Chapter 61
Translator: Lonelytree Editor: Millman97
Those with certain assets would normally hire someone specifically to handle and deal with the miscellaneous tasks in life to save their own energy.
The royal or great families called this person a butler while the rich referred to them as a personal assistant. The two might look similar, but there were differences between them.
They were both service providers, but a butler required high proficiency levels in professional skills. In fact, there were butler academies in countries like Holland and England. Trained butlers who graduated from these academies could enjoy a yearly salary up to several ten thousand dollars. In fact, those at the top of their game could earn several million dollars, handily beating out normal nine-to-five workers.
To be a professional butler, one had to have mastery of cigar and wine identification, reading body language, preservation of furniture and attire, perfectly lay a full table, managing the schedules of all the maids working at the house, financial management of the household, and so on. All that required professional training, so a qualified butler could be considered a half royalty among society.
In comparison, a personal assistant was much less impressive.
“Ye Shuang? You came so early!” When An Zining accepted the call from Ye Shuang, who was blocked at the residential area entrance, she sounded quite sleepy. Through the yawns, she gave Ye Shuang her to-do list for the day. An Zining seemed to have had many personal assistants in the past because she didn’t sound at all awkward or unnatural ordering Ye Shuang around. “This is just perfect, go collect my dry-cleaning from the dobby across from the street, then head to Ou Wei Lou to buy me some breakfast. When you return, remember to pick up today’s paper and milk from the guardhouse.”
After giving her orders, before Ye Shuang could react, An Zining hung up. Ye Shuang stood by the guard house with black lines down her face before she made the return call with a morose look on her face.
The call was picked up after it rang twice. “Anything else?”
“I don’t have the laundry list, and I don’t have the card to enter the house, and by the way, who can I claim the breakfast bill from?”
An Zining was either swamped by the questions or no one had ever asked her so directly about claiming the breakfast bill before, but in any case, she was lost for half a minute before she recovered. “Erm... Then, let me talk to the guards first, they’ll let you up to my house.”
Therefore, ten minutes later, Ye Shuang found herself seated on a sofa in An Zining’s living room. She had in her hands the newspaper and milk her employer wanted.
“I’m an easygoing person, and I don’t have many demands, so you don’t need to stay on edge when you’re my personal assistant.” An Zining started to explain to Ye Shuang about her job after washing her face and opening the milk. The breakfast purchase was skipped since she had decided to settle with two pieces of toast. “Formally speaking, your working hours are between 10 am and 6 pm. Depending on the situation, there might be overtime or off day. Since I don’t need to work, what I need is a living assistant, but if I call you to say that you don’t need to come one day, then consider it a day-off. Do not insist on coming, because if you do, that’ll interrupt my personal time and my privacy.”
Ye Shuang was silent because she had no experience being someone’s living assistant, so all she could do was to listen.
“There is some cash in the left most drawer of the television cupboard in the living room. If you need to claim some bills, just take the money from inside there. Cooking and cleaning, you can leave it to the hired help, so theoretically speaking, you don’t have anything that’s particularly assigned to you. However, this also means that you’ll need to handle all the smaller details of my life.
“For example, serving me during meals, carrying my bags when I go shopping, paying the bills after me, drawing the water when I need to take a bath... Also, consider it an exception this time, but make sure I don’t have to make toast for myself next time.”
An Zining thought about it as she took a bite out of her toast, trying to come up with a good analogy. “You see those lackeys following their bosses around in movies? You’re basically doing a job like that.”
“Haha...” Ye Shuang force out a small chuckle. How come I feel so tired already on my first day?
Now Ye Shuang had reason to believe that when that dude, Han Chu, assigned her this job, he wasn’t doing it out of the kindness of his heart. This kind of job could be done by hiring any maid company or nanny, so why would a head-hunter be involved?
Ye Shuang had no clue that Han Chu accepted the case for a whole workshop, and a living assistant was part of it. Normally, the post was filled by interns, and it was the perfect opportunity for them to earn experience from working in a group with other more experienced talents. The key head-hunting target was on specialized talents like lawyers and bodyguards.
However, since Han Chu was requested by a friend to involve Ye Shuang in the business, he forcibly created this post for the team, or else, based on the level of the case, there was indeed no need for him to search for a talent specifically to fill the role of living assistant.
“Other than that, I believe Xiao Han has told you that he will bring the rest of the team over this afternoon. So, help me contact and communicate with them to make sure their arrival doesn’t interrupt my schedule.” Just as Ye Shuang was off wandering about her life, An Zining gave her the first official task of the day.
