Yan Qingli looked at her in surprise.
Qiu Lanxi asked, "Does Your Highness think I'm wrong?"
Yan Qingli shook her head, stroked her hair, and said, "It's good that you think this way."
Qiu Lanxi thought that if she didn't have a good mindset, she would have become depressed long ago.
She didn't really think there was anything wrong with it, after all, no matter what they said, they had at least assumed one premise—that she was good-looking.
Moreover, people in this era prefer to use classical allusions when cursing, rather than vulgar language, so even if Qiu Lanxi heard it to her face, she wouldn't feel embarrassed.
Seeing that she was indeed not bothered by the matter, Yan Qingli breathed a sigh of relief. She did feel a little guilty, even though she knew that the public's focus would definitely be on her being blinded by lust, and Qiu Lanxi would only be mentioned in passing. But she would still be mentioned eventually.
Yan Qingli knew very well that not everyone could be as open-minded as she was, and the world was never short of people who perished because of rumors and gossip.
She pursed her lips slightly. For some reason, the fact that the other person didn't seem to care about such things made her even more concerned. But some things, once missed, will never have a second chance. Yan Qingli's eyes flickered, and she touched her fingertips, saying, "Don't sit by the window. It's windy here. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Qiu Lanxi nodded and reached out to her. Yan Qingli instinctively picked her up.
She turned to look out the window; the sky was darker than usual. Qiu Lanxi asked, "Your Highness, will it rain tonight?"
"Hmm," a fleeting look of melancholy crossed Yan Qingli's brows, "It's probably going to be a downpour. Are you worried about thunder?"
When she suddenly asked this question, Qiu Lanxi was taken aback for a moment before laughing and saying, "Your Highness knows how soundly I sleep at night, so why would I be afraid of thunder?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Qingli couldn't help but smile.
But she was overthinking it. Qiu Lanxi's appearance was too deceptive. Yan Qingli sometimes subconsciously regarded her as a dodder vine, thinking that she would also be afraid of the things that ordinary women were afraid of. But she forgot that dodder vines, apart from their appearance, have never been associated with weakness.
Qiu Lanxi never expected Yan Qingli to pay attention to such a question. She rolled her eyes, reached out and cupped Yan Qingli's face, pressing it against her nose, and said, "Although I'm not afraid, Your Highness, I think I'll probably be afraid at night."
Yan Qingli: "?"
Their eyes met, and Yan Qingli felt her thoughts become a little sluggish. After a while, she realized what she meant and smiled helplessly, deliberately saying, "Even if you're afraid, don't bother me. I have to go to court tomorrow."
Qiu Lanxi didn't intend to approach her late at night, lest she provoke her.
She pressed her cheek against Yan Qingli's, her voice gentle: "I know what's important, Your Highness. Don't worry, I'll sleep better tonight than ever before."
Yan Qingli glanced at her: "A string of lies."
Qiu Lanxi smiled sweetly, and Yan Qingli couldn't help but look away, saying only, "The Imperial Observatory said it will rain in the next few days, so wear more clothes these days and don't catch a cold."
Chapter 35
"Boom—"
Deafening thunder echoed across the sky, large raindrops pounded on the rubble, and flashes of lightning that occasionally ripped across the sky made the night especially terrifying.
Before falling asleep, Qiu Lanxi never thought that she would actually be unable to sleep because of the rain, but she did not expect the rain to be so heavy and the thunder to be so loud.
Looking at the lightning and thunder outside the window, Qiu Lanxi closed her eyes again. She was indeed not afraid of thunder, so she could treat the sound of rain as white noise to help her fall back asleep; it just took a little time.
She rolled over and belatedly realized that she hadn't sensed the other person's presence. Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but think, "Yan Qingli really is sneaking out to do something every night behind my back!"
Just as she was thinking this, another bolt of lightning ripped across the sky. The sudden brightness made Qiu Lanxi notice the bulging quilt opposite her, and she realized that she might have been overthinking things. It turned out that Yan Qingli hadn't left, but had just taken another quilt and was sleeping alone under it.
Qiu Lanxi was full of questions. Every day when they fell asleep, they were very close together, and when they woke up, they didn't separate. Even though the bed was more than two meters wide, they still squeezed together, as if they were sleeping on a narrow one-meter-wide bed and could only stick tightly together.
Sometimes Qiu Lanxi would wonder if Yan Qingli had some kind of hidden skin hunger, otherwise how could he do this every day without getting tired of it?
Why the sudden change of heart today?
She watched Yan Qingli's back. Unlike her usual neat sleeping posture, her hair was unexpectedly messy tonight, as if caused by tossing and turning frequently. Qiu Lanxi didn't think much of it and assumed that she had encountered something in court today, which caused her to toss and turn and not be able to sleep at night.
