In reality, the environment they were in was excellent—one could even say it was a bit too good.
They stood in a massive garden, facing a fountain sculpture carved from white marble. The sculpture depicted an exceptionally beautiful woman holding a woven wicker baby bassinet. Beneath her was a bed of a myriad of flowers, and even without color, one could sense their vibrant splendor.
The fountain water was crystal clear, and a thin layer of silver coins rested at the bottom of the basin.
It looked like a wishing well.
Nan Yue frowned. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt the woman in the statue bore a resemblance to Wen Xiang Yuan.
"Does it look like her?"
Gu Xiang Kai scratched his head. "I don't really see it."
She asked the other three, but none of them felt there was any similarity. To be honest, Nan Yue didn't think the woman's features were identical to Wen Xiang Yuan's either; she just...
Had a faint feeling.
"Yueyue!"
Nan Yue found the voice somewhat familiar. When she turned around and saw the person squeezing through the crowd, she was uncharacteristically stunned for a moment.
"...Huo Fuyu?"
Huo Fuyu was still dressed in a black Chinese-style frog-button shirt and silk trousers, looking like an elegant young gentleman from ancient times, as refined as jade.
"We finally meet again."
Huo Fuyu was visibly happy as he tried to approach her. "We can finally act together this time!"
But before he could reach Nan Yue's side, a man slightly taller than him blocked his path.
Jiang Siyan's smile was gentle and polite, not appearing to be intentionally targeting him at all.
"There are too many people here. Let's talk about other things later."
"Are you... Bai Yao?"
Huo Fuyu arched an eyebrow. The news of a top 9 powerhouse joining Nan Yue's team had been a hot topic on the forums, and since he lurked there every day to check on Nan Yue, he had naturally seen it.
"Why can he join and I can't!?"
Huo Fuyu frowned, looking very dissatisfied. "I'm much more useful. Last time, it would have been very troublesome to get out without me!"
Nan Yue was somewhat speechless. Why did a schemer like Huo Fuyu become such a persistent pest after just one mission?
"I've heard about it. You played a significant role in Antswamp Village."
Huo Fuyu: ...!! What does that have to do with you! Who do you think you are to praise me!
"Heh, thanks for the compliment?"
Jiang Siyan beamed. "You're welcome."
Huo Fuyu: ...
Watching Huo Fuyu suddenly turn and walk away in a huff, Nan Yue was a bit confused.
This man's temper was truly eccentric.
Although their cooperation in Antswamp Village had been pleasant enough, Huo Fuyu's ability involved making friends and then selecting suitable candidates to turn into his puppets.
Nan Yue wouldn't judge such behavior, but she had to be on guard. Furthermore... Huo Fuyu truly did not meet her criteria for a teammate.
She pushed the thought to the back of her mind as a tall, thin man with graying hair at his temples approached, wearing a butler's uniform.
"I assume you all are the employees arriving for your induction? I am the butler of Eden Garden. My surname is Zhao."
"Since you have already moved in, I trust you are well-informed about this place, but I must emphasize it once more."
"Eden Garden is the private residence of the Wen family and the most important place in the entire federation."
An arrogant expression appeared on Butler Zhao's face. "Even the Presidential Palace cannot compare to the Wen family. Since you have come to work for the Wen family, you must always remember to remain loyal to them."
"In a moment, you will head to your respective workstations, but you must always remember three rules."
"No talking back, no laziness, and no disobeying the young masters and ladies."
Butler Zhao flipped through the roster in his hand and began assigning everyone's duties.
Zhu Xi Ning was assigned to the gardener group, Gu Xiang Kai to the security group, Jiang Siyan to the butler group, Nan Yue to the maid group, and Huo Fuyu to the cleaning group.
In addition to them, each group had two other people, completing the assignment of the fifteen scavengers.
Because of the advantage of his group assignment, Jiang Siyan followed Butler Zhao. Nan Yue wasn't worried about him; he would certainly be able to gather clues the most safely and quickly.
Assigned to the same group as Nan Yue were two other girls. One was a tall, brisk girl named Su Hong, while the other was an old acquaintance she hadn't seen in a long time.
It was the small Bai La La, with her two braided pigtails and the notebook she always carried.
Bai La La gave Nan Yue a smile.
There were only two acquaintances this time. Only Bai La La was in the same group as Nan Yue, while the others were strangers. Fortunately, there weren't many newcomers this time, and everyone seemed quite calm so far.
Nan Yue exchanged looks with the others, and they followed their respective native leaders to receive their tasks.
The woman leading Nan Yue's group looked to be in her thirties, her hair tucked into a white headband and wearing a black maid's uniform.
The woman told them to call her Sister Min. In truth, Sister Min was quite good-looking, but because she rarely smiled, there were deep furrows at the corners of her eyes and around her mouth.
She looked very stern.
"We are Group 5. There are twenty groups of maids in Eden Garden. Our Group 5 must be the best because we are chambermaids, directly responsible for managing Miss Wen's daily life."
Behind Sister Min was the Wen family's villa. To call it a villa was an understatement; Nan Yue felt it was more like a castle.
It had a light gray exterior built from massive stones, surrounded by dense flower beds and lawns.
The villa was divided into eastern and western sections connected by a sky bridge. The overall style was luxurious Baroque, with a high and steep hip roof that looked majestic, and towering turrets were visible.
"Now, let us head inside. Keep quiet."
The three exchanged glances and followed Sister Min into the massive castle.
As soon as they entered, the three were so stunned by the luxurious decorations that they could hardly move.
The hall was magnificent, adorned with exquisite Renaissance oil murals and a massive crystal chandelier, each piece of crystal reflecting a multicolored halo.
The floor was covered in deep gold Persian cashmere carpets that felt like walking on clouds.
Red velvet curtains with gold-embroidered edges hung high, casting purplish-red ripples over the stained glass.
On an ebony cabinet, twelve spermaceti candles burned slowly, emitting a faint fragrance. However, this delicate scent was quickly overwhelmed by the intense aroma of roses within the castle.
Everywhere one looked inside the castle, there were brilliant red roses.
Nan Yue had seen flowers before—the Green City State had no shortage of them—but this was the first time she had seen roses with such an intense color.
They looked as if they had been dyed in blood, so rich they almost seemed to drip.
"Miss Wen loves roses most of all. You must remember to replace them with fresh ones every morning and evening."
"Our group's work area is limited to the East and West Halls. Anywhere above the second floor is outside our jurisdiction, and you are not permitted to go up there."
Su Hong gave a flattering smile. "Sister Min, how can one go up to the second floor?"
Sister Min glanced at Su Hong, her tone as cold as a blade. "Promotions. There are daily evaluations and scores. Once your score is high enough, you can go up."
Rate on N.U.
