A Pharaoh and Her Beloved Queen: Modern Chapter - Chapter 7

In the Kyoto of October, the warm sun made one feel pleasantly tipsy.

Ye Zhiqing reclined on the sofa with her eyes half-closed, answering Edith’s questions in a relaxed, sporadic manner.

The questions Edith raised clearly showed that she had previously known nothing about Rongbaozhai’s business, yet every query was sharp and hit the nail on the head.

A few brief remarks were enough to prove she was no ordinary individual.

Her fingertips habitually traced circles in the air; Ye Zhiqing secretly wondered where on earth Ruan Yu had found such a formidable partner.

From a purely commercial perspective, it was still unclear whether this was a blessing or a curse.

Ye Zhiqing guessed that Ruan Yu wanted to use Edith as a catalyst to open the Western Asian market, but currently, the mainstream of the domestic auction industry was still traditional art.

Rongbaozhai’s planning for the “Ancient Elephant” special series could be described as nothing short of bold and arrogant.

Grumble~~~ A strange sound suddenly interrupted Ye Zhiqing’s thoughts.

Subsequently, the gazes of the two people in the office fell in unison upon Ye Zhiqing’s stomach.

After all the commotion, both of them had actually forgotten about eating.

Embarrassed and flustered, Ye Zhiqing coughed deliberately several times to hide the awkwardness. Her eyes flickered as she tried to cover it up: “VP Yi must be hungry. I’ll have Su Ya send some food up.”

“Mm,” Edith responded flatly, acting as if she hadn’t noticed and continuing to look at the documents in her hand. However, the moment she lowered her head, her features relaxed into a hidden, faint smile.

Lunch followed Ye Zhiqing’s usual habits: plain porridge paired with one meat dish and one vegetable dish.

Edith watched as Ye Zhiqing only drank the porridge and occasionally picked at the stir-fried okra, while the celery and beef cubes on the side remained untouched. She imperceptibly knitted her brows.

“VP Ye, is this your usual lunch?” Her tone was deliberately aloof.

“Yes. Does VP Yi not like these? I’ll have Su Ya change them for something else.” Her palate had always been light; seeing Edith’s displeased expression, Ye Zhiqing naturally assumed Edith didn’t like the selection.

Recalling what Edith said earlier about wanting dumplings and Hutong roast duck, Ye Zhiqing added, “Hutong roast duck has to be eaten in the shop for the taste to be authentic. I know a place with a very good flavor. If VP Yi wants to try it, I’ll take you next time as an apology. What do you think?”

Ye Zhiqing’s polite, consultative attitude was no different from how she treated anyone else.

The light in Edith’s eyes, hidden in the shadows, suddenly darkened. A quietly growing anxiety and panic began to wear down Edith’s willpower bit by bit.

Across three thousand years of time, Ye Zhiqing’s image had not faded in her memory at all; on the contrary, it had become increasingly vivid.

But, she had forgotten her.

Edith’s hand hanging at her side clenched tightly into a fist, allowing her nails to sink into her palms, her expression gloomy.

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold for a few moments. Then, as if remembering something, Edith instantly returned to her inscrutable self.

She left her seat and walked to Ye Zhiqing without a word. She took the chopsticks and, with somewhat clumsy movements, picked out the beef cubes from the small dish one by one and placed them into the plain porridge.

Before long, Ye Zhiqing’s bowl was covered with a shallow layer of beef cubes.

Edith’s actions often defied conventional logic; it took Ye Zhiqing a good while to react.

“Edith,” she said, sounding slightly confused and startled.

“You are too thin. You need to eat more meat,” was the serious reply.

Ye Zhiqing smiled faintly, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Mystery, power, and beauty were the most direct and real impressions Edith gave her, along with that irresistible tenderness.

As if possessed, Ye Zhiqing met Edith’s gaze. “Edith, are you like this with everyone?”

“No. Only you are different.” The red lips spoke softly; every word seemed to be reciting a simple, solemn, ancient oath. A hidden sharpness suddenly emerged, brilliant and dazzling.

