A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 39

A’Zhi remembered when she first became the head maid. The little sweetheart used to pretend to be a proper lady in front of her. Her posture was graceful, she didn’t lie in bed, and she wasn’t clingy at night. She was the typical young lady from a prestigious family, shy and demure.

A’Zhi didn’t know when it started, but she had revealed her true lazy nature. She never hid her “evil” schemes, and she even had to be coaxed out of bed.

A’Zhi pulled back the bed curtains and looked down at the little lump under the blanket, a slight smile on her face. What she was really thinking was how to put her ice-cold hands under the covers! That would teach her to lie in bed.

“It’s time to get up, Countess,” A’Zhi said softly as she gently tugged at the blanket. She then went over today’s schedule. “You need to go to the Imperial Academy today, and before you leave, you need to announce the new manager. If you get up late, you’ll be late.”

When Chao Mu slept, she liked to bury her face in the blankets, only leaving the top of her head exposed.

“You can do all of that, A’Zhi,” the little sweetheart’s muffled voice came from under the blankets. She didn’t move. “I’m going to lie here for a little longer.”

“You can’t. You won’t have time to eat.” A’Zhi bent down and reached out to help Chao Mu up.

Only then did Chao Mu reluctantly sit up. She looked up at A’Zhi. “Can I not go to the Imperial Academy?”

“Of course not,” A’Zhi said, remembering something. “You have an archery class today. Don’t you want to see Grand Princess Chao Yang?” Chao Mu had not seen her aunt much since she returned to the capital. Chao Mu’s birth mother, Grand Princess Chao Yun, was very close to her younger sister before she left the palace. The two had a big age difference, and it was said that Chao Yang was practically raised by Chao Yun herself. But now, as Chao Yun’s only remaining daughter, Chao Yang didn’t seem to be in a hurry to see her. The meeting between a loving aunt and her niece was not happening in private, but in an archery class at the Imperial Academy. Just hearing about it, it sounded like their relationship wasn’t good.

But A’Zhi had seen the gifts from various places in the palace during the manor banquet, and the Grand Princess Chao Yang’s gift was the most thoughtful. She had even sent someone to privately ask if she needed any help, which showed that she cared about her niece. She cared, but she didn’t take the initiative to get closer. The minds of the royals were truly a puzzle, impossible to read.

“It’s Chen Yue who wants to see my aunt, not me,” Chao Mu said, clutching the blanket. She looked like a boneless doll about to fall back down. “I want to see A’Zhi more!”

A’Zhi had gone to pick out clothes for her to wear today. She came over with the clothes and quickly reached out to grab Chao Mu’s arm to keep her from sticking back to the bed.

“A’Zhi,” Chao Mu leaned her head on A’Zhi’s outstretched arm. Her voice was soft and weak, with a nasal tone. “I’m so sleepy.”

Serves you right. Why did she stay up all night tossing and turning, insisting on telling her everything that happened at the Chen manor, even how many cups of water she drank? A’Zhi hadn’t gone to the Chen manor, but she felt like she was right there, experiencing everything with her. By the time Chao Mu’s voice faded and she fell asleep, it was already past midnight.

A’Zhi put down the clothes she was holding in her other hand. She used her free hand to pretend to brush Chao Mu’s long hair from her face and shoulders, but her ice-cold fingers brushed against her cheeks and neck. A’Zhi smiled. “Be a good girl, Countess. It’s time to get up.”

Chao Mu shivered from the cold. Her eyes widened, and she sat up, shaking. Her dewy, apricot-shaped eyes looked at A’Zhi in disbelief. “…”

A’Zhi stood there, calm as a mountain. Her courage was big, and she bent down to choose clothes for Chao Mu without a hint of fear. If it were Cui Cui, not even eight guts would be enough for her to tease the little countess like this. But A’Zhi was different. A’Zhi had nine guts! Over this period of time, as Chao Mu was raised with a lazy streak, A’Zhi’s courage was also growing, and the line between master and servant had blurred.

“A’Zhi, your hands are cold.” Chao Mu leaned forward on the blanket and looked up at A’Zhi.

