chapter13 Asher angry

Scarlett glanced over the recipes he'd left behind. It was clear Asher had checked them out; all the ingredients were in the kitchen. But most of the methods were complex, not something she could just pick up casually.

Scarlett had no clue how to make xiaolongbao, so she had to follow the recipe diligently to knead the dough. After a hectic morning, she couldn't even shape a single bun properly.

In the afternoon, Asher sauntered into the kitchen with a sour expression. "I'm starving. Why isn't dinner ready yet?"

"I'm working on it, but I'm afraid the buns won't turn out well this afternoon."

"Do it later. Just bring out something else quick."

Asher wasn't one to fuss over food, but Scarlett sensed his discontent. She became even more cautious and continued her battle with the flour after lunch.

Come evening, Scarlett presented a plate of doughy knots. Asher gave them a disdainful glance and didn't even bother with his chopsticks. "Is this how you're planning to serve them? How are we supposed to eat this?"

Scarlett blushed. "I've never made them before, but I'll improve."

Asher frowned. "I can overlook the buns, but tonight we're only having two dishes. Are you unhappy with me?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't have time to do better." Scarlett apologized meekly.

"Not enough to eat. Go make dumplings too, since you seem to be getting better at kneading dough."

In the chilly kitchen, Scarlett's wrists ached from kneading the dough. By the time a plate of dumplings was on the table, he lazily glanced at them and didn't even taste them. "After waiting for so long, and you produce this? I've lost my appetite. Let's just have fried rice instead."

Feeling unjust, Scarlett had to take the dumplings back to the kitchen and make fried rice for him.

Scarlett could tolerate her own shortcomings, but sometimes Asher would deliberately make things difficult for her. In the afternoon, he clearly said they would have beef for dinner, with one dish stewed and another stir-fried. But when evening came and Scarlett was almost finished cooking, he casually remarked, "Let's not have beef tonight, how about lamb instead?"

Scarlett had to start over, which naturally delayed their mealtime. Asher would then casually comment, "You're getting slower. I'm considering whether to keep you."

While other criticisms didn't bother her much, Scarlett was terrified whenever he said that. She meekly muttered, "I'll do better next time."

Asher's brow furrowed, and he continued eating without looking at her.

Since the last incident, Scarlett had been busy until late at night, with no free time during the day. Asher would often assign her random tasks, and she felt like she could polish the floors of the hall until they shone like diamonds. He would occasionally make light remarks, which would lead to another busy day. At night, she would collapse into bed exhausted, too drained to think about anything else.

She knew she had angered him by trying to escape when he wasn't paying attention last time. Fortunately, Asher just kept her busy with work, and he didn't bother her about eating and sleeping. She was essentially a servant here, and if she didn't perform well, Asher probably wouldn't keep her.

However, his tone was always distant, standing far away when speaking, barely glancing at her, and issuing commands casually. When he passed by her, he would keep his tail far away, as if disgusted and afraid of touching her.

Two days later, Asher asked her to change all the bedsheets in the house. Despite having a sophisticated washing machine, he wanted her to handwash them. Scarlett rubbed the large bedsheets in the bathtub, her waist and abdomen aching. Eventually, she realized her menstrual cycle had arrived.

After rummaging through the house, she was relieved to find sanitary products. She changed her clothes and washed and hung the bedsheets, hoping he wouldn't find fault with anything else.

Asher was still sitting in the backyard, seemingly bored. Scarlett approached him tentatively. "Asher, the bedsheets are hung up."

"Oh, good." He glanced at the pool, then said, "Drain the pool and clean it properly. Remember to scrub the surroundings as well."

"Okay." Scarlett felt a headache at the thought of cleaning the large swimming pool.

"Hurry up, I want to swim tomorrow."

The pool wasn't drained until the afternoon. Scarlett fetched a long hose from the garden and went into the pool with a brush and cleaning agent to start scrubbing. She bent over to brush the walls, and foam formed as she scrubbed, gradually turning pale gray with the dirt. After a while, she turned on the tap and rinsed the area.

The pool was actually quite clean, but Asher's demands were almost perfect, so Scarlett had to devote all her energy to cleaning and wiping it meticulously, treating it like a piece of art. She wasn't feeling well today; her menstrual cramps were severe, perhaps due to the recent ups and downs and catching a cold, making her period more painful than usual. Her lower abdomen throbbed painfully, as if weighed down by lead, and she frowned. But this couldn't be an excuse for not working; if the boss wasn't happy, it wouldn't be as simple as not getting paid.

She alternated between standing and squatting, her stomach cramping frequently, and each time the pain intensified, Scarlett had to stop working for a while, slowing down her pace significantly.

As the sun slowly set, turning into a large red sun hanging diagonally in the sky, casting its orange glow over the garden, Scarlett stood up, having just finished cleaning one side of the pool. But now it was time to prepare dinner.

She climbed out of the pool, her shoes wet from splashing water. The chill rose from her feet, spreading up to her abdomen. She was already out of energy, feeling the pain and discomfort in her lower abdomen.

She had no strength to stand up, feeling powerless and helpless. All the grievances rushed out, tears falling heavily. She had to endure Asher's mood swings and his coldness, feeling like she was already in hell. But she kept struggling, hoping to survive, even though she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. When would that last string snap?

She sat there alone, the white pool wall reflecting a dim silver light, casting onto her frail body.

"Don't cry." A voice broke the silence of the night.

She continued to sit on the ground, sobbing incessantly, until she realized Asher had quietly approached the poolside, standing above her. The dim light made it hard to see his expression clearly, and his curled tail swayed gently in the night, like a silver ribbon.

Scarlett was at a loss, fearing his reproach. Her chest heaved, and she choked out, "Don't... don't send me away... Asher..."

"Get up, the ground is cold." His tone wasn't caring or reproachful.

Scarlett remained seated on the ground, motionless, unsure of what to do.

His long tail reached out, winding around her underarm, lifting her up and placing her two meters away from him. As he retracted his tail, Scarlett stumbled, her legs feeling weak. Asher had to support her momentarily.

Scarlett hugged his tail with both hands for support, not sure if she was supporting her body or her fragile heart. Tears continued to flow. "Asher... I..."

"That's enough," Asher interrupted her, "I can let you off, but if you stay here, don't have any other thoughts. If you don't want to stay, you're free to leave, and I won't stop you."