Compared to this girl, she fell far short. How could she make the young master keep her around?

Xuanzhao Ran and Fen’er were led by a maidservant, winding past room after room until they stopped before a wooden door carved with ornate latticed patterns.

The maidservant knocked. “Young Master, Madam’s aunt has assigned two maidservants to you.”

“Not necessary.” A man’s cold voice carried through the door.

Xuanzhao Ran blinked. That voice sounded so familiar.

The maidservant looked at Xuanzhao Ran and Fen’er. “You may leave the residence. If you are unwilling to leave, you may go find that aunt by the Madam’s side and see whether she can find you another position.”

Fen’er stared at the wooden door, reluctant to give up. She had heard that this young master had once saved the Madam and held considerable standing in the household. More importantly, he had no wife yet.

“Elder Sister, I’d like to try my luck. If the young master truly won’t keep me, I’ll go find the aunt then. Would that be all right?” Fen’er smiled and slipped a worthless wooden bracelet off her wrist.

The maidservant stepped back. “You may, but remember never to offer objects again in the future. Even if you are kept on, should the Madam find out, you will be driven away — and whoever accepted the object will be implicated.”

“Fen’er understands.” Fen’er slid the wooden bracelet back onto her wrist.

“Go in then.” The maidservant finished speaking and turned to look at Xuanzhao Ran. “And you — are you leaving the residence, or would you like the aunt to find you a position?”

Xuanzhao Ran watched Fen’er smooth her hair, step inside the room, and call out sweetly, “Elder Sister, I also wish to try my luck. I want to stay by the young master’s side too.”

The maidservant nodded. “Then go in with her.”

“All right, thank you, Elder Sister.” Xuanzhao Ran removed the jade pendant from her waist.

The maidservant’s expression immediately soured. “Miss, did you not hear what I just said?”

“No, no, it’s not like that. I want to ask Elder Sister to help me — please deliver this jade pendant to Yuanjing Manor and tell my brother not to worry.”

The maidservant took the pendant and examined it. The material looked far from ordinary. Why would someone like her come to be a maidservant?

Most who came to work as maidservants did so for the money. Yet this young girl, whether in dress or manner, carried herself like a sheltered young lady from a proper household.

“Elder Sister, can you help me? My brother is called Xīxī.”

She hoped that when her Crown Prince brother received the jade pendant, he would not think to beat her to death. If she were to say her Crown Prince brother’s surname was Xuan, then hers was Xuan as well — in the kingdom of Qilan, those of the Xuanzhao line did not serve as maidservants or manservants.

“I can.” The maidservant asked with mild curiosity, “Does your family have only your brother as the sole male beside your father?”

Xīxī — wasn’t that not just a name meaning rare and precious?

If there was only one male in the family, it would make sense — sending his sisters out to work and support him. What a terrible brother.

Xuanzhao Ran’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Elder Sister.”

She could even tell that from this?

The maidservant sighed. “I’ll see that it’s delivered. Go in quickly. If the young master won’t keep you, I’ll find you a light and easy task.”

Xuanzhao Ran smiled. If he wouldn’t keep her, she would simply return to Yuanjing Manor. She had no intention of staying on as a servant.

Inside the room, Fen’er stood to one side. Quan Furen and Aci were seated in wooden chairs.

“Aci, the person you are looking for is most likely Mu Shiqing of Qingyu Stronghold. He was brought back by his wife, and they say he only remembers searching for his younger sister.”

“There is also this: the Grand Marshal of Xuanzhao is searching on his wife’s behalf for her younger brother — and the description of that brother closely resembles the young master you are looking for.”

Aci frowned. “Mu Shiqing?”

“Yes. He is the chief leader of Qingyu Stronghold, and something of a favored figure at the side of His Majesty the Qi Emperor. You may go to Qingyu Stronghold and look for him. News of him is not easy to come by — only that he has been searching for his younger sister all this time.”

