A Hellish First Task

“Huh?”

Xiang Qing’s jaw nearly hit her own feet.

“My dear lady, didn’t you just say you were going to take me away?”

“How could you suddenly decide to stay in an instant?”

“What kind of god-tier move is this?”

“Did I detonate the entire galaxy in my past life?”

“Am I destined to deal with two demanding figures in this life?”

A buzzing began to fill Xiang Qing’s head.

She found Shen Lanzhi’s request utterly preposterous, a new level of absurdity.

How could Gu Wei, that madwoman, possibly agree?

This wasn’t some cliché idol drama; this was reality!

However, Gu Wei’s subsequent reaction utterly shattered Xiang Qing’s worldview.

Instead of growing angry, Gu Wei merely scrutinized Shen Lanzhi from head to toe.

“Alright.”

Xiang Qing: “???”

“Wait, she agreed? She actually agreed just like that?”

“Had the sun truly risen in the west today?”

“However…”

Gu Wei lazily added, “My place is rather small, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the living room sofa.”

A stampede of expletives thundered through Xiang Qing’s mind.

“Small?”

“You dare call this penthouse mansion, boasting a 360-degree panoramic river view and vast enough to host a sports festival, ‘small’?”

“Did she perhaps misunderstand the very definition of ‘small’?”

“No problem at all,” Shen Lanzhi declared, straightening her posture and agreeing without hesitation.

Xiang Qing was utterly flabbergasted.

“Seriously, had the two of them reached some bizarre understanding behind her back?”

“What kind of masterful power struggle was this, a dance she couldn’t even begin to comprehend?”

She felt like a fish on a chopping block, with these two women akin to a pair of cleavers, deliberating where best to make the first cut.

With the temporary cohabitation agreement now sealed, Gu Wei’s lips curved into an even wider, unmistakably sinister grin.

“My little darling, since everyone’s here, let’s officially begin our work.”

Gu Wei turned, retrieved an outfit from an enormous walk-in closet, and promptly thrust it into Xiang Qing’s embrace.

“Go on, put on our work uniform first.”

Xiang Qing glanced down, her gaze falling upon the pitifully scant fabric in her hands: black silk adorned with layers of lace, a skirt so short it barely concealed her backside, a fluffy cat tail attached to the rear, and even a collar with a small bell around the neck.

Bloody hell!

“What in the world was this?”

“Was this truly what a respectable nanny was supposed to wear?”

“This had to be the prized centerpiece of some outlandish adult novelty store!”

Xiang Qing’s face instantly flushed crimson, hot enough to drip blood.

“Go on, change quickly. I want to see the result,” Gu Wei urged, her gaze alight with unconcealed anticipation.

“I won’t wear it!” Xiang Qing retorted, shrinking back with the clothes, never in her life having felt such vehement refusal.

“Gu Wei! You’re going too far!” Shen Lanzhi immediately stepped forward to shield Xiang Qing. “What kind of behavior is this? It’s utterly scandalous and indecent!”

“I paid eight hundred thousand for this nanny; what she wears is, naturally, entirely my decision.”

Gu Wei crossed her arms, her expression one of utter conviction. “If Miss Shen finds it disagreeable, you’re welcome to turn right and leave now. No need for me to see you out.”

Shen Lanzhi was rendered speechless, choked by the retort.

Under the intense scrutiny of the two women, Xiang Qing ultimately retreated into the room, clutching the humiliating uniform.

Minutes later, when she reluctantly emerged, a hush fell over the entire living room.

The scant maid outfit, draped over her form, only served to accentuate her already luminous, fair skin, making her even more conspicuous.

Her slender waist and long, straight legs were tantalizingly glimpsed beneath the black lace trim.

Her hands nervously tugged at the pitifully short hem of the skirt, her face a mask of utter despair, while the bell on her neck chimed with every hesitant movement.

“It’s… it’s scandalous…”

Though Shen Lanzhi’s words were condemnatory, her eyes remained glued to Xiang Qing, unable to tear away for even a second, her throat visibly bobbing.

“My dear lady, you’re a woman! Why are you swallowing your spit?”

Xiang Qing felt as though she might spontaneously combust.

“You two perverts, can you please stop staring!”

“Keep looking, and I’ll be roasted alive!”

“Excellent, excellent. My little darling looks good in anything,” Gu Wei affirmed, nodding in satisfaction.

