Volume One, Chapter 10: There's Something About This Maid Outfit

It was a pity... right until the very end, the "return home" system never appeared.

I was destined to suffer from insomnia that night.

When I woke up in the morning and stepped out of my room, I was met with the smell of something burning. Fearing a fire, I rushed downstairs, only to find Fu Yunshen in the kitchen wearing an apron, busily cooking. Smoke was billowing from the pot, overwhelming the range hood and filling the entire house with the scent of charred food.

Seeing me, Fu Yunshen smiled. His face was smudged with soot, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. "Xiaoyu, you’re awake. I’m making you breakfast."

My brow twitched. I walked over and turned off the induction cooker, looking at the burnt eggs in the pot and on the table with a sense of regret—what a waste of perfectly good eggs.

Fu Yunshen looked sheepish and scratched his head. "It’s my first time; I’m not very good at it."

I stood on tiptoe to pat his shoulder, a hint of mischief flashing in my eyes. "It’s okay, I’ll take care of it. I’m going to go change first; you clean up the kitchen."

Without waiting for his reply, I hurried back to my room and pulled a box out of my walk-in closet. Looking at myself in the mirror—skin as white as snow, petite and charming—I nodded with satisfaction. This maid outfit was definitely something special!

Fu Yunshen was sitting on the sofa, lazily flipping through a magazine. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up, and his eyes filled with awe. I walked slowly toward him in the maid outfit, and when I reached him, I knelt down with a soft thud.

Fu Yunshen looked at me, flustered and avoiding my gaze, but the excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide.

I lowered my head, imitating the tearful, delicate expressions I had seen on TV, biting my lower lip. I looked pitiful yet not at all vulgar. "Hello, Master. I am your maid, Xiaoyu. Do you... have any orders for me?"

I looked up, our eyes locking, and I blinked slowly, pursing my red lips.

Fu Yunshen’s tongue was tied; he stammered for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence. "Xia... Xiaoyu... you..."

I moved closer to his knees, pressing my body against his legs. The moment I made contact, I felt his legs tremble. I continued in a soft, delicate voice, "Master~ what are your orders?"

"I... I'm hungry."

"Very well, Master, please wait a moment." Having received my instruction, I rose and headed for the kitchen.

Watching my retreating back, Fu Yunshen froze. He whispered to himself, "It’s not food I’m hungry for, but another kind of hunger."

After I left, Fu Yunshen felt parched. He downed the remaining half-glass of water on the coffee table, but the image of me was still burned into his mind, tormenting him until he finally went upstairs to take a shower.

When I came out of the kitchen with porridge and fried eggs, the living room was empty. Just as I was wondering where he had gone, I heard footsteps behind me. I looked up and saw Fu Yunshen walking down the stairs, his hair still wet.

I smiled. "Master, breakfast is ready. Please enjoy."

Fu Yunshen’s eyes darkened; his shower had been for nothing. His voice was hoarse, almost pleading. "Xiaoyu, can we stop playing these games?"

My smile faded. "Is it not good to look at?"

Fu Yunshen looked away. "It’s good, but..."

"I don't care. I want to play this way. Besides, your life is in my hands, so you have to listen to me."

I was being firm for once. I didn't care if he was the "Crown Prince" of the Beijing social circle; since I had poisoned him, he had to do as I said.

Fu Yunshen sighed helplessly, sat at the dining table, and muttered, "If we keep playing like this, we're going to end up ruined sooner or later."

He kept his head down while eating breakfast. I sat across from him, not even glancing at me once. I was puzzled—did he not like the cute style? Did he prefer something sexier?

I had miscalculated. The entire box I bought on Taobao was the cute variety. Oh well, I’d just have to buy more!

With that thought, I opened the Taobao app and searched for "sexy cosplay outfits."

When I looked up at him, I froze. "Fu Yunshen, your nose is bleeding."

Fu Yunshen was stunned, too. He reached for his nose in a panic, looking completely dazed. Terrified, I quickly grabbed some tissues and handed them to him. When I touched his face, I was shocked. "Fu Yunshen, you're burning up! Are you sick? Should I call an ambulance?"

"I... I'm fine. I need to cool off. Don't worry."

