After Spending a Passionate Night with the Eldest Princess - Chapter 30

When Qin Muqiu said the last two sentences, not only did her tone barely change, even her expression became calm.

She was clearly threatening someone, yet she made it feel casual and perfunctory.

As if she were speaking of some insignificant little matter.

Seeing Qin Muqiu’s attitude, Xin Yuan felt deeply displeased. Her life seemed utterly insignificant in this woman’s eyes.

She endured it, but in the end, she could not hold back.

“What poison did you feed me? Does it hurt when it acts up? How long will it take to finish the antidote?”

This woman did not care, but Xin Yuan could not not care. After all, the poison had entered her stomach.

Qin Muqiu was silent for an instant, then answered faintly, “A deadly poison that pierces the intestines. When it acts up, the pain is unbearable. You need to take the antidote once every seven days. After forty-nine doses, the poison will naturally be cured.”

Forty-nine doses, roughly close to a year. By then, the matter should more or less be resolved.

Xin Yuan: “…”

How ruthless.

She suddenly felt uncomfortable everywhere.

“My stomach hurts a little. That medicine doesn’t have side effects, does it?”

Qin Muqiu clenched her fingers and slowly said, “You might be hungry.”

A calming pill, as the name implied, could only help one calm the mind and settle the spirit. It had no other effects.

Xin Yuan instinctively touched her stomach. Now that it was mentioned, she realized she had not eaten or drunk anything from last night until now. Her hunger instantly surged to the fullest.

“Can I eat after we go back?”

“We are not returning to the residence yet.” Qin Muqiu raised her eyes and looked at Xin Yuan, a trace of interest appearing in them.

Xin Yuan frowned and said unhappily, “We’re not going back? I’m about to starve to death.”

This woman probably had never gone hungry and did not know what it felt like to be starving.

Meeting her clearly dissatisfied gaze, Qin Muqiu curved her lips. “Very hungry?”

Xin Yuan nodded. Terribly hungry. She felt she could swallow an entire cow right now.

A faint smile hung at Qin Muqiu’s lips as she said lightly, “Will you see your parents first, or fill your stomach first?”

She still needed to confirm one thing as soon as possible: whether the person before her truly was Xin Laidi, the tenant farmer’s daughter from Dingzhou.

“Of course I’ll first… first see my parents.” Xin Yuan changed her words in time halfway through.

Qin Muqiu withdrew her gaze and instructed the coachman to go to the princess residence’s suburban estate. Then she leaned against the carriage window and closed her eyes to rest.

Seeing this, Xin Yuan no longer felt like speaking. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what to do once she saw the original owner’s parents. At home, the original owner had done nothing but farm work and household chores.

It was as if she had been born to work. She ate less than a cat and worked more than an ox. Her personality was dull and withdrawn, and she did not like communicating with others. She should not be hard to imitate. Just speak less…

As she thought and thought, sleepiness also came over her, and she drifted off in a daze.

When she opened her eyes again, candlelight flickered before her, and a familiar cold fragrance lingered at her nose.

A few steps away, the woman slowly approached. Her pale hand reached out, and her gentle brows and eyes lowered as she hooked Xin Yuan’s collar, exactly the same as the previous times.

Xin Yuan froze, then dazedly realized: this woman had fallen asleep!

And she had fallen asleep too!

They were sharing the dream again!

Help. This time, she truly had not done it on purpose.

After realizing what was happening, Xin Yuan first panicked, then could not help sneering.

What was there to panic about? Her life was already held in this woman’s hands. What else was there to fear?

While she was distracted, the woman gently wrapped her arms around the back of Xin Yuan’s neck, and the two fell onto the bed together.

Afterward, the woman seemed unable to withstand the heat. She tugged at her own collar, revealing snow-white skin and distinct collarbones.

Xin Yuan’s breath tightened. Her thoughts scattered for a moment, and she slowly realized something.

It was different!

The previous times, this woman had always kissed her first, then moved on to undressing.

Because of this one difference, Xin Yuan did not react at all and only watched quietly.

As if sensing Xin Yuan’s lack of response, the woman pressed her lips together. Her eyes, aggrieved, seemed to reveal a bit of accusation.

On that usually calm and indifferent face, a faint flush lightly covered her skin, yet could not hide its luminous whiteness.

Holy as an immortal, seductive as a demon.

One person actually revealed two completely different feelings.

Xin Yuan took a deep breath, reached out, and touched the hair by her temple. Persuading her patiently, she said, “What do you want to do next? Can it be different from the previous times?”

The moment her words fell, her wrist was held.

The woman guided her wrist to her half-opened chest.

Xin Yuan’s fingers clenched. She sighed softly. It seemed there was not much difference after all.

But the woman did not understand her sigh or refusal. She lifted her chin and rubbed against Xin Yuan’s hand, her brows and eyes filled with lingering tenderness. Her red lips parted slightly, her whole appearance seeming ready to be plucked.

