Xiamen opened her door with Haoyu in her arms, ready to guide him toward the bathroom—
but the moment she stepped inside, soft, bitter whispers cut through the air.
Two maids stood near the dresser, gossiping freely, unaware she had returned.
"Oh—Xiamen came back," one muttered.
The other snorted. "Tch. I heard she wants to marry our master. Or maybe seduce him."
"Seduce him? Please… girls like her always try something."
Xiamen froze.
Shock.
Then anger—hot, sharp—shot up her spine.
Before she could react, Haoyu tugged her sleeve, looking confused.
She quickly covered his ears with her hands.
"You two," she said in a low, icy voice, "are everything ready for Haoyu's bath?"
Both maids jumped like they'd been caught stealing gold.
"O–Oh—yes, ma'am!"
Xiamen's eyes narrowed. "Did you think I wouldn't hear you?"
"N-No, ma'am, we—"
She stepped forward, her voice cold enough to cut glass.
"You really think I'll let you walk out of this like nothing happened?"
Their faces drained of color.
Xiamen released Haoyu's ears gently. "Sweetheart, go to the bathroom. Mommy will bring your clothes in a minute."
Haoyu nodded and ran off innocently.
The moment he was gone, Xiamen straightened to her full height.
"You are both fired."
"M-Ma'am, please!"
"We won't do it again—!"
"I don't care." Her tone was calm, deadly calm. "You insult me in my own room. In front of my son. And you dare to stay here like you've done nothing?"
The maids trembled.
"Pack your things and leave. Right now. And if I see your faces again on this property, I'll personally make sure Hong Yi knows everything you've said."
Their knees seemed to buckle.
"Y–Yes, ma'am… we're sorry…"
"Go."
They scurried out, sobbing apologies.
Xiamen exhaled slowly, grounding herself before attending to Haoyu.
But the humiliation tasted bitter on her tongue.
Later — Hong Yi's Office
His secretary stood before him, hands folded nervously.
"Sir… there was an incident today."
Hong Yi looked up from his paperwork. "With whom?"
"Miss Xiamen. Two maids were speaking rudely about her… saying she wanted to seduce you. She overheard everything and terminated them on the spot."
Hong Yi paused.
Then—
He laughed.
A deep, amused, satisfied laugh.
"Good," he said, leaning back in his chair. "If they can't respect her, they deserve to be fired."
His secretary looked relieved. "Understood, sir."
Hong Yi's eyes darkened slightly, but his smile remained.
"She handled it well. Very well."
He closed the file in his hands.
And for a brief second, his expression softened—something warm, something dangerous.
"Xiamen isn't someone to be pushed around," he murmured. "Not now...
Whatever she did, I learned it. You go and give them both maid some money and tell them not to show up here. And tell all the servants in the house that if this happens again, it will not be good for them.