Ways to Solve Your Love Luck Crisis, the Super Scheming Head Maid

"Xiaxia, have you noticed anything?"

Ye Cheng's puzzled voice came from the side. The head maid's expression was still a bit stiff as she snapped back to reality and continued reading his palm.

She... did indeed know a little bit about it, but she wasn't sure just what that "little bit" meant coming from Ye Cheng.

If she got it wrong, not only would it be awkward to make a move later, it could easily cause trouble too.

After a fierce internal struggle, the head maid did something that would've made her ancestors roll in their graves.

She pushed Ye Cheng's hand back, then extended her own hand instead, letting him read hers first.

"You look at mine first, then I'll look at yours. That way it's fair," the head maid said.

Ye Cheng nodded. "Fair enough, alright, let me take a look then—but first let me finish washing these dishes."

Ye Cheng sped up his washing, rinsing things off one after another... Meanwhile, a dishwasher was running nearby, which was the head maid's—Ye Cheng was doing his by hand.

Ye Cheng was the typical kid of the older generation—anything he could wash by hand, he did by hand. It was even faster that way. The machine took a few minutes, wasted water, and just wasn't worth it.

"Huh? Xiaxia, did you hear something?" Ye Cheng stopped mid-wash, catching some noise, and a question mark appeared over his head.

The head maid froze for a moment. "Did I? You must've misheard. Hurry up and finish washing, then you look at mine, and I'll look at yours."

The head maid's mind was entirely focused on scamming Ye Cheng's palm reading—how could she hear anything happening outside?

Compared to cooking, washing dishes was way faster—at most twenty minutes or so. When she'd checked earlier, their young miss was playing a game.

A game wouldn't finish in twenty minutes no matter what, and as for the yakuza heiress... she was quietly reading a book beside her. Such a stable situation could not possibly fall apart!

Besides, if it did somehow fall apart, their young miss would scream for help.

Very, very loudly, at that—she'd definitely hear it. Since she hadn't heard anything, it meant nothing had happened. It was just her imagination.

The head maid had her own perfectly self-consistent logic, and she quickly convinced herself. She didn't dwell on it, already scheming over the palm-reading scam.

If Ye Cheng didn't know much... then she was about to start pulling his leg!

As for what was happening outside...

"Help! Xiaxia!!!"

Xia Tongxin's shrieking voice echoed through the villa. Shen Qinghan was chasing her relentlessly as the two raced from the first-floor hall to the second floor, then the third, and back down...

That was why the sound kept rising and falling. By the time Ye Cheng strained to listen, they had already run upstairs, and he heard nothing at all.

Fortunately, the young miss was physically frail—if it weren't for that, Xia Tongxin would've been caught ages ago. How else could she still be running while being chased?

The two maintained a delicate balance, with Xia Tongxin managing to be just a bit faster. She had short little legs, sure, but she hopped around quickly, and with fear adding fuel to the fire, her speed went up even more.

Shen Qinghan, on the other hand, simply couldn't catch up. Her stamina was the first to give out, and sweat began to form on her forehead.

Her stunningly beautiful face flushed red, and her breathing grew rapid. Up ahead, Xia Tongxin wasn't doing much better either.

She was also a little cake that never exercised...

"Stop chasing me! I'll apologize, okay?" Xia Tongxin's legs were starting to wobble, so she decided to back down.

A tactical retreat. She'd find a chance to get her revenge later!

As for when that "later" would be... only Xia Tongxin knew. A gentleman gets revenge, ten... a hundred years is not too late!

Shen Qinghan panted for a while, then nodded in agreement. "Mm, fine."

Xia Tongxin's heart leaped with joy. "Really? Great, let's—ah!"

"Liar! You big liar, you stingy little thing, liar, idiot, devil..."

The joy had just appeared on Xia Tongxin's face when it turned to terror. Shen Qinghan, who had been resting behind her, suddenly lunged forward—her eyes filled with determination and resolve.

She showed no sign of wavering. Even as dense as Xia Tongxin was, she finally realized—it was a trick.

The whole "I forgive you" act had just been a delaying tactic to stop her in her tracks, all so she could catch her and bully her!

So wicked!

Xia Tongxin dodged to the side, and Shen Qinghan missed. Xia Tongxin then rubbed it in with a face-teasing: "Idiot, can't catch me, can't catch me, nyah nyah nyah, big dummy... stop chasing me!"

After a bit of taunting, Xia Tongxin realized things were going south and shut her mouth, quickly bolting as Shen Qinghan gave chase again.

Their tug-of-war continued...

Downstairs, in the kitchen.

"Oh my, Xiaxia, your palm is something else—it's the mark of an emperor!" Ye Cheng looked utterly astonished.

The head maid: "..."

Okay, she figured out what level Ye Cheng's "a little bit" actually was—it really was just a little bit. Hearing him say that actually put her at ease.

Good. Confirmed. No threat. Time to start the con.

Ye Cheng wasn't finished: "Too bad you were born in the wrong era, and also the wrong gender. Otherwise, you'd be at least on par with the great founders of dynasties!"

The head maid: "..."

"Wrong era? Wrong gender? Then what's left?" the head maid said, slightly flat.

Ye Cheng blinked. "A person. At least the species is right."

The head maid: "..."

Her lips twitched, and she couldn't tell whether Ye Cheng was being deliberately absurd or completely serious, because right now he looked really earnest, as if he weren't joking at all.

