A sharp pain rushed through her, and Su Qingnuan abruptly woke from her slumber, only to be greeted by the sound of malicious ridicule ringing in her ears.
"Still not awake? Sleeps deeper than a dead pig."
"Could it be that she's too scared of the young master to get up?"
The intruder spoke with evident amusement, still dissatisfied, and planted herself firmly on the edge of the bed.
She clicked her tongue while scanning the room in admiration, then reached out, intending to yank off Su Qingnuan's blanket—only to freeze when the woman on the bed fixed her with a cold, piercing stare.
"Miss Su, you're awake, you're awake,"
The maid's expression shifted slightly as she sprang upright from the bed, stammering anxiously.
"Who are you?"
Su Qingnuan slowly sat up, questioning her with a trace of wariness.
Feeling the lingering sting on her arm, she discreetly rolled up her sleeve. As soon as she glimpsed the wound, she was interrupted by the maid's rigid words.
"Madam, I'm Lu Xiaoyang, sent by Mrs. Fu to deliver clothes to Miss Su."
Lu Xiaoyang hastily flaunted the gift box, concealing the injury on Su Qingnuan's arm as tightly as possible.
She hadn't expected Su Qingnuan to wake up so quickly. And now, to her dismay, it seemed her impudence had already been caught.
Lowering her head, frustration flickered briefly in her eyes.
In the morning light, the elaborately packaged gift box revealed a strapless black satin dress lying quietly inside. At just a glance, anyone could discern its exorbitant value.
Su Qingnuan pushed the box aside, her jade-like fingers lifting the corner of the dress. The bold, hollowed-out design of the chest area was entirely exposed, making her frown fiercely.
Such "provocative" attire, chosen by a wealthy matron? Could there be some hidden motive behind it?
"Mrs. Fu?"
She collected her doubts and began scrutinizing the visitor.
Her outfit—a black-and-white maid uniform—boasted a sheen at the hem and a crisp white collar, clearly freshly donned. Her appearance, remarkably striking among her peers, betrayed a sharp eye for presentation.
But what audacity, for a newly hired maid at the Fu residence, to behave so unruly?
"Miss Su, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. There are other tasks waiting for me..."
Lu Xiaoyang squirmed under her gaze, uttering her words awkwardly, attempting to make a hasty retreat.
"Stop."
Su Qingnuan furrowed her brows tightly, surprised that even as she ordered her to halt, this person quickened her steps.
Watching as she tried to dash out the door, Su Qingnuan moved swiftly, slamming the door shut with a "bang." Turning back around, she demanded.
"You pinched me and thought you could leave just like that?"
"You..." Lu Xiaoyang froze on the spot, panic written all over her face.
"Miss Su, don't falsely accuse me! I'm just delivering clothes. If the young master finds out you've stirred up trouble on your first day, he'll surely punish you!"
Her voice grew louder and bolder, eventually resorting to intimidation as she glared at Su Qingnuan.
After all, wasn't it well known that last night the young master had dragged Su Yuerou in like a dead dog, locking her away in the bedroom without exchanging a single word?
She refused to believe Su Yuerou could actually do anything to her.
"You're quite adept at framing yourself as innocent..." Su Qingnuan's cold smile deepened as she observed Lu Xiaoyang's performance before finally replying.
Lu Xiaoyang hadn't expected this response from her; guilt flickered momentarily in her eyes before she glanced away uneasily.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"It doesn't matter if you don't. You can repeat these words to the butler later."
Emotionless, Su Qingnuan opened the door, roughly rolling up her sleeve to expose the now-bleeding wound. Raising a brow, she said, "If you think I'm afraid of trouble, you've miscalculated. Here's evidence—are you going to tell Butler Fu this injury was self-inflicted?"
Though a lingering pallor of illness shaded her face, her demeanor exuded sharp authority. "Or do you believe that the Fu family's rules allow maids to take liberties with their masters?"
"You can't do this to me! I was sent by Mrs. Fu—how could you just disregard that!"
Lu Xiaoyang flailed her arms in a desperate attempt to justify herself, but Su Qingnuan grabbed her by the arm, yanking her out of the room without hesitation.
"No need for theatrics. You can leave right now."
The commotion was loud enough to attract attention, and other maids in the Fu household openly gawked at the spectacle of the frail-looking new mistress dragging someone out.
No one stepped forward to intervene; instead, they covertly relished the drama.
At this point, Lu Xiaoyang was truly panicked, pleading her case fervently.
"Miss Su, I didn't mean to! It was a moment of carelessness."
She was indeed a newcomer to the Fu household, introduced under the pretense of being Fu Yihan's personal maid. But she was dismissed almost immediately upon arrival, leaving her unable to explain herself.
"Too late."
"Please, just give me one more chance—I swear I won't do it again!"
Su Qingnuan cast her a fleeting glance without offering a reply, but her expression was clearly tainted with derision.
Breaking into a light sweat, she stopped at the staircase and summoned a male servant. After explaining the situation, she instructed him to hand Lu Xiaoyang over to Butler Fu for corrective action.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoyang burst into tears, collapsing onto the floor with a loud wail.
She was promptly escorted downstairs, caught between two male maids, and directly locked in the basement.
Once Butler Fu had been briefed and confirmed Su Qingnuan's directive, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
He turned and entered the study of the Fu residence.
"Young Master, the Fu family's various branches have been informed. The master requests that you and your new wife go meet him soon as he has an important announcement to make. Also, Miss Su's father will return to S City next week—his benefits have been delivered without missing a single item, and he seemed quite satisfied."
Butler Fu spoke softly as he relayed the latest updates, handing over a document in the process.
"Hmm."
Fu Yihan's hand as he flipped through the pages didn't pause in the slightest, signaling the butler to continue.
"The Su family's stance is that Miss Su's life or death no longer concerns them. If she causes you any trouble, they have requested your understanding."
"Life or death no longer concerns them?"
Fu Yihan chuckled lightly, full of mockery. Hidden in the shadows, his deep eyes glimmered coldly, betraying no trace of his mood.
"One last thing... Miss Su has requested the dismissal of a maid sent from the old house. She claims the maid injured her and then lied about it. The maid is currently in my custody; I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
Butler Fu sealed the file with a crisp snap, his tone tinged with unmistakable sarcasm.
The maid, ostensibly dispatched to serve Fu Yihan, had been causing unrest from the start. Butler Fu had been surveilling her for days, intending to expel her—only for the new madam to take the lead herself.
"She is clever, isn't she? Knows how to strike back."