Two days later.
Hidden at the foot of the rolling green mountains on the outskirts of Jiangcheng was a sprawling, top-tier private antique-style garden that was strictly closed to the public.
As Su Bai's car slowly drove through the heavy vermilion gates of the garden, Ke Yujia, sitting in the passenger seat, practically pressed her entire little face against the car window. Her clear, doe-like eyes were filled with shock and awe.
"Oh my goodness... Brother Su Bai, it's so beautiful here!"
It wasn't Ke Yujia's fault for losing her composure.
The exquisiteness and luxury of this private garden, which Zhou Jialu had spent a fortune to book and clear out entirely, completely exceeded the limits of her imagination.
Outside the window were white walls and dark tiles, with pavilions and terraces arranged in a picturesque disorder. A clear artificial stream wound its way through the entire garden, with a few small boats floating on the water and several rare waterbirds swimming leisurely.
The carved wooden windows of the winding corridors reflected the weeping willows of early spring. As a gentle breeze blew past, the air was filled with a fresh scent of light agarwood mixed with vegetation.
This kind of Suzhou-style garden landscaping, where every step revealed a new scene of exquisite craftsmanship, felt as if a fairyland from a historical drama had been brought directly into reality.
"Do you like it?" Su Bai parked the car in the garden's exclusive parking lot and smiled as he rubbed her head. "I brought you here today to test the waters and take a few sets of photos to see how they turn out."
"I love it! It's like a dream!" Ke Yujia nodded excitedly.
The two got out of the car, and several professional staff members who had been waiting in the garden for a long time immediately came forward to greet them.
This was the makeup and styling team Zhou Jialu had arranged in advance. Not only was their service exceptionally attentive, but they had also prepared two whole rows of exquisitely beautiful traditional costumes in the garden's largest waterside pavilion.
Su Bai held Ke Yujia's hand and walked into the pavilion.
Looking at the soft-colored, beautifully embroidered ancient-style garments on the racks, Ke Yujia was a bit dazzled.
"Young Master Su, these are all traditional costumes custom-made according to your requirements, inspired by the style of the Dream of the Red Chamber era. The fabrics are all top-tier Suzhou brocade and Hangzhou silk, and the hand embroidery was rushed overnight by master craftsmen," the head of the styling team introduced respectfully.
"Mm, go help her change and try them on." Su Bai nodded, sat down on a grand armchair in the pavilion, and took a sip of freshly brewed Biluochun tea.
About half an hour later.
A faint jingling of jade ornaments came from behind the screen, and Ke Yujia, having changed clothes and finished her makeup and styling, walked out looking slightly nervous.
Su Bai looked up, and a flash of stunning amazement inevitably crossed his eyes.
Today, the staff had chosen a light jade-green short shirt with a stand-up collar and a straight opening, paired with an ivory-white pleated skirt.
The hem and cuffs were embroidered with extremely delicate silver threads depicting winter jasmine buds ready to bloom. To match this outfit, the makeup artist had given her already small and delicate face a clear, classical makeup look. Her hair was styled into two lively and charming double buns, adorned with a few jade tassel hairpins.
Ke Yujia had practiced dancing since she was young, and her figure was extremely soft and petite. Wearing this Dream of the Red Chamber style outfit full of the gentle charm of the Jiangnan water towns, she looked exactly like a lovely young girl stepping out of an ancient painting, so vivid that one couldn't tear their eyes away.
"Brother Su Bai... does it look good?" Ke Yujia pinched the corner of her skirt shyly and spun around in place. The wide hem of her skirt spread out, like a blooming lily.
"Absolutely perfect."
Su Bai put down his teacup, picked up the Hasselblad camera equipped with a top-tier portrait lens, and stood up. "Let's go. We'll take some shots outside by the corridors and the rockeries."
In this breathtakingly beautiful private garden, Su Bai's Master-Level Photography skill was put to perfect use.
He directed Ke Yujia to strike various poses full of classical charm by the Taihu stones, on the wooden boardwalk by the water, and in front of the carved window lattices.
Because she had over a decade of dance training, Ke Yujia's expressiveness in front of the camera was surprisingly good. Every movement was light and elegant. Whether she was looking up at falling petals or lowering her head to play with the stream water, it was all captured with extreme precision by Su Bai's sharp cinematic eye.
Click, click.
The sound of the shutter constantly echoed in the tranquil garden, freezing one breathtaking moment after another.
After shooting for about an hour, the two stopped to rest by the wooden railing of the pavilion.
Su Bai handed the camera to Ke Yujia so she could look at the photos they just took.
Looking at the almost unrealistically beautiful version of herself on the screen, Ke Yujia first smiled so brightly her eyes curved into crescents.
However, after looking closely at a few more, the expression on her small face suddenly turned somewhat amused.
"What's wrong?" Su Bai acutely caught the change in her expression, reaching out to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
"Pfft..."
Pointing at a photo where she was holding up her skirt and looking timidly at the camera, Ke Yujia couldn't help but chuckle. "Brother Su Bai, look... I feel like wearing these ancient-style clothes, I don't look at all like those dignified, elegant, and noble young ladies from wealthy families in the TV shows."
She touched the two double buns on her head, her tone carrying a bit of naive charm while hiding a subtle touch of self-deprecation. "Look at this outfit, and look at my naive, inexperienced appearance... I feel like a little maid in a wealthy ancient household, the kind specifically responsible for serving tea, pouring water, and making the bed for the young master."
In truth, Ke Yujia's words carried a bit of her subconscious self-positioning.
In this large family where many beautiful women competed for attention, she didn't have Xia Lin's profound background, nor did she have Chen Yusheng's incredibly brilliant mind, much less Zhou Jialu's aura capable of managing the big picture. She had always felt insignificant.
Therefore, when she saw her own charming outfit, her first reaction wasn't to think of herself as a wealthy young lady, but rather as that humble yet loyal little maid who relied on the master's family.
Hearing her slightly amusing yet deeply endearing words, a wave of tenderness welled up in Su Bai's heart.
He didn't refute her; instead, he naturally reached out and lifted Ke Yujia's round and delicate chin. His deep eyes brimmed with an unquestionable dominance and doting affection.
"What's wrong with being a little maid?"
Ke Yujia froze for a moment, staring at him blankly with her big, watery eyes.
"In ancient times, those noble young ladies would eventually be married off. Only a personal little maid is the young master's true private possession."
Su Bai's thumb gently caressed her tender lips, the burning passion in his eyes seemingly enough to melt her entirely. "Because a little maid stays in the estate for her whole life, accompanying the young master day and night without ever leaving his side, serving him."
"Since you feel like a little maid, from now on, you'll be my personal chamber maid for the rest of your life. No matter where the young master goes, you have to stay by my side forever, alright?"
These sweet words, brimming with possessiveness and perfectly matching the ancient ambiance of the moment, instantly shattered the deepest defenses of Ke Yujia's heart.
Her face flushed so deeply it looked as though it might bleed, yet her clear eyes radiated an unprecedented, overwhelming sense of happiness and security.
To her, there was no need to be a lofty queen. As long as she could stay by this man's side and be his most devoted little maid, it would be the most romantic destiny in the world.
"Mhm..."
Ke Yujia melted softly into Su Bai's embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Her voice was as faint as a whisper, yet filled with unwavering resolve: "Yujia is willing... to be the Young Master's little maid for the rest of her life..."
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