Ye Shuang recovered to ask, “Sister An’s original schedule is?”
An Zining thought about it. “Actually, it’s still undecided. With this divorce, I’ve lost all interest in dealing with that vixen, and now that you mention it, it’s quite boring. Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do today?”
“Haha...” Ye Shuang politely laughed once more. Yup, it is going to be incredibly tiring...
She spent the whole morning getting used to the job. Other than helping An Zining retrieve her laundry and calling Han Chu to ask about his arrival time, Ye Shuang was basically just loitering around the house.
Most of the time, she was on constant stand-by. Other than that one hour when An Zining was watching the television and she had to pour drinks and cut fruits, when An Zining had no task for her, she could do her own thing. As long as she did not make too much noise to disturb her employer, if she want to join in and watch the television, that was permissible as well.
For lunch, they settled it by ordering take-out. Even though Ye Shuang had already mastered cooking, she did not want to add to her workload. After all, Han Chu was coming that afternoon with the personal chef, so why should she steal other people’s work?
The bell rang punctually at 2 pm. An Zining was still watching a variety show on television. When she heard the bell, she did not even bat an eye, but Ye Shuang, who had been educated the whole morning, wandered on her own to open the door.
“Seems like you’ve gotten used to the job?” The door opened to reveal Han Chu and a group of people standing behind him. Han Chu greeted her when he saw it was Ye Shuang who opened the door.
Ye Shuang did not quite know how to answer; the work was relaxing enough, and the payment was considered high, but it was different from the high-end job that she had imagined head-hunting would bring her. “...I guess so, please come in.”
Han Chu nodded and had the others remove their shoes before entering.
Other than Han Chu, whom Ye Shuang recognized, the four people who came with him, three guys and one girl, could not help but glance at Ye Shuang when they walked in, as if trying to size up the outsider who had stolen one of the posts from them.
Of course, that did not escalate into hostility. They did not treat Ye Shuang coldly. The only exception was the tall man who walked at the back. He paused for a moment beside Ye Shuang and added with a frown, “Next time, before you get the door, remember to ask for the other party’s identity first. If there is someone who has ill intentions, an unguarded girl like yourself standing by the door will easily become their held hostage.”
As if someone will purposely come to harm a divorcee. Do you think the mistress will hire an assassin to kill her so she can take her place? Please.
That was what Ye Shuang thought internally, but she did not voice it. In any case, by that little tip, Ye Shuang knew this tall guy was probably the bodyguard, so she nodded readily in response and led the man into the house.
However, when An Zining heard this, she was finally willing to pull her gaze away from the television. Alternating her eyes between the weak-looking Ye Shuang and the buff bodyguard, she finally landed her eyes on Han Chu, and she said with a laugh, “Xiao Han, you surely have brought an interesting team with you this time.”
Interesting?
Han Chu looked at An Zining confusedly like he was regarding a mad woman before slowly withdrawing his gaze and starting the introduction. “The team consists of a personal chef, bodyguard, and lawyer. The extra guy is a new intern at the workshop; he’s free, so just let him tag along...”
historical
Ye Shuang realized that, when Han Chu said that, the other three individuals had their gaze involuntarily wandered over to her once more.
From the looks of things, this post originally belonged to that guy!
“All four them will stay at the villa you provided next door. If you have need of any of them, just call to get them. The contract period is thirty days. Other than the bodyguard and personal assistant, the other members are not required to exit the house with you. The lawyer and personal chef will only accept tasks within their job scope.”
Han Chu then pulled out a contract. On it was not only written Ye Shuang’s name but also the names of the rest of the team as well as payment and the rights of all parties.
Utilizing her superb eyesight, Ye Shuang zoomed in on her payment. One month only for 10,000. After subtracting Han Chu’s commission, she would be left with 8,000. Actually, 8,000 was considered a lot already; it was just that her previous two jobs were too simple, and that was why there was this sense of disparity now.
Right then, she heard Han Chu ask, “Is there anything else?”
That was simply a perfunctory question, but who would have thought that An Zining really did have something to say? She pointed at the bodyguard and said, “How is this brother’s fighting skill compared to Ye Shuang?”
Han Chu and the rest were speechless; they did not know what to say.
Since she didn’t get an answer, An Zining pressed, “If it’s just barely above average then, I’d rather give Xiao Shuang the additional pay to have her be my bodyguard. After all, having a female bodyguard is more convenient than a male bodyguard.”
“...” Han Chu turned his head. “Ye Shuang, what do you think?”
“Haha...”