Chapter Five: The Maid’s Quarters

After everyone had left, only Han Ning, Yang Jiekai, and an older woman remained in the room.

“What do you mean by that?” The hope Han Ning had just rekindled was shattered again, and even her usual composure could not keep her from showing anger.

Yang Jiekai spread his hands, “Nothing in particular. I just suddenly don’t feel like getting divorced anymore.”

After saying this, he grabbed a banana from the coffee table, peeled it, and was about to take a bite when a thought struck him. He quickly held the banana out to Han Ning, “Honey, would you like a banana? This one is especially big and thick.”

“Get lost!”

Han Ning glared at Yang Jiekai, snapped, and stormed upstairs. Yang Jiekai shrugged, muttering, “Could it be my wife doesn’t like big, thick bananas?”

“Sir.”

At that moment, the older woman beside them spoke up. “I’m the housekeeper here. If you need anything in the future, please call on me.”

“Oh, Aunt Wang, thank you. By the way, which room will I be staying in?”

No matter how narcissistic Yang Jiekai was, he wasn’t deluded enough to think he’d share a room—let alone a bed—with Han Ning. The agreement had made that perfectly clear.

“Sir, please come with me.” Aunt Wang led him to a small room in the corner on the ground floor. “Miss instructed that you will stay here from now on.”

The servant’s quarters?

Yang Jiekai looked at the cramped little room and gave a wry smile. His wife was really generous—he’d barely arrived and she’d already assigned him a room smaller than the kitchen.

But he didn’t mind much. All he needed was a place to sleep at night, and though small, the servant’s room was well-furnished and even had a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

“Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll tidy up the room for you.” Aunt Wang started cleaning as she spoke.

“No need, I can do that myself.”

Yang Jiekai hurried to help. He didn’t know how long he would be staying here, but it was clear that things wouldn’t change any time soon.

He had already noticed that although Aunt Wang spoke to him politely, her eyes were full of hostility. If he wanted to survive in this villa, he’d need to get on her good side.

“Aunt Wang, you must have been working here for a long time. I must say, you look so young—are you in your twenties?”

As he helped tidy up, Yang Jiekai began to lay on the charm. Aunt Wang didn’t protest his assistance and quietly continued organizing the room.

When they’d finished, Yang Jiekai swiftly poured a glass of water for her. “You’ve worked hard, Aunt Wang. Have some water.”

Aunt Wang accepted the glass, glanced at Yang Jiekai’s beaming face, and sighed. “Sir, I’m just a servant. There’s no need for you to be so polite with me.”

“How can you call yourself a servant? You’re older than me, so you’re my elder. By the way, Aunt Wang, why do I get the feeling you don’t care for me much?” Yang Jiekai asked. From the start, he’d sensed her disapproval.

Aunt Wang sighed again, set the glass aside, and said, “Sir, I know there are things I’m neither entitled to know nor to meddle in, but I have a few words from the heart to share with you—I hope you won’t take offense.”

“Please, go ahead.” Yang Jiekai quickly pulled over a chair for her.

She looked at him, sighed, and began, “I started working for the Han family when I was very young. I raised Miss from the day she was born. I’ve had no family of my own, never married, so I’ve always thought of Miss as my own daughter. No one understands her better than I do.”

At this, Yang Jiekai suddenly understood. No wonder Aunt Wang had looked at him so warily before—this explained everything.

It was common in wealthy families for someone like Aunt Wang to devote a lifetime to service, treating the children as their own. She must have deep feelings for Han Ning and knew this marriage was forced, so she hadn’t shown him any kindness.

Aunt Wang continued, “Xiao Ning has always been stubborn and fiercely independent, ever since she was a child. She studied hard and, after starting work, gave it her all. Though she tries to appear strong, inside she’s more fragile than anyone. Many times, I’ve seen her wiping away tears alone.”

She sighed again, looking at Yang Jiekai. “All these years, I’ve never seen Miss truly happy. You can’t fool me about what’s going on between you two. As far as I know her, she would never have had a relationship while studying abroad.”

When Aunt Wang exposed the truth, Yang Jiekai scratched his head awkwardly and laughed, “Well, my wife told me to say that earlier—I didn’t know why either.”

