She couldn’t see very clearly, but she vaguely made out the shape of the food—her mind was filling in the gaps. In this mental image, the dishes looked even more sumptuous and fragrant than they truly were, so appetizing at a glance.
She checked her surroundings, confirming no one was nearby.
Could it be poisoned?
No, that person couldn’t resist sneaking a bite before coming in.
Ridiculous. How delicious could it possibly be to make someone so ill-mannered?
Driven by this defiant thought, she casually picked up a piece of meat and ate it.
The braised meat, tender and juicy, melted in her mouth. Instantly, she froze.
But the savory broth flowed unimpeded, slipping smoothly down her throat. She couldn’t describe what she was feeling, but she was certain she had never experienced such a wonderful sensation before and it wasn’t just about the food. It was…
She had never felt this happy before.
This wasn’t surprising. Although she had grown up in harsh conditions, her exceptional talent had ensured she was never truly hungry. Someone who had never starved suddenly went without food for seven or eight days. During those seven days, she had been submerged in icy river water, expending enormous energy, making the hunger feel as though it had lasted over ten days.
Such extreme hunger sharpened the taste buds to an extraordinary degree. Even a mere sesame seed would taste like a gourmet delicacy.
Not to mention, the food itself was quite flavorful.
Once she started, she could no longer suppress the overwhelming appetite. Without another thought, she grabbed the plate and devoured everything like a whirlwind. The meal was a blur—she hardly remembered how it began or how it ended. All she knew was that three dishes and five steamed buns were completely gone. She even used the buns to wipe the plates clean of every last drop of sauce. By the end, she was so stuffed she could barely breathe, frantically grabbing a water jug to wash it all down with cold water.
She took a deep breath before finally coming back to her senses.
So full.
She fell back onto the pillow, already regretting it.
She felt she had surrendered to desire and to that person. When they came in and saw this, they would surely laugh at her gluttony in secret. But the food was already gone; there was no way to make amends. She scolded herself inwardly for her lack of restraint. What did it matter if she left a little? Eating everything so thoroughly was truly unbecoming.
In the end, it was all that person’s fault. If they hadn’t brought her food, would she have acted so improperly?
Muttering complaints in her mind, the physical satisfaction left her feeling euphoric. She placed a hand over her slightly rounded belly, trying to hide it, but there was no concealing it. With no success, she turned toward the wall in a huff. Soon, drowsiness washed over her.
A while later, when Jiang Miao entered, this was the scene that greeted her.
The well-fed figure was curled up in a ball, sleeping soundly in the corner of the bed, breathing evenly with rosy cheeks.
Standing by the bedside, Jiang Miao gazed down with a benevolent look, sweeping her eyes over the scene several times. A sense of accomplishment filled her heart beyond words.
Good, good, good!
She cheered for herself and for the other person in her heart. Although it was just a small matter, it was a qualitative leap. The fact that the other person was willing to eat was already a pleasant surprise, let alone only needing her to change the food once. After all, the little tortoiseshell cat she had picked up before had stubbornly refused to eat for three days and would only eat canned food, refusing to touch anything else. Having experienced such setbacks, encountering someone so cooperative now made her want to praise them endlessly.
Well, tonight she could finally get a good night’s sleep.
She tidied up the bowls and chopsticks before tiptoeing back into the room.
That night, she slept soundly, not even noticing when the other person went to the bathroom several times.
Ling Gu, of course, didn’t want to be heard either. She suppressed her sounds as much as possible, relieved herself in the darkness, and then crawled back to bed. During this time, she accidentally bumped into the edge of the bed, jostling the broken bone. The bone hadn’t been properly aligned to begin with, and the bump caused it to shift further, tilting her entire leg at an angle. But this pain was nothing to her. She merely frowned slightly before falling back into a deep sleep.
However, this nearly scared to death a certain caretaker who had no idea the other person had a fracture.
After waking up, Jiang Miao’s first priority was to check on Ling Gu’s condition. One look was enough to nearly scare her soul out of her body. The other person’s right leg was dangling off the edge of the bed at a completely unnatural angle.
Unless it was broken, no normal human body could assume such a posture.
This wasn’t really Jiang Miao’s fault. She wasn’t a doctor, so naturally, she didn’t know that when examining an injured person, the first thing to do was to check for fractures all over the body. For ordinary people, fractures are always painful, and the location of the pain makes them easy to detect. But Ling Gu was no ordinary person. Since childhood, she had suffered countless injuries, with four or five old wounds on her shinbone alone. For her, such things were as ordinary as eating or drinking, hardly worth making a fuss over.
Jiang Miao stood by the bed, frantic and unsure of what to do.
How could a fracture happen overnight without her noticing?
She blamed herself for sleeping too soundly. What should she do now?
In her limited medical knowledge, surgery was the best option for a fracture, but there were no conditions for surgery in such an environment—not even plaster. The only thing she could think of was using something like a wooden stick to immobilize the leg and let it heal on its own.
She rushed out, found a few relatively straight sticks, and held them up against the other person’s leg. Of course, the length was sufficient, but she didn’t dare touch the broken area. What if her method was wrong and caused even more serious consequences? And it must be excruciatingly painful—just thinking about it made her shudder.
