So she's like a caged bird. At first, she might reject the person who takes away her freedom, but as time goes on, she'll look forward to their arrival because her world revolves around them, and she even needs them to survive.
But this is neither liking nor love; it's an abnormal attachment.
Qiu Lanxi was able to objectively analyze her own feelings. She calmly placed Yan Qingli on the opposite side of herself. Otherwise, over time, Qiu Lanxi feared that she would be tamed by this era and even willingly become a caged bird in the other's palm.
However, Qiu Lanxi had always disliked the idiom of keeping a mistress in a golden house since she was a child.
Her parents were in the military and were away from home for many years, so she could only be taken care of by her grandparents. However, her grandparents were not very energetic and were afraid that something might happen to her, so they would tie her up with a rope when they rested. Qiu Lanxi could only stare blankly at the blue sky outside the window and the small space inside the room.
Later, her parents realized something was wrong and, after discussing it, had no choice but to let her mother retire. Then, one time when she went out, she went into the water to save someone, leaving Qiulanxi to wait on the shore.
But she would never wait for him again.
Qiu Lanxi disliked this hopeless waiting; in her view, Yan Qingli was a hopeless wait for her.
She didn't actually resent anyone. Everyone is a free bird. Her mother dedicated herself to the people she protected, and Yan Qingli dedicated herself to her ideals. There's nothing wrong with that.
As for Qiu Lanxi, she had no lofty ideals and never thought about the future. For her, living well in this world was enough, and she didn't want to get too involved in anything else.
After enjoying the scenery for a while, Qiu Lanxi felt less bloated and decided to head back home. Yan Qingli was still diligently reading, but Qiu Lanxi couldn't stay still. She popped a nut into her mouth, and feeling it wasn't right for her to eat it all by herself, she also put some into Yan Qingli's mouth.
Yan Qingli opened her mouth and swallowed, wondering how the other person had chosen them, as the nuts that came into her mouth were never very sweet.
She didn't want to eat anymore, so she hurriedly put down her book and said, "It's getting late, why don't we go and rest early?"
"OK."
She immediately threw down the nuts, and Yan Qingli even suspected that she did it on purpose. Upon hearing this, the servants who were serving her immediately brought over all the necessary toiletries.
Qiu Lanxi and Yan Qingli washed up separately. This was mainly because Yan Qingli used different water to maintain her physique than ordinary people, adding some things that were not suitable for ordinary people to use for a long time, so the two did not wash together.
At this time, Qiu Lanxi would give up her plan to learn martial arts because it was too troublesome. Yan Qingli would spend most of the day preparing before going to bed, which took more time than Qiu Lanxi spent applying face masks and various cosmetics in her previous life.
Because the original owner of this body suffered from menstrual cramps, Qiu Lanxi would soak her feet in hot water for a period of time every day. As a result, her fair and tender feet turned pink from the steam, making them look even more alluring.
When Yan Qingli returned after taking her medicine, she was carrying a medicine bag in her hand. Qiu Lanxi glanced at it but didn't pay any attention to it. Unexpectedly, the other party walked towards her.
"Your Highness?"
Yan Qingli calmly poured the powder into the water before saying, "I asked a renowned medical expert to get you some medicine."
Qiu Lanxi was confused; hadn't she recovered from her illness?
Yan Qingli didn't explain further. He rolled up his sleeves, reached into the wooden tub, and grasped Qiu Lanxi's foot.
Qiu Lanxi subconsciously shrank back: "Your Highness is of noble birth, you..."
She even used honorifics in fear, not understanding what had gotten into Yan Qingli today.
Yan Qingli, however, didn't care at all: "Don't move."
She held Qiu Lanxi's foot, found the acupoints, and patiently massaged them little by little to help the medicine be absorbed better. Then she comforted her, saying, "Just bear with it. You are still young. Your body may grow longer in the future. It's uncomfortable now, but once your body has grown, you won't be unable to walk fast."
Qiu Lanxi was suddenly stunned. She had only mentioned foot binding once and had never brought it up again. Yan Qingli had never asked about it either. She never expected that she would remember it and even find a prescription from somewhere.
It was only brought here today, which clearly shows that even for her, it was not an easy task.
Looking down at Yan Qingli, she seemed completely unperturbed, not at all feeling that there was anything wrong with her, as a princess, doing such a thing. Her long, raven-feather-like eyelashes could not hide the seriousness in her eyes, and her sharp features remained as cold and hard as ever, making it impossible to tell that she was the kind of person who would do such a thing.
