“Eat! The buns are still warm.”
As if she had not sensed his killing intent at all, Shen Xia finished wiping his fingers clean and stuffed two large meat buns into his hands.
Li Xiao bit down on his lower lip. His lips were already dry and cracked, and now he had bitten them until blood seeped out.
A fierce battle raged within him.
His reason told him not to trust her.
There wasn’t a single good person in the Shen Family.
But his stomach was growling in protest.
When Shen Xia saw that he remained motionless, she immediately understood what he was worried about.
“You think the food is poisoned? I’ll eat first, then you can eat.”
She took a large bite of a bun and chewed heartily. Her table manners were completely different from those of the refined young ladies of noble families, who ate in tiny, delicate bites, yet somehow she did not look ungraceful at all.
Li Xiao stared at her for a long time before hesitantly bringing the bun to his mouth.
The moment he took a bite, he could no longer hold back and began wolfing it down.
He was simply too hungry.
It had been a very, very long time since he had eaten meat.
Watching him, Shen Xia felt a complicated ache in her heart.
The grandson of the Great General who defended the nation, a member of the imperial bloodline, a genius once praised by the Grand Tutor, had now reached a point where he could not even fill his stomach.
Why did the Transmigration Bureau and the so-called author have the right to decide he was a villain?
Why did they decree that he should become a sacrificial stepping stone, shedding blood for the sake of the Male Lead and Female Lead?
“Seventh Miss is certainly fortunate. Even cornered by adversity, you’ve managed to survive.”
At that moment, a mocking voice filled with sarcasm came from the doorway.
Turning around, Shen Xia saw Qianzhu and Qianxue entering with several servants.
“What are you doing here?” Shen Xia’s tone immediately turned cold.
This courtyard had been deserted for years. Why has it suddenly become so lively today?
Qianxue looked displeased as she said, “Master said your face is useful and needs to be properly cared for, so he sent us here to serve you!”
She had never expected Shen Xia to actually convince him.
Not only had he assigned them to serve her, but he had also ordered them to ensure that nothing happened to her before Inspector Qin arrived.
The thought of serving the daughter of a prostitute filled her with disgust.
After hearing their explanation, Shen Xia immediately understood.
The little beggars had done their job.
Earlier that day, she had instructed them to spread rumors across the island that Inspector Qin had recently become completely devoted to a beautiful woman who had just entered his residence, obeying her every word and practically offering her his heart and soul.
The moment Shen Duancheng heard such gossip on his way home, the doubts already stirring in his heart could no longer be suppressed.
“Come, put everything down. From now on, Seventh Miss is a proper young lady of the Shen Family.”
Qianzhu was far more composed than Qianxue. She instructed the servants behind her to unload the items they had brought before smiling at Shen Xia.
“Seventh Miss, you needn’t do anything. All you have to do over the next month is take good care of that face of yours and learn a few talents that might please others.”
“Master and Old Madam Shen have already said that as long as you remain obedient and contribute to the Shen Family, you will always be the Shen Family’s honored Seventh Miss.”
Her final sentence carried an unmistakable warning.
As expected, Qianzhu had been sent here under the guise of serving her, while her true purpose was to monitor her.
A month from now, even if Shen Xia refused to become Inspector Qin’s concubine, the Shen Family would tie her up and deliver her to him.
Fortunately, since she had chosen to enter this game herself, she had already prepared a way to break free of it.
For now, all she needed to do was make full use of the Shen Family’s newfound “favor.”
“My courtyard is far too quiet. I want him to stay and serve me.”
Shen Xia pointed at Li Xiao.
Li Xiao had already retreated into a corner, his face hidden beneath the shadows. When he noticed her finger pointing toward him, a flash of hostility crossed his eyes.
“You… what right do you have to make demands?” Qianxue snapped, unable to hold back her temper once again.
Shen Xia merely glanced sideways at her.
The look instantly reminded Qianxue of the slap she had received earlier that day. Her momentum vanished immediately, and even her voice faltered.
“I… I…”
Qianzhu quickly pulled her behind her and calmly addressed Shen Xia.
“His identity is somewhat special. I’ll have to ask the Master first.”
With that, she dragged the unwilling Qianxue out of the courtyard.
Watching Qianzhu’s departing figure from the corner of her eye, Shen Xia narrowed her gaze slightly.
This woman’s temperament was not that of an ordinary maid.
“I’ve eaten enough. You can have the rest of the buns.”
Turning around, Shen Xia stuffed the remaining buns into Li Xiao’s arms.
“And when I said I wanted you to serve me, that was just an excuse. I have my own hands and feet. Why would I need you to act like a servant and wait on me?”
She had said all she could.
Whether Li Xiao believed her or not was entirely up to him.
Late that night.
The wind pushed open the window, allowing a chill to sweep into the room. Moonlight slipped through the opening and cast a patch of shadow beside the bed.
A cold dagger pressed against Shen Xia’s neck.
Li Xiao stood above her, looking down at her peaceful sleeping face.
If he moved the dagger forward just a little more, her throat would be slit and blood would spill instantly.
Yet after a long stretch of silence, he slowly withdrew the blade.
Forget it! He would spare her for a few more days.
Yes, only a few days.
He wanted to see exactly what scheme she was plotting.
Once his presence had completely vanished, Shen Xia, who should have been asleep, suddenly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was perfectly clear.
Rubbing her smooth neck, she let out a helpless sigh.
Just now, her brief new life had almost come to an end.
She truly did not know whether choosing Li Xiao had been the right decision.
This little wolf cub’s wolfish nature was simply too strong.
He was impossible to control.