Chapter 11: What a Pity

Jiang Chengyan simmered the pork leg bones he’d bought into a pot of rich, milky broth. He seasoned the cooked pork and tucked it into warm flatbread, then sliced a plate of crisp, green radishes for Bai Yan. When he brought the dishes to the table, Bai Yan was already seated, eyes bright with anticipation.

“Did you wash your hands?” The man glanced at her.

Bai Yan froze, as if she hadn’t understood.

“Did you wash your paws?” Seeing her confusion, Jiang Chengyan pressed his lips together, lowered his voice, and repeated the question.

At last Bai Yan got his meaning. Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and wiped it on Jiang Chengyan’s sleeve.

Jiang Chengyan was speechless.

“Come on, wash your hands.” The man pinched the bridge of his nose, grabbed her by the collar, and led her outside.

Bai Yan seemed to find the sight of water lively and delightful. She splashed and played, sending droplets flying toward Jiang Chengyan.

“Can you still turn back into a rabbit?” Her antics left Jiang Chengyan’s clothes in disarray, but even so, his composure remained unchanged. Arms crossed, he looked down at the petite figure before him.

Bai Yan puffed her cheeks, thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think I can anymore.”

“What a pity.” Jiang Chengyan smiled.

Bai Yan was baffled.

...

Though Bai Yan claimed she didn’t want meat, she ended up drinking two bowls of broth and gnawing on several pieces of braised pork. Naturally, the plate of radishes was emptied too.

After eating, she felt full and wanted nothing more than to find a place to lie down. Jiang Chengyan sat opposite her, meticulous and elegant in every gesture as he ate.

Bai Yan watched him quietly for a while, then gradually edged closer. When Jiang Chengyan glanced at her, she ducked her head and slipped right under his arm, settling comfortably in his lap.

“I bought you a new quilt. Go back to your own bed.” Jiang Chengyan looked down at her as her little head kept shifting restlessly.

“I’m sleepy. I want to sleep,” she mumbled, hugging his waist and curling up on his legs.

Clearly, there was no point in continuing the meal. Jiang Chengyan scooped her up and carried her to the heated brick bed.

The bedding was all newly bought, soft and inviting. Early spring nights were chilly, so he tucked her in snugly before going to tidy up.

But when he returned, the scene before him gave him another reason to be annoyed. The neatly arranged bedding was now balled up like a rabbit’s nest, with Bai Yan curled in the middle, surrounded by a scattered pile of pretty new clothes.

“Bai Yan, get up.” Without a hint of mercy, Jiang Chengyan dragged her out of the nest and sat her down in a chair.

Bai Yan blinked sleepily, bewildered by his tone.

Just then, Jiang Chengyan placed a bowl brimming with water on top of her head.

“If you spill a single drop, you’ll have to sleep in the woodpile.”

Bai Yan was speechless.

In the spacious west room, the man dressed lightly and briskly set about making the heated bed comfortable again. He neatly stowed away her new clothes in the cupboard below.

After all this fuss, Bai Yan was wide awake.

“Husband, may I go to sleep now?” Bai Yan yawned and asked in a tiny voice.

“I’ve heated water. Go take a bath.”

Bai Yan’s head drooped at once.

By the time Jiang Chengyan finished his chores, it was already late. Even so, he never regretted any decision he made—especially not those concerning her.