Grumble

The spicy liquid flowed down her throat, burning its way down her stomach. Since all she had for the whole day was shock and fear, her empty stomach began to itch and spasm. She struggled in pain but Xia Chunyu had no intention of letting her go, continuing his ministrations. Not long after, she began to feel dizzy and weak.

"Stop… stop it!" Ye Jiayao cried. Why did she have to run into such petty man?

The dense scent of alcohol around her lips disoriented her, making her timid gaze blurry. Xia Chunyu’s throat constricted as he looked at her pink-tinged fair cheeks and her luscious moist lips that was like a siren call to his libido. All the blood in his body seemed to rush below his waist with her coquettish expression. He was so aroused that it was almost painful.

He recklessly threw the wine pot away as his hand reached for her dress, which gave away with little force. The exquisite button split open, revealing her fair and delicate neckline, her deep décolletage and that faintly discernible cleavage – none of which did anything to calm his lust down. 

The corner of his mouth rose up with a wanton smile. First-in-charge was certainly not mistreating him if he had found such a beauty for him.

Despite being sober enough to know what kind of situation she was in, Ye Jiayao realized that the mental preparation she has done was useless. Being prepared for something and being able to actually go through it were entirely different matters. This was the first time in both her lives that she was treated like this, by a complete stranger no less.

Her delicate and inexperienced body was unable to handle his impudence. The two little bumps on her chest were still developing and they shouldn’t be touched. Yet, at this particular moment, he was holding them in his hands- massaging, sucking and licking. The pain coupled with numbness felt like a rush of electric current attacking her, pushing her to her limits.

"It hurts. Please … don’t!" she whimpered, unable to stand it. Acting according to her natural instincts, she grabbed his hair, not allowing him to continue his evil ways to her chest.

"Let go," he growled, his voice husky and low, and his eyes dark with anger.

Seeing his fury, Ye Jiayao released her hold immediately. "You were hurting me."

She has resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t be able to escape this calamity but she couldn’t help but wish that he wouldn’t be so rough. She would quite like coming out of this alive, with all her body parts intact and working.

Seeing her trembling in fear, Xia Chunyu calmed down a little. "So frail, how are you going to handle it later?"

He wasn’t one to be blasé with female well-being but her origins were dubious to him. If she really was kidnapped from under the mountains, why would first-in-charge not enjoy such a delicate beauty for himself? Why did he leave her for him?

He was infamous in the mountains for being callous, decisive and a cold-blooded killer – being protective towards females would contradict his brutal image amongst the bandits. Besides, there were people outside waiting for the show he was expected to put on and he couldn’t fail now.

Decidedly, he ripped away whatever was remaining of her bridal gown while she remained rooted to the spot from shock. He spread her legs open and set about conquering her with his hot rod.

Ye Jiayao closed her eyes in pain and resignation. She couldn’t escape him so she would just grit her teeth and get this over and done with.

Xia Chunyu grew annoyed upon seeing her look like she was about to face the death squad. Was it really so difficult to have sex with him? There were so many women out there who were dying to crawl into his bed! Granted, he really could not care less about them, but still!

No amount of mental preparation could get Ye Jiayao’s body ready for his intrusion. As he buried himself inside her, she couldn’t help but moan from the ripping pain she was experiencing. Uncontrollable tears seeped out from the corner of her eyes, falling to the silk sheets beneath her.

Filthy man! One day, she would disable his tool of evil, she thought ruthlessly as she cursed him inside her head, using all the malicious words she could think of.

However, it was really too painful that despite her anger and determination not to show weakness, she still ended up weeping in agony. Her insides were resisting ferociously as if it was trying to squeeze him out. Also, because she was severely unprepared, the dryness was causing every movement to hurt.

Xia Chunyu wanted to show off his masculinity and make her scream for pleasure but he only ended up stuck in the middle, unable to withdraw. Left with no choice, he lowered himself, holding her tightly and kissing her gently to suppress her whimpering. His warm palms caressed her all over, comforting her from pain and uneasiness.

"Relax, or it will only hurt more," he whispered affectionately against her lips.

This disgusting pig was empathizing after what he had done? F*cking hypocrite!  

