Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 49
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place
Stratagem
Listening intently until there were no more footsteps, Ji Qingchi breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted the bedcovers, her smile vanished, and she bowed formally to apologize. “My sincere apologies, Miss Su. Just now, there was no other way; I had to resort to this desperate measure.”
“…Cough… cough… It’s okay…” Su Yi’s face was still flushed, her hair wet and messy, her voice hoarse—clearly, she was not okay.
But there was nothing to be done. What the female protagonist had said was the truth. If they hadn’t pretended to be a couple just now, they probably would have been exposed1.
Besides, there was something she found rather difficult to admit: after being pressed down like that by the female protagonist, the burning heat she had felt inside her body earlier had actually completely dissipated.
Only her head was still a little dizzy; she must have caught a fever from opening the window and being exposed to the wind earlier. But thankfully, she felt her own forehead—it wasn’t hot anymore. She just needed to rest up a bit more.
The one thing Su Yi felt thankful for was that during her moment of social death2 earlier, she had been covered by the quilt, so no one else had seen her face.
“Miss Su, you’re soaked through.” Ji Qingchi looked at the person beside her, whose temple curls were damp3, and felt a place in her heart melt open, scalding hot, searing her throat until it ached slightly.
She swallowed imperceptibly, her gaze shifting from Su Yi’s snow-white skin to her pale face. “Shall This Palace use my vital energy4 to dry Miss Su’s clothes for you?”
She was feeling damp and sticky all over, quite uncomfortable. Hearing Ji Qingchi say this, how could she possibly refuse? She quickly expressed her gratitude, “Then, many thanks, Ninth Highness.”
Ji Qingchi dried her clothes for her, and even her hair became refreshingly pristine.
You really had to say, vital energy was such a good thing! Instantly, she felt much more comfortable all over. Su Yi was incredibly envious, so she leaned closer and asked Ji Qingchi, “Ninth Highness, this vital energy, how does one acquire it?”
Ji Qingchi looked at her sparkling eyes and chuckled lightly. “Study with a martial arts expert for twelve years, regardless of the season5, and you can have it too.”
Su Yi: “……”
Forget it; she gave up hope. She wasn’t the female protagonist, destined to unite the world and gather a harem. She was just a minor cannon fodder6; eating well and living well was the most important thing.
Ji Qingchi took the fox-fur cloak she had grabbed along with Su Yi earlier and wrapped it around her. “It’s cold outside. Miss Su, your constitution is weak. Wear this.”
“Thank you, Ninth Highness.” Su Yi bundled herself up, gazing outside with some worry. “Should we leave now?”
There was no guarantee those people wouldn’t come back again. Logically speaking, this should be the safest place.
Ji Qingchi frowned, deep in thought, when suddenly a muffled thud came from inside the wardrobe.
Su Yi jumped in fright, unconsciously leaning a little closer to Ji Qingchi.
Ji Qingchi reached out, seemingly steadying her from a distance, and said softly, “Miss Su, do not fear. When you fainted earlier, I hid Seventh Imperial Sister in the wardrobe.”
No sooner had her words fallen than the Seventh Imperial Daughter tumbled out of the wardrobe. Dizzy and disoriented, the effects of the alcohol having mostly worn off, she groaned and rubbed the places where she’d hurt herself falling. Looking up, she saw Ji Qingchi supporting Su Yi and exclaimed in surprise, “Little Nine, Miss Su? How did you two end up together? Where are Second Imperial Sister and Third Imperial Sister?”
She looked around again. “Eh? How did This Palace get here?”
Ji Qingchi explained the situation to her. The Seventh Imperial Daughter covered her mouth in embarrassment. “Third Imperial Sister always said my bluntness7 would get me into trouble; I never thought it would actually happen. Little Nine, what should we do now?”
“Let’s wait for a bit first. Right now, they are searching for us. Going out now would be like throwing ourselves willingly into the net.”
“So, later, should we first go back to rescue Second Imperial Sister and Third Imperial Sister, or should we go back to call for reinforcements?”
