For a moment, the atmosphere in the room froze over. The dynamic between her and Si Yehan felt like it had drifted back to how it was before she was reborn.
The innate fear of the man in front of her began to creep over her.
Thankfully, the sound of footsteps from the courtyard broke the stalemate just then.
Xu Yi walked into the living room with a group of gardeners, florists, construction workers, and the like. "Ninth Master, regarding the garden renovations... uh..."
He trailed off mid-sentence when he saw the woman sitting to Si Yehan's left. He froze in place, and the servants behind him exchanged glances in confusion.
It wasn't just her stunning looks that surprised them—everyone knew their master had a severe cleanliness obsession and abhorred women to the extreme. The only woman allowed within three steps of him was Ye Wanwan; even a goddess wouldn't stand a chance.
So who was this woman?
Ye Wanwan glanced at Xu Yi, then at the servants, took a bite of her har gow, and said apologetically with a full mouth, "Um, I forgot to put on makeup today. Did I scare you?"
Ye... Ye Wanwan!!
At the sound of that familiar voice, everyone—including Xu Yi—was stunned speechless.
That ugly woman, despite her horrendous appearance, had always had a beautiful voice—clear, soft, and as gentle as a stream in Jiangnan.
Yet that lovely voice had always triggered an instinctive disgust in all of them. After all, ever since this woman moved into Jin Garden, the servants had endured countless hardships because of her.
And this girl—fresh-faced, without a trace of makeup, as radiant as a lotus flower emerging from the water—was actually Ye Wanwan?
Watching their reactions, Ye Wanwan put on a serious thinking face. "So my old look was better, huh? I remember when I had green hair dyed, your expressions were the most amazed! Should I change back tomorrow?"
Amazed? They'd been terrified out of their wits!
Xu Yi finally snapped out of his daze and shook his head violently like a rattle. "No, no, Miss! You look perfect like this!"
He'd never imagined Ye Wanwan looked like this without makeup.
So this Miss Ye had never had a problem with her looks—she'd had a problem with her brain?
Their master had such sharp eyes! How on earth had he seen through that makeup thicker than a city wall to her true nature?
If Ye Wanwan had known what Xu Yi was thinking, she would've told him: Your master didn't need to see through the "city wall"—he actually liked that layer of "city wall" just fine!
"Are you here to discuss the garden renovations?" Ye Wanwan asked.
Xu Yi nodded instinctively. "Yes, we are."
Ye Wanwan immediately ventured, "Can I offer some suggestions then?"
She figured she'd be staying here for a long time—why not make the place more comfortable by having things her way?
She couldn't live at school, but surely this would be okay?
She remembered that besides letting her leave, Si Yehan indulged her every whim, no matter how unreasonable.
But when Xu Yi heard her request, he felt like dying. He immediately looked to Si Yehan for help, hoping his master would intervene.
Ninth Master! Please don't let her ruin the garden again!
Si Yehan replied to Ye Wanwan with two words: "Up to you."
Xu Yi: "..."
Of course. He should've known.
Resigned to his fate, Xu Yi asked miserably, "What suggestions do you have, Miss?"
Ye Wanwan thought carefully. "I don't like roses or lavender. Can we replace that flower field with sunflowers?"
Xu Yi blinked, asking instinctively, "You like sunflowers, Miss?"
Compared to her usual demands like "Burn all those flowers!" or "Pull them all out!", this request was surprisingly reasonable.
Ye Wanwan thought for a moment. "Just so-so."
Xu Yi looked confused. "Then why..."
Ye Wanwan's eyes lit up. "Because we can roast the seeds to eat later!"
Xu Yi: "Uh..."
Si Yehan: "..."
Ye Wanwan pointed into the distance. "And that pond—stop raising those super expensive carp! They're too delicate and inedible. Let's put in some grass carp, crucian carp, and small shrimp... Replace the rose trellis with a grape arbor... Actually, we could also plant some sweet potatoes..."