She briskly pulled back the curtain, only to see a stretch of water flowing beneath her feet. Looking up, she saw a man holding a blanket, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Are you awake?” Xu Qi remained calm. She had imagined how she would explain the current situation to him when he woke up. However, she never expected that as soon as she asked, the man who had been sitting on the bed would suddenly wake up and scramble off the bed as if startled.

“I didn’t mean it, please spare me, Master.” He had no strength, falling to the ground limply, his eyes devoid of light. His hands fell into a puddle of water, stained with dirt and mud.

Xu Qi quickly took a few steps and grabbed his thin wrist, pulling him into her arms with a gentle force.

After adjusting her position, Ye Lan suddenly felt light on his body, as he was lifted up directly.

“Master…”

He was fully aware of what happened next. Whether it was unbearable pain or a “pleasurable” experience, Ye Lan thought all women in the world were the same. Therefore, with dull eyes, he didn’t even bother to please her as he did when he first started serving.

Xu Qi’s heart melted hearing his gentle voice, but when she saw his expression, her heartache intensified.

His eyes were empty, lacking any vitality. He bit his lips lightly, and within a short time, a bright red tooth mark appeared. His face was pale, whether due to discomfort or some other reason.

“You… I bought you, bought you.” Xu Qi, also inexperienced in such matters, stumbled over her words as she began speaking to him.

Ye Lan had no strength, leaning against Xu Qi’s shoulder with his pale face.

“I understand, Master,” he responded to Xu Qi.

He had known since he woke up. The hard yet clean bed underneath him, the warm and soft blanket on him, all were treatments he could never receive from his father.

The sentence he heard when he woke up was not an illusion.

Trying to turn over, he remembered that as a slave, he shouldn’t stay in bed all the time.

When the Master needed him, he would accompany her in bed. After the Master was satisfied, he would rest at the foot of the bed.

However, he didn’t expect to accidentally knock over the wooden basin placed beside the bed.

Ye Lan closed his eyes, waiting for the Master’s instructions.

He didn’t speak, and Xu Qi didn’t know what to say either. She just inexplicably liked him a little more. His voice was so nice, soft and gentle.

“What… what is your name?” Xu Qi suddenly remembered this. Since they were going to live together, they should at least know each other’s names.

“Replying to the Master, this slave’s name is Ye Lan.” Ye Lan answered Xu Qi but didn’t look at her. He just lowered his head, staring at the hand Xu Qi had casually left, as if wondering when it would be lifted.

“Don’t call me Master. My name is Xu Qi. If you’re willing, you can call me mistress according to your customs. If you’re not willing, just call me by my name.” She wasn’t someone who pursued true love. As long as she liked him a little, she wouldn’t resist.

In modern times, she would have been introduced to men by her parents for marriage. Although there was no deep affection, the gentlemen were gentlemanly and good-looking, and she kind of liked them. But unexpectedly, she came here. She didn’t know what they would think or if they would assume she had eloped?

Ye Lan blinked, seemingly incredulous.

“Master…” Xu Qi was slightly shaken by this address.

She looked at him, slightly displeased, “I told you not to call me that.”

Ye Lan’s body tensed up.

No matter how indifferent or despairing he was, he was still afraid of pain.

He feared Xu Qi’s anger, feared being beaten again. Even though he had accepted this outcome in his heart, he still subconsciously feared her displeasure.

Xu Qi naturally felt the change in his body.

She quietly loosened her grip on him. Apart from preventing him from lying flat on the bed, they were almost separated.

“I’m just a commoner. Don’t call me Master. I’m not used to it here, with so many rules.” Xu Qi explained.

“Yes, this slave understands,” Ye Lan replied, his fair arms placed to the side, slightly tense.

“You don’t need to call yourself that. I don’t consider you a slave. There aren’t so many rules here.” Her tone was gentle, with a hint of indulgence. Ye Lan raised his head in confusion, lips twitching slightly as if he couldn’t believe it.

The expression on his face changed several times, but he didn’t immediately respond to Xu Qi.

After a while, perhaps after he had made up his mind, his fragile body moved again. Fortunately, Xu Qi had some experience this time. She held him lightly, but actually hugged him tightly, preventing him from moving away.

“Don’t hesitate to speak your mind. We don’t kneel here. Kneeling back and forth, you don’t find it painful?” Xu Qi muttered to herself, but this last sentence made a small corner of Ye Lan’s frozen heart melt.