After eight years in sales, I was sick of talking. So, I pretended to be mute and set up a street stall selling steamed buns. Customers just had to point. "Miss... I want a meat bun," a little boy said timidly. I handed him one. He wolfed it down in three bites. When it was time to pay, he said he had no money. I waved my hands frantically: No, no, you can't just not pay. "Does that wave mean it's okay? Thanks, Miss!" The boy bolted. I wanted to shout, but I couldn't break character. The next day, the boy brought a man. "Brother, this is the lady who helped me." The man pressed his lips together, said nothing, and scanned my Venmo QR code. Ding. You received $10,000. I was stunned. "Brother, her buns are delicious. Can we hire her to make buns at our house?" The man looked cold. "Come make buns at my house. $50,000 a month, room and board included." I wanted to go, but I couldn't. My buns were frozen, store-bought. I didn't even know how to make dough. I waved my hands frantically: I can't go. "No problem, right? Let's go!" 1 Just like that, I was whisked away to a massive villa. It had been too dark to see clearly before, but in the light, the man looked exactly like a CEO from a drama. "From now on, you're responsible for making buns. Salary hits your account on the first of every month." Before he finished, a wealthy-looking woman came downstairs. "Bringing random people home again? You could have at least told me." She covered her nose and frowned. "Mom, this is the chef I hired for Leo. She helped him when he ran away last time," the man explained. The woman wasn't having it. "What do you mean? Are you blaming me for not knowing how to make buns, so Leo ran away?" "Fine, fine, I know. I'm old and useless. I'm the most useless person in this house." "I don't want to live anymore! Ahhh~" She collapsed on the floor, wailing. It reminded me of my grandma's tantrums back in the village. The man sighed. "Mom, I didn't mean that. I..." "You're Mrs. Sterling, act like it! Leo ran away because he couldn't stand you!" A middle-aged man dressed like a gentleman suddenly appeared from a corner. "Dad, could you not add fuel to the fire?" The younger man looked even more exhausted. "Leo running away is your fault! If you didn't force him to study endlessly, would he have run?" Mrs. Sterling scrambled up and grabbed Mr. Sterling's collar. Mr. Sterling tried to pry her fingers off while shouting, "If you didn't force him to eat your dark cuisine every day, he wouldn't have run! It's all your fault!" The two of them started wrestling on the floor. "Wait, there's an outsider here. Don't air dirty laundry. Make her leave." Mrs. Sterling finally remembered me. "She's mute. She can't speak," the younger man said coldly. "Can't speak? Tsk tsk tsk! That's perfect. Finally, someone who won't gossip about me behind my back." "Fire the other maids. From now on, she's the only one staying." 2 I was shocked. Are they trying to work me to death? "Mom, that's not good. The house is huge; how can she handle it alone?" "Hire a cleaning service for the heavy lifting. Just keep her. Buy some robots for her to use if you have to," Mrs. Sterling said, fixing her hair as she got up. "Your mom is right. That way, our family matters won't leak out. We can fight all we want with the door closed and not worry about outsiders laughing," Mr. Sterling smoothed his collar. Mrs. Sterling raged again. "What do you mean? Who's fighting? You're the one starting things!" "Just me? You didn't start anything? You think you're so right?" Mr. Sterling shot back fearlessly. The younger man rubbed his temples and signaled for me to follow him to the study. "Those were my parents. That's how they communicate. You need to get used to it." I didn't care. They weren't my parents; I was here for the money. "From now on, whatever you hear or see, pretend you didn't. No photos, no spreading rumors, or you'll face legal consequences." "Don't worry about anything outside the kitchen. I'll hire cleaners twice a day; just supervise them." "Leo is my little brother, the kid you helped. Your main job is cooking for him. As for those two... good luck." "Since you're the only live-in staff, I'll double your salary. $100,000 a month, paid on the first." Before he finished, I was nodding so hard my