This night was exceptionally long, and the rain outside clung stubbornly to the window all night.
In the early morning, the chirping of birds welcomed the break of dawn.
Morning light penetrated the gauze curtains and spilled into the room.
Shanhai Town was as quiet as ever. Downstairs, breakfast vendors were stacking piles of steaming bamboo steamers, all set against the ongoing background sound of the rustling sea waves.
Yesterday’s rain had left its mark on the bluestone pavement. Beside shallow puddles, stubborn weeds grew along the horse head walls.
Ye Siyu slowly opened her eyes, squinting slightly against the bright morning light.
She instinctively raised her hand to shade her eyes and heard a crisp jingling sound at her wrist.
Ye Siyu froze. Looking down, she found a bracelet adorned with small bells wrapped around her wrist.
Silver butterflies decorated the piece, the slightest movement of her wrist elicited a clear, sweet chime.
Stunned for a moment, she touched her neck. The degrading collar from last night was gone…
With a slight shift of her wrist, the bracelet chimed softly once more.
Frowning, Ye Siyu was about to take it off when the door pushed open.
Fei Shi carried a tray of buttered bread into the room, the rich aroma of fresh baking breaking the chilly, sullen atmosphere.
She glanced at Ye Siyu, closed the door behind her, and walked over.
A vase sat on the nightstand with water droplets still clinging to the heart of the roses. Fei Shi moved it aside to set down the buttered bread.
The mouthwatering aroma awakened Ye Siyu’s sense of reality, grounding her back in the human world.
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom, casting a warm grid pattern across the wooden floor.
Fei Shi was draped in the warm light, looking as if she were wrapped in a soft-focus filter, a stark contrast to the arrogant, greedy predator from the night before.
“Sister,” Fei Shi stood straight, looking at Ye Siyu with a bright smile. “Eat some breakfast. If you don’t eat, your stomach will start hurting again.”
Ye Siyu’s entire body felt weak and sore, especially her lower back, which ached no matter how she positioned herself. Not wanting to show any weakness in front of Fei Shi, she glared at the woman beside her with reddened eyes.
Her red-rimmed eyes and glistening gaze gave her a distinctly fragile, broken appearance.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
Fei Shi continued to look at Ye Siyu gently, smiling as she set a glass of hot milk on the table.
“Your stomach has always been bad, and you never took care of yourself before. I’ve told you so many times, you must eat breakfast.”
Recalling everything from the past, Ye Siyu let out a cold laugh. “What should I call you?”
“Should I call you Fei Shi, or should I call you Raywen Charles?”
“Either is fine.”
Fei Shi’s eyes never left Ye Siyu’s face. Her gaze held a profound yearning, like a bottomless trench, carrying an irresistible force that bewitched and pulled one under.
Pausing briefly, her crimson lips parted. “But I prefer it when you call me Fei Shi, because that’s the name Sister gave me.”
Ye Siyu looked at Fei Shi for a couple of seconds before shifting her gaze away.
“You certainly have the soul of a servant.”
Fei Shi curled her lips into a smile, completely unfazed by the sarcasm and mockery in Ye Siyu’s words.
“I only serve Sister with all my heart and soul.”
“You’re already the head of the Charles family. Is there any need to humble yourself for the sake of a bankrupt, ruined noble?”
“There’s no need.”
Fei Shi answered candidly. She lowered her eyes and used a butter knife to slice the buttered bread piece by piece.
Her voice, like her movements, remained unhurried, “But serving you is something I’m used to. I like serving you.”
Ye Siyu couldn’t even tell what complex emotions were swirling inside her upon hearing those words.
She offered a smile, though her eyes remained entirely devoid of warmth.
“Since you love serving people so much, then do a good job of it.”
With that, Ye Siyu leaned directly against the headboard. Turning her attention away from Fei Shi, her mind began calculating, she wondered if there were guards outside, where this place was, and whether it was far from Shanhai Town…
While her thoughts drifted, Fei Shi’s faint voice echoed softly.
