Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Dinner wasn’t too difficult, aside from the braised pork she had asked Uncle Man next door for help with, she could handle the rest.

“Time for dinner.”

Xu Qi’s person hadn’t arrived yet, but her voice had already entered the room.

So after she went in, she saw the people inside, trying to get out of bed with the tips of their toes hooked onto Xu Qi’s shoes. Those feet were fair and smooth, looking quite lovely.

Xu Qi smiled helplessly and walked over to Ye Lan, who was stunned, tapping his head when she got there. “You’re making decisions on your own again?”

She smiled gently.

Ye Lan nodded obediently, his voice barely audible. “Isn’t it time for dinner?”

Xu Qi pulled over a table and grabbed a chair from somewhere, patting it. “Then you sit here.”

“Here, eat here?”

Ye Lan looked somewhat surprised.

“Yes, after you eat, you should rest.”

Xu Qi went out again to bring the dishes in.

But Ye Lan was still standing by the bed, so she called him, “What are you thinking? Sit down quickly.”

Ye Lan glanced nervously at Xu Qi, thinking to himself why he needed to follow those rules again. Besides, his current mistress didn’t require him to follow the rules.

So he just looked at Xu Qi and said softly, “This slave will serve mistress while she eats.”

Xu Qi laughed.

“Why don’t you sit down and eat with me?”@@novelbin@@

Ye Lan refused, insisting on standing and serving. Finally, Xu Qi couldn’t help but frown and stare at Ye Lan silently, which scared him into sitting down.

In front of him was a bowl of white rice and clean chopsticks.

There was only a layer of rice spread on the bottom of the bowl, with steam rising from the top.

The steam made Ye Lan’s eyes feel a bit warm.

“Eat up.”

Xu Qi picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in Ye Lan’s bowl, a mix of fat and lean with plenty of oil.

Ye Lan stared blankly at the color in his bowl, even the soup that flowed out had tinted the white rice slightly red.

“Is… is this for me?”

He had only been able to eat vegetarian dishes at his master’s house, and when the master occasionally came to rest with him, he would leave right after he finished cooking, let alone serving him.

“It’s already in your bowl. Who else would it be for?”

While speaking, Xu Qi also threw a piece of meat into her mouth, “Mmm~”

She couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sound.

Ye Lan had never interacted with people like this before, and his hand holding the chopsticks felt unnatural.

Until Xu Qi urged him again, he carefully picked up the braised pork in his bowl, held it in his mouth, and carefully tore off half of it.

In an instant, the savory taste filled his mouth.

“How is it? Is it good?”

Xu Qi was a bit nervous. She was afraid that Ye Lan wouldn’t like what they made in this small place, she didn’t know the standard of a wealthy family’s chef, but it must be better than theirs.

Ye Lan hurriedly swallowed the mouthful, took a couple of breaths, and was finally able to calmly reply to Xu Qi.

“It’s delicious, thank you for mistress’s reward.”

Xu Qi: cracks up…

“As long as you like it.”

Even if she was speechless about the rules of ancient times in her heart, she was still very gentle on the surface.

“Yes, this slave likes it very much.”

Ye Lan lowered his head and unconsciously played with the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, speaking softly.

But after a while, there were two more green vegetables in his tiny bowl, green and shiny, with a beautiful sheen on top.

“Don’t just eat rice.”

Ye Lan pursed his lips and looked seriously at Xu Qi.

Seeing Ye Lan seemed to have something to say, Xu Qi stopped her chopsticks, “What’s wrong?”

“Slave, thank you for the mistress’s kindness.”

The same words again, Xu Qi was speechless, but she smiled on her face, “Thank you for what, we’ll be a family in the future.”

“Yes.”

Ye Lan ate the dishes the mistress served him seriously, his small red lips opening and closing, not missing a single grain of rice.

Xu Qi thought that Ye Lan might be hungry, so she didn’t dare to ask him to eat more and only gave him two mouthfuls of rice.

However, just this little bit of rice was enough to fill Ye Lan up completely.

When he put down his chopsticks, not a single grain of rice was left in his bowl, but his expression showed some discomfort.

“Here, eat this too.”

Xu Qi moved the half-eaten egg custard over.

Ye Lan looked even more uncomfortable, but obediently picked up the spoon.

As soon as he took a bite, he covered his mouth as if he was about to vomit.

Xu Qi was surprised and quickly supported his back, patting it gently, and brought him a cup of water to drink.

“What’s wrong?”

Ye Lan huddled up, “I… I can’t eat anymore.”

Xu Qi frowned, “You can’t eat anymore? I only given you very little.”

Ye Lan didn’t know how to reply. He did eat little, but it was also because he was often hungry.

When he was a slave, he rarely had enough to eat, and later when he became a slave attendant, the kitchen was afraid they would eat too much and get fat, so they gave them less, and his stomach had never been big.

Seeing him frightened into silence again, Xu Qi softened her voice and said gently, “Forget it, if you can’t eat next time, just tell me, and I’ll make you another egg custard tomorrow.”

Ye Lan suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but he refused, “No need, mistress, I don’t like these.”

“What do you like then?”

Xu Qi’s expression remained gentle, like a feather brushing over his heart, tickling.

“I like whatever mistress makes.”

He was eating better here than he did before in the master’s house. Mistress was already very good to him, so how could he be picky?

“I’m asking you what you like.”

Ye Lan looked up somewhat blankly, then replied, “I like whatever mistress makes.”

He looked obedient.

Xu Qi couldn’t help but rub Ye Lan’s head.

His smooth black hair felt soft and comfortable.

“Forget it, these are just to fill you up.”

Ye Lan tightened his grip on the edge of the bed, a self-deprecating look in his eyes.

He was so useless, who would respect him?

Before he could wallow in self-pity again, the curtain was pulled open.

Xu Qi came in from outside, holding a basin in her hand.

As soon as Ye Lan saw Xu Qi was about to touch his foot, he didn’t have time to savor the slight happiness that rose in him, and panickedly crawled back, accidentally rubbing against his wound, letting out a hiss, but still looked panicked.

“Mistress, you can’t!”

“What’s wrong with that? You’re my newly purchased husband. Today can be considered your first day in the door. What’s wrong with washing your feet for you?”

Xu Qi had just thought it through when she went out. Ye Lan was too soft-hearted. He must have suffered a lot before. If she got angry with him again, no one would pamper him.

So she casually took the wooden basin outside and filled it with hot water.

If he had married a legitimate husband, someone would wash his feet for him on his wedding night to show the family’s affection.

But, but that had to be done through matchmaking and marriage! How could he be qualified?

Ye Lan kept shrinking his feet, not letting Xu Qi touch them, and kept muttering, “I’ll do it myself, Mistress, don’t do it.”

Xu Qi had no choice but to climb up along the edge of the bed, catch the tiny delicate husband who had already shrunk to the back of the bed, and reach into the bend of his leg, picking up his whole body in one go.

Ye Lan had no strength to resist at all.