Chapter 406: Comfort
Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Comfort
"I don’t know why they brought me into this world, only to abandon me. Sometimes I even wish I’d never been born." Yu Mingche’s gaze was fragile and lost. He exuded a deep-seated world-weariness, as if he had no attachments left to this world.
Ning Xuan had already seen all of Yu Mingche’s information and knew why he would say such a thing.
People who lack affection in their childhood are prone to psychological issues. Yu Mingche hadn’t just lacked affection; he had spent his entire childhood in an environment filled with malice toward him. It was a wonder he’d managed to grow up safely at all.
"Ming Che, don’t think like that. You haven’t done anything wrong. The people who blame and bully you—they’re the ones with poor character. It has nothing to do with you. Your father and mother surely would have wanted you to be healthy and happy." Ning Xuan held Yu Mingche, gently patting his back.
"Xuanyuan, thank you." ’Thank you for still being willing to comfort me,’ Yu Mingche thought.
Ning Xuan felt the shoulders of the person in her arms trembling slightly. Through her fingertips, she felt the chill of fabric soaked with tears.
She hugged Yu Mingche a little tighter and kissed his cheek. "Ming Che, no matter how others judge you, don’t pay them any mind. And you are forbidden from hurting yourself. You’re not alone anymore. You’re mine now. There’s also a little life here. You can’t be so willful in the future."
"Mm." Yu Mingche’s choked voice sounded broken.
"Alright, stop letting your mind wander. Let’s go. We’ll get something to eat. Feng Linran told me you haven’t eaten in days. If I find out you’re abusing your body like this again, I’ll have to punish you," Ning Xuan threatened, giving Yu Mingche a slap on the butt.
"But I really don’t have an appetite," Yu Mingche protested weakly.
"If you don’t have an appetite, we’ll eat something to whet it. Just eat a little. Consider it keeping me company," Ning Xuan insisted.
"Alright." Hearing Ning Xuan put it that way, Yu Mingche immediately relented.
The reason Yu Mingche carried such a heavy psychological burden was that he had researched it: male pregnancy came with many risks. His father’s death was likely related to having carried him.
When Yu Mingche had initially chosen to carry a child himself, besides vying for a more advantageous position, a large part of his motivation was to test whether carrying a child would lead to death, and what kind of consequences it would entail.
If he could successfully carry a child to term, his long-standing psychological issues would naturally be resolved.
When Ning Xuan learned that Yu Mingche hadn’t eaten in days, she had already notified the kitchen. As she led Yu Mingche into the dining hall, Nine-tailed was already there waiting.
Beneath a bright crystal chandelier, Nine-tailed was leaning against a carved armchair. He wore a long, embroidered robe of pale cyan, the collar stitched with peonies in a subtle silver thread. The collar was cut low, revealing a hint of his delicate collarbones and snow-white skin.
Nine-tailed’s eyes were shaped somewhat like Yu Mingche’s—both had the upturned eyes of a fox. Nine-tailed had clearly made an effort to dress up; a fine, long eyeliner was drawn with gold powder, and his eyelashes were as thick as a crow’s feathers.
A beauty mark was placed beneath his left eye, adding a touch of demonic charm, yet his gaze was utterly clear, reflecting the light like two pools of autumn water. When he looked up, his glance held both the clarity of a youth and the allure of a Fox Demon.
On the round table in the dining hall, several dim sum dishes were artfully arranged. There were jade shrimp dumplings, their emerald-green color mouthwatering, and multi-layered rose pastries that resembled blooming flowers. In the center was a glazed glass cup holding a chilled double-crust milk pudding, its texture fine and smooth.
"This slave greets the Lord Contract Master and the Lord Husband." Seeing Ning Xuan and Yu Mingche, Nine-tailed immediately came forward to bow to them.
Ning Xuan waved her hand. "Prepare some of Ming Che’s favorite dishes, according to his tastes," she ordered.
"I have already prepared the Lord Husband’s favorite fish fillet congee and golden thread noodles." Of everyone in this household, Nine-tailed had actually spent the most time with Yu Mingche. Adding to that the fact that both of their Mutant Beast Genes were fox-type—with Yu Mingche being a Nine-tailed Fox—Nine-tailed had always been respectful and subservient to him. He had spent more time serving Yu Mingche than even Ning Xuan, so he naturally knew Yu Mingche’s dietary preferences like the back of his hand.
Nine-tailed produced two palm-sized white jade bowls from a gilded food box. Steam billowed from the mouth of one bowl, where tender white fish fillets and emerald-green Japonica rice floated and sank. The other bowl held the appetizingly colored golden thread noodles.
Yu Mingche had been too depressed to eat for days, but after being comforted by Ning Xuan, he felt much better. Looking at these dishes he normally loved, he even felt a little hungry.
Ning Xuan ate some more pastries with Yu Mingche. After the meal, she accompanied him back to his courtyard. Upon arriving, Ning Xuan discovered that Nine-tailed had actually followed them.
Ning Xuan looked at Yu Mingche, a little puzzled. Yu Mingche gave an appeasing smile and said, "Contractor, Nine-tailed has been with our family for so long and has always been diligent. Do you think we could take the opportunity of the upcoming Contract ceremony to give him a proper status as well?"
Nine-tailed and Lan Xin had been sent over together, originally trained to be chamberlains. Lan Xin had already been linked by Ning Xuan, becoming her contracted slave just like Di Youlin, but Nine-tailed’s situation had remained unchanged.
When Nine-tailed first came to Ning Xuan’s side, he had been quite proactive in trying to seduce her. But later, as more and more outstanding Contractors gathered around Ning Xuan—each with their own status and background—he saw that Ning Xuan didn’t seem interested in him. Fearing he would arouse her dislike if he was too forward, he catered to Ning Xuan’s preferences and devoted himself to studying the culinary arts instead.
However, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to become a legitimate part of the family. Especially after Lan Xin was linked with Ning Xuan due to an accident, Nine-tailed had been in deep turmoil.
The reason Yu Mingche dared to bring this up was that he knew Ning Xuan didn’t dislike Nine-tailed. In fact, thanks to his excellent cooking, Nine-tailed had even earned Ning Xuan’s favor. Therefore, it was highly likely Ning Xuan wouldn’t refuse this proposal.
As Yu Mingche brought up the topic and Ning Xuan glanced over, Nine-tailed immediately prostrated himself on the floor in a show of utmost deference. He bowed very low, his forehead nearly touching the ground, his entire body assuming a posture of complete submission.
Ning Xuan’s gaze fell upon him. She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, the sound neither soft nor loud. This made Nine-tailed’s back tense even further. His palms grew sweaty with nervousness, as if he were awaiting the verdict of his fate.
"Nine-tailed, come forward," Ning Xuan called out.
"Yes, Master," Nine-tailed answered in a low voice. Not daring to lift his head, he rose, took a few steps forward, and knelt beside Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan narrowed her eyes slightly. Seeing his obedient appearance, she suddenly recalled how he had been when he was first sent to her. Though he was respectful back then too, he had seemed much more lively than he was now.