to the young master."
"Okay." She was still immersed in the massive amount of information from the butler's words.
"Lu Sen, you're dismissed. I'll take her."
Shen Du was leaning against the sculpture wall, a rose held between his thin lips, striking a cool pose—but his empty pant leg was still flapping wildly in the draft.
Ren Siyi: …
God help her, seeing him made her want to laugh so badly she was speechless.
For the sake of earning money, she had to hold it in with all her might.
Lu Sen: "Young master, you need to use the wheelchair! Excessive walking will affect your recovery! Please stop this dangerous behavior immediately, or I will report it to the master."
"Got it, got it. You're always tattling on me to the old man, like some homeroom teacher or something." Shen Du was really annoyed by him. He spat out the rose, hopped over like a compass with a spring in it, and handed the rose to Ren Siyi.
Then he hopped back to his room on the first floor and came out gliding in his wheelchair. Butler Lu Sen, not wanting to incur his dislike, had already tactfully withdrawn.
So silently that Ren Siyi had no idea how he'd disappeared.
Holding the rose, she flashed Shen Du her standard professional smile: "Thanks for the rose, bro! May you live a hundred years! Love you!"
Shen Du seemed to eat it right up, even getting a bit carried away: "This is Lucifer, planted by my brother in the back garden." He repeated the English name, "Lucifer. My brother really likes this flower. If he finds out I picked it secretly, he'll definitely break my legs. But for you, I'm not afraid. If you like it, I'll pick more for you tomorrow."
Ren Siyi looked at the cold rose in her hand, a pale lilac color. She couldn't tell at all that the cold, aloof master upstairs had actually grown such beautiful roses.
She did quite like them, actually.
"Your leg—it wasn't broken by your brother, was it?" Ren Siyi looked at him with concern. At least, she pretended to look concerned.
"That's not it." Shen Du said casually, "It was those damn Hunters…"
Before he could finish, Butler Lu Sen coughed "ahem" from the shadows, interrupting: "Young master, you shouldn't have picked the master's flowers. I'm going to report this to the master."
Shen Du: …
"Lu Sen, would you die if you didn't tattle for one day?!"
Lu Sen left, and Shen Du was still cursing under his breath. But Ren Siyi didn't wait for him to finish before decisively pushing him into the elevator: "The room is on the second floor, right?"
"Yep, your room is on the second floor, right next to mine, so I can take care of you."
Ren Siyi thought: Thanks a lot.
She smiled and said in a sweet, cutesy voice: "Looking forward to it~"
…
Arriving at her own room, Ren Siyi's young heart was shaken once again.
She had originally imagined it would be an ordinary servant's quarters—she'd be satisfied with a private bathroom at best.
Unexpectedly, this room was practically comparable to a hotel presidential suite. She loved watching videos about luxury homes and high-end hotel tours on the little video site she frequented, and the room before her eyes was luxurious enough to get traffic even if filmed for a video!
The room's decor was a gentle pairing of cream and pale gold. The cashmere carpet underfoot was so soft it felt like walking on clouds—each step sank into a small indentation.
At the center was a massive circular bed, surrounded by a ring of champagne-colored gauze curtains, like a princess bed from a fairy tale.
In addition, there was a walk-in closet, a bathroom with separate shower and toilet areas, a large round jacuzzi tub, and a double vanity with LED makeup lights.
Living in a room like this for two months—she wouldn't just become a cheerful, happy girl; she'd practically become a runaway Disney princess!
If Shen Du weren't right beside her, she'd want to jump onto the bed and roll around a couple of times.
Shen Du: "Satisfied? Miss Nanny."
"Very satisfied." She maintained her composure and calm, not wanting to reveal how unsophisticated she was. "It's pretty nice."
"Glad you like it. The last nanny didn't seem too happy staying here—she was crying when she left, as if she'd been wronged." Shen Du smiled faintly. "I was worried you wouldn't like this room."
Ren Siyi thought to herself, with a room this nice, who wouldn't cry when they had to leave!
