Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 62
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place
Undercover
When they returned to the residence, they happened to run into Feng Ruoqing and Hua Wuying, who had also just arrived at the entrance of the Su Estate.
Su Yi and Feng Ruoqing came face-to-face, both somewhat surprised. How had the other person suddenly acquired an extra companion?
Hua Wuying was the first to break the silence, waving to Su Yi with a smile. “Miss Su, I have some matters I wish to discuss with you and Her Ninth Highness, so I took the liberty of following Doctor Feng to the Su Estate. I hope Miss Su doesn’t mind?”
Since she had put it that way, what could Su Yi say? Naturally, she could only offer a smile. “Shopkeeper Hua, you’re being too serious. It’s cold outside, let’s go in and talk.”
Afraid that someone observant might discover their secret private exchange, Su Yi specifically had Ji Qingchi put her down. She then had the guards at the entrance bring a wheelchair, letting Feng Ruoqing push her inside.
Ji Qingchi and Hua Wuying, meanwhile, secretly entered her courtyard through the small gate.
After arriving at the courtyard where Su Yi lived, Su Yi dismissed the maids, leaving only the four of them in the room.
Hua Wuying didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point1 about her intentions. “I’ve come to pledge allegiance.”
Ji Qingchi frowned cautiously. “For Shopkeeper Hua to suddenly say this, I’m afraid it’s difficult to convince anyone.”
Hua Wuying smiled sweetly. “To be honest with Your Ninth Highness, I’ve been poisoned and wish for Doctor Feng’s help in treating it. And since Doctor Feng is now the Su Estate’s physician, if I want her help, naturally I must first help Your Highness and Miss Su.”
Ji Qingchi still shook her head. She was inherently suspicious, and Hua Wuying’s previous actions at Yiyun Tower couldn’t be erased by just a few words. “This Palace don’t believe you.”
While the two skillfully deflected2 each other’s words, Su Yi secretly pulled Feng Ruoqing aside and asked her how she ended up coming with this Shopkeeper Hua.
Feng Ruoqing omitted the matter of the bounty placed on her by Xuanji Tower and recounted the circumstances of encountering Hua Wuying. Su Yi was furious upon hearing it. What, that old fox3 Hua Wuying had actually deceived her? Wasn’t her name Hua Ying4?
Feng Ruoqing said helplessly, “Miss, is that really the main point? Shouldn’t the focus be on her identity as the shopkeeper of Yiyun Tower?”
“Ahem, I got carried away for a moment and forgot about that.” Su Yi quickly admitted her mistake and joined Ji Qingchi in interrogating Hua Wuying. “Shopkeeper Hua, since you’ve come to pledge allegiance, you need to show sincerity. Beating around the bush5 is not a sign of sincerity. If you don’t want to tell the truth, then perhaps we shouldn’t talk at all.”
Seeing they weren’t easily fooled, Hua Wuying also dropped the indifferent smile from her face. “I want Xuanji Tower.”
That alone was enough to be convincing.
No one in the world would give up a juicy piece of meat in their own hands for absolutely no benefit.
Ji Qingchi narrowed her eyes. “Such arrogance6. Who are you within Xuanji Tower?”
“My father is the Master of Xuanji Tower. However, he hasn’t managed affairs for a long time. Usually, it’s my older brother who handles the tower’s matters. As for that damned old man, tsk, I don’t even know if he’s dead already. I haven’t seen him in ages.”
Listening to her tone, it seemed her father wasn’t the person who raised her, but rather an enemy with whom she shared irreconcilable hatred7.
Ji Qingchi said, “Listening to Miss Hua’s tone, it seems you deeply resent your own father?”
“He disregarded me time and time again, of course I hate him.” Hua Wuying recounted how her own father was eager to marry her off after she was poisoned, sneering, “If it had been my older brother, he probably would have gone to great lengths8 to find the person who harmed him.”
Listening from the side, Su Yi couldn’t help but also feel filled with righteous indignation. She most hated heartless and disloyal parents like that. “The main culprit who harmed you can’t be let off either! Miss Hua, do you know who harmed you?”
“I had people in the tower investigate for several years, but they never found out who it was.” Hua Wuying spread her hands and smiled, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes. “However, outside Xuanji Tower, everyone says it was the good work of my dear older brother.”
Ji Qingchi frowned. “Your older brother?”
“Yes, my older brother, Hua Wushang9. In the jianghu, he’s known as the Blood Dripper10. What, does Your Ninth Highness recognize him too?”
Ji Qingchi shook her head, but beside her, Su Yi’s cat-like body trembled.
Hua Wushang? Wasn’t that another member of the female protagonist’s harem?
