Chapter Thirty-Seven: Her Name Is Chao Si
Barely managing to break free from that brief moment of astonishment, the butler looked over Chao Xu as if he had never met her before, scrutinizing her from head to toe. How strange—it was clearly the same face, yet with just a subtle shift in expression and demeanor, it gave him the illusion that she was an entirely different person.
His heart pounded wildly, swept away by her striking appearance, and his old face flushed crimson with embarrassment, feeling as though he could hardly show himself in public anymore. To be so taken by the young lady he had watched grow up—if anyone heard about it, he’d be laughed out of the room!
Chao Xu, however, was calm and composed. After displaying herself before the butler, she quickly reverted to her original lazy, indifferent manner, as if nothing could rouse her interest. Then, as something occurred to her, she leaned back against the sofa, closed her eyes, and said, “Don’t call me ‘Miss’ anymore. If you must call me something, call me ‘Young Master.’ Otherwise, those with ulterior motives may notice something amiss. As for outsiders, you can say I’m a distant relative of the Chao family. My new name will be Chao Si.”
Si—a name meaning reckless, unrestrained. The timid, downtrodden Chao Si of the past would now live boldly, arrogantly, under this new identity!
“Chao Si, is it?” The butler nodded without hesitation. “Understood. I’ll inform those I trust and register your new identity as Young Master.”
The way the butler spoke to Chao Xu put her at ease. Unlike others, who only showed respect on the surface but treated Chao Si as an easy fool, the butler truly regarded her as the Chao family’s heir. Even the casual suggestions Chao Si made in the past were weighed carefully, never dismissed as mere jokes. This sincerity was rare and precious in the corrupt world of wealthy families.
A good man—he would be one of hers from now on, worthy of a place on her list of loyal followers. Making a mental note, Chao Xu stood up and said, “I want to return to school as soon as possible. How long will it take to complete the new ID and get back to school?”
“Rest assured, Young Master. I’ll have everything taken care of by this afternoon!” the butler promised, patting his chest. Then, with a hint of caution, he added, “By the way, Young Master, I have a grandson who’s been studying abroad. For some reason, he insisted on coming back to the capital for school this year. Though he’s a bit of a rascal, his grades are excellent and he’s tough—I’d like to leave him with you as a bodyguard, if you don’t mind?”
Grandson?
Chao Xu considered carefully. She didn’t know if this grandson was any good, or if he could be recruited as one of her followers. But since he was the butler’s grandson, he couldn’t be too bad. She decided to keep him around for observation.
After deliberating, she asked, “May I know his name?”
“That boy? His name’s Cross,” the butler replied after thinking for a moment, then continued, “I watched him grow up. He’s clever, if nothing else. Once he follows you to school, maybe he can slip you a cheat sheet during exams. That way, you won’t keep failing every time.”
Having finally dredged up a redeeming quality for Cross, the butler shared it with Chao Xu in high spirits. Chao Xu’s lips twitched, and she nearly raised a hand to her forehead.
It seemed it would take some time to change the butler’s ingrained view of her.