A dozen days later, early morning.
As sunlight streamed into the centuries-old Zuo estate, the butler and servants began their day’s work. The busy footsteps shattered the house’s overnight stillness. The kitchen filled with the aroma of breakfast; servants hurried in and out of the laundry room; others arranged flowers and tableware in the grand hall.
In the garden, the gardener sighed over the flowerbeds — some blossoms had been cut to decorate the dining table. He tended the remaining plants with even greater care, spraying them gently with a hose under the morning sun. The droplets refracted into little rainbows, making the rare blooms gleam all the more vividly.
A young, refined-looking butler paused for a moment, checked his pocket watch nervously, exhaled, and hurried on.
“All ready?” the young butler called out briskly.
The maids emerged from the laundry room, carrying the freshly cleaned suit toward him. Seeing the sweat on his forehead and the way he kept glancing at his watch, muttering under his breath in anxious anticipation, they couldn’t help teasing him.
“Why so nervous, Butler Lin? The new young master, Zuo Shihuan, isn’t hard to get along with. He may look stern and unsmiling, but he’s helped us carry things more than once, and always reminds us to rest early. He’s honestly the kindest, most perfect young master I’ve ever met!”
Another maid with short hair rested her chin on her hand and said, “Sigh, the only downside is that Young Master Zuo Shihuan’s bedroom is always spotless. Every time I go in to clean, I feel like it’s so clean I’m about to lose my job.”
The young Butler Lin didn’t have time to chat with the maids. He quickly checked that his suit was in order—he had to prepare several suits and ties for the eldest young master to choose from before he woke up.
Though, as the maids said, Young Master Zuo Shihuan never made things difficult for the staff, the newly appointed Butler Lin—who had been thrown into the role just a few days ago—still felt an overwhelming pressure whenever he faced the calm, authoritative eldest son of the Zuo family. Just one cool glance from that man could make his heart tighten and his hands go clammy. He didn’t dare slack off for even a second.
Originally, it wasn’t supposed to be him managing Young Master Zuo Shihuan. That duty belonged to the long-serving head butler—his distant uncle—who had been with the family for decades, overseeing all household affairs. By seniority and experience, there was no way the young and inexperienced Lin should have gotten such a post.
Unfortunately, his distant uncle had thrown out his back.
And so, Lin had to step in temporarily as acting butler.
At first, he’d been thrilled. After all, serving under Young Master Zuo Shihuan—who had a sterling reputation and was the future head of the family—seemed like a golden opportunity. It was as if, after clinging to his uncle’s coattails, he’d also managed to latch onto an even thicker, shinier golden thigh.
But it didn’t take long for the young Butler Lin’s smile to fade.
He soon realized that his uncle’s back injury wasn’t the simple “accident” it seemed.
After only a few days shadowing Young Master Zuo Shihuan, Butler Lin found himself utterly exhausted. The workload was astonishing—he barely had time to breathe or sip water before rushing off to accompany the young master to the next engagement.
Zuo Shihuan’s daily schedule was packed to the brim. From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, he was already working—meetings, document revisions, social visits, then another banquet right after. It was as if he were a tireless, sleepless machine made purely for work.
Butler Lin considered himself a healthy young Beta, but after just a few days following the eldest young master around, he’d collapse into bed at night with aching back and sore limbs, feeling as if he’d aged several years.
He couldn’t understand—why did Zuo Shihuan push himself so hard?
Everyone in the Zuo household respected him from the heart. Even the other young masters and ladies treated him with deference, and the patriarch had long acknowledged him as the sole heir.
Even outsiders spoke of the perfect and capable Young Master Zuo Shihuan with admiration.
In three days, he was to be engaged to the daughter of another prestigious family—a refined, beautiful Omega lady of noble birth, graceful in manner and speech. Standing beside the tall and elegant Zuo Shihuan, they made a perfectly matched pair.
By all appearances, Zuo Shihuan was the ultimate winner in life: high family status, an enviably beautiful fiancée, and extraordinary personal ability.
He already possessed everything others could ever dream of—fame, power, wealth—so why did he seem so driven, as though chased by some unseen nightmare, working ceaselessly just to survive?
Butler Lin faintly sensed that the eldest young master was suffocating inside, as if he wasn’t happy at all.