It was… very tempting!

Xin Yuan steadied her breathing and said solemnly, “I know you can’t control your actions right now. You should understand me too. We still have a lot of things to do. We can’t waste all our time in dreams. Before, we always woke after sleeping enough or being called awake by someone else, but we can’t remain this passive. So, forgive me.”

Smack!

A loud slap woke the dreamer.

The moment Xin Yuan opened her eyes, she protected her face with both hands, her whole body leaning backward.

“Calm down. I only wanted to wake up earlier and see whether intense pain could wake you too. I absolutely did not have any intention of using public matters to settle private grudges.”

That was right. It was not using public matters to settle private grudges. It was using personal grudges for personal revenge.

Was her face so easy to slap? She had already eaten poison. What the hell was there to fear?

It was already good that she had not gone mad.

Qin Muqiu covered half her face. Her eyes flickered between light and shadow as she stared at Xin Yuan with a burning gaze.

After a moment of silence, she said word by word, “I am very calm. Starting today, Jiang Si will continue watching you.”

What nonsense about seeing whether intense pain could wake someone. Why had this person not hit herself?

Hearing this, Xin Yuan smiled. “Whatever. You are the high and mighty Eldest Princess. What you say goes.”

She had just taken revenge, so her mood was excellent.

At worst, she would go mad. Who was afraid of whom?

Qin Muqiu rubbed her faintly aching face and took out a palm-sized bronze mirror from the dressing box beside her.

Sure enough, it was a little red and swollen. Everything that happened in the dream would manifest on their bodies in reality.

Her dark brows furrowed slightly. After putting away the bronze mirror, she looked at Xin Yuan again.

Meeting her gaze, Xin Yuan raised her brows and smiled. “Although I am a little sorry, at least I proved one thing. Severe pain can wake us up. Next time, it will be easier.”

Next time, she would still hit her. Just thinking about it felt so satisfying.

Qin Muqiu’s gaze deepened, and her expression cooled. “Next time, hit yourself. Otherwise, you will miss one dose of antidote.”

Xin Yuan froze and said dryly, “Next time, we can try other methods. If we understand more about what triggers waking up, we’ll have more initiative, right?”

She was not going to hit herself. She did not have a tendency toward self-abuse.

It was more worthwhile to hit others, especially this woman. For some reason, hitting her gave Xin Yuan the refreshing feeling of finally avenging a great grievance.

Qin Muqiu pressed her lips together and coldly spat out a few words. “There will be no next time.”

She should not have closed her eyes to rest just now, nor should she have relaxed her mind.

The scene from the dream flashed through her mind for no reason. She unconsciously gathered her collar and closed her eyes slightly.

The next instant, she suddenly opened them again and fixed her gaze on Xin Yuan.

Xin Yuan saw through her thoughts and smiled. “Don’t worry and sleep. I won’t close my eyes.”

Qin Muqiu said nothing and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

She was not reassured…

Fifteen minutes later, the carriage finally stopped, and the coachman’s voice sounded at just the right time. “Your Highness, the estate has arrived.”

Xiangzhu was already waiting outside with the step stool, clearly having received orders before Qin Muqiu entered the palace.

“Your Highness, this servant will support you.”

Qin Muqiu nodded.

Xin Yuan glanced at the master and servant, then consciously jumped down from the other side of the carriage.

Soon, they saw the Xin couple inside the room.

Xin’s father was named Xin Laoshi. Like his name suggested, he had an honest, simple appearance and a dark complexion.

Xin’s mother, meanwhile, was deathly pale, with delicate features very similar to Xin Yuan’s brows and eyes. The original owner had clearly inherited Xin’s mother’s appearance.

The moment Xin Laoshi saw Xin Yuan, he froze in place and murmured in disbelief, “Laidi.”

Xin’s mother’s eyes shifted, and her expression was somewhat strange.

Xin Yuan confirmed that this couple was indeed the original owner’s parents from her memories. She stepped forward and, imitating the original owner’s personality, called out dully, “Father. Mother.”

Xin Laoshi stepped forward, then stopped. Hesitation appeared on his face. “Laidi, your hair… how is it gone?”

It looked somewhat displeasing.

Xin Yuan hesitated for a moment before answering, “I became a member of the religious order.”

Xin Laoshi immediately had nothing more to say. His eyes kept darting toward Qin Muqiu, as if he wanted to ask something but did not dare.

Xin Yuan could not help looking toward Qin Muqiu as well.

Qin Muqiu smiled gently. “I have not yet introduced my identity to Uncle and Auntie.”

Xin Yuan understood and considered her words. “This is Miss Qin. She is my lifesaver.”

It seemed this woman did not plan to reveal her identity.

Xin Laoshi mumbled, “Thank you, Miss Qin.” After that, he had no more words.

