The Unbearable Meal and an Unexpected Visit

Yu Lian tossed and turned in bed.

She was plagued by insomnia.

Firstly, Bai Lingyi’s face kept surfacing in her mind. Her smile, her beauty—they lingered persistently in her heart. It dawned on Yu Lian that falling for someone truly had no warning signs, no discernible reason. She had never imagined that such a swift affection would manifest within her.

Secondly, there was the matter of the Second Young Miss. Bai Lingyi had mentioned that the Second Young Miss would personally come seeking her either tomorrow or the day after.

The purpose: to complete the ritual of ‘wife and concubine,’ which essentially meant marriage and the bridal chamber.

‘I’m going to be married off, and then… taken.’

Though Yu Lian had no prior understanding of such matters, she instinctively recoiled from the idea of the bridal chamber. A strong reluctance settled within her.

If there were to be a bridal chamber, she wished it would be with Bai Lingyi, and no one else.

However, this was not a decision she could make. She only possessed the right to be chosen, devoid of any other choices that represented freedom.

“I’ll take things one step at a time.”

Sweetness and bitterness intertwined within her heart. Yu Lian shed her dress, clad only in silk underwear, then rolled over, pulled the covers, and drifted into sleep.

In the dim room, her uneven breathing filled the silence.

****

The next day.

Yu Lian sat up in bed, sporting dark circles beneath her eyes. Having slept poorly the previous night, she had only managed to doze off vaguely near dawn.

This slumber had carried her well into midday. The intense sunlight streamed into her room through the back courtyard window, bathing the entire space in a brilliant glow.

On the wooden table not far away, a sumptuous breakfast had been prepared, but alas, it was now thoroughly cold.

Yu Lian put on her undergarments, slipped into a dress, and yawned as she got out of bed. She slowly approached the wooden table and sat down, raking a hand through her hair as she eyed the day’s breakfast.

There was a mix of meat and vegetables, with the former making up the majority, mostly seafood. It was understandable, considering that Bai Prefecture was by the sea and naturally abundant in seafood.

Yet, Yu Lian had no appetite for seafood; in fact, merely seeing it made her want to vomit, rendering it impossible to swallow.

This aversion was somewhat linked to her identity as a mermaid. Due to this transformation, she found herself unable to eat any creatures from the sea, wrinkling her nose at the sight of them.

‘If I were caught by an immortal, would I also be prepared like this, laid out on a table for others to enjoy?’

Yu Lian rubbed the goosebumps that rose on her arms, a chill running through her. ‘No, my identity cannot be exposed. I absolutely refuse to be eaten.’

Pushing aside the plates of meat, Yu Lian picked up a bowl, ready to eat, when the door was pushed open. The maidservants responsible for meals entered in a file, taking away the bowl in her hand and the cold dishes from the table.

They swiftly replaced them with fresh, hot food.

The maidservants were quick and efficient, speaking little and doing much. They bowed to Yu Lian with a polite greeting, then promptly exited.

Yu Lian stared at the chopsticks in her hand, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. ‘Seriously, they even replaced unused chopsticks with new ones? Is it necessary to be so lavish and wasteful?’

‘Besides, cold food isn’t inedible, so why take it away?’

Yu Lian took a deep breath.

All of that was bearable, she could endure it. What she truly couldn’t stand was why there was so much seafood for lunch, with meat dishes making up nearly four-fifths of the meal, and only a paltry amount of vegetables, all stir-fried with small amounts of seafood.

‘This… this is utter bullshit!’

Yu Lian wanted to curse. ‘Why couldn’t it be like yesterday? Half meat, half vegetables. But now, why are the meat dishes I dislike increasing so much?’

‘I won’t eat!’

Yu Lian intended to refuse, but her stomach rumbled incessantly, leaving her no room to protest. With trembling hands, she gripped her chopsticks and reached out, carefully picking out the seafood-free vegetables.