Qiu Lanxi said softly, "Your Highness, you can just send a servant. Why lower yourself like this?"
Yan Qingli said casually, "They are not skilled enough and are prone to making mistakes."
Actually, anyone could come, but it was her possessiveness that was getting in the way. Just like last time when she was sick, Yan Qingli didn't want anyone else to change her clothes.
For Yan Qingli, perhaps she didn't really like Qiu Lanxi that much, but her personality, which she had developed since childhood, made her reluctant to show off her treasures. After all, she had asked for them herself, so it was only right to put in more effort.
Yan Qingli didn't feel that this was a condescension; no one is born superior.
Qiu Lanxi stared at her blankly, giving a muffled reply, neither entirely believing nor disbelieving. After a moment, she picked up a handkerchief and wiped away the sweat from her brow, jokingly saying:
"Your Highness, you are so good to me, I don't know what to do."
Yan Qingli was a little confused and remained silent for a moment. She knew that her actions would have a deeper impact on the other person, but she was unable to reciprocate their passionate feelings. However, she did not keep her distance and still chose to do so.
Ultimately, it's just that they rely on their high position, so that by bowing their heads slightly, they give people the illusion of deep affection.
She said calmly, "Just accept it, what else can I do?"
Qiu Lanxi smiled with narrowed eyes: "Then I'll have to put up with it. What if I take it for granted after a while?"
"Then it's only natural." Yan Qingli said dismissively.
Qiu Lanxi curled her fingers and sighed, thinking, "She's too good at this; I actually fell for her act."
She knew that Yan Qingli had no hope of liking her, and that was all she could do. But to be able to go to such lengths just because she liked someone was truly unimaginable. If she were to fall in love with someone, it would be hard to imagine what she could do.
Qiu Lanxi thought that if Yan Qingli were less attractive or less pleasing to the ear, she would have vetoed her application if she had even the slightest flaw. Things would not be like this now.
She was somewhat alarmed to find that she was actually a little tempted by it.
But the affection of an ambitious person is always less than their ambition; it is a hopeless wait, and she shouldn't even be moved by it.
Don't get any ideas!
Qiu Lanxi cursed herself in her heart.
However, Qiu Lanxi soon realized that she didn't need to do anything extra. When the medicine took effect and her feet were incredibly itchy, and Yan Qingli was pressing her feet firmly into the water to prevent her from taking them out, she wanted to strangle her. So, she no longer felt any attraction.
Chapter 26
Qiu Lanxi still cried. She had never thought that sometimes itching could be a more torturous torture than pain. Perhaps it was because of the martial arts in this world that even Chinese medicine took effect faster, so Qiu Lanxi's feeling was more obvious. The omnipresent itching really tormented Qiu Lanxi, who considered herself to have a fairly strong will.
"Your Highness, let go!"
In my past life, when I soaked my feet in the Qiulan River, the most unbearable thing was that the water was too hot. But now it feels like torture.
Seeing her obvious reaction, Yan Qingli breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if there was no reaction at all, even the most precious herbs would obviously not be able to restore a person's health.
"Just hang in there a little longer," Yan Qingli comforted her gently, her grip tightening without loosening.
Qiu Lanxi almost cursed, her eyes brimming with tears: "Your Highness, let it go, I don't feel there's anything wrong with it now."
She didn't really think it was a serious matter. Just like how teeth would relapse if she didn't wear a retainer after successful orthodontic treatment, as long as she didn't want to continue foot binding, the rest of her life was long enough for her feet to grow back to their original size. The only benefit of the prescription was to speed up the process and make it healthier.
But if the price to pay for health is this kind of torment, then Qiu Lanxi thinks it's better to give up.
"Don't talk nonsense." Yan Qingli knew she was in pain, but she had already pressed her acupoints to relieve the pain, so it should still be within a tolerable range. And since she was already like this, how could she give up halfway?
She was determined to see things through to the end. Qiu Lanxi cried and pleaded, but finally, she was so tormented that she lost her temper and couldn't help but curse, "Yan Qingli, you bastard!"
thump!
The servants inside immediately knelt down. Yan Qingli looked up at her, and she was so distressed that tears were streaming down her face. Her long black hair was completely unadorned, and when it was stuck to her face, it only made her look pitiful.
She lowered her head again, showing no sign of anger. Qiu Lanxi fell silent, feeling that her impulsiveness had led to trouble. But under such torment, she even considered fighting Yan Qingli to the death, so she had no reason left.
But she knew that just those words of hers were enough to bring about her own destruction.
