The Beauties of the Cold Palace A Subtle and Alluring Woman

Chapter 8

However, although I was very reluctant, I have to admit that my behavior was not like that of a rich young master, but rather like that of a rogue.

"So, you're starting to look down on me now?"

"No, Danyi didn't mean that. It's just—" I followed her gaze and realized she was worried that her older brother would dislike her.

I flashed what I thought was a very bright smile, and he was indeed somewhat mesmerized.

I walked over, affectionately took his arm, and sweetly asked, "Brother Sima, do you care about Xiao Jin's identity?"

Seeing that he was still stunned, I pretended to be heartbroken and choked out, "Now that you know Xiao Jin's background, it seems you still care. Well then, we'll just have to stop being brothers to avoid gossip. Even my beautiful sister would dislike me if she knew. Waaah..." My incredibly aggrieved voice was spot-on. It's such a waste not to be an actor.

The two men's expressions changed, and they said in unison, "That's not true..."

"That solves it!" I wiped away the tears that had just welled up in my eyes and jumped up with joy.

Sima Langye and Danyi, their foreheads creased with exasperation, finally realized they'd been tricked. They exchanged a rare, knowing, wry smile. A crow flew by…cawing…

"Xiao Jin," when did he start calling me that too, with such helpless affection, "I just can't do anything with you."

I turned to look at him abruptly, feeling a little flattered. His gaze was overflowing with tenderness. Even his smile seemed more genuine than ever before, coming from the heart. Dan Yi was also somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the rumoredly cold and ruthless man to be so gentle with someone. It seemed that Xiao Jin was very important to him.

"Bring the wine," I laughed heartily, tossing each of them a blue-and-white porcelain wine pot, and downed it in one gulp. I pulled them to the window, and under the moonlight, we swore an oath, "Today, the three of us are destined to meet, and here we become sworn brothers. From now on, we will share joys and sorrows, never to be separated, until death do us part. If anyone breaks this oath in the future, may they be forever lonely. And I, An Jin, will not let him go. Haha, drink, drink, until we're drunk!" With that, I tilted my head back and drank again. The wine filled my heart with sorrow, bitterness seeping into my very soul.

"I forgot to tell you," my vision was blurry, even their faces were becoming several different faces. I shook my head hard, trying to clear my head. "I... I told you, today is my birthday, An Jin's birthday! But no one celebrated for me, no one sang me a birthday song, no one let me blow out the candles, no one let me make a wish... The whole world has forgotten that today is An Jin's birthday... Nobody remembers..." My voice trailed off. Why did my head feel so heavy? Hey, why is the world spinning backwards? Is it an earthquake...?

“An Jin is a pitiful wretch…” I mumbled in a daze.

My last thought was that I fell into a warm embrace, I don't know whose it was, it was so warm, just like my dad's... I subconsciously shifted, found a comfortable spot, and fell into a sweet sleep, a gentle smile unconsciously playing on my lips... Mom and Dad, I miss you so much...

Sima Langye looked at An Jin sleeping peacefully in his arms like a child, and was deeply moved by his serene and tranquil sleeping face. So innocent, so trusting of others, so pure and naive like a newborn baby's smile, so endearing. He hadn't found someone he could trust enough to sleep with for a very long time.

“Young Master Sima, let me do it. Since Xiao Jin is drunk, why not let him stay here for the night? I will instruct the servants to prepare a superior room for you.” Dan Yi said, reaching out to take the sleeping boy. Unexpectedly, Sima Langxie swayed, missing Dan Yi’s outstretched hand, and said calmly, “I’ll do it.” He held the comforting boy in his arms tightly and slowly walked towards the carved bed in the inner room.

Dan Yi felt strange, but she remained calm and bowed, saying in a deep voice, "Then this young lady will go and prepare a superior room for the young master."

Just as he was about to push the door open and leave, Sima Langxie suddenly warned him coldly from behind: "I don't want Xiao Jin to know anything about me."

Danyi nodded. "Danyi knows."

"And," he said in a languid tone, "to avoid arousing Xiao Jin's suspicion, you shall call me Big Brother from now on. Second Sister."

Such a leisurely voice made Dan Yi shiver involuntarily, but he remained calm on the surface and said, "Yes, elder brother."

Dan Yi left, and Sima Langye sat by the bed, silently gazing at Xiao Jin's peaceful sleeping face, so unlike any other man's. His eyelashes were long and curled, swaying gently in his sleep; his breathing was weak and silent; he was curled up in a ball, like an infant in the womb. Like a porcelain doll that could be broken at the slightest touch.

