Ah Dai only learned later that Qin Yu's initial reason for keeping her was for her to act as a living incense burner, a cure for his insomnia, for which she had long held a grudge against him.
Of course, that came later.
As evening approached, the splendidly fiery clouds stacked up on the horizon, creating a dreamlike and vibrant tableau; the river, the trees, and the houses all donned a golden hue.
When Ah Dai went downstairs, she was stunned by the beautiful scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window. It was the first time she had seen such beautiful clouds; she truly wanted to fly up for a closer look, but what a pity that she couldn't even manage to walk downstairs now.
No wonder the man had called her "little trash" when he picked her up. But what could be done? It was Ah Dai herself who wished to come downstairs because she desperately wanted to go out and have a look.
Now feeling even more out of place, Ah Dai looked listless, holding tightly onto the man's fingers. It was too high; one careless move could turn her into a pancake on the ground.
Qin Yu had instructed Uncle Wen to dismiss everyone in advance, so the dining room had only the dinner set up.
Ah Dai was placed upon the red, smooth table. It was very large and wide, with fresh flowers in the center that Ah Dai could smell the light fragrance of. It wasn't overpowering but very pleasant.
The man had already taken his seat, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing pale wrists. His hands, graceful and powerful as they held the knife and fork, cut through the pieces of meat on the white plate leisurely and elegantly, in a way that was indescribably pleasing to the eye.
He seemed to treat her as if she didn't exist, so she decided to ignore him as well. Ah Dai turned her head resolutely and took small steps towards the other end of the table, where she could see her reflection on the shiny surface.
Dressed in a pure white chest-level skirt, with the shawl on her arms sticking together, her hair in a messy state—Ah Dai stopped. She couldn't stand to see herself so disheveled and shabby, so, gritting her teeth, she used the last of her Spiritual Power to clean and dry her clothes.
And so, Qin Yu watched the little girl's head emit steaming vapors. In no time at all, the dress on her body and her hair fluffed up and softened at a visibly rapid rate.
To say that he was surprised was an understatement, yet he wasn't shocked either, for she was, after all, a tiny person no bigger than a palm. If she had other magical traits, it did not seem odd.
Qin Yu couldn't help but laugh, truly puzzled as to why there were such bizarre wonders in the world—and that he had stumbled upon one.
The gaze from behind her was prickly, making Ah Dai feel as if thorns were piercing her back. She resisted turning around, gathered her skirt, and ran to the edge of the table, peering at the distance to the ground below. Mm, it seemed she couldn't just leap down.
Being unable to restore her body to its normal size made going anywhere or doing anything a big problem.
Ah Dai was deeply distressed and couldn't understand how the Bronze Sword could be so powerful. She should be like a fish in water in the human world, coming and going as she pleased with strong Spiritual Power, yet she was unable to do anything, confronted with countless constraints and restrictions, bullied even by mortals!
Where is the justice!
After all these years she'd been alive, it all seemed to have been in vain.
Ah Dai was immersed in self-doubt and indignation.
"Jumping down, are you intending to crash to your death?" came the man's cool voice from behind, skimming low over Ah Dai's ears, bringing a heated embarrassment that crawled onto her immaculate little face, as if she had been awkwardly exposed in public.
Qin Yu's fingers flexed slightly, tapping on the tabletop twice as he commanded, "Come here."
Without any self-respect, Ah Dai turned her head, stepped with her small legs, lifting her skirt as she walked back towards where the man's fingers were, lifted her head to look up at him, with her dark eyes still revealing a hint of timidity.
She opened her mouth, her voice tiny and weak.
"I've come over, what do you want to do with me?"
Qin Yu's fingers gently touched her fluffy black hair from behind, then lightly tapped her head, soft enough that one dared not apply too much force—a tiny, delicate being, with so many emotions on her face.
Ah Dai found herself inexplicably roughed up by him, with her little face puffed up in silent indignation.
This bad man seemed to really enjoy touching her.
Several times now!
Ah Da silently made a mental note of his behavior in her heart.
After Qin Yu had his fun, he let go of the utensil and cut a small piece of meat onto the plate, offering it to her on a fork.
Ah Da stared at the shiny red thing in front of her, unprepared for the rich scent that hit her nostrils, "Is this... for me?"
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow, his cool eyes smiling, becoming more frivolously detached, "Do you know what this is?"
Ah Da choked; she indeed didn't know what it was. By its appearance, it seemed to be some sort of meat. She used to live inside an incense burner and couldn't come out, always having to watch others eat through a barrier, and she couldn't smell anything inside it.
Only now did she realize that these foods were so fragrant.
Although she didn't feel hunger, Ah Da felt a sudden urge to try. So she looked up at the man holding the fork and asked in a soft voice, "Can I eat it?"
After receiving a nod of approval, Ah Da's smile blossomed, throwing her previous annoyance out of her mind, and quickly finished the piece of meat. As soon as she swallowed, the man cut another piece, this time green. Ah Da leaned in to take a bite; it was sweet and sour, likely a fruit.
And so, under the lure of the food, Ah Da temporarily set aside her opinions of the man and accepted the feeding.
But after just a few bites, the young girl began to shake her head and refuse, tsk, such a small girl has a small stomach too, indeed a low maintenance cost.
Qin Yu laid down the fork and asked, "Do you have a name?"
Ah Da, holding her belly after a full burp from her first indulgence in eating a bit too much, heard the man's inquiry and obediently replied, already mollified by the feeding, "Yes, I'm called Ah Da."
Qin Yu hummed a response, "I'm called Qin Yu."
"Qin Yu?" Ah Da paused, looking up to meet his obsidian-like deep and indifferent eyes. So his name was Qin Yu. She had been here for so long and only now found out his name.
Realizing her unusual reaction, Qin Yu suddenly lowered his gaze. Watching her silly, dumbfound actions, he had spontaneously revealed his name, something he had never done for years.
The abrupt silence hung in the air, and Ah Da faintly sensed the chill spreading around. What happened, how could he change his face so quickly when he was fine just now?
Startled, Ah Da felt as if she had fallen from heaven to hell, her heart involuntarily racing with panic. Could it be that he regretted giving her the meat? Living in such a big house but being so stingy...
While Ah Da was lost in wild guesses, she suddenly found herself lifted into the air as she was picked up again.
This time, it wasn't by the collar but by her waist.
Ah Da's face turned red; she had lived for so many years but had never been touched in such a place, and it was especially uncomfortable.
At first, she struggled, but eventually realized her feeble strength was like an ant shaking a tree, utterly ineffective, and so she gave up.
Qin Yu carried her upstairs into the bedroom and plopped her directly onto the sofa, then turned away without a word, leaving Ah Da completely baffled, not understanding what had just happened.
Unable to figure it out, Ah Da didn't dwell on it, assuming Qin Yu was just naturally moody, which was none of her concern.
Full and content, Ah Da initially wanted to return to the incense burner to rest, but then she remembered Qin Yu's condition to stay was that she couldn't go back at night. She simply climbed onto the large bed and lay down on the sheets, which were soft and much more comfortable than her Jade bed.
She wasn't losing out!
Qin Yu finished up his work in the study and returned to the bedroom; it was already after ten in the evening.
The bedroom was pitch dark, and the moonlight streamed through the windows that had no curtains drawn, casting a small shadow on his bed, the pillow several times larger than her, not to mention the bed itself.
Qin Yu walked to the bed and stood there for a long time.