But Qiu Lanxi wouldn't let herself be destroyed like that. She blinked, and her slender hand gripped her back, like a drowning person clinging to a lifeline: "I... I didn't expect Your Highness to... Your Highness, you are so kind."
She ultimately kept her words to herself, only managing to utter "That's really good," her voice choked with emotion. Yan Qingli suddenly realized that she seemed to have misunderstood her words. Perhaps love makes people blind; she had simply not directly refused, which the other party took as an admission.
Or perhaps she knew this, but was still taking advantage of the situation.
But what can she do?
Yan Qingli asked herself this question: If one day Qiu Lanxi's throne were to conflict with hers, would she really choose to back down for her sake?
At this moment, Qiu Lanxi suddenly left her, her fragile and sorrowful eyes looking at her.
So pitiful that I felt sorry for her.
Yan Qingli hugged her again, ignoring her expression, her embrace warm and strong, and said insincerely, "Don't worry, I've said it before, I'll take care of everything, you don't need to be afraid."
Even if reality is cruel, living in a false world might not be a bad thing for her. If she really succeeds, would it be difficult for her to keep a mistress in a golden house?
"Mmm." The usually eloquent Qiu Lanxi was at a loss for words after she expressed her opinion. Half shy and half delighted, she hesitated for a long time before finally giving her a quick peck on the lips and burying herself in her arms. Even her ears felt hot from the kiss.
Yan Qingli was stunned for a moment by her sudden attack, as if she didn't know what to do. After a while, seeing that Qiu Lanxi didn't seem to have any intention of leaving her to walk properly, she had no choice but to pick her up.
So Qiu Lanxi became even more audacious, unable to resist stealing kisses from Yan Qingli's face. Yan Qingli was truly helpless under her kisses, and warned her with a stern look in her eyes, "Don't move around."
However, Qiu Lanxi was a bold person by nature, so why would she stop? She looked at her pitifully, with a smile on her lips that could melt glaciers: "Your Highness, I am so happy."
Don't you like it?
As she spoke, she tilted her head back and kissed her ear.
Yan Qingli looked down at her, somewhat helplessly: "Qingqing, do you know the saying 'give an inch and you'll take a mile'?"
“This is not my fault,” Qiu Lanxi said innocently. “It was His Highness who gave me the courage.”
Yan Qingli glanced at her: "So it turns out I've spoiled you too much?"
Qiu Lanxi pouted, then shamelessly kissed the corner of her lips again, chuckling, "How can this be called spoiling? Your Highness, this is called doting."
She was good with words. Yan Qingli glanced at her and stepped forward, saying, "...Whatever you want."
Although she said she would let her do as she pleased, Qiu Lanxi dared not act recklessly again just because she walked in front of others. Being frivolous in private and being frivolous in front of others are two different things. She had no choice but to obediently lean on Yan Qingli and let her carry her back to the inner room.
Yan Qingli turned her back to Qiu Lanxi and wrung out her wet hair. Even with the help of internal energy, it was not easy to dry hair completely in a short time. Qiu Lanxi sat there and gradually became sleepy. In the end, she couldn't help but lean against her.
After a pause, Yan Qingli did not wake her up. She stared at her for a while before turning her gaze back to her hair.
This woman, whom she thought was intelligent and well-behaved, has recently become a little too lively.
Yan Qingli dislikes noisy people because she likes reading and prefers a quiet environment. However, Qiu Lanxi's behavior was only described as lively by her.
Although the other party had already wasted a lot of her reading time.
"Your Highness..."
"Hmm?" Yan Qingli looked down at her and realized that she was talking in her sleep.
It's unclear what she was dreaming about, but a hint of sweetness lingered on her lips: "If this is the price of loving Your Highness, I'm willing to bear it."
As she spoke, a blush rose to her cheeks, making her even more radiant than the flowers at dawn.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Looking at her aching arms, Qiu Lanxi thought: If this is the price of loving His Highness, I am willing to bear it.
Chapter 23
Yan Qingli never expected to hear her confession under these circumstances. Compared to her previous reserved manner, her words were clearly more firm and solemn.
She lowered her eyelashes, but what else could she possibly need to pay a price for?
Yan Qingli was unaware of what was going on, but this made her feel a little better.
In the middle of the night, Yan Qingli woke up at an inopportune time. It's best not to mention what she dreamed about, but she was also feeling unwell in reality.
In the past, Qiu Lanxi would curl up to the side when she slept, so Yan Qingli didn't notice anything. But this time, she realized that Qiu Lanxi's sleeping posture was so bad when she relaxed, which made it difficult for Yan Qingli to breathe.
