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

Only when that emerald figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, and even the fragrance she left behind seemed to dissipate into the air, did Wang Yanning seem to be suddenly pulled out of a certain stagnant state, and she took a deep breath almost imperceptibly.

He turned around and almost hastily walked back to his own quiet room, closing the door behind him to shut out all the sounds from the outside world.

Leaning against the cold door, he slowly raised his hand, his fingertips touching his still burning earlobe. The scorching temperature reminded him that what had just happened was not an illusion.

The room was brightly lit, yet he felt somewhat dizzy, the scene from earlier replaying uncontrollably in his mind.

Her slightly upturned face, her calm yet penetrating gaze, the name and address she uttered clearly, word by word, and the fleeting, almost cunning, glint in her eyes as she raised an eyebrow at the end, and...

The utter embarrassment he felt when Zhou Wenbo saw through his clumsy excuse.

"Chen Wanxing," he unconsciously repeated the name in a low voice, an experience he had never had before.

He was intelligent from a young age, but he had never lost his composure like tonight. He made a mistake in the person he was looking at, and then made up a reason full of loopholes. In the end, he was exposed and left in a sorry state.

Strangely, aside from the initial embarrassment, looking back now, I feel little regret; instead, I feel a strange, unfamiliar thrill.

She saw through everything, yet she didn't embarrass him. That almost imperceptible indulgence moved him more than any eloquent words.

He stood there in the room, letting his thoughts churn, sometimes frowning, sometimes unconsciously raising the corners of his lips, completely immersed in the aftershocks of that brief encounter, unaware of the passage of time.

After an unknown amount of time, two respectful knocks came from outside the door, followed by the familiar, slightly weary voice of the Jufulou manager: "Young Master Wang, have you rested? This old man, Qian Delu, requests an audience."

Wang Yanning suddenly snapped out of his daze, quickly concealing all outward emotions on his face. He straightened his neatly arranged robes and said in a deep voice, "Uncle De, please come in."

Qian Delu pushed open the door and came in. He was about fifty years old, with a shrewd yet kind face. Although he looked tired from working all night, his eyes were still bright.

He was the long-time manager of Jufu Restaurant. Because the owner was on good terms with Wang Yanning, and because Wang Yanning had not only offered advice and suggestions for Jufu Restaurant's Lantern Festival for many years, but also provided ingenious riddles, the restaurant's reputation grew and its business soared.

Therefore, Qian Delu held this young but highly talented young master Wang in the highest esteem and gratitude.

"Young Master Wang, you've had a hard night." Manager Qian smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, his tone familiar yet full of respect.

"The lantern riddle gathering was a great success, even better than in previous years. Many guests praised the riddles this year for being particularly elegant and meaningful. The host and the young host will surely be delighted to know this."

Wang Yanning had fully recovered from her earlier daze, her face now displaying her usual gentle and refined demeanor. Upon hearing this, she humbly replied, "Uncle De, you flatter me. It was just a coincidence that I had some ideas. I'm glad I could be of help. It's mainly because of your excellent preparations and the thoughtful care of the staff."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Manager Qian got down to business: "The staff were just starting to pack up the lamps. As is customary in previous years, the main lamps used for the riddles are usually dismantled and stored or disposed of separately."

But I've heard that the young master seems to have other instructions regarding this year's largest revolving lantern?

Wang Yanning nodded slightly, not hiding anything: "I do have some ideas. I suddenly thought of the lanterns at our Jufulou every year, especially the one in Lanyue Pavilion, which are very exquisite."

Instead of dismantling it properly, I decided to give it as a prize to the guests of Lanyue Pavilion. That way, it would be a worthwhile gift. So I instructed someone to ask for the address of the guests of Lanyue Pavilion.

The winner of this year's jackpot is the eldest daughter of the Lin family, a wealthy family in the west of the city. Have your servant deliver it to the Lin family residence at the previously registered address.

"Of course, of course." Manager Qian nodded repeatedly. Winning the lottery would earn him a lantern as a souvenir and also create a good relationship, so he naturally had no objection. "Don't worry, young master, I will definitely pack it in the finest brocade box and send it to you by a reliable person."

