She tucked it back into the blanket, casually looked away, and got up to leave.
Qiu Lanxi also woke up not long after Yan Qingli left.
She didn't sleep well last night, as she was being tickled on the soles of her feet the whole time. Luckily, Yan Qingli had already left, otherwise Qiu Lanxi was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself and would let Yan Qingli experience what it was like.
As the weather gradually turns to summer, Qiu Lanxi has also changed into a silk dress, but unfortunately she can no longer be a freeloader.
Once Yan Qingli made her decision, the next day, Granny Tingchan came to find her with account books and other things. In her previous life, Qiu Lanxi had also managed the accounts herself when she first opened her clinic, so she had learned some accounting knowledge. Even if it was just for her own convenience, she changed the account books to a simpler and clearer template.
Besides, Qiu Lanxi only then realized how many invitations were sent to the princess's residence every day, but since Yan Qingli had put her in charge, she immediately turned down all the invitations without hesitation.
Social interactions are very important for an ambitious person. After all, relationships will definitely fade if there is no interaction. Qiu Lanxi thought lazily as she leaned back on the chaise longue. If Yan Qingli couldn't tolerate this, she could just take back the power of managing the household, and then she would be much more relaxed.
Tingchan Granny raised her head and glanced at Qiu Lanxi, then lowered it again. Since His Highness had delegated all the decision-making power to her, she would not overstep her bounds.
Moreover, they were aware of what happened last night. Although they knew His Highness's temperament, they were not angry at all, which showed how much His Highness favored them.
So who would want to cause trouble for the lady of the house?
Qiu Lanxi didn't care what others thought. If Yan Qingli questioned her about it, she would certainly have a way to deal with it, so she wasn't too afraid.
Qiu Lanxi picked out a plump, icy grape and popped it into her mouth. Then she continued to look through the things that Granny Tingchan and the others had brought her.
—Some poems, lyrics, and songs.
Since Yan Qingli's sexual orientation was exposed, opportunists have been quite shrewd. Some talented but unappreciated scholars like to send their poems and other writings to the residences of ministers, hoping to be seen and recommended. These people are even more cunning, sending their wives directly to express their admiration for Princess Shaoguang's elegance and implying that they are kindred spirits.
That's disgusting. Does he think Yan Qingli is a traitor like Cao Cao, and that he just likes to have his concubines violated?
Thinking this, Qiu Lanxi paused for a moment.
Is it because of her that others would have such filthy thoughts?
After all, in the eyes of outsiders, she was the one whose love was stolen by Yan Qingli. In addition, Yan Qingli had many handsome men and beautiful women around him in the past, and there had never been any rumors. If there was any difference between them and Qiu Lanxi, it was that she had been someone else's woman.
So it's no wonder that this has caused such confusion among outsiders.
Qiu Lanxi was speechless. She looked down on the things in her hands and threw them on the table as if they were dirty things, saying indifferently, "You don't need to bring these things up anymore."
Chun Su responded, knowing that these things would never see the light of day again, and His Highness would never know how many portraits of beautiful women were hidden inside, or how much perfume and powder were on the paper.
Listen to the Zen nun watch all this, her eyes closed and her mind focused, as if she saw nothing at all.
After handling a few more minor matters, Qiu Lanxi felt tired. She asked them to take the things downstairs and rested for a while. Then, as was her habit, Qiu Lanxi reviewed yesterday's actions, analyzing any mistakes or omissions to fill in the gaps.
After a while, Qiu Lanxi suddenly sat up from the chaise longue.
I forgot to pretend to be affectionate yesterday. Yan Qingli is such a smart person, won't she become suspicious?
Chapter 27
Qiu Lanxi never expected that she would make such a big mistake. She knew that there were people in this world who were obsessed with love and could selectively ignore any unreasonable behavior of their partners, but Yan Qingli was definitely not that kind of person. A little bit of suspicion was enough for her to unravel the truth.
She couldn't help but feel annoyed at her carelessness; why hadn't she thought of it yesterday?
Fortunately, under those circumstances, this behavior could be explained in a barely acceptable way, and she should still be able to make amends.
What can a powerless person do for their 'lover' when moved by their actions?
Qiu Lanxi's eyes flickered, and she made up her mind.
Because of his recent busy political affairs, Yan Qingli has been returning home later than usual. The documents all pointed the finger at Prince Jin, and in order to give that fool time to react, Yan Qingli has actually spent more energy on this.
When she returned to the manor, she saw Qiu Lanxi standing at the door. Qiu Lanxi had a warm smile on her lips, and her eyes suddenly brightened when she saw her. She was wearing a pink belted dress, which complemented the peach blossom hairpin in her hair, making her look like a fairy princess who had stepped out of the peach blossoms.