“I woke up before seven. Not only are my hands cold, but my face is cold, too,” A’Zhi said pointedly. “I don’t have a habit of lying in bed.”

“I didn’t used to either,” Chao Mu said, reaching out from under the blankets and holding A’Zhi’s cold face. Her eyes curved into a smile, and her dimples were shallow. “But since A’Zhi is here, I can lie in bed in peace.” Her warm hands carried a sweet scent as they gently rested on A’Zhi’s face.

A’Zhi froze, and her breathing became unconsciously shallow. She looked down at the person in the bed.

The little countess’s voice was full of satisfaction. “Because A’Zhi will arrange everything for me.”

“A’Zhi,” Chao Mu blinked slowly. “Your face is so hot.” She had wanted to warm A’Zhi’s face, but she hadn’t expected the result to be so good. A’Zhi’s face was hot just from her touch.

A’Zhi not only felt her face getting hot, but her whole body felt hot. All her senses seemed to be focused on her face, and she could only feel the little countess’s soft hands. She didn’t even hear what she was saying. She quickly took a step back, breaking free from Chao Mu’s hands. Her face went blank as she said seriously, “Countess, put on your clothes quickly so you don’t get cold. I’ll go see if the servants outside have all gathered.”

After saying that, she turned to leave without even making eye contact with Chao Mu.

Chao Mu’s hands hung in the air for a moment. She then put them on her own face and said loudly to A’Zhi’s back, “A’Zhi, are you getting shy again?”

“A’Zhi!”

A’Zhi sped out of the room as if something was chasing her. She stood at the door and let the cold wind blow for a while, until the heat on her face, along with the sweet scent, was gone. But the sensation on her face seemed to linger. A’Zhi unconsciously reached up and touched her face. Her eyelashes trembled. When she realized what she was doing, she immediately pursed her lips and returned her hands to her stomach. Her ears felt warm.

It was a good thing the little sweetheart wasn’t a man, or A’Zhi would have thought she was being flirted with! However, A’Zhi thought it might be because she wasn’t used to being close to people, which was why she was making a big deal out of it and blushing. Maybe this was a perfectly normal thing. For example, look over there, a couple is coming from the round gate. He touches her face, she pokes his waist. It’s perfectly normal. It’s just a way of strengthening their relationship. This showed that the servants in the Qi manor got along well. If a man and woman could be so affectionate, then there was nothing wrong with her and the little sweetheart being a little close.

A’Zhi stood there expressionlessly. The young newlywed couple who had been flirting with each other saw her and immediately separated and walked over, looking as well-behaved as mice seeing a cat. Everyone knew what the morning meeting was about. Qi Shilei was in jail and had been sentenced to death. The manor was in need of a manager, and the countess had called them to talk about it. As for who would be the manager, everyone had their guesses, and the highest vote went to A’Zhi. Although A’Zhi had a cold face and a cold voice, she was capable and knew how to handle things. She could arrange everything in an orderly manner. However, some people supported Chen Cheng, since A’Zhi was a woman, and no one had ever heard of a woman being a manager.

Chen Cheng’s heart was fluttering nervously. Although A’Zhi had told him about this yesterday when they were out, Chen Cheng still felt he was lacking in comparison to A’Zhi. Whether it was her aura or her ability, he was not on her level. Compared to A’Zhi, he was a little fledgling, while A’Zhi had been soaring in the sky for over a decade.

“Why doesn’t A’Zhi want to be the manager?” Chen Cheng stood next to Cui Cui and asked her softly.

Cui Cui looked at him and said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Because A’Zhi is the countess’s head maid.” Seeing that Chen Cheng didn’t understand, Cui Cui cupped her hand and explained in detail, “If A’Zhi becomes the manager, she won’t be able to go out with the countess as her head maid.”

Chen Cheng tilted his head. “So?”

“You don’t know how much the countess likes A’Zhi. Yesterday, she was only away for a day, and she missed her countless times. Even Miss Chen Yue was impressed by their relationship.” Cui Cui summarized. “So how could the countess bear to leave A’Zhi behind?” A’Zhi was her heart and soul, so of course, she had to keep her close.

Chen Cheng was in a daze. He seemed to have understood.

