Chapter 5 Regret
In fact, Fu Yunxiu regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.
He shouldn't have given in. If he just left her there for one night, even if she was determined to stay, her resolve would probably waver.
Unfortunately, what's done is done. At the same time he finished speaking, Aman stood up from the ground, his face full of joy.
Fu Yunxiu stared at her for a few moments, then finally stepped aside and let her in.
Fu Yunxiu's main room on the east side was very large, and it was divided into two parts by a screen. One part served as a study, and the other part was a bedroom.
Actually, there was an adjoining side room in this house, but the space inside was not large, and it was very inconvenient for Fu Yunxiu's wheelchair to get in and out, so it had been empty.
Currently, the side room is empty and somewhat dirty, so it's not really realistic to let Aman stay there.
Logically, the person on night watch usually sleeps on the footstool under the master's bed, but the thought of someone sleeping next to him, especially a woman, was something Fu Yunxiu found hard to accept.
Fu Yunxiu couldn't think of a place for Aman to sleep, so he wanted to ask her opinion. If all else failed, he could tidy up the side room.
When he turned around, he saw that Aman had already laid things out on the ground.
"You're going to sleep on the floor?" Fu Yunxiu frowned.
When he was a child, his father always told him that the ground was damp and that he shouldn't play barefoot.
Aman is a woman, and there is no underfloor heating in her room. The temperature on the floor is almost the same as outside. If she falls asleep, she might get sick.
Since he's already chosen to let people in, there's no need to deliberately torture them.
"Fine, go sleep there!" Fu Yunxiu stretched out his long arm and pointed to a place.
Aman looked over and saw a soft couch.
The soft couch was near the window, and opening the window revealed a panoramic view of the courtyard. On fine summer days, Fu Yunxiu would sit on the couch, drinking tea and reading.
Everything was provided on the soft couch, so Aman didn't need to make a fuss. Besides, it was quite far from his bed, so Fu Yunxiu finally felt a little more comfortable.
But he still had to say what he needed to say: "Since you're afraid of ghosts, then I'll let you stay one night. You can leave early tomorrow morning."
Aman remained silent, and soon the two of them turned off the lights and went to sleep.
Aman clutched the blanket with both hands, lying on the soft couch, and could smell the faint scent of ink with her breath. She blinked, still a little dazed.
She thought she was going to have to spend the night outside.
Unexpectedly, the young master did not actually let her freeze to death outside. He not only invited her in but also let her sleep on a soft couch.
Aman felt that the young master might not be as cold-blooded and ruthless as the rumors suggested; he might just appear cold on the surface, but his heart was still kind.
The young master is a good person.
“Young Master,” Aman said softly, wanting to thank Fu Yunxiu.
But Fu Yunxiu didn't give her a chance to speak, "Shut up."
The two voices intertwined in the void, which startled Fu Yunxiu.
He still doesn't understand why he did it.
Why would he allow a woman to share the same space with him, and even sleep on his favorite soft couch?
Is it because of her clear and pure eyes?
Or was it because the look in his eyes was not one of pity or disgust, but rather one of worship and admiration, as if he were superior to him?
Regardless of which one it is, he regrets it now, he regrets it very much.
*
The next day, Aman woke up at the crack of dawn.
Perhaps because she had caught a chill outside the night before, she quickly fell into a deep sleep on the warm, soft couch, and slept soundly through the night without any dreams.
Turning to look at the bed opposite, Fu Yunxiu was still fast asleep, breathing steadily.
By the light, Aman could vaguely see Fu Yunxiu's face. Even when he was asleep, his features were still outstanding. His usually cold eyes were closed, which made him look much gentler.
The thought of being in the same room with a man made Aman's face flush slightly. She tucked her head under the covers until she felt cool enough before sticking it out again.
The crowing of roosters outside was incessant. Aman stretched and decided to get up.
She tiptoed and carefully folded the quilt, then took her own quilt and quietly opened the door to leave.
She tried to tiptoe as quietly as possible, and closed the door like a thief. When she turned around, she saw Mantou staring at her in shock.
"You you you you you...this..." Mantou looked at Aman, then pointed into the room, so scared that he held back his urine and became incoherent.
"How did you get out of the young master's room?" After a long while, Mantou finally managed to organize his thoughts.
"Shh," Aman put her hand to her lips in a shushing gesture, pointed into the room and whispered, "Keep your voice down, the young master is still sleeping."
"Okay, okay." Mantou nodded obediently. He knew that his young master's sleep was hard-won. Since the master's accident, the young master often blamed himself and had nightmares at night, rarely sleeping soundly.
