Chapter 127: A Servant After All

Upon hearing this, I laughed—a laugh so genuine it nearly turned into a chuckle.

"Ha! So that’s what you’re waiting for? Well, you’ll be waiting a long time."

"Hmm." Jiuyan nodded, showing no sign of wanting to refute my words.

I sat down, picked up my chopsticks properly, and plucked a piece of sauce-glazed steamed bun. I put it in my mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a while.

"The taste is not bad," I remarked with indifferent detachment, focusing on the food rather than the person.

"Thank you for the compliment." Flicking her ears, Jiuyan offered a distant, polite smile.

The conversation between us seemed to have nothing to do with what had just transpired. To be honest, her words from moments ago had shaken me quite a bit. Jiuyan was right; I was indeed at fault in some ways. Our current dynamic might seem relaxed and pleasant, but who knew what the future held?

I didn’t know how long I could stay by Wangchuan’s side. I was essentially living because of him; I would likely live as long as he allowed me to. I wasn’t worried about dying young, but I did worry about the day he might grow tired of me. Yet, that was inevitable—everyone gets bored eventually. Even married couples get divorced, so what hope did we have in our situation? Here, Wangchuan was the king; there were no laws to protect me, and no one to keep him in check. He could do whatever he wanted, and no one could stop him.

So, if there was a problem, I just needed to find a way to deal with it. Standing here arguing with Jiuyan wouldn’t change anything, even if we shouted until the roof caved in. I rubbed my belly, feeling grateful that my little cub had given me such a clear head. My thoughts were so much sharper than before, when my brain felt as dull and stubborn as a foot.

I ate in silence, trying to keep my composure. Jiuyan didn’t seem to expect me to calm down so quickly; she stood to the side, looking as though she wanted to say something but didn't know how. It was rather awkward.

I swallowed a piece of the bun and smiled again, curling my lips into a look of deep, calculating mystery—just like the way Wangchuan looked at me sometimes. It was the kind of smile that, whether or not you were actually plotting something, made the other person feel like they were being targeted and needed to be on their guard.

Jiuyan watched me, waiting for me to speak, but I remained silent for a long time, just chewing and smiling. If I were in her shoes, I would have been frantic and defensive by now. It seemed that staying with that beast for so long, and with the blessing of my little cub, I had become quite composed.

After a long while, I finally spoke. "The bun is cold. Could you heat it up for me?"

"Yes."

Jiuyan took the plate and left. The kitchen was quite far away in a separate room; normally, it was only used by Wangchuan for his late-night meals or by me. Others didn't use it. My cooking skills were mediocre at best, but that meat-eating creature of mine was easy to please—as long as it was meat, he didn't complain. Since I arrived, I hadn't seen anyone else enter that kitchen. Fortunately, Jiuyan wasn't using it either; she, like Rebecca, was busy with the other cats in their own designated areas.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile. I used to envy Han Mingxuan when I saw him eating, thinking it would be nice to have a husband who wasn't picky and just ate with gusto. I hadn't expected to find that, in a way, in my current life. My cooking was simple—edible, didn't burn, and home-style. Wangchuan, who was used to exquisite dishes, was always elegant in his slow, deliberate eating, yet he never complained. He never criticized the food; he just finished every bite, washed up, and went to sleep. So, why was I worrying? Why let someone like Jiuyan ruin my good mood with her chatter? If I got angry, would it affect the baby’s bones?

A while later, Jiuyan returned with the reheated bun. I took it and squinted a thank you. She maintained her superficial reverence, though her eyes remained arrogant as she told me it was no trouble. I smiled again and took a small bite.

"It’s been glazed twice. It’s too salty." I spat it out, deliberately acting disgusted as I placed the bun back on the plate. "Could you make a fresh one? It’s not too much trouble, is it?"

"It’s... it’s no trouble."

"Then I’m sorry to put you through this."

Jiuyan bit her lip, turned, and left to continue fulfilling her "master's orders." When Wangchuan left, he must have told her to take good care of me; otherwise, she wouldn't be so "kind" and "respectful." But regardless of his instructions, I had the right to make her life difficult. Even if I was just a "stupid human," I belonged to Wangchuan, and the cub in my belly wasn't an ordinary child. As Wangchuan said, even if I were ordinary, I wasn't anymore.

Soon, a new bun arrived. I took it with feigned confidence, but after one bite, I immediately gagged. "This one... it’s so greasy!"

"It isn't!" Jiuyan looked flustered. She probably knew I was faking it, but so what? I had morning sickness!

"Could you... make one that isn't so oily?" I looked at her pitifully, begging with feigned apology.

"A... all right..."

Jiuyan turned to leave for the third time. Her tail swished aggressively, and the bell on it gave a discordant, unhappy jingle. I rested my chin on my hand, waiting for her return. You enjoyed being sharp-tongued earlier, making my blood boil—now it was my turn!

When Jiuyan returned with the hot bun, I pursed my lips and took it. I tasted it, then frowned. Having been through this several times, Jiuyan seemed to twitch at the sight of my brow furrowing, watching me with fear of what I might say next.

Would I let her off? Of course not! Who told her to act so clingy toward my Wangchuan yesterday, and who told her to bring up the past to intimidate me today? She really thought I was a "stupid human" she could dance on top of.

"This... it doesn't taste like the first one," I said, frowning at the bun as if deeply conflicted.

"How could that be? I used the exact same proportions." Jiuyan blinked, looking incredibly innocent.

I believed she was meticulous; even a fool would be careful after being tormented so many times. But so what if she was careful? I was intentionally making things difficult for her! Does being "careful" matter when someone wants to trouble you? How ridiculous.

"But it tastes different to me." I was lying through my teeth. I was already full, and this was clearly just toying with her.

"Are you perhaps full, which is why it doesn't taste as good?" Jiuyan seemed to realize I had been full before I even asked for the first reheat, and her tone, while still respectful, was becoming increasingly impatient.

"I’m an adult; don't you think I know if I’m full or not? How many bites have you seen me take? Do I look full to you?" I didn't bother being polite. If she was impatient, I didn't need to be nice either. I was determined to insist I hadn't eaten enough.

"Usually, a meal takes twenty minutes. You’ve been at this for half an hour, so surely you can't be hungry," Jiuyan explained, even trying to use the common scientific knowledge of the human world to suppress me.

"Do I need you to lecture me on whether I’m hungry?" I laughed brightly inside, but on the outside, I wore a look of misery.

"I am merely speaking based on the facts." Jiuyan was stifled and didn't offer further explanation.

I, however, wouldn't let her off the hook. A housekeeper is, at the end of the day, a servant. So what if you’re cute and you know how to be charming? You are still just a servant. I tapped the table with a smile.

"Yes, you’re very good at sticking to the facts, but this is my home. What I say goes. Go remake it."

"You..." Jiuyan seemed on the verge of snapping.

"What about me?" I raised an eyebrow, smiling. I was waiting for her to explode so I could report her to Wangchuan.

Jiuyan seemed to realize this, too. She turned and stormed out to make a new bun, but in her haste, she collided with the door as it swung open!

Someone was pushing the door from the other side. Jiuyan rubbed her forehead and looked up at Wangchuan, who had just entered. She froze, then quickly replaced her expression with a radiant smile.

"Master... you're back?"