The Huo Family's Troublesome Maid

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: The Tiger Like Creature

Xi Yunxui woke to the peculiar sensation of something soft and unusually fluffy pressed against her side.

Still caught between sleep and wakefulness, she ignored it at first.

It must be the pillow.

However, the pillow moved.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes flew open.

For several seconds, she remained completely still, staring at the ceiling as her mind slowly processed what she had just felt.

Then, very carefully, she turned her head.

The moment her gaze landed on the creature curled beside her, the last remnants of sleep disappeared entirely.

Xi Yunxui sat upright so abruptly that the blanket slipped from her shoulders.

”What—”

The word caught in her throat.

Curled comfortably in the place where the little girl had fallen asleep the previous night was a small, ash-grey creature resembling a young tiger.

Its body was covered in soft grey fur, the colour of ash after a fire had burned out. Its paws were small and rounded, while its tiny ears twitched faintly as it slept. Despite its resemblance to a tiger cub, something about its appearance felt subtly different. The markings on its forehead were too delicate and unusual, forming faint patterns that seemed almost intentional rather than natural.

Xi Yunxui stared.

The creature continued sleeping peacefully.

Xi Yunxui stared harder.

Then she slowly looked toward the other side of the bed.

King C was awake.

Biyu was awake as well.

Both creatures were staring at the unfamiliar little tiger.

Xi Yunxui immediately pointed at it.

”System.”

The system remained silent.

Xi Yunxui narrowed her eyes.

”System.”

[Yes]

”What is that?”

There was a brief pause.

[Please specify the object of inquiry.]

Xi Yunxui’s expression darkened.

She pointed more aggressively.

”The small tiger sleeping beside me!”

[Correction: It is not an ordinary tiger.]

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened slightly.

”So it is some kind of tiger?”

[The system did not say that.]

Xi Yunxui took a slow breath.

She suddenly understood why people occasionally developed headaches from dealing with unreasonable individuals.

”Then what exactly is it?”

[The little girl.]

Xi Yunxui froze.

Her gaze slowly returned to the sleeping creature.

”The little girl?”

[Affirmative.]

For several moments, Xi Yunxui did not say anything.

Then she looked at King C.

King C looked back at her.

She looked at Biyu.

Biyu blinked its emerald-green eyes.

Finally, Xi Yunxui lowered her gaze toward the small tiger again.

”So,” she said slowly, ”the little girl transformed into... that?”

[Affirmative.]

Xi Yunxui covered her face with both hands.

Her life had become ridiculous.

She had only transmigrated into this world not long ago, yet she had somehow gone from being an ordinary maid to owning a talking goat-like creature, a chicken that was not actually a chicken, and now apparently—

Xi Yunxui slowly lowered her hands.

”A tiger.”

[Correction: Not an ordinary tiger.]

”I don’t care!”

The sudden increase in her voice startled the sleeping creature.

Its small ears twitched.

Xi Yunxui immediately became silent.

A moment later, the ash-grey creature slowly opened its eyes.

Xi Yunxui froze.

Its eyes were dark and striking, almost completely black, yet they possessed an unusual clarity that made them appear far more intelligent than those of an ordinary animal.

For several seconds, the creature simply stared at her.

Xi Yunxui cautiously raised one hand.

”Do... do you remember me?”

The small creature tilted its head.

Then, to Xi Yunxui’s surprise, it crawled closer.

Xi Yunxui instinctively leaned backward.

The creature continued moving toward her until it reached her lap, where it lifted its small head and gently licked the back of her hand.

Xi Yunxui blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then her heart melted completely.

”Oh no...”

She stared at the tiny creature in her lap.

”You can’t do that.”

The creature blinked innocently.

Xi Yunxui’s expression softened.

”You absolutely cannot look this adorable after frightening me half to death.”

King C, who had been silently observing the interaction, immediately snorted.

”She’s pretending.”

Xi Yunxui glanced at him.

King C raised his chin proudly.

”Last night, she ate three portions of food.”

Xi Yunxui’s lips parted slightly.

The little creature immediately turned toward King C.

Although it made no sound, the expression in its dark eyes was unmistakably displeased.

Biyu let out a series of cheerful sounds, almost as though it found the situation entertaining.

Xi Yunxui looked between the three creatures.

Then she sighed.

”Wonderful.”

King C narrowed his eyes.

”What is?”

Xi Yunxui gently stroked the ash-grey creature’s head.

”I’ve somehow become the mother of three gluttons.”

King C immediately stood on all fours.

”I am not your child!”

Xi Yunxui ignored him.

Biyu happily fluttered its unusually large wings.

The small tiger-like creature pressed itself closer to Xi Yunxui’s hand.

Xi Yunxui sighed again.

Perhaps the three of them had collectively decided that her life was still too peaceful.

---

After spending a few more minutes making sure that the creature was truly the little girl from the previous night, Xi Yunxui finally climbed out of bed.

She washed up quickly and changed into her maid uniform, smoothing down the fabric before checking her reflection.

When she turned around again, she immediately encountered another problem.

King C was sitting on the bed.

Biyu had perched comfortably on one of the pillows.

The small ash-grey creature was lying between them.

The three of them looked at her.

Xi Yunxui looked back.

Silence filled the room.

”What exactly am I supposed to do with all of you?”

King C lifted his chin.

”Feed us.”

Xi Yunxui stared at him.

”That was not the question.”

