After changing her clothes, Qiu Lanxi had had her fill of activity and food, and was sleepy again. In addition, knowing that Yan Qingli was not indifferent to her, she felt even less burdened. This manifested physically in that she did not deliberately stay away from Yan Qingli when she slept, but instead took the initiative to stay close to him.
Yan Qingli was a little surprised by this, but she did not reject Qiu Lanxi's approach. Otherwise, she would not usually hug her. However, she was not in a very good mood at the moment.
It's not shameful to be inferior to others, but... she acts with composure and handles everything with ease. Even if Yan Qingli doesn't want to admit it, she has to admit that at least in terms of how she gets along with others, she has never gotten the better of him.
And how were these skills acquired?
Yan Qingli knew her past in great detail, and knew that the officials in the mansion where she usually lived had long been killed, so that she couldn't even find anyone to vent her anger on. She pinched her palm lightly, and couldn't help but feel uneasy when she thought that if Teng Kingdom had not fallen, she might have used these methods on someone else.
This emotion came on for no reason. Yan Qingli rarely worried about things that hadn't happened yet. She frowned, let out a soft breath, and stopped thinking about these trivial matters.
However, perhaps it was because she had been reading too many storybooks lately—those impoverished scholars often focused on romance and love in order to earn more money from their stories; or perhaps it was because everything she saw today contradicted the education she had received since childhood. As a result, things she was ashamed to talk about began to grow wildly in her dreams.
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Author's Note:
Qiu Lanxi: I thought I could win by doing nothing, but why did Your Highness also fall down?
Chapter 17
The thin gauze curtains were pulled down onto the bed, and the layers of gauze bound Qiu Lanxi's hands. In the dimly lit room, her eyes were like starlight, the only bright spot in the darkness.
Yan Qingli pulled down her collar and stroked the red mole on her shoulder with his fingertips.
After a while, he finally moved away as if he was tired of her and loosened her belt.
"Your Highness..."
She looked at her, sobbing, her eyes filled with accusation.
Yan Qingming knew perfectly well that she wasn't truly heartbroken, but seeing this, she still unconsciously let go of her hand. After a moment, she couldn't help but lower her head and gently pull open the veil in her hand.
She then stopped crying and smiled, kissing her neck like a gentle spring breeze, making one feel intoxicated. In a daze, a cool breeze blew by, and a chill ran through her body. Only then did Yan Qingli realize that she had been tricked and quickly pressed her hand down.
Qiu Lanxi blinked, tilted her fair and slender neck back, and tears welled up in her eyes: "Your Highness, please forgive me. I have overstepped my bounds."
Yan Qingli sighed and moved her hand away, her heart softening. She whispered, "I forgive you. Don't cry."
“You said it yourself, Your Highness,” she chuckled, her expression changing in the blink of an eye, her breath hot against his ear. “Good Your Highness, then you are not allowed to resist from now on.”
After speaking, she gently bit Yan Qingli's earlobe. Feeling her movement, Yan Qingli's body trembled slightly. Fine, dense kisses fell continuously, making her breathing gradually become heavier.
"Your Highness..."
"Your Highness."
Reality and dreams overlapped, and Yan Qingli suddenly opened her eyes.
What came into view was a solid and heavy bed canopy, rather than a light and frivolous gauze curtain. The person who came in was neatly dressed, and the bright sunlight shone on her face, but her eyes seemed to be slightly wide open because she was frightened.
Qiu Lanxi was indeed startled by her sudden opening of her eyes. Who wouldn't be groggy when they open their eyes after falling asleep? But she was the only one who looked as if she had never fallen asleep, with only the corners of her eyes being a little red. It was unclear whether she had a nightmare or had stayed up late last night and hadn't slept well.
Ever since she learned about that secret room, Qiu Lanxi had always thought that Yan Qingli was an iron man who would interrogate prisoners in the secret room while she was asleep, and he never slept, day or night.
But this was not something she should inquire about. Qiu Lanxi timidly explained why she had woken her up, saying, "I heard from Granny Chan that Your Highness should go to court, or it will be too late."
Yan Qingli pressed her temples with a sullen face, unconsciously recalling the details of her dream that she could no longer remember clearly after waking up. But even just the general outline was enough to make her feel terrible.
She gave Qiu Lanxi a cold look before getting up to call someone to help her wash up.
Qiu Lanxi sat on the bed, blinking her eyes blankly. What's wrong?
Could it be that she went too far yesterday, and Yan Qingli became angrier the more she thought about it?
Or was she a restless sleeper who ground her teeth and snored last night?
Qiu Lanxi pondered. Based on her understanding of Yan Qingli, these things shouldn't have angered her. But if it wasn't these things, what else could it be?
Given her status, she couldn't possibly do anything that would truly anger Yan Qingli.
