Sister, can I be a maid too?

Lin Jianxia's slightly relaxed shoulders tensed instantly, and her whole body trembled slightly like a startled rabbit, her eyes filled with vigilance as if asking, "What are you planning to do now?"

"Is it really necessary..." Jiang Yubai said irritably, emphasizing, "Also, don't believe every rumor!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, turned around, and opened the door.

Lin Jianxia remained standing there, somewhat dazed, until she could faintly hear Jiang Yubai and the landlord talking outside the door.

Is that... all there is to it?

So the rent can be paid next Saturday, and my sister and I don't have to pack our things and sleep under the bridge today?

Is this Jiang Yubai just...by chance, coming to collect rent?

Just as Lin Jianxia was still somewhat stunned, a soft creaking sound came from the doorway.

Looking up, I saw the landlady, Aunt Li, move in with her plump figure, walk straight up to me, and have a smug look on her face.

"See? That solves it, doesn't it?" she said matter-of-factly. "Don't say your Aunt Li didn't help you."

"Help...me...?" Lin Jianxia repeated hesitantly.

Seeing her bewildered look, Aunt Li felt a bit disappointed and exasperated.

"Why can't you understand? They've already said they're in the same class as you, isn't it obvious they're after you?"

"Let me tell you, with such a great relationship, why aren't you seizing it? What are you waiting for?"

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said in a tone as if imparting her experience, "I can't extend your rent, but others can!"

"It's only postponed now. Spend more time with him. If you build a good relationship, he might just waive the fee for you, and you won't have to worry about it anymore!"

"Aunt Li!"

Lin Jianxia's face flushed red instantly, not from embarrassment, but from anger.

“I will pay the rent on time myself,” she took a deep breath, suppressing her rising anger. “Please don’t do this again next time, and don’t lock us in the room alone.”

Aunt Li was taken aback by her sudden and intense reaction, then said "Hey," waved her hand, and said:

"How could I really lock you two together! The door wasn't even locked properly; I even left it ajar."

"Besides, I'll be guarding the stairwell outside. If he dares to do anything reckless, I'll be the first to rush in."

These words made Lin Jianxia, ​​whose chest was heaving with anger, choke for a moment.

She said she wanted to help them, but her words implied that she had to curry favor with Jiang Yubai; yet, while she wanted to get angry, this landlady actually had some intention of helping the sisters.

However, she simply couldn't accept this method.

On the other end, Aunt Li was still rambling on:

“I’m telling you, you two sisters have it tough. This guy surnamed Jiang looks pretty decent, and his family is well-off. Plus, you’re classmates. What a great opportunity.”

"Let me tell you, if you don't hurry up now, some guys will be snatched up by someone else when you get to college, and then you'll have nowhere to cry."

Lin Jianxia felt an increasing sense of powerlessness and could only manage a perfunctory reply:

"Okay, Aunt Li, I understand... You can continue with your work..."

Aunt Li shook her head with a hint of regret, turning to walk out while muttering to herself:

"Sigh, if you don't listen now, you'll realize later that Auntie is doing this for your own good... Also, remember to pay the rent on Saturday."

After seeing off landlord Li, Lin Jianxia felt completely exhausted and leaned back on the sofa with a long sigh.

The result was good... so why am I so tired...?

In the silence, light footsteps sounded behind me.

Lin Jianxia quickly raised her hand to rub her cheeks, perked up, and turned to the side with a bright smile:

"Wanwan, what's wrong?"

Lin Tingwan, who was standing to the side, observed quietly for a moment, then wrote a line in her notebook and held it up to Lin Jianxia.

"Is your sister unhappy?"

Lin Jianxia's smile faltered, and she quickly waved her hand, "No, no, Aunt Li agreed to let us postpone paying the rent, it's alright."

Lin Tingwan looked at her sister quietly for two seconds, then put her notebook away and began writing again.

This time, the pen tip touched the paper with much less force, making almost no sound.

"I'm the one who dragged my sister down."

Upon seeing those words, Lin Jianxia's heart nearly stopped, and she almost immediately stood up, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders:

"Wanwan, listen carefully—never!"

"It was my sister who chose to bring you into this world, and that's the decision I'll never regret in my life."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart: "You're never allowed to say things like that again, understand?"

Lin Tingwan nodded, indicating that she understood.

She lowered her eyelashes and thought for a moment, then carefully wrote a new line in her notebook before raising it again.

"Jiang Yubai is a good person."

Lin Jianxia's expression froze for a moment. Based on her years of experience with her younger sister, she instantly understood Lin Tingwan's logic.

The landlord disagreed with the extension—Jiang Yu's trip was in vain—the landlord agreed to the extension.

