The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

17. You Could Eat

Translator: Iris Guo

A’Chou intended to change a clean sheet for Zhong Mingwei, but he was too heavy to hold, and there were too many bedsores on his body, so she dared not move him but covered him with the clean quilt. Then, she saw his greasy pillow, and replaced it with her own pink pillow.

The pink color seemed incompatible with the image of the tall man. A’Chou looked at him in embarrassment, and she whispered: “You could use this pillow temporarily before I finish washing yours.”

A’Chou sat on the edge of his bed, thought for a moment, and tore the new sheet into eight pieces. She piled up the pieces, folded one of them, and put it under his bottom as a diaper.

After putting things away, A’Chou appeared ill at ease when she straightened and looked at Zhong Mingwei. He was still lying on his stomach without saying a word, but she figured that he must feel very bad. Therefore, she tucked him in and murmured: “It’s alright. Life is not all roses. You are sick for now, and it doesn’t matter. When you get better, you won’t have to live like this.”

Even though A’Chou was only talking to herself for a long time, she didn’t get depressed at all. After so much work, she felt hungry, and realized that she hadn’t eaten anything, so she rushed to the kitchen and ladled two bowls of hot porridge. As soon as A’Chou stepped out, she returned to the room and found a spoon after looking around for a long time. She washed the spoon, and entered the chamber with the porridge and pickles.

“We’ll have porridge and pickles for breakfast,” A’Chou put the tray down, took out a hair band from the front part of her robe, and tied back his messy hair, “There are only pickles in the kitchen, so I’ll go out to buy some food. What would you like?” said she awkwardly.

Zhong Mingwei didn’t answer her, but his Adam’s apple rolled. After smelling the scent of the porridge, his stomach even rumbled. How long had it been since the last time he felt this hungry? People had forced him to eat all kinds of disgusting things, no matter whether they were cold or hot, good or bad. He had to live in dishonor when they made fun of him.

Since he couldn’t go on hunger strike, Zhong Mingwei then thought about committing quick suicide by biting his tongue. However, every time he put his tongue between the teeth, he didn’t have enough determination to do that. In fact, he wasn’t afraid of death but hated to die in dishonor, and he wasn’t willing to hand the throne over to someone vicious who framed him after he died.

A’Chou’s hearing was excellent, so she heard Zhong Mingwei’s stomach rumble. She was very happy, and regarded the sound as his response. She hastened to scoop some porridge and blew it cooler. When the porridge got cooler, she put the spoon near his mouth and said: “It’s not hot. You could eat.”

Zhong Mingwei opened her eyes slowly, looked at the warm and fragrant porridge in front of him, and opened his mouth eagerly. A’Chou was so flattered that she hastened to feed him and put another spoon near his mouth. His mouth was wide open and he stared at the spoon in her hand like a squab crying with hunger.