Chapter 20: Struggling

Mother Wang picked up the little one. "Young Miss, Mother Wang is not crying," she said, though her heart was heavy with sorrow.

The little one pressed her with questions, but Mother Wang evaded them with vague replies. Realizing she would get no answers, the child gave up. "Mother Wang, where is Little Taro? Why haven't I seen her?"

It was so strange; Little Taro had never failed to come find her for as long as she could remember.

Mother Wang gently placed the little girl onto a small stool. "Little Taro went out with her father. She will be away for a few days and won't be back. You wouldn't blame her, would you, my little mistress?"

*Wuwu*, Little Taro was so disloyal! She went out to play with Uncle Yu without even bringing her along. Hmph, they were through!

Lingwei pouted, looking at Mother Wang with dissatisfaction. "Mother Wang, you and Little Taro are both meanies! Letting Little Taro go out to play without me. Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore!" She turned her chubby, meatball-like body to the side, signaling that she was very angry.

Seeing the little mistress's haughty and adorable expression, a ray of sunshine pierced through Mother Wang's gloomy heart. As long as the little mistress was here, the General's Mansion would not fall! Shaking off her despondency, Mother Wang revealed a long-lost smile and began to tickle the little one's armpits. "Little Princess, is this what you call being mean? Am I being mean or not?" Lingwei giggled uncontrollably, quickly forgetting that she had just been angry.

Night fell once more. The little one was fast asleep, kicking her quilt and tossing and turning from time to time. It was truly a mystery how this little girl could flip dozens or even hundreds of times a night and still remain in such a deep slumber.

Suddenly, an inexplicable presence filled the room. A youth radiating a murderous aura broke through the window once again. Damn it, he was suffering from insomnia again!

He had struggled bitterly, but he had lost to himself in the end. Shedding his outer coat and his exquisite black boots, the youth climbed onto the little one's small cot once more. Watching her sleep so sweetly, the gloomy-hearted youth only felt more depressed. Were fools truly destined to be blessed?

Lingwei smacked her lips, murmuring "delicious," "more," "Little Taro," and "Mom and Dad." She slept restlessly, constantly rolling around.

In a fit of pique, the youth grabbed the girl, whose sleeping posture was atrocious, and pulled her into his arms. Her tiny, soft body carried a unique, milky fragrance. Perhaps the little fool really did possess magic; his eyelids began to grow heavy again.

Before drifting off, a voice echoed in his heart: *Accept your fate. You will have to rely on this little fool to fall asleep for the rest of your life.*

"Wife-slave"—the term exploded in the youth's mind like an alarm bell! He shuddered, loosening his grip on the little one. Freed, the child turned over with a smile, arms and legs spread wide, her small body forming the shape of a large character. The youth felt ashamed; would he really become this fool's subservient husband?

The thought was too terrifying. He retreated abruptly, *thump*, landing on his backside and falling off the bed! *Pfft—* A suppressed, low chuckle came from the darkness. Blushing, the youth stood up, his blood-red eyes fixed on a direction outside the window.

*Rustle, rustle.* The sound of flapping wings came from a tree not far away. The youth withdrew his bloodthirsty gaze in satisfaction and resignedly climbed back onto the cot. For the sake of his sleep, a little sacrifice was nothing. Consoling himself, he inhaled the sweet scent of the girl in his arms and drifted off into a deep sleep once again.

From then on, the youth came every night with a clear purpose: remove his boots, climb onto the bed, and share the covers. With a fragrant, soft pillow in his arms, the youth never suffered from insomnia again.

The little one, however, was the one who suffered. For the first half of the month, she constantly had nightmares about being caught by a monster and nearly being devoured. Every morning when she woke up, she wanted to share these stories with Little Taro, but Little Taro was nowhere to be found.