Her Temptation
Ye Youqing couldn’t help but stretch her hand behind her, supporting the weight of both of them, her brows and eyes flashing with astonishment.
The woman suddenly froze, her light brown pupils pierced by a small beam of light, resembling the clearest lake on the prairie, intently staring at that flower hairpin, her drunkenness seemingly fading away.
She mumbled something under her breath, then flopped down in front of Ye Youqing and Ci Ke, falling asleep once again with heavy snores.
Watching the woman who just a moment ago looked like she wouldn’t blink an eye at murder suddenly collapse, Ye Youqing let out a sigh of relief, her hand loosened, and she splashed into a puddle of water.
Ci Ke, who was on her, had no time to prepare and fell backward with her, rolling to the side. Ye Youqing just reached out, and Ci Ke ended up rolling right into her arms as if destined to.
The warmth of the woman’s body, coupled with the lukewarm water clinging to her, made her resemble a slippery snake, yet much softer than one.
Additionally, dressed lightly for work, her wet muslin dress clung tightly to her skin, the color of lotus roots faintly showing the white beneath.
Her figure was quite good. Ye Youqing’s hand slid down to her waist, securing her, while she calmed the heartbeat startled moments ago, secretly thinking.
Ci Ke’s eyes seemed to flash with confusion, which quickly disappeared. She propped herself up with her palms, half sitting up, and her gaze lingered on Ye Youqing’s hands, pale from soaking in water.
“Have you hugged enough?” Ci Ke suddenly spoke, tipsy without wine, carrying an indescribable charm.
But if one looked into her eyes, they were cold and clear.
Ye Youqing was almost getting used to her strange attitude, naturally loosened her grip, slowly stood up, gestured to the stunned Qin Xin to come over to lend a hand, repositioned the wooden tub, one supporting and the other lifting, and threw the woman back into the water again.
“Qin Xin, untie the ribbon that binds the curtain for me,” Ye Youqing, supporting her waist, took a break and said with a furrowed brow.
“What are you going to do?” Ci Ke suddenly stepped forward, wary.
Ye Youqing lifted her gaze, her phoenix eyes swept over Ci Ke: “She almost took my life, I must take some measures.”
She suddenly began to doubt whether helping this woman was the right decision. But things had come to this point, and besides continuing, there was no other way.
So, she tied the woman’s hands behind her back, then picked up the scissors that had fallen to the ground and quickly cut off the tangled mess of hair. Then she turned around, wringing the water from her clothes, and said indifferently, “I’m going to change clothes. You do it yourself.”
The light from outside the door came in and then disappeared; soon, only Ci Ke and the unconscious woman were left in the room.
Ci Ke seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, knelt down, and leaned over the edge of the wooden basin, burying her face in her arms and taking a long breath.
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“Sister Shi Li, thank goodness.” She placed her hand on the woman’s head, feeling the temperature there, “You’re not dead.”
In another room, sunlight streamed through the window panes, casting clear shadows on the floor. The room was dry and warm, but because it had been uninhabited for too long, there was a musty smell lingering.
“Eldest Miss, why are you helping that Ci Ke again? She…” Qin Xin was pulling up Ye Youqing’s sash while pouting and mumbling with a wrinkled face.
“She has also helped me just now,” Ye Youqing patted Qin Xin’s head, signaling her to be quiet.
“But I always feel this person is too strange. Every time she sees you, her eyes look like she’s seen an enemy. She glances over now and then; it makes me shiver for you,” Qin Xin continued to speak.
“I’m also curious about this,” Ye Youqing spoke softly, her gaze wandering far outside the window.
Ci Ke clearly detested her, which was obvious to anyone with eyes; almost to the point of hatred.
Yet, aside from this, whenever she was in potential danger, Ci Ke would rush over as if risking her life, which left Ye Youqing unable to fathom any emotion that could drive someone to both loathe and secretly protect another like this.
It was like a reaction etched in her bones, coming from deep within.
The original owner couldn’t see this, but she saw it clearly. This woman was truly unfathomable.
As Ye Youqing pondered, the clothing was already changed into old attire left in the shop. They were slightly small on Ye Youqing’s tall frame, but since Ye Youqing was born with a gentle and good-looking demeanor, it didn’t look too strange.
The door was knocked, and Ye Youqing said “Come in,” then a head that looked like a bird’s nest poked through the crack of the door.
“Eldest Miss!” The boy was so happy that his smile was all teeth and no eyes.
Ye Youqing, called out like that, then remembered the real purpose of his visit. She pated her forehead and beckoned the boy in.