Ji Qingchi thought for a moment, then said, “Since we’ve come all this way, it wouldn’t make sense to leave empty-handed. Those people don’t want to expose their identities and don’t want to provoke powerful figures, so Second Imperial Sister and Third Imperial Sister should not be in danger. How about this: later, I will provide cover, Seventh Imperial Sister, you take Miss Su out first. I will investigate further just what is strange about this tavern.”
The Seventh Imperial Daughter nodded quickly and patted her chest towards Su Yi, saying, “Alright, Miss Su, you come with me. Even if I get injured myself, I will definitely ensure your safety.”
Su Yi shook her head. “Many thanks for Your Seventh Highness’s kind intentions, but this commoner came to this tavern to save my friend. This place is strange, and her fate is currently unknown8. I cannot disregard her safety; I must rescue her.”
Ji Qingchi asked, “Miss Su’s friend is?”
“Her surname is Feng, and her name is Feng Ruoqing. She is a doctor.”
So it was Feng Ruoqing. Ji Qingchi breathed a sigh of relief; she had thought Su Yi had made some intimate friend without her knowledge.
Seeing Su Yi’s resolute attitude, Ji Qingchi knew she couldn’t persuade her, so she said, “In that case, Miss Su and I will stay behind. Seventh Imperial Sister, you go out and summon reinforcements.”
The Seventh Imperial Daughter asked worriedly, “Just the two of you, will that be alright?”
The two replied in unison, “Don’t worry, we won’t have any problems.”
After speaking, both paused for a moment and looked at each other. Ji Qingchi smiled faintly, while Su Yi thought, Damn it9, since when did I have such unspoken understanding with the female protagonist?
Seeing they had such rapport, the Seventh Imperial Daughter felt reassured.
Thinking about it, Ninth Imperial Sister’s martial arts are strong, and Su Yi is clever. The two of them together should be fine, the Seventh Imperial Daughter nodded. “Alright, let’s do that then.”
The three waited in the room for a while. Ji Qingchi used her Qinggong to sneak out stealthily. Seeing no one searching, she first let the Seventh Imperial Daughter come out.
The Seventh Imperial Daughter disguised herself as an ordinary guest. Ji Qingchi covered her as she left the tavern, only then returning to the room.
Su Yi was already waiting for her at the door. “Ninth Highness, did you encounter any trouble?”
“No, Seventh Imperial Sister left safely. But this tavern is so large, where should we start investigating?”
“We are currently on the first floor. This is the area providing female courtesans to entertain ordinary guests. Earlier, I was on the third floor. I didn’t get a detailed look, but that woman was able to gather so many men so quickly, it must be a place providing male courtesans. Which floor was Ninth Highness on?”
“The fourth floor. That should be the place for entertaining high officials and dignitaries. When we first arrived, Second Imperial Sister gave a lot of money, and the fourth floor’s decoration is very luxurious. As soon as those people saw how we were dressed, they led us to the fourth floor. I also checked the rear courtyard; there are guards posted there. When Seventh Imperial Sister was taken away, that’s where she was sent.”
“Then the second floor must also be a place providing pleasure. The only places really worth investigating are the fifth floor and the rear courtyard. However, just to be safe, the second floor should be checked too.”
After analyzing the situation, Su Yi asked Ji Qingchi, “Your Highness, should we go to the second floor, the fifth floor, or the rear courtyard?”
“I just made a trip to the rear courtyard to retrieve Seventh Imperial Sister. Security there should be extremely tight now.” Ji Qingchi thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s find an opportunity to slip onto the second floor, and then proceed from the second floor to the fifth.”
But how could they get to the second floor?
There should be people guarding every floor now. If they went out rashly, they would certainly be captured.
Su Yi lowered her head in thought. Ji Qingchi looked at the light clothing left in the room and suddenly asked, “Miss Su, did those people pursuing us earlier see your face?”
“I spoke with her for such a long time; she definitely saw my face.”
