Chapter 29

Even though she stayed up late last night celebrating her ten-thousand-yuan earnings, she still woke up early the next day full of energy.

She finally managed to have breakfast with the boss, and suddenly, the nutritional meal didn’t seem so tasteless anymore.

Seeing her so happy, the corners of Ji Yingqing’s mouth curled up slightly. She looked up and asked, “What has you in such high spirits?”

Bai Manruo poured a glass of water and handed it over, her eyebrows arching with a smile. “Isn’t having breakfast with Miss Ji worth being happy about?”

Ji Yingqing’s hand paused slightly as she took the water. Though she didn’t speak, a visible glint of pleasure appeared in her eyes.

After the meal, Bai Manruo watched Ji Yingqing turn to go upstairs and wondered, The boss went back to the study—is she not going out today? After waiting in the living room for half an hour without her coming back down, it was certain: the boss was staying in the castle all day.

There was no rush to livestream. In that case, she’d wait until tomorrow when the boss left. This gave her a chance to go talk to Butler Li. When she first arrived, the butler had told her about the castle’s history, but at the time, she had been too busy being terrified to listen.

Villa Area, Second Floor

Bai Manruo wandered around upstairs only to find that Butler Li wasn’t there. Instead, she chatted with Xiaoyu, a friend she’d made at the villa. Xiaoyu had worked here for five years and surely knew a lot.

Xiaoyu was quite excited to see her. She had seen the news about Bai Manruo on the variety show but never had the chance to ask about it since she wasn’t allowed in the castle. Bai Manruo shared some fun stories from the shoot and then cut to the chase: “Xiaoyu, you’ve worked here for so long—do you know what Miss Ji does? And why haven’t I ever seen any of her family?”

Xiaoyu shook her head. “No idea. Even though I’ve been here for nearly five years, Miss Ji has always stayed in the castle. Forget her family—I haven’t even seen what Miss Ji looks like.”

Bai Manruo was genuinely shocked. “How is that possible? You’ve really never seen her?”

“Why would I lie? When we heard you were chosen to go into the castle to take care of her, do you know how jealous we were? People who have been here longer than me aren’t even qualified to work inside, let alone me.” Xiaoyu looked at her with envy, though she added, “But then again, Manruo, you’re so beautiful. If I were Miss Ji, I’d choose you too.”

Seeing Bai Manruo’s disappointment, Xiaoyu added, “If you’re really that curious, you can ask Butler Li. Aside from you, she’s the only one who frequently enters and exits the castle. She’s watched Miss Ji grow up. But she went out early this morning and likely won’t be back until tonight.”

Xiaoyu checked her phone, slapped her thigh, and said, “It really is August 1st today.”

Following her gaze to the phone, Bai Manruo realized she had been at the castle for nearly a month. The sweltering July was over, and the “dog days” of August were beginning. She remembered those first few days when she was scared to death by the “ghost” climbing into her bed.

Strangely, ever since those first few thrilling days, it hadn’t happened again. She’d initially thought it odd, but seeing the boss living calmly on the third floor, moving between the study and bedroom without incident, she figured if she made a fuss about it now, she’d be thrown out as a lunatic. Besides, she still remembered the way Butler Li looked at her back then.

And the “ghost” had stopped appearing the very day she met the boss.

Still, she asked curiously, “What’s special about August 1st?”

Xiaoyu explained, “It’s nothing major, but for the first few days of every month, Butler Li gives the villa servants a few days off. The only requirement is that we stay away from the castle—not even cars can pass. So, she prepares all the food and supplies a day in advance.”

At the mention of a “holiday,” Bai Manruo’s eyes lit up, and her curiosity vanished. “A holiday? I’m a servant too—does that mean I get a few days off?” she asked excitedly. If she could, she could use those days to stream and earn enough to pay back the 800,000 yuan.

Xiaoyu thought about it. “Since you’re in the castle, I’m not sure. I’ll ask for you when she gets back. You should probably get a break too.”

9:00 PM

Bai Manruo had waited all day, but Butler Li still hadn’t returned. Xiaoyu handed her a stolen contentbottle of water and said, “Why don’t you go back to sleep? When she gets back, I’ll message you.”