Once, while accompanying him to an evening banquet, the night had already fallen. Inside the car, silence reigned.
Butler Lin was so tired he nearly yawned, but quickly stifled it and glanced at the man beside him.
Zuo Shihuan, usually impeccably composed, now had his brows furrowed, eyes shut tight. The long hours of work had left faint shadows beneath his eyes. His long lashes trembled, the corners of his eyes red—as though trapped in some uneasy dream.
Butler Lin felt relieved—at least the young master could fall asleep. For a moment, he’d thought the man was incapable of fatigue, some sort of iron-blooded Alpha who never rested.
He was just about to ask the driver to turn the radio volume down when that small movement startled the man awake.
Butler Lin opened his mouth to apologize—but stopped short.
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes were bloodshot, his brow still furrowed, the light brown pupils contracted sharply. His fingers were digging tightly into his palm, expression lost and dazed, as if he had just escaped a nightmare.
He turned his gaze toward the car window, staring silently and tensely out, his hand still clenched on his knee as if afraid that closing his eyes again would drag him back into that dream.
Butler Lin didn’t dare ask what it was.
He could only assume it must have been a terrible nightmare—bad enough to shake even someone as calm and self-controlled as Zuo Shihuan.
Back to the present.
After neatly arranging the suits, Butler Lin said to the chattering maids, “I can’t chat with you any longer—I need to deliver these before seven. Young Master Zuo’s day is packed from start to finish, and I still have to prepare several more outfits and accessories for different occasions…”
The long-haired maid smiled, eyes curving as she covered her mouth playfully. “So busy, huh? I can help deliver them! I’ve always wanted to see the elegant young master up close—he must have amazing body discipline. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him in anything other than his suits.”
Another petite maid blushed and raised her hand timidly. “M-me too! Once, Young Master Zuo Shihuan helped me… One of the younger masters was playing around with a dog and scared all the servants—I fell down because I was so afraid. It was Young Master Zuo Shihuan who stepped in, scolded the little master harshly, and stopped him. He’s so gentle and kind…”
The short-haired maid propped her chin again, smiling meaningfully. “If you’re all going, then I’m coming too. I’m not like you—I go into Young Master Zuo Shihuan’s room to clean all the time. It’s always perfectly spotless, without a single flaw. I just want to see what he looks like right after waking up—surely even he can’t be perfect then.”
Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she said with a half-playful, half-challenging grin, “I don’t believe it—no one’s room can be that neat the moment they wake up. I’ll see for myself if there’s really a man so perfect that a professional maid like me has nothing left to clean. Hehehe—”
Butler Lin could almost see the burning flames of determination in the maids’ eyes—it sent an involuntary chill down his spine. Instantly on alert, he thought to himself that he absolutely couldn’t allow these strange maids anywhere near the perfect and outstanding young master!
One of them was clearly coveting the young master’s physique, another seemed grateful but still… better to stay away, and the last was the worst of all—she somehow decided to compete with the cleanliness-obsessed young master himself.
Butler Lin hadn’t forgotten his distant uncle’s thousand warnings: never again must there be a repeat of the scandal where a maid snuck into a master’s bed in the middle of the night.
Unlike the amorous old master Zuo Zoujian, who never refused beauty sent to his door, the new Alpha young master, Zuo Shihuan, utterly despised such things. The last maid who’d dared climb into his bed had been thrown out of the estate without mercy.
Since then, no servant had dared try anything similar—but as a professional butler, Butler Lin knew better than to let his guard down.
His expression hardened as he refused firmly: “No. The young master never allows outsiders to attend to him.”
Even Butler Lin himself wasn’t permitted to assist. Every morning at seven, when he knocked on the young master’s door, Zuo Shihuan was already fully dressed. He never required help.
All the dressing skills Butler Lin had learned in butler school were completely wasted here. If not for the young master’s demanding schedule and the need to prepare for constant emergencies, Zuo Shihuan would easily be the easiest employer he had ever served.
“Aww, why won’t you let us help?” the maids whined in disappointment.
One long-haired maid quickly pulled out her communicator, trying to plead her case.
“Don’t worry! I’m one of the official members of Young Master Zuo Shihuan’s fan club! I’d never lay a hand on him. Our motto is: admire from afar, never approach up close. We only circulate beautiful photos of him that appear in public events or magazines.”