Yan Qingli tried to remove Qiu Lanxi's arm from his body without disturbing her, but Qiu Lanxi wasn't sleeping soundly either. In her drowsy state, she instinctively called out, "Your Highness?..."
"It's okay, go to sleep."
In the darkness, Qiu Lanxi couldn't see Yan Qingli's expression, but at least her tone was gentle. Although Qiu Lanxi felt that her heart must be much harder than her tone suggested, it was already quite precious that she was willing to put on an act for her.
She yawned and snuggled into Yan Qingli's arms, pouting her lips. She thought to herself, "It wasn't for nothing that I gave myself so many mental suggestions before bed. Otherwise, how could I have achieved such an effect?"
The next day, when Qiu Lanxi woke up, Yan Qingli had already gone to the morning court. She waited at the door as if she were waiting for her wife, as if she was afraid that everything last night was just a dream.
When Yan Qingli returned, she saw her with some surprise. She walked over, took her slightly cool hand, and asked softly, "What are you doing standing at the door?"
"Waiting for His Highness to return!" Qiu Lanxi smiled, her eyes crinkling. She was always good at acting, and even those who had a neutral opinion of her found it difficult to develop any ill feelings towards her under her deliberate flattery.
Upon hearing this, Yan Qingli couldn't help but smile slightly, but instead of making any more intimate gestures, she said, "Let me go change my clothes."
Qiu Lanxi nodded, her gaze somewhat surprised, because Yan Qingli did not wear official robes when attending court, so she would not deliberately change them upon returning unless she had other things to do. Now that she was suddenly being particular about them, it was clear that something else had affected her.
"Sister Chun Su, what's wrong with His Highness today?" Qiu Lanxi didn't guess wildly, but instead looked at Chun Su.
After she moved into the princess's residence, Chun Su practically became her personal maid. To outsiders, this was a sign of great favor, but Qiu Lanxi thought it was probably surveillance.
However, as Yan Qingli's confidante, she obviously couldn't be completely clueless about everything like her.
"I suppose His Highness was afraid of bringing bad luck to the young lady," Chun Su said, lowering her eyelashes before continuing, "His Highness was blocked by a corpse on his way to court today."
Qiu Lanxi was taken aback upon hearing this. She had thought that Yan Qingli hadn't taken her to court today because he couldn't bear to see her sleeping, but now she couldn't help but wonder if it was actually related to what happened on the way today.
"What corpse?" Qiu Lanxi's eyes flickered.
Chun Su: "It was Qiu Shi," she sighed. "Back then, when His Highness was assassinated in the suburbs, Qiu Shi disappeared in the chaos. I never imagined that he would be killed by the thieves. It's such a pity that he was born in such a young age."
Qiu Lanxi choked up when she saw the genuine regret and sorrow on the other person's face. She hadn't forgotten that the 'missing' Qiu Shi had been staying in the secret room of the princess's mansion just a few days ago.
The untimely death of the other person sent a chill down Qiu Lanxi's spine. She still couldn't get used to the way this era treated human life so lightly. Taking a deep breath, Qiu Lanxi forced herself to calm down.
On the bright side, the fact that Yan Qingli was able to transport the body to the main road of the capital so quietly shows that she has considerable power. After all, there are only a few main roads to take to court, and these roads are patrolled by guards all night long. Yet the body was still discovered when the officials were going to court. The power of the person behind the scenes in the capital is unimaginable.
During that trip to the dungeon, Qiu Lanxi knew that the other imprisoned maid had shown her face to Emperor Qinghe, but it was clear that Qiu Shi had been hidden by Yan Qingli right under Emperor Qinghe's nose. Thinking of this, Qiu Lanxi felt a little more at ease.
At the very least, the stronger Yan Qingli is, the greater the possibility that someone can protect her.
When Yan Qingli returned after changing his clothes, Qiu Lanxi's expression had returned to normal. Yan Qingli had deliberately not taken her out today, probably because he didn't want her to be frightened again. Therefore, Chun Su didn't describe the appearance of the other party when she died, only using the word 'tragic', and then told her that the Dali Temple would handle the matter.
Chun Su was willing to tell her so much, probably at Yan Qingli's behest. She had no intention of hiding it from her, although as long as the other party didn't say anything, Qiu Lanxi could remain blind.
After making Yan Qingli a cup of tea, she picked up a book and started reading again. Qiu Lanxi glanced at it; it was about how coroners conduct autopsies, and the contents made her smile stiffen slightly again.