******

“A’Zhi!” Chao Mu called out from inside, wanting her to do her hair. A’Zhi heard her and walked inside.

Cui Cui pursed her lips, her small eyes shining as she motioned for Chen Cheng to look. “See, see? I told you she can’t be away for even a moment.”

Chen Cheng also nodded. “It seems so.”

In the time it took for A’Zhi to style Chao Mu’s hair, Cui Cui had already spread the news that she was the countess’s “heart and soul.” As a result, when A’Zhi and Chao Mu came out together, A’Zhi felt that Cui Cui and Chen Cheng’s eyes were strange.

What’s wrong with these two? A’Zhi wondered.

“You all know about Qi Shilei,” Chao Mu’s sweet voice said slowly from the steps of the eaves. “The Qi manor never mistreats its servants, but we also won’t tolerate rats who betray their master. The Qi Shilei family is a lesson to us all.”

“I called you all here today to announce two things. The first is about the manager position. From today on, Chen Cheng will be the manager of the Qi manor. If anyone disagrees, you can step forward and challenge Chen Cheng.”

Chao Mu looked around, and the servants below looked at each other, but no one stepped forward. Even if someone was unhappy, they held it in. Chen Cheng was smarter and knew how to seize opportunities. He had also put in a lot of effort and heart into the audit, so it was reasonable for him to be promoted. They could only blame themselves for not having the courage to recommend themselves and stand up for the little countess.

Chao Mu said, “Since no one has any objections, the matter is settled. Since no one has stepped forward today, I will not tolerate anyone disobeying Chen Cheng in the future just because they are unhappy.”

Chen Cheng stepped forward, bowed to Chao Mu, and accepted. “Chen Cheng will work hard and take on the responsibility of being the manager. I will not fail the countess.”

Chao Mu nodded, and Chen Cheng stepped back. “The second thing is about A’Zhi.” A’Zhi stood on Chao Mu’s left, her eyes lowered, her hands clasped in front of her.

Chao Mu said, “In the Qi manor, seeing A’Zhi is the same as seeing me. She is me.”

Everyone wasn’t surprised and replied in unison. “Yes.”

When Chao Mu finished speaking, she turned to A’Zhi, her lips pursed and her eyes bright, as if waiting for her praise.

A’Zhi took a small step forward, bowed her head, and said softly, “The countess was excellent today. You carried yourself like a true master at the morning meeting. I’m full of admiration.”

Chao Mu straightened her back and clasped her hands in front of her like A’Zhi. Her tail wagged. “It’s all because A’Zhi taught me so well.” She then said to Cui Cui, “From now on, A’Zhi will still be the head maid, and you will share the same duties. You will help her manage the Xiangyang courtyard, and your monthly wage will be calculated as a head maid.” As for A’Zhi, she would, of course, only be in charge of her.

Cui Cui was surprised that she was also getting a benefit. After her initial surprise, she immediately bowed. “Yes.”

With everything arranged, Chao Mu ate her breakfast and prepared to leave for the Imperial Academy. A’Zhi had prepared everything she needed for the day and placed it in the carriage.

A’Zhi helped Chao Mu get on the carriage. Chao Mu sat inside and patted the spot next to her, looking at A’Zhi expectantly. “A’Zhi, sit here.”

A’Zhi stifled a laugh and stood outside the carriage. “Countess, you’ll probably have to take Cui Cui with you today. I need to spend the day with Chen Cheng so he can get familiar with the manor’s affairs.” She also wanted to support him and make sure the “older” servants didn’t make things difficult for him on his first day as the new manager.

Cui Cui stood nearby, thinking to herself, Hmph, another day of leaving her heart and soul at the manor. She’s not happy.

Chao Mu’s face fell. Her cheeks puffed up, and she even crossed her arms, sulking like she had learned from A’Zhi.

A’Zhi tried to hold back her laughter. She took three candies from her sleeve and held them out to the carriage. “Today’s portion.”

Chao Mu looked at her, then looked at her again, and reluctantly took the candies from A’Zhi’s palm. She took two and left one for A’Zhi.

A’Zhi smiled. She put the candy she was holding in her palm and said softly, “I’ll be at the manor, waiting for your return.”