Hmm, she'd heard this young master wasn't easy to please—eight nannies had come and gone before her. Ren Siyi didn't want to be replaced midway, so she cautiously asked Shen Du, "Brother, what did the previous nannies do wrong that made you unhappy?"
She needed to learn from past mistakes.
"I wasn't unhappy with any of them!" Shen Du said casually. "They were all great—each one prettier than the last. One of them was even my girlfriend number four…"
Suddenly realizing he'd let something slip, he corrected himself, "I don't have high requirements for nannies, really—just pretty, gentle, and good to me."
After all, when his girlfriend number four had moved in, she hadn't done a single day of work—she just spent every day eating and drinking happily with him, and when she left, she clung to his remaining leg, sobbing and unwilling to go.
Sometimes Shen Du felt that his damn charm was just too irresistible to women.
He truly couldn't bear to refuse any of them, but modern society didn't allow for multiple wives. If it were the Republican era he was born in, he might have considered keeping them all.
Ren Siyi actually felt that Shen Du didn't seem that hard to get along with.
"But why were the previous eight nannies replaced?"
"It was my brother," Shen Du said. "He's quite picky. One nanny couldn't hold in a fart when he walked past, and he fired her on the spot."
Ren Siyi: …
Note to self: no farting in front of the cold-faced brother.
"So, all the previous nannies were fired by your brother?"
"Yeah." Shen Du said indignantly. "I couldn't bear to send them away—every single one was crying when they left, and I can't stand seeing women cry."
Of course they'd cry—if she had to leave this place, she'd cry too.
"But the nanny was hired to take care of you. Shouldn't your feelings be the priority?"
Shen Du spread his hands. "As you can see, my elder brother is very domineering, autocratic, and overbearing. I can't resist him at all."
Uh.
Alright then.
It seemed that pleasing Shen Du wasn't the top priority—the one upstairs… was the person she really needed to be careful around!
Shen Du wheeled his wheelchair over to Ren Siyi, leaned in close, and took a light sniff.
The gesture made Ren Siyi instinctively step back half a pace.
Although she knew full well this guy was definitely up to no good and trying to cop a feel, and she'd come prepared for that mentally, she hadn't actually planned on selling herself out.
She'd only do nanny work—at most, she'd work harder to provide some emotional value.
If he wanted the whole package, no way.
"Shen Du-ge, I'm a bit tired—my head feels dizzy." She said softly, an expert at playing cute and pitiful. "I'd like to rest for a bit."
Shen Du found it strange. Just moments ago, he'd caught a sweet scent on her that made his appetite surge, but now it had vanished into thin air.
Smelling her now, he didn't get that overwhelming feeling anymore.
She was just an ordinary—though exceptionally beautiful—human female.
For their kind, appearance mattered greatly. They were a species with extremely strong aesthetic sensibilities—whether male or female, anyone kept by their side could never be ugly.
Even their butler Lu Sen at home would be considered extremely handsome out in the world. Last year, a famous male model agency had apparently wanted to sign him.
But besides appearance, a strong appetite often came with a strong libido, so when they chose women, scent was also very important.
Shen Du didn't catch that scent that made his blood race again, but he didn't dwell on it either. He shrugged. "Then Sisi-bao, you rest first. Come keep me company later."
"Okay!" Ren Siyi quickly asked, "Oh, by the way, Shen Du-ge, I wanted to ask about the daily schedule."
"My brother and I usually sleep during the day and are active at night. But this is summer break—once school starts, I'll get back to a normal schedule."
Wow, a bunch of night owls.
Both of them, apparently.
Looks like Ren Siyi would need to adjust her own routine too.
"Got it." She pushed Shen Du's wheelchair out the door, closed it behind her, then turned and launched herself onto the bed in one leap.
Mmm, the king-size bed had such great bounce. Sinking into it, the silky smooth bedding wrapped around her—so comfortable!
Just then, Ren Siyi's phone buzzed.
SD (The Cheapskate): [Image]
SD (The Cheapskate): [Image]
SD (The Cheapskate): "Baby, pick out your work uniform~"
Ren Siyi didn't even need to tap to enlarge the images—her vision went black on the spot.