The book described the female protagonist having a bounty of 100,000 taels of gold placed on her head, facing endless11 waves of pursuing assassins. Later, she encountered the Young Master of Xuanji Tower, Hua Wushang. He greatly admired her unyielding spirit as she fought against the tower’s top ten masters. After she exhausted herself fighting the ten masters, he personally entered the fray to battle her. Ultimately, the female protagonist was defeated, suffering heavy injuries and falling unconscious. Hua Wushang, however, did not kill her. Instead, he took the injured female protagonist to a remote cabin in the wilderness to care for her, and the two gradually developed feelings for each other.
…Wait, Young Master?
Su Yi recalled the original plot and was suddenly startled by the description within it.
She asked hesitantly, “Miss Hua, forgive my presumption, but is your older brother addressed as Young Master by the people in Xuanji Tower?”
Hua Wuying nodded. “Precisely.”
Now, not only Su Yi, but even Ji Qingchi wore a look of disgust.
That guy12 they had just splashed with foot-washing water was actually the Young Master of Xuanji Tower?
Seeing their expressions, Hua Wuying smiled. “What, have you two met my older brother?”
Su Yi said, “To be honest14, we just met him.”
And so, she recounted the incident at the inn.
“Hahahahahahaha.” Hearing that her own brother had been splashed with foot-washing water, Hua Wuying rocked back and forth with laughter, tears streaming down her face. “Good splash! If I get the chance next time, I’ll go splash him too!”
It was clear she really detested her brother.
Ji Qingchi asked, “Like Chen Bi and Xi Yun, are there many other undercover agents sent to Yanxue Kingdom?”
“Many. My father and the others are colluding with Huachen Kingdom. It seems they’re plotting to annex Yanxue Kingdom, so they sent many undercover agents in.” Hua Wuying stopped laughing, wiped her tears, and spoke frankly. “I wouldn’t dare say every powerful and noble household in your Yanxue Kingdom has one, but there’s at least one for every three such households.”
Su Yi immediately said, “Then according to you, the Su Estate has one too?”
“That possibility cannot be ruled out.”
Their estate actually had a spy? This was intolerable! Su Yi immediately took people to her Great-grandmother’s courtyard and informed her.
Su Ban took the matter very seriously and immediately had the estate’s steward lead people to conduct a search. Soon, two suspicious individuals were found. One was the flower artisan responsible for tending the garden’s flowers and plants; the other was the woman Su Yi had just rescued.
The two were brought to the estate’s garden, both bound with their hands tied behind their backs and cloth stuffed in their mouths.
The flower artisan showed no struggle, her expression composed. In contrast, the woman Su Yi had brought back struggled constantly, pushing and shoving, trying hard to remove the ropes binding her. Two or three guards could barely hold her down.
“Release her.” Su Yi arrived at the garden with her people and saw this scene, immediately ordering the guards.
The guard hesitated. “But Miss, what if she has ill intentions?”
Compared to the flower artisan beside her, this woman was much more aggressive; the possibility of her being the spy seemed higher.
“I will vouch for her,” Su Yi stated immediately. “Release her.”
Su Yi was the legitimate eldest young miss of the estate; the guards dared not disobey. They hesitated before loosening their grip. The woman was still swaying left and right, trying to undo the ropes on her hands, but her movements were hampered. After a couple of tries, she fell to the ground, splashing mud and water all over herself.
Su Yi’s heart ached watching this. She wanted to step forward and untie the ropes for her, but Ji Qingchi immediately stopped her. “It’s too dangerous. If something happens, you won’t be able to dodge in time. Let me do it.”
Saying this, she had Yan Can and Gan Cao take good care of Su Yi, while she slowly walked forward.
She untied the woman’s ropes and removed the cloth from her mouth. Just as she was about to leave, the woman turned her face, saw her clearly, and her eyes lit up. She grabbed Ji Qingchi’s sleeve tightly, refusing to let her go.
Ji Qingchi frowned slightly. When her gaze fell upon the woman’s ruined face, her heart skipped a beat. Why did this person seem somewhat familiar?
It wasn’t surprising she had this thought. Martial artists like them didn’t just look at appearances but also at bone structure15. As long as they had seen someone before, they would remember their bone structure. Although this woman’s face was ruined, the contours of her bone structure and features remained, hence the feeling of familiarity.
“Insolent commoner16, how dare you disrespect Her Highness!” Just then, Su Ban, Su Jie, and Su Ming arrived. Seeing this scene, Su Ban’s heart leaped into her throat, and she scolded, “Release Her Highness at once!”
At her command, Su Jie also reacted, calling to the guards nearby, “What are you standing around for? Hurry up and pull that person away!”
“Yes.” The guards quickly moved forward, grabbing the woman with both hands to pull her away. The woman resisted with all her might, clinging tightly to Ji Qingchi’s sleeve, letting out choked, sobbing sounds, tears rolling down like worthless beads.
Su Yi couldn’t bear to watch and quickly stepped forward, wanting to mediate.
In that flash17, Ji Qingchi recognized who the disfigured person before her was. After all, their fight last time had been intense; it was impossible to forget. She asked hesitantly, “Cui… Jinli18?”
