Yanyan and I are family
Day by day, Ming Qin could feel her body getting better and better.
The thin mist covering her vision gradually dissipated, and she was always happy to be able to see Murong Yan more clearly.
The brief and precious peony season in April, Ming Qin sat in a wooden chair facing the wide-open window, feeling the breeze carrying the scent of flowers in the courtyard brushing her cheeks.
The afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, with tiny specks of dust floating in the air. Ming Qin squinted as the bright warmth shone on her eyelids, gently blinking.
“Ah Qin.” Holding a bamboo cane, Murong Yan removed her outer robe as she entered the room.
Feeling a slight vibration on the floor, Ming Qin turned her head from watching outside the window. “Yanyan, you’re back.”
The shadow guard, seeing the newcomer, was about to get up to greet her, but was pushed back down by a hand on her shoulder.
Throwing the cane aside, Murong Yan straddled Ming Qin’s lap, her arm around her neck, snuggling close.
“Did you see Prince Yu today?” Gently supporting the woman’s waist, Ming Qin leaned down to lightly kiss Murong Yan’s hair bun, asking softly.
Today was the day Prince Yu returned to the Northern Territory, and the siblings had left the city early to see their father off.
Separation, unsure when they would meet again, Murong Can faced his father with admiration and a hint of resentment, feeling somewhat melancholic.
Dismounting outside the city walls, he poured wine for himself and Prince Yu, the two of them silent as they locked eyes.
Only at the end, he inexplicably felt the aged man sigh as he rose, his eyes showing a hint of guilt, his voice hoarse as he said, “Take good care of yourself and Yue’er.”
Murong Can solemnly acknowledged his father’s words with a respectful bow, then watched as the group of horsemen departed.
Meanwhile, Murong Yan remained seated in the carriage throughout, only gently pulling back the curtain at the end and nodding towards her father on horseback in the distance.
Her expression was calm, her innermost feelings at peace.
If not for her brother’s request, she would have considered the whole affair a waste of time.
After all, she was naturally aloof, and the familial ties she possessed were of little consequence, especially now that her heart was already filled with something more significant, leaving no room for anything trivial.
Nestled in the warmth of her embrace, Murong Yan’s mind wandered absentmindedly.
“Don’t be sad.” Seeing no response from the person in front of her to her question, Ming Qin felt a tinge of worry.
The shadow guard, who had never experienced familial love, was afraid that Murong Yan would feel upset about parting with her father. Awkwardly patting the woman’s slender back, she comforted her, “It’s okay, it’s okay, Yanyan, don’t be sad.”
Don’t be sad about being separated from family, don’t be fearful because you stand alone, don’t feel scared about missing home… just come back to the Northern Territory together.
At least until I recover and I can accompany you.
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“Yanyan won’t be alone.” Ming Qin blinked, her tone extremely solemn. “If you’re tired, lean on me for rest. If you’re wronged, I’ll support you.”
She lowered her head to touch foreheads with the woman, feeling their breaths intertwine. “If you miss home… I’ll be there with you, don’t be sad because you miss Prince Yu’s Residence…”
Realizing Ming Qin’s unnecessary worries for her, Murong Yan, who had no attachment to Prince Yu’s Residence, did not correct her. She just listened carefully to the unconscious words of affection in front of her, smiling subtly.
The dull shadow guard, unaware of the woman’s narrow-mindedness, was a bit incoherent, unsure how to console or express her genuine feelings. She stuttered, “It’s not that you shouldn’t be sad… you can be sad… it’s just… uh…”
Seeing Ming Qin blushing and feeling flustered, Murong Yan couldn’t bear it. She gently took the shadow guard’s hand resting on her and wrote something.
『Since Mother’s passing, the Prince’s household treated me as a stranger.』
『I have no home, so why feel sorrow.』
Each stroke was so clear, yet Murong Yan’s expression remained as calm as still water, as if she was merely stating facts.
However, as Ming Qin calmed down, she inexplicably felt a sense of sorrow, her heart aching for Murong Yan, feeling as though there was a vast emptiness and coldness.
She had been an orphan since childhood, but she had the affectionate Song Shuqing as an older sister, mentor and mother-like figures, and a group of fellow shadow guards like siblings.
But over the years, by Yanyan’s side… there was no one…
No one who could unconditionally protect her, open their arms to embrace her at any time, stand by her without hesitation… not a single one.
Ming Qin held the person in her arms tightly, swallowing the bitterness in her throat, looking straight at her, proclaiming like a promise.
“…I can be Yanyan’s family.”
Her gaze was pure, her tone determined, fearing the woman might not understand, she raised her voice.