Just as she was thinking this, she saw the other person suddenly turn over and face Qiu Lanxi. In the darkness, Qiu Lanxi subconsciously held her breath, thinking that Yan Qingli had noticed that she was awake, but the other person did not speak, so she did not speak either.
Another clap of thunder briefly illuminated the room, allowing Qiu Lanxi to finally see Yan Qingli's appearance.
Her sharp features now presented an extreme sense of fragmentation. Her bangs were damp with sweat, her once full lips had lost their color and showed signs of weakness, and beads of sweat glistened on the tip of her nose. In an instant, she deprived anyone of the right to look away.
Qiu Lanxi suddenly understood why Yan Qingli liked to see her cry; it seemed that human nature made it difficult for them to look away from such a scene.
She pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
There was no response. After a moment, Yan Qingli's low voice came through: "Did I wake you up?"
Qiu Lanxi heard the other person's restrained breathing. She couldn't tell if it was because the other person didn't want to show weakness in front of others, or because they didn't want her to hear and worry.
She reached out and touched Yan Qingli's face. Her fingertips touched a body that was slightly cool. Although the temperature was lower than usual tonight, it shouldn't be this cool under the covers.
So Qiu Lanxi asked, "Your Highness, are you alright? Should we call the imperial physician?"
Seeing that the other party was holding back and not making a sound, Qiu Lanxi guessed that she did not want to make a fuss. She couldn't help but wonder, judging from how Yan Qingli had carried her so easily today, she didn't seem to be injured.
She lifted the covers and squeezed into Yan Qingli's bed, reaching out to embrace her. Only then did she realize something was wrong; the other woman's hand was covering her lower abdomen.
Qiu Lanxi suddenly felt enlightened, while Yan Qingli was suffering from menstrual cramps!
Qiu Lanxi was taken aback by this conclusion.
Does she have menstrual cramps?
Qiu Lanxi recalled carefully, and she had no idea when Yan Qingli had her period. Her own period happened to be in the last few days of the month. The original owner of the body was not in good health, so Qiu Lanxi also had slight discomfort. At that time, she was envious of Yan Qingli and even wondered if practicing martial arts could avoid the arrival of those seven days. Otherwise, how could she not feel whether Yan Qingli had her period or not?
Yan Qingli's behavior was almost the same every day, as if those few days never happened. Qiu Lanxi was puzzled, so she offered her hand and asked softly, "Your Highness, shall I rub it for you?"
Although I can't understand how someone who showed no signs of illness last month suddenly became so obvious this month, could it be because of this rain?
Qiu Lanxi tentatively placed her hand on her lower abdomen. It wasn't a soft touch; her abdomen was taut and damp, clearly indicating she had sweated a lot, which could be felt even through her undergarments.
Her hands, which had been covered by the blanket for a long time, felt like a warm stove. Yan Qingli's eyebrows relaxed slightly. This didn't really help her, but the warmth seemed to seep into her heart. Her tone showed no discomfort, and she said gently, "Qingqing, go to sleep first. I'm fine."
"How can I sleep when Your Highness is like this?" Qiu Lanxi thought. If she fell asleep now, her persona would be ruined.
Yan Qingli was unaware of her thoughts, and upon hearing this, she fell silent and said no more.
Qiu Lanxi massaged her in circles, her arms feeling a little sore. Despite being so close, she didn't feel Yan Qingli trembling for a moment, as if the sweat on the other's body and her earlier act of covering her lower abdomen were just her imagination.
She had never seen anyone so patient.
Noticing that the pressure on her lower abdomen was gradually decreasing, Yan Qingli patted her back and whispered, "Alright, go to sleep, I'm fine."
Qiu Lanxi couldn't detect any discomfort in her voice. She hesitated for a moment before withdrawing her hand. Yan Qingli gently embraced her, her strong fingertips kneading her arm, and the soreness gradually disappeared.
"..." Qiu Lanxi suddenly felt that her actions just now were not to comfort her, but to cause trouble and increase her workload.
For some reason, Qiu Lanxi suddenly had an uncontrollable thought: after she had sex with him, would Yan Qingli massage her so that her arms would be too sore to lift the next day?
Damn it!
Just imagining that scene made Qiu Lanxi so embarrassed that her toes curled up involuntarily. That would be too shameful!
She quickly banished the strange thought from her mind before she couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, would you like to take your clothes off?"
Yan Qingli paused for a moment, and after a long while, she let out a questioning whisper.
Qiu Lanxi was unaware of the misunderstanding her words had caused, and said earnestly, "Your Highness, your clothes are all wet, it must be very uncomfortable to wear them, you should change them first."
After a pause, thinking that she was still in bed and might accidentally fire her gun, she added, "I'll go and get His Highness some clean clothes."
"No need," Yan Qingli said, realizing she had misunderstood, and reached out to stop her. "Don't go out, be careful not to catch a cold."