Qiu Lanxi quieted down again, afraid that she would say something reckless again, but just fighting the itch left her no time to think about how to get rid of the impact of her previous words.
Yan Qingli looked at the fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead, tears streaming down her face, her lips bitten until they turned white, but she dared not speak again. In fact, she didn't care—if it made her feel any better.
Qiu Lanxi is not a martial artist, so it would be strange if she could remain patient in this environment. Yan Qingli understood this very well, so she remained calm.
After all, if she were truly angry, she would have been angry when the foot bath water almost splashed onto her face during the argument with Qiu Lanxi.
Only after watching the murky medicine gradually clear did Yan Qingli say, "It's done."
The trembling maid immediately came over and carried the wooden basin away. Qiu Lanxi was still unable to hold back her tears, which showed that she was indeed tormented. But Yan Qingli knew that half of her tears were from her pain, and the other half was probably from not knowing how to deal with what she had just said, and she wanted to use this to stall for a while longer.
Yan Qingli glanced down at her clothes, which were soaked with water, and frowned slightly. She didn't have any scary or wicked sense of humor, so she didn't go to change her clothes first. Instead, she picked up a handkerchief and wiped away the tears for her. This gesture was enough to let the other person know that she wasn't angry about it.
Qiu Lanxi was indeed relieved, and then she couldn't help but lean back: "Your Highness, your hands have just touched the foot bath water."
"…………"
Yan Qingli was both annoyed and amused. Not only did she not stop, but she also viciously pinched the soft flesh on her face: "You little ingrate!"
Qiu Lanxi pouted, wiped away her tears, and sighed as she looked down at her swollen feet.
Actually, the water temperature for washing feet wasn't high, but the force was mutual; one foot wanted to leave, and the other didn't, so only the feet suffered, and they swelled up afterwards.
At least it wasn't dislocated.
Qiu Lanxi could only console herself with this thought, hoping that it wouldn't swell up even more tomorrow, otherwise she wouldn't be able to fit into her shoes.
Seeing that she was alright, Yan Qingli went to change her clothes. When she returned, she was still sitting on the stool, staring at her feet and not daring to put them down, obviously afraid that she would feel even worse.
She asked the doctor and was told that the effects of the medicine would continue for the next seven days, but not as noticeably as before. Once the effects wore off, it would be time to start the second course of treatment, which would last for three months before it would end.
Yan Qingli decided it was best not to tell her this shocking news for the time being.
She went over and carried the person to the bed, then applied some medicine to her slightly swollen feet. After applying the medicine, a faint herbal scent filled the room, which wasn't unpleasant.
Qiu Lanxi glanced at her, and seeing no disgust in her eyes, she snuggled closer to her: "Your Highness, will we do this again tomorrow?"
"No need," Yan Qingli patted her back, feeling her tense body immediately relax, and a smile appeared in her eyes. "Go to sleep."
Qiu Lanxi hummed in agreement. This night had really worn her out, and the melancholy she felt in the evening was long forgotten. She fell asleep without any psychological burden.
Yan Qingli's statement that she was heartless wasn't without reason. Knowing that she wasn't angry, she didn't even bother with the pretense. Normally, she would have praised Yan Qingli for being so humble to motivate her and subconsciously encouraged her to develop in that direction in the future.
There were no sweet words afterward, and Yan Qingli thought that she was probably still angry.
After getting to know her better, Yan Qingli easily discovered that Qiu Lanxi was unwilling to even seek revenge the next day. This was probably because she had figured out Qiu Lanxi's personality and knew that Qiu Lanxi wouldn't get angry about it, so she became more relaxed.
She thought helplessly, "They were clearly doing this for her own good, so why are they holding a grudge?"
Even though Yan Qingli didn't understand her thoughts, she knew that saying this would be like adding fuel to the fire, so she wisely kept quiet.
It's just a bit of a shame.
Yan Qingli thought that Qiu Lanxi would be moved by this. Although her original intention was not to get praise, she thought that Qiu Lanxi would be moved by her actions after she recovered, because this was something that she should care about, wasn't it?
Thinking about it, Yan Qingli felt a strange sensation. Suddenly, she realized that Qiu Lanxi didn't seem to be as deeply in love with her as she appeared.
In the darkness, Yan Qingli shook her head helplessly, feeling that she really couldn't get rid of her suspicious nature. She was exhausted tonight and it was normal that she couldn't think about anything else. Why should she think the worst about people?
...
…………
The next day, Yan Qingli got up to go to court. She glanced at Qiu Lanxi's feet, which had returned to their original color overnight, looking lovely and smooth, and the swelling had subsided somewhat.