Qiu Lanxi also saw Yan Qingli. The demeanor and bearing of a royal noblewoman were displayed to the fullest. She just looked at her and then smiled. Her eyebrows and lips curved, which did not conform to the current requirements for a woman's demeanor, but it was enough to be infectious, overflowing with unstoppable joy.
She lifted her skirt and ran towards Yan Qingli: "Your Highness!"
Qiu Lanxi, without any restraint, reached out and put her arm around her neck. Yan Qingli noticed that her makeup was a bit heavy today. Not only was there a flower painted between her eyebrows, but there was also a touch of crimson at the corners of her eyes. It should have been an extremely beautiful makeup, but on her, it still had a bit of purity. This contradiction made people even more attracted to her and want to explore her.
"What kind of behavior is this?" Yan Qingli reprimanded him gently, glancing at the servants who had their heads bowed even lower. "Why are you standing at the door? Waiting for me to come back?"
Looking at Qiu Lanxi's radiant smile, she understood that Qiu Lanxi had finally come to her senses and was now happy. For some reason, she herself unconsciously curled up the corners of her lips.
"Yes!" Qiu Lanxi's eyes crinkled as she tried to squeeze out a tear to show how excited she was, but for some reason, she couldn't cry at this moment. She could only look at her with burning eyes and say, "Your Highness, I am so happy."
"As long as you're happy," she said casually, then took her hand and said, "Let's go inside."
Yan Qingli didn't think she had done anything extraordinary, but she genuinely felt a sweet joy at the moment. She guessed that Qiu Lanxi felt much the same way.
In the other person's heart, I realized how special I was.
This feeling is undoubtedly pleasurable and addictive.
Yan Qingli wasn't guilty about it, because in her heart, Qiu Lanxi was indeed special. However, to her, this specialness was both ordinary and rare. If she liked it that way, Yan Qingli wouldn't mind bowing down to her in her spare time. But she was a realistic person and wouldn't be reluctant to let go just because she was greedy for these things.
The two walked into the house hand in hand. During the meal, she looked at him with a pitiful gaze, her face flushed and exceptionally beautiful.
Yan Qingli felt a little uneasy about this, because although she knew the woman was happy, she never expected her to be this happy.
But to be honest, what she considered an ordinary action would have been enough to make anyone fall deeply in love if it had been done by someone else.
The loyalty of the ambitious, the sacrifice of the selfish, the dedication of the ruthless... these are often the most awe-inspiring.
Just as a bad person doing a good deed makes people feel that there is still hope for him, while a good person doing a bad deed makes people feel that he is hypocritical, Yan Qingli's identity has given her too many halos, so that even a slight condescension makes people feel that she is so affectionate.
Of course, Qiu Lanxi also knew that this was hardly a slight condescension. Yan Qingli had really put his heart into doing this, but she had no interest in being a pet, so she treated Yan Qingli's sweet words and actions as a comfortable public facility like air conditioning.
—You can enjoy it, and others can enjoy it too.
Thinking about it this way, I no longer feel that I'm anything special.
Moreover, people who are not poor in spirit or material possessions are not easily moved by small favors. For Qiu Lanxi, if she were not in an unfamiliar environment, she would not even feel that little flutter of emotion.
Though her heart was calm, she outwardly displayed the appearance of a young girl in love. Yan Qingli couldn't help but pinch her cheek: "So happy?"
Qiu Lanxi smiled but didn't answer. Yan Qingli stopped asking and continued with her usual routine. But Qiu Lanxi was like an enthusiastic golden retriever. Usually, she wouldn't bother Yan Qingli while she was doing her work, but now she suddenly came over and asked, "Your Highness, may I kiss you?"
Yan Qingli paused for a moment before asking, "Why did you kiss me?"
"I just suddenly thought of it~" Qiu Lanxi's voice had an indescribable sweetness that made people feel a little soft for no reason.
Seeing that she did not refuse directly, Qiu Lanxi naturally sat on her lap.
The sudden intimate gesture caught Yan Qingli off guard, but Qiu Lanxi immediately cupped her face and began kissing her, as if trying to trace her features with her lips, her kisses falling softly and densely.
She didn't pester Yan Qingli. Before Yan Qingli could react, she left without further ado, as if to her it was just a sudden urge to kiss her, so she came over, satisfied her desire, and then left.
This direct and passionate approach caught Yan Qingli off guard for the first time. She was a reserved person, while Qiu Lanxi's behavior was a bit too unrestrained, something she couldn't shake off no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
There will never be another person in the world who expresses emotions like her, nor will there be anyone as unrestrained as her.
Yan Qingli closed her eyes and sighed softly, unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, because even she herself didn't know how long this special treatment she received could last.