In the darkness, Qiu Lanxi couldn't see her expression and hesitated before asking, "Your Highness, do you intend to take it yourself? You..."
"I'm fine."
She didn't seem to be in any danger, but Qiu Lanxi had already deeply felt how much this person could endure, and couldn't help but ask, "Then Your Highness, are you still going to take it off?"
After a moment of silence, Qiu Lanxi heard Yan Qingli respond softly, "Mm."
Qiu Lanxi heard the other person sit up in bed, but she couldn't see anything and naturally wouldn't have any romantic thoughts about it. Yan Qingli never wore too little when she went to sleep; even after taking off her undergarments, she still wore a bellyband. She didn't know if he was keeping an eye on her, but in any case, he always wore quite a lot when he went to sleep.
Of course, even dressed like this, she wasn't hot at all. Her clothes were made of high-quality materials, comfortable and breathable. However, Qiu Lanxi didn't think this was specifically targeting her. After all, judging from the dagger hanging by the bed, she might be sleeping like this so that she could fight someone at any time at night without being exposed.
Before the fall of Teng, the two countries frequently engaged in assassinations against each other, resulting in the deaths of many royal heirs. Therefore, it is understandable that Yan Qingli exhibited behavior similar to paranoia.
Listening to the rustling sounds, Qiu Lanxi thought somewhat absentmindedly, "What if a bolt of lightning struck right now..."
Just as she was thinking this, a bright flash of lightning suddenly ripped across the sky, and Qiu Lanxi saw that the other person was reaching out to gather their wet hair, their back completely exposed, tied with a few thin straps, everything was laid bare.
Her skin was exceptional; it was no exaggeration to say it was like porcelain. But unlike the delicate and meticulously maintained look of ordinary women, others could clearly sense a sense of strength emanating from her. Every part of her was like a precise combination of instruments, showing no sign of fragility.
But what is truly astonishing is the huge scar that stretches from the back of the heart to the tailbone. Its dark color contrasts sharply with the surrounding skin, as if some sharp object, not satisfied with piercing the skin, wanted to split the person in two.
Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but shudder, finding it hard to imagine how Yan Qingli had survived in an era when medicine was not yet fully developed.
She couldn't help but reach out and touch it. Her smooth fingertips could clearly feel the uneven texture, and Yan Qingli's body suddenly stiffened.
Qiu Lanxi immediately understood why Yan Qingli had reacted so strongly tonight. It wasn't because of menstrual cramps at all; it was simply because the torrential rain had affected the wound.
She pressed her body against him: "Your Highness, does it hurt?"
Yan Qingli gently pulled away from her, not wanting the other to touch her. She reached out and pulled her away, unwilling to talk about the topic, and patted her back: "It doesn't hurt anymore, you're fine now, go to sleep."
Qiu Lanxi was taken aback. Knowing Yan Qingli's magnanimity, she felt that the other party shouldn't be someone who would be disgusted by physical beauty or ugliness. She pursed her lips, but couldn't suppress her curiosity and couldn't help but ask, "How did you do that?"
Yan Qingli paused for a moment before saying, "When Father Emperor was still a prince, he encountered an assassin, and I took a knife for him."
She rarely had an improper sitting posture. Qiu Lanxi thought it was because she was demanding of herself, but in reality, that was just when she was most relaxed. She couldn't maintain any other posture for long before she would feel a dull ache.
Qiu Lanxi suddenly realized why Emperor Qinghe was so indulgent towards Yan Qingli. Besides his genuine affection for Yan Qingli, it was also because of the 'life-saving grace' of that knife.
Yan Qingli stroked her soft hair and asked in a low voice, "Were you frightened?"
Qiu Lanxi paused for a moment before realizing that the scar reminded her of some bloody scene. Her heart softened, and she kissed Yan Qingli's lips: "Your Highness, I've been to the battlefield and seen big scenes. How could I be scared?"
She sighed softly, "I'm too heartbroken to even think about it."
Chapter 36
Qiu Lanxi told so many lies, but this one was absolutely true.
She remembered that Yan Qingli was not very old when Emperor Qinghe ascended the throne, just over ten years old. Even if she was precocious, she must not have thought so much when she shielded Emperor Qinghe from the knife.
Even now, the scars are still terrifying to look at; she can hardly imagine how Yan Qingli endured them in the past.
For Qiu Lanxi, this was something she could never do. Although her parents were both on a path of 'selflessness,' she had never felt anything about it since she was a child. She would never be willing to give her life for others.
But for some reason, she always seemed to encounter people who were the complete opposite of her. Perhaps it was because of her parents. From a young age, Qiu Lanxi's social circle consisted mostly of people like this. Regardless of whether her peers were good or bad at school, almost all of them were the kind of people who could make adults sigh even in ordinary times, but who could always make people feel at ease and proud in crucial moments.