**Chapter 425: Little Yu is Too Busy**
After a brief daze, Xia Yu quickly snapped back to reality and continued, “It’s alright, Master said that cooking knows no bounds, and I still have a lot to learn.” In Xia Hong’s eyes, Xia Yu was just being modest. He ate her cooking every night, so how could he not know how skilled she was?
But… he was quite satisfied with Xia Yu’s humility; at least she wasn’t arrogant: “Well, here’s the deal. Once we get back, I’ve arranged some work for you. Think of it as training, how about that?”
“Ah?”
“Yeah, they need to set up tables for three days of feasts, so I put in a good word for you and snagged you a spot.” Xia Yu was like, “…Why didn’t you mention this earlier? Can I say no? I really don’t want to go.”
“Just think of it as training! Look at you, getting bigger and heading further places. What’s wrong with helping the folks back home when you get back? It’ll be easier to find help in the future.”
Xia Yu was like, “….”
She had to admit, her age was still young, so was it really okay to throw her into such situations? Xia Yu felt emotionally drained. Truth be told, Xia Hong had his own motives too.
With such a capable son, how could he resist boasting about him? Vanity is human nature, right? Isn’t it impressive that his little Xia Yu can do so many things at such a young age?
Xia Hong was happy, but Xia Yu thought this whole thing was a major hassle. Just when she could finally relax, now she had to work? Is this what they mean by “with great power comes great responsibility?”
At this point, Xia Yu felt even less inclined to sleep.
They enjoyed the scenery on the way back, and when they arrived at the old home in Xia Family Village, it was still dark outside. Perfect! After taking a shower and climbing into bed, that would be really cozy.
Since most of her old room’s stuff had been moved over to the villa, after sipping some hot porridge, Xia Yu, Xia Ling, and Jiang Hanhang had to head out again. Otherwise, the old home only had wooden boards for them to sleep on.
Of course, Xia Hong reminded Xia Yu, “Get some rest when you return. Someone should come calling for you at eight, so remember to help out, okay?” Xia Yu rolled her eyes and replied, “…Got it.”
Seeing how reluctant Xia Yu was, Jiang Hanhang couldn’t help but laugh. She cheekily abandoned Xia Ling and hugged Xia Yu’s neck, grinning, “Little Yu Yu, you poor thing~”
Xia Yu: “…”
She was used to it by now; after hanging out for so long, how could she not be? Xia Yu was already too lazy to argue with Jiang Hanhang. She just wanted to hurry back to the villa, take a shower, and crash in bed.
And so, Xia Yu took the lead back to the villa.
The countryside air was fresher than the city’s, carrying a hint of grass or water, which made Xia Yu feel more awake…
As they passed the basketball court, they noticed a bunch of tables and chairs set up. It seemed like preparations were in the works for the upcoming feasts.
Once back at the villa, the bodyguards who had come along entered first, turning on the lights and tidying up in an orderly manner. With all these people around, the three girls had nothing to worry about staying here by themselves. This was also why Xia Hong felt secure letting them sleep here alone. Technically, they didn’t need to do any of this, but the Jiang family’s pay was just too generous, so why not earn a bit more? However, there were some places they couldn’t enter, like the rooms of Xia Yu, Jiang Kekai, Xia Ling, and Jiang Hanhang. Without their permission, no one was allowed inside.
Ding—
With a fingerprint unlock, Xia Yu was the first to return to her room: “See you tomorrow.” “See you tomorrow.”
Xia Ling actually wanted to continue sleeping with Xia Yu, especially since that domineering Jiang Kekai wasn’t around. This was a great opportunity to deepen their sisterly bond.
But… she had Jiang Hanhang now. She didn’t want to make Jiang Hanhang feel neglected over some trivial matter; if Jiang Hanhang decided to break up with her for it, that would be a huge loss!
Little did she know, Jiang Hanhang was just as eager, thinking the same thing—she wanted to snuggle up to Xia Yu too.
At the same time, Jiang Hanhang was worried that Xia Ling might misunderstand her; getting too close to Xia Yu too often wouldn’t look good, especially with her sister not around. If her sister thought she was stealing someone’s heart, she couldn’t bear to think of the consequences.
After pondering, Jiang Hanhang decided to give Xia Yu a break for now; after all, there would be plenty of opportunities to mess around together later. Unbeknownst to her, Xia Yu had already become her bestie without her realizing it. On the flip side, Xia Yu returned to her room and immediately took a shower, washing away the fatigue of the journey. She swiftly changed into a pretty nightgown, blow-dried her hair, and finally flopped onto the bed.
After being monitored by Sister Little Ning for so long, some things Xia Yu did had become second nature, like changing into a nightgown. She used to be adamant about not wearing one.
But now… even without supervision, she willingly put it on. Lights out!
Xia Yu attempted to fall asleep again; she didn’t want to be a zombie all day. Just then, the village rooster began to crow.
Xia Yu: “…How am I supposed to sleep now?”
Though it was supposed to be eight o’clock, someone had already arrived at seven to find Xia Yu, and soon her female bodyguard came to knock on her door to wake her up: “Miss Xia Yu, there’s someone looking for you.”
As it turned out, Xia Yu really didn’t manage to fall back asleep. She was feeling a bit dazed, having come home late the night before, and now having to work in the morning—this was too tough for her!
“I got it, just tell them I’ll be right there.”
After giving the bodyguards a quick reply, Xia Yu opened her wardrobe and started rummaging for clothes.
There was no way she could wear girl’s clothes out, so she made do with neutral outfits and threw on a jacket.
With the temperature rising, wearing a short-sleeve shirt outside shouldn’t be a problem, but… Xia Yu was in a tank top! If she wore short sleeves, her back would be visible.
Regular girls wouldn’t care about their marks being seen, but Xia Yu couldn’t afford that; in the villagers’ eyes, she was still a boy—just one with longer hair! So… she needed to cover that mark. A jacket was the best choice; at worst, she’d be a bit hot and sweaty, but she could shower again when she got back.
With her clothes and shoes on, she tied her hair up and admired herself in the mirror.
“Looks great~”
Once she was sure nothing was exposed, Xia Yu opened the door and headed out to help.
Meanwhile, in the next room, Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang were snuggled up together, sound asleep. Jiang Hanhang was quite the restless sleeper, occasionally bumping her head against Xia Ling’s face…