He continued to pet and caress her, and even though she hated to admit it, her body slowly wilted under his experienced and skilfull teasing. She began to feel a strange thirst that scared the wits out of her. Her abdomen felt like it was on fire, the flames rapidly expanding all over her body, the heat leaving her in a daze.

"Open your eyes, look at me…" he cajoled.

His deep voice was so magnetic that she felt her heart skip a beat. She opened her blurry eyes and locked gaze with a pair of dark eyes so deep, it was pulling her in. He looked at her with eyes blazing with passion, provoking her senses.

He really was exceptionally good looking. If they were not in their current situation, she would really be bewitched by him. If they could’ve dated normally and progressed slowly, even if he was a bandit, there was a big chance that she would’ve fallen for him. Unfortunately, there were no ifs – only now.

She was inexperienced, sensitive, and was a virgin, yet her reactions perplexed Xia Chunyu. She looked scared but she was acting composed as if she has accepted her reality. A woman from an honorable family would’ve put up one hell of a fuss for being treated like this.

Where exactly was she from?

He felt her insides slowly give way to him and he lost his train of thought. That’s a problem for another time.

He started to move slowly and carefully, but it wasn’t long before he was unable to control himself. His thrusts became harder as his pace quickened. He was hitting her most sensitive spot every time he plunged in deep. Ye Jiayao felt overwhelmed, her senses bombarded, though this time, it was not from pain. She felt as though she was a fallen leaf floating in the wind; like a little boat swaying with the waves, rising and falling involuntarily.

She wanted to shrink back and move away from him, but she was unable to, as his arms were around her waist, locking her in place. What she had managed to do though, was provoke a series of even more violent thrusts.

She bit her lip, not willing to let the embarrassing moans escape. She did not want to admit that under such circumstances, she was actually feeling an indescribable pleasure. It was all just too embarrassing because she was acting as if she was a promiscuous woman.

"Don’t hold it in. I want to hear you moan for me." He lowered himself again as he drove inside her, kissing her eyebrows tenderly.

Definitely not! She would not let him mock her for her shamelessness. She would not let him enjoy the sense of accomplishment from conquering her. Ye Jiayao turned her face away to avoid his kisses.

Seeing her stubborn face, the corner of his mouth rose and his hand reached down to press down on her sensitive button.

"Ah… No…" Ye Jiayao felt as though she had been shocked, her defenses crumbling. She had no idea that her body had such a lethal weakness.

"Please, don’t do this, please…" Her cries were like purrs as she reached out to stop him, yet, her efforts were futile.

He pressed harder and she knew he just deliberately wanted to make a joke out of her.

"Are you going to be obedient?"

"Yes, yes…"

"Do you like it like this?"

"No, yes… Yes…"

"Louder, I can’t hear you."

"Yes! I… like it!" Ye Jiayao wished she could strangle him.

He hid a pleased smile. She really was a sensitive woman, a few caresses of her weakness and she became putty in his hands.

Outside the door, the gang of bandits listened to the bride’s soft, submissive moans, flushed and heartbeats pounding.

"Third-in-charge is awesome! To think that he can turn a woman ardently fighting for her honor into a submissive, frail girl so easily." someone sighed softly.

The people nodded in agreement, subconsciously revealing a sense of admiration through their eyes.

"Shhh, stop talking!" Second-in-charge turned his head around, glaring at those talkative fellows.

"Are you done? I can’t take it anymore," Ye Jiayao pleaded.

She really could not stand the burning sensation from below anymore. How was he able to last so long? Couldn’t he just be done with it?

Done? It was still early, but seeing that it was her first time, he realized that this might really be too much for her. Sympathizing with her, he finished quickly, ejecting his warm liquid on her fair and flat abdomen.

Ye Jiayao felt weak and sore all over, her tired lids unable to stay open. She heard him get off the bed and put on his clothes. She felt a warm handkerchief on her body, wiping away the traces of their merrymaking. She continued to lie motionless until he lied back down and stretched his arm to scoop her into his embrace. It was then that she began to move and struggle away from him.

"Looks like you still have energy, maybe you could satisfy me more," he said threateningly.

Ye Jiayao stilled and did not dare to move anymore. She lied in his embrace obediently, listening to his strong and stable heartbeat. The events that she has gone through felt like a nightmare. She has been rebirthed, time-traveled, and was transformed from a lady to a woman not even two hours after.

