Seeing Lu Jinghan finally eat the meal she had prepared, Zhao Qingning nodded in satisfaction. “By the way, why don’t you tell me what you like to eat? I’ll have someone prepare it tomorrow.”
Lu Jinghan kept his head lowered, his expression unreadable.
For him, having enough to fill his stomach was already a luxury—how could he afford to be picky? This meal was the best he had eaten in years.
Thus, he shook his head. “Thank you, Miss. Anything is fine.”
Zhao Qingning observed that his demeanor seemed sincere, but she also suspected he might still see himself as a servant, too afraid to make requests. She didn’t press further and instead set down her chopsticks, watching to see which dishes he ate more frequently to gauge his preferences.
She noticed that aside from the stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork, he barely touched anything else.
Resting her chin in her hand, Zhao Qingning wondered: Was it because he liked bamboo shoots so much that he grew up to be so sharp-tongued later on?
In reality, Lu Jinghan was being cautious of her.
Since she had only tasted that one dish, it proved it wasn’t drugged. He didn’t dare take risks, so he stuck to eating only that.
But Zhao Qingning remained completely unaware, convinced she had figured out his preferences and planning to cater to them in the future.
After the meal, Zhao Qingning placed a box of pastries in front of him. “Here, take these back to eat.”
Jiang Zhiyi had refused these pastries, and after trying one herself, Zhao Qingning found them quite delicious. She had originally intended to keep them for herself, but considering that Yongjia would likely scold her if she saw them, she decided to give them to Lu Jinghan instead.
He was at an age where he was still growing—it wouldn’t hurt for him to eat a little more.
Lu Jinghan hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept it. “Thank you for the reward, Miss.”
He categorized it as a reward. Just as Zhao Qingning was about to say something, she noticed his sleeve sway as he stood up, revealing half of his wrist and faint traces of injuries.
Her expression darkened. She reached out to stop him, pushed up his sleeve, and sure enough, found his arm covered in bloody marks.
Some of the blood was bright red—clearly fresh wounds.
“Who bullied you again?!”
Caught off guard by her grabbing his wrist, Lu Jinghan flinched. “No one bullied me. I fell by accident.”
“You can get knife wounds from falling? Show me how you managed that!”
Zhao Qingning was so angry she almost laughed.
Lu Jinghan fell silent.
“Tell me the truth,” she said sternly, “or you’ll regret it.”
After a long pause, he finally glanced up at her, his eyes slightly reddened, and whispered, “Last night… they poured water all over my bedding…”
As he spoke, he seemed frightened again, glancing around and refusing to say another word.
To Zhao Qingning, this was clear evidence that those wretched servants had bullied him.
They must have done more than just soak his bedding—otherwise, how could these injuries be explained?!
Zhao Qingning was both furious and incredulous.
She had gone to great lengths to change her own tragic fate and prevent Lu Jinghan from turning dark, yet there were always people creating obstacles for her.
“Come with me to the backyard,” she said coldly.
She wanted to see who had the nerve to ruin her plans!
Zhao Qingning turned and strode off, with Qiuhua and Chunlan following closely behind, their presence intimidating.
Lu Jinghan silently trailed after them, carrying the pastries.
Their group attracted quite a bit of attention, and many classmates watched with curiosity.
Jiang Zhiyi looked up and saw Zhao Qingning’s retreating figure.
But her attention was fixed on Lu Jinghan at the very back. When she saw what he was holding, her pupils contracted sharply, and she gripped her book so tightly she tore the page.
Everyone in the academy knew that the Little Wild Seed was the lowest of the low.
But those pastries, Zhao Qingning immediately gave to the Little Wild Seed.
She truly came to humiliate her. In Zhao Qingning’s heart, she probably held the same status as the Little Wild Seed.
Jiang Zhiyi’s throat tightened, her heart burning with rage, but she still lacked the qualifications to confront her.
Just wait and see. Since fate arranged for her to transmigrate, she would surely achieve fame and success in this world, ascending to a high position!
By then, Zhao Qingning would be kneeling before her.
Thinking this, she withdrew her gaze and continued reading.
Zhao Qingning stepped into the backyard when suddenly, a burst of barking erupted. She focused her eyes and saw the guard dog baring its teeth at her.
Qiuhua instinctively shielded her: “Miss, be careful.”
But Zhao Qingning noticed something amiss.
She narrowed her eyes at the small cottage before her.
This was the place she had ordered cleaned up for Lu Jinghan to stay in yesterday.