The petite maid blushed and shyly raised her own communicator. “…Actually, I’m also a member of the fan club.”
Butler Lin’s eyes widened in disbelief: “!!!”
Were these people really here to work? Not to fool around? They had even created a fan club—and were collecting photos of the young master?!
The short-haired maid, who had clearly been unaware of this, raised a brow in disdain. “What’s the point of collecting those? We see the young master in person every day at the Zuo estate. He’s not some elusive celebrity.”
She added coolly, “Besides, the engagement banquet with Miss Yu is in three days. Once she becomes our lady of the house, if she discovers you running a private group discussing the young master, don’t say I didn’t warn you when you get fired.”
The petite maid paled and quickly hid her communicator.
Standing to the side, Butler Lin silently gave a thumbs-up in his mind. Finally—someone sensible and professional among them!
But the long-haired maid just giggled behind her hand. “Oh, I have a photo of the young master attending a charity event—one of the children from the orphanage accidentally tugged a button off his suit. And another one—at a tree-planting event, he got startled by a bee flying past. And there’s also—”
“???” Butler Lin was dumbfounded.
They even had photos like that? Were they really fans, or some kind of anti-fans?!
But the short-haired maid’s eyes suddenly lit up. With unexpected seriousness, she handed over her communicator and said respectfully, “Please add me to the fan club. Send me the photos.”
The long-haired maid laughed softly. “Sure~.”
Butler Lin: “………………”
These maids were hopeless.
***
“Almost didn’t make it,” Butler Lin muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “I shouldn’t have wasted time listening to those maids’ nonsense.”
He jogged the last stretch, panting heavily as he clutched the freshly cleaned suit. Pulling out his pocket watch, he saw the time—6:59. Just barely on time. He let out a breath of relief.
Standing before the door of Young Master Zuo Shihuan’s bedroom, he took a deep breath before knocking, speaking in his usual calm tone:
“Young Master Zuo Shihuan, I’ve brought your dry-cleaned suit. May I come in?”
He waited patiently for a moment—no response.
That was strange. Normally, the young master answered right away, and he was almost always awake early, already dressed before Butler Lin even entered.
But this time, Butler Lin stood there so long his legs began to ache—and still heard no sound inside.
It was as if the man was still asleep.
Feeling uneasy, Butler Lin knocked again, a little louder. “Young Master Zuo Shihuan, are you awake?”
This time, a reply came—
“Come in.”
The voice through the door sounded muffled, faintly weary—so different from the usual composed tone that Butler Lin felt an inexplicable sense of dread.
“Yes, Young Master,” he replied softly, and pushed the door open.
The room inside was dim; the curtains were drawn, blocking out most of the light. A faint breeze stirred the gray fabric. On the edge of the bed sat a solitary figure.
The silence felt almost unnatural.
Young Master Zuo Shihuan sat there, head bowed. His soft black hair fell forward, the collar of his white dress shirt undone—only the middle two buttons fastened, exposing a glimpse of pale skin and sharply defined collarbones. Below, he still wore his loungewear, bare feet resting against the wooden floor.
His breathing was shallow—so faint it was barely audible.
In the dim light, his face couldn’t be seen clearly, only the shape of him—one hand pressed against his forehead, his back slightly hunched, dark hair veiling his eyes. His lips were tightly pursed, throat bobbing as if suppressing something painful. He sat utterly still, every quiet breath seeming strained with discomfort.
He wasn’t dressed as usual—no suit, no tie.
It was obvious he had intended to change before letting the butler in, but somehow, he hadn’t even managed to button his shirt.
It was the first time Butler Lin had ever seen the young master like this—so fragile, so weak.
A cold sense of alarm rushed through him. Could it be that the overworked young master had finally collapsed?
Butler Lin was growing increasingly anxious. When he saw how pale Zuo Shihuan looked, his voice softened with concern. “Young Master Zuo, are you feeling unwell? I’ll call the doctor right away.”
Zuo Shihuan still didn’t lift his head. He took a few shallow breaths before pressing his pale lips together and saying faintly, “No need. Don’t call the doctor. I’ll get up and work in a moment.”
Butler Lin frowned in disapproval. “Perhaps you should rest for a day, Young Master. Health is far more important than work—nothing matters more than you yourself.”