Not only that, it was a man she did not even know. Oh, this man was also a bandit. Great.

The timing of this time-travel could not be any more f*cking accurate! She was supposed to be in the Ji Nan prefecture in 2 days and married to her childhood sweetheart Wei Liujiang. Thinking of the cultured and refined Wei Liujiang, Ye Jiayao sincerely felt that she had been done wrong. She was supposed to become a young mistress of a household, living life peacefully, yet she was now reduced to being a bandit’s plaything. This was too f*cking miserable!

"What are you thinking?" the husky sound of a languid man who has eaten to his fill asked.

Outside, the gang who were listening through the walls have finally left.

He had thought that she has fallen asleep but she felt her long lashes fluttering against his skin so he could not help but ask.

"Nothing much. I’m just tired and my neck is sore from lying like this. Can I turn over to sleep?" Ye Jiayao asked cowardly, a little afraid of him now. Afraid that if she annoyed him accidentally, he would torture her again.

He withdrew his arm and propped it to support his head as he gazed at her serenely, his heart full of curiosity.

 Why isn’t she crying?

It was not that Ye Jiayao didn't want to cry. She just doesn't want to show weakness in front of her tormentor. Plus, she didn't know if she has enough strength left to cry. She hasn't had anything to eat in the whole day, and she was so hungry. She felt as though her chest had shrunk in, sticking to her back and knotting all her intestines up.

Her stomach grumbled cooperatively at the thought of food.

In the silent room, with only the occasional sound of the candle flickering, the rumbling sound seemed to amplify.

Ye Jiayao held on to her stomach instinctively, her face flushed. If she thought about it, she had just been through the most distressing situation, the mere grumbling of her stomach was nothing to be feared. Nevertheless, she could not resist voicing her complaint. "I’m hungry."

Xia Chunyu glanced at the table and replied, "There’s no food here. You can eat tomorrow."

Ye Jiayao rubbed her stomach depressingly. "If it is going to continue growling, won’t it affect your sleep?"

"What are you trying to say?" Xia Chunyu frowned.

"Why don’t I sleep there?"Ye Jiayao suggested, pointing at the Rohan couch. 

He wrapped the blanket around himself tighter and turned his back to her. "Sleep," he said fiercely.

Was that an approval or not? Ye Jiayao bared her teeth at his back, cursing him silently.

Smarting from the reprimand, still starving, and still forced to sleep in the same bed with him, Ye Jiayao felt as though she ran out of luck. It felt like the situation she was in was more melodramatic than any of the melodramas she watched.

Everyone in her family, stemming from her great-grandfather, was a renowned chef in the culinary industry. Therefore, in her home, the thing that was the least lacking was the food. She had never known what it was like to be hungry even when she was still little. Going through what she was experiencing now, Ye Jiayao quickly realized that it was an awful feeling. The night was so long and she didn't know if she could bear her hunger through it.

Grumble… grumble…

Initially, Ye Jiayao wanted to wrap the blanket around her tighter to cover the awkward sound. She quickly realized how useless that would be, so instead, she just lied on the bed, resigning to her fate.

Grumble…

It now has a rhythm. Fantastic.

Grumble grumble…

The two sounds rose and fell in harmonious succession.

Mmm? That’s not right. Ye Jiayao stayed silent and listened carefully for a while. She almost burst out laughing when she realized that the handsome bandit's stomach was also grumbling. So, he was hungry after all!

Ye Jiayao felt vindicated, knowing that he was starving as well. They were getting hungry together. It was only fair.

Xia Chunyu lifted the blanket and sat up, annoyed to discover that his new wife was actually secretly laughing at him. She actually dared to mock him! If not for her stomach grumbling at his side, his stomach would've been just fine. Although to be honest, he was pretty hungry too. All he did the whole night was drink alcohol and his stomach was complaining.

Ye Jiayao did not expect him to turn around suddenly, so he caught her with a smile frozen on her face. The corner of her mouth twitched as she awkwardly suggested, "How about I go look for something to eat?"

Xia Chunyu snorted, bending down to gather his clothes. Ye Jiayao hurriedly put on her dress and stood up before he could even get his shirt on. "Just tell me where the kitchen is and I can manage. If there’s no food, I can just make some."

