Fell in Love with the Crazy Young Lady - Chapter 1

The eldest daughter of the Yang family was known to everyone as a madwoman.

Hua Man had known this since childhood, which was why she had always kept her distance from the Yang family. Even though her mother had been an old nanny for the Yangs for decades—spending 360 out of 365 days a year in their household—Hua Man rarely visited them voluntarily.

But she never expected that, right after graduation, she would be “invited” by the Yang family to serve as a bodyguard for their eldest daughter.

Yes, a bodyguard.

Fresh out of a prestigious university, before she could even step into her dream company to prove herself, she had already become the young lady’s personal bodyguard.

Today was her first day on the job.

“Although the young lady has a temper, she has a kind heart. Since you two are around the same age, you’ll surely have more to talk about. You should get along just fine.”

The housekeeper had been talking nonstop the entire way.

But Hua Man had her doubts. The temper was common knowledge, but a kind heart? Easy to get along with?

Even the housekeeper probably didn’t believe those words.

Before coming, her mother had already briefed her about the young lady—arrogant, domineering, with a volatile temper. The maids and bodyguards around her were replaced in batches, and she didn’t even have a single friend.

Would someone like that be easy to get along with?

That line could only fool a three-year-old.

But Hua Man wasn’t foolish enough to call the housekeeper out on it. After all, given the circumstances, the housekeeper was practically her half-supervisor now.

“I know, Xiaoman, you’re a top graduate. Being a bodyguard is indeed beneath you, but Mr. and Mrs. Yang won’t treat you unfairly. After staying by the young lady’s side for a year, they’ll arrange for you to join the company. Your future will be limitless then.”

The Yang Corporation was one of the nation’s top enterprises. Though Hua Man had graduated from a prestigious university, her grades weren’t outstanding. She had previously submitted her resume to the Yang Corporation, but the competition was too fierce, and she hadn’t made the cut.

Then, out of nowhere, the Yang family approached her with an offer: if she stayed by the young lady’s side for a full year, she would be directly admitted into the company. It was all written in black and white, with a contract signed.

If not for this golden opportunity, coupled with the high salary—and the fact that she genuinely needed the money—she would never have lowered herself to take on such a job as a bodyguard.

“The young lady is unpredictable, always acting on whims. Madam trusts you, which is why she picked you out of thousands to stay by the young lady’s side.” At this point, the housekeeper paused and turned to give Hua Man a meaningful look. “Xiaoman, Madam has high hopes for you.”

Hua Man’s eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled. “I’ll work hard and not disappoint Madam.”

The moment she finished speaking, Hua Man keenly sensed that the housekeeper seemed somewhat dissatisfied. But the woman said nothing more, so Hua Man didn’t press further. Still, she now understood—this bodyguard job wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

–

The Yang residence was absurdly large. After winding through countless corridors, just as Hua Man felt she was about to get lost, the housekeeper finally stopped.

“The young lady is at the archery range. Xiaoman, you can go in by yourself.” The housekeeper turned around, smiling. “Be sharp when you meet her. Don’t make her angry.”

Noticing the flicker of fear in the housekeeper’s eyes, Hua Man suppressed her thoughts and returned the smile. “Understood.”

The housekeeper left quickly, as if fleeing from some monstrous beast. Hua Man quietly watched her retreat for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping forward.

Inside was an open, outdoor shooting range.

There were few people around, an eerie silence prevailing—yet not entirely silent, as the terrified sobs of a woman could be clearly heard.

Hua Man’s pupils constricted sharply as she took in the scene before her.

A woman dressed in servant’s clothing stood trembling before a target, tears streaming down her face, balancing a precariously placed apple on her head—clearly serving as a human target.

“What are you shaking for?”

The amused voice snapped Hua Man back to reality. In mere moments, her palms grew damp with sweat, and she instinctively clenched her fists before turning her gaze elsewhere.

The legendary young mistress stood bathed in sunlight, clad in a form-fitting white tank top that accentuated her graceful curves. A quiver hung at her waist, and beneath a white baseball cap was a face of striking beauty.

Her skin was porcelain-fair, tinged with a delicate blush, as if the sunlight itself had gilded her with radiance—angelic in appearance. Yet the words that left her lips were chilling:

“Still shaking? If my arrow goes astray later, don’t blame me.”

Even in such a moment, her voice carried a hint of laughter, as though she were in high spirits.

Steadying herself, Hua Man stepped forward before the arrow could be loosed. “Young Mistress.”

The slender forearm flexed slightly as Yang Zhao narrowed her eyes, turning toward the source of the voice.

Backlit by the sun, the figure was indistinct, but the silhouette suggested a tall, poised stature and an exceptional presence—most notably, a voice that was pleasing to the ear.

A flicker of interest stirred within her. Lowering her bow, she tilted her chin toward the newcomer. “Come here.”

