She glanced at Qiu Lanxi and saw that she didn't react at all. She didn't know if she was just giving up or if she was fearless.
When Qiu Lanxi saw her coming, she handed her the half-finished bowl of mung bean soup: "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
After eating half a bowl, Yan Qingli calmly said, "If you've had enough fun, come home with me."
Regardless of Qiu Lanxi's feelings, the onlookers clearly understood what it meant to be favored. They knew that even if Princess Shaoguang hadn't paid them any attention in the past, she wouldn't have gone so long without even glancing at them.
Considering the previous rumors, which I initially thought were outrageous, I now feel that they do have some merit.
Qiu Lanxi glanced casually at the woman who had been making herself as inconspicuous as ever since she learned of Qiu Lanxi's identity, and asked curiously, "What if you haven't had enough fun yet?"
Yan Qingli chuckled lightly, unconcerned: "If you like it, just take it back with you."
These words caused the air in the room to freeze instantly, and the way people looked at Yan Qingli was as if they were looking at a foolish ruler who had played with the feudal lords by lighting the beacon fires.
Qiu Lanxi remained unfazed: "Alright, thank you, Your Highness."
Yan Qingli nodded slightly, gesturing to Dongxue beside her, who understood and left.
She really didn't mind this kind of thing. Although Qunfang Pavilion was called a brothel, it had long been a famous and wealthy place in the capital. Just like the Kunlun slaves and Silla maids in the past, the beauties in Qunfang Pavilion were now a new fashion for many noble families to show off their family's wealth.
Otherwise, where would you find young ladies from aristocratic families hanging around here?
The people in her household are indeed a bit too dull; it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a few more people who can amuse her.
Thinking this to himself, Yan Qingli glanced at the woman's gentle and tender expression, but a sense of unease seemed to weigh on his heart.
She lowered her eyes slightly, glanced at the young ladies around her, and said apologetically, "I am truly sorry to have disturbed your enjoyment. Your Highness and I will take our leave now."
As she spoke, she took Qiu Lanxi's hand and left. The woman hesitated for a moment before following her.
Once away from the crowd, Yan Qingli stopped talking and remained so until she boarded the carriage. Qiu Lanxi couldn't see any anger in her expression, so she lowered her eyes slightly.
She habitually grabbed her wrist. For ease of movement, Qiu Lanxi wasn't wearing wide sleeves today. Looking down, she immediately noticed that the beads on her wrist had a crack at some point.
Qiu Lanxi's lips moved slightly: "Your Highness, are you angry?"
"Hmm?" Yan Qingli asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"
Qiu Lanxi silently looked down at her wrist.
Yan Qingli followed her gaze, then looked away slightly and said, "Excuse me, I remember there's a string of sandalwood beads in the storeroom. I'll have Chun Su get them for you later."
Qiu Lanxi stared at her intently, feeling that she understood her even less. Today, she had only made a spur-of-the-moment decision. Even though the place she went to had become a trend, she couldn't shake off the skin of a brothel. How could she tolerate that?
But if she can really tolerate it, why remind her again?
She blinked and smiled, "Your Highness, don't you have anything to say to me?"
With her cousin arriving suddenly and in a crowded place, she could have simply asked her maid to take her away. That would have been the safest thing to do. But not only did she come, she also let others witness everything. Qiu Lanxi thought, "She's determined to make her a troublemaker so that she can pin all the bad things on her in the future."
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. After a long while, Yan Qingli said, "If you like Qunfang Pavilion, just send someone to find the manager of Qunfang Pavilion. There's no need to come in person."
Qiu Lanxi was increasingly confused about what Yan Qingli was thinking. Given the relationship they had built up, Yan Qingli neither coaxed her into doing anything with intimacy nor told her what she needed at the moment. It was as if her purpose in existence was merely to be a famous but empty-headed vase.
But if that were all, she shouldn't have gone to so much trouble.
Is it because there isn't enough trust?
She nodded, stroked Yan Qingli's cheek, and said earnestly, "I understand, Your Highness. If there is anything you need from me, please tell me. Although I am of low rank and have little influence, I will do my best for Your Highness."
The hand beside her cheek was warm. Yan Qingli looked at the gentle yet firm curve of the other's lips. She wanted to say that she would never need her when she was successful, but for some reason, what came out of her mouth was "Okay".
At least, this response makes the other person feel needed.
Yan Qingli didn't actually need the other party to do anything. As long as she remained, it would be enough to stop her marriage. That was all she asked of Qiu Lanxi. She had never thought of anything else, neither in the past nor now.
After all, if someone who has been innocently dragged into this situation tries to exploit every last bit of value from the other person, then she is no different from anyone else.
Although Yan Qingli knew very well that ever since she was caught up in this situation, countless things would come rushing towards her.
She leaned down and kissed her, reminding her, "Don't keep people brought back from Qunfang Pavilion too close; they're unclean."
