Lu Linwei felt his fervor doused like a bucket of ice water. He hadn’t expected to rush back overnight only to be greeted like this.
But the next second, realizing what Shen Ying had said, his displeasure was quickly overshadowed—
With a tone of disbelief, he repeated, "Workplace—bullying?"
Shen Ying nodded firmly. "Yes, unmistakable workplace bullying."
"Including but not limited to collective silent treatment, personal humiliation, appearance shaming, academic shaming, and insulting family members."
Lu Linwei’s frown deepened with each word. "What the hell?"
He swept a glance at the servants around him. Since childhood, his authority at home had been absolute.
The household staff had always given him the impression of being orderly, docile, and efficient—utterly devoid of any aggression.
If he was in a slightly bad mood, they would tread carefully, harmless as a flock of rabbits.
So when Shen Ying listed those accusations, Lu Linwei couldn’t reconcile them with the people before him.
The servants, meanwhile, were startled. They hadn’t anticipated this woman would go straight to tattling.
Their expressions turned uneasy.
Then they watched as Shen Ying pulled out a voice recorder and pressed play right in front of Lu Linwei.
The verbal abuse had been deliberately sharp and concise, meant to grab her attention and strike precisely.
As a result, the recordings required no editing, free of any tedious filler.
Lu Linwei’s face darkened with each passing second. Before the playback even finished, he snapped at the butler, "Summon everyone involved."
Under Lu Linwei’s gaze, no one dared delay.
So before Shen Ying’s recording could finish, all the implicated parties had assembled.
In batches—over a dozen of them.
Their faces were tense, exchanging glances filled with silent fury at this gold-digger’s cunning. Yet none looked particularly panicked.
Shen Ying noted this, unsurprised.
Then the senior maid from the first day spoke up. "Mr. Lu, the voices in the recording are indeed ours, but perhaps Miss Shen misunderstood?"
"The comment about ‘disgusting table manners’ was about a mukbang streamer Little Zheng recommended. He was so enthusiastic, we all checked it out."
"Turns out it wasn’t as good as he claimed, so we mentioned it in passing during a chat."
"As for the remarks about work, education, and looks—we were just discussing the female lead of an idol drama during break."
Shen Ying raised a brow. "The recording mentioned ‘Mr. Lu.’"
The maid smiled. "Yes, the male lead’s surname is Lu—but a different character from yours, sir."
"If Miss Shen doubts it, she can look up the drama."
After their failed intimidation attempt on the first day, they’d witnessed this woman’s knack for on-the-spot complaints.
Naturally, they’d planned their words carefully, leaving room for plausible deniability.
So even under Lu Linwei’s scrutiny, they appeared utterly unshaken.
The maid even offered Shen Ying an apologetic smile. "We never imagined Miss Shen would misinterpret."
"Her dining etiquette is impeccable—why would she assume it’s about her?"
"Besides, Miss Shen is a formally hired employee. Though her role differs, we all serve Mr. Lu. Why would she compare herself to a useless idol drama heroine?"
"Still, we shouldn’t gossip during work hours. Even if Mr. Lu isn’t home, we ought to maintain discipline."
Her tone was earnest, her expression sincere. Had Shen Ying not been the target, even she might’ve believed she was overreacting.
Shen Ying nodded in agreement. "True. Maybe I was overthinking—after all, not a single word directly referenced me."
"So I brought my brother."
The servants tensed, their confidence cracking slightly.
But they quickly dismissed their unease.
This woman might be sharp, but her brother? They could tell at a glance—he was no match for them.
Just as they thought this, Shen Ying leisurely pulled out a mini voice recorder.
She explained, "My brother has been the family’s treasure since birth. Wherever he goes, I’m always watching, terrified he might get hurt alone. If anything happened to him, what would the Shen family do?"
"So when he’s by himself, I habitually keep him under surveillance."
Shen Yao’s lanky frame stiffened as he stared at his sister like she was a lunatic.
Meanwhile, she pressed play.
The crisp audio confirmed Shen Ying’s expectations.