Word by word, they fell heavily upon Ye Zhiqing’s heart.

The “Why” that was on the tip of her tongue was silently suppressed. The heart beneath her left breastbone seemed to be entangled by invisible threads, slowly tightening bit by bit. Ye Zhiqing found herself uncontrollably slowing her breath.

Instinctive longing and the urge to flee intertwined, screaming wildly within her veins alongside her surging blood, attempting to break through some kind of restraint.

Tilting her head back slightly, Ye Zhiqing let out a deep breath. Her ivory, jade-like swan neck appeared even more beautiful against the bright play of light and shadow.

The restraint and reserve she had maintained for years collapsed before the abruptly intruding Edith; it seemed it wasn’t as indestructible as she had imagined.

Ye Zhiqing closed her eyes and opened them again; her black eyes were clear and transparent. Her curled fingers revealed a shallow, spasmodic pain. All the surging emotions were suppressed one by one, and her attitude became stiff: “Edith, we have only known each other for three days.”

“Heh~” A light chuckle escaped her throat. Her pupils were as distant and deep as the vast starry universe. Edith took Ye Zhiqing’s slender, pale hand and slowly rubbed it, inch by inch, cautiously and with utmost treasure.

Suddenly, Edith slowly leaned down. Her red lips brushed against Ye Zhiqing’s cheek, and her warm breath spilled against the side of Ye Zhiqing’s ear—utterly ambiguous.

“I will wait for you.”

The air seemed to freeze. Ye Zhiqing held her body rigid and did not move. Her originally calm expression cracked when she felt the cool, soft touch on her cheek, yet she still tried her best to maintain a surface of composure.

There was also the scorching breath falling by her ear—one cool, one hot—easily drawing out the unease deep in Ye Zhiqing’s heart, as well as an unspeakable expectation.

In the end, logic gained the upper hand. Ye Zhiqing’s mind cleared; she unconsciously gripped her sleeve and leaned back, widening the distance between her and Edith.

Her tone was heavy with distance: “VP Yi, welcome to becoming the new partner of Rongbaozhai.”

A subtle rejection.

Although she had never touched upon romance in over twenty years, Edith’s unconcealed behavior over these few days and her possessiveness—so intense it was startling—made her motives self-evident.

Ye Zhiqing did not want to explore the deeper reasons; for her, avoidance was the simplest and most effective method.

From the smooth back of the hand, rubbing with varying pressure, the hand moved gradually down to grip Ye Zhiqing’s snowy wrist, slowly applying force…

Edith slowly pulled the person back toward her. Watching the shimmering, beautiful colors swirling in the other’s watery eyes, her gentle breathing suddenly became restless.

In a low, slightly husky voice, hiding a desire that urgently wanted to be unleashed: “Zhiqing, your body does not want to reject me.”

The kiss fell unexpectedly.

Before Ye Zhiqing could struggle, Edith’s cool fingers slid along the warm neck to the back of her ear, then firmly supported the back of her head. There was no retreat.

Lips met lips—an uncontrollable light tremble, followed by a rapid fusion.

Edith imprisoned her tenderly, biting with varying pressure, skillfully tracing the lustrous and full lips. A sweet fragrance escaped amidst the gasping breaths as she tested the waters step by step.

Ye Zhiqing’s eyes gradually lost focus, becoming misty and dazed. Her cheeks were quickly drenched in a disarrayed crimson.

Glistening moisture seeped from the corner of her lips; in the quiet space, the sound of wet friction rose.

It was unknown how long it lasted. Ye Zhiqing’s face was flushed red, and only when she could no longer breathe did Edith finally let go of her lips.

Collapsing against one side of the sofa, Ye Zhiqing panted violently. The corners of her flushed eyes were clouded with a thin mist. One button of her shirt had come undone, and her dark hair was a mess.

She looked slightly disheveled, but even more enticing.

Edith’s gaze grew deeper and darker as dark emotions surged within. It was an instinctive longing, but also an instinctive restraint.

With a flustered and exasperated anger, Ye Zhiqing pressed her lips tight. “VP Yi, please show some self-respect.”