Practically Strangers

But what is Bao Bai doing here?

Hui Yin thought about the girl who used to call her by her role name 'Gao Mei', and her strict personality. She even used to scold Yu Quang for the most trivial things, which led the two of them to constantly fight with each other.

Staring at her appearance that had obviously changed due to plastic surgery, Hui Yin was confused why Bao Bai would choose to look like her. In this lifetime, Hui Yin hadn't continued her acting career so she didn't meet Bao Bai in Shanghai. They were practically strangers.

Why would Bao Bai appear inside Lu Shen's mansion?

"Leave her there if she doesn't want to get out."

Hearing the cold and indifferent voice targeting her, Hui Yin finally came to her senses and accepted Bao Bai's hand. But even before Bao Bai could pull her up, several maids rushed forward to stop her.

"Miss Bao, let me take care of this. It wouldn't be good for your body to touch a stranger so casually!"

Hui Yin, who was left soaking wet from top to bottom inside the pool, became speechless at this.

What am I? Cow dung?

But Bao Bai shook her head and insisted on holding out her hand.

"Xinyu, you shouldn't speak so rudely. She's just a pitiful girl who fell into the pool, why do you have to insult her so badly?"

"But Miss—"

"It's alright," Hui Yin interrupted, who was receiving the glares of the maids around Bao Bai. "I can get out on my own."

Without waiting for the other girl to speak, Hui Yin swam into the end of the pool with an elegant butterfly stroke and grasped the railing of the ladder. She had swam in here so many times, why would she need the help of others?

Hui Yin shivered and walked into the lawn. Her clothes were dripping wet and stuck close to her body. She immediately recognized the familiar maid uniform that she wore. Was this what Yue Lao meant when he said that she didn't have to worry even if she died in her past life?

But whose body was this?

Wu Bolin, Lu Shen's butler, walked towards the man who had gone back to sit on his lounge chair underneath a cantilever umbrella. He leaned over and said with a polite smile, "Sir, don't worry, I'll fire this incompetent maid afterwards. It's my fault for not overseeing my job as the housekeeping staff manager properly."

He waved a hand, dismissing him. "Let her be."

He was actually irritated deep in his heart after seeing this maid cause trouble inside his place, but after seeing how skilled she was at swimming, his irritation somewhat lessened up a bit. He glanced at Bao Bai. Seeing that she didn't seem to be irritated by the disturbance, he didn't pay any more attention to this small matter and simply closed his eyes.

Bao Bai approached Hui Yin. With eyes filled with concern, she asked, "Are you okay? You should bathe first and change your clothes so that you wouldn't catch a cold."

Hui Yin gritted her teeth together to prevent them from chattering and gave her a single nod. "T—Thank you."

Hui Yin hugged herself and was about to walk off on her own, but a strong arm jerked her to the side. When she looked up, she saw an old woman with a fierce expression staring at her.

"Miss Bao, you don't have to worry yourself over with this maid, after all, your health is more important. I'll make sure to discipline her so that this type of thing won't happen again and cause problems for Miss Bao."

Ah? Isn't this old woman the so-called 'führer' of the kitchen, Meng Guang? Hui Yin couldn't not remember her. Leaving aside the daily tasks that she didn't do for Hui Yin while she was living here, Meng Guang, this old suck-up, was also a close ally of Nian Zhen back in those days. However, their relationship was low-key as Meng Guang knew that Hui Yin still had the title of 'Mrs. Lu' despite Lu Shen ignoring her. The two of them couldn't go too overboard.

Meng Guang dragged Hui Yin towards the servants quarters, a separate house located at the back of the mansion and separated by the gardens. While they were walking, she pinched Hui Yin's waist, making her cry out from the pain.

"You're lucky the boss didn't fire you, otherwise you would be kicked out of the mansion without this month's salary! Where did you get the courage to jump into the pool and actually trouble Miss Bao? If the boss had gotten mad because of this, not only you, but all of us might have lost our jobs! Do you think you can escape from punishment because the boss took mercy on you? Hmph!"

As she said the last word like a curse, the old woman shoved Hui Yin into a room and crossed her arms. "Change your clothes quickly and follow me!"

Hui Yin looked around her. There were three separate bunk beds, each of them facing a squat closet. The problem was, Hui Yin didn't know which one was hers. She didn't have this body's memories. Thinking quickly, she took on a guess and went towards the farthest closet.

"What are you doing? Don't tell me you're going to steal Ninghong's clothes?"

Old Meng Guang's appearance became even more gnarled, like a thousand-year old tree bark. She looked older than the middle-aged woman in Hui Yin's memories. Her eyebrows clashed like swords above her eyes, which had narrowed with suspicion.

Hui Yin hastily walked towards the squat cabinet in the middle. She knew that the most taboo crime for a house helper was stealing. If a paranoid owner suspects a house helper of taking a piece of expensive furniture, even without evidence, they won't stop until they persecute the house helper and prove them guilty of their crimes.

Peeking a glance at Meng Guang and seeing that her expression didn't change, Hui Yin breathed a sigh of relief and took out a folded maid uniform.

"Hurry up!"

The impatient tone in the old woman's voice and the fact that she didn't move but leaned casually against the doorway told Hui Yin that she wouldn't get any privacy while undressing. This was just one of the many ways this nasty führer bullied the maids under her.

Well, this isn't her body anyway.

Hui Yin quickly changed into the new uniform and followed Meng Guang obediently as they passed by the pool and went inside the mansion.