Another bright and sunny morning. Warm sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, gently caressing Ye Wen's delicate little face.

The National Day holiday had begun, so there was no school today. Ye Wen rolled over, planning to sleep in a bit longer. But a sharp cramp in her abdomen jolted her awake. Unable to rest, she got up and dressed.

"Ugh... it hurts so much..." Ye Wen clutched her stomach as she walked into the bathroom. "Did I eat something bad...?"

Her body felt weak. She slightly shook her head and made her way to the toilet, pulling down her pants.

"What is this..." Ye Wen stared blankly at the blood staining her underwear. "So much blood... am I dying...?"

"Of course. Crossing time and space can't come without a price... Is my time up? Will I die? If I die, will I return to my original world, or face true death..." Panic fluttered in Ye Wen's chest. "I... I don't want to die yet... I want... to live a little longer... even in this girl's body..."

Everyone fears death, and Ye Wen was no exception. "I haven't seen so many things yet... I haven't lived enough... I don't want to die... don't want to..."

Tears blurred her vision. Her legs gave way, and she barely managed to sit on the toilet seat.

"My body won't obey... Am I... dying?" Her limbs turned icy cold. She even glimpsed the gates of heaven. Her mind faded, and darkness swallowed her sight...

"Young miss? Breakfast is ready." Shuizishi knocked on the door. "Young miss? Young miss?"

No answer came. Shuizishi turned the doorknob—it was locked from inside, as Ye Wen had secured it before sleeping.

After knocking a while longer with no reply, Shuizishi padded away on the wooden floor. She returned with the head maid, who sorted through a keyring and unlocked the door. The bedcovers were thrown back, empty. The head maid stepped into the bathroom and found Ye Wen unconscious.

...

Half-conscious, Ye Wen felt someone shifting her body. She was laid back onto a soft bed.

Warm sunlight slowly thawed her icy limbs. Her awareness crept back.

"Young miss, you're awake?" A voice like a lark's chirp reached her. Ye Wen opened her eyes to see Shuizishi sitting by the bed.

"...I didn't die..." Ye Wen whispered weakly, her voice soft and gentle, slightly hoarse and ethereal—enough to stir anyone's protective instincts.

"Hmm?" Shuizishi tilted her head, smoothing her maid skirt. "Congratulations, young miss. You've officially grown up."

"Eh?" Ye Wen's face scrunched in confusion.

"You had your first period today. Don't worry—it can be intense the first time." The young maid spoke with the confidence of experience.

If Ye Wen hadn't understood before, Shuizishi's words made it painfully clear. Of course—it was that! A trace of relief washed over her. But as she relaxed, the cramps returned, sharp and insistent.

This was awful... Did she have to endure this every month? Come to think of it, this body's development seemed a bit late.

Her hands and feet felt numb. No appetite stirred—only nausea threatened to rise.

"Young miss, have some porridge."

"Mmm... not hungry..."

"You must eat even if you have no appetite. Otherwise, you'll grow weaker." Shuizishi opened an insulated container on the nightstand. Inside sat a bowl of glistening white congee, topped with thin beef slices and ginger. She scooped a poached egg from the bottom, broke it apart, and mixed it into the porridge.

"Here~ Open up, young miss." Shuizishi lifted a half-spoonful, blew on it gently, then held it out when the steam faded.

Ye Wen sat up quickly. "N-no... I can do it myself..."

"The head maid said you're too weak. I must feed you. You wouldn't want me scolded by Auntie Head Maid, would you~?"

"Mmm... alright..." Ye Wen surrendered, parting her lips.

The warm porridge soothed her belly. The pain eased, and warmth spread through her. She even felt like gaming again.

The room's AC hummed at 28 degrees Celsius. But at the maid's pleading, Ye Wen pulled on loose pajamas and settled at her computer.

The porridge's comfort soon faded. Even with the heat cranked up, a bone-deep chill made her shiver.

The young maid sat primly beside Ye Wen, watching her game. But Ye Wen kept getting killed—off her game today. With Shuizishi observing, she felt too embarrassed to continue.

"Xiao Shi, want to watch anime?" Ye Wen opened a video site.

"Yes!" Shuizishi nodded. "But I never catch the broadcast times..."

"What do you want to see?" Computers had no such limits—watch anytime. That was their convenience.

"Is Cardcaptor Sakura here?"

"Of course." Ye Wen searched the site. "How far have you watched?"

"Start from episode one! I began midway and always wanted to see the beginning."

"Then today, I'll grant your wish." Ye Wen clicked play.

"Huh? It's not in Chinese?"

"It's a Japanese anime. This is the original audio."

"Oh~" Shuizishi nodded. "I always thought it was Chinese... But I don't understand Japanese."

"Read the subtitles!" Ye Wen said casually. Then she remembered maids might not attend school. "Do you... know how to read?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Too blunt. "I didn't mean... it's just that..."

"Hmm?" Shuizishi blinked, puzzled by Ye Wen's fluster. "Of course! I graduated from junior high school."

"Oh... right, of course you do." Ye Wen relaxed. "How did you all become maids here?"

"We're orphans raised by Master. He funded our schooling while the head maid trained us. After junior high graduation, we became full maids."

"Isn't that sad?"

"Not at all! We can leave anytime if we quit being maids. Master would still support our high school or college. And Madam is easy to work with. Being a maid is nice—we even get paid well, better than most outside jobs."

A maid who truly loved her work.

...