Chapter 12
Yu Qingci’s words came from a place of complete sincerity.
She had once felt regret over Yan Lingshu’s ending in the book. If possible, she truly hoped that in the future, Yan Lingshu could spend her life happily and smoothly with the person she loved.
Because of that, she spoke with extreme sincerity, not the slightest trace of false feeling or pretense visible in her eyes.
Yan Lingshu looked at her and stayed silent for a moment.
“Does liking someone necessarily mean possessing them?”
Yu Qingci probably did not know that in some people’s eyes, liking was the same as possession and control, even coercion.
Yan Lingshu suppressed the violent hostility rising in her heart and asked, “So Qingci means to say that you want nothing from me?”
“How could that be?” Yu Qingci denied it decisively. “Your Highness, I’m human too. As long as someone is human, they’ll have selfish desires. My selfish desire is very simple.”
Yu Qingci leaned forward, closing the distance between herself and Yan Lingshu, and said in a very light, low voice, “Today, Your Highness also saw my divine strength. From this moment on, whenever Your Highness needs me, I will do everything within my power to help you. When the timing is right in the future, I am also willing to divorce Your Highness. And the only selfish thing I ask for is that one day, I can leave the capital without carrying any burdens and go wherever I want to go.”
Yu Qingci understood very clearly that since she had already become Yan Lingshu’s consort, there was no way to avoid being dragged into the muddy waters of the capital.
She was willing to gamble, and willing to try once. To try to change Yan Lingshu’s destined death in the book, and to try to make up for the regret she had felt while reading.
If she really could change it, then by that time, the only thing she wanted would be freedom.
She did not want to be bound by anything, and she also intended to make it clear to Yan Lingshu that she had absolutely no desire to cling to power.
Compared with the word “like” from earlier, her current yearning for freedom instead made the guardedness in Yan Lingshu’s heart ease slightly.
Freedom. Who knew how many people in the imperial city longed for freedom, only to ultimately be trapped to death in that square stretch of heaven and earth?
“If it is not what my heart desires, then all of it is a cage.” Those words echoed by Yan Lingshu’s ear.
She looked at Yu Qingci, who was close at hand. The jasmine fragrance drifted faintly over. This scent was not as strong as before. It had become much lighter and fresher, as if it could soothe the agitation in one’s heart.
Yan Lingshu slowly spoke. “All right.”
Just that one simple word was a promise.
The smile in Yu Qingci’s eyes widened. This counted as their initial cooperation being reached.
As for how effective their cooperation would be in the future, that would have to be seen slowly. There was no need to rush.
“Since Your Highness has agreed to me, can you help me with something first?” Yu Qingci asked tentatively.
Yan Lingshu turned her head slightly, avoiding the jasmine fragrance drifting toward her face. “Speak.”
“Your Highness, look.” Yu Qingci raised her arm for Yan Lingshu to see. “Right now, I have this whole body of divine strength, but I don’t know how to use it. It’s truly a waste. Could Your Highness introduce a martial arts master to me? I want to improve my martial skills too.”
Although Yan Lingshu acted weak and helpless, in truth, there were several highly skilled maidservants hidden inside this princess’s residence.
The empress believed that sending Yu Su over would allow her to control Yan Lingshu, never knowing that while the princess’s residence seemed to be controlled by Yu Su on the surface, in reality, it was under Yan Lingshu’s control.
Of course, last night’s accident truly had been an accident.
To drug a newly married couple on their wedding night—the empress really was capable of doing that.
Yu Qingci complained in her heart again. Seeing Yan Lingshu turn to look at her, she immediately said, “Your Highness saw it today too. My relationship with Mother is truly poor. Before we left today, we nearly argued after only a few words. Now the only one I can rely on is Your Highness.”
Yu Qingci looked at Yan Lingshu with a face full of sincerity and innocence, her eyes filled with expectation, as if Yan Lingshu were her only hope.
Yan Lingshu’s gaze carried a hint of scrutiny.
Asking a princess who had no control over her own fate to help her find a martial arts master did seem a little strange.
Yu Qingci did not care whether Yan Lingshu would suspect anything. Gathering her courage, she grabbed Yan Lingshu’s sleeve and gently shook it from side to side. “Your Highness, okay?”
After saying this, before the other person could react, goosebumps rose all over her own body first.
Fortunately, this act of coquettish pleading was very effective.
Yan Lingshu lowered her eyes to glance at her hand and said flatly, “I will try.”
Yu Qingci immediately withdrew her hand. She cleared her throat and pressed on. “Um, Your Highness, I still have one small request.”
Yan Lingshu lifted her eyes to look at her, and even her gaze turned cold.
She said she would do everything she could to help Yan Lingshu, yet in the end, she was making request after request of her instead.
Yu Qingci grew embarrassed under her gaze. Lowering her head, she touched the gland at the back of her neck. “Actually, I just wanted to say, if Your Highness is dissatisfied with something next time, could you tell me directly? Can you not pinch my gland right away?”
Although she had only been pinched once today, it had really hurt.
Yu Qingci was very afraid that the next time they disagreed, Yan Lingshu would pinch her again. To avoid living in constant fear in the future, she had to bravely express her thoughts.