Attacking a simpleton required bluntness, and since these people knew nothing about Shen Yao, their insults had to rely on what Shen Ying fed them.
From the moment Shen Yao arrived, she’d bombarded them with phrases like "the Shen family’s prized heir" and more.
She’d even spoon-fed them extra material, ensuring they wouldn’t run out of ammo—and they’d swallowed it whole.
Now their faces paled.
Shen Ying fanned the flames for Lu Linwei. "Earlier, you could argue I misconstrued things."
"But now? They name-dropped. These are the exact phrases I use to praise my brother—phrases you’re familiar with, Mr. Lu."
"Right, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Linwei’s gaze turned icy as it swept over the group. Every word in that recording was one he’d heard before—back at her place, listening to her spout this nonsense to the poor fool daily.
Only now did Lu Linwei realize his household staff weren’t as meek as he’d believed.
Keeping Shen Ying here under false pretenses was one thing—but any sane person could read between the lines.
Yet these people had presumed to make decisions for him?
The realization filled him with rage and humiliation.
Shen Ying, meanwhile, launched into a theatrical lament. She pulled her bewildered brother forward, addressing Lu Linwei tearfully.
"Bullying me is whatever. I’m an adult—I know life’s hard, workplaces are cutthroat."
"But my brother? You know this kid. Pure-hearted, honest. Back when you stayed with us, this little fool waited on you hand and foot. And what does he get in return? Contempt and insults."
"I never should’ve brought him. He’s not even finished high school, and already he’s seen the worst of human nature, the cruelty of society. Look how deflated he is now—who knows how long it’ll take him to recover?"
"If this ruins his chances of getting into Tsinghua, I’ll make them pay."
Shen Yao, an academic disaster: "..."
Regardless of Shen Ying’s dramatics, Lu Linwei’s authority had been challenged—that much was real.
Coldly, he declared, "Everyone in those recordings is fired. Effective tomorrow."
To the butler, he added, "I don’t care if you knew. This won’t happen again."
The butler trembled, bowing. "Understood, Mr. Lu."
And just like that, over a dozen servants were led away, stunned.
With so many dismissed at once, no one would dare trouble Shen Ying again—at least not within these walls.
As she watched them leave, Shen Ying’s gaze lingered, almost wistful.
Seeing her expression, Lu Linwei mistakenly assumed she was worried and reassured her: "Don’t worry, there won’t be a next time."
Shen Ying nodded: "Yeah."
What a shame—such a golden opportunity to fleece him, but a one-time deal only.
Well, Lu Linwei had absolute control over their employment. If he was displeased, he’d replace them without hesitation. Even the dimmest employees would tread carefully after such a mass dismissal.
This windfall from the "abuse" episode was a one-time benefit.
Too bad!
So she consoled herself and reminded Lu Linwei: "It’s fine as long as the mental health compensation is paid in full."
"Boss Lu, you see—"
Lu Linwei choked back his irritation. Since he was at fault here—his subordinates had inexplicably interfered in his affairs—he had no choice but to let Shen Ying extort him.
Just as he was about to instruct Assistant Fang to transfer the compensation, she added: "Not just me, but my brother too."
Lu Linwei clicked his tongue. "Don’t worry, the amount will satisfy you."
"Boss Lu is truly generous." Shen Ying beamed.
Shen Yao was dumbfounded. Even he wasn’t so stupid as to miss the fact that his sister had used him.
Bullied and humiliated? So she’d planned to milk this for money all along—and even roped him in to double the payout.
He nudged her with his shoulder. "You—"
Shen Ying patted him reassuringly. "Relax, you’ll get your share."
Shen Yao looked down and, sure enough, a transfer notification popped up on his phone.
A whopping six hundred!
Wait—Shen Yao protested: "You took so much and only gave me six hundred?"
"Do I look like the same pushover from two days ago?"
Shen Ying stared at him, the gentle concern now gone from her face as she regarded her used-up tool.
"Maybe reflect on why you’ve gotten so full of yourself in just two days?"
"Wasn’t that my doing?" Otherwise, would you have gotten double?