Then, pinching her nose, she opened her mouth and swallowed.

Gag—

A wave of nausea surged up her throat, nearly making Yu Lian turn her head and vomit. She quickly picked up the bowl and started devouring the rice, trying to suppress the urge to throw up that was stuck in her throat.

Thud.

She set the bowl down, as if she had just walked past the brink of death. Yu Lian’s face was pale. ‘How did simply eating a meal drain half my life?’

Looking at the meat dishes, Yu Lian trembled uncontrollably.

Outside the door.

Bai Lingyi leaned against the wall, quietly listening to the sounds emanating from within. The maidservants had reported that Miss Yu Lian had only eaten vegetables yesterday, leaving the meat dishes almost entirely untouched.

Initially, she hadn’t believed it. Today’s high proportion of meat and the addition of seafood to the vegetables were her orders. Now, the sounds from inside confirmed the truth to Bai Lingyi—Miss Yu Lian truly did not eat meat.

‘Why would a girl dislike eating meat?’

Bai Lingyi couldn’t understand it. ‘Eating more meat is good for gaining weight, isn’t it?’

“There’s no need to prepare meat dishes for dinner. From now on, make her entirely vegetarian meals.”

“Yes.”

The maidservant beside her received the order and withdrew.

Bai Lingyi did not enjoy tormenting others. In this situation, she had merely sought a concrete, truthful conclusion. Now that the conclusion was established, there was no need to continue in this manner.

Faint sounds of retching could still be heard from inside.

Bai Lingyi shook her head helplessly. ‘It would be too much torture for Miss Yu Lian; I should go prepare vegetarian dishes for her.’

Just as she turned to leave, her peripheral vision caught a fleeting shadow.

Bai Lingyi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘Heh, you’ve come again today?’

She pretended not to notice and continued walking forward.

Yixiya patted her chest and took a deep breath. ‘Goodness, why is Lingyi here today?’ She had intended to visit Yu Lian and fulfill her promise to take Yu Lian out of the Bai Estate, allowing her to fade from this place.

Yixiya always kept her word. Since the other party had barked like a dog for her yesterday, she certainly wouldn’t go back on her promise.

‘Besides, if she doesn’t leave, won’t she still compete with me for Ya’er?’

Thinking this, Yixiya felt a surge of motivation. Seeing Bai Lingyi depart, she immediately revealed herself and tiptoed to the door.

She placed her hand on the doorknob, about to twist it open, when she noticed a shadow at her feet that was clearly not her own. Yixiya’s heart seized with alarm.

‘Oh, no!’

‘I’ve been tricked!’

She stiffly twisted her neck to look behind her, cold sweat beading on her temples. Who else could this be but the Bai Lingyi who had supposedly left?

Bai Lingyi, with her hands clasped over her abdomen, smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and said, “Miss Yixiya, do you have something important to discuss with Miss Yu Lian today?”

Yixiya, guilty as charged, averted her gaze. “I… I came to find Ya’er. Yes, Ya’er is inside. I came to play with her, not Yu Lian.”

“The Second Young Miss is currently with Madam, not in this room.”

“You’re lying, she’s definitely in there.”

“I’m not lying, would you like to go to Madam’s place to confirm it?”

‘Confirm my foot!’

Yixiya absolutely did not want to face Madam Bai, who was as strict as her own mother. It was either being lectured and educated, or on the way to being lectured and educated—it would be infuriating.

“Since Ya’er isn’t here, I suppose I should leave.”

“Mm, I’ll see you out.”

Despite her reluctance, Yixiya could only sigh and walk towards the main gate with Bai Lingyi. With Lingyi present, she had no room for maneuvering whatsoever.

Yu Lian, who had lost half her health bar, perked up her ears.

‘Hm?’

‘Did I just hear Miss Yixiya and Lingyi’s voices? Wait, Miss Yixiya! You came to take me away, didn’t you? Don’t leave!’