Xiao Yi loosened his bite.
The girl's right hand was dripping with blood. The most serious part was her little finger which was badly mutilated.
He wiped off the bloodstains on the corner of his lips with satisfaction, "You can complain to Grandmother."
Nan Baoyi trembled with fear while holding her injured hand, sobbing heavily, "I won't tell Grandmother. I, I, I am willing to protect you!"
Ding ding ding… Ding ding ding...
She was so scared of Xiao Yi that she shivered very badly. Every word she spoke made the little bells hanging around her waist sounded. Xiao Yi was annoyed with the sound of the bells.
He stretched out his hands and mercilessly squashed those expensive gold and silver bells.
Nan Baoyi shrank in fear, feeling that he would squash her to death just as easily.
The room was quiet with only the sounds of distant night rain.
Nan Baoyi looked at the flattened ugly bells and suddenly whimpered, "This was a gift from big brother…"
"Go complain."
Nan Baoyi had difficulty speaking clearly, "No, I won't complain… I, I will love and protect Second Brother…"
This was difficult, so difficult!
Caring for Xiao Yi was so difficult, more difficult than caring for Nan Yan!
Xiao Yi bent his knees and sat down, tapping his fingertips. He glanced at her little bloody hands and asked playfully, "Your hand is injured like this, how are you going to explain when you get back?"
"I bit my own hand…" Nan Baoyi replied softly.
Xiao Yi sneered, his eyes set on the corner of the bedroom.
There, charcoals were burning in the fire pan.
He supported his chin with one hand, "There's a saying, a cat pulling chestnuts out of the fire for the monkeys. Everyone laughed at the stupidity of the cat, risking burns to get chestnuts from the fire and the monkeys ate all the chestnuts. In the end, the cat gained nothing. Little did everyone know, most people are like that stupid cat."
Nan Baoyi blinked and blinked.
Xiao Yi looked at her straight suddenly, "Are you here tonight to repent?"
Nan Baoyi said nicely, "It was all my fault last time. As long as it pleases Second Brother, I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you."
"Anything?"
The girl nodded her head vigorously.
Xiao Yi's thin lips curled up slightly, looking so gorgeous almost like a little devil.
Nan Baoyi was taken aback.
This was the first time ever he smiled at her, both in the past and present life.
Sure enough, pleasing Xiao Yi was a correct move!
Before she had the time to be happy about it, Xiao Yi lazily said, "Then get the chestnuts for me from the fire pan. It's roasted well and just in time for supper."
Nan Baoyi almost stopped breathing!
She looked at the burning fire pan, the charcoals were burning bright red and there were no forceps beside. Does that mean she had to use her hands to get the chestnuts?
She looked at Xiao Yi with tears in her eyes. The boy raised his eyebrows, "Didn't you say you are willing to do anything?"
Nan Baoyi hesitated, "Will getting the chestnuts make Second Brother happy?"
"Yes, I like to eat chestnuts."
Nan Baoyi slowly squatted beside the fire pan, staring at the burning red charcoals in a daze.
After a moment, she turned to look at Xiao Yi. The boy was already dressed, the black robe with wide sleeves covered the wooden bed. The black robes against his white skin and handsome appearance, he looked stunning with a hint of evil under the light.
He looked at himself quietly and did not make any moves to stop her.
Nan Baoyi closed her eyes while trembling.
Just take it. If injuring a hand could ensure protection from this powerful minister, compared to her pitiful past life, it was worth it!
She summoned all her courage and reached out her bloody little hand into the fire pan.
Xiao Yi stared blankly.
He leaned forward and stood up. He thought of something and slowly sat back down.
The sound of fire crackled. The fire was burning through the girl's skin and flesh. Nan Baoyi kneeled to the ground in pain, her face twisted but she still looked for the chestnuts among the charcoals determinedly.
Every moment became difficult. She finally grabbed two hot roasted chestnuts and held it firmly in her palms. She turned to the wooden bed, presented the chestnuts like it was a treasure, and said with her voice almost hoarse, "Second Brother, chestnuts…"
Xiao Yi looked at her.
