Her previously tense expression relaxed upon seeing Jiang Fei, and she rose with a smile. “You’re back, Miss. I must have dozed off while waiting for you. Did you happen to meet Third Master Wei at the Marquis’ residence?”
Jiang Fei ignored her question and simply said, “Pour me a cup of tea.”
Yun Xiang lifted the teapot only to find it empty. Hurriedly explaining, “Though summer has arrived, cold tea harms the stomach. I specifically waited for your return to brew you a pot of steaming tea. You can drink it and take a short nap this afternoon.”
Watching her retreating figure, Jiang Fei thought: This maid certainly has a silver tongue. What was clearly laziness became thoughtful consideration in her words.
The original Jiang Rufei had been a spineless person who believed whatever others said, frequently fooled by this maid.
But there was no helping it—she was a minor character. Already beautiful, if written as intelligent too, she would have stolen the female lead’s spotlight.
Thus in the novel, Jiang Rufei was no different from a fool—a pure cannon fodder character led by the nose by this maid. Even her acquaintance with Zhao Xingbang had been orchestrated by Yun Xiang under Jiang Rulin’s direction.
Later this maid truly became remarkable—after mingling with Zhao Xingbang, she went with him to the Zhao household, ended up rolling in bed with him, and became his concubine.
Jiang Fei sat before the mirror and casually opened the jewelry box, where a sparse collection of ornaments lay scattered.
The original host was truly poor.
That morning when departing, Yao Shi had criticized her for dressing too shabbily. She had explained that the Marquis’ household was an illustrious family accustomed to luxury—what splendid jewelry hadn’t they seen? Dressing too ostentatiously would instead be inappropriate, thus persuading Yao Shi.
Even if unpopular, the Jiang family valued face too much to be this destitute—these few ornaments couldn’t be all she owned.
“Miss, your tea is here.” Yun Xiang entered carrying a tea tray, a fawning smile plastered on her face.
Instead of accepting the tea, Jiang Fei stared at the hairpin in Yun Xiang’s hair. “That’s a nice hairpin.”
Yun Xiang instinctively touched her bun, smiling as she replied, “You favored this servant and gifted it to me, Miss.”
Jiang Fei grabbed her wrist. “This bracelet is nice too.”
Yun Xiang felt Jiang Rufei had been particularly unusual these past two days. Normally she would immediately pull her aside upon returning to share details and seek advice.
Yet yesterday she returned wordless, lying directly on the bed, completely unwilling to engage.
“This was also gifted by you, Miss.”
“Oh.” Jiang Fei smiled. “What great merit have you achieved to deserve such valuable gifts from me?”
Yun Xiang forced a smile. “I merely do my utmost to serve you well and help devise strategies, Miss.”
Lowering her voice, she added, “Miss, that Third Master Wei isn’t a suitable match after all. Why don’t we send another letter to Young Master Zhao?”
“Why write to him?” Jiang Fei asked deliberately.
Yun Xiang offered the tea again. “Naturally to invite Young Master Zhao to propose marriage.”
Jiang Fei nearly laughed aloud. That this “brilliant” maid could repeatedly lead the original host by the nose truly represented a deadly contest between two fools.
Current Zhao Xingbang wouldn’t dare even glance at her, let alone propose marriage.
“Have him propose marriage so I can vacate my position for your Third Miss?”
Yun Xiang’s face instantly turned ashen, and she thumped to her knees. “I’ve been utterly loyal to you, Miss! How can you say such things?”
Jiang Fei bent down, plucked the hairpin from Yun Xiang’s head with two fingers, and twirled it between her fingers. “I’ve always treated you well, haven’t I? Did I ever short you on fine jewelry or delicacies? You ungrateful wretch.”
Yun Xiang knelt on the ground with hunched shoulders. “Young mistress, you wrong me! I…”
“Silence.” Jiang Fei had no patience for her excuses and went straight to the point. “Return every single thing you’ve taken from me, exactly as it was.”
Yun Xiang lifted her head. “But those were gifts from you, young mistress.”
“I gave them to my loyal servant. Are you one?” Jiang Fei placed the hairpin back into the vanity case and crooked her finger at Yun Xiang, signaling her to remove her bracelet.
Reluctantly, Yun Xiang slipped off the bracelet and looked up at Jiang Fei with tear-filled eyes. “This servant has been utterly loyal to you.”
