A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

The door was pushed open, and a neatly dressed, smiling waiter came in carrying a tray with a pot of steaming fragrant tea and several plates of delicate tea snacks.

He bowed and placed the tea and snacks on the table, speaking respectfully, "Miss, these are some high-quality Da Hong Pao tea and a few small snacks specially prepared for Lan Yue Pavilion. Please have some."

Lin Wei nodded, indicating that she understood, but the waiter, after setting out the tea and snacks, did not leave immediately. Instead, he smiled and spoke again, his tone natural:

"There is one more thing I need to trouble you with, young lady. Since you guessed the winning riddle today, in addition to the table in this private room, the special revolving lantern will also be given to you after the lantern festival ends and it is taken down tonight."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wei became somewhat interested; the lamp was indeed magnificent and exquisite: "Oh? That's quite an elegant omen."

"That's right," the waiter replied. "Therefore, we need you to leave your name or address so that we can register it clearly. After the lantern festival ends, we will have someone deliver the lanterns to your home properly to avoid any mistakes or inconvenience for you to take them away yourself."

This reason is perfectly reasonable. When giving a lantern as a keepsake, it is natural to know who it is given to and where it is sent.

Lin Wei had no suspicions and assumed the restaurant was just being considerate. "Thank you for your trouble. Just deliver it to Master Lin's residence in the west of the city and say it's for the eldest daughter."

The waiter was somewhat surprised when she mentioned her name. Why would someone from the Lin family be dining at their Jufu Restaurant? And this young lady Lin seemed to be…

However, he didn't ask any more questions. He simply wrote it down carefully, repeated it to confirm that it was correct, and then smiled and said, "I've got it, Miss Lin. I will definitely deliver it to your residence properly."

Please enjoy your meal. I'll be waiting outside. If you're ready to eat, just call me to order." With that, he bowed respectfully, left the private room, and gently closed the door behind him.

This little incident didn't leave much of a mark on Lin Wei's mind. Her thoughts quickly drifted back downstairs. She walked to the window again, her gaze lingering on the bustling crowd and the entrance to Jufulou. Her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the window frame.

"Why hasn't Xing'er come back yet..." she muttered to herself. Could it be that she was wrong, and that the older sister wasn't eating at Jufu Restaurant?

……

Leaving the center of the lanterns, Chen Wanxing, with the help of the cotton strip in her hand, easily found a relatively quiet corner by the window in the lobby on the first floor.

The lobby was bustling with noise, the clinking of glasses, and the warmth mixed with the aroma of food and wine, making it slightly noisy.

As soon as she sat down, a waiter came forward to greet her attentively. She took the hot towel the waiter offered to wipe her hands, looked up and carefully examined the wooden menu hanging on the wall, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a well-dressed maid looking around the lobby.

Her gaze swept over the tables of guests, as if she were searching for something, and the maid's attire looked somewhat familiar.

Chen Wanxing didn't pay attention; her mind was completely focused on the menu, and she felt she wanted to try everything.

Unexpectedly, the searching gaze quickly settled on her corner. The maid's face instantly lit up with a relieved joy, and she hurried over.

"Excuse me, young lady." The maid stopped three steps away from her table, gave a proper curtsy, and asked respectfully, "May I ask if you are the one who helped my young lady at the riddle-solving area downstairs just now?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanxing looked up. Although she didn't recognize the girl's face, judging from her words, she must be the maidservant serving the girl in the pale yellow dress.

She put down her teacup and nodded slightly: "It is I. May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"

When Xing'er saw that she admitted it, her smile became more genuine, and she quickly said, "Miss, I am Xing'er from the Lin family in the west of the city. My young lady sent me to find you. She said that she was able to guess the highest riddle in the poem because of your guidance just now."

My young lady is currently in the Lan Yue Pavilion on the third floor. She is extremely grateful, but feels uneasy about having such a beautiful view and a good seat all to herself. Therefore, she has specially sent me to invite you to the Lan Yue Pavilion so that we can dine and enjoy the lanterns together, so that she can express her gratitude.”

She spoke a little quickly, but expressed herself clearly, her eyes full of expectation and sincerity.

As expected, it was about this matter. Chen Wanxing understood and was slightly surprised. She smiled gently and shook her head: "Miss Xing'er is too kind. Please tell your young lady that I appreciate her kindness."

I only said a few words casually, but the key is her intelligence; she understood immediately. She really doesn't deserve such sincere thanks. I'll just have a simple meal here; please don't worry about it and enjoy your meal."

Her refusal was tactful but firm; she had only met that Miss Lin once, and there was really no need to make a fuss over it.

Xing'er became anxious and quickly said, "Miss, please don't refuse. My young lady sincerely wants to thank you and also sincerely wants to invite you to enjoy the scenery together. My young lady said that if it weren't for you, she would still be feeling embarrassed there."

"Besides, the young lady has already rejected both Young Master Zhou and my young master, so you don't need to worry about feeling awkward. She's the only one in the private room right now, and she's just waiting for you to come."

Did they even turn down their companions to invite her?

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanxing frowned almost imperceptibly. The maid's words were earnest and her posture extremely humble, but the implication in her words that "if you don't go, her young lady's good intentions will all be in vain" made Chen Wanxing feel a little pressured.

She never liked to force things, and after a moment's hesitation, her tone remained gentle but carried a hint of refusal: "I appreciate Miss Lin's kind invitation. However, I originally planned to have a simple meal here and then return home, as I have some chores to attend to. Besides, Miss Lin and I are merely strangers who have met by chance, and I really don't deserve such formality."

Xing'er was clearly surprised that even after all this, the girl still refused. She quickly curtsied again, her tone even more earnest, even tinged with a helpless honesty:

"Girl, please don't say that. My daughter is truly grateful to you and genuinely wants to be your friend."

If it's truly inconvenient for you to stay any longer, even just a short while upstairs for a cup of tea would be fine, allowing our young lady to express her gratitude in person. Otherwise... otherwise, given our young lady's personality, she might actually come down to thank you personally, which would only further disturb your meal.”

Having said that, Chen Wanxing understood. That Miss Lin was a straightforward and passionate person, and it seemed she couldn't avoid being thanked today.

Rather than having her actually come down from the private room on the third floor to express her gratitude in the bustling lobby, which would only attract attention from others, it would truly go against her original intention.

It would be better to go up there myself, fulfill the other party's courtesy, and avoid any potential trouble later. Oh well, since it's fate, let nature take its course.

Having said that, Chen Wanxing didn't insist any further. She stood up and nodded to Xing'er, "In that case, please lead the way, young lady."

When Xing'er saw that she had finally agreed, she was overjoyed and stepped aside to lead the way, saying repeatedly, "Yes, thank you for your understanding, Miss. This way please."