Unable to come up with an answer, Qiu Lanxi could only put it aside for the time being, feeling somewhat worried. After all, she had finally managed to "take another step forward," and it would be too much of a hassle to waste her efforts for no reason. Moreover, if she couldn't find the reason, she wouldn't be able to make changes according to the circumstances.
They're so hard to please!
Qiu Lanxi complained, but it didn't affect her appetite at all. However, when Yan Qingli returned home from court, he saw her leaning against the window with a melancholy expression, as if she was uneasy because of her attitude today.
Confused, Yan Qingli walked over and pulled her over, saying gently, "What are you standing there for? Want to get sick again?"
Looking into the other person's wet eyes, Yan Qingli felt even more that her temper this morning was completely unreasonable. It was just a dream, yet she couldn't distinguish it from reality. Given her cautious nature, even if she asked her to do it herself, she probably wouldn't dare.
"Your Highness..." Qiu Lanxi blinked, keenly noticing that before she could even try to please him, Yan Qingli had already resolved his negative emotions on his own. It was clear that he had taken the principle of "examining oneself three times a day" to the extreme. It would be hard to believe that someone like him was not successful; it would be as if the heavens were deliberately making things difficult for him.
Yan Qingli touched her face and felt it was a little cool. She frowned slightly, closed the window, and called Chun Su to bring a bowl of ginger soup.
Seeing that she obediently finished drinking, Yan Qingli stopped talking and turned to go to the study.
Qiu Lanxi was used to her hurried pace. In fact, apart from the evening, she rarely had the opportunity to spend time with Yan Qingli. Usually, Yan Qingli spent most of her time in the study at the Princess's residence, which was obviously not a place for her.
She was happy to have some peace and quiet. One can pretend for a while, but not forever. If Yan Qingli really was like a conjoined twin with her, she didn't know if the other person would go crazy, but she herself would definitely go crazy.
Unexpectedly, Yan Qingli spent an unusually long time in the study that day. Just as Qiu Lanxi thought something had happened that required Yan Qingli to attend a 'meeting', Chun Su looked at her worriedly: "Miss, His Highness has been in the study for several hours and hasn't had a drop of water. Why don't you go and persuade him?"
"Me?" Qiu Lanxi's eyes widened in surprise, and she hesitated, "This...this is a very important place, the study. Is it appropriate for me to go there?"
Chun Su was even more confident than Qiu Lanxi: "With you taking action, young lady, you'll surely be able to capture her with ease."
Moreover, Yan Qingli was staying in the study that the prince consort used before, which was not really important. They had no other choice but to ask Qiu Lanxi to take her there. The princess never listens to advice, and no matter who comes, it won't work. In the past, they could only wait anxiously, but now they were just trying their luck.
Seeing this, Qiu Lanxi did not refuse. After all, if the other party dared to take her there, it must not be a very important place: "Then I'll trouble Sister Chun Su to take me there."
As Chun Su strolled through the courtyard, where every step revealed a new scene, Qiu Lanxi, carrying a plate, knocked on the door: "Your Highness, it's me. I had the kitchen make some sweet cakes. Would Your Highness like to try some?"
After a short while, the study door was opened. Qiu Lanxi glanced at it without making a sound. The copper basin filled with charcoal looked like it had burned a lot of paper, whether it was letters or something else, she didn't know. On the desk was a book... "Zhou Gong's Interpretation of Dreams"?
Qiu Lanxi: "???"
Yan Qingli glanced at the food plate: "Put it on the table."
Qiu Lanxi nodded, and after putting her things away, she didn't leave immediately. Instead, she asked, "What's wrong with Your Highness today?"
"...Nothing much." Yan Qingli paused for a moment. The dream had indeed had a significant impact on her. Although the morning breeze calmed her down when she went out this morning, the dream was still quite impactful for her.
However, she is a somewhat stubborn person who likes to get to the bottom of things. When this kind of thing happens to her, even if it doesn't make sense, she still wants to find a way to explain it.
Finally, Yan Qingli concluded that it was definitely the storybooks in Wang Baiying's study that were to blame!
Yan Qingli's study didn't contain any books about romance and love, nor would she have gone out of her way to buy them. If she did it herself, she would inevitably leave a trace. She found them in Wang Baiying's study.
The books that Wang Baiying included must have excellent stories and superb writing. Yan Qingli was a diligent reader, so it was inevitable that she would be influenced by them.
After all, she wasn't a man, and those books were written from a male perspective. Whether it was the inner thoughts or the ideas revealed in the side details, Yan Qingli found them repulsive and couldn't empathize with them. So, although she studied them with the mindset that there are no useless books in this world, she mostly empathized with the female perspective, thinking about how she would deal with such situations if she were in someone else's shoes...
This is why she found herself in that identity in her dreams.
It's all the fault of those novelists. It's one thing to write about fox spirits, female ghosts, wealthy merchant girls, and county magistrate's daughters, but they even dare to write about a princess. Otherwise, how could she have imagined herself in it?
