Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 39
by Little PandaVolume 2: The Captivating Splendor of Jingdu
This Palace is very happy
Su Yi, having taken money to do a job, returned and began to focus intently1 on researching how to complete the order from the female protagonist, this big boss.
Su Yi didn’t actually understand much about how to make armor, but she had once looked up a lot of related information for design purposes. After scouring her memory for relevant data, she wrote down every point.
The wisdom of the ancient working people was boundless; for example, the Shang and Zhou Dynasties2 already possessed formidable bronze smelting technology. Having been here for seven or eight years, she discovered that many artisans in the Yanxue Dynasty also had incredibly high skill levels. Turning metal into fine threads was not difficult for them at all; otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to make the bold claim3 that she could make armor.
Three days later, Ji Qingchi sent someone to inform her that the ore and artisans were ready. However, as it involved military secrets, those people couldn’t possibly come to Su Yi. To prevent leaks, Su Yi was requested to visit the residence and tell Ji Qingchi how to proceed in person.
“Ah? I have to go personally?” Upon receiving the invitation card, Su Yi actually felt quite unwilling. She didn’t really want to see the female protagonist, that great god of slaughter. But the other party was an Imperial Princess; refusing would be disobeying the imperial family4, something she wouldn’t dare do even if she had ten times the courage5.
“Yes, Miss Su.” The attendant6 sent by Ji Qingchi had already prepared a soft sedan chair. Since her Master had instructed not to make a big fuss7, the attendant only claimed to be an ordinary guest when visiting. She only explained the reason after seeing Su Yi, then had the sedan chair bearers wait at the side door. “Miss Su, shall we go?”
“Alright then.” Su Yi reluctantly8 entered the soft sedan chair.
Upon reaching the residence gate, she saw a familiar figure being stopped outside by the guards, arguing with them. Su Yi was quite astonished, because that person was Su Tianci.
“He… what’s the situation?”
“Just someone the Master doesn’t wish to see. Miss Su, please follow me.”
“Oh, okay.”
In any case, it had nothing to do with her. Su Yi didn’t want to see Su Tianci’s annoying face either. Out of sight, out of mind9. She directly followed the attendant into the residence.
Su Tianci turned his head just in time to see Su Yi, whom he hated to the bone10, actually entering the Imperial Princess’s residence. He became so angry that he disregarded his image as a young master from a prominent family, grabbed a guard’s collar, pointed at the entrance, and roared, “You said the Ninth Imperial Princess is inconvenienced to see guests today, so what’s with that low-born b%stard11 who just went in?”
The guard struggled to pull her collar back. “Our Master is inconvenienced to see male guests today. Young Master Su, you should head back. If you keep making a scene here, it won’t look good for anyone.”
Su Tianci would have to be an idiot not to realize this was an excuse she had found. He felt both aggrieved and furious, his eyes turning red from suppressed anger. He cursed Su Yi viciously a few times, then snapped at his attendant, “Let’s go back!”
He stormed furiously into the Su Residence and immediately grabbed his mother, crying, “Mother, I want to kill Su Yi! I want to kill Su Yi!”
Su Cheng doted on her son. Without even asking what terribly offensive thing12 Su Yi had actually done, she pulled her son into her arms and comforted him, “Don’t be afraid, son. In three months, it will be the Yanxue Kingdom’s Ancestral Worship Grand Ceremony. Your Great-grandmother is the Ritual Officer13 personally appointed by the Emperor. She will go to Linchuan14 first to prepare. When your Great-grandmother leaves, we’ll drive those two low-borns out, and then send people to kill them.”
“But what if15 Great-grandmother comes back and blames us?”
“Rest assured.” Su Cheng patted her son’s back, smiling kindly. “She won’t be coming back.”
She had been the Marquis Pingyang for too long, she’s gotten old and muddled. This title of Marquis should have been passed down to us juniors long ago.
Su Tianci understood her underlying meaning and immediately turned tears into laughter. “Good! Then that little b%stard Su Yi, I want her to die without an intact corpse16! Didn’t Great-grandmother like her? Let them keep each other company in the underworld17!”
Su Yi was led by the attendant and soon arrived at a garden pavilion.
Ji Qingchi was dressed in casual clothes18, her long hair held up with a single hairpin, the rest cascading down her back. She was sitting beside the garden, angling19.
The attendant leading Su Yi stepped forward to report, “Master, Miss Su has arrived.”
“Grant a seat20.” Ji Qingchi didn’t look at them, speaking only faintly.
Someone quickly brought fishing gear and a stool padded with a soft cushion, placing them to Ji Qingchi’s right. The attendant urged Su Yi, “Miss Su, please.”