Qiu Lanxi looked at her and chuckled softly, "Then, Your Highness, do you think I... am clean?"
Chapter 31
Qiu Lanxi had actually wanted to ask this question for a long time.
She knew that Yan Qingli wasn't indifferent to her, otherwise he wouldn't have dreamt about her. However, when facing her, she hadn't done anything. Rather than Yan Qingli being restrained by his desires, Qiu Lanxi was more inclined to another guess that didn't think much of him.
—She has obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness.
After all, before she was taken away, Qiu Lanxi was with Wang Baiying. The combination of lust and a lonely man and woman seemed suspicious, and it would be strange if nothing happened.
But in reality, nothing actually happened. Wang Baiying was easily fooled; he seemed clever, but his thoughts were easily swayed, and he was too proud to back out of promises. Of course, the most crucial point was that after impulsively taking Qiu Lanxi away, he became afraid. He wanted Qiu Lanxi, but he was also afraid of what the princess and emperor would do to him if they found out the truth. In his indecisiveness, he inadvertently benefited Qiu Lanxi instead.
After the incident, the other party might not have wanted to tell Yan Qingli these things, but they never had a chance to meet in private. In public, he was concerned about his reputation and would never discuss these private matters. Therefore, in the eyes of most people, Qiu Lanxi was indeed not only of poor background but also a fallen woman.
People are bound to make mistakes sometimes. Qiu Lanxi hadn't thought about this problem before because she didn't consider it a big deal. But this was a feudal society with strict moral codes. Yan Qingli grew up in such a place. Although she wasn't assimilated, it was impossible for her to remain completely unaffected.
So, after talking with the noble ladies of this world, Qiu Lanxi suddenly realized that Yan Qingli's reluctance to have sex with her might not be because she was restraining her desires, but perhaps simply because she liked her appearance while being unable to accept something that had been 'used'.
Qiu Lanxi's feelings were complicated and hard to describe. Even if nothing had happened, she wouldn't feel ashamed or disgusted. Between life and dignity, some people might choose the latter, but she would choose the former in most cases.
It's understandable that Yan Qingli minds this, but for Qiu Lanxi, it's like a full moon obscured by dark clouds, or a butterfly caught in a spider's web. It always leaves her feeling a little uneasy, but she also knows that no one is perfect.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Yan Qingli paused for a moment, a hint of helplessness appearing in her eyes. "I think what I mean by 'unclean' is not the same as what you understand as 'unclean'."
In Yan Qingli's view, a place like Qunfang Pavilion was certainly problematic. A place that made a fortune every day couldn't possibly be without powerful backers. That being said, there were plenty of murky places in the capital. But the women who came out of Qunfang Pavilion either became beautiful maids or concubines. The cost of training so many talented women in poetry and song was enormous. Individually, it was fine, but all of them were trained in the same way. Yan Qingli didn't believe that the person behind it was only after that little bit of money.
Qiu Lanxi blinked, realizing that she had talked too much with Xue Baozhu and the others today, and her thinking had been confined to a specific range. Problems that she could usually recognize immediately were now involuntarily veered towards personal feelings.
She pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, and said, "But Your Highness, I still want to..."
Yan Qingli sighed and looked at her: "I've never thought there was anything wrong with you. If I had to say something..."
She said calmly, "Don't think too much. Thinking too much will only trap you."
Qiu Lanxi gave a dry laugh, thinking dismissively that if she hadn't thought more carefully, she would have been drained of her marrow long ago. What did it matter if she guessed wrong? It was better than not even knowing how she died.
Seeing that she clearly wasn't listening, Yan Qingli didn't say anything more. She knew that even if this matter were discussed outside, people would probably think that there was something wrong with her. If it were a man, he might have been suspected of having some kind of hidden illness long ago.
Instead, she looked for problems within herself.
Women in this world, when faced with problems in their relationships, seem to mostly like to look for the problem within themselves.
But Yan Qingli didn't think she had done anything wrong. She was just sticking to her principles. To marry someone without a contract or any rules was to live a shameful life, which was wrong in itself.
Yan Qingli was not a saint, but she knew very well that if you handed someone over before the proper betrothal ceremony, it would be difficult for them to be valued in the future. This was because people would subconsciously label the person, and even if you reminded them from time to time, who could guarantee that they would still remember those labels in the future?
She was much older than Qiu Lanxi, already twenty-two, and in a few more years, she would even be old enough to be called grandmother. Qiu Lanxi, on the other hand, had just come of age and had no one to support her. She should have considered things more, even if she wasn't exactly kind-hearted.
Yan Qingli felt that it was hard for her to accept being dominated by the other party, partly because the other party had just come of age. At such a young age, just thinking about it made her blush.
But she could understand the other person's dilemma. Some things only make people feel at ease once they are settled, because that's when they become 'family'. But there are so many people in this world who are not truly friends, so why be so fixated on this?