Ji Qingchi carefully recalled the situation after retrieving the person from the rear courtyard. Her Qinggong was excellent; she had slipped away without being seen. Even when she threatened that woman, she had her back turned to her. “Earlier, I should not have been seen.”
“The likelihood of me being caught if I go out now is lower.” As she spoke, her gaze fell upon the pile of clothes in the room. “As for Miss Su… you might have to endure some hardship.”
“They were perfectly fine, how could the person suddenly disappear?”
Hua Wuying10 leaned against the first-floor staircase, watching the guests coming and going below. She slowly and methodically applied balsam flower juice11 to her nails, then spread her fingers to admire her handiwork. “They must be hiding somewhere. Just go search again.”
The woman who was the Left Protector, the one who had previously pursued Su Yi and the others, sneered, “Easy for the Eldest Miss to say. There are so many people in this building; how are we supposed to search?”
“The Left Protector possesses so many methods. It’s only a few people who managed to sneak in; how could you possibly fail to find them?”
The Left Protector woman retorted angrily, “How can the Eldest Miss be so negligent! Aren’t you afraid I will report this to the Tower Master?”
“Tsk.” Only then did Hua Wuying raise her eyes.
She gave the furious woman before her a serious look, then smiled as she spoke, “Yang Wan12, how long have you been the Left Protector?”
Yang Wan retorted furiously, “Does the Eldest Miss think that bringing up old matters with this subordinate will prevent this subordinate from reporting?”
“The Left Protector handles matters impartially, of course This Seat know that. Feel free to report.” Hua Wuying smiled faintly. “But I recall, the Left Protector joined Xuanji Tower twelve years ago, didn’t you? How is it that you are still the Left Protector today? Guard Niu, who was previously responsible for my safety, has already become a Hall Master13 through my recommendation. Guard Niu loves to drink, eat meat, and gamble, and his work cannot compare to the Left Protector’s. How is it that after all these years, the Left Protector remains merely a Protector?”
Faced with this barrage of questions, Yang Wan’s face turned pale and livid14; she stammered, unable to utter a word.
Hua Wuying smiled. “I know you belong to my older brother. In any case, I am merely a figurehead15 in Xuanji Tower. I don’t particularly care about the position of Tower Master either. I just feel it’s unfair to Protector Yang. My older brother has been the Young Master for six years now. If even I could help Guard Niu become a Hall Master, how is it that my older brother hasn’t allowed the Left Protector to rise any higher?”
This remark struck precisely at the deepest feelings in Yang Wan’s heart, like a knife’s thrust.
She thought about how she had lived dangerously, licking blood off knife-edges16, in Xuanji Tower for over a decade. She had assumed that by aligning herself with the Young Master, she would gain a powerful backer17. Yet, she watched as people around the Eldest Miss were promoted one after another, while she alone remained stuck in place. Her position as Protector had even been demoted from Right Protector to Left Protector. Anyone in her position would feel resentful.
Seeing Yang Wan lower her head without speaking, Hua Wuying smiled faintly and looked down at the flower juice on her own hands. “That Miss Su on the third floor is frail and prone to illness; I fear she won’t last long in that third-floor environment. Take her friend to her room, and then send Miss Su away.”
“I’m afraid that’s no longer possible.”
Hua Wuying looked up, her expression like a smile yet not a smile. “What does the Left Protector mean by that?”
A momentary flash of killing intent startled Yang Wan. She quickly composed herself, thinking, This Eldest Miss is just a useless straw bag18; how could she possibly possess killing intent? I must be too tired, my senses are playing tricks on me. “That Miss Su wasn’t staying put; she was running around everywhere. Unfortunately, just now, she was taken hostage by the people causing a disturbance in the tavern. Her current whereabouts are unknown.”
“Ha.” Hua Wuying laughed. “Taken hostage? What a coincidence.”
Yang Wan nodded emphatically, showing not a trace of guilt19, as if she hadn’t been the one who had dealt with20 Su Yi earlier. “Yes.”