Suddenly, a gentle smile appeared on the child's lips as they murmured, "Daddy, Mommy... Daddy, Mommy, I miss you so much..."

Sima Langya was taken aback, then smiled gently. Like a warm spring breeze, it strangely blew into An Jin's dream, like a beautiful fairy tale, making An Jin feel exceptionally at peace.

Volume 1, Chapter 13: A Startling Encounter

On a boring afternoon, I found a cool, shady corner, moved a lounge chair over, opened my large silk umbrella, and wore a thin white silk dress, feeling relaxed and comfortable. There were few people around, only the swaying flowers and trees. The soft chirping of insects and the drifting leaves created a tranquil and pleasant atmosphere.

I lay quietly in the chair, eyes closed, lost in thought. For some reason, I suddenly thought of the foolish thing I did: becoming sworn brothers with Sister Danyi and Brother Sima. Although I admit it was somewhat reckless, how could it not be called a fateful encounter? At that time, for some reason, I suddenly felt incredibly fortunate to have them as family, so the idea of becoming sworn brothers just slipped out. Words spoken without thinking are perhaps the most sincere.

It's been several weeks since that embarrassing drunken night. I wonder if I said anything I shouldn't have in my dream. Or maybe I drooled. Waking up to see such a beautiful woman is such a treat. It's wonderful to be able to see her so early in the morning. I wonder if the person who hugged me yesterday was her. I remember she had a special scent, faint and elusive, both near and far, both welcoming and rejecting. It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I'd smelled that strange scent before.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, my third brother suddenly rushed in, panting as he approached me, calling out from afar, "Fourth sister—something terrible has happened...something terrible has happened!" I frowned. If this continued, it would be his turn to be the one in trouble. Had he forgotten that no one was allowed to enter this place without my permission?

I lazily raised my eyes and asked cooperatively, "What's wrong?" He'd better have a good reason, otherwise he'd be in trouble.

Seeing that I was still so relaxed, my third brother, in his haste, didn't care about anything else. He grabbed me and pulled me up, saying as he ran, "Yunying has been captured by Fifth Sister. She says she's going to teach her a lesson."

My heart sank, and I gave a cold laugh. She finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Third Brother, don't panic, tell me slowly, what happened?"

He turned his head and said, "They said she tripped Fifth Brother and made some rude remarks. I asked the other maids, and it's really not a big deal. Yunying went out to buy you your favorite peach soup, and she accidentally bumped into Fifth Brother on her way back. Fifth Madam is making a mountain out of a molehill."

No, no, this is not making a mountain out of a molehill at all. This is an excellent opportunity, just like when Japan invaded China. They didn't come up with a lame excuse. An excuse doesn't need to be grand; it just needs to be effective.

Sure enough, from afar, before even reaching the front yard, I could hear Fifth Sister's voice. It was truly a case of hearing her voice before seeing her: "You lowly girl, how dare you disrespect your master! Today I'll teach you how to be a servant..." From a distance, I saw the whip raised high, Yunying kneeling on the ground, trembling, and Fifth Brother sitting on the ground, still acting, crying pitifully. What a little devil! To be honest, Yunying has been with me for so long, and even I, as her master, haven't been able to bear disciplining her. How could I let someone else do it? I quickly broke free from Third Brother's hand, secretly gathered my inner energy, and quietly used the "Ethereal" technique taught by the Demon Child. I swiftly slid to Yunying's side and caught the falling whip in time.

As soon as Yunying saw me, she crawled over and hugged me, crying out, "Miss..."

I feigned innocence, staring blankly at the whip in my hand, seemingly unaware of why it had ended up in my grasp. In a panic, I threw the thick whip to the ground. Damn it, if this whip landed on Yun Ying, wouldn't her slender body be torn and bleeding? These people are ruthless!

She then put on a pitiful and sorrowful expression with tears welling up in her eyes, and asked in a low, choked voice, "Auntie, if Yunying has done anything wrong, Weiying apologizes on her behalf. Please be lenient and forgive her this time. I will definitely teach her a good lesson when I get back, so please don't trouble yourself."

Fifth Sister stared blankly at the whip that had been deflected, her heart filled with doubt. But seeing my frail appearance, she immediately guessed that I had only blocked the whip out of instinct, out of concern for the little girl. The little devil, however, looked at me with complicated eyes. He was truly cunning and mischievous, even more difficult to deal with than his mother.

