"Where does it hurt?" He softly asked her, his voice was so alluring and kind, Zhao Lifei was left in a daze. He figured something must've happened to her if she couldn't stand up herself.
Despite his gentle voice, she couldn't help but overthink it. When he first arrived at the scene, she could feel his murderous aura. However, he was now gently asking her if she's hurt.
She thought he was purposely masking his anger so that he doesn't explode in front of so many people. Even if they were his servants, he has not had any scandals and his reputation will surely take a hit if a rumor spreads about him mistreating his employees because of a woman like Zhao Lifei. Her reputation was already destroyed, she didn't want to ruin someone else's.
She looked at her hands, her lips tightly sealed. Her silent treatment was enough to further provoke Yang Feng's anger.
He thought she would open up to him more because they had at least reached the stage of friendship. Their playful banter during breakfast had shortened some of the distance between them. He only changed out of his house clothes so he can drop her off, and now she was back to being distant. Weren't friends suppose to talk to each other about the things bothering them?
He thought he had taken one step forward, but now, it felt as if he had taken two steps back.
Annoyed and pissed at whoever caused this setback, he directed his harsh emotions to the pathetic woman beside Zhao Lifei.
Seeing him finally look at her and give her attention, Pei Qing looked at him with a hopeful expression.
"Pei Qing was it?" He asked, his eyes sweeping over her disheveled appearance and the mess on the floor surrounding both of them.
"Y-yes-"
"You're fired." He coldly told her, standing up and lifting a hand to beckon the old butler forward.
"Take her belongings and burn it to ash. Make sure she walks out of here without that uniform. I don't care if she has to walk out of here naked. Just get this trash out of my sight." He was seething as he gave his orders to the old man. The butler immediately nodded.
"Yes, sir." Without another word, the old butler forcefully hauled Pei Qing to her feet. She was so horrified at his words that her face had gone ghostly pale.
"W-wait Master Feng! I'm sorry! I was in the wrong!" She shrieked, reaching out to hug his arm. She refused to go and instead, desperately clung onto Yang Feng.
She was scared of losing this well-paid job. On top of it, she was terrified of losing a place in his heart.
"Please give me another chance, I swear I won't do it again!" Pei Qing wailed, but couldn't go against the old butler's brute force. His appearance might not look like it, but in his youth, he was a very powerful man. Trained by the military to be a weapon of destruction, his strength was incredible.
With one rough tug, Pei Qing was a few inches away from Yang Feng. But she quickly scrambled back to him, clawing at the only thing she could hold onto. It just happened to be Yang Feng's leg.
The experienced servants couldn't help but internally scold her for her rash actions. While she might be a high-ranking maid, everyone knew their young master is not someone you can casually touch. Now, she was literally clutching a big thigh.
"I admit I was in the wrong! I promise I won't do it again!" She begged while looking up at his face.
Her crocodile tears from before became real and because of her struggle, she looked like a mess. Her hair was flying in every direction, she had mascara running down her cheeks, and her uniform covered with leftovers.
Yang Feng looked down at her, his lips curled back in disgust. How pathetic.
"You won't do what again?" He asked, waiting for her to confess.
Pei Qing's face brightened at the opportunity shining in front of her. "I will make sure to be more careful from now on and never cause a scene-"
Yang Feng's mood soured further. While he had definitely seen the subtle hints she had been giving him for the past few years she had worked in his estate, he pretended he didn't notice. As long as she did not get out of line and compromised her work, he didn't need to do anything excessive for someone so insignificant. Who knew that she would have the guts to actually scheme against his stubborn kitty?
The younger servants, even with their lesser experience, knew where Pei Qing had gone wrong in her words. Instead of mentioning she would be more respectful to the guests and acknowledging her wrongdoings, she was making empty promises.
"I changed my mind." Yang Feng's words were enough to send Pei Qing's heart soaring. Her tears immediately dried up and she looked at him with a hopeful expression.
"I want you to make sure she never finds a good job for as long as she's alive." He glanced at the scattered beads of the bracelets.
"Check the authenticity of the heirloom. If it's true, find whoever is closest to the previous owner of the heirloom and compensate them. But make sure she never get to touch the money." It was these words that shattered Pei Qing's entire world. She screamed louder and clung onto Yang Feng tighter, but her pleas and cries were ignored.
The old butler signaled with his hand and men dressed in black came forward. They apprehended her and dragged her away. Pei Qing tried to kick and scream her way out of their hold, but her attempts were futile.
"Fire everyone who witnessed this and did nothing. I want all of the new servants hired by my mother to be kicked out of the house. If she complains, tell her to bring it to me. If she asks for a reason, let her know it's because these workers were foolish enough to disrespect the honorable granddaughter of Zhao Moyao."
The servants who had previously chided Zhao Lifei shivered with fear at his announcement. A small handful of them knew where they had went wronged. Instead of prioritizing the guest and making their Master look good, they had insulted her and placed her in a standing that was lower than a simple worker here.
Not only did they get fired, but they had also offended both Zhao Moyao's granddaughter and their boss.
No wonder she could act the way she does is because she was not just a wealthy heiress, she also had an influential backer!
It was unwise to trifle with one of the dominant men in the business world and has deep-seated connections in the military. There were only a few families who were significantly wealthier and more influential than the patriarch of the Zhao household. While the Yang family was one of them, they would not allow any of their servants to slander anyone who Zhao Moyao acknowledges as a family member.
He had built an empire from his bare hands and left a trail of bankruptcies in his path. Even the Zheng family had taken a notable hit when their marriage alliance had been broken two years ago.
Now that the old butler has finally learned of the female guest's name, his opinion of Zhao Lifei improved. She was from a reputable family and background which meant she wasn't a simple gold-digger. This would make her a good marriage partner for his young master.
The old butler didn't want Yang Feng to suffer from the disapproval of his parents, even if Yang Feng did not care for their opinions.
It would be hard to please the incredibly strict Yangs, but with Zhao Moyao as her backing, Zhao Lifei is most certainly a suitable candidate for marriage.
Zhao Lifei was shocked to hear Yang Feng's statement but didn't bother refuting it. She didn't feel pity for Pei Qing or any of the servants who had sided with her.
If this was the shiny and pure female lead, Xia Mengxi, in her place, she might've pleaded for justice for the commoners who 'unfairly' lost their jobs. But Zhao Lifei wasn't the innocent and kind-hearted female lead who experienced a regular life. She knew how incompetent people such as those servants can harm a household with their carelessness.
She was supposed to be the heartless antagonist. She knew she wasn't nice enough to let such a horrible person slide away without punishment.
Yang Feng was glad Zhao Lifei didn't have such a forgiving heart. She truly had the makings of a matriarch of a powerful household. She knew which things to let slide, and when to hand out punishments.
He turned back to her and offered her a hand. Because she was refusing to tell him what was wrong, he was deliberately pushing her buttons in an attempt to get her to open up to him. He wanted Zhao Lifei to trust him because that is a very important factor for a harmonious relationship.
He could tell that the scars left behind by Zheng Tianyi ran deep within her soul. It would take a long time for her to heal but he was willing to remain patient for her. He was willing to walk every step of the way with her, even if it meant that it would take years. As long as he could remain by her side, he will wait.
Even with this conclusion, Yang Feng was still oblivious to his feelings. He thought this realization derived from his simple curiosity towards her, or it came from the fact that he was so awed by the different facets of her personality.
Everyone could see the brewing romance in the air. Everyone except Zhao Lifei and Yang Feng.