“Woo woo…” The woman nodded frantically at her, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
This name caused everyone present to turn pale with fright. Cui Jinli had been quite the center of attention at the Emperor’s palace banquet last time; everyone knew she was Minister Cui’s daughter.
Su Yi had already reached them. She had the guards release the woman, asked a maid to help her up, wiped the mud from her face, and asked gently, “Are you the daughter of the Minister of Revenue19?”
“Woo woo…” The woman continued to nod. Seeing Su Yi, she seemed to relax considerably, becoming somewhat more reserved and no longer thrashing about.
Su Ban was astonished. “This… How did Lord Cui’s beloved daughter end up in our estate?”
After everyone recognized the woman as the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, the flower artisan, who had been calm and composed all along, suddenly changed expression. Ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
Yan Can, who was closest to her, saw it and quickly screamed, “Miss, be careful!”
Su Yi looked up just in time to see the flower artisan produce a sharp dagger from somewhere, stabbing straight towards her with a bright flash.
The sound of the blade cutting through the air reached her ears. With Su Yi’s frail body, she certainly couldn’t escape.
The three Su family elders cried out in alarm, shouting for the nearby guards to protect Su Yi.
But the guards were too far away to help20. At the critical moment21, Ji Qingchi swiftly stepped forward, pulling Su Yi into her embrace and using a hidden weapon in her left hand to block the dagger.
Clang!
The hidden weapon and the dagger collided with a sharp sound, striking sparks. The force behind the woman’s thrust was too great; a long, bloody gash was instantly carved into Ji Qingchi’s arm.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, she fiercely kicked the dagger from the woman’s hand, then landed a solid kick on her stomach, roaring furiously, “Dare to touch her, you’re courting death!”
Footnotes
- Original: 开门见山 | kāi mén jiàn shān | Lit. “open the door and see the mountain”; Meaning: Get straight to the point.
- Original: 四两拨千斤 | sì liǎng bō qiān jīn | Lit. “four taels deflect a thousand catties”; Meaning: To deflect a strong force with minimal effort, skillfully.
- 老狐狸 | lǎo húli | Old fox; a common term for a cunning, sly person.
- 花影 | Huā Yǐng
- Original: 顾左右而言他 | gù zuǒ yòu ér yán tā | Lit. “look left and right and speak of other things”; Meaning: To evade the topic, beat around the bush.
- Original: 好大的口气 | hǎo dà de kǒuqì | Lit. “such big breath/tone”; Meaning: What arrogance, what nerve, such big talk.
- Original: 不共戴天之仇 | bù gòng dài tiān zhī chóu | Lit. “hatred of not sharing the same sky”; Meaning: Irreconcilable hatred, mortal enmity.
- Original: 掘地三尺 | jué dì sān chǐ | Lit. “dig three chi (feet) into the ground”; Meaning: To search high and low, go to great lengths.
- 花无伤 | Huā Wúshāng
- 血滴子 | Xuèdīzi | Lit. “Blood Dropper/Droplet.” A legendary assassination weapon, often used figuratively or as a fearsome title/nickname in martial arts fiction.
- Original: 层出不穷 | céng chū bù qióng | Lit. “emerge layer upon layer without end”; Meaning: Endlessly, one after another.
- 玩意儿 | wányìr | Lit. “thing/toy.” Can be used neutrally for “thing” or “stuff,” but often carries a dismissive or derogatory connotation when referring to a person.
- 掉价 | diàojià | Lit. “drop in price”; Meaning: To lose status, become cheapened, demeaning.
- Original: 实不相瞒 | shí bù xiāngmán | Lit. “truly not concealing from each other”; Meaning: To be honest, frankly speaking.
- 骨相 | gǔxiàng | Lit. “bone appearance/physiognomy.” Refers to the underlying bone structure of the face and body, sometimes believed in physiognomy or martial arts contexts to reveal character or identity even if superficial features change.
- 大胆刁民 | dàdǎn diāomín | Bold/Audacious treacherous commoner. An archaic, formal insult used by officials or nobility.
- Original: 电光火石间 | diàn guāng huǒ shí jiān | Lit. “in the time of lightning flash and spark from flint”; Meaning: In an instant, in a flash.
- 崔金璃 | Cuī Jīnlí
- 户部尚书 | Hùbù Shàngshū | Minister of Revenue. The Hubu (Ministry of Revenue) was one of the six ministries in imperial China, responsible for finances, household registration, and taxation. Shangshu was the ministerial rank.
- Original: 鞭长莫及 | biān cháng mò jí | Lit. “the whip is long, but it cannot reach”; Meaning: Beyond one’s power or influence, too far away to help.
- Original: 千钧一发之际 | qiān jūn yī fà zhī jì | Lit. “at the moment of a thousand jun hanging by a single hair” (jun is an ancient weight unit); Meaning: At the critical juncture, in the nick of time.
Man, Poor gal I hope they will get revenge! And also goodluck to the damn spy. Thanks for the chapter reading this novel is very endearing!!;