Jiang Yubai is a good person.

Although the result was correct, but... but...

The image of that guy's half-smiling look before he left flashed through my mind, along with his deliberately drawn-out "Just kidding"...

Lin Jianxia felt that stifling anger surge up in her chest again, and her tone unconsciously became tinged with annoyance:

"He's no good person!!"

Lin Tingwan tilted her head, unusually disagreeing with her older sister's words, and instead neatly wrote down a new question:

"Isn't Jiang Yubai a good person?"

"Yes! Wanwan, remember this—he's a bad person. Don't pay any attention to him in the future, and don't talk to him casually!" Lin Jianxia nodded heavily.

What? Even if Jiang Yubai isn't the spoiled brat she previously thought he was, he's definitely not a good person.

What kind of respectable person would seriously ask someone to be their maid?!

Lin Tingwan seemed a little confused, but in the end she obediently nodded.

Lin Jianxia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her younger sister agree.

If Jiang Yubai, who is full of bad intentions, were to spend more time with Wanwan, her younger sister would be corrupted without even realizing it, and might not even know she was being bullied.

Fortunately, as long as I can manage to collect the rent this weekend, I should have no further dealings with this young master Jiang.

But for some reason, Lin Jianxia had a bad feeling.

should.....

Hopefully nothing else goes wrong.

Chapter 4 Villa? Even a dog wouldn't live there!

By the time Jiang Yubai returned home, it was already past one in the afternoon.

Upon entering, the empty room was so quiet that you could hear your own breathing.

He clutched his rumbling stomach and habitually raised his voice twice, calling out, "Mom? Mom—"

Receiving no response, Jiang Yu clicked his tongue and resignedly went into the kitchen, intending to scavenge something to temporarily fill his stomach.

He opened the refrigerator door and sighed at the two eggs, half a wilted scallion, and a bottle of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce that were left inside.

Jiang Yubai glanced again at the half-pot of rice left over from yesterday in the corner, and finally resignedly rolled up his sleeves—okay, that's it.

He heated oil in a wok, cracked eggs and chopped scallions, then poured in the cold rice, mixing them together with some difficulty.

Seeing the rice mushy and the overcooked eggs in the pot, Jiang Yubai hurriedly scooped in a large spoonful of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. Oil droplets splattered and popped, startling him so much that he jumped back half a step.

The final product was a patchwork of light and dark colors, with burnt scallions mixed in with the rice grains; it looked... barely edible.

As long as there's food to eat... as long as there's food to eat...

Jiang Yubai hypnotized himself with this thought as he carried the shabby-looking bowl of fried rice out the door.

Lin Jianxia was right about some things; Jiang Yubai was indeed a "second-generation demolition beneficiary".

Back then, during the urban redevelopment, my family's several ancestral homes in good locations were included in the policy.

After receiving a substantial compensation for the demolition, the mother, who had a knack for investing, seized the opportunity and decisively bought several residential and commercial properties for rent before housing prices skyrocketed.

In addition, I've made some small investments over the years. While I'm not extremely wealthy, I'm certainly financially secure.

So my father, who used to be a driver at his company, quit his job and happily went fishing with a few old friends every day; while my mother transformed herself into a well-known landlady in the district.

After sitting down at the table, Jiang Yubai didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he took out his phone from his pocket, found the number saved as "Empress Dowager," and dialed it.

"Hello? Son?"

The call was quickly answered, and my mother's exceptionally loud and cheerful voice came from the other end, accompanied by the whistling of the wind and the faint sounds of laughter in the background, making it sound very lively.

Jiang Yubai subconsciously moved the phone away from his ear before speaking, "Hello, Mom, I've collected the rent from the Jinxiu New Village."

"Wow, as expected of my son, he's so efficient! Impressive!"

It's just going to get some money, what's so impressive about that...

Jiang Yubai's lips twitched slightly, a bit helpless. "By the way, one family can't pay right now. I told them to pay next Saturday."

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very casual, and there seemed to be faint sounds of a tour guide explaining things in the background.

"Okay, you can handle it as you see fit... By the way, did that family give you any trouble?"

"Make things difficult for me?" Jiang Yu was taken aback. "Why would they make things difficult for me?"

My mom's voice was lazy:

“You don’t know, some tenants are short of money and can’t pay their rent. Not only do they not feel guilty, they will also blame us for charging too much and being unreasonable. It’s not uncommon for them to curse and complain. You are young and easily embarrassed, and I’m afraid you will suffer.”

Jiang Yubai inexplicably recalled Lin Jianxia's eyes, which were trying hard to maintain composure, and Lin Tingwan's quiet writing posture.