Bai Cuilan spoke as if Ning Zhiyuan had committed some unforgivable crime.
Looking at her shameless expression, disgust surged through Ning Zhiyuan’s chest.
“So according to your logic,” she said coldly, “if I criticize her once, I should compensate her with six months’ salary. Then if I fire her, should I apologize by killing myself?”
Fire her?
The maid’s legs immediately gave out again. She collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears.
“Miss, please don’t fire me! I’m begging you!”
The maid was one of Bai Cuilan’s loyal followers. Firing her in front of everyone was the same as warning the entire household not to side with Bai Cuilan.
A very public show of authority.
Hands on her hips, Bai Cuilan snapped, “You’ve gone too far! You humiliated Xiaoxiao in public today and I didn’t even hold it against you. What right do you have to fire someone for no reason?
“Do you know what happens after she’s fired? Her reputation in this industry will be ruined. She’ll never find another job easily! How can you be so selfish, trying to push someone into a dead end?”
Her tone was overbearing and accusatory, as though she were some elder disciplining a junior rather than a servant speaking to her employer.
As if that wasn’t enough, she added,
“I’m telling Pei Jin about this! Just wait until he gets angry! And if you fire her, I’ll leave with her!”
To Ning Zhiyuan, that sounded like excellent news.
She could hardly ask for anything better.
The commotion downstairs reached Bai Xiaoxiao’s room. After hearing enough to understand the situation, she hurried down the staircase.
She immediately grabbed Bai Cuilan and shielded her behind her.
“If you’re unhappy, come at me! Don’t hurt my mother!”
“No! Don’t hurt my Xiaoxiao!”
Bai Cuilan wrapped her arms around her daughter dramatically.
“Mom isn’t afraid of anything. The only thing I’m afraid of is seeing Xiaoxiao get hurt. Xiaoxiao is my precious treasure!”
“Mom…”
“Xiaoxiao…”
The threat about leaving together had only been spoken in the heat of the moment.
The second it left her mouth, Bai Cuilan regretted it.
If she really left, where else could she find an employer as easy to manipulate as the Ning family, with such generous pay and benefits?
Fortunately, Bai Xiaoxiao’s appearance helped smooth over the situation.
Mother and daughter embraced tearfully, looking exactly like the suffering protagonists of a melodrama.
The maid who had been sitting on the floor got up and joined the hug.
“Madam Bai, Miss Xiaoxiao, it’s all my fault for making you suffer…”
The other servants watched with either contempt or indifference.
None of this was new.
Every time the mother and daughter wanted something, they would cry about family bonds and emotional hardships until major issues became minor ones and minor issues disappeared altogether.
They took advantage of the fact that Ning Zhiyuan had grown up without a mother and longed for that kind of maternal affection.
The trick worked every single time.
The mother and daughter never got tired of acting.
Everyone else was tired of watching.
Unfortunately, nobody dared say anything.
At that moment, Ning Zhiyuan, cast as the villain in their little play, felt only deeper revulsion.
She truly could not understand how she had been fooled for so many years.
Her gaze drifted to the Persian carpet beneath them.
What a waste of such an expensive carpet.
“Chairman Ning, Miss has returned.”
Chairman Ning had already learned what happened through the butler while on his way home.
At first, he had been furious.
How dare servants trample all over his precious daughter?
But the moment he stepped inside and saw the scene, most of his anger faded.
He knew he had spent too little time with Zhiyuan growing up.
Because of that, his soft-hearted daughter had been completely manipulated by the servant mother and daughter.
By the time he realized it, it was too late.
Zhiyuan treated those two as her closest family, while her own father ranked second.
He had failed to give her a complete family.
Busy with work throughout her childhood, he carried a lingering sense of guilt.
Many things had been allowed simply because he wanted to respect her wishes.
Looking at the three people huddled together, he suppressed his helplessness and said,
“Alright, that’s enough. Everyone can go back to work.”
Dismiss the servants.
Turn a major issue into a minor one.
That was clearly his intention.
Bai Cuilan immediately seized the opportunity.
“No!”
Her voice rose sharply.
“These people are witnesses. They can’t leave! Chairman Ning, there has to be a proper conclusion to this matter!”