He turned to look at her, eyebrows raised in question. Wasnt' she from a wealthy family? Did she really know how to cook?

Ye Jiayao looked at third-in-charge with as much sincerity as she could muster, and said, "Leave small matters like that to me, third-in-charge. Just wait here for a while and I'll bring you something to eat."

Xia Chunyu was silent as he thought the situation through. If she really was kidnapped, she would be thinking of ways to escape from here. However, she was neither crying nor kicking up a fuss, it doesn't really look like escape was in her plans. She was even taking the initiative to make him food. He could not help but wonder if she was merely trying to curry his favor with that level of eager attentiveness.

Ye Jiayao took his silence as a consent and quickly finished dressing before dashing out of the house. She was afraid that if she stayed too long, he was going to change his mind. He might be able to resist his hunger, but Ye Jiayao couldn't.

Xia Chunyu stared after her running figure. Didn't she just say she didn't know where the kitchen was? Xia Chunyu hesitated for a while before deciding to just lie back down. She wouldn't be able to escape, anyway. He'd just wait and see if she could really cook.

The two bandits guarding the door of the courtyard were confused upon seeing Ye Jiayao come out of the house. They've just heard the intense war that went on between the newlywed couple and were wondering how their new sister-in-law had the strength to even get off the bed.

"Big brothers, could you tell me where the kitchen is?" Ye Jiayao asked timidly. "Third-in-charge is hungry and wants me to make some food."

The two guards looked at Ye Jiayao, both their eyes reflecting a sense of sympathy. The new sister-in-law really has it hard. After she had satisfied the bottom, she now has to still satisfy the top.

The one called Song Qi said, "Go back, new sister-in-law. I will get some pork shoulder for third-in-charge."

Hearing the term "new sister-in-law" caused Ye Jiayao to shudder. New sister-in-law my foot! She was never going to acknowledge being married to a bandit.

"Having greasy stuff in the middle of the night will cause indigestion. Why don't you just come along with me?" Ye Jiayao said generously, knowing that the bandits were not assured enough to just let her out.

Song Qi and Peng Wu exchanged looks. Since it was food for third-in-charge, and the new sister-in-law was okay with one of them tagging along, they deemed it was okay to let her go.

"I’ll go with new sister-in-law," Song Qi volunteered.

Ye Jiayao smiled gratefully, saying abashedly, "Then I’ll trouble you, big brother."

Song Qi quickly replied,"New sister-in-law, call me Song Qi. I wouldn’t dare to accept the honor of being called big brother." If he dared to go along with it, and third-in-charge should know about it, he would skin him alive.

With her empty stomach grumbling and aching, Ye Jiayao inevitably stooped as she walked towards the kitchen. It was a good thing that the kitchen was only 50 meters away from the courtyard.

However, in Peng Wu’s eyes, their new big sister was waking weirdly because of the hair-raising wrestling she had with third-in-charge. Her husband was not known for being sympathetic to women, and such delicate beauty would've needed a lot less intensity from her lover. Then again, the third-in-charge was not an easy person to please. In the stockade, all the brothers were afraid of first-in-charge, but even more so of third-in-charge because he was definitely ruthless.

Song Qi walked into the kitchen and bellowed, "Auntie Jiang! Is there any more food?"

The one called Auntie Jiang was a forty odd-year-old woman, thick in the waist and arms, and very fitting of the image of a kitchen lady. Currently, she was holding a fried pork shoulder, gnawing at it merrily, her mouth smeared with oil. Seeing that it was only Song Qi who came in, she did not bother trying to hide her food. 

"Look at what time it is! What food do you think was left?" Auntie Jang said rudely.

"I think it is all eaten by you," Song Qi grumbled.

"Pei! You people eat lavishly, satisfied with the wine and rice I served you. Meanwhile, here I am starving," Auntie Jang complained.

"Third-in-charge is hungry, go see if there is anything to eat." Song Qi opened a pot, but there was only hot water inside.

Auntie Jang immediately lost her hostility upon hearing that it was for third brother. "There are no more leftover dishes but there is still some leftover rice in the cupboard."

Ye Jiayao looked around the kitchen and saw that there was a piece of beef hanging by a pole. There were also a few tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots in the basket on the floor. "Are there any eggs?"