Fifth Sister gave a light snort, "Fourth Miss, you are too young to know how to discipline these lowly maids. Today, let Fifth Sister teach you how to discipline them. From now on, these lowly girls will not dare to disrespect us, their masters. Don't you think so, Fourth Miss?"

Without waiting for me, he lashed out with his whip at Yunying again. I was anxious, but I couldn't easily reveal my skills in front of these people, as my hasty actions earlier must have aroused suspicion. I had no choice but to turn around hastily and hug Yunying tightly.

With a "smack," I felt as if I heard the skin tearing on my back. Honestly, if I'd known I was going to get beaten, I should have worn thicker clothes; then the blows wouldn't have reached my skin. It hurt, it hurt so much!

The girl in his arms cried out, "Miss—"

Third Brother, who had initially been stunned as I disappeared from his sight and instantly moved in front of Yunying, became grief-stricken. "Fourth Sister, how... how are you—" He rushed over and hugged my sliding body. The deep sorrow in his eyes was evident. Here, he was the only one who was kind to me, and my heart warmed.

Originally, I had already protected my veins with my true energy, so this whip strike would at most only cause minor superficial injuries. Although it stung, I could still bear it. However, she was a delicate young lady, so I pretended to be very injured and leaned on Yunying, taking the opportunity to say "I'm fine" to reassure her.

Through teary eyes, I looked at my third brother and weakly said, "Third brother, I... I'm alright." Then, in a pitiful tone, I said to my fifth aunt, who was standing there stunned, "Aunt, please forgive Yunying. It was my fault for not disciplining her properly, and now that you've punished her, let's just let it go." Otherwise, you'd better watch out; I won't show mercy to evil people. On the surface, I appeared timid, but inwardly I was fiercely warning myself. Damn it! It hurts so much!

Fifth Sister looked at me with some disdain for my timid and cowardly appearance, while I looked at her helplessly with tears still glistening in my eyes.

"Hmph, for your master's sake, let's let it go today."

Third Brother was about to get up and argue with her when I grabbed his body, which aggravated his wound. I gasped and this time, without any pretense, I called out in a trembling, pitiful voice, "Third Brother—" He hurriedly looked down at me, his eyes full of heartache. "Carry me back to Qulan Garden, I'm in so much pain—" Upon hearing my cry of pain, he didn't care about anyone else. He picked me up and hurriedly headed towards Qulan Garden.

Burying my head in his warm embrace, I felt a little dizzy. As I left, I vaguely saw two figures not far away. When I looked closer, I realized it was my eldest brother and Huan Wen. This was understandable; my third brother was also one of the Five Princes, known as "Young Master Anshi," and Huan Wen, the Sixth Prince, often came to visit him. They were too far away for me to see their expressions clearly, but I sensed they were pale and somewhat stiff.

The pain from the whip marks on my back drew all my attention, and I couldn't care less about anyone else at that moment.

All the way there, I chuckled coldly to myself. Dear Aunt, since you dared to hit me, you should have the courage to face the consequences. I will make you regret what you did today.

I remember the Demon Child telling me about a place with a beautiful name—Prajna Valley. The name was so beautiful it made you think it was a paradise on earth. Unfortunately, while the scenery was breathtaking, almost like stepping into a fairyland, the people living there were demons feared throughout the martial world. Legend has it that villagers from nearby villages wandered into Prajna Valley while gathering firewood. Later, they found mutilated limbs carelessly discarded along the path to Prajna Valley. Some fearless young heroes of the martial world vowed to go to Prajna Valley and kill those demons, ridding the people of this scourge. But all they saw were their young bodies torn to pieces and thrown to the wild dogs and wolves of the mountains. After these horrific acts spread throughout the martial world, Prajna Valley became deserted for miles around. Later, the legends surrounding Prajna Valley grew increasingly mysterious, and many preferred to call it Demon Valley.

Although the Demon Child was born into a prestigious family and was the lord of the most powerful manor in the land, he was practically just a figurehead. He spent most of his time traveling, and it was said that all the affairs of the manor were handled by his loyal steward, Master Liu. During one of his travels, the young Demon Child stumbled into Prajna Valley. Just when he thought he was about to be torn to pieces by the legendary demons and meet a violent end, incredible luck smiled upon him. Perhaps he himself didn't understand why his eccentric personality resonated so well with the demons there. He spent every day with the ten monsters, as if they were old friends. Thus, the Demon Child became the only survivor of Prajna Valley. His fame spread throughout the martial world, and some even said he single-handedly subdued the ten monsters, his mercy extending to only persuade them to stop their evil deeds and sparing their lives. He became a legend, a hero in everyone's eyes.