“From today onwards, I am Yanyan’s family. Yanyan is not a person without a home!”
With that, Ming Qin couldn’t see the woman’s lip movements clearly, nor hear the choked sobs coming from her chest. The shadow guard, deprived of senses, could only feel Murong Yan’s overwhelming emotions through the slight trembling of her body and the salty taste in her mouth.
The silenced lips quietly, affirmatively repeated in the gaps.
“Yanyan and I, we are family.”
As spring drew to an end, Ming Qin, whose vision was gradually becoming clearer, looked at Wang Wei, who was taking her pulse in front of her.
“Doctor Wang, you’ve gained weight since coming to the capital, huh? Is the food at the medical institute that good?”
Although she still relied on touch to identify words, Ming Qin could already see the round face of the old man in front of her, indicating her good mood.
“Hmph, isn’t it all because of you, shadow guard Xiaoming?” Wang Wei scolded with a glare, gesturing, “If it weren’t for you, would I be under so much pressure to eat all the time?”
Though Ming Qin couldn’t hear the response, she still wore a cheerful smile as she watched the man before her jump in anger.
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Wang Wei moved his hand from Ming Qin’s wrist and forcefully wrote in her palm with his index finger.
『You’re still smiling.』
『Do you know how critical your condition is?』
Song Shuqing managed to keep Murong Yan occupied using some method, leaving Ming Qin and Wang Wei alone in the study room for a rare moment.
『Your body is seriously damaged.』
“I feel like I’m getting better every day. Although I can’t go back to my peak, my martial strength has recovered by around forty to fifty percent. I am very content.” Ming Qin felt the strokes in her hand conveying frustration and replied with a smile.
Nose practically spewing fire in anger, Wang Wei wrote again.
『It’s not about martial strength, it’s about vitality, vitality.』
『You’ve aged twenty years all of a sudden. Do you understand the loss of lifespan?』
『Are you a pig? How dare you eat everything in sight?』
『Do the gray-haired people make the black-haired people happy?』
Wang Wei’s words were twisted and crazily written, not giving Ming Qin, who was speechless with her mouth half open, a chance to respond until the old man felt tired and sat down stubbornly, crossing his arms.
“Ah… Doctor Wang, please don’t be angry.” Feeling the release of her hand, Ming Qin cautiously spoke up, “I… I’m fine.”
“I know my body has been affected. Not to mention the loss of senses, even breathing feels a bit heavy. I’m aware of all that.”
Before Wang Wei could erupt, Ming Qin hurriedly added, “But I really am fine. I don’t need the usual lifespan; I don’t have to live too long…”
“I just want to live one day longer than Yanyan.”
“I can’t bear for Yanyan to watch me die, nor can I bear to leave her alone. So I won’t die so soon…”
Ming Qin placed her hands on her lap, sitting up straight obediently. “My senior sister told me before that she once met someone who had an incurable illness, even the divine physicians were helpless. After giving up treatment, they traveled everywhere, living each day happily and freely, gaining one more year for each passing day…”
“I am just like that.”
Smiling softly, Ming Qin’s tone was determined. “As long as I stay by Yanyan’s side, I will definitely live a long, long time… Even if the King of Hell comes to take me, I will definitely fight him for Yanyan.”
“So Doctor Wang, please don’t be angry.” Ming Qin stood up and patted the old man’s shoulder. “Don’t be angry with me, and don’t be angry with yourself.”
Wang Wei kept his head down, staring blankly at the tips of his shoes, without saying a word.
After a while, he looked up disdainfully and brushed off Ming Qin’s hand, gruffly instructing, “Hmph, you better take your medicine well. Don’t ruin the reputation of this divine physician.”
“Let me tell you, as a health enthusiast, I am going to live to a hundred years old, at least another forty years. You better hang in there and swallow the medicine, no matter how bitter it is!”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
“All this talk about a damn damaged body. I’ll feed you so well that your vitality will skyrocket to the heavens!”
Although Ming Qin had no idea what the old man was saying, she continued to nod gently as he caught his breath, trying to calm Wang Wei down.
The room was filled with the turmoil of an old man and an ailing person, completely unaware of the woman who had already returned from the study room, leaning against the door frame, trying to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.
The author has something to say:
Don’t worry, living another twenty years is not a problem at all, especially with the help of health enthusiasts in the 21st century.
Chapter 64: Comment Section
Under a comment in the comment section, the first Forest Brainstorming Cup contest is being held, where everyone can participate (laughs). Challenge yourself to say the most heart-moving words without being discovered by this app.
(But there’s no prize for winning, though)
LP: Re-translated on April 11, 2024