But the expected pain didn’t come; instead, he heard a sound.
Ying Wutu cautiously opened his eyes and saw that Jiang Shouzhu had covered the brazier with a copper lid.
It was a regular brazier cover used at home to prevent sparks from causing a fire.
So it wasn’t what he thought…
Ying Wutu slowly calmed his breathing, letting his racing heart gradually settle.
But then…
He smelled a delicious scent.
He sniffed discreetly, realizing it came from the brazier. Seeing the wicked woman inactive, he stretched his neck to look closer.
He saw two corns roasting on the edge of the brazier.
So it was the smell of roasted corn.
Ying Wutu swallowed and slowly sat back in the corner of the carriage.
Now, the wicked woman neither hit him nor moved the brazier back. She had just called her subordinate to bring a fire-prevention lid.
So he could warm himself, trying to alleviate his abdominal pain.
But…
Aside from the sound of the carriage wheels, he heard the “pop” of corn kernels roasting.
The sound reached Ying Wutu’s ears, making him swallow twice.
He was hungry.
Since being captured by the wicked woman, he hadn’t had a full meal.
He closed his eyes, trying not to think about it. After all, the wicked woman wouldn’t give it to him, and not being beaten was already a blessing.
Until Jiang Shouzhu removed the copper lid from the brazier and took out two roasted corns…
Ying Wutu remained curled up in the corner, his head buried in his knees, and he couldn’t help but sniff the air around him.
It smelled so sweet…
Then this sweet smell was brought right in front of him.
Jiang Shouzhu held a corn in one hand and lightly tapped his head with the other.
Ying Wutu, thinking the wicked woman was going to hit him again, looked up to see the roasted corn presented to him.
“Eat,” Jiang Shouzhu said. Seeing the little rabbit still staring blankly and not taking it, she threw the hot corn onto the floor. “Eat it if you want.”
She wouldn’t spoil him.
It wasn’t until the corn rolled to the edge of Ying Wutu’s clothes that he finally picked it up.
It was hot to the touch, and he quickly juggled it from hand to hand, not wanting to drop it nor let go, fearing she might take it back.
“Performing a circus act?” Jiang Shouzhu was already eating, watching the little rabbit fumble with the corn, she laughed.
“It’s a bit hot…” Ying Wutu quickly explained and, fearing she might misunderstand, continued, “I’ll eat it right away.”
Starving, he ignored the heat and started devouring the corn.
Jiang Shouzhu paused her chewing, having never seen anyone eat corn so fast.
Was Ying Wutu really part rabbit? Such effective rabbit teeth?
In just a few blinks, Ying Wutu finished the entire corn, licking his lips as if reminiscing the taste.
He didn’t savor the flavor, mostly due to hunger.
Fearing it might be taken away, he quickly ate it to feel secure.
Ying Wutu, now half-full, wondered where to put the empty cob. Looking up, he saw the wicked woman staring at him…
He felt a mix of fear and discomfort.
He touched his lips and cheeks, muttering, “I hope there aren’t any corn bits stuck to my face?”
He didn’t understand why he cared.
Why did he care about his appearance when the wicked woman was watching?
He had shown her all kinds of pitiful looks already, his image long gone.
Jiang Shouzhu, noticing his face-checking, snapped back and resumed eating her corn.
Why was she staring at him? But he was indeed a bit… cute.
She couldn’t help but think, good thing she hadn’t killed him.
He was cute when biting, and in a different way when not.
Jiang Shouzhu saw the bite mark on her right hand, left by the little rabbit.
She now found it a bit cute.
Was she poisoned by the roasted corn?
Jiang Shouzhu finished eating in a few bites, opened the carriage door, and threw out the corn cob…
Ying Wutu quickly did the same and returned to his corner.
The door let in the wind, and with his stomach pain, he didn’t want to feel the cold breeze.
The door closed again.
It was already the second half of the night.
Jiang Shouzhu lay on the couch, looking at the person curled up in the corner. She moved inward.
“Come up and sleep.”
Ying Wutu, of course, wanted to sleep on the bed. It was soft and warm, and she was a strong woman, radiating heat. He knew this from the night he slept in her embrace. It would be comfortable.
But he couldn’t.
He had his period.
Unprepared, he felt another gush of blood when he threw the corn cob. He was already embarrassed.
He didn’t want her to know, nor risk staining her bed.
“Not obedient again?” Jiang Shouzhu thought the little rabbit had been very obedient tonight, hence the food. Why the sudden defiance?
“No… I think I’ll stay here. I’m fine here,” Ying Wutu said, curling up more.
“When I say come up, you come up immediately!” Jiang Shouzhu ordered harshly.
Hearing the change in her tone, so different from when she gave him corn, he quickly said, “I’m not in a good condition.”
Jiang Shouzhu didn’t understand.
“What condition? I’ll count to three! Three!”
Ying Wutu gripped his sleeves tightly, his abdominal pain intensifying.
“Two!”
Ying Wutu still didn’t move. He looked up at the person on the bed, seeing her already sitting up, his brows furrowing in pain, “I really can’t…”
“One!”
When she finished counting, Jiang Shouzhu reached out, grabbed the tie at Ying Wutu’s neck, and roughly dragged him onto the bed.
Ying Wutu cried out in surprise, his lower back hitting the bed’s edge as he was pulled up.
He knew this was the end.
Because he felt more blood flowing out.
Jiang Shouzhu, still angry, was about to scold him when she saw the little rabbit staring in horror at the bed…
Following his gaze, she saw a small bloodstain seeping through.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Ying Wutu was terrified. He anxiously used his clothes to wipe the blood, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it got, and he couldn’t clean it.
