Transmigrated into a wealthy family’s head steward…
Before losing consciousness, Yun Fan thought, oh my god, he actually collapsed at work? Had the “workplace aura” he’d been absorbing lately become too heavy for him to bear?
No, no, no he didn’t want to die. The hard-earned money he’d sweated for hadn’t even been spent yet!
“Why isn’t he up yet?”
“Should we call Dr. Shi?”
“Young Master, Yun Fan still hasn’t gotten up.”
A deep voice responded: “Call Shi Ning. If it’s serious, send him to the hospital immediately. I have business today and must leave call me if there’s an emergency.”
“Very well, Master Zhaofu.”
Yun Fan groggily heard a rumbling sound, like wheels rolling. But the ceremony venue was carpeted, how could there be such a commotion?
What, was there some kind of covert conflict? The situation was escalating, that was bad! He was counting on this project’s bonus this month!
“Whoosh” Yun Fan let out a long breath and snapped his eyes open.
Directly above his head, a squinty-eyed person was holding a stethoscope, seemingly about to make his next move.
The man hadn’t expected Yun Fan to suddenly wake up, and his hand, which was about to press down, paused mid-motion.
“Y-you, who are you?” Yun Fan shrank back, trying to retreat.
Just then, a pair of hands slightly aged but well-maintained pressed down on Yun Fan’s shoulders, answering his question: “Steward Yun, this is our Wen family’s physician, Mr. Shi Ning. You wouldn’t get up this morning, and we didn’t know what was wrong, so we asked him to examine you.”
The doctor in his suit and tie smiled at Yun Fan, then unceremoniously pressed the ice-cold stethoscope against Yun Fan’s chest.
Fine, let him check, Yun Fan thought he hadn’t had a physical in a long time anyway.
Yun Fan lay on the bed, being poked and prodded for a good ten-plus minutes, and having several vials of blood ruthlessly drawn, before Dr. Shi finally spoke: “Nothing serious. Can’t rule out emotional factors nervousness or difficulty adjusting, for instance.”
“Get plenty of rest and relax.” Dr. Shi smiled. “I’ll be on my way, I have things to do. I’ll reply to Zhaofu on the road, so don’t worry.”
Only then did Yun Fan realize that Dr. Shi wasn’t squinting his eyes were just naturally small.
He wasn’t tall, dressed in a well-fitted dark navy suit. If he hadn’t been carrying medical equipment, Yun Fan wouldn’t have taken him for a doctor.
Wait, what had that old man behind him just called him? “Steward Yun”?
Had he been sold to some film crew? Right, a film crew!
This doctor wasn’t even wearing a white coat it was all fake. Thinking it over, Yun Fan blurted it out: “The costumes and props aren’t up to par don’t doctors wear white coats?”
The old man who had been behind Yun Fan circled around to the side of the bed. Yun Fan looked up at him, seeing his modified tailcoat, a white bow tie at his collar, hair combed back, and sharp, piercing eyes.
Suddenly, Yun Fan felt as if he’d been struck, a searing pain shot through his forehead. He quickly raised his hand, pressing his palm to his brow, and squeezed his eyes shut in agony.
“Oh no! Call Dr. Shi back!”
“Dr. Shi’s car is already out of sight.”
Yun Fan raised his hand, gasping for breath, his voice growing fainter: “Let me, let me catch my breath… What? I’ve transmigrated into a book?”
A novel’s synopsis became clear in his mind, wasn’t this the trashy wealthy-family melodrama that the guy next door had been reading yesterday?
Wen Zhaofu, right! Isn’t this Wen Zhaofu, one of the Four Great Lords of the wealthy families?
Yun Fan pinched his own cheek hard, then looked up and asked, “Is there, by any chance someone here named Cheng Yu, Wen Haochen, and Liu Erxing?”
Whether it was the significance of the question itself or the anticipation shining in Yun Fan’s bright eyes, after he finished asking, the old butler furrowed his brows: “You’ve only been here a day, yet you’ve already been quite thorough in inquiring about the young masters.”
