Ji Wanyun nearly lost her composure upon hearing this question. Was that really the point? Fortunately, she had anticipated this, and with a quick reaction, she wore an expression of guilt.
"I apologize, Master Fu. It was my oversight. This maid is new and not yet familiar with the villa, so she... took the liberty of cleaning the Second Young Mistress’s room."
Fu Huaishan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, deep and inscrutable. He turned and strode toward the villa.
Ji Wanyun felt a jolt of panic under that look, sensing that Master Fu was deeply dissatisfied with her. Her palms began to sweat involuntarily. On second thought, she reminded herself that Master Fu was a man of strict rules and order; her failure to properly supervise the staff had likely disappointed him.
She bit her lower lip, reassuring herself that she was merely helping Huaishan rid himself of that shameless woman. Once Li Qianqian was successfully ousted, she was confident that her own professional competence would easily earn her back Huaishan’s favor.
The two walked into the bright living room one after the other to find a group of maids and Li Qianqian standing in the center. On the sofa lay five shirts; the most conspicuous one was covered in lipstick marks.
The moment Li Qianqian had walked through the door, she saw that the shirts she hadn't yet dealt with had been exposed, and one was missing. After a quick look around the room, she realized it wasn't just that. She swiped through her phone, watched a video, and then looked up at the maids. Her tone was measured and calm: "Who entered my room?"
"Second Young Mistress, does that really matter at this point? These were all found in your room." Wang Chunhua, a maid, spat out the words, clearly failing to grasp Li Qianqian’s line of reasoning.
"You. Pack your things and leave. The Fu family does not need a maid who answers a question with another question." Li Qianqian gave a light laugh, her voice gentle yet delivering the cruelest of orders.
Wang Chunhua froze in disbelief. The wages at the Fu family were more than double what one could earn elsewhere, plus various benefits; hardly anyone ever resigned voluntarily. Unwilling to go, she shouted, "You can’t fire me just for this! I didn’t do anything wrong, and it wasn’t me who went into your room!"
"Do I need a reason to fire a maid? The fact that you don't suit my tastes is reason enough for your dismissal." Li Qianqian smiled faintly. Her hair fell loosely around her cheeks, giving her a disheveled beauty that made her look more and more like a composed, powerful noblewoman.
Wang Chunhua’s face turned deathly pale. She was speechless; had Li Qianqian acted like she had in the past—breaking down and throwing a tantrum—Wang could have played the victim. Instead, Li Qianqian’s smile was like a blade, and her logic was impossible to refute.
"You... you are being completely unreasonable," Wang muttered, unwilling to accept the outcome.
"Second Young Mistress, isn't it a bit too rash to fire a maid like this?" Ji Wanyun could no longer stand by and watch Li Qianqian throw her weight around. No matter what, she shouldn't be the one calling the shots in this house.
"Do I need your permission to discipline my household? If you don't want to work here either, you are free to pack your bags and leave, too." Li Qianqian’s calm retort threw the question right back at her.
Ji Wanyun was livid. Did this mean she was being fired as well? Who did Li Qianqian think she was? She had worked diligently for the Fu family for three years and had personal ties with Huaishan. What right did Li Qianqian have to fire her? She couldn't go to the Old Madam, so she turned her gaze to the man beside her.
"Master Fu, this is..."
"Big Brother, I will give you an explanation regarding your shirts, but I need a moment," Li Qianqian said, her face composed.
"Very well. I don't interfere in domestic affairs. Handle it as you see fit." Fu Huaishan brushed past the group of maids and headed upstairs with decisive, long strides.
Ji Wanyun felt a flicker of disappointment, though she was used to it; Huaishan had always been cold and detached. Watching the posturing Li Qianqian, she felt a surge of irony. With both human and material evidence against her, any explanation would be futile—it was nothing more than a desperate, final struggle.
She suppressed her anger and said, "Second Young Mistress, I am devoted to the Fu family. I work hard and fulfill my duties; naturally, I intend to keep working here for a long time."
"That is for the best." Li Qianqian chuckled, then scanned the room with a sharp gaze. "The maids' duties are divided by area. If no one identifies the person who entered my room, and you choose to cover for each other, then I believe it is time for a thorough reshuffling of the Fu family's staff."
Her words landed heavily. Even those who had only intended to watch the drama began to panic. They knew exactly where their interests lay; nobody was going to sacrifice their own career for a stranger. Immediately, someone stepped forward and pointed at a young girl with pigtails.
"Second Young Mistress, she is the one who cleaned your room!"
The young girl with pigtails no longer hid. She stepped forward and said, "I’m sorry. I’m just here for a part-time job to earn some tuition money. I didn't know I wasn't allowed in your room."
"So it was you," Li Qianqian said, her eyes fixed on the girl’s youthful face with a meaningful look.
"Xinxin is only trying to lighten the burden on her parents. How can you be so heartless?" Wang Chunhua shouted intentionally. Since she was already being fired, she wasn't going to let Li Qianqian have the last laugh. Her niece had only taken the part-time job to help find the shirts in the room, and getting fired was already part of their plan. Everyone knew that Steward Ji was a young lady from the wealthy Ji family, and that she was only working as a housekeeper because she was the future Young Mistress of the Fu family. Once things were settled, she had promised them a large sum of money and even a promotion.
"Auntie, don't speak for me. It’s my fault, and I’ve dragged you into this. It’s also my fault for being too eager to work. Second Young Mistress, I will leave myself. I won't make things difficult for you." Xinxin bowed deeply and turned to leave.
This exchange moved some of the other maids; after all, there weren't many young people willing to take part-time work these days. However, no one dared to speak up, given how Li Qianqian had asserted her authority over the past few days.
"Hold it. Did I say you could leave?" Li Qianqian called out, unhurried. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked over to stand in front of Xinxin. She let out a soft laugh. "You want to leave just like that after stealing from my room? There’s no such thing in this world."
Xinxin stiffened, her back damp with sweat. She hadn't expected the mistress to notice so quickly; she had specifically chosen small items. Fortunately, she had checked the room and knew there were no surveillance cameras. As long as she denied it, she would be fine.
She lifted her chin defiantly and spoke with conviction: "Mistress, I did not steal your things. You may humiliate my character, but you cannot insult my integrity!"
"Second Young Mistress, you cannot pin the blame on my niece just because you were caught stealing Master Fu’s shirts! She is an honest girl; there is no way she took your things!" Wang Chunhua stepped forward, her posture rigid. If they escalated this to an accusation of defamation, the psychological harm done to the child would be significant. The idea of claiming damages for emotional distress made her even more excited—she might be able to squeeze out one last payout before she left.