head felt dizzy. Deal, deal! I'm definitely taking this deal. Tonight, I'm going on YouTube to learn how to make buns! 3 I overestimated myself. I watched videos all night under the covers and learned nothing. The next morning, I got up early, bought ten meat buns from a shop, and snuck them back in. "Sister's buns are so good!" Leo held a bun in each hand, eating happily. "If only Mom's cooking was this good." His mood dropped as he ate. "Mom and Dad fight every day. As soon as they meet, they fight. It gives me a headache." "My brother only cares about business. He doesn't come home for days." "Sister, do your parents fight?" Leo looked at me with cheeks full of bun. I nodded. Who doesn't fight? Just not this dramatically. "Is that so? I envy you." Leo continued eating. For a moment, I felt like rich people didn't need reading comprehension skills. "I like that you can't speak. Unlike Mom and Dad who fight, or my brother who lectures me. And unlike the previous maids who mocked my family behind our backs." Silly kid, I mock you too. Secretly. After a week, I figured out this family. They were a plastic family. The parents had an arranged marriage. Thirty years of non-stop fighting. The older brother, Ethan, was a workaholic. Only the little brother, Leo, was normal, but he had no voice because he was young. He struggled to survive between fighting parents and an indifferent brother, finally running away. Who knew he'd lose his money immediately and only survive because I gave him a bun. That was the root cause of me becoming their nanny! 4 "Don't think I don't know why you dressed up. Today is your 'White Moonlight's' birthday." "Hmph, I knew you couldn't forget her." Mrs. Sterling started yelling early in the morning. "Aren't you the same? Dressing so revealingly at your age. Do you think I don't know today is your old flame's death anniversary?" "Ha, you dressed like this to show him at his grave, right?" Mr. Sterling retorted. "So what if I show off? Can you control me?" "I can't be bothered to argue with you!" "Of course you can't. You can't even be bothered to look at me. Arthur Sterling, you regret it, don't you? Regret not marrying your 'White Moonlight'." Mrs. Sterling gritted her teeth. "Think what you want." Mr. Sterling stormed out of the house. Leo and I leaned on the railing, staring at each other. "Actually, today is their 30th wedding anniversary. They have a huge fight every year at this time." Leo looked helpless. At noon, while I was cooking, Mrs. Sterling leaned against the doorframe. "Do you think I'm old? Past my prime?" "He definitely went to see that woman. I wore his favorite dress today, but he didn't remember at all." "Even though it was an arranged marriage, after all these years, I'm used to him." I widened my eyes, spatula in hand. "Usually, I have no one to talk to. Arthur and I can't talk properly." "I used to treat the old maid like a confidant, told her everything, even shared my bird's nest soup. But she treated my words as jokes for the other maids, embarrassing me in my social circle." "You're better. You can only listen, not speak. Safe." Mrs. Sterling helped me pick celery as she spoke. Mr. Sterling didn't return until evening, holding a bouquet of pink roses. "What, didn't give the flowers away? Rejected? See, she doesn't like you that much." Mrs. Sterling pecked at him like a rooster seeing a centipede. "You!" Mr. Sterling was speechless with anger and threw the flowers in the trash. That night, when I took out the trash, Mr. Sterling stood by the bin talking to me. "Today is our 30th anniversary. Every year I want to celebrate properly, but every year she has to anger me." "Pink roses are her favorite. Why does she have to say such hurtful things?" "But... she was really beautiful today." 