"All you had to do was eat, drink, play games, and stand around doing nothing to earn six hundred. Go ask your classmates—where else can you find a gig this good?"
"Too young and too greedy. Still want the job? Plenty of people are waiting in line."
Shen Yao thought of the idiots in the videos who’d happily scrub toilets just for a chance to see the gaming setup and cars.
Realizing how competitive this "job" was, he didn’t dare haggle further and mumbled a reluctant "Okay."
Satisfied after lecturing her brother, Shen Ying nodded.
Then she added: "Of course, if anyone ever says that to you in the future, tell them to screw off."
"Don’t just look at effort versus reward. Consider your unique value. You’re useful because you’re my brother—insulting you counts as harassing a family member, which escalates the emotional damage. Plus, you’ve got some history with Boss Lu, so we got double compensation. Anyone else wouldn’t have worked."
Shen Yao had an epiphany: "Then the six hundred—"
Shen Ying: "The rate’s already settled. No renegotiating. I’m just teaching you, as your sister, how ruthless the world is so you don’t get scammed by outsiders."
Shen Yao was on the verge of tears. Equally speechless was Lu Linwei—
"You really don’t treat me like an outsider." But given how his subordinates had humiliated him, he had no choice but to endure Shen Ying’s shameless greed.
Then Shen Ying looked up at him, her eyes brimming with trust: "I never doubted for a second that Boss Lu would give me justice."
"One thing they said was true—before you, I was just scraping by at third-rate companies. So it’s an honor to work under someone like you."
"Workplace bullying isn’t rare. I’ve experienced it at past jobs too. But not every boss would sacrifice so many long-term employees for the dignity of a new hire."
"Which is why I genuinely thought Boss Lu looked incredibly noble earlier."
Lu Linwei’s heart melted like honey. He coughed to suppress a grin and said sternly: "Of course. I’d never compromise my principles just because employees pressure me. Don’t compare me to those spineless cowards out there."
Everyone around them: "..."
It’s over. The boss is completely wrapped around her finger.
Dinner began after the matter was settled.
Lu Linwei glanced at Shen Yao, who was busy eating. Partly to compensate the poor kid, partly because he thought the boy could keep Shen Ying entertained, he said:
"I’ll have the driver’s number sent to you later. Come over anytime on weekends."
Shen Yao’s eyes lit up. "Seriously, Brother Lu? Does that mean I can try all the games?"
Shen Ying smiled and explained to Lu Linwei: "He loves the game room. Last time, he was disappointed he couldn’t try everything in such a short time."
Without hesitation, Lu Linwei said: "Take whatever you like home. Pick any console or games—just tell the driver to deliver them."
Shen Yao was ecstatic.
Then his sister added: "He also wanted to drive your Bugatti Veyron. Too bad someone said he was too clumsy yesterday and wouldn’t let him near it."
Lu Linwei frowned, annoyed again by his staff’s behavior.
"Take it if you like. It’s yours."
Shen Yao: "...B-Brother Lu?"
As Shen Yao stammered in shock, his sister interjected: "Thank you, Boss Lu. But he’s still in high school—it’s not safe for him to drive yet."
"I’ll hold onto the car for him."
Shen Yao’s joy crashed. He wasn’t stupid—this was just like "safekeeping" New Year’s money. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
He felt cheated but knew he couldn’t outmaneuver his sister.
Leaning in, he grumbled: "Six hundred really is too little."
With a luxury car secured, Shen Ying wasn’t stingy. She nodded: "Fine. Two hundred more."
The little fool grinned.
Lu Linwei watched, his perception of just how easily fools were duped thoroughly updated.
Then he turned to Shen Ying: "The reason I came back early isn’t just—ahem—there’s something else."
"There’s a charity gala tomorrow night, hosted by an industry elder. Attendance is mandatory."
"Get ready. You’re coming with me."
Shen Ying’s face lit up. "Of course, Boss Lu. I won’t let you down."
Lu Linwei preened at her enthusiasm. Of course—no woman could resist the prestige of being his official plus-one.
What delighted Shen Ying, however, was this: the one-time fleece was over, but now he was leading her straight into the flock.