He paused, then took out a rather thick money bag that he had prepared beforehand from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, and his smile became even more sincere. "In addition, it is thanks to your painstaking efforts every year that my Jufulou Lantern Festival signboard has become brighter and brighter. This is this year's payment, and I hope you will not refuse it."

This was the agreed-upon reward money. Although Wang Yanning and Qian Wenbai were good friends, the Qian family always treated their friends with utmost courtesy in matters involving restaurant operations and specific labor services, never letting them work for free.

Wang Yanning was used to this and did not refuse out of politeness. He accepted it readily and placed it on the table beside him, saying gently, "Uncle Qian and Brother Wenbai are too kind. I am delighted to have made this elegant gathering possible with Brother Wenbai and your esteemed establishment."

Seeing that he accepted the gift, Manager Qian felt even more at ease. Every year when he held this Lantern Festival, all the restaurants in the county were watching, and so many important people came. He dared not make any mistakes.

Now that everything was settled, his smile relaxed a bit. "Besides the gift of lanterns to the Lin family that you mentioned earlier, is there anything else you require?"

Seeing that Wang Yanning had no further instructions, Manager Qian said no more, bowed and withdrew: "It is late at night, and you must be tired after a long night. Please rest early. I will take my leave now."

The door closed gently again.

The room fell silent again, with only the faint sounds of lights being taken off downstairs. Wang Yanning reached for the money bag on the table; as in previous years, it contained twenty taels of pure silver.

For an ordinary family, this is a considerable sum of money. For him, it comes from setting questions for Jufulou, occasionally proofreading manuscripts for bookstores, and the money he earned from handwritten copies of books that some families specifically requested.

While these sums don't amount to immense wealth, they are sufficient for daily expenses, buying books, and visiting friends.

He has always been frugal, so both Brother Wenbai and Uncle Qian felt that he was struggling financially and wanted to give him some money every time they met. However, he had always thought that having enough money was enough.

But at this moment, feeling that heavy weight on my fingertips, a thought that I had never had before, yet was crystal clear, suddenly crashed into my mind: Not enough!

The thought came so suddenly and so overwhelmingly that even he was stunned. How could it not be enough? He was only hungry; what did he need so much money for?

However, the thoughts seemed to have their own agenda, spreading out uncontrollably.

If... if you want to prepare a decent betrothal gift...

No, what is he thinking!

Wang Yanning was startled by his own absurd association, his ears burning. He quickly stopped himself, but the wild horse of his thoughts seemed to have broken free of its reins and was completely beyond his control.

A three-courtyard house in a good location in the city might cost over a hundred taels of silver. If one wanted to acquire some decent land and shops as a base... and women's favorite silks, satins, and jewelry, although he didn't know much about them, he knew that even slightly better ones were quite expensive.

If I have a family in the future, there will be expenses... and even more absurd thoughts, with a faint glow, quietly emerge: if I have children in the future, I will need to start their education, hire a tutor, and so on...

stop!

Wang Yanning suddenly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to dispel the churning, distant, almost laughable images in her mind.

He had only met Chen Wanxing twice: once when he heard her insights from behind a screen in the bookstore, and another time they exchanged a few words under the lamp, not to mention the extremely awkward question he had just asked...

Before he could even exchange more than a few words, he was already thinking about betrothal gifts, a house, and even... his child.

This is utterly absurd!

But deep in her heart, a faint voice was refuting her. Wang Yanning opened her eyes and looked at the twenty taels of silver in her hand. For the first time, she felt that this reward, which had seemed quite generous in previous years, seemed so little at this moment.

An unprecedented emotion, a mixture of faint anxiety and intense motivation, quietly began to grow within him. He needed a more solid foundation and greater confidence to... to even imagine those things that now seemed unattainable.

He carefully tucked the money pouch into his bosom, his movements more solemn than ever before. The coins pressed against his chest, seemingly carrying a weighty warmth.

Wang Yanning raised her hand and made a loose clenching motion, as if trying to grasp the lingering air that carried the echo of her name.