From Dropout to Housemaid-The Upper Crust's Favorite - Chapter 33 - Stay

Su Linyuan was feeling a bit stressed by Jiang Xianyu’s behavior over the past few days. Things had been going well between them, but suddenly, she seemed distant. It was either “Got it,” or “Okay, Mr. Su,” and now it was “Thank you, Mr. Su.”

Sitting in the passenger seat, Su Linyuan was turned sideways due to the pain in his back, his handsome face directed towards Jiang Xianyu. She was focused on driving, trying hard to ignore the gaze coming from her right.

As he watched her cheeks, once pale, slowly turn pink, Su Linyuan couldn’t help but smile.

The car soon came to a stop in front of the house. Jiang Xianyu helped Su Linyuan out of the car, and he leaned on her shoulder. Supporting him felt like holding up a wall. Just a few steps, and Jiang Xianyu’s forehead was already beaded with sweat.

Su Linyuan noticed the sweat on her forehead and, despite the pain in his back, shifted his weight off her. The pressure on Jiang Xianyu’s shoulder eased significantly.

“Don’t push yourself, it’s just a few steps,” Jiang Xianyu said, worried he might be overexerting himself.

Su Linyuan turned away, saying nothing.

Once inside the foyer, Jiang Xianyu intended to settle Su Linyuan in a guest room on the first floor, but he refused. “I can’t sleep in another room.”

With no other option, Jiang Xianyu had to take him to his bedroom.

After settling Su Linyuan, Jiang Xianyu rummaged through the medicine cabinet, gathering the necessary supplies. She was quite familiar with the cabinet by now.

Returning to Su Linyuan’s bedroom, she found him still sitting on the edge of the bed. “Take off your clothes, I’ll apply the medicine.”

Her tone was flat, as if she were merely a housemaid performing a routine task.

Su Linyuan glanced at her, thinking it was no different than being at the beach-just taking off his shirt, nothing to be embarrassed about. His hesitation turned into resolve.

He removed his scarf and coat, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Though he appeared slender, his physique was surprisingly well-toned, with smooth, tight muscles and no excess fat.

Jiang Xianyu swore she wasn’t intentionally looking; her eyes had a mind of their own. Before he noticed, she quickly looked away. A casual glance was enough; no matter how attractive, it had nothing to do with her.

After removing his shirt, Su Linyuan swiftly lay face down on the bed, grabbing a pillow to hug, his face buried in it.

Jiang Xianyu glanced at him curiously, noticing his ears and neck were flushed red. Her grip on the medicine tightened, and she focused on his back.

His back had a red patch from the car’s undercarriage, with some areas slightly bleeding and swollen. Jiang Xianyu saw that the wound wasn’t severe, mostly bruised.

She used a cotton swab dipped in iodine to disinfect the scraped areas. The cool swab touched his skin, causing Su Linyuan to tense up, his arm muscles contracting, fingers gripping the sheets, and he unintentionally let out a groan.

The room was silent, and the sudden sound made Jiang Xianyu’s face heat up. It was just applying medicine; why was he making such an inappropriate sound? Was he really that sensitive?

Su Linyuan’s entire body turned red, clutching the sheets tightly, refusing to let go. Damn, was that sound really from him?

Jiang Xianyu felt she was facing an unprecedented challenge. With such temptation before her, she had to maintain her distance, but his behavior…

Ahhh!

Indeed, the world was full of temptations.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly finished disinfecting his wounds. Hastily packing up the medicine, she briefly reminded him to rest and hurriedly left the room.

Hearing the door close, Su Linyuan let out a sigh of relief.

He slowly lifted his head from the pillow, his tousled hair falling over his deep-set eyes, and a hint of lazy embarrassment lingered on his flushed face.

However, Jiang Xianyu hadn’t been gone long before she returned.

She knocked on the door.

Su Linyuan quickly grabbed the shirt beside him and draped it over himself before allowing her to enter.

Jiang Xianyu averted her gaze and asked, “Which room should I sleep in tonight?”

After what had happened, she couldn’t really leave.

“Stay in the room opposite mine. There are spare toothbrushes and towels at home, so you can use those. As for toiletries, just use mine. It’s convenient on the third floor, and you won’t have to go up and down.”

“Alright,” Jiang Xianyu agreed.

“As for clothes, give me your size, and I’ll have someone bring them over,” Su Linyuan added after a moment’s thought.

Jiang Xianyu glanced at the heavy snowfall outside. “Will the weather be a problem?”

“It’s fine. It’ll be a quick drive.”

“Thank you, Mr. Su.”

Su Linyuan felt a twinge again.

He couldn’t help but think of the voice he had heard over the phone from his grandmother, which was livelier and brighter than she was now.

He felt a deep sense of helplessness.

He should have been angry, but seeing her face, he couldn’t muster any anger.

The situation was bizarrely frustrating.

Suppressing his emotions, Su Linyuan continued, “If you’re bored tonight, you can use the media room here.”

Though she wouldn’t use it, Jiang Xianyu still thanked him.

After confirming there was nothing else, Jiang Xianyu sent her clothing size to Su Linyuan and left.

She didn’t stay upstairs and went straight to the first floor.

There was a TV there.

She found a popular drama and binge-watched five episodes in one go.

Su Linyuan didn’t hear any noise for a while and thought she might have snuck out.

Wearing his pajamas, he looked down from the third-floor railing.

Jiang Xianyu was curled up on the carpet, engrossed in the TV.

The TV was showing a heart-fluttering scene between the male and female leads, and Jiang Xianyu squirmed with excitement, letting out a low squeal.

Su Linyuan watched, a smile playing on his lips.

He turned and went back to his room.

Adhering to the principle of early to bed and early to rise, Jiang Xianyu didn’t continue watching. With the change of clothes delivered by Assistant Zhao, she took a shower downstairs before heading upstairs.

The next morning, when Jiang Xianyu got up, she found that the path in the garden had been restored to its original state.

There were traces of snow being cleared.

It seemed the staff in the villa area had cleaned it early in the morning.

Gathering her things, Jiang Xianyu quietly got up, intending to go downstairs to wash up.

There was a public bathroom on the third floor, but she preferred using the one downstairs because the third floor was more private for Su Linyuan.

She was on the third floor mainly to keep an eye on his injury and be available if he needed help.

As soon as Jiang Xianyu opened her door, the door to the opposite bedroom opened as well.

Su Linyuan, with dark circles under his eyes, leaned against the doorframe, looking at her. “Why are you sneaking around like a thief?”

Jiang Xianyu replied, “I didn’t want to disturb your rest.”

She glanced at his obviously sleep-deprived appearance and asked, “Mr. Su, did you not sleep well last night?”

Su Linyuan had intended to make an excuse, not wanting to lose face, but faced with Jiang Xianyu, the truth slipped out. “Sleeping on my stomach is uncomfortable.”

Jiang Xianyu felt a bit guilty and gently reassured him, “It might hurt for a couple of days. If it gets too painful, I can get you some ibuprofen. It should feel better in a few days.”

Su Linyuan declined the medication and instead said, “I can’t go to the office for the next couple of days. Assistant Zhao will bring the documents here, and you can help me.”

Seeing Jiang Xianyu hesitate, Su Linyuan added, “I’ll give you a bonus.”

Jiang Xianyu knew that hesitating even a second longer would be disrespectful to money.

She mentally calculated how much she could earn this month.

By the end of the month, it wouldn’t be much less than her salary as a VP. The key was that the work was less demanding, with no social obligations, and she had plenty of time to watch dramas and trade stocks.

Perfect, absolutely perfect.