Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 10
by Little PandaNo Longer Angry
Ji Qingchi laid her outer garment on the dry grass, and Su Yi was placed upon it.
Carefully, Ji Qingchi removed Su Yi’s shoes and socks, revealing two conspicuous blood marks on her jade-like ankles.
“Indeed, she’s been poisoned.” The woman put her basket aside and knelt down, first pressing the acupoints [穴道 | xuèdào | specific points on the body used in traditional Chinese medicine] near the poisoned blood to prevent its spread, before checking Su Yi’s pulse.
“…Hmm?”
Ji Qingchi frowned, “What’s wrong?”
Could it be that Su Yi wouldn’t make it? Would she have to be a widow again?
In just a few days, she’d had two opportunities to become a widow. Ji Qingchi’s feelings were quite complicated.
“There seems to be another poison in her body,” the woman’s brows furrowed tightly, “and that poison appears to be both complementary and antagonistic [相生相克 | xiāng shēng xiāng kè | referring to opposite forces that both support and oppose each other] to this Seven-Stalk Snake venom.”
Having been injured often, Ji Qingchi understood some medical principles. The concept of yin and yang [阴阳 | yīn yáng | traditional Chinese concept of opposing but complementary forces], meant that if poisons were antagonistic, one could serve as an antidote to the other.
“Really?” Ji Qingchi sighed in relief, thinking she wouldn’t have to be a widow for now, “So she’s not in serious danger?”
“The poison in her body is years old. Although the Seven-Stalk Snake’s venom is potent, it’s superficial. Currently, the two poisons are keeping each other in check within her body, so she should be fine. However, if this balance is disrupted, I’m afraid…”
Poisoned for many years?
Ji Qingchi had always thought Su Yi’s weak constitution was natural, never expecting it was due to poison.
Did the Su family head know? Why hadn’t she helped cure Su Yi’s poison all these years?
Ji Qingchi had many questions, but Su Yi’s condition was the most pressing matter. “Never mind all that, quickly tell me how to save her!”
The woman took out a small jade bottle from her waist, “This is the medicine I prepared.”
She poured out a small black pill and a small white pill, “The black one is the antidote for the snake venom, and the white one only suppresses the long-accumulated poison in her body…”
Before she could finish, Ji Qingchi took them to feed Su Yi.
But Su Yi was unconscious, and though her lips were parted, her teeth remained clenched, making it impossible to swallow anything.
Seeing Ji Qingchi’s several failed attempts as Su Yi kept her teeth tightly shut, the woman looked Ji Qingchi up and down with interest, her gaze lingering on her throat, “Since this young lady is so beautiful… why not try feeding her mouth-to-mouth?”
Ji Qingchi turned and glared at her, then after thinking for a moment, supported Su Yi with one hand while pressing an acupoint on her throat with the other.
Taking advantage of Su Yi’s opened mouth, she tossed the pills in.
The woman: “…”
How crude.
After Su Yi swallowed the medicine, Ji Qingchi squeezed out the poisoned blood and bandaged her wounds. After a while, she regained consciousness.
Seeing the people crouching on either side of her, she blinked, ignoring Ji Qingchi and curiously looking at the woman in white, “May I ask who you are?”
“Just an herb gatherer.” The woman checked her pulse, found the snake venom cleared, and tossed the small jade bottle to Su Yi, “I left in a hurry and didn’t bring much medicine. There are twenty detoxification pills here, take one monthly to at least suppress the poison in your body.”
With that said, she picked up her bamboo basket and left. Su Yi, holding the bottle and hearing about the medicine, immediately thought of the Changsheng Valley [长生谷 | chángshēng gǔ | Valley of Longevity] from the books, which could resurrect the dead and regrow flesh on bones. She quickly asked, “May I know your name and where you live? Su Yi will certainly come to express her gratitude.”
“I am but a mere herb gatherer, not worthy of such gratitude. If fate wills it, we shall meet again.”
After saying this, she disappeared into the thickets.
These powerful people were truly willful.