To be safe, the head maid asked again.

"Then what did you see when you read your own hand?"

Ye Cheng shook his head. "Oh no, Xiaxia, you're clearly a layman. In our line of work, we can't read our own palms—bad things will happen otherwise."

The head maid raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Everyone in the family dies or something... though it doesn't really affect me. My whole family's already dead anyway." Ye Cheng nodded, casually evaluating it like he'd come out ahead.

The head maid: "???"

Are you kidding me?

"Alright then, you've seen mine, now it's my turn to see yours." The head maid let out a breath and began her round.

Ye Cheng obediently held out his hand, and the head maid examined it with proper posture and seriousness. Compared to the way Ye Cheng had just glanced once and started talking, she looked far more professional.

"Your love luck is excellent. You've got at least three, maybe even more, romantic prospects waiting for you!"

"That impressive?" Ye Cheng gasped, looking utterly shocked.

The head maid: "..."

Sure, but... you don't have to be that excited. Everything she'd just said was already plainly right in front of them, wasn't it?

Anyone on the school forum with functioning eyes can see you've got a love triangle brewing. Otherwise, why would two young ladies from wealthy families both set their sights on you at the same time?

And on top of that, while gaming, you managed to lure out the young lady who hasn't left her house in years?

If you didn't have some kind of romance magnet ability, does that really make sense?

Ye Cheng pointed outward twice: "Missy, Ratz, and you too, Xiaxia — that's exactly three. This is terrifying, Xiaxia, seriously!"

The head maid: "..."

Although... well... Ye Cheng included her in that count, which secretly made her happy.

But that method of calculation was clearly flawed, right?

Ye Cheng quickly grabbed the head maid's hand: "Xiaxia, oh wait, Master, what am I supposed to do now?!"

The head maid: "..."

Huh?

She hadn't even started her spiel yet, and it was already jumping straight to the final phase? This blessing came too suddenly. It felt... unfamiliar.

"Aren't you supposed to be happy about having good romantic luck? You don't seem too thrilled about it." The head maid asked knowingly.

Ye Cheng shook his head: "Hey, Master, in the shows on TV, people in this situation always end up dead. It gets ugly. I once saw a guy who got stabbed to death, his head chopped clean off, man..."

The head maid: "..."

"Are you talking about..."

"Yeah, and wouldn't you know it, my name even has the character 'Cheng' in it. Master, do you think I'll end up dying horribly too? Can you save me?"

Ye Cheng looked like a devoted follower, gripping the head maid's hand tightly, eyes full of affection.

The head maid: "..."

She hadn't even gotten the chance to spin her story, and Ye Cheng had already said half her lines for her. Who was she supposed to complain to about this?

Forget it, no more waiting — time for her to make her move!

In the blink of an eye, the head maid had her next steps figured out. She nodded: "There's a way."

"Please, Master, speak! Here, Master, have some water. Master, have a seat."

The head maid: "..."

After accepting Ye Cheng's flawless service, the head maid began her performance: "Having too much romantic luck ultimately comes down to an imbalance of yin and yang. Your energy field is too chaotic, drawing in excessive attention from the opposite sex..."

"I get it, Xiaxia. From now on, I'll wear a ski mask when I go out!" Ye Cheng said with the look of someone who'd just had an epiphany.

The head maid: "..."

Isn't it a bit late to wear a ski mask now?

Besides, even if you wore one now, it wouldn't help. The damage is already done!

The head maid wanted to add one more thing... The situation around Ye Cheng right now was more terrifying than World War II. What outside romantic interest could even squeeze its way in?

Not to mention, between the underworld heiress and the all-around ace student council president, those two alone had already wiped out a hundred percent of the competition.

How protective was that underworld heiress over what was hers? You think there's any chance of outside romance? She'd stomp it flat!

Even their own young miss couldn't get a slot in that lineup...

And their young miss had already started going off the rails anyway. She'd originally come here for a sweet teenage romance, and then... within Ye Cheng's orbit, the whole vibe had changed.

She'd turned into a little roach, a rat, a golden giant mouse... none of which had anything to do with romance.

Sure, it wasn't romantic, but the fact that their bond had grown stronger and closer was undeniable. There seemed to be some kind of magical pull about Ye Cheng that drew people around him in relentlessly.

Even she herself wasn't immune...

"It's too late for ski masks now." The head maid shook her head.

"Then what do I do, Master? Save me!" Ye Cheng clung to the head maid's leg, sobbing.

The head maid's joy: +999 +999 +999...

"There is a way, it's just... a bit dangerous. I'm worried you won't dare to try it." The head maid said, feigning reluctance.

"Do you want to hear it?"

Ye Cheng's gaze was firm: "Say it, Master. I've already made up my mind!"

"Alright! You find someone to be your girlfriend — ideally someone who doesn't have any overlap or interaction with the other romantic interests around you. That way, the others won't focus all their fire on you."

"Uh... Master, I get the logic, but where exactly am I supposed to find such a person? Sounds like... it could be a bit dangerous?" Ye Cheng ventured cautiously.

The head maid nodded: "It is indeed dangerous. But hey, what are friends for?"

"Huh?" A question mark popped up above Ye Cheng's head.

"Master, you mean... you?" Ye Cheng looked up, his voice unsure as he stared at the head maid.

Thump, thump, thump... The head maid's heart raced. Her ears burned hot as she gave Ye Cheng a soft reply.

"Mhm~"