Aunt Wang sighed, “You don’t understand the Han family. This marriage caused an uproar. To prevent outsiders from seizing the family fortune, the Patriarch personally ordered all assets and shares under Miss’s name to be transferred elsewhere and stripped her of all positions within the Han family.”

Yang Jiekai was stunned. Suddenly it all made sense—the way those relatives had been clamoring earlier, as if they were eager for this marriage. So, all Han Ning’s assets would be moved once they were married; in reality, her relatives would each get a share, so naturally they were keen for the wedding.

“What about her future? How will she live?” The question sounded as if it was for Han Ning’s sake, but in truth, Yang Jiekai was worried about himself. He’d married Han Ning for a share of her wealth, but now, thanks to his involvement, she’d become penniless. How was he supposed to get his cut?

“That doesn’t matter. I believe in Miss’s abilities. Even without the Han family, she’ll make her way.”

Aunt Wang’s pride was evident. “She’s always been smarter and more hardworking than anyone. Whatever she does, she excels at.”

“So, was all that you wanted to say to me?” Yang Jiekai asked.

Aunt Wang sighed deeply. “Sir, I only want you to treat Miss well and not let her suffer. I don’t know what strings you pulled to force her into this marriage, nor do I have the right to know. But I hope you’ll take on a man’s responsibilities—protect her, shelter her from hardship. I’m begging you.”

“You know, I don’t care how much money or property Miss has. I just want her to be happy every day. That’s my greatest wish. Whether she’s rich or poor means nothing to me—her happiness is all that matters.”

After hearing Aunt Wang’s words, Yang Jiekai sighed inwardly. “Don’t worry, Aunt Wang. I’m not a bad person. I won’t bully her, and as for responsibility, I’ll do what I must.”

After Aunt Wang left, Yang Jiekai laid back on the bed, his hands behind his head, lost in reflection. He’d thought he could become rich overnight, but hadn’t foreseen this outcome.

Given his current circumstances, Yang Jiekai couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He had thought that once he returned to his homeland, he could finally live an ordinary life. Yet fate had played a cruel joke—just as he escaped the mercenary world, he found himself plunged into an even more troublesome situation.

According to his calculations, the next lunar eclipse wasn’t far off. Before it arrived, he needed to find a way to amass a large sum of money to buy a special pill that could keep him alive.

He’d grown up an orphan, snatched away by wolves as a child and rescued only to be subjected to harsh training that turned him into a ruthless machine for war.

At six years old, he was forced to use an AK-47 to blow open a prisoner’s head. By twelve, he was on the battlefield, living each day with his life hanging by a thread as he began his career as a mercenary.

By fifteen, he’d made a name for himself in the mercenary world, becoming a top-tier operative worth millions. Yet a year ago, his team was caught in a biochemical bomb attack during a mission. They were all wiped out—only Yang Jiekai survived by sheer luck, but he was left neither fully alive nor dead.

To this day, he wasn’t sure what he’d become, or whether he was even human anymore. Every so often, something would happen to him…

Unaware of how much time had passed, it was already afternoon when a commotion outside the door broke his thoughts. Curious, Yang Jiekai went out to see Aunt Wang arguing with several unfamiliar men.

“I beg you, please let Miss have a place to stay now that she’s fallen on hard times!” Aunt Wang pleaded with a fair-skinned man, but he shoved her aside with a slap. “Get out of the way! Who do you think you are?”

“Aunt Wang!” Han Ning rushed over to support her, glaring furiously at the man. “All of you, get out! Leave immediately!”

“Leave?” The fair-skinned man sneered. “I’m the master of this house now. If anyone’s leaving, it’s you.”

He looked Han Ning up and down with a lewd gaze. “Of course, if you’d rather stay and entertain my friends, you’re welcome to remain.”

His companions burst into raucous laughter.

“What’s all this noise? Can’t a man get some sleep?” Yang Jiekai strode over, asking Aunt Wang, “Aunt Wang, what’s going on? Who are these people?”

Aunt Wang’s face was swollen on one side. Through her tears she said, “They want to throw Miss out.”

“Why?” Yang Jiekai turned to the fair-skinned man. “Are you insane? Why kick my wife out?”

The man looked him up and down and lifted his chin. “Well, well, you must be my cousin-in-law, right?”