Having finally found a glimmer of hope for survival, Su Yi naturally refused to give up and quickly tried to pursue her. But before she could stand, the pain in her ankle forced her back down, “Hiss—”
Serves her right.
Ji Qingchi, who had been sitting beside her and completely ignored, had a face so dark it could drip water. Why did Su Yi only thank that woman when she had helped save her too?
Seeing Su Yi’s face scrunch up in pain, she drawled, “No need to chase. She’s long gone.”
Su Yi finally caught her breath and abandoned the thought of finding the woman. Looking at her ankle, which had stopped bleeding and was bandaged with a familiar handkerchief, “Did my husband save me?”
“Hmph, are your eyes on top of your head? Didn’t you see it was that ‘we’ll meet if fate wills it’ young lady who saved you?”
When Ji Qingchi spoke harshly, her words carried a grinding teeth quality. Heaven knows this was just her habitual way of speaking—she was used to playing the role of an easily angered, simple-minded princess before the emperor and her imperial sisters, and her regular speech had unconsciously adapted to maintain this act.
Su Yi clutched her trembling heart, wondering what she had said to make the female protagonist hate her so much that she spoke with such teeth-grinding anger.
She carefully tugged at Ji Qingchi’s hem, “Husband…”
Ji Qingchi stepped back, not letting her grab hold.
“Husband…” Su Yi called timidly, crawling forward to continue pulling at her clothes.
If it weren’t for her severely aching leg, she would have thrown herself at Ji Qingchi’s feet, crying and asking what she had done wrong, promising to change, begging the female protagonist not to hate her or kill her.
Thinking of the blood flowing like a river described later in the book, Su Yi became cowardly. She didn’t want to die; she wanted to go home.
“You…” Seeing her bright eyes fill with tears, quickly becoming a tearful mess, yet she just bit her lip without making a sound.
Her whimpering was extremely pitiful.
Ji Qingchi sighed inwardly, thinking how easily this Su family young lady cried. The women of their Yanxue Kingdom were all independent and strong, so why did this Su family young lady lack such feminine valor?
“Stop crying.” Ji Qingchi stepped forward to let her reach her.
Su Yi immediately grabbed her clothes, whimpering, “Husband, I was wrong.”
“Wife Master did nothing wrong. This slave was at fault for getting angry with Wife Master.” Ji Qingchi crouched down and wiped the tears from her face, “Can Wife Master walk?”
“Uh… no… hiccup… can’t…”
“Then this slave will carry Wife Master.” Ji Qingchi turned around, offering her back, “Come, Wife Master.”
“Won’t husband be tired? Husband… husband isn’t angry anymore?”
“Not angry anymore, and won’t be tired. Please come, Wife Master.”
Only after repeatedly confirming that Ji Qingchi’s anger had subsided did Su Yi dare to climb onto her back.
Ji Qingchi carried her, stood up, and slowly walked toward Ye Shui’s home.
The crescent moon slowly rose above the treetops.
Ji Qingchi was thin, but her back wasn’t bony; rather, it was warm. Su Yi, though cured of the poison, still felt its lingering effects and dozed drowsily on her back.
Ji Qingchi gazed at the bright moonlight, recalling childhood memories of being held by her Father-Consort, enjoying moon-viewing in the Imperial Garden with her Mother-Emperor and siblings.
Lost in memories, she suddenly heard the person on her back mumbling, “Husband… husband don’t be angry… I was wrong…”
“Not angry anymore, not angry at all,” Ji Qingchi replied softly, “Does Wife Master find the moonlight beautiful?”
“Don’t… don’t be angry… I… I’m scared… don’t…”
She muttered quietly to herself. Ji Qingchi couldn’t make out everything, but caught the word “scared.” After thinking for a moment, she held Su Yi tighter and slowly began singing a well-known Yanxue lullaby.
“Moon rises in the east,
Cicadas sing in mulberry groves,
Hand in hand we head home,
Where loved ones welcome us…”
Her voice was gentle and melodious. Noticing that Su Yi had grown still on her back, presumably falling asleep, Ji Qingchi’s lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
“Wife Master, we’re home.”
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