Chapter 21: A Play of Deep Affection

“Miss Qiao, the Madam requests your presence.” The servant suddenly appeared before Qiao Wan’er.

“Such insolent, ill-bred maid!” Qiao Wan’er shot the servant a venomous glare, clearly displeased with how she was addressed. With an icy tone, she asked, “What does Madam Ye want with me?”

As if she hadn’t heard the insult, the servant maintained her composure, a polite smile on her lips, and answered with utmost respect, “The Madam wishes to discuss the seating arrangements for the engagement banquet at the beginning of next month.”

Seating the guests was a matter of utmost importance. Among those invited were prominent figures outside the business world whom Qiao Wanliang had painstakingly cultivated connections with—such guests must be seated at the main table. She had to oversee this herself; there was no room for mistakes.

Just as she was about to leave, she paused and reminded Lu Yao, “Continue picking. Bring all thirty-two pearls to me in two hours.”

Lu Yao forced a smile and nodded.

As Qiao Wan’er lifted her foot to depart, Lu Yao seized the moment and flicked a small stone she had just picked up, sending it precisely to land by Qiao Wan’er’s foot.

Qiao Wan’er stumbled over the stone, lurching forward with a startled cry. “Ah—”

Quick as lightning, the servant caught her by the wrist. Qiao Wan’er, too flustered to care for decorum, clung to the servant’s arm with the hand clutching her pearls, steadying herself.

The servant glanced at the pearls scattered on the ground and asked with concern, “Miss Qiao, are you alright?”

Qiao Wan’er shoved the servant away with force, glared fiercely at the pearls on the floor, and, abandoning all pretense of elegance, stormed off in a huff.

Watching Qiao Wan’er’s furious retreat, Lu Yao stooped to gather the fallen pearls, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Such petty tricks—she could handle them well enough.

Having collected the pearls, she was preparing to search the botanical garden for the rest when the servant stopped her.

Noticing Lu Yao’s puzzled look, the servant retrieved a set of protective clothing typically worn by gardeners from a corner.

Lu Yao was deeply grateful. “Thank you.”

The servant returned a gentle smile and lowered her voice, “Miss Lu, Second Master instructed me to bring you these.”

Ye Zehong? Hadn’t he left earlier? How could he have known Qiao Wan’er would trouble her?

Could he be nearby?

She glanced around, but Ye Zehong was nowhere to be seen. An unbidden sense of disappointment crept into her heart.

The servant quickly donned another set of protective clothing and said to the dazed Lu Yao, “Miss Lu, put these on quickly. If we search for the pearls together, we’ll find them all within half an hour.”

Lu Yao nodded slightly, pushing aside her thoughts, put on the protective clothing, and stepped into the garden full of thorny plants.

In less than fifteen minutes, they had found the remaining thirty-one pearls.

The servant placed the pearls in Lu Yao’s palm, then looked at her with a kind smile and remarked, “I have served Second Master for over twenty years, yet I have never seen him show such care for a woman.”

Last night, Ye Zema also said something similar.

Lu Yao was left with mixed emotions, her gaze filled with confusion.

He had coldly suggested breaking up first, and now he was putting on a show of tenderness—what was he really up to?

With suspicion in her heart, she replied, “He seems quite attentive to Miss Qiao as well.”

The servant’s eyes briefly lingered on Lu Yao’s face, as if discerning her innermost thoughts. She shook her head in denial, “Impossible. Second Master would never be interested in a two-faced woman like Qiao Wan’er. She’s not worthy.”

Lu Yao looked at the servant in surprise.

Examining her closely, she realized the woman stood with a straight back, her chin slightly raised, eyes full of confidence. Even in a servant’s uniform, she exuded an unmistakable air of nobility.

A hint of suspicion rose in Lu Yao’s heart. She asked, “Your bearing is quite distinguished—you don’t seem like an ordinary servant.”

For a moment, the servant’s expression froze, and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.