Life Exchange Game

“You’ve come again!” An Siyao’s delighted voice echoed in Xia Yu’s mind. With the maid nearby, Xia Yu didn’t respond, instead focusing on the flowers in his hand.

Flower arrangement isn’t just about sticking flowers in a vase; it requires careful consideration of the combination of flowers, much like coordinating an outfit. There’s a lot of nuance involved.

Sensing Xia Yu’s predicament, An Siyao advised, “Cut it in the middle.”

Xia Yu moved the scissors and snipped the flower stem.

“Too forceful, and it’s a bit short. Toss it and start with a new one!” the young girl instructed.

Placing the damaged flower aside, Xia Yu picked up another similar white flower.

“This one won’t do; it’s too bloomed. Choose one that’s more reserved,” the young girl’s voice chimed in again. “The second one on your left will do, though it’s better to cut a fresh one from the garden.”

Those who truly indulge in the art of flower arrangement often have a dedicated garden.

Picking up the flower that the young girl deemed barely acceptable, Xia Yu carefully cut it under her guidance.

“The cut is too jagged,” An Siyao commented with disdain, “but it’ll do for now. Place it in the vase.”

Following the young girl’s instructions, Xia Yu positioned the flower correctly and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Alright, just four or five more stems to go,” the young girl said.

Four or five more?

“But the flowers here aren’t suitable; you’ll need to cut some from the garden. It’s a bit of a hassle.”

What was a minor inconvenience for the young girl was a disaster for Xia Yu.

After a moment of silence, Xia Yu put down the scissors and stood up.

“Young miss?” The maid stood up as well. “Where are you going?”

“Not doing this anymore,” Xia Yu declared.

“Huh?” The maid was astonished, unable to believe that the gentle and obedient young miss would say something so willful.

She looked troubled. “But according to the schedule, it’s time for flower arranging.”

“Do you have a problem with that?” Xia Yu shot the maid a sideways glance, and she immediately fell silent.

With determined steps, Xia Yu left the room. Guided by An Siyao, he quickly arrived at the piano room.

The piano room’s south side featured floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing the setting sun to cast an orange glow over the piano.

“Young miss.” The maid followed him in, looking somewhat lost.

Seeing Xia Yu seated at the piano, she hurried to his side. “The piano is scheduled for tomorrow…”

“Leave,” Xia Yu interrupted her.

“I…” The maid was visibly flustered.

“Leave. I won’t say it again.”

Unable to meet Xia Yu’s icy gaze, the maid hurriedly exited the room.

“Close the door!”

The maid returned to carefully close the door.

Leaning against the wall by the door, the maid exhaled, surprised by the young miss’s newfound assertiveness.

Hmph, acting all timid when the head maid is around, but being so fierce when she’s not.

While grumbling internally, the maid took out her phone and shared the recent events in the maid’s group chat.

Inside the piano room, Xia Yu lifted the piano lid, casually pressing the keys while conversing with An Siyao. “Is your status at home really that low, that even a maid dares to boss you around?”

“They’re just following the head maid’s orders,” the young girl replied.

From her offhand remarks, Xia Yu gleaned another piece of information.

An Siyao’s household didn’t just have one or two maids; it had an entire team.

Xia Yu had considered getting money directly from An Siyao, but fearing her family’s influence, he decided against it, worried they might track him down in reality.

“Aren’t you bothered by what just happened? I thought you’d complain about me not adhering to the young miss’s etiquette!” Xia Yu teased.

“I don’t like flower arranging either; I’ve wanted to do this for a while,” An Siyao’s voice carried a hint of joy.

“What’s the story with that head maid?” Xia Yu felt the need to understand the young girl’s situation.

“She’s my mom’s former maid,” the young girl replied.

“Is she close with your mom?” Xia Yu asked.

“No, just a regular maid,” An Siyao denied.

“Then is she close with your dad?” Xia Yu furrowed his brow, sensing potential complications.

“She’s over fifty!” An Siyao caught the implication in Xia Yu’s words, her tone carrying a hint of complaint.

“Then she’s just an ordinary maid. Why do you listen to her?” Xia Yu wondered. “Do you like her?”

“Not really.”

“Alright, I get it. In short, you don’t dare defy that head maid, right?” Combining this with what he’d learned about the young girl’s personality over the past few days, Xia Yu understood the situation.

That put his mind at ease; he didn’t need to be polite with these maids at all.

“Teach me to play,” he placed his hands on the piano keys.

“Let’s start by familiarizing yourself with the keys.”

Nearly eight hours later, Xia Yu stood up and stretched.

It was now 1:50 AM. At ten, a maid had come by to urge Xia Yu to go to bed, but Xia Yu’s cold stare sent her retreating.

He walked to the window, gazing at the garden below, filled with flowers Xia Yu couldn’t identify, along with a small artificial river.

“You’re improving quickly,” An Siyao’s voice sounded.

“But I still can’t play a single piano piece, right?” Xia Yu replied. “And shouldn’t you be more concerned about your own situation?”

“What should I be worried about?” The young girl’s tone carried genuine confusion.

“My occupying your body yesterday wasn’t a coincidence. I’ve come again today, and since I can come a second time, I can come a third, a fourth…” Xia Yu attempted to instill panic in the young girl.

“Isn’t that great?”

“???”

This girl is definitely a bit off, but that’s not my concern. As long as I can gain music and drawing skills from her, it’s fine.

“Well, I’m going to take a shower now,” Xia Yu hadn’t given up on teasing An Siyao.

“Sure!” The young girl’s voice remained unchanged.

Not afraid of that?

“My dear young miss, are you already accustomed to exposing your body in front of a man?” Xia Yu’s eyes narrowed.

“Eh? Eh eh eh? Are you a boy?”

Finally, Xia Yu heard the young girl’s panicked voice, though he seemed to have revealed part of his secret.

Indeed, the girl had no way of knowing his gender; it was his oversight.

He’d need to be careful in the future to avoid slipping up.

“Um… can I shower myself?” An Siyao requested.