“If he is not the one, find a way to go to Xuanzhao and determine whether the younger brother the Grand Marshal seeks is the young master you are looking for.”

Quan Furen took a sip of tea and added, “Oh, and the younger sister Mu Shiqing is searching for has a mole on the palm of either her right or left hand.”

Aci’s heart quickened, and the tips of his fingers trembled slightly. There was no need to confirm it further — Mu Shiqing was the young master.

Injured, rescued, searching for a younger sister — and wasn’t it precisely that little Lemon had a mole on her right palm? How had he forgotten something so important?

When Grandma Lu had deceived him into thinking Yan Shiyao was the young miss, why had that not occurred to him?

Had the young master not always muttered about it in the past — that his younger sister had a mole on the palm of her right hand?

“I’ll head back now and see whether those two blockheads have found me a sharp-minded maidservant yet.” Quan Furen pinched the bridge of her nose.

The beggars she had taken in at the residence were all clumsy when it came to serving. Finding one with a sharp mind had been dragging on for so many days now, and those two blockheads still hadn’t brought her one.

Fen’er’s eyes shifted. She stepped forward and opened the wooden door. Quan Furen glanced at her. “Would you like to come serve at my side?”

“Madam, Fen’er… Fen’er would rather remain by the young master’s side.” Fen’er lowered her head. Following the Madam, she could only ever be a maidservant — but if she followed the young master, there might come a chance to rise above that station.

“Very well.” Quan Furen made no effort to press her.

The moment Quan Furen stepped out, Xuanzhao Ran walked in.

“Aci!”

Aci’s mind was entirely occupied with how to reunite with Mu Shiqing, how to spirit Yan Yunning away from Xuan Yanyu while she was still unaware — he had not caught Xuanzhao Ran’s voice.

“How dare you call the young master by his name!” Fen’er pointed at Xuanzhao Ran with a face full of indignation.

“Young… Zhaoiran, how did you end up here?” Jolted by Fen’er’s loud outburst, Aci turned and saw Xuanzhao Ran, and immediately said, “Are you short on silver too? Have you come to work as a maidservant?”

Was Madam not the one taking in volunteers willing to serve in exchange for household income? This princess was short on silver?

Had Xuanzhao fallen on hard times?

“No, I was knocked unconscious by two men and brought here.” Xuanzhao Ran rubbed the back of her neck. It still ached a little.

Aci’s mouth twitched slightly. Most likely Madam had sent the first and second brothers to find a few clever maidservants, and when they couldn’t find any, they simply dragged people in off the street.

When Madam found out, those two were going to get a caning again.

“Aci, how did you end up here? And a young master no less.” Xuanzhao Ran walked up to him with a grin.

“Young Master.” Fen’er pushed past Xuanzhao Ran, the corners of her mouth curving into a sweet smile. “This servant is called Fen’er. The aunt brought me here to serve the young master.”

Xuanzhao Ran stumbled from the shove. Aci steadied her arm and said coolly, “I don’t need anyone.”

He was leaving the residence tomorrow to head for Qingyu Stronghold, and he would not be coming back. What use did he have for a maidservant?

He was going to serve the young master.

“Young Master, can’t you keep Fen’er?” Fen’er tugged at her sleeve, letting the fabric slip just slightly to reveal the curve of her collarbone. She blinked, her cheeks flushed pink as she looked up at Aci.

Xuanzhao Ran pressed her lips tightly together, raised both hands, and covered her face with them. She was still right here!

She was still right here!

Was there any consideration for the fact that she was present?!

Watching the girl cover her face with a scissors gesture, Aci pressed a hand to his forehead. Wasn’t that rather unnecessary?

“Young Master.” Fen’er bit her lip. “Could you keep Fen’er?”

She looked up at Aci — a young man dressed in an ink-blue robe, a finely crafted pendant hanging at his waist, his complexion fair and delicate, his bearing refined and elegant, his features handsome.

She was quite pretty herself. If the young master kept her, he would surely come to like her.