Chapter 13
Yu Qingci looked at Yan Lingshu with bright, sparkling eyes.
Yan Lingshu stood where she was, the ends of her brows curving slightly as she gently asked in return, “What does Qingci think?”
After hearing this, Yu Qingci silently turned around, silently walked over to the large bed, silently picked up the other quilt on the bed, and resigned herself to walking toward the soft couch.
Hmph. Did Yan Lingshu think she could not hear the threat in that?
Yu Qingci lay down on the soft couch with her long arms and legs curled in. In truth, she had known all along that Yan Lingshu would not agree. With the situation between the two of them, if they lay on the same bed, who knew whether something would happen?
It was just that sleeping on this soft couch was really uncomfortable.
Soft couch, soft couch—why was it not soft at all?
Yu Qingci tossed and turned, trying hard to adjust into a suitable sleeping position.
Yan Lingshu leaned against the head of the bed, a book in her hands. Her gaze lifted slightly toward the direction of the soft couch.
The soft couch was not long enough, forcing Yu Qingci to hunch her back, bend her waist, and curl up her legs. Such a large Qianyuan had shrunk into a small bundle on the couch, and from the back, she actually looked a little pitiful.
Yan Lingshu watched for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said softly, “Tomorrow, have them replace it with a longer luohan couch.”
“All right.” Hearing this, Yu Qingci turned toward the direction of the large bed and happily agreed.
Most of the candles in the inner chamber had already been extinguished. Only the two lamps by the bed were still lit, spilling warm yellow candlelight over Yan Lingshu and covering her in a soft halo.
Yu Qingci gazed at the red-robed beauty reading beneath the lamplight and found it increasingly difficult to look away.
There was a faint rustle as Yan Lingshu turned a page of the book in her hands.
Yu Qingci immediately closed her eyes.
Yan Lingshu lifted her gaze and saw only the Qianyuan’s tightly shut eyes, followed by a deliberately drowsy sentence. “Your Highness should sleep soon too. Reading too long under lamplight isn’t good for your eyes.”
Last night, they had gone to sleep late and woken up early. Counting it out, they had not even slept for two full hours. In between, they had also gone back and forth to the Yu Estate. Even someone made of iron would not be able to withstand such exhaustion.
Besides, Yu Qingci’s nerves had been stretched too tightly today. Now that she suddenly relaxed, a heavy wave of sleepiness came over her. After saying that, she made no further sound, and in less than a quarter of an hour, she had already fallen deeply asleep.
In the quiet inner chamber, there was now the addition of one person’s steady, long breathing.
Yan Lingshu raised a hand and rubbed her aching brow. She put down the book, lay flat, and quietly closed her eyes.
She had thought that with one more person in the inner chamber, she would not fall asleep easily. But without realizing it, her consciousness had already grown hazy.
Until a thud sounded.
Yan Lingshu’s eyes snapped open. She looked toward the soft couch and saw that the person who had originally been sleeping there had already rolled onto the floor. Her limbs were spread flat over the quilt, and there was no sign that she had woken up at all.
After sleeping for a while longer, perhaps because she felt cold, Yu Qingci woke in a daze. She scratched her hair and looked around blankly. Then she got up and walked toward the large bed without the slightest hesitation.
Yan Lingshu furrowed her brows and took a sharp-tipped hairpin from beneath her pillow.
Yu Qingci reached the bed. Her whole body flopped downward, landing right at the foot of the bed, on the fragrant, soft quilt.
Yu Qingci hugged the light, soft brocade quilt and let out a satisfied sigh, tugging it over herself.
As she covered herself, she burrowed inward. Very soon, she had occupied the favorable position on the outer side at the foot of the bed and comfortably fell asleep again.
Yan Lingshu waited for quite a while, but the Qianyuan showed no further movement at all.
She had fallen asleep again.
Yan Lingshu sat in the darkness, gripping the hairpin. Listening to the Qianyuan’s long, even breathing, she remained silent for a long time.
When bright light shone in, Yu Qingci naturally woke up. She stretched her body, wanting to extend her limbs, but just as her hand reached out, it suddenly bumped into something. She touched it casually and felt something soft and smooth beneath her palm. Her consciousness abruptly cleared.
Yu Qingci sat up all at once and stared blankly at Yan Lingshu, who was sleeping at the other end of the bed.
Yan Lingshu had her eyes closed. Yu Qingci did not know whether she was awake or not.
Yu Qingci tentatively called, “Your Highness?”
Yan Lingshu was sleeping facing inward. Hearing this, she said in a cool voice, “Get down.”
After hearing this, Yu Qingci scrambled down from the bed.
She scratched her head, looked at the soft couch, then looked at the quilt that had fallen to the floor, and vaguely realized what had happened—she seemed to have climbed into Yan Lingshu’s bed in the middle of the night.