Actually—this is what the person involved told me—the ten monsters weren't demons at all. Rather, the valley's strange terrain had spawned many monstrous beasts, and each of the ten had tamed one as a pet. The woodcutters had mistakenly entered the darkest current in the Prajna Valley, a place teeming with monsters, and were likely eaten. It's said that hundreds of years ago, a divine prince banished from heaven was imprisoned there, guarded by many celestial beasts to prevent his escape. It's also said that his banishment was due to stealing a divine artifact from the celestial realm, and he, too, was guarded in that same current by the most valiant phoenix-like divine beast. Later generations speculated that it was a divine artifact capable of reversing the course of fate.

Of course, outsiders didn't know this; it was the only ones who knew—the ten monsters in Prajna Valley—who told the demon child. The arrogant young boys who later went to provoke them were too young and didn't take the ten monsters seriously. They spoke rudely to the ten monsters with the arrogance of a righteous sect, which angered the group of strange-tempered demons. So, in a very humane way, they threw the provocateurs into the Dark Current, giving the monsters a good dinner.

Rumors have the power to spread like wildfire, so they eventually become the original version. As for our hero, when the Ten Monsters once again tried to feed him by sending him into the Dark Current, the young and beautiful Demon Child, with his large, innocent, watery eyes, looked at them, grabbed one of their braids, pointed at their strange decorations, and simply smiled, saying, "You guys are so cute!" Those guys, whom outsiders called demons, were immediately and pathetically captivated by his radiant smile. Years of discrimination from outsiders now turned into resentment; they were utterly moved to tears by the Demon Child's completely innocent gaze.

At this point, I lazily peeled a grape, ate it with satisfaction, and sneered, "Actually, you know they are the Ten Monsters, don't you? You're quite the actor."

Volume 1, Chapter 14: Warmth

The Demon Child smiled wryly: "If I were to encounter you, my clumsy tricks would definitely not work. But the Ten Monsters are simple-minded by nature and easily believe what they say. Sigh, I'm completely under your thumb, you little witch, for the rest of my life."

Alright, let's continue. As you've probably all guessed, the Ten Monsters didn't throw him to the monsters to eat, otherwise my master would be gone. Those Ten Monsters were just eccentric old men who didn't get along with others. They seemed difficult to communicate with, but deep down they longed for understanding; they weren't evil people. The Ten Monsters took the Demon Child to their secluded paradise in the valley and invited him to join them. They spent a very happy time together during that period. The Demon Child became their friend. He didn't leave Prajna Valley until two years later, when he had to attend the five-year celebration of Jianxian Manor. As the master of Jianxian Manor, he couldn't miss the celebration; it was a rule passed down from his ancestors. Every five years, a grand gathering of the martial world was held at Jianxian Manor. Those with some reputation in the martial world would receive invitations, and all the sects would gather to discuss the events of the past five years. If any disaster occurred, the entire martial world would unite to eliminate it.

I remember the Demon Child saying that seven of the Ten Monsters were skilled in poison making. In those two years, the Demon Child practically learned all of their unique techniques—disguise, poison making, antidote techniques, the Thousand Doors Technique… he learned them all, and now they're all mine. I remember the Demon Child concocted a poison, colorless and odorless, that would cause anyone who ingested it to suddenly age drastically within seven days, becoming incredibly ugly—the old woman's appearance would almost scare them to death. But that was just an illusion; after seven days, everything would return to normal.

Since we can't do it openly with Fifth Sister, let's try something covert. We'll use her as a guinea pig for this "Nightless" treatment. Hehe. Auntie, you'd better hold on; I guarantee you'll be even more beautiful in seven days.

However, what interests me more now is how two seemingly unrelated people, Demon Child and the patriarch, became friends. Demon Child is a member of the martial arts world, while the patriarch is a powerful and influential person.

I tried both soft and hard tactics several times to get him to talk, but I couldn't get him to say anything. This is the first time I've failed with him. There must be some unspeakable secret. It seems I need to step up my efforts in a while and bring the truth to light.

"Fourth Sister... Fourth Sister, wake up—"

I woke up groggily to find that brat buzzing incessantly in my ear. It was so annoying.

I forced my eyes open and saw my third brother looking at me anxiously. It turned out I had fallen asleep on the way here. But I would rather have stayed asleep and not woken up, so I wouldn't feel the pain in my back.

