“No wonder Xie Xuchuan looked so awful.”
Wei Hu patted his chest and chuckled. “Don’t worry, young master. Leave this to me—I’ll handle it perfectly.”
With that, Wei Hu climbed out the window and jumped down.
While Xie Xuchuan was still enjoying the full fish banquet at Yujin Hall, Wei Hu headed straight for the Xie family storeroom.
By the time Mianhe swayed her hips over to the storeroom, Wei Hu was already crouched in a corner, waiting.
He had always disliked Mianhe, so he took great pleasure in secretly catching her mistakes and reporting them to Xie Qi.
Now, Wei Hu huddled by the wall, twirling a broom in circles.
“Manager Sun.”
Leaning against the storeroom door, Mianhe spoke sweetly.
“Miss Mianhe.”
Seeing her, Sun Qi broke into a wide smile. “Just yesterday I was saying how long it’s been since I last saw you, and here you are today. Don’t you think there’s some fate between us?”
“Pfft, who has fate with you?”
Mianhe scoffed, though her smile didn’t fade. “The Second Young Master ordered me to fetch some charcoal…”
Hearing Xie Qi’s name, Sun Qi’s expression turned indifferent.
“What do you need charcoal for in April? Summer’s practically here. Even Second Branch’s Miss Lurong and Young Master Yingshou have stopped using charcoal. Is the Second Young Master, a grown man, more delicate than a young lady or a child?”
Mianhe shot Sun Qi a sidelong glance, her upturned eyes carrying a hint of allure. “The charcoal is from the public supply, not from your own pocket. Why are you guarding it so tightly?”
She had a fine figure, slender yet full, and when she moved, her waist and hips swayed like blossoming flowers—something Sun Qi had long coveted.
Seeing her now, half-coquettish, half-teasing, his heart itched fiercely.
His eyes darting, Sun Qi said, “Even if the supplies are public, they’re still under my management, aren’t they? Other courtyards are one thing, but the Nine-Color Residence…”
He curled his lip disdainfully. “Even if you ask the Madam or the Old Madam, you definitely won’t get any.”
Who didn’t know that the Second Young Master was unlucky and disliked by both the Old Madam and the Madam?
“Hey, you…”
“Don’t be angry, miss.”
Sun Qi grabbed Mianhe’s hand, stroking it gently. “The Second Young Master may not get charcoal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.
“For your sake, I’ll have the charcoal packed up for you in a moment.”
Pulling her into the Xie family storeroom, Sun Qi leaned closer. “Speaking of which, Mianhe, you’d be better off following me than sticking with the Second Young Master.
“In the Xie family, Xie Qi will never rise to prominence—he’s not even as good as a manager like me.
“Look, even asking for a basket of charcoal on his behalf requires begging. With me, it’s different. My mother is the Old Madam’s confidante. If you follow me, you could at least become a head maid.”
For a maid to follow a young master in the Xie family was a nameless, unofficial affair. With other young masters, it might at least bring some benefits.
But following Xie Qi…
Not starving to death in the Nine-Color Residence would be the best outcome.
Mianhe looked down at her increasingly rough hands and didn’t immediately pull them back from Sun Qi’s grasp.
Only when she heard a sudden thud outside, as if something had shattered, did she snap back to reality.
“I’ve served in the Nine-Color Residence for so many years. Wouldn’t it be a pity to give up now?”
Withdrawing her hand, Mianhe casually smoothed her hair. “Besides, you’re wrong. I might not be without prospects.”
Lightly patting Sun Qi’s cheek, her eyes brimming with charm, Mianhe said, “The Old Madam and the Madam would never arrange a good marriage for the Second Young Master.
“When the eldest young master marries Miss Shen, I’ll go beg the old madam for a favor. It’s not impossible for me to become the Xie family’s second young mistress.
“There’s still a difference between being a young master’s wife and just serving people.”
At the very least, Xie Qi is a proper master of the Xie family.
Not to mention Xie Qi has that handsome face—just looking at it makes her whole body grow warm.