Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 415 - 416: On the Verge of Collapse

In the blur of illness, Xiao Shiqing had that dream again.

In the dream, everything he’s suffering now, she had suffered.

In the dream, all her anguish was unknown, yet she was wronged by him.

In the past, when he had this dream, Xiao Shiqing would just consider it a dream. No matter how real it felt, it still seemed like just a dream.

But now, having experienced the same things, he couldn’t help feeling a deep empathy.

The taste of being targeted is unpleasant.

The taste of being wronged is unpleasant.

The taste of being slandered is even more unpleasant.

It turns out, his mother is such an unreasonable person, saying one thing to his face and another behind his back.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it even if beaten to death.

This was the conclusion Xiao Shiqing slowly came to, half a month after Li Hua left the Xiao Family.

He had no choice but to realize it; on the first day, there were needles and forced kneeling; the second day repeated, and at night he had to sew shoes. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t get to eat.

Xiao Shiqing dared not think that as this body held the status of County Princess, they dared treat him this way. What would it be like without that status?

Could he still survive?

It is said that the inner宅 is full of shady methods, Xiao Shiqing was not unfamiliar, but it was always affairs of others’ família, never in his own. Thus, he always believed the inner宅 of his own family was clean. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Yet...

Xiao Shiqing barely endured half a month, losing weight in the process, believing things would get better when Li Hua returned.

But the one who should return was delayed by some matters, remaining outside for another half month.

Upon hearing this news, Xiao Shiqing felt a sense of despair.

Staying one more day in the Xiao Mansion, and he felt he would break.

He started writing letters to Li Hua, urging her to return soon, to set aside outside matters and come back to save him.

He had no other way; he wished to rebel, but burdened by his feminine physique, he could neither lift nor carry. Any rebellious act was instantly subdued by several strong maids.

Not complying meant being beaten, being punished, having no food.

Is this still the Xiao Mansion? It’s akin to a dragon’s pool or tiger’s den.

The letter was written and sent out by a guard; that was something he could manage.

But after sending the letter, there was no news at all.

Quickly, Xiao Shiqing wrote the second, the third; all without exception were pleas for help.

He had a premonition that his mother was vicious, likely to cruelly abuse him.

In the inner宅, it’s all too easy to kill someone, easily covered with any excuse.

This sort of thing happened too often in prison, Xiao Shiqing had seen, but never imagined he would one day face the same fate.

His mother simply because of dissatisfaction with the wife he wanted, decided to abuse him cruelly.

Just because of dissatisfaction.

She chose to torment him.

Is this still human?

Xiao Shiqing’s feelings were not mistaken; Mrs. Xiao truly wished to kill him.

Since ancient times, marriages were determined by parents and matchmakers; it hadn’t changed here.

If the son were allowed to marry freely, choose any wife at will, where would her dignity remain?

If she didn’t show them some color, they might think they could lord over her.

If this got out, would she still have any face?

But Mrs. Xiao wasn’t bold enough to outright demand someone’s life, knowing it was a County Princess; she wouldn’t dare be so brazen.

Tormenting them a bit wasn’t a big problem for her.

Rather than calling it torment, Mrs. Xiao preferred the term teaching.

Rules are taught bit by bit,

Which family hasn’t come this way?

This day, she made Li Hua cook.

"A new wife entering the household must make a decent meal for the whole family. You should make a dish first; if there’s something you don’t know, someone can teach you," Mrs. Xiao said convincingly.

Xiao Shiqing just listened, feeling overwhelmed. He hadn’t recovered yet, and his mother firmly believed he was feigning illness, so no doctor was called. Xiao Shiqing relied entirely on his willpower to fight through it.

Becoming Li Hua in these days, the hardships he suffered were even tougher than going to war.

Every day sickly, he had to greet his mother, serve tea, pour water, give massages; as though she were using him like a servant. Even the household servants weren’t this overworked.

Now she wanted him to cook.

Previously, he hadn’t made the shoes, steadfastly claiming he couldn’t, leaving his mother helpless. After all, she didn’t know Li Hua was also Li Jirou; Li Jirou was good with needlework, but others weren’t necessarily.

Mrs. Xiao didn’t expect to wear shoes made by Li Hua anyway. Since she adamantly insisted she couldn’t, she had no choice, understanding needlework isn’t learned overnight.

But cooking is different; it can be learned immediately.

Xiao Shiqing was taught to cook.

Xiao Shiqing wasn’t entirely inept. Being outside on military campaigns, cooking something edible wasn’t a problem.

But can that level satisfy the inner宅 standards of a noblewoman?

Mrs. Xiao demanded precision, appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

The chef instructed Xiao Shiqing, adhering to the strictest standards, and the process was truly indescribable.

If anything was done poorly, the chef would smack down with a ruler, stricter than teachers in learning halls.

Not sure if Mrs. Xiao did it deliberately or unintentionally, but she specifically chose fried dishes; the oil splashing painfully on his hands.

That body being overly delicate, couldn’t bear such oily dishes; after a meal, he had a shadow of fear toward oil.

The final dishes he made were criticized by Mrs. Xiao; too flavorful, lacking salt, excessive oil, unpleasant taste, bad color, none satisfied.

"Do it again!" Mrs. Xiao forcefully placed her chopsticks on the table, "Do it again until I’m satisfied."

Xiao Shiqing felt like struck by lightning.

Is this still a life to live?

Every day doing this, doing that, they weren’t even married yet. If married into the Xiao Family, wouldn’t he have no time to sleep?

In that moment, Xiao Shiqing finally understood what Qu Fulan previously said and what Li Hua said when she first rejected him.

What they said might differ, but the content was astonishingly consistent.

It was a repeated warning about his mother, claiming how she would harm them through his entanglement.

Previously, he thought they exaggerated, but now... Xiao Shiqing believed.

His mother was indeed terrifying.

Torturing the wife with various means, wasn’t she afraid of rumors damaging her reputation?

The Prince Xiao was naive; the inner宅 has so many tricks, yet truly what gets out is scarce. It shows these matters are hidden, rarely exposed.

Even if exposed, for the greater good, efforts will be made to suppress.

Mrs. Xiao understood this principle, daring to torment a County Princess.

Mrs. Xiao said something wise; not only County Princesses, even princesses must respect their elders after marrying.

Thus she ordered a County Princess around without any psychological burden, her sole worry being her son finding out, nothing more.

How could she know the person she orders is her own son now?