The corner of Su Yi’s mouth twitched slightly, but she didn’t dare refuse. She could only shuffle along hesitantly21 to Ji Qingchi’s side.
“This common woman greets Your Ninth Highness.”
“Miss Su, no need for formalities. Please sit.”
Su Yi had no choice but to sit down.
“Does Miss Su enjoy angling?”
“Um… I quite like it.” Though what she liked was catching crayfish. Catching half a bucket and taking them home for her mom to make spicy crayfish22.
Just thinking about it made Su Yi feel like tears were unhelpfully streaming from her mouth23. However, she was currently a sickly person; forget spicy crayfish, she couldn’t even eat much water-boiled fish24. Truly heartbreaking.
“This Palace also enjoys it very much. There’s fishing gear here, Miss Su can accompany This Palace.”
Clients were always difficult, especially someone like the female protagonist, described in the book as having a violent temperament. Su Yi found it somewhat acceptable; accompanying in eating, drinking, and chatting was standard procedure25. As long as she wasn’t asked to accompany her in bed, she would do whatever the client said.
So she picked up the fishing tools, moved her stool, and sat down beside the female protagonist, starting to fish intently.
Soon, her hook got a bite. Su Yi pulled it up excitedly, only for her expression to instantly morph into that ‘old man looking at a phone’ meme face26.
What the heck27? Why was it an ornamental goldfish28? It wasn’t even palm-sized, how could she steam or braise29 it?
Ji Qingchi took in her expression, and instantly, more than half of her gloomy mood dispersed.
The day before yesterday, she had shown the soldier uniforms Su Yi had drawn to her Mother Emperor, only to receive a lukewarm30 compliment. Yet Ji Qingxuan took a pot of ordinary flowers to her and was lavishly praised by Mother Emperor, who even raised her stipend31.
When they left the palace together, Ji Qingxuan had been like a venomous snake, mocking her for overestimating her own abilities.
She knew Mother Emperor showed favoritism, and thought she wouldn’t be upset, but after being scolded, she still couldn’t get over it upon returning to her residence.
But seeing Su Yi, that unwillingness and sorrow seemed to dissipate like mist blown away by the wind.
“Surely Miss Su didn’t think This Palace’s residence would have crucian carp, grass carp, or mackerel32 for Miss Su to catch?” Ji Qingchi chuckled softly. “Even if This Palace had them here, Miss Su is physically weak and probably couldn’t pull them up.”
Su Yi, “…”
Fine, what the female protagonist, this damned sharp tongue33, said was true. She shouldn’t have held onto any illusions.
“…Your Highness speaks rightly.”
An attendant at the side removed the small goldfish she had caught. Su Yi cast her line back into the pond, then chose to give up and slack off34. No matter if the hook moved or not, she wasn’t pulling it anymore.
But wouldn’t you know it, the female protagonist wouldn’t let her off, whispering like a demon beside her, “Miss Su, your hook is moving.”
Su Yi, “…”
Su Yi had no choice but to pull again, but this time, no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Su Yi used all her might35, her face flushing red. The other end of the fishing rod just bobbed in the water, showing no sign of being lifted.
After a moment, Su Yi chose to continue slacking off. “Ninth Highness, this common woman doesn’t have much strength…”
So why don’t you let me off, I won’t fish anymore?
“You need This Palace’s help, is that it?”
Before she could finish her sentence, Ji Qingchi quickly darted behind her. Her hands passed under Su Yi’s arms, directly gripping the fishing rod in her hands. With a lift, a lively and thrashing grass carp leaped out of the water.
Su Yi was utterly astonished, forgetting she had just wanted to throw down the pole and quit36.
Watching the attendant remove the fish and place it in a bucket nearby, Su Yi turned her gaze to Ji Qingchi. What’s going on? Didn’t the female protagonist just say there were no edible fish?
“Perhaps this fish swam in from outside.” Ji Qingchi nodded at her, saying deadpan, “All rivers under heaven are connected37, as Miss Su knows. It’s not strange for this fish to swim in from outside.”
Su Yi, “…”
Okay, you’re the Imperial Princess, whatever you say goes.
“…Your Highness speaks rightly.”
Ji Qingchi blinked, finding teasing Su Yi incredibly fun. Her own mood greatly improved, feeling like fireworks exploding inside, the emotion called happiness flowing through her whole being38. “Let’s fish a bit more, we should be able to catch a few more.”
What could Su Yi do? Su Yi could only agree. Who told her the person opposite was the client holding the power of life and death?
