Chapter 39
Her eyes overflowed with a frightening possessiveness.
Without waiting for Qiu Jinning to agree, Qin Chu directly lifted her into her arms and carried her to the bedside, yet her gaze did not dare fall on the person lying on the bed.
Qiu Jinning’s face was tinged with scarlet, her expression still calm and restrained.
Yet the heartbeat she had been desperately suppressing gradually slipped out of control, gradually no longer obeying its owner’s reason. Slowly, ripples rose. Slowly, they swelled into huge waves.
They shattered the calm in her eyes. In an instant, the charm between her brows and eyes could no longer be concealed.
Qin Chu clenched her fingers and pulled down the bed curtains, cutting off the dim yellow candlelight.
In her unclear vision, Qiu Jinning watched Qin Chu approach, like dense clouds surging from the horizon, giving her no way to avoid them.
It seemed she had also forgotten to avoid her. Perhaps it was the love gu flaring up. Perhaps it was her heart being too hard to suppress. It made her briefly lose the ability to think.
Softness touched her lips. Qiu Jinning’s lashes trembled. She closed her eyes, her hands gripping the white bedsheet, her fingers exerting so much force that the entire sheet was pulled out of shape.
“Qiu Jinning…” Qin Chu pried open Qiu Jinning’s hands that were tightly gripping the bedsheet and pulled away her dress.
The air seemed to become much thinner.
Her heartbeat was like war drums, beating beside her ears again and again.
The loosened clothing brought a trace of coolness, but that coolness was quickly replaced by heat because of their embrace without any distance between them.
Qiu Jinning stared at the bed curtains, her thoughts stopping, her eyes blank and dazed.
Before the last layer of thin mist was brushed aside—
As if she had forgotten how to breathe, the instant her heartbeat stopped, she suddenly hugged Qin Chu tightly. “Can we stay like this, Qin Chu…”
Her tone carried pleading, and the hint of tears.
Qin Chu’s movements stiffened. The light in her eyes slowly dimmed.
She wanted to say no. She wanted more. But she could not bear it. She could not bear to make Qiu Jinning feel troubled, and even less could she bear to use the love gu to force Qiu Jinning to compromise.
She gave a bitter smile. “All right.”
The person holding her trembled lightly. Qiu Jinning’s hands rested on Qin Chu’s shoulder blades, shaking faintly.
Qin Chu knew that Qiu Jinning must be struggling with emotion right now. She knew that if she persisted just a little longer, she could obtain what she wished.
But some things depended on one burst of courage. Once interrupted, the desire to continue was gone.
To Qiu Jinning, perhaps Qin Chu was only a medicine. When the illness flared, she was brought to the patient’s lips. Whether the patient chose to drink it all or only take a shallow sip to quench thirst with poison had never been up to the medicine. It was up to the patient.
The hands holding her loosened and fell from her back. Qiu Jinning closed her eyes again. “Go back.”
Qin Chu did not move. She asked the question Qiu Jinning had once asked her. “Qiu Jinning, if you had not been infected by the love gu, would you still want me to accompany you? Would you still let me treat you like this?”
Her eyes were deep as she lowered her head and kissed the corner of Qiu Jinning’s lips.
Qiu Jinning opened her eyes and looked at Qin Chu. Their eyes met, and in the dim light, neither could clearly see the emotions in the other’s eyes.
“Qin Chu, I want the gu removed as soon as possible.” Without the love gu causing trouble, without external forces interfering, only then would she be clear-headed and wholly herself.
Only then could she face and confirm her own feelings. Only then could she unwaveringly pursue a beautiful and stable love.
Qiu Jinning looked at Qin Chu like this. In her eyes were confusion, hesitation, yearning…
Qin Chu ignored the bitterness filling her heart and laughed softly. “All right. I will definitely remove the gu for you as soon as possible. Definitely.”
Imperial Physician Han’s medical skills were indeed excellent. When he treated Qiu Jinning’s leg, he had discovered that she had been infected by the love gu.
He had also said that only aged strong liquor could remove it, and he had said even more…
That had made Qin Chu understand that “aged strong liquor” referred to highly purified distilled liquor.
Baiyue’s brewing techniques were not as developed as modern ones. The alcohol content was generally not high. Even the strongest white liquor in the capital was only around twenty-something degrees.