It was burning hot and very uncomfortable. Just then, a sweet fragrance wafted over, and the image of my third brother became increasingly blurry. My eyes started to sting again for some reason, and then I fell asleep happily, with an unbelievable sweet smile on my face.

That smile, in Sang Qin's eyes, became as innocent and pure as a child's. Looking at that unguarded sleeping face, Sang Qin unconsciously thought of an old friend from a long, long time ago.

That was decades ago. The girl who grew up with me, the girl who was my childhood sweetheart and like family, is like a sculpture, deeply buried in my heart, buried in a memory I should have forgotten long ago.

Sang Qin sat on the edge of the bed, gazing quietly at the sleeping girl. His long, slender, white fingers gently traced the delicate, baby-like face. He sighed softly. When did that wrinkled, ugly little girl, still in swaddling clothes, gradually grow up, becoming more beautiful, more intelligent and mischievous, more innocent and kind, and more attractive to him than that person?

He left the best medicine for Yunying, gently kissed her forehead, sighed deeply once more, and turned to leave.

"Ranran...I will take good care of her for you...sigh—"

Strange, why do I hear a voice in my dream that sounds like a lament, yet also faint, distant yet near, like a sigh, yet also like a promise... Am I hallucinating...?

For some reason, a cool sensation swept over my back, and the burning pain disappeared instantly. How strange, how comfortable... Hmm, when I wake up, I must ask Yunying what happened.

When I woke up, it was already night. I lay sprawled on the soft bed in a rather unseemly position. Having grown accustomed to light in modern times, I found the quiet, dark nights here extremely unpleasant. So, I tried my best to make the entire Qulan Garden brightly lit. After all, it was a secluded and deserted place, on the edge of the Prime Minister's residence, so no one would notice anything strange about it.

"Miss, are you feeling better? Miss, you scared Yunying to death! You mustn't stand up for Yunying anymore. Yunying is a maid, and it's our duty as servants to be punished. Please don't scare me like you did today..." As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Yunying's surprised eyes, and her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's, suddenly filled with tears. She sobbed and rambled on.

A chill ran through me. What about the duty of a servant? What about the idea that maids are destined to be bullied and tortured by the rich? It's as if the lives of slaves don't matter. What kind of era is this? I couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation.

I reached out and wiped away her tears, saying softly, "Yunying, I don't care about other people's lives, but you are mine. We grew up together, and I will always take care of your life. We are sisters who depend on each other for survival."

"Yes, Miss, Yunying will only follow you for the rest of her life." Her eyes reddened again. This kind child should grow up innocently under the protection of her family and one day find happiness.

Composing myself, I tried to ask in a cheerful tone, "Hey, that's strange, where did Third Brother go?"

Yunying hurriedly wiped away her tears and replied, "Master Sang asked me to secretly send the Third Young Master away and gave me a bottle of medicine to apply for you, Miss." So, the cool sensation on her back in the dream was Yunying applying medicine. That medicine really worked; she definitely needed to ask Motong for some more to carry with her, just in case. Right, whose was that deep sigh in the dream? And that forehead... why did it feel like her mother's goodnight kiss every night before bed, so many years ago? Strange—

"Yunying, did you see anyone enter my room yesterday?"

"No, Miss. Yesterday, after I saw the Third Young Master off, I ran into Master Sang standing at the door. He handed me the ointment and left without saying anything."

"Oh, really?" Could it be the Demon Child? Haha, I must be crazy to think that the gentle person in my dream was him. I must miss my parents so much that I'm hallucinating.

Inner hall.

"Butler, what do you think of Ying'er?"

"Master, the fourth young lady is naturally clever, witty, innocent and lovely."

"Hehe," Xie Yushi smiled strangely, his usually calm face showing a strange smile. "You know perfectly well what I mean by that?"

The old butler smiled slightly and stroked his long, snow-white beard. "I understand what you mean, sir. This fourth young lady is no ordinary person. She really impressed me at the banquet last time."

"How does it compare to Nuanwei?"

"Does the master want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Xie Yushi remained silent, simply turning his head to quietly look at the loyal servant who had followed him his entire life.

The old butler remained calm and composed, and said in a deep voice, "Even worse."

"Sigh—" she sighed softly, "Butler, all these years, have I done anything wrong?"

"The master's intentions are correct."

"Do we really have to do that? Ranran, will you forgive me?"

Volume 1, Chapter 15: Hidden