Jiang Fei took the bracelet and tossed it carelessly into the vanity case, looking down at Yun Xiang from her height. “Over the years, aside from what I gave you, you’ve helped yourself to quite a few of my things, haven’t you?”
Yun Xiang’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shook her head. “Young mistress, I truly haven’t…”
Besides what Jiang Fei had given her, she had indeed pilfered many items. As Jiang Fei’s only personal attendant, she had grown increasingly dependent on her, and even when discoveries were made, they were never exposed. Why the sudden change…?
“Haven’t?” Jiang Fei let out a light laugh. “The allocations from the household, along with gifts from grandmother and mother, are all recorded. If they’re not with me, they’re with you. We can call mother over to investigate and find out.”
Yun Xiang finally panicked and kowtowed repeatedly. “Young mistress, have mercy! This servant… this servant was momentarily foolish, thinking you didn’t usually need these things, so… so I was merely keeping them for you!”
“Keeping them for me?” Jiang Fei sneered. “Then tell me, where are these items now?”
Yun Xiang hemmed and hawed, unable to speak for a long while.
Some of the jewelry she had worn herself, some she had secretly sold for silver to support her family, and a few pieces she had even given to Jiang Rulin’s maids to put in a good word for her with Jiang Rulin.
Jiang Fei couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on her and said directly, “I’ll give you three days to return every single one of my belongings without missing a single item. Otherwise—” She leaned forward slightly, her voice soft yet threatening, “I’ll report your theft of your master’s property to mother.”
Yun Xiang shuddered all over. Yao Shi ruled with strict discipline; if this matter truly reached her, the lightest punishment would be being sold off from the estate, and the worst could mean being beaten to death!
“Young mistress, spare me! This servant will definitely, definitely return everything!” Yun Xiang kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead turned red.
Satisfied, Jiang Fei nodded and sat back down at the dressing table, saying calmly, “Enough. I won’t keep disloyal servants here. Since you’re so close with my third sister, go serve her instead.”
Yun Xiang wept and pleaded for a while longer, but seeing Jiang Fei’s growing impatience, she finally left sobbing.
With Yun Xiang gone, the western side court was left without anyone to serve. Jiang Fei took this opportunity to ask Yao Shi for two new maids.
For the next two days, Jiang Fei simply lounged about. She had never lived such a carefree life—no work, no cooking, waking up naturally. After all, she had been an orphan in the modern world. If not for her short-lived fate in the book, being Jiang Rufei wouldn’t be so bad.
Before the third day arrived, Yun Xiang returned, bringing with her a small box.
This was something Jiang Fei had anticipated all along.
A maid dismissed by Jiang Fei would never be accepted by Jiang Rulin—what would others think if she did?
Jiang Rulin cherished her reputation above all and would never tarnish her image over a mere maid.
Moreover, since Jiang Rufei no longer trusted Yun Xiang, the maid held no further use to her.
But Yun Xiang still had value to Jiang Rulin.
She had deliberately driven Yun Xiang away, waiting for the maid to be discarded by Jiang Rulin and face reality, while conveniently reclaiming all the jewelry—killing two birds with one stone.
Yun Xiang knelt before Jiang Fei, holding a box in both hands, her eyes red and swollen from crying: “Miss, this servant knows she was wrong. I beg for your mercy, please allow me to return to serve you. From now on, I will be utterly devoted and never disloyal.”
Jiang Fei took the box, opened it, and glanced inside. There was quite a bit of jewelry, though Jiang Fei herself wasn’t sure exactly how much the original owner had possessed.
“Is this all?”
Yun Xiang hurriedly explained, “The rest… I couldn’t gather them all at once. Some were already pawned, and others…”
She bit her lip, not daring to say more.
Jiang Fei closed the box unhurriedly, her tone indifferent, “I know exactly how much is missing. Considering you’ve served me for some time—if not with merit, then at least with effort—you may stay in the courtyard to do odd jobs from now on. There’s no need for personal attendance.”
Yun Xiang lifted her head, about to plead further, when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
Immediately after, an unfamiliar maid’s voice rang out:
“Second Young Miss, Old Madam requests your presence at the Hall of Pine and Crane at once.”
Jiang Fei frowned.
What could Old Madam want with her at this hour?