Chapter 2 – New Master, New Rules

The next morning, the hospital smelled faintly of jasmine tea instead of antiseptic. Butler Chen had insisted on brewing it himself. When Han Yuze(Xuyao )woke, the cup was already waiting on the bedside table.

“Young Master, the doctor says you’re well enough to go home today,” Butler Chen said, his voice tinged with relief.

Home. Yuze’s(Xuyao )mind painted an image of the grand Rong estate from the original owner’s memories—polished marble floors, chandeliers like captured starlight, and corridors long enough to lose yourself in. Beautiful… but cold.

Still, it was safer there than here. Hospitals were too open, too easy for “accidents” to happen.

When the black sedan rolled to a stop in front of the sprawling mansion gates, Yuze felt eyes on him from behind the wrought iron fence. Several staff members had gathered in the front courtyard, lined up in stiff rows. In the original Xuyao’s memories, these homecomings had been… unpleasant. Demands barked like orders, punishments handed out for imagined slights.

Han Yuze(Xuyao ) stepped from the car slowly, one hand absently resting on his belly.

The staff straightened, their expressions carefully blank. Only Butler Chen’s posture eased at the sight of him.

“Welcome home, Young Master,” they chorused.

Yuze (Xuyao)gave a faint, warm smile. “Thank you. I’m glad to be back.”

A ripple of confusion passed through the line. The words were ordinary—but for them, hearing “thank you” from Xuyao was like seeing snow in summer.

They followed him inside, the sound of his footsteps muted on the Persian rugs. As they reached the main hall, Yuze (Xuyao)stopped.

His gaze swept over the group—maids, footmen, kitchen staff, the housekeeper. Most shifted under his calm eyes, unused to the quiet weight of them.

And then, Yuze(Xuyao)saw her.

A woman in her mid-thirties, slim, with sharp eyes that darted away the instant they met his. Lin Mei.

Memories surfaced—she had been the one whispering poison into Xuyao’s ear, stoking his temper when staff made small mistakes, turning him against those who might have shown loyalty. More than once, she’d “accidentally” let slip which servants were gossiping, sending Xuyao into fits of rage that alienated him further.

Manipulation, subtle and constant. She hadn’t pushed him down the stairs herself… but she had made sure he had no friends left to catch him when he fell.

Yuze’s (Xuyao)smile cooled.

“Housekeeper Lin,” he said softly.

She bowed quickly. “Young Master, welcome home.”

“I trust the household has been running smoothly?” His tone was polite, but his eyes didn’t leave hers.

“Yes, of course, everything is—” She faltered under his steady gaze.

“I see,” Yuze(Xuyao) murmured. “We’ll speak later. Privately.”

It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t cruel—but the air in the hall seemed to thin, and Lin Mei’s knuckles tightened around her clipboard.

Over the next hour, Yuze (Xuyao)walked the mansion with Butler Chen, checking rooms and greeting staff.

Where the old Xuyao might have snapped at a crooked vase or cold tea, Yuze (Xuyao)only offered a gentle correction or a kind word.

When he passed the kitchens, he paused at the smell of freshly baked bread. “It smells wonderful,” he said, smiling at the startled chef. “Save me a slice for later?”

The man blinked rapidly before nodding. “Y-Yes, Young Master.”

The maids who served tea in the sitting room expected to be scolded for the faint chip in the porcelain tray. Instead, Yuze (Xuyao) waved it off. “It’s just a tray. Don’t worry about it—accidents happen.”

By the time he reached the garden, whispers had already begun trailing behind him like shadows.

That afternoon, Butler Chen brought him a tray of light food and tea. As Yuze(Xuyao) ate, Chen watched him closely.

“You’ve… changed, Young Master,” he said finally.

Yuze(Xuyao) lifted a brow. “In a good way?”

“In the only way that matters,” Chen said, faintly smiling. But his eyes were searching—quietly weighing the differences. “Before… you were quick to anger. Now… you are patient. It is like seeing the boy I knew before your parents passed.”

Yuze lowered his gaze, hiding the flicker of guilt. That “boy” was gone—Xuyao was gone. Only Han Yuze remained.

He set his teacup down. “Butler Chen, I want you to arrange something for me. Discreetly. Look into Housekeeper Lin’s activities in the past year. Who she speaks to outside, where she spends her time, what… side favors she might be doing.”

Chen’s brows furrowed. “You suspect her?”

Yuze’s (Xuyao) smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t suspect. I know. But I need proof.”

Evening fell, and with it came the private meeting Yuze had promised.

Lin Mei entered the study with measured steps, the lamplight glinting off her pinned hair. “Young Master,” she greeted, voice smooth.

Yuze leaned back in the leather chair, hands folded over his stomach. The flicker of the desk lamp cast shadows over his face.

“Lin Mei,” he began, voice quiet, “you’ve served this household for many years. Seen its changes. Witnessed my… mistakes.”

She shifted slightly. “I have always acted in the household’s best interest.”

Yuze tilted his head. “And was it in the household’s best interest when you convinced me to fire loyal staff without cause? Or when you… failed to stop rumors from spreading?”

Her eyes flashed, just for a moment. “Young Master, I—”

“I remember enough,” Yuze cut in, his tone still calm, but cold now. “And I promise you this—betray me again, and you won’t have the chance to regret it.”

There was no shout, no slammed fist—just the weight of certainty in his voice. A promise, not a threat.

Lin Mei’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Understood.”

“Good.” Yuze’s(Xuyao) voice softened again, almost gentle. “Because I am not the man I was. From now on, loyalty will be rewarded. Betrayal will be removed—quietly, permanently.”

After she left, Butler Chen stepped in from the adjoining room where he had been waiting.

“Young Master,” he said slowly, “it seems… you have not changed entirely.”

Yuze’s(Xuyao) eyes lowered to his belly. “I will be gentle to those who deserve it, Butler Chen. But this child…” His hand pressed protectively over the curve. “This child will grow up safe. And that means removing every viper from this house.”

Butler Chen’s gaze softened with understanding. “Then I will stand with you.”

In the silence that followed, Yuze felt the faintest flutter beneath his palm—so light he almost thought he imagined it.

A new life. His second chance.

And he would protect it, no matter whose blood he had to spill to do it.

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