The Huo Family's Troublesome Maid

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: You Can Have It

The woman, however, clearly had no intention of letting the matter end there.

She lowered the porcelain ornament and pointed it toward Xi Yunxui’s face.

”You’re only a servant, yet you dare to lecture me in the Huo residence. Who gave you the courage?”

Xi Yunxui glanced at the ornament before meeting her gaze.

”No one gave me courage, Madam. I’m simply doing my job.”

”Your job?” The woman scoffed. ”Your job is to obey the guests of this household. If I ask you to send something to my room, you should do it without making excuses.”

”I’m sorry, but I can’t remove anything from the household without permission.”

The woman’s expression twisted with displeasure.

”Do you know how much money the Huo family owes us?”

Xi Yunxui raised an eyebrow.

”Money?”

Huo Mingyuo’s wife immediately seized upon the question.

”Of course. If it weren’t for my husband’s father, the Huo family would never have achieved what it has today. The old man helped them when they were struggling, and now that the Huo family has become wealthy, they act as though they don’t remember where they came from.”

Huo Mingyuo’s face tightened.

”Lihua, enough.”

His voice was quiet, but there was a warning beneath it.

Xin Lihua turned toward him in disbelief.

”What? Am I lying? Your father helped the Huo family when they were still trying to establish themselves. Grandfather Huo promised to take care of our family in return. Yet look at how they treat us now.”

”Those matters have already been settled,” Huo Mingyuo said.

”Settled?” Xin Lihua gave a sharp laugh. ”You call this settled? Your nephew has a mansion, your niece is a famous actress, and your family members live comfortably while we have to struggle for every little thing.”

The young man beside her immediately nodded.

”Exactly. Cousin Yuning is earning so much money from filming. Asking her to help me get a role isn’t unreasonable.”

His sister folded her arms and added, ”And I only wanted a few of her old clothes. She has so many that she probably doesn’t even remember them. Why does everyone act as though we’re asking for something impossible?”

Xi Yunxui listened without interrupting.

The more they spoke, the more shameless they appeared.

They were not merely asking for help. They spoke as though the Huo family’s wealth belonged to them by right, and any refusal was an insult that demanded retaliation.

When Xin Lihua noticed Xi Yunxui’s silence, she turned her anger toward her again.

”What are you staring at?”

”Nothing,” Xi Yunxui replied.

”Then go upstairs and tell Huo Yuning to come down. We’ve been waiting long enough.”

”Miss Huo is resting.”

”Then wake her up.”

Xi Yunxui’s expression remained polite, but her voice became firmer.

”I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Xin Lihua’s eyes widened.

”You can’t?”

”She specifically asked not to be disturbed.”

”Who do you think you are?” Xin Lihua snapped. ”A servant should know her place. Do you think working in the Huo mansion makes you one of its masters?”

The young man smirked.

”Mother, there’s no need to waste your breath. Just tell the housekeeper to dismiss her. If she can’t even follow a simple instruction, she has no business working here.”

Xi Yunxui slowly turned toward him.

”I believe the Huo family can decide whether I’m suitable for my position.”

The young man’s smile disappeared.

”You—”

”Enough.”

The soft but firm voice came from the entrance.

Everyone in the living room turned at once.

Xin Lihua’s face changed the moment she saw the woman walking toward them. Her anger vanished so quickly that Xi Yunxui almost thought she had imagined it.

Madam Huo, Xin Lihua’s sister-in-law, entered the room with a gentle smile on her face.

She was elegantly dressed, as composed as ever, but there was a trace of fatigue around her eyes. Her gaze moved briefly over the porcelain ornament in Xin Lihua’s hand before settling on Xi Yunxui.

”Yunxui, what happened?”

Before Xi Yunxui could answer, Xin Lihua hurried forward.

”Sister-in-law, you came at the perfect time. The servants in this house have become terribly arrogant. This girl actually refused to give me a simple ornament and even spoke to me as though I were some stranger.”

Madam Huo looked at the ornament.

”Oh, that piece?”

”Yes.” Xin Lihua held it up. ”I liked it, so I asked her to send it to my room. Is that really such a difficult request?”

Madam Huo smiled.

”It isn’t difficult.”

Xi Yunxui’s brows lifted slightly.

”But—”

”Yunxui,” Madam Huo interrupted gently, ”why don’t you let Auntie Xin have it?”

The room fell silent.

Xin Lihua’s expression brightened immediately, while Xi Yunxui studied Madam Huo’s face.

Madam Huo continued before anyone could speak.

”It’s only a small ornament. If she likes it, there’s no reason to make a fuss over it.”

Xi Yunxui looked at the porcelain piece, then at Madam Huo.

She understood what Madam Huo was doing.

The ornament itself was not important. Madam Huo was using it to smooth the situation before it escalated further.

Xi Yunxui handed the ornament to the nearest servant.

”Please wrap it carefully and send it to Madam’s room.”

Xin Lihua smiled with satisfaction.

”See? If you had simply agreed from the beginning, none of this would have happened.”

Xi Yunxui did not respond.

Madam Huo’s smile remained gentle as she turned toward Huo Mingyuo and his family.

”You’ve all come a long way. Why don’t you sit down and have some tea? I’ll ask the kitchen to prepare something.”

Xin Lihua’s expression softened.

”Sister-in-law, we were actually hoping to speak with Yuning.”

”She isn’t feeling well,” Madam Huo replied. ”She has been filming continuously for several days and barely had time to rest. Let her sleep for now.”

”But—”

”I’m sure whatever you want to discuss can wait until she wakes up.”

Her tone was still pleasant, but there was an unmistakable finality beneath it.

Xin Lihua opened her mouth, then closed it again.

The young man, however, was not as perceptive.