The boy snapped to attention in an instant, his hands almost twisted together, unable to hide his excitement.
“Do you know who I am?” Ye Youqing asked.
“Of course!” The young man straightened up, “My father was originally a civilian cook in Lin’an, but who would have thought he’d be falsely accused by a corrupt official. Fortunately, he was saved by King Si Rong, who happened upon him and brought him back to Bianjing, setting us up in this shop together.”
“But barely half a month had passed when news came that King Si Rong had been executed. My father knelt outside for two days and from then on, he relied on this shop to raise me.”
“However, for some reason, business started to decline, and after my father passed away from illness, we didn’t see a single customer anymore. I don’t have many talents, only able to cook some Jiangnan cuisine that my dad taught me, so…”
The young man’s voice trailed off, his spirits dampened, “But my dad always used to tell me stories about King Si Rong, I know that King Si Rong still has descendants, so seeing the Eldest Miss today, it’s really, it’s really…”
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He lifted his eyes, staring at Ye Youqing with a gaze as if he saw a deity, making Ye Youqing a bit dizzy.
“Alright,” Ye Youqing smiled, feeling a sense of relief in her heart. She was worried about being short-staffed for the shop, and now she’s gotten help without any effort. The boy seemed not only loyal but also very clever.
She suddenly began to feel grateful for her grandfather whom she had never met.
“What’s your name?” Ye Youqing asked.
“Eldest Miss, you can just call me Ah Gou,” the boy replied with a cheerful grin, his hair looking like a bird’s nest. “My dad said we’ve had a hard life, so a humble name makes it easier to survive.”
“Ah…” Ye Youqing, a modern young person, hesitated for a moment and couldn’t bring herself to call out this ‘easy to survive’ name, so she touched her nose and changed the subject.
“I’m just here to look today. If I can’t leave the residence later, I’ll have Qin Xin pass a message to you. Remember her when you see her,” Ye Youqing said, patting Qin Xin on the shoulder. She picked up another set of clothes neatly folded on the bed, “Give this to that girl.”
Just as the boy was about to take it, Ye Youqing hesitated. Ci Ke was soaking wet, and after all, the boy was a man. As for Qin Xin, this girl always had a sour face towards Ci Ke.
Forget it, Ye Youqing resignedly withdrew her hand, stepping over the threshold.
The door opened with a push, the dampness in the room had mostly been cleared, a bulge on the bed in the corner, likely that woman sleeping soundly. Ci Ke’s slender figure stood by the bed, lost in thought.
Hearing Ye Youqing’s voice, she did not turn around.
“Sister Shi Li,” Ye Youqing started, her voice gentle, “So this is whom you said you didn’t recognize?”
Ci Ke remained silent, slowly turning around. Her wet, broken hair stuck to one side of her face, making her skin appear even more like jade. She suddenly sported a half-mocking smile, swaying her waist as she walked over.
The hem of her skirt, damp with water, dragged over her bare feet, the scent of rouge and powder growing stronger.
“Why do you help me?” Ci Ke finally spoke.
“It was you who asked for my help,” Ye Youqing replied, always preferring to answer truthfully.
Remembering she had blurted out the name “Ye Youqing” in her panic, a rare blush appeared on Ci Ke’s cheeks, but it was only momentary.
“Pity?” Ci Ke approached.
“Kindness.”
“Cheap kindness,” Ci Ke added. By then, her lips were at a level Ye Youqing had to lower her gaze to see clearly.
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Shaped like peach leaves but as delicate as ripe peaches, surely they must be of the sort that’s thoroughly ripe and sweet. Ye Youqing suddenly thought, then forcefully pulled her thoughts back.
Ye Youqing didn’t want to speak anymore. She lifted her arm and stuffed her clothes into Ci Ke’s arms, saying indifferently, “Put these on and get out.”
“Miss Ye, in half a month’s time, it will be the Empress Dowager’s grand birthday celebration. General Qin is plotting, planning to ask the Empress Dowager to grant him your hand in marriage,” Ci Ke said, her fox-like eyes slightly closing then opening again. “If you’re still infatuated with him, then good news is on the horizon.”
Such an obvious test. Ye Youqing diverted her gaze, “To the current me, it’s not good news.”
“Oh? You don’t like him anymore?” Ci Ke suddenly feigned a slip, her lips grazing close to Ye Youqing’s, barely touching.
This startled Ye Youqing considerably, as if her heart had suddenly banged against her ribs. The words she was about to say, “I would never like men like Qin Wang,” suddenly lost a few letters.
“I don’t like men,” she said.
LP: Pfftt!!! Me too, girl!
