Chapter 2: I’m hungry… Obediently nestling in her arms, not even…

At noon, when Meng Huan heard the servant bringing food, he stood by the window calling out, wanting to see Wen Zhaoyin. After persisting for two days, he still couldn’t get anyone to come.

Eating a single type of food for a long time can lead to a lack of other essential elements. He felt he was deficient in everything, with such low blood pressure that even standing up was difficult.

Now, after starving for four consecutive days, he truly didn’t even have the strength to call out. Was his transmigration to this place just to be killed by a vicious servant?

“Family Master, please enter.”

“Where is Wang Fu? Quickly have him bring the key to open the door.”

Meng Huan raised his head in a daze, at first thinking he was hallucinating, but after coming to his senses, he realized there were indeed people talking outside.

He struggled to get up from under the covers, leaning on the edge of the bed and inching his way out, wanting to get down and see what was happening. His chance had finally come; if he didn’t seize it now, he might really die.

Outside the door.

Wen Zhaoyin quietly waited for Wang Fu to come and open the door, feeling something was slightly amiss. The guards she had arranged at the small courtyard entrance were not there, nor were the serving attendants.

A few days ago, she had gotten drunk and acted a bit crazy, going to the small courtyard and treating Meng Huan roughly, even forcing herself on him. The next day, when she sobered up in the study, she felt guilty and wanted to come see him right away, but due to official business that needed handling, it was delayed until today.

It was embarrassing to admit, but she usually could control herself well. Before meeting him, she had hardly ever lost her composure. Perhaps it was because he looked too much like that person…

Wang Fu arrived tardily, his expression unreadable. Wen Zhaoyin didn’t question him about the courtyard matters, just signaled with her eyes for him to open the door.

Wang Fu took out a bunch of keys, his hands shaking as he opened the door. He tried the wrong key twice before finally unlocking it.

He had thought that when the Family Master had mistreated Meng Huan four days ago, she didn’t consider him human at all, just treating him as a plaything. If she really cared, she wouldn’t have been so inconsiderate.

Then, seeing many official documents delivered this morning, he guessed the Family Master wouldn’t come to the small courtyard for a few days, so he felt at ease using his authority to deal with Meng Huan.

He hadn’t intended to actually starve Meng Huan to death, just wanted to make him apologize and kowtow a few times after a couple of days to settle the matter. He figured with a few threats, Meng Huan wouldn’t dare speak out.

But who knew there would be this one oversight, and the Family Master would come at this time!

“Please… please enter…”

Wen Zhaoyin glanced at him, her gaze calm as water, yet it made Wang Fu shiver all over.

He was so nervous his mouth went dry, thinking that if Meng Huan complained first, there would be no good outcome for him. He turned and quietly retreated to find someone for help.

Meanwhile, as soon as Wen Zhaoyin entered, she saw Meng Huan wearing only an inner robe, trying to get down from the bed. He looked up, their eyes meeting, and somehow he lost his balance, falling to the ground.

Oh no, that night must have really frightened him.

She berated herself again, then quickly went forward to help him up. Not minding the dirt, she raised her hand to gently pat the dust off his body.

Today, Meng Huan seemed much more docile than before. Not only did he not curse at her, but after being helped up, he obediently nestled in her arms, showing none of the rejection from earlier days.

Looking at his face, along with his compliance, Wen Zhaoyin’s heart nearly melted. Her guilt over what she had done four days ago intensified.

“Did you hurt yourself from the fall? Are you injured anywhere?”

She was already known as a talented and romantic scholar, now in the prime of her years, with both ability and looks, and a smooth official career. If outsiders were to see her now, with lowered brows asking such questions, the men wanting to be her concubines could trample flat the foot-high threshold of the Wen family.

However, the person hearing these words wasn’t immersed in the moment. Instead, he blinked his eyes and said in a soft voice, “I’m hungry…”

—

East Wing of the Main Courtyard.

“Eat slowly.”

Seeing him eat urgently, ignoring even her reminders, Wen Zhaoyin directly took away the porridge bowl.

“The doctor just said you can’t eat too much too quickly now. You need to eat small amounts frequently. Eating so fast will make you vomit.”

Meng Huan was truly scared of hunger. Even if he would vomit, he wanted to eat it all. He reached out to grab the bowl, saying, “Not even letting people drink porridge to their fill.”

Wen Zhaoyin switched hands, not letting him succeed. Seeing him withdraw his hand, she personally took up the spoon to feed him the porridge.

She performed this set of actions smoothly and naturally. Meng Huan didn’t react in time and instinctively opened his mouth to eat.

In the past, it was always him feeding his girlfriend, and even then it was just symbolically feeding a couple of bites. He had never experienced this before and felt very awkward. So he sat up straight and said,

“Remember what you said before? Marrying you would mean a lifetime of food and clothing without worry? I’ve only been here for half a month and I almost starved to death because of your servant!”

His eyes widened as he tried to grab the bowl again. This time Wen Zhaoyin didn’t dodge, and he naturally held the bowl and continued drinking the porridge. It wasn’t the plain rice porridge from the past few days, but meat porridge! The kind that’s soft and glutinous with floating oil!

Seeing that his porridge-drinking posture wasn’t great, but at least not as ravenous as before, Wen Zhaoyin felt relieved. “I will definitely give you a satisfactory resolution to this matter.”

She had already sent her personal maid to find Wang Fu. Although the Wen family estate wasn’t small, finding a servant should be easy. She estimated he would be brought over soon.

Almost as if responding to her thoughts, the next moment Wang Fu was pushed into the East Wing, falling to his knees before their table with a thud. However, the person who brought him wasn’t her personal maid, but another servant of Zu Jun named Wang Gui.

Wen Zhaoyin’s face darkened, sensing that her father was about to interfere in this matter.

Sure enough, Wang Gui spoke up, “Reporting to the Family Master, Zu Jun was extremely angered upon hearing of Wang Fu’s foolish actions. He ordered this servant to immediately bring the man bound here for your disposal.”

“Zu Jun also instructed that after you’ve dealt with him, this servant should take him back. He said he wants to further punish him, saying Wang Fu has been a long-time servant in the family and has served by his side for many years. Yet he still doesn’t understand the rules, so he must be severely punished.”

Wen Zhaoyin didn’t speak. Meng Huan, sitting beside her, understood clearly. The punishment wasn’t the point; the key was that this was a long-time servant. That so-called Zu Jun was clearly trying to protect Wang Fu!

He bit the spoon and glared at Wen Zhaoyin, his eyes signaling to her: Didn’t you just say you’d give him a resolution? Don’t change your mind now because of a few words from someone else.

However, the next moment he heard her say with a smile: “Although Wang Fu was borrowed by me to look after Meng Huan, he is ultimately still my father’s person. Since Father wants to deal with him, you can just take him back directly.”

Wen Zhaoyin had her own conjectures. Her father had disagreed with bringing Meng Huan into the family in the first place, so it was uncertain whether Wang Fu was acting on his own for revenge or under instructions.

It was her oversight at the time, thinking an older servant would be more attentive, and fearing those from other courtyards wouldn’t be careful enough, that she chose him. Now that she thought about it, it was quite inappropriate.

The punishment could wait. After some time when this matter had passed, she could have someone deal with it privately. But now was not the time to directly confront her father.

Watching helplessly as Wang Gui took the man away, Meng Huan angrily slammed the empty bowl on the table and turned to her, saying: “Do you know what you are? In modern times, you’d be called a mama’s boy!”