”Uncle, Auntie, we’ve already waited long enough. If Cousin Yuning is only resting, she can spare a few minutes. I just want to discuss a role with her.”

Madam Huo turned toward him.

”Your cousin’s schedule is arranged by her agency and production team. Even if she wanted to help you, she may not be able to do anything.”

”But she knows directors.”

”She knows many people,” Madam Huo agreed. ”That does not mean she can promise them roles.”

The young man’s face darkened.

”Are you saying she can’t help me?”

”I’m saying that the entertainment industry is not as simple as you think.”

The girl beside him immediately stepped forward.

”And what about me? I only asked Cousin Yuning for a few clothes. She has so many designer outfits that she never wears them twice.”

Madam Huo smiled patiently.

”I’m sure Yuning will give you something when she has the time to sort through her belongings.”

The girl’s lips curved into a dissatisfied pout.

”But why can’t she do it now?”

”Because she is resting.”

The answer was soft, yet it left no room for argument.

Xi Yunxui watched Madam Huo carefully.

The woman had not raised her voice even once. She had not reprimanded them, ordered them out, or displayed the slightest trace of anger. Instead, she had soothed every complaint, granted them a small concession, and redirected every demand until the confrontation gradually lost its sharpness.

It was an impressive display of patience.

But there was something else beneath it.

Madam Huo was not merely being kind.

She was enduring them.

And for a family like the Huo family, who possessed enough influence and wealth to refuse almost anyone, such endurance was strange.

Why would they tolerate this family’s behavior?

Why would Madam Huo willingly appease people who insulted the servants, demanded money, and treated the mansion as though it belonged to them?

Xi Yunxui’s gaze moved briefly to Huo Mingyuo.

The man had remained quiet throughout the exchange, his shoulders slightly hunched and his eyes lowered. He looked embarrassed by his wife and children, yet he had not stopped them until the situation became impossible to ignore.

There was clearly more to this family than Huo Yuning had told her.

Madam Huo turned to Xi Yunxui.

”Yunxui, come with me for a moment.”

Xi Yunxui nodded.

”Yes, Madam.”

As they walked away, Xin Lihua’s voice followed them.

”Sister-in-law, don’t forget what we discussed. We really need your help this time.”

Madam Huo paused only briefly before giving her a warm smile.

”Of course. We’ll discuss it later.”

She then led Xi Yunxui upstairs.

The moment they entered Madam Huo’s room, the gentle smile on her face faded.

She closed the door behind them and stood there for a moment, her hand still resting on the handle. Then she released a long, exhausted sigh.

”I’m sorry, Yunxui.”

Xi Yunxui blinked.

”Why are you apologizing, ma?”

”For what happened downstairs.” Madam Huo walked toward the seating area and lowered herself onto the sofa. ”You were only doing your job, yet you had to endure all that because of them.”

Xi Yunxui followed her inside and sat across from her.

”It’s fine. I’m not upset.”

Madam Huo gave her a tired smile.

”You may not be upset, but you shouldn’t have been placed in that position.”

”They were being unreasonable,” Xi Yunxui admitted. ”But you handled it well.”

A faint bitterness passed through Madam Huo’s eyes.

”Handled it well?”

She let out a quiet laugh.

”I suppose that’s one way to describe it.”

Xi Yunxui studied her.

Madam Huo leaned back against the sofa, looking more tired than she had downstairs.

”Sometimes, keeping the peace is easier than demanding justice. Especially when the people involved refuse to understand the difference between kindness and weakness.”

Her words were vague, but the weariness behind them was unmistakable.

Xi Yunxui wanted to ask what exactly tied Huo Mingyuo’s family to the Huo household. She wanted to know why Madam Huo had chosen to appease them instead of throwing them out.

However, she sensed that it was not the right time.

Before she could say anything, her stomach suddenly growled.

The sound was loud enough to fill the quiet room.

Xi Yunxui froze.

Madam Huo stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

”Yunxui!”

Xi Yunxui’s cheeks warmed.

”I’m sorry.”

”Why are you apologizing for being hungry?” Madam Huo waved her hand, still laughing. ”You probably haven’t eaten anything since morning.”

Xi Yunxui glanced away.

She had been so occupied with the trip to the antique shop, the strange mission, and the commotion at the mansion that she had completely forgotten about food. Even the chocolate Huo Yuning had given her had only served to remind her how hungry she actually was.

Madam Huo rose from the sofa.

”Go downstairs and eat something before your stomach starts protesting again.”

”Madam, I can—”

”That wasn’t a request.”

Xi Yunxui looked at her.

Madam Huo’s smile softened.

”You’ve already done enough for today. Go and have your lunch.”

Xi Yunxui hesitated for a moment before standing.

”Then I’ll excuse myself.”

”Of course. And Yunxui?”

Xi Yunxui turned back.

”Don’t let what happened downstairs trouble you. Some people are simply incapable of appreciating kindness.”

There was something in Madam Huo’s voice that made Xi Yunxui pause.

It sounded less like a warning about Xin Lihua and more like a quiet confession about the Huo family’s long-standing circumstances.

Still, Xi Yunxui only nodded.

”I understand.”

She left Madam Huo’s room and made her way downstairs.

By the time she reached the main living room, Huo Mingyuo and his family were nowhere in sight. The porcelain ornament was gone as well, and the servants had already restored the room to its usual order, as though the earlier confrontation had never happened.

Xi Yunxui released a quiet sigh of relief.

At last, they were gone.

Her stomach immediately growled again, as if objecting to the amount of time she had spent talking instead of eating.

Xi Yunxui pressed a hand against her abdomen and hurried toward the staff quarters.

Whatever mystery surrounded Huo Mingyuo’s family could wait.

Right now, she needed food.