She neatly stacked the cloth again, pushed herself up, and put them back in the wardrobe, then returned to bed to rest.
By now, Pearl Su had calmed down. She kept wondering why he had done that, but even as she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't figure it out...
The next morning, Pearl Su woke up feeling much better. Her calves were just sore and weak, but no longer in pain.
Her lower abdomen still hurt a little, but it was no longer that icy, cramping pain. Her head was clear too, no more sudden headaches or dizziness.
She got up briskly, changed her cloth for her period, then lay back down.
Not feeling pain while getting up made her happy.
Since there was nothing urgent to do, she decided to rest in bed for the whole morning.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Pearl Su answered.
Outside, Alaric Yun heard the cheerful tone in her voice and smiled.
He pushed the door open and walked to her. Sure enough, her complexion looked better than yesterday. Though still pale, there was a bit of life in her face.
Happily, he handed her the bowl of porridge in his hand and spoke softly, "Good morning, Miss Su. This is your breakfast."
Looking at the small bowl, Pearl Su carefully took it from him. She wasn't sure if it was because she moved too fast or the bowl base was too narrow, but her fingers accidentally brushed against his.
The moment her fingers touched his, Pearl Su's eyebrows lifted in surprise. She quickly took the bowl like nothing happened and began to eat.
It was shrimp and sliced meat porridge, and the taste was completely different from hers. Her version was light, slightly sweet, and mildly savory.
His, however, had a rich and flavorful taste, a bit salty but very fresh. Still, it made her appetite grow, and it was delicious.
She quickly finished the whole bowl.
Alaric Yun smiled and asked, "Miss Su, would you like another bowl?"
"No, thank you." Pearl Su answered calmly. Her appetite was small, and she couldn't eat much.
She handed the bowl back to him. As she did, their fingers accidentally touched again—warm and smooth...?!
Pearl Su was speechless.
"Good, I was worried you'd go hungry. That would be my fault," Alaric Yun said with a gentle smile.
"Not at all. You did a great job," Pearl Su replied calmly.
"Oh? You mean the porridge was good, or the person who made it?" Alaric Yun looked at her with a smile, eyes burning with curiosity.
…?!
Pearl Su suddenly felt like she was being teased. But from this annoying man? No way.
She had no idea what he was up to and chose to stay silent. Her face looked cold and distant.
Seeing this, the brightness in Alaric Yun's eyes slowly faded. He quietly said, "It was my mistake. I won't disturb you anymore, Miss Su." Then he took the bowl and left.
Pearl Su stayed half-sitting in bed. She didn't feel sleepy, so she lay down and closed her eyes, pretending to nap.
She didn't know how long she slept, but when she woke up, she realized she had actually fallen asleep and now felt full of energy.
She got up, changed her cloth again, and saw there was clearly less blood.
She knew it was back to her usual cycle length. She was thrilled—it was finally over.
In a good mood, she opened the door. These past few days had made her feel so stuffy.
She took a deep breath. The scorching heat in the air felt welcoming for once.
Stepping outside, she saw herbs drying in the courtyard. Feeling satisfied, she went over to check them and noticed a few of the herbs had finished drying.
Pearl Su walked into the storage room to check on a few herbs that hadn't been dried yet. She saw they were now placed together with the already dried ones she hadn't had time to deal with earlier.
She felt even more satisfied with how she'd handled that bastard man. He was a bad person, but he did work thoroughly and could be trusted with tasks.
With nothing else to do, she remembered the little rabbit she'd been raising. She wondered if it had gone hungry, so she went to the utility room to check.
The little rabbit was fat and round, lying on its belly and munching on grass. Its red eyes were bright and alert, darting around.
"So cute," Pearl Su praised it and said, "I didn't expect you to get so round after just a few days. You're nothing like that skinny thing I first saw."
She went on, "I've suffered for days. Should I make you into braised rabbit? Or roast you? Or maybe boil you? Or stir-fry you for a little nourishment?"
She picked up a blade of grass and poked it toward its little mouth. "Come on, big sister's feeding you some grass. Be a good bunny and take a bite."
But no matter how many times she poked, the rabbit didn't open its mouth. It seemed annoyed after being poked so much and ran off to the other side.
Pearl Su wasn't discouraged and kept poking it. The rabbit licked the grass a little but still refused to eat. Eventually, annoyed again, it hopped off to a different corner.
After teasing it for a while with no success, Pearl Su gave up. She left the utility room, looked at the sky, and realized she was getting hungry. So she headed toward the kitchen.
When she walked in, she saw Alaric Yun killing a chicken. Pearl Su sat down on a small stool and waited.
After he finished preparing the chicken and added the ingredients to the pot, she went over to help with the fire.
Alaric Yun said, "Miss Su, you're still not fully recovered. You should go rest. I can take care of this."
"It's fine. I'm feeling much better now. It's just tending to a fire. I can do that," Pearl Su replied calmly.
Alaric Yun looked at her face. Her complexion wasn't pale anymore, and her once bloodless lips now had a soft pink hue. She looked much livelier.
Seeing this, he didn't insist. "In that case, I'll leave it to you, Miss Su."
Pearl Su nodded and quietly tended the fire.
Alaric Yun went to rinse the rice. Once it was clean, he placed the pot on the stove. The stove for the chicken soup was right next to the one for cooking the rice.
Pearl Su took over the task of watching both fires at the same time.
Alaric Yun busied himself again, washing vegetables. When he returned, he started cooking them.
By now, the rice had already started boiling and just needed to simmer for a while. The chicken soup had also come to a boil. Once the rice was done steaming, the soup would be ready too.
There was no more need to watch the fire. The weather was hot, and the rice wouldn't be eaten immediately anyway, so Pearl Su went to the storage room to organize the herbs again. When she felt enough time had passed, she stopped her work, washed her hands, and went to eat lunch.
The two of them sat together for a meal again after a few days. Pearl Su didn't feel awkward at all.
She started eating without hesitation, scooping the chicken soup into her own bowl and drinking it with satisfaction. Then she picked up a piece of chicken and began eating happily.
Seeing her like that, Alaric Yun sat and smiled faintly, watching her. When he noticed Pearl Su glance his way, he quickly looked down and pretended to focus on his meal.
Pearl Su kept eating cheerfully but felt like someone was watching her. She looked up, but Alaric Yun wasn't looking at her.
Yet every time she looked away, she felt that gaze again. It confused her.
Finally, after a few sneaky glances, she caught him in the act. That bastard really was staring at her.
Thinking back on his recent behavior, something did seem off. Maybe he thought his cooking was delicious and wanted others to flatter him? Maybe he liked seeing people enjoy his food? Was that why he kept doing this?