And so, very quickly, they caught another fish that had swam in from the rivers outside. Soon, they caught another one, and another, and another, and yet another.
Finally, the two wooden buckets beside them were full.
A fine sheen of sweat had appeared on Su Yi’s face, and she panted slightly, “Ninth High… Ninth Highness… Are we… still fishing? Ninth High… ness? Your Highness?”
“Hmm… no more fishing.” Ji Qingchi seemed to just come back to her senses, her gaze quickly shifting away from Su Yi’s sweat-dampened red lips. “This Palace sees Miss Su is also tired. Rest for a while… After you’ve rested well, then tell This Palace how that armor is to be made.”
“This common woman obeys your command.” Su Yi sighed in relief internally. Oh god, this client is really hard to handle.
Su Yi rested for a while, sipping tea, then sat in the pavilion discussing the key points of making the armor with Ji Qingchi. She had gone back and refined the design drawings considerably, adding many annotations to several key parts, making them understandable at a glance.
“Mm, not bad.” After careful consideration, Ji Qingchi nodded. “Previous armors were mostly clumsy and heavy. Made according to Miss Su’s method, not only are they lightweight, but it’s also clear that swords and blades would find it hard to pierce them.”
“The battlefield is brutal and indiscriminate39. Every little bit of extra protection counts.” Su Yi sighed. “Those soldiers, they are also someone’s sisters and mothers. Who doesn’t want to come back from the battlefield alive?”
Ji Qingchi paused for a moment, then nodded. “…Miss Su is right.”
After settling the details, Su Yi rose to take her leave. Ji Qingchi looked at the setting sun40 and swallowed the words of invitation to stay that were on the tip of her tongue. She called out, “Someone come, escort Miss Su back to her residence.”
The guards carried Su Yi back in the soft sedan chair. Ji Qingchi stood in the pavilion, gazing absently at the pond. An attendant approached and asked, “Your Highness, should these fish be returned to the lotus pond as usual?”
“No need.” Ji Qingchi smiled slightly. “Tonight, the residence will have fish. Oh, right, send a basket of fish to the Marquis’s residence. Just say Miss Su caught them today, so they belong to Miss Su.”
“Yes.” The attendant acknowledged and was about to leave when Ji Qingchi stopped her again, “Wait.”
The attendant quickly bowed. “Does Your Highness have any other instructions?”
“This box, you deliver it to her for This Palace as well.” Ji Qingchi had someone fetch the box containing the Silver Pearl Kou and other restorative medicines. She hadn’t found a chance to give the items to Su Yi, but this was a good opportunity. “Just say Miss Su accompanied This Palace in angling, and This Palace was very happy. These things are a gift for Miss Su.”
“Yes.”
The author has something to say:
These fish were indeed raised by Ji Qingchi. If she hadn’t raised them, she wouldn’t have been able to name these three types of fish (Crucian Carp, Grass Carp, Mackerel) instantly, rather than other fish.
Footnotes
- 专心致志 | zhuān xīn zhì zhì | Lit. “focus heart, send will”; Meaning: To concentrate completely, with single-minded focus. A Chengyu (four-character idiom).
- 商周 | Shāng Zhōu | The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE) and Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046-256 BCE) are key periods in early Chinese history known for significant advancements, including bronze casting.
- 夸下海口 | kuā xià hǎikǒu | Lit. “boast down sea mouth”; Meaning: To boast, brag, or make an extravagant promise. A Chengyu.
- 忤逆皇族 | wǔnì huángzú | To disobey or act against the imperial family; a serious offense potentially equivalent to lèse-majesté.
- 给她十个胆子都不敢 | gěi tā shí ge dǎnzi dōu bù gǎn | Lit. “give her ten gallbladders [seat of courage in TCM], still wouldn’t dare”; Meaning: Wouldn’t dare under any circumstances, emphasizing extreme fear or caution.
- 侍女 | shìnǚ | Female attendant, maidservant.
- 大张旗鼓 | dà zhāng qí gǔ | Lit. “unfurl banners wide and beat drums loud”; Meaning: To do something with great fanfare, ostentatiously. A Chengyu.
- 心不甘情不愿 | xīn bù gān qíng bù yuàn | Lit. “heart not willing, feelings not wanting”.
- 眼不见心不烦 | yǎn bù jiàn xīn bù fán | Lit. “eyes don’t see, heart isn’t bothered”.
- 恨之入骨 | hèn zhī rù gǔ | Lit. “hate penetrate to the bone”; Meaning: To hate someone intensely, deep-seated hatred. A Chengyu.
