I went out in the evening and saw that the new worker, Yilin, was here at Tianxia Guo. I was shocked. Suddenly, she saw me and came over to greet me warmly. "Why are you here?" I asked.
She replied, "Miss Qing Xia kicked me out because of my erratic behaviour. I heard that you came to Tianxia Guo to open a new shop and might be looking for new workers, so I came here."
I raised an eyebrow. "But why did you think I would hire you?" She said, "Miss Liu, I know you're kind. Please help me."
I shook my head. "No, you're not qualified for this job. Qing Xia's assessment was accurate. If she lets you go, it means you're not suitable for the role."
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Yilin looked determined, but I turned around and left her behind. As I entered the house, I saw Liyu cooking in the kitchen. She looked happy and carefree. I approached her and tried to scare her with a loud noise, but she just smiled and said, "Master, you look happy."
I chuckled. "You stole my question." I asked her, "By the way, why are you cooking?"
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Liyu replied, "Because we don't have a servant right now, so I'm taking care of everything." I smiled and said, "Okay, I'm looking forward to tasting your cooking."
She nodded and continued preparing dinner. After a while, she said, "Master, I've prepared bath water for you. You can take a bath before dinner."
I nodded and headed to the bathroom. As I soaked in the warm water, I felt relaxed. "I love taking baths," I said to myself. "The water smells so good."
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Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone approaching. I quickly got out of the bath and put on my clothes. I grabbed my sword and moved ahead, ready to face whatever was coming my way.
As I walked toward the gate, I spotted a sudden shadow. I was about to attack when Liyu appeared. "Master, dinner is ready," she said calmly.
I lowered my sword, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Liyu, were you here long?" I asked.
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Liyu replied, "I just arrived, Master. What's wrong?" I shook my head. "Nothing, let's go."
We sat down to eat, and I couldn't help but think about what had just happened. Liyu noticed my distraction and said, "Master, if the food isn't good, please let me know."
I smiled. "It's good. Your cooking skills have improved, but I'm just preoccupied with something."
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Liyu looked concerned. "Master, I want to talk to you about something." She suddenly knelt down, looking remorseful. "I know I made a mistake. I'm sorry."
I quickly asked her to stand up and explain what she had done. "What is it, Liyu? Tell me what's going on.
Liyu's voice trembled as she recounted her encounter with Han Rui. "Master, when I went to the market to buy vegetables, I was just passing by an old house. That's when I encountered Han Rui by mistake. He looked drunk and alone."
I listened attentively, my expression calm. "Go on."
Liyu took a deep breath. "I said sorry and was about to leave, but Han Rui said, 'Hey, you! How dare you come in front of me?' I said I was sorry, but he held my hand and told me that he knew what kind of girl I was – one who chases after rich boys."
My eyes narrowed slightly. "What did you say to him?"
Liyu's voice was barely above a whisper. "I replied, 'So, how many girls are you with?' He said, 'So, you're really interested in me,' and started laughing. I tried to free my hand, but he held it very tightly."
I clenched my fists involuntarily. "What happened next?"
Liyu's eyes welled up with tears. "Suddenly, he kissed me. I tried to get free, but he was very strong. So, I saw only one way to get out of there – I bit him. He said, 'You dare to bite me!' and kissed me again. This time, I tried to get free, but it was hard. And then, he fell down. I left him there as quickly as I could."
I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "Liyu, I'm glad you're safe."
Liyu looked up, her eyes searching for reassurance. "Please punish me, Master. I know you said that I couldn't get in any kind of relationship."
I nodded, remembering our conversation from two years ago. "Liyu, Master now you have to accept me." I replied, "Okay, but remember, if you ever betray me, I will kill you without thinking about anything." Liyu nodded, and I added, "And secondly, you can't get in a relationship or get close to men." Liyu nodded, "I accept everything, Master."
*In present*
I said, "It doesn't matter, it was not your mistake, so I forgive you. But be careful from now on." I paused, curious. "But I'm curious, why didn't you use your martial arts on him?"
Liyu looked down, her voice barely audible. "Is it because I don't want him to know that I know martial arts?"
I nodded understandingly. "It's okay. Maybe you were just caught off guard."
Liyu suddenly looked around the room, distracted. "Wait, Master! I don't know where that dish went. I remember I had made it."
I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe you ate it while cooking?" Liyu looked serious, so I said, "Okay."
As we finished dinner, liyu said, "By the way, I think there's someone like a thief around because I feel like we're not alone." I nodded, "I'll check everything out tomorrow." Liyu replied,
I said "Okay."
After dinner, I went to sleep in my room, my mind still processing the events of the day.