Sighing, Bai Manruo nodded. Her legs were numb from waiting. She headed back, wondering if the boss had eaten on time since she’d been gone all day.

Entering the dining room, she saw the untouched food on the table. Just as I thought—if I’m not watching her, she doesn’t eat properly. The food was cold, and it was too late to trouble the chef to come back. Looking at the dishes, an idea struck her.

She carried the food to the kitchen and looked up cooking tutorials. She wasn’t a great cook, but she could surely “upgrade” the chef’s pre-made dishes. In ten minutes, it was done. She tasted a bite; it was delicious. Cooking isn’t that hard! She smiled confidently.

She carried the steaming food upstairs. Just as she reached the third floor, the lights in the stairwell suddenly went out.

What happened? A power outage?

Fortunately, she held the tray steady. She felt her way along the railing. She tried the light switches, but nothing happened. It must be a voltage issue. Her phone was in the living room, so she decided to deliver the food first.

She went to knock on the bedroom door but hit empty air—it was wide open. The boss forgot to close the door again? She really trusts me.

“Miss Ji?” she called out, inching forward. In the hallway, she had the moonlight from the windows, but inside, the heavy curtains were drawn, making the room pitch black. The scene reminded her of the day she “caught the thief.”

Hearing no reply, she placed the food on the table. Having been here a few times, she remembered the layout. She searched in the dark for a while but found no one. The AC had stopped with the power, and she was sweating. If she’s not in the bedroom, is she in the study?

She felt her way out, hesitating at the stairs about whether to go down for her phone. Suddenly, she heard the sound of something shattering.

Did something happen to the boss?

She checked the second and third floors, finding no one. That left only the fourth floor.

She noticed the streetlights outside and the villa lights were all on. Everywhere else has power—why is only the castle dark? She didn’t have time to ponder. Ji Yingqing seemed so frail; if there was an intruder…

She rushed to the fourth floor, nearly tripping. Unlike the other floors, the fourth floor had no windows in the hallway. It was absolute darkness. She hadn’t been up here before. She groped around for a wall but felt only open air. No rooms?

She wanted to call out, but feared alerting an intruder. She moved silently, wondering why no one from the villa had noticed the blackout. Then she remembered Xiaoyu’s words: Butler Li forbade anyone from approaching the castle at the start of the month. Is that why no one is coming?

Another sound of glass breaking echoed. Bai Manruo followed the noise.

“Miss Ji? Are you there?” she whispered. Suddenly, her foot slipped and she fell. Finding a smooth wall, she let out a sigh of relief. This was a room. A faint scent drifted through the door crack.

She tried the handle, but it was locked. The emergency bell! Butler Li had mentioned that every hallway had an emergency button that would automatically open all doors in a crisis. The butler had only specified the locations for floors one through three, but Bai Manruo guessed the fourth floor wouldn’t be much different.

“Miss Ji, wait for me!” she called out, feeling along the wall. Five minutes later, she found it. She pressed it, and to her relief, the door clicked open.

A wave of fragrance hit her. It wasn’t just one scent; it was a chaotic mix of multiple pheromones. Receiving such a concentrated dose, her own glands began to throb with restlessness. Why are there so many Alpha pheromones here? And Miss Ji is an Omega…

Panic surged. She suppressed her own biological agitation and rushed into the room.

“Miss Ji? Are you alright?” She could only rely on her ears. The chaotic smells were making it hard to think. She pushed through the dark, her eyes cold with focus.

Her foot brushed against something soft. She knelt immediately, her hands reaching out. “Miss Ji, is that you?”

She felt a faint, warm breath and then her palms touched cool skin. She stiffened. Ji Yingqing seemed semi-conscious, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural heat, her pale lips damp with sweat.

Bai Manruo lifted her into her arms. Suddenly, her nose caught a rich, concentrated scent coming from the person in her embrace. It was different from the chaotic mess in the room.

It was a familiar, delicate fragrance—one she was certain she had smelled somewhere before.