More important than himself?
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes dimmed, the bitterness in them carefully hidden. Bloodshot from fatigue, he gave a small, self-mocking smile. “Really, it’s fine. I’m not seriously ill.”
Right now, work was the only thing that mattered to him—the only thing that could numb him, drown out the reality pressing in step by step. He didn’t want to think, didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to face anything.
Butler Lin’s face grew stern. “Whether it’s serious or not should be for the doctor to decide. As your personal butler—though I’ve only served you a few days—it’s my professional duty to take responsibility for your health.”
Zuo Shihuan was slightly surprised, then let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t expect Butler Lin to be such a serious and earnest person.”
A trace of sorrow flickered in Butler Lin’s eyes as he said quietly, “Perhaps it’s because my mother died of illness. I can’t bear to see anyone grow sick and frail before me.”
Zuo Shihuan paused, then said softly, “I’m sorry. I’ve made you recall something painful.”
Butler Lin smiled with gentle ease, half kneeling down as he looked up with calm warmth in his eyes. Carefully, he began buttoning Zuo Shihuan’s shirt, one button at a time, straightening his collar—the first time he’d ever truly used the skills he learned in butler school.
“It’s fine. It’s been over ten years. My father has already remarried and has new children, and I’ve long since grown up and started working. I just… forgive my boldness, but may I ask, why don’t you want to see a doctor, Young Master Zuo?”
Zuo Shihuan’s gaze grew unfocused. The light brown of his eyes dimmed with a fragile loneliness. “I just had a dream. After waking up, I felt a bit uncomfortable… and had a headache, that’s all.”
A dream?
That made Butler Lin recall what he’d seen earlier in the car—how Zuo Shihuan would rather dig his nails into his palm than fall asleep.
What kind of dream could be so terrifying?
Cautiously, Butler Lin asked, “What kind of dream was it? Maybe saying it out loud would make you feel a bit lighter.”
Pain flickered in Zuo Shihuan’s eyes, but he smiled faintly and shook his head.
It was a dream buried so deep he didn’t dare think about it anymore—a dream that had already turned into a nightmare.
To open his eyes was to face reality. But the reality he woke into was just another kind of nightmare.
At least, by drowning himself in endless work, forcing himself not to breathe or think, he could avoid remembering that person—could avoid seeing the back of that figure who had left him for good.
If he fell asleep, there would be no escaping that person in his dreams.
Butler Lin didn’t push further. Instead, he poured a glass of warm water and handed it to him, his gaze gentle yet full of sincere worry. “If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it. I can’t help you with dreams anyway. But if you keep working yourself like this, Young Master Zuo, sooner or later your body won’t be able to hold on.”
Zuo Shihuan fell silent for a while, then looked up and smiled. “I understand. I’ll be more careful next time. But I didn’t expect young Butler Lin to have such a fussy, motherly personality.”
Butler Lin gave a wry smile. “In your eyes, Young Master, what kind of person did you think I was before?”
Zuo Shihuan thought for a second, then said teasingly, “Young. Inexperienced. Occasionally forgetful—sometimes leaving things behind. And someone who secretly hides in a corner during banquets to sneak a nap.”
Butler Lin’s face fell. “My apologies, Young Master, for showing you my less professional side. I’ll correct myself.”
Zuo Shihuan’s eyes curved slightly. “But Butler Lin is also a dedicated and responsible butler. Inexperienced, but hardworking. Even when you make a mistake, you always make it right. Hiding in a corner to nap only means you’ve been working too hard for my sake. You care deeply about my wellbeing. And even though you’re timid and rarely speak to me, you still found the courage to argue back seriously with me just now.”
“In short, in my eyes, Butler Lin is a perfectly qualified butler.”
Butler Lin’s eyes widened little by little. The unexpected praise made his cheeks flush red, his heart pounding uncontrollably.
When he met the young master’s warm, encouraging light-brown gaze—it was like the solid, tolerant earth itself, or the soft, damp soil after the rain.
In those eyes, his own blushing face was reflected—ears burning crimson.
Butler Lin hastily shut his eyes, trying not to look at that handsome, dangerously captivating face, though his heart was still hammering wildly with joy.
Only one thought flashed through his mind—
He had to join the fan club!
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