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Chapter 7: Spewing All Over Fu Yi Cen

"I won't hurt you, don't be afraid."

Fu Yi Cen tried to sound as calm as possible when saying these words.

After expressing [unintelligible characters], he found it hard to believe himself, let alone convince Zhou Rendong.

Years of maltreatment had deeply ingrained fear, how could a few hollow assurances from Fu Yi Cen erase it?

"Dong'er, let's go home first, alright?"

He held Zhou Rendong's cold hand, pressing it against his chest, hoping to warm it.

But Zhou Rendong was petrified.

Afraid that Fu Yi Cen might inadvertently break his wrist with a firm grip.

Noticing Zhou Rendong's light attire, Fu Yi Cen frowned, then without waiting for a response, took off his coat and draped it over Zhou. He lifted the man who was as light as a child in his arms.

"All of you, listen to me," he coldly addressed the servants kneeling on the floor. His gaze settled on a maid who was spitting blood in the distance, "Dong'er is my wife. When you see him, you see me."

Zhou Rendong, wide-eyed in surprise, blinked, looking adorably baffled.

Was he dreaming?

How could Fu Yi Cen stand up for him?

Could it be his father had once again offended him in the court, and this was a new method of retaliation?

Unaware of Zhou Rendong's thoughts, Fu Yi Cen, having made his intentions clear, carried the young man to the bedroom.

As for these servants, many of whom were bought by Fu Rushuang, it was time for a thorough cleanup.

Zhou Rendong leaned into Fu Yi Cen's embrace, his head hung low like that of a quail. Whenever they passed a servant who bowed in greeting, his body would stiffen, sneaking a glance with evident unease.

Fu Yi Cen, with infinite patience, soothed him time and time again.

"Hungry?"

Setting Zhou Rendong onto the bed, Fu Yi Cen turned to instruct a maidservant to bring the porridge that had been simmering since morning.

The aroma of the meat porridge wafted over. Zhou Rendong sniffed and swallowed hard, looking longingly at the steaming bowl but not daring to hope for a taste.

If he hadn’t finished his tasks, he didn’t deserve a meal.

It had always been this way since childhood.

Yet, today's Fu Yi Cen seemed transformed.

He personally ladled the porridge, blowing it to cool, and then brought it to Zhou Rendong's lips.

"Eat."

Zhou Rendong licked his lips, stared at the porridge before him for a moment as if grasping some realization, and obediently consumed it.

Fu Yi Cen often made him test medicines for Miss Fu. After each trial, Zhou Rendong would invariably feel ill for a while.

He feared that today's dose might have been mixed into this porridge.

Even if he was terrified, he dared not refuse. With every spoonful that Fu Yi Cen offered, he'd promptly swallow without savoring, forcing it down.

Mistaking Zhou Rendong's rush for hunger, Fu Yi Cen continued to feed him, and soon the rich meat porridge was nearly gone.

Concerned Zhou Rendong might still be hungry, Fu Yi Cen prepared another bowl.

Zhou Rendong, having not eaten in a while, already felt satiated with the first bowl. Seeing another portion from Fu Yi Cen, his face turned a shade paler.

But if Fu Yi Cen asked him to eat, he couldn't refuse. And if he didn't finish, even harsher punishments awaited. What was he to do?

Gritting his teeth, he braced himself, continuing to accept Fu Yi Cen's feeding.

After just a couple of spoonfuls, his stomach felt like it was on fire, and a burning acidity rose. With a gag, he vomited up all he had just consumed.

"Dong'er!"

Fu Yi Cen set the bowl aside, supporting the now heaving Zhou Rendong. He intended to gently pat Zhou Rendong's back but paused mid-air, clenched into a fist and then withdrew.

His back was covered in wounds; it couldn't be touched.

As Zhou Rendong emptied his stomach, his eyes caught a glimpse of the mess on Fu Yi Cen's clothes, and his face went ashen.

He had vomited the medicine!

He even splashed it all over Fu Yi Cen!

What should he do?

Overwhelmed with fear, Zhou Rendong's eyes, blurred by tears, looked up at Fu Yi Cen, whose expression was unmistakably darkening.

Biting his lip and taking a deep breath, Zhou Rendong suddenly grabbed the bowl, his voice trembling, "I'll eat... I promise I'll keep it down. I'm sorry... I won't throw up again..."

"What are you doing?"

In his urgency, Fu Yi Cen quickly snatched the bowl away, his tone sharper. This startled Zhou Rendong, causing him to shrink back, motionless.

Fu Yi Cen sighed, rubbing his temples, feeling the onset of a headache.

With the young lad's frailty evident, what was the best course of action?

"I'm sorry."

Zhou Rendong apologized out of habit, thinking that by shouldering the blame, he might lessen the scolding or punishment to come.

"It's not your fault," Fu Yi Cen murmured, clearly distressed.

He carried Zhou Rendong to a softer couch in the adjoining room to rest while summoning the servants to tidy up the messy quarters, and sent someone to fetch Chu Yu.

After vomiting, combined with his frail state, Zhou Rendong felt listless, teetering on the edge of sleep. But in front of Fu Yi Cen, he forced himself to stay awake.

There were times he had succumbed to sleep in the past, and Fu Yi Cen always had ways to jolt him awake, amplifying his suffering.

Chapter 8: The Depth of His Suffering

"Waking me up this early means my consultation fee has doubled."

Chu Yu grumbled as he threw down his medical box with a loud bang, startling Zhou Rendong, who blinked rapidly with a look of sheer terror.

Having never interacted normally with others, Zhou Rendong was often the scapegoat when tempers flared.

Fu Yi Cen shot Chu Yu a cold glance, pulling Zhou Rendong protectively into his embrace, "Be gentle, you frightened Dong'er."

Chu Yu scoffed as if hearing a joke, "From what I see, the one who scares him the most is you."

Without engaging in a war of words, Fu Yi Cen briefly explained the situation. Chu Yu rolled his eyes and then checked Zhou Rendong's pulse.

"He's endured hunger for years, his appetite is as small as a sparrow's. You feeding him that much at once—it's no wonder he threw up."

Those words struck Fu Yi Cen like a boulder, causing his heart to ache.

This innocent soul... just how much has he suffered?

The Zhou family had never treated him well. Yet, he willingly took his sister's place in marriage, shouldered the grudges for the Zhou family, and bore the brunt of hatred for so long!

Years ago, on his dying bed, Fu Yi Cen's foster father had entrusted Fu Ruzhang to his care.