So, for people here, a hundred-year aged wine strong enough to remove the gu was hard to find. But for Qin Chu, this was not a problem.
Earlier, after hearing Imperial Physician Han’s words, even though she had understood this point, she still had not defeated her own selfishness. In the end, selfishness had gained the upper hand. She had forced herself not to think about it, forced herself to think about it a little later, forced herself to keep Qiu Jinning in the Qin residence for a few more days.
Selfishness was hard to resist, but Qiu Jinning’s words at this moment were even harder to refuse. There was no way to refuse, and Qin Chu could not refuse either.
When that smiling “All right” left her mouth, Qin Chu felt as if the great stone that had pressed on her heart these past few days had been moved away, and a rare trace of relief flashed through her.
Qiu Jinning kept her eyes gently closed. She felt the person pressed against her rise, slowly lift the thin quilt, slowly sit by the bed and dress, slowly open the door, lock the door, and walk away.
Only then did she open her eyes. She stared blankly, dazed, until the little maid saw the candlelight inside the room and knocked before entering.
Luyao looked at the lowered bed curtains. She could not see the person on the bed, so she asked with concern, “Miss, sleep early. This servant will put out the candle now.”
“Luyao.”
“Mm, Miss, what are your instructions?”
Qiu Jinning’s tone was calm. “Go bring water. I want to bathe.”
“Miss, didn’t you already bathe today?” Luyao looked toward the area where the bathtub had been placed. Although the floor had been cleaned, there were still damp marks.
Her memory was good. Miss had already bathed. It was not yet the height of summer either. The night wind was cool, so it was not hot enough to sweat.
Suddenly, Luyao’s gaze paused. With sharp eyes, she saw the embroidered shoes by the bed lying messily on the floor, completely unlike Miss’s usual neat arrangement.
The shoes had not been taken off by Miss herself!
She also remembered that while counting the storeroom, the plump maid, who was usually efficient at work, kept moving things they had already counted back into the pile they had not counted, as if deliberately delaying time.
Luyao’s eyes widened. So…
Miss wanted to bathe!!!
After not hearing the little maid reply for a long while, Qiu Jinning asked again, “Luyao?”
“Mm! This servant will go bring water right away. Miss, rest well first.” Luyao quickly ran out. She had heard Nanny say that after that kind of thing, women would feel sore and uncomfortable around the waist. She wondered how Miss’s body was.
Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing was too impatient. Miss’s leg injury had only just recovered, yet she already could not hold back. What a huge lecher.
On the bed, Qiu Jinning’s ears faintly heated. Actually, there had been another reason she had stopped Qin Chu at that moment. It was because she seemed far too useless.
Clearly, it had only been outside…
Clearly, she had not yet entered…
Perhaps it was because Qiu Jinning had been enduring the love gu all this time, enduring it for so many days, but that place had been even more sensitive than on the night of Lantern Festival—several times more sensitive.
Qin Chu’s fingers had only lightly started for a moment, yet Qiu Jinning had already been unable to bear it… too sensitive… she could hardly withstand it…
Qiu Jinning buried her face beneath the thin quilt. Her cheeks also burned, and the heat lingered for a long time.
The next day, Qin Chu spent the whole day busy at the winery and did not even notice that she had missed the time to return to the residence.
She had decided to fulfill Qiu Jinning’s wish and remove the gu as soon as possible.
Qin Chu did not consider herself a good person. Although she would not have the heart to harm others, she would absolutely not let herself suffer losses either.
Even to counterattack, she would not refuse the method of tooth for tooth. She did not mind using despicable means.
But only in matters of feeling, only toward Qiu Jinning, Qin Chu did not want to be despicable.
She wanted to seek something open and honest.
At the Qin residence, as the sun gradually set, Qiu Jinning glanced at the gate. After hesitating for a moment, she instructed Luyao, “Prepare the carriage. We are going to the Qin Family Wine Pavilion.”
Hou-Song Street was next to Zhuque Street, so they soon arrived at the Qin Family Wine Pavilion.
With Luyao’s support, Qiu Jinning stepped down from the carriage. The moment her foot touched the ground, she sensed a scrutinizing gaze.
She raised her head and looked over.