She clapped her hands.

“Alright, now for the first task. Go to the bathroom and wash the clothes in the laundry basket.”

Xiang Qing felt as though she’d been granted a reprieve, practically bolting into the bathroom as if fleeing for her life, desperate to escape the two women’s gazes.

However, the sight of the so-called laundry basket instantly turned her to stone.

Far from containing any respectable garments, the basket overflowed with women’s intimate apparel of every conceivable style and color!

Lace, pure cotton, silk… a dazzling array, every type imaginable.

Xiang Qing’s hands trembled as she gingerly picked up a pair of black lace panties; the touch on her fingertips… was still warm!

“Had this madwoman just taken them off? They still carried her body heat!”

“She actually expected her to handwash these?”

Just as Xiang Qing’s mind seemed to short-circuit, Gu Wei’s figure materialized at the bathroom doorway, leaning casually against the frame, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched Xiang Qing.

“What’s wrong, my little darling? Are you amazed by my taste?”

Xiang Qing’s hand twitched, and the panties nearly slipped into the toilet bowl.

“Aren’t you going to start washing?” Gu Wei raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be right here, watching you wash them clean, every single piece, until they’re spotless.”

“This woman was a devil, wasn’t she? Absolutely!”

A shiver of dread ran down Xiang Qing’s scalp.

“Gu Wei! What are you attempting now?” Shen Lanzhi’s voice cut in, as she swiftly darted forward, attempting to dislodge Gu Wei from the doorway. “Stay away from Xiang Qing!”

“Why should I?” Gu Wei replied, not budging an inch. “This is my home; I’ll stand wherever I please. It’s only natural for me to supervise my nanny at work.”

Shen Lanzhi pushed for what felt like an eternity, only to discover Gu Wei was as immovable as a mountain.

Her face flushed with anger, she gritted her teeth and made a decision that made Xiang Qing wish for immediate oblivion.

“Fine! You want to watch? Then I’ll watch too! I’d like to see what tricks you dare pull on Xiang Qing right in front of me!”

Having declared this, Shen Lanzhi positioned herself firmly beside Gu Wei, crossing her arms, adopting a defiant stance that proclaimed, “I am your sworn rival.”

And so, at the bathroom doorway, on the left stood a deranged rich beauty, while on the right, a cunning “green tea” schemer.

Two scorching gazes, like powerful searchlights, converged simultaneously on Xiang Qing, who stood clad in a provocative cat-girl outfit, clutching someone else’s intimate apparel.

“What kind of hellish public execution was this?”

Xiang Qing felt all the blood rush to her face; she desperately wished to find a crack in the earth, crawl inside, and seal herself in with cement.

“What are you standing around for, my little darling?” Gu Wei’s voice dripped with malicious amusement. “The faucet is over there, the laundry detergent on the shelf. Hurry and begin; my patience is rather limited.”

“Xiang Qing, is the water too cold?” Shen Lanzhi feigned concern. “Does big sister need to help you test the water temperature?”

“Both of you, just shut up!”

Xiang Qing roared furiously in her mind, yet outwardly, she could only humiliatingly shuffle to the sink and turn on the faucet.

The icy water sluiced over her fingers, yet it failed to douse the scorching heat on her cheeks.

She felt as though she wasn’t merely washing clothes, but rather scrubbing away her own dignity—no, her dignity was already utterly gone.

“This task was simply unbearable!”

Due to a potent mix of nervousness and embarrassment, Xiang Qing’s fingers stiffened, her scrubbing motions becoming awkward and clumsy, nearly squirting laundry detergent onto her own face.

“My little darling, use more force.”

Gu Wei’s voice drifted lazily from the doorway, imbued with a distinct note of mockery.

“Haven’t you eaten? My precious little panties are far too delicate for you to ruin.”

Ten thousand unspoken curses surged within Xiang Qing’s mind.

“My dear lady! This is lace! You want me to scrub harder? Whose fault will it be if it’s ruined? They’ll just deduct it from my wages!”

“Gu Wei, refrain from your sarcastic remarks!” Shen Lanzhi immediately interjected, fiercely protective. “Xiang Qing is doing this kind of work for the first time; don’t make it harder for her!”

Gu Wei sneered, crossing her arms.

“Oh, is Miss Shen feeling sympathetic? Then why don’t you wash them for her? I’d be quite curious to witness you laundering intimate apparel.”