“Very well then.” Hua Wuying tossed aside the object in her hand. “I shall go search together with Protector Yang. Let’s see just who these people are, so formidable that even Protector Yang cannot locate them.”
With that, she started up the stairs. “Protector Yang, aren’t you anxious to apprehend them? Hurry up!”
Yang Wan followed behind Hua Wuying with a group of thugs. As they were heading upstairs, they encountered a woman with a scar on her face, half her hair hanging loose and covering one eye. She seemed quite drunk, a fox-fur cloak wrapped around the courtesan nestled in her arms, swaying unsteadily as she headed towards the second floor.
As she walked, she was flirting with the courtesan. “Sweetheart, you’re truly beautiful… Mmm… let me steal a couple more kisses…”
“Guest… we’re still outside…” The courtesan seemed very shy, lowering her head to grasp the woman’s mischievous hand and push it away gently. “Let’s talk more once we get inside.”
“But I can’t wait! Sweetheart, you’re just too beautiful, my heart is melting… Mmm… let me get a good look at you…”
As she spoke, she leaned against the courtesan’s body again a few times, seemingly touching somewhere she shouldn’t have, which elicited a soft moan from the courtesan that could make anyone’s heart flutter.
The courtesan let out a sound of playful reproach and tapped her lightly. “Guest, you’re so naughty~”
“Hahaha… If I weren’t bad, how would you feel so good…” The woman hugged her tighter still, almost kneading her into her embrace. “Quickly now, sweetheart, I can’t wait any longer! Sweetheart, you really know how to cry out. You have to cry out just like that later, understand?”
With that said, she impatiently pulled the courtesan along and walked off.
Yang Wan blocked their path. Looking at the woman’s scarred face and ordinary clothes, she asked contemptuously, “Hold on. The second floor is for private rooms. Do you have the money?”
“You dare talk to this young miss about money?” The woman acted as if a sore spot had been touched. She pulled out fifty silver pieces from her robes and tossed them to Yang Wan. Her eyes were hazy with drink, her tone resentful. “This young miss has plenty of money! You… are you looking down on me too? Let me tell you! Even if my mother kicked me out of the house, I’m still the Eldest Miss of the rice merchant family! When she dies, the family fortune will still be mine! Are you… are you looking down on me?”
Weighing the silver in her hand, Yang Wan stepped aside to let them pass. So, it’s just some profligate daughter21 who got kicked out of her home and came here looking for pleasure. No wonder she looks so down on her luck, she thought. But since she paid, there’s no reason to stop her.
The principle in this tavern was ‘the customer comes first’22. Seeing the situation, Hua Wuying also moved aside, allowing them to go up.
Since the Eldest Miss had stepped aside, the others could only make way as well.
Yang Wan watched the pair hurry upstairs with disdain, thinking, They say that here in Yanxue Kingdom, women possess both literary talents and martial prowess, yet there are still hopeless cases like this one, like mud too soft to plaster a wall23.
“Mmm… Sweetheart, truly beautiful…”
“Ah… Guest, don’t… you can’t touch there… mmm…”
Even from a distance, the sounds of their flirting could still be heard. Yang Wan cursed them under her breath as shameless and followed the beaming Hua Wuying away.
“Sweetheart… Hsss—Miss Su, please show mercy!”
Once the group had departed, Ji Qingchi could finally tend to her pain.
Su Yi, that vengeful one! When Ji Qingchi had been carrying her upstairs, in order to make the act more convincing, she had “accidentally” groped her chest a couple of times24. As a result, Su Yi had been relentlessly pinching the flesh at Ji Qingchi’s waist ever since.
Su Yi looked utterly innocent. “Your Highness’s waist doesn’t have an ounce of spare flesh; it’s hard as iron. This commoner25 only pinched once just now; surely it doesn’t hurt that much?”
If anything, she thought, from the moment they left the room until they got upstairs, she was the one thoroughly taken advantage of by Ji Qingchi, and she hadn’t even cried out yet!