And this vicious dog, which had been tied to the corner of the wall yesterday, was now tethered right in front of his door.
She turned to scrutinize Lu Jinghan carefully and noticed that although the bruises on his pale face had faded, the dark circles under his eyes were heavy, and his eyes were bloodshot, revealing extreme exhaustion.
He might not have slept at all last night.
Being denied food, deprived of sleep, and beaten daily—if it were her, she’d probably turn into a homicidal maniac seeking revenge on society too.
Fury surged in Zhao Qingning’s heart. Just then, the eunuch in charge came out and, upon seeing her, hurriedly bowed: “Greetings, Miss. Your sudden visit to the backyard caught this humble servant unprepared to welcome you.”
Facing the eunuch’s ingratiating smile, Zhao Qingning’s expression turned cold: “Summon all the staff on duty here immediately!”
Today, she would make an example of them to warn others—showing them the consequences of ignoring her words and bullying Lu Jinghan.
The eunuch in charge inwardly groaned, wondering who had offended this young mistress this time.
Soon, the eunuchs on duty in the academy knelt in a row, their faces uneasy.
Lu Jinghan stood behind Zhao Qingning, his fingertips brushing over his wounds. As the pain registered, the corners of his lips curled slightly.
These injuries were all self-inflicted with a knife.
To prevent them from healing too quickly, he had deliberately cut deep, constantly peeling off the scabs as they formed.
Only fresh blood would draw attention.
And indeed, Zhao Qingning had noticed.
In the past, helpless and with no one to rely on, he had endured being trampled upon without resistance. Now, Zhao Qingning’s kindness felt like a blade bestowed by the heavens.
Uncertain how long this favor would last, he needed to repay at least some of the bullying he’d suffered before this preferential treatment vanished.
Watching their fearful expressions filled him with immense pleasure, even overshadowing the pain of his wounds.
The real show had just begun.
Zhao Qingning spoke coldly: “Who drenched Xiao Jiu’s bedding last night? Who wounded him with a knife? And who tied the dog in front of his door?”
The eunuch in charge forced a smile: “You jest, Miss. How would we dare? Perhaps the Little Wild… Xiao Jiu accidentally hurt himself.”
“Yes, yes, we wouldn’t dare,” denials rose one after another, fueling Zhao Qingning’s anger.
Lu Jinghan had never known a good life—would he really harm himself?! These scum, not content with bullying him, dared to blame the victim.
“None of you admit it? Qiuhua, summon the imperial guards! Each of them gets fifty cane strikes! Let’s see who dares to treat my words as nothing!”
Her furious tone genuinely mirrored the original host’s domineering arrogance.
The eunuchs immediately began pleading for mercy upon hearing this.
Just as Qiuhua turned to leave, she suddenly heard the sound of a rope snapping. Glancing sideways, her heart leaped into her throat: “Miss, get out of the way!”
Zhao Qingning turned at the sound and saw a dark shadow pouncing toward her, startling her so much her heart thundered in her chest.
The shadow swept past her.
Followed by the sound of barking and the tearing of sharp teeth.
The smell of blood filled the air, and everyone scattered in terror.
The vicious guard dog had somehow broken free from its leash and pounced on one of the eunuchs, biting him until he was covered in wounds and his clothes were torn to shreds. From a distance, it was clear his nose and ears had been bitten off, blood flowed like a river, and a large chunk of flesh had been torn from his face, faintly revealing the bone beneath.
The vicious dog wasn’t finished yet—it bit off his fingers and swallowed them.
In an instant, the eunuch was on the brink of death, screaming in agony as he writhed on the ground.
Protected by Qiuhua, Zhao Qingning was horrified, trembling all over.
Why had the dog suddenly gone mad?
She didn’t see that behind her, Lu Jinghan was smiling as he looked at the severed limbs on the ground.
Was being disciplined by Zhao Qingning enough?
Hadn’t this eunuch stubbornly twisted his ear just yesterday?
Then let him taste the pain of having his flesh torn apart.
The madwomen in the Cold Palace had taught him that ivy pollen could excite dogs and provoke their appetite—a trick some imperial consorts had used in palace struggles before.
In the past, constrained by others, he had no chance to use this method and could only endure the humiliation silently.
But now, under Zhao Qingning’s protection, he wasn’t about to miss this opportunity.
He had stayed up all night, going to great lengths to sprinkle pollen all over that eunuch’s clothes.
Refusing to admit what he had done?
Then let this dog serve as the accuser.