She was trying to establish authority among the staff.
The servants remained where they stood.
Chairman Ning understood exactly what she was doing.
But he could not bear to let his daughter lose face in front of everyone.
Taking a deep breath, he said,
“Madam Bai, I’ll apologize on Zhiyuan’s behalf to you and—”
“The conclusion is that all three of you are fired!”
Ning Zhiyuan’s voice rang out, cutting him off.
Bai Xiaoxiao’s expression changed instantly.
She shot Bai Cuilan a meaningful look.
Bai Cuilan forced an awkward smile.
“Zhiyuan, what kind of joke is this? Fine, I won’t tell Pei Jin. And you don’t need to say things in anger. Forget the six months’ salary.”
The maid quickly chimed in.
“That’s right, Miss. Don’t say something you’ll regret for the rest of your life. I’m not important, but everyone knows how much Madam Bai and Miss Xiaoxiao mean to you. Don’t throw everything away over a moment of pride.”
Chairman Ning knew how close Zhiyuan had once been to the mother and daughter.
Trying to ease the situation, he said,
“It’s alright. Let’s just put this behind us. There’s no need to fire anyone. Six months’ salary isn’t much.”
He was giving her a way out.
The easiest solution would have been to let everything pass.
But Ning Zhiyuan felt her chest tighten.
Her eyes stung.
Her father cared deeply about his reputation.
If not for her, how could he lower himself and apologize in front of servants?
How could he worry about protecting her dignity while offering her an escape route?
The bitterness in her heart transformed into blazing anger.
“Are you deaf?”
Her voice cracked through the room.
“All three of you, pack your things and get the hell out of my house!”
Bai Xiaoxiao’s pupils contracted.
Her lips parted in shock.
The maid suddenly crawled forward and hugged Ning Zhiyuan’s leg.
“Miss! Please! I was wrong! It was Bai Cuilan, no, it was Bai Cuilan who made me call her daughter ‘Miss Xiaoxiao’! She wanted her daughter to enjoy the same privileges as you! She ordered all of us to address her that way and threatened to complain to you if we refused!”
She cried with genuine panic.
But it was far too late.
Bai Cuilan finally recovered from her shock.
Her face twisted with fury.
She kicked the maid hard in the shoulder.
Her eyes bulged as she glared at Ning Zhiyuan.
“Don’t forget, I served your mother when she was alive! When she was pregnant, I was the one taking care of her day and night! If you fire me, how can you face her spirit?”
The mention of his late wife touched a raw nerve.
Chairman Ning immediately retorted,
“What nonsense!
“When Xiaolan was pregnant, Sister Qin was originally supposed to take care of her. You volunteered for the job yourself. Xiaolan saw how difficult your family’s circumstances were and agreed.
“She paid you three times the normal salary.
“It was a fair transaction. What exactly are you trying to take credit for?”
Bai Cuilan touched her nose awkwardly.
In her panic, she had forgotten Chairman Ning was standing right there.
Tears streamed down Bai Xiaoxiao’s face.
“If Pei Jin finds out how you treated his godmother and his little sister, he’ll never forgive you!”
The moment Pei Jin’s name came up, the veins on Chairman Ning’s forehead nearly burst.
Even he could tell there was something unusual between Bai Xiaoxiao and Pei Jin.
How was it that his foolish daughter had never seen it?
She had secretly run off to meet Pei Jin during her own engagement banquet.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself.
Don’t get angry.
Talk to Zhiyuan properly during dinner.
As for the Bai mother and daughter…
They had always been like this.
Endure it a little longer.
Ning Zhiyuan let out a cold laugh.
“Butler.”
She turned toward him.
“Keep an eye on them. Not a single thing from my house leaves with them.”
The butler looked at Chairman Ning.
He couldn’t tell whether Miss Ning was serious this time.
After a brief pause, Chairman Ning nodded.
Bai Cuilan and Bai Xiaoxiao hurried back to their room.
Taking advantage of the chaos, they tried to pack the expensive gifts Ning Zhiyuan had bought for them over the years.
But before they could leave, the butler stopped them.
The heavy suitcase was opened and inspected.
