Chapter 18: The White Rabbit’s Anorexia

"Is that Aunt Ning?"

Xia Qiqi stepped forward, pulling Hua'er behind her. She loathed people who used their status to bully others. "You come to Yuhua Pavilion to demand someone, don't you need to ask me first?"

Aunt Ning acted as if she had only just noticed Xia Qiqi's presence in Yuhua Pavilion. She offered no greeting, instead letting out a cold snort. "So it's Miss Liu. Hurry up and let Hua'er follow me to the Old Madam’s quarters."

[She’s riding on the coattails of being a relative of the Zhao family, and because there is no mistress in the Prince’s manor, she actually thinks of herself as half the lady of the house! Meow!]

Xiao Ai, who had been listening from inside the hall, could no longer contain herself. She darted out and ran to Xia Qiqi’s feet, meowing incessantly.

Exactly!

Aunt Ning didn't view Xia Qiqi as a mistress at all. She hadn't even offered a greeting upon entering Yuhua Pavilion, and her tone was incredibly arrogant!

Xia Qiqi agreed, "Some people just don't know their place!"

Although Aunt Ning didn't understand the slang, she could guess that Xia Qiqi was retorting. "If Miss Liu insists on not letting Hua'er go, then I shall go and report this to the Old Madam."

She was merely a young lady who had been thrown into the cold palace before the wedding ceremony was even held; did she really think she was the mistress of the manor?

After saying this, Aunt Ning flicked her sleeves in a huff and turned to leave.

Just as Xia Qiqi was about to bid her a sarcastic farewell, Xiao Ai suddenly began scratching her skirt frantically.

[Xia Qiqi! If you want to escape the Prince's manor, using the Old Madam's route is not a bad idea! Meow!]

That’s right!

Wasn’t the Old Madam’s rabbit sick?

And wasn't she a veterinarian?

Saving lives was her instinct!

"Aunt Ning!" Xia Qiqi called out loudly. "You may have misunderstood my meaning."

Aunt Ning paused in her tracks, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. "And what is Miss Liu’s meaning, then?"

Hmph, she was clearly afraid that the Old Madam would blame her, making her life in the manor even harder!

"I know a thing or two about rabbit ailments; I can go with you to take a look," Xia Qiqi said with a gentle smile. "As for Hua'er, let her go to the front courtyard to deliver a message for me. How about that?"

"You?" Aunt Ning frowned, her eyes full of suspicion. "You know how to treat a rabbit?"

As the daughter of the Prime Minister's residence, it was plausible that she had learned to read and studied some medical texts since childhood. But treating livestock? How could a noble lady know such things?

"Cough... I kept rabbits myself, so I learned a bit," Xia Qiqi stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "I heard Aunt Ning say earlier that the Old Madam’s little rabbit isn't eating or drinking, is that right?"

Aunt Ning nodded. "That's right, it looks like it's on the verge of dying."

Seeing that Aunt Ning had no intention of taking her to Wanshou Pavilion, Xia Qiqi hurriedly added, "A rabbit not eating or drinking is usually due to gastrointestinal stasis or bad teeth."

"As for the exact cause, I must see it in person to prescribe the right treatment."

Hearing this, Aunt Ning was momentarily stunned, as she sounded quite knowledgeable about rabbit care.

"Does Aunt Ning agree to let me treat the rabbit?" Xia Qiqi didn't wait for her to recover. She quickly instructed Hua'er, "What are you still standing there for? Go to the front courtyard and deliver my message."

"Yes." Hua'er lowered her head in a bow and left Yuhua Pavilion.

Though Aunt Ning felt something was off, she couldn't find fault with the logic. She could only say coldly, "You had better actually know how to treat a rabbit!"

It seemed the Old Madam indeed carried significant weight in the Prince of Jin's manor. When Aunt Ning led Xia Qiqi out of Yuhua Pavilion, she simply told the guards that the Old Madam had requested Miss Liu's presence.

The guards, who had been keeping watch, did not make things difficult at all and let them pass immediately!

In an unfamiliar place, one truly needed to cling to a powerful figure to survive. Xiao Ai was quite clever—she must have watched a lot of palace intrigue dramas in her past life!

Xia Qiqi followed behind Aunt Ning, lost in thought. After walking for quite some time, they finally entered the side hall of Wanshou Pavilion.

The Prince of Jin's manor was truly enormous!

With its red walls and yellow tiles, it certainly had a royal air, but it was so large that Xia Qiqi worried she would get lost when the time came to escape!

It wasn't until she walked into the side hall and saw the royal rabbit hutch that she understood the value of the word "royal."

The hutch was made of fine golden nanmu wood. It was as large as a double bed and even featured a loft, divided into two levels.

The upper level was clearly the rabbit's bedroom, cushioned with Shu silk brocade.

The lower level appeared to be for dining and play, stocked with radishes and fresh grass!

In the dead of winter, the rabbit actually had fresh grass to eat!

Truly a royal rabbit!

"Aunt Ning, Yue'er has been lying there for a while without moving. Could it be..."

The maid in charge of feeding the rabbit hurried over to report as soon as she saw Aunt Ning enter.

Yue'er? That must be the rabbit's name.

"Miss Liu, please take a look." Aunt Ning stepped aside to let Xia Qiqi in.

Xia Qiqi examined the white rabbit named Yue'er closely and found no outward signs of illness.

There was no drooling, the fur around its mouth was dry, and its red eyes were clear of any discharge.

Feeling puzzled, she reached out to pick up the rabbit to check its teeth.

[Don't touch me! Who are you?]

Xia Qiqi was used to this by now and knew it must be the rabbit speaking. "Be good, Yue'er. Let me have a good look and see what's wrong."

[Huh? She can understand me?]

Xia Qiqi gently stroked Yue'er’s head. The rabbit didn't dodge, only looking at her with listless eyes.

[I'm not sick, I just don't like eating white radishes!]

So that was it!

Xia Qiqi checked the hutch again and indeed saw no droppings. Yue'er had refused all food simply because its favorite snack was gone.

"This girl, may I ask what Yue'er usually likes to eat?" Xia Qiqi asked.

"Yue'er usually loves the 'lu-bo' brought as tribute from the Western Regions, but we ran out a few days ago," the maid replied.

Lu-bo? Wasn't that just a carrot? So carrots existed in this world!

Xia Qiqi nodded. "Carrots are good! They are better for Yue'er's digestion. The rabbit has no illness; it is just refusing food because its favorite treat is missing."

"The Prince recently said that the Western Regions haven't paid tribute to the Liang Dynasty in a long time, so the supply of carrots naturally ran out."

The maid still looked skeptical. "Is Yue'er really not sick?"

Xia Qiqi smiled. "Yes. Let me talk to it for a moment, and perhaps it will eat later."

*Sigh*, carrots were highly nutritious and easy to grow. She would have to tell that scumbag Prince to let the people of Jin City save their own seeds next time!

What did she mean? She would talk to Yue'er? Could Miss Liu talk to rabbits?

"Don't believe me, then."

Xia Qiqi, feeling playful, reached in and tugged on Yue'er’s ear, whispering, "The carrots you love are gone. If you don't eat, you’re going to kick the bucket tonight."

[If you put it that way, I suppose I can reluctantly eat some white radish!]

Yue'er drooped its eyes and hopped around a few times, signaling that staying alive was the most important thing.