The more Yan Qingli thought about it, the angrier she became. She hoped that the novelist who wrote this obscene book would find out who was behind it!
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Author's Note:
Yan Qingli: A 1 in appearance, a 0 in substance (￣0￣)
Chapter 18
Seeing that Yan Qingli didn't want to answer, Qiu Lanxi considerately didn't ask any more questions. However, the book "Zhou Gong's Interpretation of Dreams" on the table had already given her a vague idea.
It's obvious that Yan Qingli had a rather unpleasant dream, and this dream might even be related to herself.
Yan Qingli was unaware that she was about to be exposed. She glanced at the pastries that Qiu Lanxi had brought in and frowned.
Martial arts practitioners consume a great deal of food when they first start practicing, hence the saying "poor in literature, rich in martial arts." However, once they reach a high level of skill, the essence of the food they eat will not be wasted at all, but will be stored in their dantian, so they will not feel hungry.
However, Yan Qingli never told anyone about her true progress in martial arts training, so it's no wonder that others would worry.
Seeing that Yan Qingli was staring at the sugar cake without touching it, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but say, "Does Your Highness not have an appetite? I've heard that sour plums can stimulate the appetite, so why don't I have someone go and get some?"
Yan Qingli has always eaten little, and her usual appetite is not as large as Qiu Lanxi's. But if you say she has anorexia, Qiu Lanxi has not noticed it. She doesn't know how Yan Qingli maintains her body's nutrition by eating so little.
“No need,” Yan Qingli’s eyelids twitched involuntarily at the word “sour,” and she turned to Qiu Lanxi with a slight change in her expression. “How about this, Qingqing feeds me instead.”
“Alright,” Qiu Lanxi smiled lightly, “I would be more than happy to share Your Highness’s burdens.”
Yan Qingli scoffed, looking at her 'genuine' fake smile, and couldn't help but recall how she had deceived him in his dream, making him feel increasingly uneasy.
Qiu Lanxi's smile grew even more beautiful. She picked up a piece of pastry and offered it to Yan Qingli's lips. Yan Qingli reached out and embraced her, and she immediately nestled against him, her beautifully curved face facing him, shy and timid.
Yan Qingli felt a little better. After all, it was just a dream. No matter how audacious Qiu Lanxi was, how could she dare to do such a thing? What could the other party do? Didn't they all have to listen to her?
With Qiu Lanxi's subtle flattery, Yan Qingli's mood finally calmed down completely, and she stopped taking last night's dream seriously. In the end, it was because she had been reading too many miscellaneous books lately, otherwise, she would never have dreamed of such a thing before.
If she really had such thoughts, she should have secretly kept male lovers and actors like those noble ladies in the capital long ago, so why wait until now?
So it really is true that erotic books are harmful!
Yan Qingli unhesitatingly shifted the blame to the storybook.
Seeing that the subtle rejection she had shown when she first met her was gone, Qiu Lanxi finally spoke, her soft gaze seemingly capable of melting even the spring water: "Your Highness, these sweet cakes are not enough to fill you up. Why don't you ask Sister Chun Su to serve you a proper meal?"
Yan Qingli awkwardly looked away, and after a moment said, "No need," she slightly raised her chin, "Pour me a cup of tea to cleanse my palate."
Qiu Lanxi raised an eyebrow slightly. Why was this attitude even stranger than before?
In fact, Yan Qingli had no problem with Qiu Lanxi. She just suddenly realized that her recent behavior had crossed the line and inevitably caused people to have some inappropriate fantasies. But to be honest, no matter the outcome, she never thought of sharing a bed in life or a coffin in death with Qiu Lanxi. So she shouldn't give people any wrong impression.
She might have some affection for Qiu Lanxi, but she always thought that such affection based on appearance was too shallow. Although what she was doing now was already going against the grain, it didn't mean that she wanted to add more to her reputation.
Out of consideration for their past relationship, regardless of success or failure, she would arrange a way out for Qiu Lanxi. Yan Qingli felt that this was enough.
Qiu Lanxi was unaware that she had already stepped onto the path she was most satisfied with. On the contrary, she felt somewhat insecure because of Yan Qingli's actions. She could not allow herself to have worked so hard to "level up" only to have Yan Qingli reverse her progress.
She reached out to pour tea for Yan Qingli. Regardless of how well the tea was brewed, her movements were exceptionally graceful, with her long sleeves brushing against his face, creating ripples.
"Please have some, Your Highness."
Yan Qingli glanced at her, the steaming tea cup burning her fingertips. She took a sip and put the cup down. Qiu Lanxi blinked, her eyes like melting spring snow, and her voice was close to her ear: "Your Highness, why aren't you drinking? Is it not to your liking?"
The warm breath exhaled through her nose traveled down her earlobe and throughout her body. For some reason, Yan Qingli subconsciously recalled the whisper in her ear in her dream last night, calling out "Your Highness" over and over again, with a hint of sobbing as if she had not received a response.