The first one was a maid outfit with black stockings, the skirt hem so short it reached her upper thighs, a small round collar, paired with black stockings and a white lace headband.
Very inappropriate.
The second one was even worse—a deep V-neck, low-cut maid dress with the neckline plunging all the way down to below the chest. Calling it a maid outfit was generous; it was more like some kind of role-play costume.
She could already imagine the disaster it would be if she bent over to wipe a table wearing that.
Help!
She didn't want to pick either one. If her grandparents ever found out she was wearing something this indecent, they'd chase her three miles with a broom.
But looking at this lavish room—the cashmere rug, silk bedding, round jacuzzi tub…
Two thousand five hundred a day.
Fine, she'd wear it!
It wasn't like anyone here knew her. Her grandparents were a thousand miles away—they couldn't crawl through her phone to come beat her up.
Ren Siyi chose the black stockings version. At least it was better than having her chest wide open.
Less than fifteen minutes later, a knock came at the door.
Butler Lu Sen stood outside with a blank expression, both hands holding a neatly folded outfit, with the black stockings wrapped separately in tissue paper placed on top.
"Your work uniform."
After the door closed, she shook out the outfit.
The skirt was even shorter than she'd imagined. Standing still was fine, but the moment she bent over or squatted, the hem would shrink straight into dangerous territory.
But thankfully—thankfully—there were safety shorts.
The black stockings were excellent quality, silky and soft to the touch. Clearly not cheap.
The maid apron had white lace trim, tied at the waist with a big bow in the back.
She sighed and put each piece on one by one.
Standing before the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet, Ren Siyi looked at herself.
Inappropriate as it was, it was genuinely stunning. She'd only ever seen outfits like this in anime.
She spun around in front of the mirror and actually started admiring herself.
"Ren Siyi, you've fallen so low!"
But there was no helping it—she had to go take care of that young master.
She steeled herself, opened the door, and headed down the stairs.
But wouldn't you know it—she wasn't used to walking in high-heeled Mary Janes, and the moment she stepped down, she twisted her ankle.
Ren Siyi didn't even have time to cry out. Her body tilted sideways, and she nearly tumbled down the stairs.
At the critical moment, her arm was caught firmly by a cool, large hand.
Still shaken, Ren Siyi turned around and met Shen Shen's gaze head-on.
The man stood behind her, looking down at her.
Light streamed in from the arched window behind him, tracing a pale golden outline around his figure. His dark eyes were calm and distant.
Ren Siyi: …
Held by him, she had nowhere to hide.
Instinctively, she reached down to tug at the hem of her skirt, her ears turning red.
Shen Shen followed her small movement with his gaze. Those long, straight legs were beautiful, with slender ankles, perched in a pair of black high-heeled Mary Janes.
The outfit was a bit flashy, though—Shen Du's taste had always disgusted him.
But somehow, whether it was the blood bond or some added effect, Shen Shen inexplicably found that she looked unexpectedly sweet in it.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
"Yeah, I can."
Ren Siyi took two steps on her tiptoes, but her just-twisted leg gave out, and she plopped down right at his feet.
Ouch.
She rubbed her slightly swollen ankle.
Today really was full of blood and disaster.
Shen Shen lowered his gaze to look at her.
She was terrified of getting fired. Such a good job—where else would she find another one!
So what Shen Shen saw when he looked down was this: a girl in a maid outfit sitting on the floor, frozen for a few seconds, some kind of storm clearly raging in her head, and then—in a completely undignified zombie crawl—she started scrambling down the stairs.
Like a wriggling black caterpillar.
"I'm fine, Mr. Shen! Totally fine! I can keep working!!"
Shen Shen: …
Before Ren Siyi could react, a hand reached down from above and grabbed the bow at the back of her apron waist.
Her entire body was lifted up like a cat being scruffed by the neck.
She froze.
Shen Shen set her down steadily on the step and released his grip.
"How do you always manage to hurt yourself?" His tone carried a hint of resignation. "Take off your shoes. Let me see the injury."