chapter 26 You are hourly workers

Maya walked up to Ella, hooked her arm, and said with a smile, "Come on, Ella, show me around." "Erm, this..." Ella looked hesitant. She knew that the house Fernando bought definitely wouldn't be this villa. If she revealed the truth later, it would be embarrassing. "Come on, we're already at the doorstep. Why not invite an old friend in for tea?" Maya said sweetly. With Maya's words pushing her, Ella couldn't refuse anymore. She could only cast a pleading glance at Fernando, but he remained calm. Ella thought, "What a fool he is, so composed at a time like this. Is he intentionally embarrassing me?" However, the next moment left her completely stunned. Fernando took out the keys and slowly opened the door. Maya was also surprised. This guy had the keys. Could it be that he bought the house? "No way, it's impossible. This must be a house owned by one of his wealthy friends, and they occasionally take care of it. Or maybe they're just hired cleaners sent to clean it up occasionally. Yes, that must be it." As they entered, Maya's suspicions seemed to be confirmed. All the furniture and appliances were covered with thick cloth, and a layer of dust was evenly spread everywhere, indicating that it had been uninhabited for a long time. "Oh, sorry, Maya. Fernando just bought this house, and it's my first time here. I had no idea it was this messy." Ella smiled apologetically. Maya sneered inwardly, "She's still pretending? Alright then, I'll completely expose your hypocritical mask." "It's okay, Ella. When you live here later, we'll be neighbors. We must stay in touch. Oh, by the way..." Maya cleared her throat and continued, "There's a class reunion in a couple of days. You must come, okay?" "A class reunion? I, I won't go." Ella felt a strong aversion to the idea of a class reunion. Since she was kicked out of the Gu Family, none of her former classmates or friends had reached out to her voluntarily. Moreover, when she needed money for Zoey's medical expenses, she contacted many classmates to borrow money, but not a single one helped her. "Oh, how can you not go? Every time during the reunions, our classmates express how much they miss you. This time, you absolutely cannot be absent." Maya said earnestly. Ella lowered her head in silence, thinking, "Me, absent? None of you informed me of any reunion over these years." "That's settled then. I'll let you know. You both better clean up by then. Goodbye..." Maya left with a mocking expression, not looking back. "A pair of cleaning staff, pretending they bought it. Quite good at pretending," Ella muttered. After Maya left, Ella turned to Fernando and asked, "Is this what you call a small house?" Fernando nodded, "Yes." Ella bit her lip tightly, scolding him, "This isn't small? Then what's big? When did you, Fernando, learn to show off like this?" ...... Fernando was stunned. The mighty Palace Master of Annihilation Palace, in terms of power, commanded five War God Envoys, a hundred War Gods, and millions of elite soldiers. In terms of wealth, he was as rich as a nation. When did Fernando ever show off? Did he need to? If he truly wanted to show off, who could outdo him? The two of them worked tirelessly the entire afternoon to clean the first floor. Fernando suggested hiring someone to clean, but Ella insisted on doing it herself, saying that cleaning her own house was a form of happiness. By dinner time, after a whole afternoon of labor, Ella felt exceptionally hungry. The kitchen was empty, with nothing in it, so they had to go out to eat. At this moment, the roads in the neighborhood felt unusually long. After so many years, Ella entertained the idea of buying a car for the first time. With her daughter's illness cured, financial constraints were naturally less severe. Besides, her daughter would start school in a few days, making daily commutes more convenient. She could take out a loan first. When the flower shop resumed normal business, monthly payments with interest shouldn't be a significant issue. Fernando suggested letting her choose any car on the market, but Ella insisted on some smaller cars, like a Honda Fit or a Volkswagen Golf, for ease of use. After dinner, Fernando suggested booking a hotel for a few days and moving in after the place was cleaned. However, Ella criticized him for wasting money and not knowing how to live frugally. Years of tight finances had molded her into a person accustomed to thrift and economy. Fernando didn't persist, and the two of them returned to the semi-basement. As they approached the door, Ella thought she had entered the wrong house. She double-checked, but it was indeed the right place. Inside and outside the house, it was packed with all sorts of items, with no space to set foot. Zoey was squatting nearby, crying incessantly. "What happened, Zoey?" Ella hurried over, stroking her daughter's head and asking. "Mom, sniff..." Zoey, upon seeing her mom, cried and rushed into Ella's embrace. Ella gently stroked her daughter's back, softly asking, "What's wrong, Zoey? Tell Mom." "These boxes were given to me by Uncle Wesley, these by Uncle Seth, and these by Uncle Derek." Zoey pointed to each box, choking on her words. "Mommy taught me not to ask for things casually. I've told them countless times not to, but they never listen, sniff..." Zoey explained, crying again. Ella was puzzled. Wesley? Seth? Derek? Who were these people? Fernando walked over to the boxes and casually opened one, instantly finding himself in a perplexing situation. Inside the box were neatly arranged small packages, each containing different items. Fernando picked up one, revealing various clothes and dresses with inscriptions. "Clothes for the Little Princess at Seven," "Clothes for the Little Princess at Eight," up to eighteen. Opening another one revealed an array of stationery, with pencils and erasers numbering in the tens of thousands. Some boxes contained countless puppets and cloth dolls, while others held various miniaturized handguns. To Fernando's surprise, they were all real guns, loaded with bullets, and accompanied by notes stating they were for the Little Princess's self-defense. There were also antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. More exaggeratedly, there were knives, guns, swords, and halberds, each one extraordinary. "Little Princess, the room is getting crowded..." Brian struggled to squeeze himself out of the room. "Uh... Palace Master, Madam." Brian instantly restrained himself, bowing and addressing them. Fernando frowned, "This is not the border, and not the Palace. Don't call me Palace Master in here." "Yes, Big Brother, Sister-in-law." Brian quickly adjusted, bowing again. At the mention of 'Sister-in-law,' Ella blushed, lowering her head and pretending not to hear.