Yan Qingli stroked the top of her head, knowing that as long as she didn't do it, this doubt would always linger in her heart.
She looked at Qiu Lanxi, thought for a moment, and then said thoughtfully, "If you are not at ease, I can also let Qingqing see my unrestrained and dissolute appearance."
Qiu Lanxi: "...?"
Seeing her somewhat bewildered expression, Yan Qingli chuckled and tucked the table into the wall, instantly making the carriage more spacious and leaving a large open space.
She reached out and beckoned to Qiu Lanxi like she was beckoning a puppy: "Come here."
Qiu Lanxi's heart was pounding. She didn't quite understand what she wanted to do, but she still obediently went over.
Yan Qingli stretched out her hand, and Qiu Lanxi, sensing the emperor's intention, knelt down and placed her head in Yan Qingli's palm.
"…………"
A hint of helplessness flashed in Yan Qingli's eyes. She didn't know why, but she always seemed to feel that her status was lowly. But if she really thought that way, she would still be living in her courtyard now.
After thinking for a moment, Yan Qingli let her be, watching her rub against her hand like a cat. After a while, she moved her hand to a different position, her fingertips sliding from her ear to her cheek and then to her lips.
Qiu Lanxi's mind was unconsciously drawn in.
Yan Qingli pressed her soft lips, and after a moment, pried open her lips and teeth. Qiu Lanxi was stunned, not understanding why she had suddenly become interested.
Qiu Lanxi was led away, her lips kissing from her fingertips to her wrists. Her slightly damp palms caressed her face. Yan Qingli's long sleeves bunched up in her arms, her skin and flesh flowing over her bones, soft yet strong, with a faint red lipstick imprinted on them.
Finally, as if she wasn't satisfied, she suddenly let Qiu Lanxi fall into her arms and pressed her hand into her clothes.
Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but shudder.
Yan Qingli chuckled softly: "Qingqing, are you scared?"
She slowly and deliberately placed Qiu Lanxi's fingertips on her own belt. Qiu Lanxi, listening to the noisy voices outside the carriage, stammered, "Your Highness, this...this is inside the carriage..."
"What are you afraid of, Qingqing?" Yan Qingli raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even had your outer garment removed. It's me who's indulging in such dissolute behavior."
Qiu Lanxi curled her fingers, unwilling to touch it. Even though Yan Qingli should be the one to suffer if discovered, she was even more nervous than him. A sickly flush rose to her face, her beautiful eyes misted over, and her voice trembled with tears: "Your Highness..."
Yan Qingli casually stroked her hand, then leaned close to her ear and asked, "Don't you want it anymore?"
Hot air rushed into Qiu Lanxi's ears, making her scalp tingle. She swallowed unconsciously, her intuition telling her that Yan Qingli was teasing her. She couldn't possibly have done anything in the carriage. Regardless of why she didn't want to do it in the first place, principles that could be easily broken were no longer principles.
But Yan Qingli's behavior really frightened her. Qiu Lanxi had to admit that she seemed to be a theoretical strong person. Since the other party had gone to such lengths, she not only did not want to go along with it, but also wanted her to stop going crazy and be normal.
Yan Qingli kissed her reddened eyes, pressed her against his neck, and said calmly, "Qingqing, be good, let's kiss from here down."
Qiu Lanxi: "…………"
Seeing that she remained motionless for a long time, Yan Qingli finally looked over, her dark eyes seeming as if they could unleash a fierce tsunami at any moment.
"Your Highness, we have arrived at the Princess's residence."
"What a coincidence." Yan Qingli said with a half-smile, slowly straightening her clothes and then straightening Qiu Lanxi's tangled hairpin necklace before saying indifferently, "Be good in the future. It's not that I don't want to, it's that you can't stand it."
Qiu Lanxi didn't feel underestimated at all. She lowered her head, still feeling apprehensive. She really couldn't take it. She didn't even know if the other party would just let everything unfold naturally if the carriage didn't reach its destination.
Yan Qingli glanced at her before walking past her, getting off the carriage. Qiu Lanxi followed behind her, her legs feeling a little weak.
I was scared.
The warm sunlight shone on her face, and Qiu Lanxi, seeing the light of day again, couldn't help but let out a long breath. But to others, it looked quite different.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were brimming with tears, the wrinkles in her clothes were still there, and the look of relief she gave when she finally came out all spoke volumes about what unspeakable things Yan Qingli had done to her when no one was around in the carriage.
Qiu Lanxi didn't notice Chun Su's shocked gaze and subconsciously followed Yan Qingli. The other party didn't stop walking and only ordered, "Take her back to the backyard."
Seeing that Yan Qingli really had no intention of continuing, Qiu Lanxi breathed a sigh of relief and, without paying any attention to where the other was going, quickly slipped away.