At the entrance of the wine pavilion stood a woman dressed in purple, graceful and kind as she looked at her. Although there were wrinkles on her face, one could still see something of her youthful elegance. She must once have been bright and moving.
Seeing Qiu Jinning look over, the madam smiled kindly and nodded.
Qiu Jinning did not know this woman in purple, but she knew the person linked arm-in-arm with her: Commandery Princess Anguo.
Realizing this, she was just about to bow when she saw Commandery Princess Anguo wave her hand. “Go inside before kneeling.”
A trace of surprise appeared on Qiu Jinning’s face, but she followed her words and went inside before kneeling. “This official’s daughter, Qiu Jinning, greets Commandery Princess Anguo.”
Commandery Princess Anguo? Commandery Princess Anguo!
Several female guests at nearby tables heard Qiu Jinning’s words and hurriedly turned to look. Then they all knelt as well.
“Greetings, Commandery Princess Anguo.”
Their voices were louder than Qiu Jinning’s alone, leading everyone in the main hall to kneel and salute. They also startled the people in the private rooms upstairs.
Commandery Princess Anguo smiled and nodded. “All of you may rise. The fruit wine here tastes quite good, so I specially brought my wife to try it. Everyone need not be too polite.”
After speaking, she held Wei Ziwan’s hand and went upstairs, entering the private room that had been reserved.
“I thought Qin Chu was only being polite. I didn’t expect she truly kept a private room for us all this time. If we didn’t come, wouldn’t that be a pity?”
Hearing her say this, Commandery Princess Anguo knew what she should answer. “That child has heart. The woman I pointed out to you just now was Qiu Jinning. If my guess is correct, those two should have feelings for each other.”
Wei Ziwan cast her a reproachful glance. “Nonsense. That child was delivered by me, so of course she has heart. Her taste is like mine too. Miss Qiu looks quite good.”
“All right, all right. Madam is the most impressive.” Commandery Princess Anguo smiled as she coaxed her. The atmosphere was warm and peaceful.
But the main hall downstairs was not peaceful.
“My heavens, it really is Commandery Princess Anguo!”
“I didn’t expect Commandery Princess Anguo also liked coming to the Qin Family Wine Pavilion.”
“Princess Consort Wei likes coming too. I’ve also seen several young ladies from ministerial households.”
Everyone discussed excitedly. Qiu Jinning thought for a moment and understood why Commandery Princess Anguo had told her to enter before paying respects. So it had been to borrow her mouth and reveal her identity.
She glanced upstairs. Even if she had not come today, Commandery Princess Anguo probably would have arranged for someone else to call out her identity. The purpose was clearly to help the Qin Family Wine Pavilion build momentum.
At this moment, Luyao returned. “Miss, the shopkeeper said Miss Qin is not at the wine pavilion. She has not come all day.”
Qiu Jinning was not surprised either. With such a large commotion just now, if Qin Chu were present, it would be impossible for her not to appear.
In the past few days, every time that person went out, she would casually mention where she was going and what she was busy with.
But today, when she left the residence, not only had she not explained anything to Qiu Jinning, she had even rarely failed to return for lunch. It was already so late, yet she still had not returned, as if she were intentionally avoiding her.
Qiu Jinning left the wine pavilion. Before getting into the carriage, she looked back once more, and her heart suddenly soured.
“Luyao, return to the residence.”
“Are we not going to find Miss Qin? She and the plump maid aren’t at the wine pavilion, so they must be at the winery. The winery isn’t far from here. We’ll arrive in a moment.”
Luyao could tell that her young lady was in low spirits. Was it because she had not seen Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing all day?
Back in Jiuqu County, Miss had gone to wait on the road behind the yamen every day just to see her once. Last night, Miss and Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing had already done this and that, so Miss must want very much to see her.
Hateful Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing. She had clearly done that kind of thing to Miss, yet had not shown herself for an entire day, making her young lady sad for no reason.
So without waiting for Qiu Jinning to say anything else, Luyao said angrily, “Miss, don’t worry. They are definitely at the winery. Let’s go find them now. This servant will help you vent your anger.”
Author’s Note:
~
Readers: You must explain clearly today why they didn’t do it!
Qiyue: I’ll quietly tell you all. This time, it was because Miss Qiu couldn’t handle it…
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