This chapter opens with a knock at the door. It's the young master's housemaid. The young master wants her to come greet him when he returns home in a half-hour time. The maid is confused by the tone of the knock. She realizes that the master still cares for her, but she's too sensible. The master cares about xiaoran's father, but because the father is away from home often, he's not really aware of the situation at hand. He doesn't know what's going on at home. He's probably incapable of complaining, the maid thinks. Figuring out that the father and daughter relationship is like a father and son relationship, she decides to play the role of xiaoan's little sister. She explains that her mother died early, and she has to endure the bullying of her stepmother and sister. Her father is too busy caring for his daughter to care for her at home, so she'll pretend to be happy when her father comes home.