Qiao Chuchu’s fear stemmed from the fact that she was supposed to be dead. The plot had already fallen into place, and she, as a dead character, had no role to play in it.
But she didn’t die. Not only did she disrupt the plot, but now a bunch of side characters who were supposed to meet unfortunate ends were all coming to give her gifts.
She truly felt like some kind of beloved character in a group.
Aside from the joy, there was a stronger sense of unease.
Did she really deserve all these gifts from so many people?
Qiao Chuchu pondered deeply, then quickly shook it off, thinking to herself.
Why worry so much? Everyone is kind to her, so she’ll be kind to them in return, striving to help them avoid their tragic fates as side characters, to live well, and enjoy life!
Suddenly, Xiao Xie’s phone rang.
Xiao Xie’s phone screen was cracked at the corner, and its sensitivity wasn’t great. She had to poke the screen several times to open the message and then replied with some effort.
Qiao Chuchu couldn’t help but notice: “Is something wrong?”
Xiao Xie shook her head: “Mr. Pei San asked me to prepare his special dinner for tonight.”
Just then, her phone rang again.
Xiao Xie glanced at it and seemed to know it wasn’t someone she could answer for, immediately hanging up.
One of the rules in the Pei household was that employees couldn’t take calls when the employer was around and still had work to do. They could only answer once the work was completed and they were out of the employer’s hearing range.
But the phone kept ringing.
Xiao Xie had no choice but to hang up, but it rang again in less than a minute, and she kept hanging up repeatedly. Xiao Xie was sweating with anxiety, wanting to silence it but afraid Mr. Pei or someone else might call, so she only glanced at it before hanging up again.
Qiao Chuchu was busy opening gifts: “Just take the call if it’s important.”
Xiao Xie anxiously shook her head: “No, it’s my family’s call. It’s nothing.”
She helped Qiao Chuchu with the boxes, glancing at her nervously, afraid of her getting angry.
This was also because Miss Qiao was easygoing—otherwise, any of the Pei family members would have given her the evil eye and kicked her out.
Yes, the Pei family paid well, but their tolerance was zero.
They didn’t care if you were working hard, whether you had work to do, or if you had a private life, or if you were sick. If you didn’t meet their expectations, they could fire you just like that.
In other words, the Pei family didn’t like wasting time on trivial matters involving strangers. If you wasted their time, you’d be out of a job.
Xiao Xie was the only one among the housekeepers who hadn’t been dismissed.
She hurriedly packed the gifts.
Not long after, her phone buzzed again.
She picked it up and saw the cracked screen display her mother’s name.
Qiao Chuchu sighed: “Go ahead and answer. What if it’s something important?”
Xiao Xie’s face turned pale, and she could only pick up the phone: “Sorry, Miss, I’ll be back soon.”
Xiao Xie left, and not long after, she came back, looking worried, and rushed to Qiao Chuchu’s side: “Miss Qiao, I’m back, let me open the gifts for you. You can rest.”
Qiao Chuchu sat on the sofa and glanced at the half-broken phone peeking out from Xiao Xie’s bag: “Your phone’s broken? How will you see the messages from my brother and them if it’s like that?”
It wasn’t that she was nitpicking—it was just that her brother was hard to please, and their family’s salary wasn’t bad. The extra bit was the mental compensation for the housekeepers.
After all, each of the seven of them had their own pet peeves. They were picky and had low tolerance.
Xiao Xie looked at her fearfully: “It’s fine, Miss Qiao. My phone works well enough.”
Qiao Chuchu didn’t believe it: “The top left corner is cracked. You struggled for a long time just to reply to a message. It’s only a matter of time before it breaks down. If it delays anything, my brother won’t care if you have reasons. He’ll just fire you.”
Xiao Xie’s face slowly turned even paler: “...”
She knew the bad tempers of the other seven employers.
She had once seen Mr. Pei Yuan ask for a coffee, but the housekeeper was busy and brought it ten minutes late. Mr. Pei Yuan immediately told her to pack up and go home, without giving her any chance to explain.
If she got fired because of a phone, her good job would be gone, and finding another one would be troublesome.
Xiao Xie anxiously tugged at the hem of her apron: “Miss Qiao, right now, only I and another housekeeper are working at the house, and I really can’t leave. As soon as I get a break, I’ll go buy a new phone. Please don’t tell Mr. Pei, okay? The New Year is coming, I can’t lose my job. I can promise I won’t delay work. If Mr. Pei sends me messages, I’ll definitely see them!”
Qiao Chuchu was stunned, not expecting Xiao Xie to be so anxious from just her mentioning it.
She explained: “I didn’t mean to tell my brother.”
Xiao Xie bit her lip, looking at her pitifully as she squatted on the ground, still trembling with fear.
Qiao Chuchu helplessly changed the subject: “Your mom has been calling you. Is something wrong?”
Xiao Xie looked embarrassed as she fiddled with her fingers: “Today is my birthday, and she wanted me to have some good food.”
Qiao Chuchu was surprised: “Then why don’t you ask for time off to go home? If my brother doesn’t approve, I can approve it for you now.”
Xiao Xie shook her head like a rattle drum: “Isn’t the New Year coming? Mr. Pei said if I don’t go home, I’ll get three times the overtime pay. I make 3,000 a day now, I don’t want to go home. I want to earn money!”
She spoke with a tone tinged with disappointment: “So please don’t tell Mr. Pei about my broken phone. I really won’t delay any work.”
“I already said I won’t tell.” Qiao Chuchu stood up and said casually: “Do your thing. I’m going out for a while.”
Xiao Xie anxiously asked: “Where are you going, Miss? Mr. Pei said you need to report when you go out. Mr. Pei Bu Xian will be back this afternoon to see you. He told me not to let you leave.”
Qiao Chuchu rolled her eyes.
They’re sending someone to spy on me, huh?
She walked to the wardrobe, casually changed into a simple outfit, grabbed her bag, and walked out: “I’ll have the driver take me. That’s like reporting to my brother. Don’t worry.”
Xiao Xie watched as Qiao Chuchu walked further away, feeling deflated like a balloon.
She labeled Qiao Chuchu’s shoes and placed them neatly in the wardrobe, her eyes brimming with tears.
She didn’t understand Miss Qiao—there was nothing about her in the employer profile.
After spending these days with her, she found Miss Qiao easy to talk to, but she was just afraid of the surface.
After all, there were three people in the Pei family who seemed easygoing on the outside.
Pei Youchuan, Pei Mu, and Pei Ci.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
They seemed gentle and kind, deceiving many people, but when their true nature came to light, they were just as ruthless.
The Pei family was a prestigious family, and how could a young lady raised in luxury not have some quirks?
She finished her work, took out her broken phone, snapped pictures of the discarded shoe boxes, and typed furiously on the screen.
[My phone is broken, replying to messages is difficult, typing is also tough, but I don’t have time to take leave and buy a new one. Then Miss Eight saw it and asked if it would delay my work.]
[The worst part was when I was organizing Miss Eight’s shoes, my mom kept calling. I can’t answer personal calls during work, and when I hung up, she kept calling. I think Miss Eight must be getting annoyed.]
[Wuwuwuwu, I’m so afraid Miss Eight will fire me. What should I do if I get fired!]