Ye Jingyu's gaze held a hint of praise. Not bad, his skill in scolding had improved in just a few days.
He reached out, grabbed her collar, and tossed her onto a chair. He said only one word: "Eat."
As if sensing Su Yunmo's reservations, Qian Xue handed her a new pair of chopsticks from the side.
Su Yunmo carefully examined the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes, confirming nothing had been added. She looked at Ye Jingyu with confusion.
Was this kid really bored out of his mind? He'd summoned her all this way just to eat a meal with him?
Did he have no one else to talk to?
"Eat yours. I'll eat what's left," he added the latter part for Qian Xue's ears.
Qian Xue smiled and stepped forward, taking an empty plate. She scooped a small portion of stir-fried greens and a few bean sprouts onto it, then placed a steamed bun on top and pushed it towards Ye Jingyu.
"My Lord, please eat with peace of mind. Nothing will be left. I made extra today, and the small kitchen has prepared two more dishes separately."
He had anticipated this move!
Ye Jingyu's expression immediately became strained. Although his mask hid most of his face, his lips were clearly pursed, as if he were sulking.
Su Yunmo took a bite of the steamed bun, glancing at the master and servant opposite her.
Why was eating a meal like a battle, playing with military tactics?
Ye Jingyu's face was cold and displeased, but he still picked up the soup bowl with his spoon. As soon as the soup touched his lips, his eyebrows shot up. Even through the mask, his agony was evident.
Su Yunmo curiously leaned towards the bowl and took a sip. It was neither too salty nor too bland; the taste was just right.
They should be drinking from the same pot, shouldn't they?
Zi Yuan offered the steamed bun to him. Ye Jingyu took it, stared at it for a long time, and finally opened his mouth to take a bite. He immediately froze and then abruptly stood up and ran outside.
Zi Yuan didn't stop him, only sighed deeply, a hint of bitterness and sadness in her sigh.
A moment later, the sound of vomiting could be heard from outside. It wasn't loud, but it was suppressed.
Su Yunmo put down the now-empty soup bowl and narrowed her eyes.
Anorexia.
Was it a coincidence or something else? She had actually encountered someone with it.
Ye Jingyu returned quickly. The room was silent; no one spoke.
For the first time, Su Yunmo observed him seriously. Last time, she had been too focused on bickering with him to notice that he was thinner than other boys his age, and the skin exposed was also pale.
Perhaps due to his martial arts training, his aura was restrained, and his footsteps were steady.
If she hadn't been sitting at the same table with him, it would have been difficult to tell that he had such a hidden affliction.
"Eat, why are you just staring?" Ye Jingyu returned to his seat and instinctively reached for the soup bowl, but his hand paused.
Su Yunmo couldn't see his expression, but she could see a struggle in his eyes.
He looked no older than ten, yet he couldn't eat or drink normally. It was truly pitiable.
Su Yunmo picked up a piece of stir-fried greens from her own bowl and offered it to his lips. "Brother, if you don't like the soup, you can eat vegetables. Momo will give them to you."
She wondered if eating a few more bites would make him vomit to death.
Ye Jingyu was momentarily stunned.
The little girl's fingers were short, like three sections of jade strung together. When she smiled, her eyes curved, appearing both cunning and spirited.
This gave the young man an illusion that the little one opposite him wasn't so annoying after all.
Qian Xue instinctively clenched her fist, looking at Su Yunmo with hope.
After staring at Su Yunmo for a moment, Ye Jingyu finally lowered his gaze and opened his mouth to bite the greens. After chewing with difficulty, he swallowed.
Qian Xue was a little nervous, waiting for him to get up and vomit again. However, after swallowing the vegetables, Ye Jingyu didn't react as strongly as before.
Ye Jingyu didn't vomit, and Su Yunmo pouted.
How boring.
Qian Xue was overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward and pushed all the vegetables from Ye Jingyu's plate into Su Yunmo's plate.
"Little Miss, eat with His Lord. Eat together and enjoy the meal."
The implication was clear.
Su Yunmo shot her a resentful glance, then took another steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth in two or three bites. She then offered a piece of greens to Ye Jingyu, speaking indistinctly, "Broder, eat~"
Ye Jingyu saw the light shining in the little one's eyes and paused slightly before continuing to open his mouth and bite down.
It was clearly the same meal, but the food she fed him seemed a little different.
Su Yunmo continued to eat her own meal while feeding him.
Although most of the dishes on the table ended up in Su Yunmo's stomach, and Ye Jingyu only ate half a plate of vegetables and a bowl of soup, Qian Xue was already very pleased.
Normally, for His Lord to eat this much would take her at least a day to prepare.
"Are you full, Brother?" Su Yunmo looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes.
The starlight flowing in her eyes made it impossible to look directly at him. Ye Jingyu calmly averted his gaze. "Meddlesome."
Su Yunmo didn't get angry. She still had a childlike face and cheerfully hopped off the chair. "It's good that Brother is full. Then Momo will leave now."
As long as this kid could eat, she wouldn't have to worry about him getting upset over not being able to eat and causing trouble for herself!
Su Yunmo was about to leave, and Ye Jingyu didn't stop her. Instead, Qian Xue saw her off, standing at the doorway and staring at her retreating back for a long time, as if in thought.
"It's time to bring the person over," the young man's impatient voice came from inside.
Qian Xue quickly cleared the empty plates from the table. "Understood, my Lord. I'll bring them immediately."
Ye Jingyu's face remained set, still annoyed.
If he didn't eat, he wouldn't be allowed to do important business. Qian Xue was becoming more and more presumptuous.
A moment later, Qian Xue returned, dragging a man who was beaten beyond recognition. He was Ye Jingcheng's hidden guard.
His hands and feet were bound, his mouth stuffed with a rag. The torn clothes revealed bruises and whip marks.
Qian Xue explained, "To save you trouble, my subordinates interrogated him beforehand."
The cloth was pulled from his mouth, and the man glared at Ye Jingyu, gritting his teeth.
"It really is you. Everyone in the palace says Prince Yu became cowardly and timid after disfiguring himself, but who would have thought you were biding your time and even deceived the Empress."
Ye Jingyu frowned. Qian Xue chuckled and added, "But the interrogation doesn't seem to have yielded much."
This kid was stubborn and unyielding.
Ye Jingyu pursed his lips and poured himself a cup of tea. "Give him something to eat. How can he speak if he's hungry?"
"Heh, you don't need to do this. Just kill me. I won't say a word," the man sneered, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Truly a commoner who couldn't even make it to the stage. Was this all he had? Did he think this childish tactic of hitting and then offering a sweet treat would work on a death warrior?
Qian Xue cast a pitying glance at the man and turned to leave. A moment later, she returned with two large food containers. When opened, they contained at least a dozen dishes and a cage of steamed buns.
Ye Jingyu said understandingly, "Pick out something soft, no fish, no bones."
It would get blood everywhere and be messy.
Qian Xue yanked the man up from the ground and shoved a steamed bun into his mouth.
The man: "Mmm!"
Qian Xue's movements were quick, giving him barely any time to chew. The man forcefully swallowed a steamed bun, his eyes rolling back.
Qian Xue grabbed a bowl of soup and forced it down him. Before he could recover, she poured a plate of vegetables into his mouth, then shoved another steamed bun in.
The man's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled, but his hands and feet were bound. He felt his stomach getting fuller and fuller, his throat feeling like it would split.
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" the man cried out desperately.
Qian Xue looked at Ye Jingyu for instructions.
Ye Jingyu took a sip of tea. "No need to talk. Keep eating."
The man: "..."