Xu Yu paused mid-step and quickly turned to refuse: "How could that be? The rewards you've already given me, my lord, are more than enough."
"You do work for me, so naturally I should pay you a monthly wage. From now on, I'll give you one thousand coins a month."
"Thank you, my lord!" Xu Yu was overjoyed. She took out a string of coins from the drawer, closed it, and sat back down at the desk with a smile. Picking up the ink stick, she said, "There is one more matter I must report to you, my lord."
"What is it?"
"A small matter, but I thought it best to tell you. Yesterday, Qin Rusu told me that she had deliberately calculated the bathing schedule. According to the rotation, it's always Ruyi and Fen'er who attend to your baths, my lord. Fearing they might gain an advantage, she too wants to attend to you personally. She's a woman with her own schemes—she may already be plotting something."
Nie Huiming seemed not to have heard. After a long while, he said, "And what about you?"
Xu Yu's heart tightened, and the ink stick in her hand clinked against the inkstone.
She hurriedly explained: "Your servant would never dare harbor such thoughts. I am of humble appearance and have never dreamed of climbing the dragon and attaching to the phoenix. Besides, Qin Rusu said some ugly things yesterday—that if one could attend to you personally, then when you had needs, one could seize the opportunity… I believe you are not that kind of man…"
"How can you be so sure?"
"They used the Honey Trap, and you did not take the bait. All these days, you have treated me with courtesy. And besides…" Xu Yu paused, then said in a low voice, "besides, from the very first moment I saw you, I could tell that you are a true gentleman, a man of virtue and honor."
Nie Huiming smiled. "You know physiognomy?"
Xu Yu blushed furiously and shook her head repeatedly: "No, no! How could I know anything about physiognomy? I only felt that your eyes were so clear and gentle…"
Nie Huiming waved his hand with a smile: "I was only teasing you. No need to be flustered—just grind the ink."
"Yes." Xu Yu lowered her eyes, and only after a long while did her heart gradually calm and her color return to normal.
Before long, Nie Huiming spoke again: "Stay for lunch."
"Ah?" Xu Yu paused briefly. "All right."
"From now on, as long as I'm here, you'll take your midday meal here. One more thing—tomorrow I'm going out, and you're coming with me. Sleep well in the main room tonight. I won't be calling for any of you."
Xu Yu nodded blankly: "Yes."
That night, she still did not quarrel with Qin Rusu over the bathing duties. As before, she merely assisted on the side, though with much more composure. Once out of the bedroom, she wrapped herself in her quilt and fell fast asleep.
Lord Nie had ordered that they would go out tomorrow. No matter where they went, she could not afford any mistakes—she certainly couldn't doze off like she had the other day.
Qin Rusu glanced at her and said with a laugh, "You really are carefree, little sister."
"I'm truly exhausted. I'll have to trouble you to bear with me."
After a few perfunctory words, she sank into a deep sleep. In the latter half of the night, she only stirred briefly before drifting off again. When she rose early, she was indeed much more alert, with hardly any drowsiness.
Qin Rusu still ordered her to fetch water and tidy the bedding, and Xu Yu did as she was told without complaint.
She had already spoken openly with Lord Nie and learned that he was not the sort of lecherous man Qin Rusu imagined, so she no longer cared about Qin Rusu's schemes. In any case, she herself would never do such things.
Today Lord Nie was going out, and his attire was even more elaborate than usual—so complex that Xu Yu could hardly make sense of it. Qin Rusu was attending to the lord's dressing, so Xu Yu stood to the side waiting, gazing curiously at the intricate garments.
"Xu Yu," Nie Huiming suddenly spoke.
Xu Yu froze, then lowered her eyes and answered, "This servant is here."
"What are you standing there for? Hiding from work?"
"This servant, this servant…" Xu Yu's face was full of embarrassment. She stepped forward slowly, picked up the leather belt from the rack, and wrapped it around his waist with both hands, threading the belt through—but then she had no idea how to fasten it.
Nie Huiming pulled his broad sleeve free from Qin Rusu's hands, held out his hand toward her to ask for the jade belt-hook, and demonstrated it once for Xu Yu. "Do you understand now?"
Xu Yu looked up, met his gaze, and nodded. "This servant understands."
Nie Huiming gave a slight nod, undid the belt, and placed it in her hands, looking down at her. "You do it once."
She pressed her lips together, wrapped her arms around his waist once more, and nervously, tremblingly fastened the leather belt with the jade belt-hook. She looked up at him, as if asking: Is that right?