He looks like he's about to start picking on me again...
Grace felt a tingling on her scalp and became extra cautious, replying, "My parents taught me from a young age not to be greedy. Greed brings disaster. So, I don't dare. Besides..."
"Besides what?"
"If I may speak, I hope General won't hold it against me."
"Go ahead."
"Besides, this is the General's manor. Miss Sophie is neither your sister nor your family; I heard she's just the sister of one of your lieutenants. After her brother died in battle, she had nowhere else to go, so you took her in. If I were to become her sister and live here... I'd rather stay as your maid. It's much simpler."
"Is that so?" Evan Xiao looked at her.
Lily Bai nodded.
Evan Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "Your medicines—whether the one that saved Sophie's life or the one that removed her scars—are priceless treasures. If you put them up for auction, even a single dose could fetch a hundred thousand, maybe two hundred thousand taels of gold, easily!"
He stressed the word "gold" heavily.
He wasn't wrong.
But Chloe Zhu put on a skeptical face and laughed, "General, you must be joking. How could it be worth that much?"
"It's true." Evan Xiao's tone was slow, full of convincing authority. "Just now you asked Sophie for a consultation fee, so I'll give you two hundred thousand taels of gold! With that money, your mother's illness could be cured, and you wouldn't have to be a maid anymore."
"Uh... Thank you for your kindness, General, but I can't accept it."
"Why not? You deserve it."
Grace's mind raced, and she managed to come up with a reason, though it was a stretch: "General, not far from my home there's a hunter who found a dead steel wolf in the forest and sold it for five hundred taels of silver. But just a few days later, his whole family was killed by bandits who stole the silver. So... I really don't dare—"
"Enough!" Evan Xiao cut her off, his face full of mockery. "Stop making up these lousy lies!"
"I'm not making it up, it's true... Really, it's true..."
"Lily Bai, don't think I don't know what you're up to! You have your eyes on me, don't you? You want to be my woman, isn't that right?" Evan Xiao asked.
"Uh... I... I..." Grace blinked her big eyes, her heart pounding as she looked at him, not knowing how to respond.
Admit it? That would make me look shameless...
But if I don't admit it... it might hurt my chances of getting into the General's manor...
"Just give up!" Evan Xiao's tone was icy. "Not. Happening!"
Grace bit her lip and looked at him, saying nothing.
Evan Xiao, dignified and composed, took out a money pouch and tossed her five taels of silver. "Since you insist on only five taels, I'll give you five taels as Sophie's consultation fee. From now on, don't bring this up again!"
Grace caught the five taels of silver, looking a bit downcast.
"You may leave!"
Grace turned and left.
Just as she walked out the door, she suddenly remembered—she hadn't told him the important thing yet!
So she turned back.
Evan Xiao looked up at her. "What is it? Regretting your decision?"
"Not at all," Grace said. "I'd like to ask for two days off to go home and check on my mother's illness. Is that okay?"
"Is Sophie's face completely healed?"
"Almost, but she still needs to take the medicine for another half month to make sure it doesn't come back."
"Wait until she's fully recovered."
"...Yes, General. Then I'll take my leave." She turned and left.