A proper smile hung on Qin Muqiu’s face as she said warmly, “Xin… Laidi is my friend. Uncle and Auntie may stay here peacefully. I will have people continue searching for Laidi’s younger brother. Since your family has reunited after a long separation, I will not disturb you.”

After saying that, she left with Xiangzhu and entered the neighboring room.

The moment Xiangzhu entered, she went straight to the bookshelf by the wall and moved several books. The bookshelf shifted aside like a door, revealing a hollow-carved screen.

The screen was embedded in the wall and embroidered with several stalks of asparagus fern.

If one moved close, one could see through the fine patterns into the room separated by the wall, and the voices could also be heard clearly.

From the other side of the screen, as long as one did not look closely, one would never notice the mechanism. Even if someone discovered it, the bookshelf usually blocked it. They would only think there was a wall between them, because the back of the bookshelf looked exactly like the wall.

As for the room on this side, after Qin Muqiu and Xiangzhu left, the family of three fell into silence.

Xin Yuan stood for a while, then asked timidly, “Did younger brother also get lost?”

Xin Laoshi’s face darkened, and he nodded heavily.

Xin Yuan glanced at Xin’s mother, who had remained silent all along. “What happened to Mother?”

In the original owner’s memories, Xin’s mother had a fierce personality and was not someone of few words.

Xin Laoshi sighed softly and patted Xin’s mother’s shoulder. “Ailian, the child has returned.”

Xin’s mother was also surnamed Xin, named Ailian.

The words “the child has returned” seemed to flip some switch. Xin’s mother stared fixedly at Xin Yuan, and her expression suddenly twisted for an instant, seeming both sorrowful and furious. She cried out and rushed over.

“Fugui, my son, my son…”

Xin Yuan stiffened. The original owner’s younger brother was named Xin Fugui. His name, like Xin Laidi’s, was simple and filled with their parents’ expectations.

Only those expectations were not quite the same.

Xin Yuan instinctively looked toward Xin Laoshi. “Father, Mother…” The original owner’s mother seemed a little abnormal.

Before Xin Laoshi could speak, Xin’s mother cried out again. “My son, my Fugui, you finally came back. Mother is sorry to you. Mother is sorry to you. Mother shouldn’t have…”

“Ailian!”

Xin Laoshi shouted, interrupting Xin’s mother’s words.

Xin’s mother froze, then gripped Xin Yuan’s hand tightly. Her long fingernails pressed into the back of Xin Yuan’s hand. “Fugui, where did your hair go? Are you blaming Mother… Laidi, why is it you? Where is my Fugui? My Fugui…”

She stared tightly at Xin Yuan, sometimes calling Fugui, sometimes calling Laidi, crying and shouting like a madwoman.

For a moment, Xin Yuan did not know how to react. She had wanted to go mad, but she had not expected there to be a truly mad person here.

“Ailian, you should sleep. Be good. Once you wake up, Fugui will be back.” Xin Laoshi walked over, forcefully pried open Xin’s mother’s hands, and half-supported, half-dragged her into the inner room.

Before long, he came out and frowned. “After your younger brother went missing, your mother’s mind became unclear. How is your relationship with that Miss Qin? Before your younger brother is found, can she keep supporting us like this?”

The food and drink here were good. Life was better than before by who knew how many times. Aside from not being able to leave the courtyard, it could be said to be very comfortable.

Moreover, this courtyard was large, almost as big as half of Xin Family Village.

Now, Xin’s mother was mad, and their daughter had become a member of the religious order. When Xin Laoshi thought of the impoverished days before, when they never knew where the next meal would come from, he felt it would not be bad to keep living here. He could consider it early retirement.

Xin Yuan did not know how to answer him, and she was afraid of exposing herself, so she lowered her head and said, “I’ll ask. You and Mother can stay here first. We’ll talk after Fugui is found.”

After that, she turned and left. The atmosphere in the room was too strange, and also somewhat oppressive.

Vaguely, she also felt a little uncomfortable. She did not know whether it was the original owner’s lingering emotions at work, or whether she was empathizing too much and feeling sorrow for the original owner.

Next door, Qin Muqiu saw this and gave Xiangzhu a look.

Xiangzhu restored the bookshelf to its original position.

“Master, there is probably another story behind Miss Xin’s younger brother going missing.”

Qin Muqiu’s brows darkened. “Pass down the order. There is no need to search for the person anymore. Investigate all of the Xin couple’s interactions during their flight from disaster.”

The Xin couple’s behavior was indeed wrong. Even more wrong was Xin Yuan.

Her identity had been proven, that was true. But that made things even more unreasonable.

An unloved tenant farmer’s daughter who had clearly never attended school a single day, yet she could read and write, and her speech was extraordinary.

What secret was this person hiding…

Just then, Xin Yuan knocked on the door.

Qin Muqiu nodded slightly, and Xiangzhu opened the door.