But soon he realized something and pulled Aman away a bit. “Wait a minute, why did you come out of the young master’s room? And why were you acting so suspiciously?”
“It was the young master who asked me to sleep in his room,” Aman said.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible." Mantou shook his head like a rattle drum, not believing it. "You must have sneaked in while the young master was sleeping."
Given the young master's temperament, how could he allow a woman to sleep with him, especially since he already said yesterday that he wouldn't care about her anymore?
Seeing his expression that said, "You're dreaming," Aman rolled her eyes helplessly. "If you don't believe me, ask the young master yourself."
After saying that, she took the blanket and went back to her room, completely unaware of how arrogant his words had sounded.
It was already daylight, and Aman was no longer afraid of her room. However, when she changed her clothes, she still felt a chill down her back.
After changing into the maid's clothes that Yuxiu had given her yesterday, Aman looked at them and found that the size was just right.
When Aman came out of the house, she saw Mantou still standing in the yard, stunned. She went up to him and tugged at his sleeve, "Brother Mantou, where's the kitchen?"
"There." Mantou pointed to a location instinctively, but only realized what he meant after Aman turned and left. "Wait, what are you going to do?"
"Of course, I'm boiling water to wash up and make breakfast at the same time." Aman was a little confused. Yesterday she thought Mantou was a nice person, but today he seemed a bit dazed and silly. Could it be that he hadn't woken up yet?
"Aren't you leaving?" Mantou asked.
"When did I say I was leaving?" Aman retorted.
Steamed bun:"……"
He assumed that given yesterday's situation, Aman definitely wouldn't want to stay any longer.
But the young master was also puzzled. Why did they let someone in out of nowhere?
While pondering, Mantou suddenly felt a chill on his body and realized that he had just come out to urinate without wearing an outer garment. Moreover, the cold made him feel like he was about to urinate.
Before he could even say hello to Aman, he vanished in an instant, leaving Aman standing there completely bewildered.
After Mantou finished using the outhouse, he went back to his room to get dressed. When he went to the kitchen again, Aman had already quickly started a fire and boiled water.
Now his only job is gone.
Hearing his sigh, Aman looked up from the kitchen and asked, "Brother Mantou, why is there nothing to eat in the kitchen?"
She had just been thinking of finding some rice to cook porridge, but found that there was nothing in the kitchen. The cupboards were empty, and even the kitchen ceiling had a hole, letting in a draft.
"Don't you guys usually cook? What do you eat then?"
"The meals are delivered from the Marquis's residence, three meals a day," Mantou said.
I see.
Aman nodded, recalling the grand gate and towering buildings of the Marquis's mansion, and thought that the food there must be quite good.
With no place for her in the kitchen, Mantou turned to serving Fu Yunxiu.
It's this late; the young master should be awake by now.
She tiptoed in and saw that Fu Yunxiu was already up and getting dressed in bed. She quickly went to help him and checked if there was anything wrong with the young master. Fortunately, everything was normal.
By the time Fu Yunxiu finished dressing, Aman had already boiled water. Mantou brought the water over, soaked a cloth, and used it to wipe Fu Yunxiu's face.
"Young master, I saw Miss Aman come out of your room when I got up this morning." After thinking it over, Mantou decided to ask her.
What if Ah Man sneaked in while the young master was asleep?
Fu Yunxiu paused for a moment while wiping his face, then continued, letting out a soft "hmm".
"Did the young master let him in?" Mantou asked again, completely unaware that his young master was almost wiping his face raw.
When he woke up and saw that Aman wasn't there, he felt relieved, thinking that at least he wouldn't be embarrassed anymore, and that Mantou wouldn't know either.
Who would have thought that, by sheer coincidence, the steamed bun would bump into it?
Fu Yunxiu didn't know how to answer, so he pretended not to hear and carefully wiped his face until there was a knock on the door, at which point he was finally saved.
"It's the food delivery guy from over there," Mantou said, about to go out to get the food, when he heard a flurry of footsteps rushing past.
They are quite proactive.
Mantou thought to himself, and then mentioned Aman to Fu Yunxiu, "Young Master, I don't think that Miss Aman has any intention of leaving."
"What?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
“I asked her when I ran into her this morning, and she told me herself. She was starting a fire, boiling water, and even thinking about cooking. She didn’t seem like she was leaving at all,” Mantou said.
From what happened yesterday, Fu Yunxiu could tell that the little girl was bold yet stubborn, but he still said with certainty, "She will leave."
She'll leave once she sees through everything.