"Yes, yes, I just got some from the chicken coop this evening," Auntie Jang laughingly replied. She took stock of Ye Jiayao's red bridal dress and immediately knew that she was third-in-charge's wife that the second brother got from below the mountains.

"Is the fire at the stove out?"

"Not yet, the water is still boiling."

Ye Jiayao replied, "Then I’ll have to trouble Auntie Jiang to help me raise a fire. Oh, and also, bring a few eggs over."

Ye Jiayao began rolling her sleeves up, preparing to get down to work.

"New sister-in-law, let Auntie Jiang handle it," Song Qi protested.

"It’s no big deal, I’ll do it myself." Ye Jiayao picked two tomatoes, one cucumber, and one carrot from the basket, scooping up a ladle of water to wash the ingredients.

Cooking was her biggest hobby, which was a good thing because she really had no other skills.

Song Qi and Auntie Jiang watched with their mouths wide open as Ye Jiayao waved the knife expertly. She skillfully diced the tenderloin, in equal pieces, without even breaking a beat.

Ye Jiayao did not need to ask Auntie Jiang which condiment is which. She simply opened lids, smell the contents, and started seasoning. She really knew her way around the kitchen and it showed.

First, she marinated the beef with soy sauce, cooking wine, a dash of salt and sugar, as well as two pieces of ginger. Ye Jiayao then began to chop both the cucumber and carrot into equal cubes.

"Madam, do you want shiitake mushrooms?" Auntie Jang offered.

Ye Jiayao brightened up, "Yes, yes! It'd make the dish taste better." Shiitake mushrooms could enhance tastes, a natural equivalent to MSG. 

After the preparation work, Ye Jiayao added a little oil in the wok, waited for the oil to heat up before she threw in the marinated beef. She stir-fried it for a hot minute before transferring it to a plate. Beef was originally tender and delicious, but cooking it for too long would cause the meat to become tough and chewy. By stir-frying it quickly in hot oil, the tenderness of the meat could be retained.

Next, she beat the eggs, fried them, and broken it up into small pieces before taking it out of the wok. She then stir-fried the shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and cucumber. She fried them until they were just about cooked before taking it out. Ye Jiayao then poured two bowls of leftover rice in, kneading until the rice grains separated, and added all the ingredients back into the wok to mix.

It wasn't long before the kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma. Song Qi looked at the colorful egg fried rice and his mouth watered. The smell was so enticing it was making him hungry.

Ye Jia Yao was filled with joy upon finishing her favorite beef egg fried rice. Everyone raved who has tasted it, raved about it. That detestable third-in-charge was lucky he gets to eat this.

After completing the rice, Ye Jiayao began to make a simple tomato egg soup. This was a basic dish, but as her father said, the simplest dishes were the ones that train chefs. The tomatoes had to be cooked until the juice came out, yet, it could not be too mushy. If it was too mushy, the dish would not look good. However, if it was not cooked until the right time, there would be no juice, and the dish would be tasteless.

"Third madam, your cooking skills are far superior to Old Head Yu," Auntie Jiang praised. This big kitchen was helmed by Old Head Yu, and Auntie Jiang and some other Aunties were only helpers. Old Head Yu loved to mix stew, and just kept on throwing in a variety of stuff, like pig feed. He was no match for the beautiful, young madam.

Ye Jiayao smiled humbly. "I wouldn't say refer to it as skills. It’s just a hobby."

For her, cooking was not working but purely a hobby. She, as well as her whole family, where picky when it comes to food. They were all well-versed in the art of cooking, so naturally, their standards were high.

After scooping two big bowls of egg fried rice, and an additional bowl of tomato egg soup, there was still some food that remained in the wok.

"Song Qi, you must be hungry. If you'd like, you can have these," Ye Jiayao graciously offered, seeing as Song Qi's eyes haven't left the wok.

Song Qi chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "That would be perfect sister-in-law. I wasn’t really hungry but after seeing you make such good food, I am now."

Auntie Jiang smiled, envious as she eyed Song Qi as he took a bowl to scoop out the remaining egg fried rice. She pondered if it would be too embarrassing to exchange the half-eaten pork shoulder with that egg fried rice.