She lowered her head, continuing with her work as if nothing had happened. Qiu Lanxi didn't disturb her again until she fell asleep, when she leaned closer again, shyly saying, "Your Highness..."
"Um?"
Yan Qingli raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at her with understanding.
As if receiving approval, Qiu Lanxi bent down and gently traced the corner of her mouth.
She had never done these things before, but her theoretical knowledge was extremely rich, so she acted as if she were self-taught, and her fervent and intense desire drew her in.
Confused and infatuated, their breaths lingering.
It wasn't until her clothes were opened that Yan Qingli suddenly came to her senses, grabbed her hand, and pursed her lips: "It's okay now."
"What?" Qiu Lanxi's eyes widened in astonishment, as if she hadn't reacted yet. In an instant, the color drained from her face, and she said in a muffled voice, "I was the one who offended you."
Her eyelashes trembled incessantly, as if someone who had finally climbed a cliff had been cruelly pushed off again, and even her bright eyes dimmed.
“Qingqing…” Yan Qingli opened her mouth, trying to explain something, but Qiu Lanxi seemed to think that she was about to say something even more cruel. She immediately covered her ears, and then lay down directly away from her, her back to her, her shoulders still trembling slightly from sobbing.
Yan Qingli looked at her silently, gently covering her with the blanket, but did not speak again, because even if she were to hold her back in her arms now, she would not know what to say.
Of course, she had considered doing something that crossed the line with Qiu Lanxi, otherwise she wouldn't have had that dream. But when it all started to happen in reality, she realized that she couldn't just let things continue in a muddle.
Qiu Lanxi was definitely special to her, and that's why Yan Qingli was willing to give her respect before doing anything else, such as getting married.
Even though there were no formal betrothal gifts or oaths from elders.
This was a concept she had developed over the years. Since Qiu Lanxi was no longer someone she could easily discard, she shouldn't lose her chastity without a name or status. For Yan Qingli, this matter was insignificant because she could lose too many things and wouldn't be devastated by it.
But for Qiu Lanxi, as long as she doesn't reach that point, if she leaves in the future, she will always let go of these things and go to live the life she dreams of, like a thatched cottage by the stream or a dreamlike paradise.
But for her at this moment, perhaps her current actions were more hurtful, but Yan Qingli couldn't tell her those things. What could she say? She wanted to marry her, but not to be with her forever; she only longed for the wedding night.
Yan Qingli couldn't tell which was more hurtful, but she still felt that such words were too hurtful. Her concept was that one could consummate the marriage only after marriage, but to others, this might be called a promise.
Qiu Lanxi was unaware of Yan Qingli's sense of ritual. She had expected it, so she didn't feel hurt. How long had that dream been over? To Yan Qingli, she must be rejecting it at this moment. And she was a woman who had fallen in love. As long as she showed the slightest discomfort in this, Qiu Lanxi could use it as an excuse to make a fuss.
The best way to dispel doubt is to make the other party lose the initiative first, so that you can take the high ground. This way, she will no longer think about what was wrong, but will instead have to worry about coaxing you.
Of course, Qiu Lanxi didn't need her to do that. Since everyone had their own ulterior motives, they should just let it go and pretend nothing happened.
She was very satisfied with the result; her preemptive strike had not been in vain.
Anyway, she didn't really want to do it. If Yan Qingli was even slightly tempted, she really wasn't at all.
Qiu Lanxi could appreciate everything about Yan Qingli. She knew that Yan Qingli had considerable personal charm, a beautiful face, and a body that would make even women's hearts flutter. But this was a woman's instinctive appreciation of another woman, without any lust involved.
I don't dislike it, but I'm not particularly interested either.
Qiu Lanxi objectively analyzed her feelings. All her actions were for self-preservation, and she was certain that she wasn't that straightforward. The reason she didn't react to such an outstanding woman, Qiu Lanxi thought, was that she seemed to pursue the combination of love and desire, neither of which could be lacking. Without either, she wouldn't feel anything, and would just be completing a 'task'.
But this is actually the best thing for her. Otherwise, Qiu Lanxi felt that she might get caught up in the intimacy, because it is very difficult for people to completely separate physical pleasure from emotional pleasure.
While forcing herself to cry, Qiu Lanxi was also able to calmly analyze whether she had passed this hurdle, and she even knew exactly when she could stop crying.
But Yan Qingli was probably too overwhelmed by her crying and hugged her from behind.
But she said nothing and just let time pass.
Chapter 28
The next morning, Qiu Lanxi woke up even earlier than Yan Qingli; to be precise, she had barely slept all night.
After all, it would seem fake for someone who has been heartbroken to be able to sleep well. But Qiu Lanxi was not heartbroken. If she really fell asleep, she would definitely wake up later than Yan Qingli.