But why had Yan Lingshu not woken her up and instead allowed her to sleep until now?
Yu Qingci’s head was full of question marks as she walked behind the screen to change out of her sleeping clothes.
Yan Lingshu listened to her footsteps fade away, then slowly opened her eyes, a faint trace of annoyance in them.
Last night, she had tried to wake Yu Qingci, but Yu Qingci had not reacted at all. She had been like a piece of iron drawn to a magnet, clinging tightly to the bed. Whether Yan Lingshu pushed or kicked her, she could not move her in the slightest.
In the end, having no other choice, she had simply let her be. Fortunately, in the latter half of the night, Yu Qingci had slept properly and had not moved around or caused more trouble.
Yan Lingshu shifted her right leg slightly. The sensation at her calf seemed to still remain, burning against that patch of skin, making it impossible to ignore.
When Yu Qingci finished changing and came out, Yan Lingshu was already up.
She felt somewhat guilty, afraid that Yan Lingshu would be angry over her climbing into bed last night. Yet unexpectedly, Yan Lingshu never mentioned the matter to her. It was only during breakfast that Yan Lingshu ate very little.
Yu Qingci looked at her several times, wanting to speak but stopping herself. In the end, she could not help asking, “Your Highness, half a bowl of porridge isn’t enough to fill you, is it?”
No matter how thick the porridge was, what use was drinking only half a bowl?
Could she really be so angry about Yu Qingci climbing into bed that she could not eat breakfast? Surely not?
Yan Lingshu lifted her eyes to glance at her, then put down her spoon. “I have no appetite today. You eat first.”
After saying this, she rose and left.
Yu Qingci looked at the more-than-half-full bowl of porridge in front of Yan Lingshu and furrowed her brows.
When she finished breakfast and walked outside, Qinhe appeared from who knew where and blocked her path.
Yu Qingci stopped and looked at her. “Does Her Highness need something?”
Yan Lingshu had not remained in the bedchamber. Yu Qingci did not know where she had gone.
Yu Qingci had no intention of asking around. After all, she had things of her own to do too.
Qinhe’s expression was conflicted. After looking at Yu Qingci for quite a while, she lowered her head and said, “Qinhe has something to ask of the consort.”
Yu Qingci’s brow moved, and she asked with some curiosity, “What is it? Speak.”
Yesterday, Qinhe had clearly disliked her so much, yet today she was already asking her for help?
Qinhe no longer hesitated and said in one breath, “There is something the consort does not know. Her Highness usually has a poor appetite and eats very little at each meal. Even the physician has said that if this continues for a long time, it will be harmful to her health. We have thought of every possible way to improve Her Highness’s appetite, but unfortunately, none of them have had much effect. But yesterday, Her Highness ate three meals together with the consort, and at every meal, she ate more than usual. So this servant would like to ask the consort to help and persuade Her Highness to eat more.”
Yu Qingci understood. So Yan Lingshu had anorexia?
Royal meals were this delicious, and yet she had anorexia?
No, wait. Yu Qingci thought the food was delicious because she had only just arrived here. Yan Lingshu might have been eating it since childhood and was already used to it.
“You all can’t persuade her, but I can?” Yu Qingci asked doubtfully.
Qinhe nodded firmly. “The consort does not need to persuade her too much. You only need to eat with more enjoyment during ordinary meals and say more words of praise.”
Yu Qingci suddenly understood. So they wanted her to become Yan Lingshu’s personal mukbang host?
But she had eaten very happily this morning too, and had even praised the soup dumplings. Yet Yan Lingshu had not touched them.
“All right, I understand. I’ll do my best.” Yu Qingci agreed and walked away with a worried expression. Halfway through, she turned back and asked Qinhe, “Where is Her Highness?”
“Her Highness is in the western pavilion admiring the flowers,” Qinhe answered.
Yu Qingci nodded, then headed out of the princess’s residence.
About two quarters of an hour later, Yu Qingci hurried back to the residence. She made her way straight toward the western pavilion. Looking up and seeing Yan Lingshu leaning against the railing on the second floor, she immediately climbed the stairs, carrying a large pile of oil-paper parcels as she rushed toward Yan Lingshu.
“Your Highness, look. I bought sugar cakes, scallion pancakes, pan-fried tofu…” Yu Qingci placed the oil-paper parcels in her arms down one by one, introducing each of them to Yan Lingshu.
The fragrance of food filled the pavilion.
Yan Lingshu’s eyes moved slightly. “What is Qingci doing?”
Yu Qingci walked around the table and headed toward Yan Lingshu. She crouched down, looked up at Yan Lingshu with a pair of clear, bright eyes, and said sincerely, “Your Highness, for the sake of all this delicious food, can you forgive me for climbing into your bed last night?”
Besides, if Yan Lingshu was angry, she should just say so. Keeping it bottled up and hurting her own body would be so bad.
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