"You’re the new one from Bright Moon Pavilion?" Yu Xiang lifted her teacup, its fragrance wafting at the perfect temperature. She hadn’t expected this young woman’s tea skills to be so remarkable—nearly rivaling the master tea artist serving the old patriarch!
Qiuyun paused her movements, her posture respectful: "Yes, ma’am."
"Don’t be nervous. Come sit, let’s chat." Yu Xiang had taken a liking to this young woman and pulled her over to sit on the sofa.
"Yes."
Qiuyun was gradually getting used to it. In ancient times, servants were treated like slaves—beaten, scolded, sold off at whim, dehumanized. But in modern society, being a domestic worker was just a job, not a loss of human rights.
She sat obediently beside the lady, but didn’t settle fully, her back still taut with tension.
Seeing the girl’s composed expression, Yu Xiang wanted to start with some small talk to build familiarity. "How long have you been studying tea? My teacher is a great tea lover; I’ll have him taste your work another day."
A kind-hearted employer always hoped to see the staff relax their wariness and guard in response to gentle words, letting their goodwill be reciprocated.
Indeed, Qiuyun visibly eased a bit. "I figured it out on my own. It’s nothing refined enough for formal occasions—if the lady’s teacher doesn’t mind, I’d be honored to let the old gentleman taste my brew."
"You figured it out yourself?" Yu Xiang was surprised. "You’re really talented in the art of tea!"
Yu Xiang herself was a skilled connoisseur of tea; the young woman’s brew seemed to require at least seven or eight years of practice. She hadn’t expected it to be self-taught.
Qiuyun’s eyes lit up with gratified surprise, mixed with just the right amount of shyness and unease. "You flatter me, ma’am. If I’ve pleased you, then this cup of tea has fulfilled its purpose."
"Good girl. The art of tea demands patience and attention to detail. That you’ve achieved this level shows real character." Yu Xiang patted her hand warmly. "I heard from Ling’er that she wants to hire you as her personal assistant, with a salary?"
Although Qiuyun regarded Seventh Miss as her proper young mistress, the girl was too young. Appointments and transfers of those close to her still required the parents’ decision.
Neither humble nor presumptuous, Qiuyun replied, "Yes, the young miss did say that."
Yu Xiang nodded. "Ling’er likes you. It’s fine for you to start by getting familiar with things by her side. Don’t worry about the cleaning work in Bright Moon Pavilion—I’ll have my own people handle it."
Qiuyun didn’t miss the phrase "start by getting familiar." She immediately pledged her loyalty with conviction: "Thank you for your trust, ma’am. I will not let you down. I’ll take good care of the young miss!"
"I’ve nothing else for you now. Go on and get busy." Yu Xiang raised her teacup again, savoring its rich fragrance.
"Yes."
Bright Moon Pavilion was indeed quite busy that day. The lady had practically moved all her daily necessities over.
Not only clothes, jewelry, and luggage, but Yu Xiang had even brought half the household staff from the basement level. They would still live there, but their workplace had shifted to Bright Moon Pavilion.
The news that the Eldest Young Master had moved out of the estate and the eldest branch’s lady had taken up residence in Bright Moon Pavilion spread through the household in less than half a day, even reaching the company’s corporate offices!
Jiang Yihua endured the covert glances of colleagues and subordinates at the office, his face taut as he finished a full day of meetings. When he got home and saw the living room with half the servants missing, he felt utterly deflated. Rubbing his temples, he locked himself in the study.
He couldn’t understand. Shouldn’t the eldest branch be united against the outside? How had it come to this—internal strife on one side, external threats on the other? Did they really want the second son’s family to inherit the group and seize power? Would his own family even be able to stay in the estate in the future?
Over at Bright Moon Pavilion, with the lady personally accompanying her daughter, the head housekeeper Chen, who served as a sort of "nanny" figure, naturally stepped back to focus on the pavilion’s various affairs.
As a result, Lan Xin was given an extended leave of absence. After all, with her own mother present, there was no need for her as a governess to follow the young miss around.
Just as Lan Xin was secretly celebrating another paid vacation and showing off to her friends about the mini luxury-brand bags she’d memorized, Head Housekeeper Chen sent her a message: "Didn’t I tell you to get along with the young miss? Why did she choose Qiuyun as her personal assistant?"
Lan Xin bolted upright and immediately called her mother.
The other end hung up: "I’m in a personnel change meeting right now. Ask me in detail when I get back!"
Already… the position had been changed?!
That meant it must have been approved by either the master or the lady!
Frowning deeply, Lan Xin nervously ran her fingers through her hair.
Qiuyun, Qiuyun. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand. Qiuyun was just a pretty face with no education, a menial laborer who only knew how to be a maid. She’d only been there a month!
What had she done to deserve this?!
Head Housekeeper Chen returned from the office building and officially announced in the Bright Moon Pavilion work chat that Qiuyun’s position had been changed to Seventh Miss’s personal assistant.
She also privately sent Qiuyun her new compensation details, specifying that her monthly salary would consist of a base assistant salary plus an additional fifty thousand yuan drawn from Seventh Miss’s personal account.
It was noted that the fifty thousand would be paid as standard performance bonuses—not included in social insurance contributions but still subject to tax.
The details were too complicated to parse through; all Qiuyun knew was that she’d soon pay off her debts.
When Sister Fang and Sister Yuan heard the news, they were green with envy!
But they knew they didn’t have the quick wit to accompany the young miss around all day. Besides, Qiuyun, despite her rapid promotion, still called them "Sister Fang" and "Sister Yuan" warmly, sharing anything good or valuable. That helped soothe their ruffled feelings.
"Let’s be honest, in this estate, the positions of head housekeeper and personal assistant are each filled to the brim, one spot each, no room for more," Sister Fang said with a wistful sigh.
Sister Yuan chimed in, "Yeah, I used to think Head Housekeeper Chen was saving that assistant spot for her daughter."
Qiuyun just smiled. "Head housekeepers manage internal affairs; assistants follow the family out and about. The master and lady would never let Head Housekeeper Chen’s mother-daughter duo control both the young miss’s outer and inner worlds."
That was a simple principle of checks and balances. When her own lady had first married into the ducal mansion without full control, she’d never let any single maid or steward have sole authority.
Sister Fang and Sister Yuan blinked at each other.
No wonder this girl, just a month in, had the potential to become the young miss’s personal assistant. She saw things so clearly.
"That’s true." Sister Fang smirked playfully. "I just saw Head Housekeeper Chen’s face. It wasn’t pretty. Who knew the master and lady never intended to promote her daughter anyway."
Sister Yuan added in reassurance, "But don’t worry. Head Housekeeper Chen isn’t petty or vengeful; otherwise, the lady wouldn’t have let her take care of the young miss."
Qiuyun smiled gratefully. "I know."
In terms of seniority, age, and experience, she was just a newcomer. How could she compare to someone who’d been in the estate for over a decade?