“Get up now, I still have many matters to brief you on.” The old butler straightened up and touched his cuff, “Remember to drink this bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup it can cure dizziness.”
At the foot of the bed lay a white shirt, with a matching black suit set below it. Yun Fan had to dress like this for his daily work, so it wasn’t unfamiliar to him.
“Everyone wears suits, but others look like domineering CEOs, and I end up as the little butler!” Yun Fan muttered under his breath as he slowly changed into the clothes.
Picking up the bowl of soup, Yun Fan gave it a sniff. A faint sweetness drifted into his nose. He picked up the small spoon and drank it sip by sip. The white fungus had been stewed to a gelatinous texture, silky smooth as it went down. Wrapped around goji berries, it balanced out the slight bitterness of the lotus seeds.
Yun Fan didn’t know how long he had slept. When he stepped out of the room, he straightened up and suddenly felt refreshed and invigorated. His head no longer ached, his neck wasn’t stiff, and even his breathing felt sweet.
Yun Fan thought, maybe switching to this job wasn’t so bad after all.
However, Yun Fan’s expectations for this new job were soon shattered by the old butler.
“The origin of the butler lies in the identity of a gentleman. Our employers are gentlemen, and we are the gentlemen’s private gentlemen.”
The old butler spoke slowly, and his Mandarin wasn’t very fluent either, so Yun Fan had to strain to understand. That last bit, Yun Fan felt, was just him trying to make things difficult.
“Alright, take a look at this.” The old butler unrolled a blueprint and spread it across the long table, “Here, this is the panoramic view of Wen Yanlan Residence. Of course, the people of Harbor City call it the Eight Mansions of the Wen Family.”
Wen Yanlan Residence consisted of eight main buildings, along with smaller structures for other purposes. The estate was situated at Lan Bay, facing the sea with mountains at its back. At a single glance, it seemed to be cradled in the embrace of the hills, exuding a sense of security and privacy.
“You know, our Wen family is currently the most renowned family in Harbor City.”
“One of them.” The old butler added.
The old butler tilted his head slightly upward, his gaze distant, with a proud yet elegant smile at the corners of his mouth. At that moment, Yun Fan knew he’d better play along, but he really had no background knowledge to draw on.
“I, I don’t know.” Yun Fan replied, “How about, how about you tell me about it?”
“You!” The old butler was left speechless, but his usual elegance demanded he not lash out. He could only say helplessly, “These matters are a long story. We’ll go through them slowly another day.”
Following the old butler’s finger, Yun Fan saw the words “Langyun Terrace.”
The old butler sat up straight and cleared his throat: “Every building here has its own name. The one we’re in now belongs to Mr. Zhaofu. He is the eldest grandson of the second branch of the Wen family and also the president of the Wen Group.”
“Langyun Terrace’s size is second only to the Taiping Qingshui Residence where the grand old master once lived, you know it’s bigger than the remaining six mansions.”
Yun Fan cooperatively looked up and glanced around.
They should be in the living room now. The ceiling here was very high, and he figured that spending some time gazing up at the ornate chandelier here wouldn’t give him a stiff neck. Looking deeper into the space, a staircase that went up before doubling back led to the bedrooms on the second through fourth floors.
Indeed, it was too large. It was quiet at the moment, and their voices echoed as they spoke.
“When the old master originally acquired this plot of land, several major families were all vying for it. He offered a higher price and left this property for his descendants.”
“We stewards ask for nothing else, only that the Wen family’s legacy endures for generations,” the old steward sighed.
“That’s true everyone wants a stable job,” Yunfan replied.
The old steward gave Yunfan a look, as if he were about to say something but held back, a hint of embarrassment at being seen through flickering across his face. But he quickly composed himself and continued instructing Yunfan: “As for the owners of these eight estates and their relationships, I hope you’ll sort them out and memorize them promptly.”