The woman obeyed, stepping closer, and Yang Zhao finally got a clear look at her face. She wasn’t disappointed—the woman’s features were remarkably striking, free of makeup, her hair tied in a simple low ponytail, her attire equally understated.

Yet… there was an indescribable allure about her.

“Who are you?” Yang Zhao’s gaze bore into her.

“I’m the new bodyguard.” Hua Man hesitated slightly. Did bodyguards need to introduce themselves by name?

Lacking experience in this line of work, her mind blanked for a few seconds. In that brief pause, the young mistress before her burst into laughter.

“Bodyguard?”

With that, Yang Zhao raised her bow, tilting Hua Man’s chin upward with the tip of the arrow as she studied her face. A smirk curled her lips. “Will you protect me, or should I protect you?”

The gesture was so brazenly flirtatious that Hua Man’s reflexes overtook her thoughts. Before she could process it, her expression darkened, and her hand shot out to seize the cold bow, wrenching it away on instinct.

The suddenness of the action sent Yang Zhao stumbling forward a couple of steps.

The undisguised shock on the young mistress’s face snapped Hua Man back to reality.

Her entire body stiffened. She couldn’t decide whether to drop the bow or keep holding it.

The butler had just warned her not to anger the young mistress, and yet it seemed she had already crossed the line and provoked her.

In a flash of clarity, she quickly raised both hands, presenting the bow to Yang Zhao as if offering a sacred decree, and said deferentially, “I have plenty of strength. I’m fully capable of protecting you.”

No trace remained of the defiant scowl from moments ago.

Yang Zhao chuckled but didn’t take the bow. Instead, she smiled at her. “Do you know how to shoot?”

What did she mean?

Hua Man hesitated before finally shaking her head. “No.”

“That’s fine.” Yang Zhao waved it off, plucking another arrow from her quiver and handing it to her. “Give it a try.”

Then, glancing at the maid still holding the apple in the distance, she added with a smirk, “Whether you hit the mark or not, your wages will be increased tenfold.”

The moment these words were spoken, the woman’s sobs abruptly stopped.

Hua Man’s breath also caught uncontrollably.

The Yang family’s wages were already quite high—multiplying them by ten would add how many zeros?

But after several seconds of silence, she still didn’t take the arrow, firmly returning the bow instead: “Miss, I really don’t know how.”

Even if she did, she wouldn’t do something so immoral.

Hitting the apple would be one thing, but if she missed, it would be a matter of life and death.

At this thought, she subtly pressed her lips together.

She had only known before that this young mistress was temperamental and ill-tempered, but she hadn’t expected her to disregard human life so casually. It was truly off-putting.

What a waste of such an ethereally beautiful face.

But the bigger problem was that her defiance might provoke the other’s anger.

“Fine.”

Unexpectedly, the Yang heiress didn’t insist. Instead, she took the bow from Hua Man’s hands.

As she did, their fingertips brushed ever so slightly.

Almost instantly, Hua Man jerked her hand back, quickly glancing up at the other woman.

It must have been an accidental touch—the young mistress didn’t seem to notice, her expression unchanged. Yet Hua Man couldn’t shake the feeling that she seemed… pleased.

The heiress tossed the bow to a nearby servant, then sprawled casually into a chair, lifting her long legs onto the table. She tilted her chin. “Come here.”

Hua Man instinctively took a step forward—only to see the woman holding the apple stumble toward the mistress instead.

She immediately retracted her foot, pretending to blend into the background.

Still, her gaze kept drifting back to the heiress.

Every inch of this young mistress was meticulously refined.

“Miss, I was wrong!”

The woman’s tearful voice snapped Hua Man out of her thoughts. She looked over to see the woman kneeling before the heiress, face streaked with tears.

But the mistress showed no trace of sympathy, idly picking up a whip from the table. “Where exactly were you wrong?” she drawled. “I may be arrogant and reckless, but even I understand that water flows downward, and people climb upward.”

The woman trembled harder at her words.

“I truly was wrong, Miss. I’ll never dare again.”

With a sharp crack, the whip finally struck the woman’s body.

She screamed, clutching the injured spot as she shook, not daring to dodge.

The Yang heiress hadn’t held back—the fabric had already split, revealing a slowly seeping crimson stain beneath.

Hua Man clenched her fists tightly.

She was new here. The fact that the mistress hadn’t punished her earlier was already a stroke of luck. Speaking up now would bring no benefit, only likely earning the heiress’s disdain.

That would make her future work even harder—hardly worth the cost. Torn between morality and professional ambition, Hua Man frowned in frustration.

Fortunately, the mistress stopped after just three lashes.

“I despise betrayal most of all,” she said coldly. “Since you’re so fond of that trash Zhao Yang, you can follow her from now on.”

Hearing this, Hua Man’s eyes flickered.

She had assumed the mistress was simply throwing a tantrum, but now it sounded like there was more to the story?

Zhao Yang… Zhao Yang…

Which “Zhao,” which “Yang”?

If she remembered correctly, wasn’t the heiress’s name Yang Zhao?