First, Ningguang's maids led Aether to his living quarters for the next few days.
Although Aether could choose not to reside there and only come to Qunyu Pavilion when he started work each day, Qunyu Pavilion was not a place anyone could enter. If that were the case, special notice would have to be given to the guide below.
In short, it was quite troublesome, and if Ningguang had something at night, she wouldn't be able to find Aether in time to have him by her side.
So, it was very necessary for Aether to temporarily stay at Qunyu Pavilion.
It was just a pity that if he couldn't win over Ningguang in these few days, Aether would probably be sleeping alone.
"This is your residence. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, please be sure to tell us as soon as possible," the maid respectfully said to Aether, her eyes constantly darting towards Aether's face.
As a senior maid who had followed Ningguang for many years, she was well-versed in etiquette concerning hospitality. Logically, whether it was a guest invited by Ningguang or Ningguang's subordinate, it was somewhat impolite for her as a maid to stare at someone's face like that.
Generally speaking, their gaze would be slightly lowered, and during conversations, they would try to look at the other person's glabella, but facing Aether…
She really couldn't help herself.
She didn't know why, but this Damselette gave her such a good impression that she even began to question her own sexual orientation.
"There's nothing I'm not satisfied with, thank you," Aether looked around and then thanked the maid.
This room was very nice. Although it looked a bit simple, with nothing but basic furniture and a few potted plants, it didn't seem to fit the status of Qunyu Pavilion.
However, at least this arrangement suited Aether's preferences. If the room were filled with valuable antiques or other lavish decorations, Aether would feel very uncomfortable.
It would be like living in a porcelain shop, where everything had to be handled with extreme care.
"Speaking of which, my work tomorrow…" Aether was still more concerned about work-related issues, so he decided to ask the maid for some advice first.
"Please don't worry, I think your first step in work should start tonight," the maid patiently explained to Aether.
"Tonight?" Aether was slightly taken aback, because Ningguang had already said to rest for a day at Qunyu Pavilion today and get familiar with the environment.
After all, this sky palace was quite large, and it might take a while to explore completely.
"Yes, one of your duties is to take care of Lady Ningguang's daily life, clothing, food, and shelter; you mustn't forget that," the maid nodded and said earnestly to Aether.
Actually, with them, the maids, present, this should logically be their job.
But unfortunately, this job was not something just anyone could do. Ningguang would not allow anyone other than her confidantes to approach her, let alone take care of her daily life.
So, their main duties as maids usually involved more miscellaneous tasks, such as cleaning, organizing things, and serving Ningguang tea and water.
Matters concerning her daily life, clothing, food, and shelter were usually handled by Ningguang's three secretaries. Now that they were not present, this job naturally fell to Aether.
"If you want to leave a good impression on Lady Ningguang, it's best to be more proactive."
"More proactive…" Aether pondered for a moment, then nodded.
He also felt that he should be more proactive, because the time he could stay here was not very long, and the contract he signed with Ningguang was only a short-term contract. If he couldn't win over Ningguang within this period, opportunities might not be plentiful in the future.
"I understand, thank you."
"No, you're welcome." Seeing Aether's serious expression, the maid's cheeks immediately flushed.
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At night, the view of the night sky from Qunyu Pavilion was much better than from other places.
After all, it was relatively closer to the sky, with no obstructions to the view, and the night sky and stars were clearly visible.
At this time, when most people had already rested, Ningguang's boudoir was still brightly lit.
Ningguang had not yet gone to bed, nor had she even changed her clothes.
She stood by the window, lost in thought.
"Hmm?" Ningguang suddenly felt something and turned her head in confusion.
On the other side of her door, there seemed to be a figure.
Indeed, a moment later, her door was knocked upon.
"Come in," Ningguang had already guessed who the visitor was, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Ex-excuse me…" Aether cautiously poked his head in. Seeing Ningguang fully dressed, he felt relieved but also a mix of regret and disappointment.
He had thought that even if Ningguang wasn't asleep, she would most likely have changed into her pajamas and be lying in bed.
It seemed she hadn't yet, and he wasn't too late.
"It's so late, aren't you resting yet?" Ningguang asked first.
"I thought since I'm to take care of your daily life, why not start today… And also, I wanted to look at your daily schedule today," Aether scratched his head and said to Ningguang.
"I see, you're quite thoughtful," Ningguang nodded. She had arranged for Aether to start tomorrow morning, so Aether didn't actually need to come tonight.
"The Please Immortal Ceremony is approaching, and all my energy is focused on that. My daily schedule isn't actually very packed, so even if you look at it and arrange it tomorrow morning, it would still be fine."
"After all, I've never done this job before, so it's better to be prepared," Aether shrugged.
To be honest, he hadn't really taken care of anyone before, let alone someone as high-ranking as Ningguang.
"Since that's the case, take this schedule and look at it for now. The arrangements for the next few days are all on it," Ningguang picked up a document from the table and handed it to Aether.
"Okay," Aether took it, glanced at it briefly, and then put it away.
"Have you familiarized yourself with the environment of Qunyu Pavilion?" Ningguang asked again.
"Yes, I've generally understood it," Aether nodded.
Although Qunyu Pavilion was large, it was still just a palace, and a day was enough to explore it completely.
"It's just that, for this job, I don't seem to know where to start…"
Though it was said to be taking care of Ningguang, Ningguang had hands and feet and wasn't disabled. She didn't need him to be meticulous in every aspect, and precisely because of this, he didn't know how to begin this first step.
"I see… Well, first, go fetch me a basin of foot-washing water," Ningguang thought for a moment, then commanded Aether.
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