He pulled away from my touch and ran upstairs. Worried that something was wrong, I followed him all the way to his room. I tried to open the door, but it was locked, so I knocked.

"Fu Yunshen, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

He replied from inside. I went back downstairs, feeling uneasy. Could he really be okay when he was that hot?

It was an hour before Fu Yunshen came back down. Seeing him with his eyes tightly shut, I asked, "Fu Yunshen, why are you closing your eyes?"

Fu Yunshen swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Xiaoyu, please change out of that outfit, okay? I... I can't take it anymore!"

By the end, his voice had a slight, aggrieved tremor.

I suddenly realized what was happening, and my eyes lit up. "Alright, I'll go change now."

Back in my room, looking at myself in the mirror, I covered my face and smiled shyly. I hadn't thought it would work, but it was actually quite effective!

I changed into casual sportswear and went downstairs. Seeing me like this, Fu Yunshen breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"I'm changed. Let's go to the company now!"

Fu Yunshen didn't look me in the eye, instead glancing at the window nearby. I followed his gaze and imitated his posture. "What about these decorations?"

"We'll take care of them when we get off work early this afternoon."

Fu Yunshen turned to see me copying him and frowned. "Don't imitate me."

I thought: *Fine! But wait for me a second. I prepared a professional outfit specifically for this first day of work. Let me go change into it.*

Hearing the words "professional outfit," Fu Yunshen panicked and stopped me. "No need to change! You look great just like this!"

I frowned and looked down at my baggy grey tracksuit. Was this really appropriate for work?

"Let's go, Fang Yanzhou has been waiting for us for a while."

Hearing that Fang Yanzhou was already at the door, I compromised, muttering to myself: *I’ll just wear the professional outfit tomorrow then.*

Fu Yunshen, walking ahead of me, suddenly stopped in his tracks, his body jolting.

When I worked at the Fu Corporation before, I had only ever been on floors one through four. I had never been to the higher levels. Today, I followed Fu Yunshen directly to the top floor—the seventh floor.

The elevator doors opened, and my first impression was how vast the space was. When I learned that the entire seventh floor was just for Fu Yunshen, I was stunned. "What about Assistant Fang? Isn't his desk here?"

Fang Yanzhou replied with a smile, "Sister-in-law, my office is on the sixth floor."

"Then what is my position? Where is my desk? What are my job duties?"

I asked three questions in a row. If I were assigned too far away, how would I be able to perform in front of Fu Yunshen? Besides, no employee was allowed to enter the seventh floor without the CEO's permission.

"Position: CEO's Assistant. Your office is with mine. Job duties: undetermined."

Fu Yunshen sat in his office chair and gestured to the desk and chair opposite his. I looked over and realized they were positioned directly across from each other; I could see him just by looking up.

"Brother Fu, Sister-in-law, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to my office."

Fang Yanzhou glanced at the two of us and wisely took his leave. With a space that large and only the two of us, who knew what might happen?

The air suddenly went quiet. I looked at Fu Yunshen. "CEO Fu, so what is my job for now?"

"Watch this expert's physiological encyclopedia video."

Fu Yunshen opened an iPad, searched for an expert, and tossed it to me.

I was stunned. Watch physiological encyclopedia videos? Was the Fu Corporation planning to enter that industry?

I took the iPad back to my desk and started watching seriously. At first, when the expert mentioned sensitive terms, I felt a bit embarrassed, but as I went on, I became engrossed. This expert was truly excellent—so detailed and nuanced! Much better than my old biology teacher.

By one o'clock in the afternoon, I had finished all the videos and even taken some notes and suggestions.

I returned the iPad to Fu Yunshen. He looked up. "Finished?"

"Yes."

"Any insights?"

When a boss asks for a report, it's the perfect opportunity to show off one's abilities.

I spoke eloquently. "CEO Fu, according to this expert, I believe the Fu Corporation could approach this from three directions. First, apparel, such as cosplay outfits, to help couples spark romance. Second, contraceptives, to solve problems for couples who do not wish to conceive. Third, baby products, to provide security for infants after an 'accidental' encounter. These three industries are interlinked; as the infants grow up, they will eventually choose products from the first category. It forms a complete industrial chain... The Fu Corporation is destined to make a steady profit."