She really doesn't discriminate when it comes to books!
Seemingly sensing her discomfort, Yan Qingli quickly closed the book and sighed, "She has been my maid for so long, I hope the Dali Temple can bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible."
Qiu Lanxi, as if she had never seen the maid before, grasped Yan Qingli's hand and said sincerely, "Your Highness will surely get what you wish for."
She couldn't help but recall the knife in the maid's hand when Yan Qingli first met her, and the inner armor under Yan Qingli's robe. Perhaps they were assassinated on that day?
Looking at Yan Qingli, Qiu Lanxi actually suspected that she might have already sensed the assassination attempt.
"Thank you for your kind words, Qingqing." Yan Qingli glanced at her upon hearing this and couldn't help but smile. "Let's not talk about such disgusting things. I have always trusted the Dali Temple to handle cases."
Qiu Lanxi gave a fake smile, thinking that Dali Temple was probably cursing right now, wishing that nothing had happened.
As a favorite of the Emperor, Yan Qingli's disappearance of just two maids was enough to draw attention, since many officials used to address them politely as "Miss".
These two head maids had grown up with Yan Qingli since childhood. In order to find their princess, they even asked Emperor Qinghe for help and led troops to search many places, causing quite a stir.
In this situation, the person had not yet been found, and many people had already guessed that the person was likely in grave danger. It was thought that this would be another unsolved case in the capital, but unexpectedly the murderer was so arrogant, which was simply a provocation to the imperial court.
The Emperor was furious and ordered the Dali Temple to bring the mastermind to justice as soon as possible.
Qiu Lanxi was curious about who Yan Qingli ultimately wanted to pin the blame on, so she kept having Chun Su report on the progress.
We got a mouthful of gossip, but there was no substantial progress.
However, after only a few days of gossip, Qiu Lanxi heard an outrageous speculation: somehow, a rumor had spread that Qiu Shi and Yan Qingli were childhood sweethearts and that Qiu Shi was very much favored by her. It was said that Qiu Lanxi, who had "suddenly appeared" in the story, was unhappy with the other party's existence and that's why she killed him.
Such outrageous rumors spread among the public, yet some people actually believed them! She didn't even know Yan Qingli when the other party disappeared!
However, the story spread among the people in great detail, clearly showing that this love-hate relationship was more interesting to them than other complicated reasons.
Qiu Lanxi pot fell from the sky and inexplicably got the impression of being a femme fatale and jealous.
Qiu Lanxi: "...?"
The fact that such a thing could spread so quickly clearly indicates that there must have been someone behind it. And no one in the higher-ups would believe something so outrageous; they would only think that someone was deliberately targeting them. But who would target someone with no status or position? It is obvious that the other party's real target is Yan Qingli.
Upon guessing who the beneficiary was, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. She said that in the face of an ambitious person's ambition, even the most beloved things can be exploited.
Chapter 24
Qiu Lanxi was not someone who would be burdened by her reputation, so the news did not upset her. After all, since ancient times, which femme fatale was not promoted by those in power? What's the big deal if another one like her is added?
Thinking that she might become famous because of this in the future, and might be named one of the Four Beauties in history by some busybodies, Qiu Lanxi thought to herself with amusement that this probably wasn't such a bad thing.
After all, there were only a few ways for women in ancient times to become famous: either through talent or through looks. She had none of the former, but she was quite wealthy through the latter.
Having come into this world so unexpectedly and experienced this journey, it would be good if we could be remembered by history, no matter how.
She had no complaints about Yan Qingli, which at least proved that Yan Qingli still had value to her.
Those who are of use will not die easily.
So Qiu Lanxi was in a good mood, and after hearing the news, she didn't miss the chance to go swing in the garden.
As usual, Chun Su accompanied her. Facing the gentle breeze and smelling the fragrance of flowers, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but reveal a light smile.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him, and he stopped abruptly.
As soon as Qiu Lanxi turned around, she saw the other person hesitate and ask, "May I ask whose distinguished guest this is?"
Princess Minsi was taken aback when she saw that the other person had also come to look at her. Her skin was as white as snow and her appearance was like that of a goddess or fairy. She lowered her eyes slightly.
Knowing that Qiu Lanxi did not recognize her, Chun Su bowed to her and said, "To Princess Min Si, this is Miss Qiu, a distinguished guest brought back to the manor by His Highness. The princess has not yet returned to the manor, so the princess may wait in the front courtyard for a while."