Does having no fat on one’s waist mean it doesn’t hurt? When Su Yi pinched her, she grabbed only a thin layer of skin—that hurts even more, alright?
Ji Qingchi shot her a dark look but decided not to press the issue. After all, she had been the one to act improperly first.
The soft, supple sensation seemed to linger on her hand. Ji Qingchi inconspicuously rubbed her right hand and cleared her throat with a cough. “Let’s drop the subject. We’ve made it upstairs; let’s quickly see if there’s anything out of place here.”
Footnotes
- 露馅 | lòu xiàn | Lit. “filling leaks out”; To have one’s secret revealed, to be found out.
- 社死 | shè sǐ | Lit. “social death”; Modern internet slang for extreme public embarrassment.
- 云鬓濡湿 | yún bìn rú shī | Lit. “cloud temples moist”; A literary description of hair at the temples being wet.
- 真气 | zhēnqì | Lit. “true energy/breath”; A fundamental concept in cultivation and martial arts, referring to internal or vital energy cultivated within the body.
- 不分寒暑 | bù fēn hán shǔ | Lit. “not distinguishing cold and heat”; Regardless of winter or summer, year-round.
- 小炮灰 | xiǎo pàohuī | Lit. “little cannon ash”; Webnovel slang for an insignificant character destined for a bad end or minor role.
- 心直口快 | xīn zhí kǒu kuài | Lit. “heart straight, mouth fast”; Describes someone who speaks frankly and impulsively, often without considering the consequences.
- 生死未卜 | shēng sǐ wèi bǔ | Lit. “life death not yet divined”; Whether someone is alive or dead is unknown.
- 见鬼 | jiàn guǐ | Lit. “see a ghost”; A common exclamation similar to “Damn it!” or “What the hell?!”
- 花无影 | Huā Wúyǐng | Wuying means “without shadow.”
- 凤仙花汁 | fèngxiān huā zhī | Juice from the Impatiens balsamina flower, traditionally used in some parts of Asia to dye fingernails red or orange.
- 杨菀 | Yáng Wǎn
- 坛主 | Tánzhǔ | Lit. “Altar Master” or “Platform Master”; A mid-level leadership position in some organizations/sects.
- 又白又青 | yòu bái yòu qīng | Lit. “both white and green/blue”; Describes a face pale with shock or fear, then flushed/livid with anger or frustration.
- 摆设 | bǎishè | Lit. “decoration,” “furnishing”; Used metaphorically to mean someone with a title but no real power, a mere ornament.
- 刀尖舔血 | dāo jiān tiǎn xuè | Lit. “lick blood from the knife’s edge”; To live a dangerous life, constantly facing peril (often associated with mercenaries, spies, or martial artists in risky situations).
- 大靠山 | dà kàoshān | Lit. “big backing mountain”; A powerful person or connection offering support and protection.
- 草包 | cǎobāo | Lit. “straw bag”; An insult meaning someone is useless, incompetent, or an idiot.
- 心虚 | xīnxū | Lit. “heart empty”; Feeling guilty, having a guilty conscience, lacking confidence due to wrongdoing.
- 教训 | jiàoxun | Can mean “to teach a lesson,” often implying punishment, a beating, or harsh treatment.
- 纨绔子弟 | wánkù zǐdì | Lit. “silk-trousered disciple”; Scion of a rich family, often implies spoiled, dissolute, or hedonistic.
- 客人至上 | kèrén zhìshàng | The customer is supreme/king.
- 烂泥扶不上墙 | làn ní fú bù shàng qiáng | Lit. “rotten mud cannot be supported onto a wall”; Describes someone utterly useless, incompetent, or beyond help.
- 揉了两把她的胸 | róu le liǎng bǎ tā de xiōng | Lit. “rubbed/kneaded her chest two handfuls..
- 草民 | cǎomín | Lit. “grass person”; A humble self-referential term used by commoners when addressing officials or royalty, similar to 民女 (mínnǚ) but gender-neutral or masculine.
0 Comments