Qu Fulan had turned back halfway when she was called back by Sister Hua Hao, who said the old madam wanted to see her.
She was a bit surprised.
Although she wanted to make a good impression in front of the old madam, this wasn't the right moment.
The other members of the Pei Family had left early on purpose to give the grandmother and grandson space to be alone, so naturally, she wouldn't be tactless enough to insist on showing herself at this time.
What could the old madam want her back for?
Though puzzled in her heart, she didn't show it on her face.
As she entered the room, Qu Fulan noticed out of the corner of her eye that the Heir Pei was also present, so she composed herself and approached with her eyes lowered to salute.
"This servant, Haitang, greets the old madam, greets the Heir."
Qu Fulan's expression remained calm, her gaze steady and proper.
It was the kind of demeanor that easily satisfied those who saw it.
The old madam then smiled and said, "So this is Haitang. A girl who knows proper etiquette and manners. Haitang, the Heir said you contributed to curing my insomnia and wanted to meet you."
With her eyes still lowered, Qu Fulan only directed her words toward the Heir, "What instructions does the Heir have?"
Qu Fulan knew that since she had entered the room, the Heir Pei's gaze had been on her.
She had encountered situations like this before. Back in modern times, when she created value for the company, the top boss flew back from abroad just to meet her.
She had been scrutinized, observed, and praised before.
In fact, she didn't like it. She felt that if she earned merit, they should just give a monetary reward and be done with it. Why meet? Everyone's just a person, two eyes, and a mouth.
Pei Ji'an had recognized her from the courtyard as soon as she entered, his phoenix eyes smiling, "Is there anything you desire, or something you wish to accomplish? Tell me, and I can make it happen for you."
If Qu Fulan believed his words and voiced her real desires, it would be the height of foolishness.
Firstly, the timing was wrong; her merits hadn't reached such a level, and secondly, she was merely a maidservant with no leverage to demand anything in return. His words were merely polite, to consider it a blessing would be a mistake.
She could say nothing, at least not for now.
"The Heir has previously rewarded this servant with gifts, and this servant is content. From now on, I only hope to serve the old madam well, nothing more."
Upon hearing this, the Heir Pei nodded and then said, "It's good that you think this way, showing you're not one to return favors for rewards. However, the grace you've shown to the old madam cannot be repaid with just one reward. I will recognize your contributions later. Simply serve the old madam well, and benefits will come to you."
See, asking her opinion was merely a formality. Whether rewarded or not, it was up to him to decide.
"Thank you, Heir."
The Heir Pei asked some additional questions, focusing on the old madam's sleep condition, which Qu Fulan answered one by one. In the end, the Heir Pei nodded in satisfaction.
"You may go."
"Yes."
With her eyes lowered, Qu Fulan retreated, never having raised her eyes to look at the Heir Pei once.
She dared not look, afraid he would see through her façade of being honest and selfless.
The old madam chuckled behind her, "How do you find this girl of mine?"
"She knows the proper way to advance and retreat. Her deportment is apt. Grandmother's eye is sharp as always. But where did Grandmother find such a girl?" Pei Ji'an asked seemingly casually.
"Bought from outside the residence, a girl who signed a Death Contract. Her parents are deceased, quite a pitiable case."
Pei Ji'an nodded, but his expression turned thoughtful, saying nothing more.
Qu Fulan returned to the maidservants' quarters, and the other maids couldn't help but gather around her.
"What did Sister Hua Hao call you for just now?"
Apparently, Qu Fulan being called back halfway had been seen by other maids, and word had spread fast, causing everyone to be very curious.
"It was merely to inquire about the old madam's sleep condition."
The old madam had been on medication for two months; the medicine should be stopped, but it could not be done abruptly. For now, Qu Fulan was gradually reducing the dosage.
Hai Yue asked, "When you went into the old madam's room, was the Heir still there?"
Qu Fulan glanced at Hai Yue, calmly responding, "Yes."
Hai Yue's expression changed, blurting out, "Did the Heir say anything to you?"
Qu Fulan looked at Hai Yue without speaking, just calmly staring.
Hai Yue, feeling guilty under the gaze, realized the question was inappropriate. What their masters said was not something for a servant to inquire about.
Yet, her curiosity was eating away at her, causing a mix of pain and irritation like being bitten by ants.
She didn't know whether the old madam had spoken to the Heir about the maidservants' situation or if the old madam had already chosen Haitang for the Heir.
These questions plagued Hai Yue, causing her to toss and turn sleeplessly all night.
Qu Fulan, however, slept soundly through the night.
The next day, Hai Yue somehow heard that the old madam hadn't decided on someone yet and was still going through selections.
Hai Yue, energized like she had received a shot of adrenaline, was extremely excited. She still had a chance.
In truth, the Heir's courtyard wouldn't only have one maid. There would definitely be maids for chores, but the personal maid, there was only one. The other third-rank maids couldn't enter the master's room without orders.
Naturally, Hai Yue wished to be the top-ranked maid, serving the master personally, rather than a third-rank maid doing chores.
Because of this, she worked even harder than before, and upon hearing that the old madam had shoulder pain, she volunteered herself, claiming she could do massage and offered to help with the old madam's shoulders.
Hua Hao and Yueyuan discussed this matter.
"What do you think of this?" Hua Hao asked.
"The old madam wants to choose a servant to serve the Heir. Although the news hasn't spread, everyone knows it well. Which maid in this entire manor doesn't wish to go to the Heir's courtyard? Let alone to serve as the personal maid. Some maids are restless, indeed."
"While that's true, she's too eager for instant benefits. We're the personal maids, and we haven't said anything. Yet she's a second-rank maid rushing to massage the old madam's shoulders. Where does that leave us?"
"But in the master's eyes, diligent serving is better than laziness."
"True, you never know, maybe the old madam likes this kind of behavior."
However, what the old madam truly thought, even top-ranked maids like Hua Hao and Yueyuan didn't know.
So far, the old madam hadn't expressed which maid she wanted to pick to serve the Heir personally but frequently mentioned both Haitang and Hai Yue.
She praised Haitang for knowing her place and Hai Yue for her diligence.
Listening to these, there seemed to be no particular preference.
That day, the Heir Pei returned from the outside and went straight to Fushou Hall.
At that time, Hai Yue was massaging the old madam's shoulders. Seeing the Heir come in, her entire face lit up, and she quickly saluted the Heir.
The Heir Pei didn't pay attention to the maids' saluting. He first greeted his grandmother, then briefly mentioned the matters he had handled during his outing to ease her worries.
After discussing these matters, Pei Ji'an glanced around the room and then asked, "Why isn't that girl named Haitang here?"
Hai Yue's smile almost crumbled. She never dreamed that after two days away, the Heir's first request upon returning would be for Haitang!