5 So these two are roleplaying a tragic romance? Do they care if the bystanders live or die? Like their son! At night, I snuck the flowers out of the trash, cleaned them up, and gave them to Mrs. Sterling, who had just finished using the bathroom. She was about to throw them out when I played my voice recorder. It contained what Mr. Sterling said to me earlier. "Play it again. I'm old, can't hear well." After listening to it nine times, Mrs. Sterling happily took the flowers to her room. "Oh right, Arthur is still reading in the study. It's cold, bring him some honey water." She added before closing her door. I tinkered in the kitchen for a while, finally brewing a special cup of honey water. When I brought it to the study, Mr. Sterling was staring into space. I put down the water and pressed play. "It's cold, bring him some honey water." "It's cold, bring him some honey water." "It's cold, bring him some honey water." After hearing it three times, Mr. Sterling drank the water in one gulp. An hour later, he opened Mrs. Sterling's door. Inside, there was bickering, then whimpering, then clatter-bang. Hehe, drank my potion? I guarantee your love will be deep as the ocean. Fight until dawn! At lunch the next day, only Leo was at the table. "Weird, why aren't Mom and Dad eating?" He poked his chopsticks, looking upstairs. I followed his gaze, suppressing a laugh. Silly boy, maybe you're going to be a big brother. They slept until sunset. Dinner time. "I peeled the shrimp you like. Eat." Mr. Sterling stared at Mrs. Sterling with doting eyes. "Oh, you eat too. You're exhausted." Mrs. Sterling, face glowing, fed shrimp to her husband. "Mom, Dad, are you possessed?" Leo stood behind me, afraid to sit. "Take him to eat in the kitchen." Mr. Sterling waved me away. "Ethan, come back quick! Mom and Dad are possessed. Yeah, everything is wrong. I'm scared." In the kitchen, Leo squatted in the corner calling Ethan. An hour later, Ethan rushed back. The parents were still eating. Seeing his lovey-dovey parents, Ethan looked like he saw a ghost. "What happened?" Ethan looked at me. I waved my hands: I don't know. "You won't say?" He asked, surprised. Me: ... "Ethan, Leo, your mom and I are going on a second honeymoon. You brothers take care of yourselves for a few months." Mr. Sterling said smilingly. Ethan was shocked. "But Dad, I'm so busy, how can I take care of Leo?" "That's your problem! Let's go upstairs, darling." Mr. Sterling supported his wife and they minced away. Leaving Ethan standing there in disarray. 6 Leo, however, danced with joy. "Yes! Mom and Dad finally stopped fighting! Hahahaha." "With them traveling, no one manages me. I can do whatever I want." Ethan slapped the back of his head. "Dream on." The old couple left early the next morning, like they were rushing to reincarnate. Ethan moved back home that night. [Leo, hot pot for lunch?] "Yes yes yes!" [Leo, fried rice for lunch?] "Yes yes yes!" [Leo, sweet potato porridge?] "Yes yes yes!" Since the parents left, only Leo and I ate dinner every day. Ethan worked until past 10 PM. [Why do you eat everything? Not picky?] As Leo and I got closer, he bought me a writing tablet for communication. "As long as someone eats with me, anything is fine." "Mom and Dad fight at the drop of a hat. If they fight, they cold war for a long time. It's hard to eat together. Ethan is busy with business, takes so many calls during a meal." "I usually eat alone. So boring. But it's good now, I have you, Sister." As Leo finished, the door opened. Ethan came back a bit early tonight. "Brother, did you eat? Sister made sweet potato porridge, it's so good. She also made pickled radishes. Want a bowl? I'll get it." Seeing Ethan, Leo's face lit up. He took his bag, got his slippers. Ethan looked at the table, corner of his mouth twitching. "No need, I ate. Going up to shower~" He loosened his collar as he went upstairs. So handsome, so cool. Those legs were longer than my life expectancy. I drooled watching him. "I really want to shower and have a water fight with Brother." Leo mumbled. [Go then!] I held up the tablet. He shook his head. "Brother won't let me. He never showers with me." Seeing Leo's disappointment, I wrote three big words: [Wait for it!] I rushed into the second-floor bathroom. With such a legitimate reason, why not use it? Opening the door, Ethan froze. "Do you need something?" He was wearing only a towel, chest muscles taut. I approached slowly, one eye open, one closed. Hands itching to touch. Ethan's breath hitched: "What... what are you doing?" In a flash, I opened my eyes, aimed for a corner of the towel, yanked hard, and ran out. "Ahhh... mmh mmh..." I yelled for Leo. Leo rushed into the bathroom holding a swim ring: "Brother, I'm coming!"
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