The girl's clothes were messy and dusty. Her fair tender face had ashes and tears on it. Her hand that was bitten before, was all red and burnt and could even see slight bone, but she held on to the chestnuts firmly.
He got off his bed and squatted down on one knee in front of the girl. He covered his big palms on her small head and looked at her meaningfully, "Nan Baoyi, what are you trying to do?"
Nan Baoyi's lips were chapped, unable to answer his question.
The shock and pain from tonight had far exceeded the threshold of this weak little body. Xiao Yi gradually appeared double in her eyes as she finally collapsed.
Xiao Yi looked at the little girl who fell in his arms.
"So weak."
He was annoyed but he did not push her away as he did earlier.
He picked up that small white porcelain jar and did not understand, "Jiang Suihan really had a knack for making money."
He threw the white jar out of the window and searched for a black porcelain jar from his drawer. The jar was inscribed with five little words outlined in gold "Absolute Jade Flower Countenance Balm"
He scraped out a big chunk of the balm and smeared it on Nan Baoyi's hand without expression.
...
The sky was blue-green and filled with silver linings.
Nan Baoyi opened her eyes in a daze and returned to her conscious mind after a while.
Her body was too delicate. Not only could she not bear any excessive physical burden, but even her mind also was not as sharp as the previous life when she was an adult.
Although she was not considered very bright in her previous life.
She exhaled gently. He Ye who was caring for her in the room immediately pushed away the covering veils around her bed, "Miss you are finally awake. You injured your hand and had a cold. You were unconscious for two days and two nights! Old Madam and Second Madam were very heartbroken and visited you many times. Oh yes, Big Miss and Fourth Miss also came over and sent a lot of fruits and cakes."
Nan Baoyi was supported up and she looked puzzled. She actually slept for two days and two nights...
She noticed her hand which was bandaged heavily and suddenly remembered she was still in Pipa Yard two days ago.
She asked hurriedly, "Where's Second Brother?"
He Ye brought in a bird's nest porridge and scooped up some porridge with a small golden spoon. She blew on it and brought it to Nan Baoyi's mouth, "Two days ago he carried you back. Old Madam asked him how did you injure your hand but he said he didn't know. Old Madam was furious and punished him to kneel in the ancestral hall and copy scriptures. He has been kneeling for two days already."
Nan Baoyi felt dejected.
She was trying to please Second Brother but it seemed to always go the other way!
He was the emperor's teacher, famous for being petty and always took revenge on people who had wronged him. These two days of kneeling and copying scriptures would erase her efforts to get the chestnuts from the fire!
She got out of bed with great difficulty, "I want to see Second Brother…"
She had a small figure. He Ye easily carried her back to the bed and said with a straight face, "Miss cannot be so stubborn anymore. Second Young Master is very scary and no one in the residence likes him. Why do you want to go near him, of all people… Be good and eat this bird's nest porridge first."
Nan Baoyi drummed up her fair tender cheeks and obediently ate her porridge.
When she finally finished her porridge, she touched her bulging belly and pulled at He Ye's sleeves coyly, "I want to see Grandmother."
He Ye thought for a while and looked at the rain outside. She took out a red cloak and put it around Nan Baoyi, "It's cold outside, let me accompany you to Songhe Yard."
Nan Baoyi looked at her.
He Ye was only two years older than her. She looked beautiful and was very loyal to her mistress.
Aware that Nan Baoyi was looking at her, He Ye lowered her head and smiled gently.
Nan Baoyi's nose stung.
In her previous life when Nan Yan entered the Cheng residence, she controlled the Cheng residence's daily ins and outs. Nan Yan limited Nan Baoyi's food and her belongings. She did not even have a thick blanket during the winter. It was He Ye who voluntarily married the Cheng residence's housekeeper's mentally ill son in exchange for money to buy the thick blankets.
In the end, He Ye was pushed into a dry well by the mentally ill son and was starved to death.
When she found the well, the walls of the well were filled with blood marks, signs of He Ye's desperate attempts to escape.
Nan Baoyi leaned gently against He Ye's shoulder, tears rolling down.
In this life, when she was older, she must find a good husband for He Ye so that she was well-fed every day...