- 庶出杂种 | shùchū zázhǒng | Lit. “born of a concubine mixed seed”; A highly offensive insult targeting someone born to a concubine rather than the primary wife, implying low status and illegitimacy (‘bastard’).
- 天怒人怨的事 | tiān nù rén yuàn de shì | Lit. “a matter that angers heaven and incurs human resentment”; Refers to something outrageous or universally condemned. Chengyu: 天怒人怨 (tiān nù rén yuàn).
- 礼官 | lǐguān | Ritual Officer; An official responsible for rites and ceremonies.
- 临川 | Línchuān
- 万一 | wànyī | Lit. “ten thousand to one”; Meaning: Just in case, what if. Expresses a possibility.
- 死无全尸 | sǐ wú quán shī | Lit. “die without a whole corpse”.
- 黄泉做伴 | huángquán zuò bàn | Lit. “Yellow Springs be companions”; The Yellow Springs (黄泉) is the traditional Chinese underworld or realm of the dead.
- 常服 | chángfú | Everyday wear, casual attire (for someone of her status).
- 垂钓 | chuídiào | Angling, fishing (often implying leisurely fishing).
- 赐座 | cì zuò | Lit. “bestow seat”; An imperial or high-status command to allow someone to sit.
- 一步三挪 | yī bù sān nuó | Lit. “one step, three shuffles”; Describes moving very slowly and hesitantly.
- 麻辣小龙虾 | málà xiǎo lóngxiā | Spicy crayfish; A popular modern Chinese dish. ‘Mala’ (麻辣) refers to the numbing (Sichuan peppercorn) and spicy (chili) flavor profile.
- 眼泪不争气地从嘴里流出来了 | yǎnlèi bù zhēngqì de cóng zuǐ lǐ liú chūlái le | Lit. “tears uncooperatively flowed out from the mouth”; A humorous exaggeration, meaning drooling from thinking about delicious food.
- 水煮鱼 | shuǐzhǔyú | Water-boiled fish; A popular Sichuan dish featuring fish fillets poached in a flavorful, oily, and typically very spicy broth. Despite the name “water-boiled,” it’s quite rich.
- 基本操作 | jīběn cāozuò | Lit. “basic operation”; Modern slang meaning standard procedure, expected routine, par for the course.
- 老爷爷看手机表情包 | lǎoyéye kàn shǒujī biǎoqíngbāo | Lit. “old grandpa looking at cellphone expression pack”.
- 什么玩意儿 | shénme wányìr | Lit. “what plaything/thingamajig”; An expression of confusion, annoyance, or disdain. “What is this thing?”, “What the heck?”.
- 观赏的小金鱼 | guānshǎng de xiǎo jīnyú | Small ornamental goldfish (meant for viewing, not eating).
- 清蒸红烧 | qīngzhēng hóngshāo | Steaming (清蒸) and red-braising (红烧) are common Chinese cooking methods for fish.
- 不咸不淡 | bù xián bù dàn | Lit. “not salty, not bland”; Meaning: Lukewarm, indifferent, noncommittal. An idiom.
- 俸禄 | fènglù | Official salary or stipend in historical contexts.
- 青花鱼 | qīnghuāyú | Mackerel (sometimes refers to specific types like chub mackerel).
- 死毒舌 | sǐ dúshé | Lit. “deadly poison tongue”; Refers to someone with a sharp, biting, or sarcastic way of speaking. ‘死’ (sǐ – dead/damned) acts as an intensifier.
- 摆烂 | bǎilàn | Modern slang; Lit. “let it rot”; Meaning: To give up trying, slack off, stop caring about the outcome, often due to feeling overwhelmed or seeing no point in continuing effort.
- 吃奶的力气 | chī nǎi de lìqi | Lit. “suckling milk strength”; The effort an infant uses to nurse. Meaning: To use all one’s strength. An idiom.
- 撂挑子不干 | liào tiāozi bù gàn | Lit. “throw down the carrying pole and not do it”; To quit a job or task suddenly, give up responsibility. An idiom.
- 天下江河相通 | tiānxià jiānghé xiāngtōng | Lit. “Under Heaven, rivers and streams interconnect”; Implies a natural connection or flow between things.
- 五脏六腑 | wǔzàng liùfǔ | The five viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) and six bowels (gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner, bladder) in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Often used metaphorically to mean the entire inner body or one’s innermost feelings.
- 战场凶恶无眼 | zhànchǎng xiōng’è wú yǎn | Lit. “battlefield fierce and evil, has no eyes”; Means war is brutal and strikes randomly, without discernment.
- 下山的太阳 | xià shān de tàiyáng | Lit. “sun descending the mountain”.
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