After all, smelling each other’s scent pheromones like they had today probably was not something that would be over in a day or two.
Yan Lingshu’s scent pheromones were far too attractive to her. To be honest, she did not dare guarantee that her self-control would be this strong every single time. If one day she really…
Yu Qingci immediately lifted her head and added, “If in the future my words or actions really cross the line, and I try to force Your Highness to do something, then at that kind of time, Your Highness may still pinch me.”
Since the words had already been said to this point, Yan Lingshu had no reason not to agree.
She gave a light “Mm,” but immediately changed the subject. “Is Qingci afraid of me?”
So restrained and careful before her—was that fear? But why be afraid?
Yu Qingci’s heart skipped. She sighed inwardly at Yan Lingshu’s sharpness, struggling to maintain the calm on her face. A smile rippled in her eyes. “Your Highness must be joking. Why would I be afraid of Your Highness?”
As she spoke, she deliberately leaned a little closer and blinked. “Actually, I am very curious about Your Highness. Outsiders all say Your Highness has a weak and gentle temperament, but today, Your Highness was not exactly gentle with me. Your Highness can act so well in front of others, so why is your acting so half-hearted when it comes to me?”
Yu Qingci’s words were ambiguous. She seemed to be saying that Yan Lingshu’s acted affection was not convincing, yet also seemed to be pointing out that Yan Lingshu’s so-called weak and gentle nature was all an act.
Yan Lingshu tested one step forward, and Yu Qingci also stepped forward, without the slightest hint of retreat.
Yan Lingshu looked at the slightly aggressive Yu Qingci. Her expression did not change. She met Yu Qingci’s eyes directly and answered without dodging or avoiding, “Because you are different.”
Yu Qingci froze.
What did she mean, she was different?
Could it be that Yan Lingshu had realized she was not the same person as the former Yu Qingci? How was that possible?
Yu Qingci opened her mouth, about to press for an answer.
Yan Lingshu did not give her the chance. Rising, she said, “Have dinner called in.”
Yu Qingci was unwilling to let it go. She wanted to chase after her, but who would have thought Yan Lingshu would turn and walk behind the screen? She silently stopped in her tracks and could only obediently go call for dinner.
Behind the screen, Yan Lingshu changed her clothes. Hearing Yu Qingci’s footsteps gradually fade away, she pulled off her belt and draped it over the rack beside her.
This outfit had been stained with too much of the Qianyuan’s scent pheromone. It was better to change out of it.
Clothes could be changed, but the merged scent of pheromones inside the room was difficult to disperse.
Yan Lingshu walked to the window and pushed it open. Outside the window, Yu Qingci was holding a stone stool in each hand, spinning around happily. When she turned and saw Yan Lingshu, she even raised both arms flat, trying hard to show off her divine strength.
Her whole person looked like she was begging to be praised.
Yan Lingshu felt that she ought to close the window. Yet for some reason, she stood there in front of the window, watching Yu Qingci do all these very foolish movements.
What exactly was different about Yu Qingci?
Perhaps it was that the current her had more vitality, like a wildflower blooming in the height of summer, full of life.
As for Yu Qingci before last night, no matter how well she hid it, the agitation, violence, and bloodthirstiness inside her had still made people detest her.
Yan Lingshu lowered her eyes and lightly pinched the sachet at her waist.
Inside this sachet were incense pills that dissolved and dispersed easily in water. Last night, before drinking the ceremonial wedding wine, she had already dissolved the incense pill in water. When Yu Qingci went mad and choked her, the incense pill had clearly taken effect.
Because the strength in Yu Qingci’s hands had been weakening continuously. That was a sign of her strength draining away.
But at a certain moment, Yu Qingci’s expression had suddenly become clear. She had abruptly let go, and after that, the wedding wine took effect…
In the span of one night, her temperament changed completely.
Why had the incense pill that should have taken effect suddenly failed?
And where had Yu Qingci’s divine strength at this very moment come from?
Yan Lingshu lifted her eyes. The person before her was hiding far too many secrets. But she was indeed useful.
Even if Yu Qingci had been acting all along, so what?
Yan Lingshu gently closed the window. The human heart was hard to distinguish in this world. Being able to use each other and each take what they needed was already enough.
At dinner, Yu Qingci did not eat as happily as she had during the previous two meals.
Because her mouth had been bitten open. Earlier, in order to restrain herself, she had bitten down too hard and had actually split her lower lip.
Now, if she opened her mouth wide to eat, she could not avoid the pain.
Of course, there was another reason too. When the others saw that her lip was broken, they clearly thought of certain unspeakable things.
But what unspeakable things were there?
She did not even know where she would sleep tonight!
Yu Qingci ate less, and Yan Lingshu ate even less.
Since both masters had poor appetites, dinner was quickly cleared away.
The maidservants brought in the washing utensils. After Yu Qingci finished washing up, she looked at the soft, fragrant bed, then at the narrow little couch beside it, and finally at her own long arms and legs.
When Yan Lingshu came out after changing into her sleeping clothes, she saw Yu Qingci staring at the large bed with a face full of longing. Hearing Yan Lingshu’s footsteps, Yu Qingci immediately turned to look at her, blinking her big eyes as she asked, “Your Highness, where am I sleeping tonight?”
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