Biyu chirped.

The small creature simply blinked.

Xi Yunxui placed a hand against her forehead.

She needed to inform Auntie Zhang about the little girl.

However, she also had to visit her apartment and pack the few belongings she still had there.

More importantly, she had no idea how she was supposed to explain why a little girl had suddenly turned into a small tiger-like creature inside her room.

Just as Xi Yunxui was wondering whether claiming that the creature was some rare breed of cat would be believable, someone knocked on the door.

Xi Yunxui’s body stiffened.

King C immediately looked toward the door.

Biyu spread its wings slightly.

The small creature lifted its head.

Xi Yunxui stared at all three of them.

”No one move.”

King C looked offended.

”I wasn’t planning to.”

Another knock sounded.

”Xi Yunxui?”

Xi Yunxui immediately relaxed.

It was Auntie Zhang.

She hurried toward the door.

Before opening it, however, she glanced over her shoulder at the bed.

The three creatures stared back at her.

Xi Yunxui narrowed her eyes.

”Behave.”

Then she opened the door.

Auntie Zhang stood outside, looking as composed as usual.

”Good morning, Auntie Zhang.” Xi Yunxui greeted.

”Good morning,” Auntie Zhang replied before continuing, ”The Patriarch requested that you prepare breakfast this morning. Madam Huo asked me to come and inform you, so you should—”

Auntie Zhang’s voice gradually disappeared.

Xi Yunxui’s heart skipped a beat.

Slowly, she turned her head.

Auntie Zhang’s gaze had travelled past her.

Directly toward the bed.

Silence.

Xi Yunxui smiled awkwardly.

Auntie Zhang continued staring.

The small ash-grey creature stared back at her.

Auntie Zhang blinked.

Then she looked at Xi Yunxui.

Xi Yunxui smiled even more awkwardly.

”Xi Yunxui.”

”Yes?”

”What is that?”

Xi Yunxui opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

She glanced at the creature.

The creature looked innocent.

She looked at King C.

King C turned his head away.

She looked at Biyu.

Biyu made a cheerful sound.

Xi Yunxui took a deep breath.

”It’s not a tiger.”

Auntie Zhang slowly turned back toward the creature.

Xi Yunxui continued quickly.

”Well... not exactly.”

Auntie Zhang stared at her.

Xi Yunxui’s mind worked desperately.

Then inspiration struck.

”That is...”

She paused.

Her confidence disappeared.

”A very unusual dog.”

Auntie Zhang’s expression remained unchanged.

Xi Yunxui smiled nervously.

”Perhaps a foreign breed?”

The silence became even more uncomfortable.

Auntie Zhang looked at the creature again.

The creature, perhaps sensing that everyone was discussing it, opened its mouth and released a soft sound.

It was adorable.

It was also very clearly not a dog.

Auntie Zhang slowly looked back at Xi Yunxui.

”Why,” she asked calmly, ”do you have so many unusual creatures?”

Xi Yunxui scratched the back of her head.

That was an excellent question.

Unfortunately, she had absolutely no answer.

---

Xi Yunxui’s thoughts returned to the present as she stood outside the familiar apartment building.

She let out a soft sigh.

The memory of Auntie Zhang’s expression was still painfully clear in her mind.

Fortunately, Auntie Zhang had eventually decided not to question her further. Whether it was because she trusted Xi Yunxui or because she had simply decided that questioning her would only produce more confusing answers, Xi Yunxui did not know.

Either way, she had been allowed to leave for her apartment after cooking and promising that she would return later.

Xi Yunxui adjusted the backpack resting against her shoulders and entered the building.

She soon reached her apartment door.

For a moment, she simply stood there.

Then she took out the key and unlocked it.

The door opened with a familiar click.

Xi Yunxui stepped inside.

The apartment was quiet.

Her gaze slowly travelled across the small living space before moving toward the bedroom.

After everything that had happened since she arrived in this strange world, the room looked almost unfamiliar.

Yet this was where she had woken up on her first day after transmigrating.

This was the first place she had opened her eyes in after discovering that her entire life had changed.

Xi Yunxui walked toward the bed and gently touched the edge of it.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

”It would be a pity to let this place go.”

She had spent only a short time there, yet it was still the first place she could truly consider hers in this world.

After thinking for a moment, Xi Yunxui made a decision.

She would continue renting the apartment.

Even if she did not live there permanently anymore, it would remain hers.

A place where she could return whenever she wanted.

A place that belonged to Xi Yunxui alone.

Having made her decision, she let out a quiet breath.

Then her expression gradually became complicated.

Her mind wandered back to the Huo residence.

To King C.

To Biyu.

And finally, to the mysterious little girl who could apparently transform into a small tiger-like creature.

Xi Yunxui slowly covered her face.

”My life is about to become much more complicated.”

Somewhere within the Huo residence, three gluttonous creatures were probably waiting for their next meal.

Xi Yunxui lowered her hands and sighed.

She had originally thought that becoming a maid in a wealthy household would be difficult enough.

Apparently, fate had looked at her life and decided that three mythical—or possibly mythical—creatures were still not enough trouble.

Xi Yunxui glanced at the apartment one last time.

Then she adjusted the backpack Huo Jingchen had given her.

”Let’s see how much longer my peaceful life lasts.”

With that, she began gathering her belongings.

Unfortunately for Xi Yunxui, peace was probably already far away.

~~~~~

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