“There are security cameras at the entrance and in the yard. Guards are outside the door, and the windows don’t open.”
“Don’t overthink things. Worrying damages your health.”
Unbelievable, as expected of Fei Shi.
Ye Siyu closed her eyes, completely letting go of her thoughts this time and giving up entirely.
“Having someone serve me, there’s no reason to refuse such a good deal.”
Fei Shi smiled charmingly. “Come, rinse your mouth first.”
She was attentive and thorough, assisting Ye Siyu with rinsing her mouth before wiping her face and hands with a warm, damp towel.
Ye Siyu kept her eyes closed the entire time, feeling dazed, as if she were still the Ye Siyu of the past, high-spirited, taking in a pretty little lover who catered to her every need with utmost care.
Inside the quiet, comfortable room, a cool fragrance lingered, offering an odd sense of security.
Ye Siyu’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. Though her eyes remained closed, she could clearly feel Fei Shi right beside her.
The cool sandalwood scent mixed with the unique moisture of the coastal town’s air seemed to carry a bit more depth.
The person beside her was busying herself, appearing almost tirelessly happy in doing so.
Ye Siyu didn’t bother to care, closing her eyes to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor.
After a moment, Fei Shi returned, likely after washing her hands.
In the very next second, the fragrant buttered bread was brought to Ye Siyu’s lips.
Perhaps because she had been hungry for a long time, Ye Siyu finally opened her eyes when the bread touched her lips.
She merely glanced down at the small piece of bread on the silver fork. Catching the intense gaze from Fei Shi out of the corner of her eye, her heart felt as though the softest part of it had been gently pinched, giving rise to an indescribable emotion and causing her heart to skip a beat.
After a long pause, she slowly opened her mouth, accepting the buttered bread, and accepting Fei Shi’s feeding.
Fei Shi remained extremely careful, slicing the food into tiny pieces and feeding her with patient dedication.
As she fed her, she used a silk napkin to gently wipe the corners of Ye Siyu’s mouth.
The faint sound of chewing was the only sound in the quiet room.
Fei Shi stared at Ye Siyu’s profile, her eyes lit with sparkling points of light.
She seemed to thoroughly enjoy this, completely unbothered by Ye Siyu’s cold indifference.
“Sister, drink some more milk.”
The entire process remained careful and cautious. After softly wiping the corners of Ye Siyu’s mouth, Fei Shi brought the milk to her lips.
Ye Siyu’s eyes were still red, and her sidelong glance carried a faint trace of resentment.
Looking at the shimmering light in Fei Shi’s eyes, her heart suddenly softened just a little.
She immediately suppressed the unusual feeling in her chest, lowered her eyes, and took a sip of hot milk from the rim of the glass.
The rich, warm liquid slid down her throat and into her stomach, seemingly possessing the power to dispel the cramping pain, warming her hands, feet, and the depths of her heart.
Indeed, drinking a glass of hot milk first thing in the morning was a very merciful way to treat her stomach.
Ye Siyu genuinely felt much more comfortable in her stomach, and her body felt lighter as well.
“Sister, you’re too thin. Don’t do this to yourself anymore, it breaks my heart.”
Breaks her heart…
Hearing those two words, Ye Siyu’s hand instinctively gripped the edge of the bed.
Jingle. The bracelet on her wrist chimed, the small metal butterflies knocking against the bells to produce a crisp sound.
Her heart seemed to clench instantly.
After a brief pause, she reached out to push Fei Shi away.
“Alright, I’m full. No more…”
Before she could finish her sentence, her lips were blocked.
The cool sandalwood scent leaned over, pressing her down onto the bed.
“Sister,” Fei Shi’s dark eyes swirled with hidden currents as her gaze traced Ye Siyu’s high nose bridge and crimson lips, finally settling on those red rimmed peach blossom eyes. “You might be full, but I’m hungry.”