As she hesitated, she suddenly heard someone say, “Why aren’t you doing it?”
“Huh?” Jiang Miao was confused. She looked up to see Ling Gu gazing at her with a faint, ambiguous smile.
After being awakened by Jiang Miao’s footsteps, Ling Gu vaguely saw a stick-like object in her hand. Putting two and two together, she assumed Jiang Miao was planning to attack her. So, she waited patiently, not out of mercy, but because her current physical condition wasn’t what it used to be. If she wanted to kill someone, she at least needed the other person to come within a certain range to ensure a one-hit kill.
Besides, if the other person struck first, it would be justified.
But Jiang Miao made no move. Ling Gu grew tired of waiting and finally spoke up.
Jiang Miao had no idea she was dancing on the edge of life and death. Thinking Ling Gu was asking why she hadn’t started immobilizing the injury yet, she hesitated and said, “I’m afraid of hurting you. Besides, the fracture isn’t in a good position right now. If I don’t handle it properly, it could cause further damage.”
It took Ling Gu a moment to realize the other woman intended to use the stick to brace her calf.
So, she wasn’t going to kill her. A faint sense of disappointment flickered in Ling Gu’s heart, followed by a touch of boredom. “I’ll do it myself,” she said.
Without waiting for Jiang Miao’s agreement, she took the stick, propped it against her leg, and casually pressed her broken leg against it. Then she tore a strip of cloth from the bedsheet beneath her and haphazardly wrapped it around. The whole series of movements was fluid and effortless, but it made Jiang Miao break out in a cold sweat. Ling Gu, however, didn’t even flinch, as if she were handling someone else’s leg.
“Aren’t… aren’t you in pain?” Jiang Miao ventured to ask.
Ling Gu didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “Give me another one.”
Jiang Miao quickly handed her another stick and watched as Ling Gu swiftly bound her other leg in the same rough, makeshift manner. Now Jiang Miao was even more astonished. “Your other leg is broken too?”
She hadn’t noticed at all. A wave of guilt and pity washed over her, making her feel deeply uncomfortable.
She had claimed to be taking meticulous care of the other woman, yet she hadn’t even noticed such severe injuries. What kind of meticulous care was that?
Over the past few days, how had Ling Gu managed to climb up and down, go to the bathroom, and do everything else with two broken legs? Just thinking about it made Jiang Miao’s own legs ache. If it were her, she’d need at least eight hundred people to attend to her every need, all while howling in pain and cursing whoever caused the injury to drop dead on the spot.
How had this even happened?
Jiang Miao asked, “How did you get injured? Are there any other fractures?”
Ling Gu had already lain back down and closed her eyes, clearly not intending to answer.
This wasn’t the first time Jiang Miao had been met with such coldness. Considering the other woman’s poor mood was understandable, she didn’t feel awkward. Instead, she continued with concern, “Since you have fractures, you need to supplement calcium. I’ll stew some pork ribs for you, and make old hen soup—both are good for bone healing. Also, try not to move around too much these days. If you need anything, just call me. We don’t want to worsen the injury.”
She spoke earnestly, but Ling Gu showed no appreciation, not even bothering to open her eyes.
Undeterred, Jiang Miao began planning to make a wheelchair. “A bone injury takes a hundred days to heal,” she thought. “Her legs will need at least a few months to recover. If she wants to go out for a walk later, she shouldn’t be left completely helpless.” But wheelchairs weren’t sold in this era unless one modified a cart. Finding a cart wouldn’t be easy either. She’d have to go down the mountain to the market.
That wasn’t too difficult, though. In a few days, on the fifteenth of the month, she could go down and buy one.
A while later, she finished preparing lunch and brought it over in several trips. Today’s meal was relatively light, tailored to the injured person’s condition—heavy oils and strong spices weren’t suitable. But when she went to collect the dishes later, she noticed several dishes untouched. Only a plate of stir-fried kidney flowers had been cleared, leaving nothing but chili peppers at the bottom.
Helplessly, she said, “Since you’re injured, it’s better to have some soup. Spicy food isn’t advisable.”
Ling Gu, of course, ignored her, even frowning slightly as if annoyed by her nagging.
Jiang Miao had no choice. She wasn’t exactly a person with a particularly good temper, but her bad temper was only directed at people. When it came to her own little cat, she was all about pampering, pampering, and more pampering. That’s why her cat was so mischievous, even climbing onto cabinets by stepping on her shoulders for leverage. Subconsciously, Ling Gu had already taken the place of the little cat in her heart, so even when he frowned, it was like a tail thumping—adorable.
After this incident, Jiang Miao finally understood: the other person liked strong flavors.
Apart from catering to his preferences, she had no other choice.
It didn’t matter. According to the plot, they were going to live together for nearly half a year. The most important thing now was to focus on recovering her health. As for those side effects, they could only be adjusted slowly over time.
Jiang Miao suddenly felt a bit down. Half a year—just enough time for the other person to fully recover.
Although she knew she was just here to serve as a tool, the thought of him leaving as soon as he regained his health made her feel somewhat disheartened. No wonder the original host turned dark later on. Anyone would feel uncomfortable if the cat they had painstakingly raised to be sleek and shiny just ran away.