“Do we have to be responsible for all these estates?” Yunfan asked, shocked.
“Not at all.” The old steward tapped the table. “You only need to be at Langyun Terrace. I’ll occasionally go elsewhere to handle some work.”
Yunfan looked at where he was tapping Red Cotton Lodge, Baofeng, Anning Manor. The names were quite pleasant to the ear.
“Previously, I handled everything at Langyun Terrace myself. Now that you’ve come, you can help share the burden. I’m getting on in years it’s time to cultivate a successor,” the old steward said meaningfully.
Yunfan nodded, half understanding, and then listened as the old steward began to ramble on. He spoke in extremely ornate but convoluted language about the primary duties of a steward.
In general, they were to serve every need of their employers. To think what the employer thinks, to worry about what worries the employer, to resolve the employer’s concerns, all while planning ahead for contingencies.
They were to attend to the employer’s meals and daily life, wear crisp, proper uniforms, execute elegant dining etiquette, and arrange exquisite tableware to match the meticulously prepared cuisine.
“Of course, as a new steward, these things are hard for you to master,” the old steward said with a smug smile. “Not like me my great-grandfather started as a steward in England. Through accumulated experience and connections, we have many traditions.”
“Let me tell you a small story. My grandfather once served a duchess who required that all candles be lit ten minutes before she returned home each day.”
“To that end, my grandfather had the candle supplier craft candles specially tailored to the duchess’s temperament. Each one had a unique carving and a distinctive fragrance.”
“That’s so wasteful?!” Yunfan exclaimed. “Light them all, then call 119 to put them out?!”
“Oh, don’t make such a fuss ” the old steward said anxiously. “Besides, here we call three dogs.”
“What the heck?!” Yunfan was baffled.
Just then, a low but amused voice came from behind them: “Three nines. He means the emergency number, nine-nine-nine.”
The old steward shot to his feet, and Yunfan followed suit, standing and turning around.
“Young Master, you’re back!” The old steward looked deeply moved, taking a big step forward to approach Wen Zhaofu.
Wen Zhaofu raised his head and looked at Yunfan. Yunfan was still caught up in the “three dogs” moment, a smile lingering on his face, his eyes bright.
For a moment, Wen Zhaofu found himself unable to speak. He looked at Yunfan, at his delicate face, his round, apricot-shaped eyes, the dark pupils extraordinarily bright, as if holding pearls within clear and pure.
Those eyes were looking at him, brimming with delight, and it made Wen Zhaofu, a man who had seen countless people feel his heart tremble slightly.
Because the smile in those eyes was simply a smile, with no other element mixed in.
“The sky has brightened.” Wen Zhaofu said softly, his gaze, calm as an ancient well, still fixed on the spirit who had descended from the heavens before him.
The old butler, standing close by, heard Wen Zhaofu’s words and chimed in, “Ah, yes, the rain has stopped, the sun is out, and the sky has cleared.”
At that moment, Yun Fan’s mind was buzzing with connections snapping into place. So this was Wen Zhaofu ah, ah, ah, the book wasn’t wrong, he’s so handsome!
Indeed, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. This transmigration into the book was totally worth it! How could someone look like they’d stepped straight out of an oil painting, with chiseled features, deep eyes, and an air of authority between his brows?
Even though Wen Zhaofu was sitting in a wheelchair at that moment, Yun Fan could feel his overwhelming presence his back ramrod straight, his bearing as solid as a mountain.
Yun Fan was stunned into staring, and Wen Zhaofu, gazing back at Yun Fan, made no move either. The old butler began to panic, how could a butler dare to lock eyes with his employer for this long!
Gradually, Wen Zhaofu’s hand pressed down on his own thigh, his long fingers flexing with effort, the knuckles standing out clearly. And the smile on his face slowly faded away.
Yun Fan’s heart jolted, and the classic line slipped out before she could stop herself: “Young master, why aren’t you smiling anymore!”