“This couture dress was a birthday gift from Miss.”
“This handbag was also purchased by Miss.”
“One by one, every item was removed.
Bai Xiaoxiao clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly pierced her skin.
Maintaining her refined image was becoming increasingly difficult.
Bai Cuilan felt her heart bleed.
Pointing at the staff, she shouted,
“You bunch of dogs just wait! I won’t let any of you get away with this!”
Even now, she believed Ning Zhiyuan was only acting out in anger.
Once her temper cooled, she would surely invite them back.
Only after the entire suitcase was confiscated, their phones taken away, and even their SIM cards removed, did the butler gesture toward the door.
“You may leave now.”
Finally, Bai Cuilan could not endure it any longer.
“I want to see Miss!”
She rushed forward.
Life outside the Ning family suddenly seemed terrifying.
If sacrificing one maid could save her own position, then so be it.
The moment Ning Zhiyuan appeared, Bai Cuilan instantly switched to a pitiful expression.
“Zhiyuan, I was wrong.
“If you want to fire that useless maid, then fire her.
“Auntie Bai has always treated you like a daughter.
“Xiaoxiao has always regarded you as her sister.
“You won’t really stay angry with us, will you?”
Ning Zhiyuan immediately understood what had happened.
Instead of answering, she asked,
“If I remember correctly, the clothes you’re wearing right now were bought with my money, weren’t they?”
Assuming she was still upset about the matching outfits, Bai Xiaoxiao softened her voice.
“Zhiyuan, if you don’t like it, I won’t wear similar clothes anymore…”
“Butler.”
Ning Zhiyuan interrupted.
“They don’t get to keep those clothes either.”
At this point, Bai Cuilan no longer cared about dignity.
Dropping to her knees, she cried desperately.
“Miss, you can’t throw us out!
“You’re forcing us into a dead end!”
Ning Zhiyuan turned away.
Bai Cuilan immediately grabbed the hem of her skirt.
“I knew you wouldn’t be so heartless, Miss.”
Ning Zhiyuan smiled faintly.
The words she spoke, however, were ice cold.
“You have ten minutes.”
“Make sure they’re gone before I see them again.”
Then she yanked her skirt free.
Caught off balance, Bai Cuilan stumbled sideways and fell face-first onto the ground.
The sight was utterly ridiculous.
“Yes, Miss.”
The butler maintained his professional composure and somehow managed not to laugh.
The younger staff members behind him were less successful.
Several burst out laughing on the spot.
Under a chorus of mocking laughter, the mother and daughter had no choice but to borrow clothes from the servants’ quarters.
As usual, Bai Cuilan ordered rather than asked.
“Lend us two outfits.”
The maid sneered.
“Aren’t you Miss Ning’s favorite people? Why do you need to borrow clothes from me?”
If she hadn’t spent years flattering them, she never would have been fired.
Now that the show was over, the other servants finally spoke up as well.
“Some people really don’t know their place. Trying to climb into the Miss’s social circle and making everyone call their daughter ‘Miss Xiaoxiao.’ Do they seriously think they’re worthy?”
“Exactly. Just look at Bai Xiaoxiao’s appearance and temperament. Wearing matching outfits with the Miss? One is a phoenix, the other is a crow trying to pass itself off as one. It’s laughable.”
Bai Xiaoxiao’s face alternated between pale and dark.
She grabbed Bai Cuilan before she could explode and forced herself to say,
“If you lend us clothes, Brother Pei Jin will pay you.”
Someone immediately muttered,
“A bastard son and a fake phoenix. What a perfect match.”
Bai Xiaoxiao completely lost control.
Her face turned black with rage as she shot murderous glares at everyone behind her.
In the end, the three of them were chased out of the Ning residence in disgrace.
That evening, father and daughter sat down for dinner.
Watching his daughter eat heartily, Chairman Ning’s heart softened.
Parents always plan for their children’s future.
Shen Li was a good man.
And he genuinely cared about Zhiyuan.
Unfortunately, his precious daughter had never been able to recognize the people who truly loved her.
After a long silence, Chairman Ning spoke gently.
“Zhiyuan…”
“You went to see Pei Jin today, didn’t you?”