"Young master, Mantou brother, come out for breakfast." Aman's voice rang out from outside, clear and bright, like the morning sun.
The dining room is located to the side of the kitchen. It's called a dining room, but it's really just a small, makeshift shed that's drafty from all sides.
Aman went to the kitchen and picked up some charcoal that hadn't burned out yet. He put it in a broken basin and placed it where Fu Yunxiu was going to sit, using it as a brazier.
Fu Yunxiu pushed the wheelchair over and immediately saw the brazier.
She is quite thoughtful.
Mantou brought over the bowls and chopsticks. The kitchen roof was broken, and dirt would leak down from time to time. The bowls and chopsticks were always covered in a layer of dust, so Mantou simply put them in his room.
Anyway, he lives alone in a big house, so the wardrobe doesn't feel cramped.
"That explains why I couldn't find any bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen." Aman took the bowls and chopsticks and placed them on the table, then excitedly opened the food box.
The lunchbox sent by the Marquis's residence was made of red lacquered wood; it was quite large and heavy to carry. Just looking at the box, Aman felt that the food inside must be of the highest quality.
However, when she opened the food box, her smile froze on her face.
She even wondered if her eyes were blurry because she hadn't slept well the night before.
The first layer of the lunchbox contained a small dish of pickled vegetables, which were dark and obscured the original appearance of the ingredients, emitting an indescribable odor.
Aman opened the second layer.
The second layer was normal; it consisted of four large white steamed buns that had probably been proofing for a long time, plump and huddled together. The only downside was that they were a little cold.
Opening the third layer revealed a large porcelain bowl with a lid, filled with red bean porridge that appeared to be freshly cooked and was still steaming.
For an ordinary family, such a breakfast would be considered quite good, but the Marquis's mansion was no ordinary family, especially since Fu Yunxiu was ill.
This meal doesn't look like what a patient should eat. It's bad enough that there's no meat, but there's not even a single fresh vegetable. Is this how perfunctory it is?
Could it be that the Marquis's mansion is out of money?
Thinking of the grand and imposing mansion of the Marquis's residence, Aman felt that her idea was utterly ridiculous.
"Young Master?" Aman looked up at Fu Yunxiu and saw that the master and servant looked normal, as if they had long been used to it.
"Don't talk while eating." Fu Yunxiu interrupted her question, and Aman could only swallow her doubts for the time being and calmly served the porridge to the two of them.
There was no distinction between master and servant at meals in Wutong Garden; the three of them ate at the same table.
Aman took a sip of the porridge and realized it was all show and no substance. The rice was hard, the red beans were undercooked, and the taste was terrible and extremely bland. She then tried the pickled vegetables, and good heavens, they almost made her choke on the salt. The cook must have beaten the salt seller to death. As for the steamed buns, she didn't even need to taste them; just looking at the broken half, she could tell they were from yesterday, with ice crystals frozen inside.
Aman felt a mix of emotions.
This is no longer a matter of being perfunctory; it's a clear case of not treating the young master as their master.
During the meal, Aman frequently looked up, but Fu Yunxiu remained calm and finished a small bowl of porridge and half a steamed bun.
Aman stirred the porridge in his bowl, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, making it difficult to swallow.
Although she hadn't had much contact with this cold-faced young master, Aman could tell that he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Although he didn't want to keep her, he hadn't really mistreated her. Whether it was Mantou arranging a room for her or feeding her last night, she knew that he had given his approval. Otherwise, how could Mantou, as a servant, have dared to do so?
Moreover, he didn't actually let her spend the night outside last night. He could have let her sleep on the floor for another night, but he didn't. Aman noticed his struggle, but in the end, he still let him sleep on the soft couch.
Based on these facts, Aman knew that the "young master" in the eyes of outsiders was not the real young master; in fact, the young master was an excellent person.
But now, such a good person has received this kind of treatment.
As Aman thought about it, her eyes started to well up with tears, and she didn't hear Fu Yunxiu calling her several times from the head of the table.
"Aman, Aman." The steamed bun across from her couldn't stand it anymore and tugged at her sleeve. "The young master is asking you a question."
"Huh?" Aman looked up blankly and met Fu Yunxiu's clear black and white eyes.
Her clear, round eyes, washed clean by tears, shone even brighter, carrying an innocent, childlike purity that unexpectedly entered Fu Yunxiu's gaze.
Fu Yunxiu suddenly felt as if something had hit his heart, making it pound rapidly. But fortunately, he remained rational, coughed lightly, and looked away.
Mantou spoke up at the opportune moment, "Young master, are you asking when you plan to leave?"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Please add this to your favorites!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
