Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 34
by Little PandaPower Overwhelming the Court
Deposed Empress 09
Covering the Sky with One Hand
Zero Nine watched from System Space, thoroughly entertained, but she still silently bumped up her Host’s brutality index.
Experience had taught her one lesson: never wake the great Demon King Xin Lan from her sleep.
Because when she was riled up, not only would she beat people — she’d fuck them in the ass.
Xin Lan returned to her palace and brushed the dust off her clothes.
That little bout of activity had actually chased away her sleepiness.
She took off her outer robe and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy above her.
Her severe wake-up crankiness wasn’t just from past sleep deprivation — it was also because once she was jolted awake, she couldn’t fall back asleep.
She closed her eyes. One minute later, she opened them again.
She was wondering if she’d still gone too easy on him.
It had been such a beautiful night, and it’d been completely ruined.
She really wanted to make Wu Yanqing suffer, but she still hadn’t gone for the kill. Medical care was so primitive in this era — if she accidentally went too far and the man ended up half-dead, how would she keep torturing him afterward? Leaving a psychological scar was enough. That was why she’d put the sheath on the dagger blade, to prevent Wu Yanqing from being incapacitated by injuries to an unspeakable area — and to avoid any complications from developing.
Come to think of it, she’d also lost a dagger.
That was annoying.
But there hadn’t been anything handy in that room. Everything was too bulky, and nothing could be, well, inserted. The only usable item was probably the sword hanging by the bed — but to prevent Wu Yanqing from seeing her figure and face, she hadn’t gone over to grab it.
Though she hadn’t seen Wu Yanqing’s expression herself, Zero Nine had already described it in vivid detail. Just thinking about it was deeply satisfying.
Xin Lan exhaled and closed her eyes. One minute later, she opened them again.
She couldn’t sleep, and her mood soured once more.
Xin Lan simply got out of bed, dressed, and walked out of Biyue Palace.
Tonight there were no stars and no moon. Xin Lan sat on Biyue Palace’s wall, letting the cool night breeze wash over her as she watched the imperial palace sink into darkness.
She sat cross-legged for a while, found it dull, and went back inside.
Chun Yue was still unconscious. She woke her gently.
Chun Yue sat up, dazed, confusion in her eyes.
Xin Lan told her she was going out. If she wasn’t back by morning, don’t panic — carry on as usual, and she’d return tomorrow.
Xin Lan wasn’t worried about the Emperor coming to look for her. There was no way to trace it back to her, and the Emperor had more than enough on his own plate — he’d hardly have time to bother with her.
Chun Yue nodded and collapsed back onto the bed, still clueless about what was happening.
Xin Lan left Biyue Palace and exited the imperial palace.
Every door on the street was shut tight. Like a ghost, Xin Lan walked down the long avenue until she reached a tavern with lanterns still lit.
The proprietress was a middle-aged woman hunched over her accounts, her abacus clacking and clattering.
Hearing the bell at the door, she looked up at once with a smile.
“Come in, come in. What kind of wine are you in the mood for tonight?”
She’d expected a regular customer, but the one who walked in was a stunning young woman.
“What’s the best wine you have?”
The young woman spoke, and her voice was pleasant too. The proprietress glanced past her — sure enough, several men in the shop were already eyeing the girl with undisguised hunger.
“We have fine Sangluo wine1, and Monkey Brew2. Will you be drinking it yourself, or taking it home for a man?”
“Drinking it myself.”
“It isn’t safe for a young woman to be out alone at night, let alone drinking. Someone could take advantage of you — especially with a face like that. Why not buy something lighter and sweeter, and drink it at home?” The proprietress gave her a hesitant glance and lowered her voice.
“Then two jars of Autumn Dew White3,” Xin Lan said, eyeing the wooden sign hanging on the tavern wall.
She took the wine, paid, and turned to leave.
Standing outside the tavern, she paused, debating: left or right.
Left led to Qu Zhian’s residence. Right led to where Ah Rou was.
Xin Lan thought for a moment, then walked right.
A few steps to the right, she backed up and went left instead.
Qu Zhian was roused by knocking. She threw on a robe and got up, only to find a woman standing at the door holding wine.
“Lord Qu, do you have morning court tomorrow?”
“I do.”
Qu Zhian nodded.
“My apologies for the intrusion. I’ll take my leave.”
“But I can ask for leave. Enjoyed the cool night air a bit too much and caught a chill.”
Qu Zhian called out to stop the departing Xin Lan, smiling warmly.
Xin Lan raised an eyebrow and walked in with the wine.
“Your room, or the courtyard?”
“The room. The courtyard is stuffy and full of mosquitoes.”
Xin Lan had no objection. She carried the wine to Qu Zhian’s room and watched her close the door.
“What brings you here in such high spirits tonight, seeking me out for a drink?”
Qu Zhian asked curiously. This was a first.
And to think Xin Lan actually drank — that meant she could invite her for drinks next time.
“Something happened. I couldn’t sleep, so I came over. I didn’t mean to disturb you, but drinking alone isn’t much fun either.”
“Hardly a disturbance. I’m flattered, honestly.”
Qu Zhian was genuinely pleased by the gesture — not the least bit annoyed at being roused from sleep. That meant their relationship had drawn a step closer.
The wine jars weren’t large. Xin Lan didn’t bother pouring into cups — she drank straight from the mouth of the jar.
Seeing that, Qu Zhian abandoned any pretense of refinement, set aside her cup, and picked up her own jar.
Xin Lan took a big swallow, the sharp burn sliding down her throat. The wine was mellow and fragrant, with a sweet aftertaste.
She hadn’t drunk in a long time. Downing a large mouthful all at once actually left her a little dizzy.
“What happened that has you sneaking out of the palace in the middle of the night to drink?”
“Last time he didn’t succeed. Today he tried the same trick again.”
“What?! Are you all right?”
Alarm and fury flooded Qu Zhian’s face. She scanned Xin Lan from head to toe, checking every inch for injury, and only relaxed when she found none.
Once the relief set in, the anger surged up.
“Why does he keep hounding and tormenting you? You’re no threat to him anymore — why won’t he let you go?”
Qu Zhian genuinely couldn’t fathom why the Emperor would resort to such despicable methods against Xin Lan again and again. What deep grudge could there possibly be that wouldn’t even leave her in peace in the cold palace?
“If only I knew the reason. He owes me so much, and I haven’t even settled accounts with him yet. I never imagined I’d be such an eyesore — even the cold palace couldn’t keep me out of his reach.”
Hearing this, Qu Zhian had no idea how to comfort her. Xin Lan didn’t look the least bit distressed. Her expression was utterly calm, her face blank as she kept pouring wine into her mouth.
Qu Zhian could hardly imagine how a woman endured such terror. For once, she set aside all reverence for the Emperor and wanted nothing more than to call him a beast.
A monster wearing a human face — nothing about his surface appearance gave the slightest clue.
Qu Zhian grew agitated. She clinked her jar against Xin Lan’s and gulped down a large mouthful. Before she could swallow, wine dribbled from her chin and soaked into her collar.
At this rate, the one drowning her sorrows didn’t look like Xin Lan — it looked like Qu Zhian.
“Why do you seem more miserable than I am?”
Xin Lan held her wine in one hand and poked Qu Zhian’s cheek with the other. There was a bit of flesh there, and it felt pleasant to the touch.
“He did that to you — how come you don’t seem that angry?”
When Xin Lan spoke of it, her tone was completely flat.
“I’ve already been angry.”
Xin Lan was even smiling now, her mood much improved.
Zero Nine, who had witnessed everything, stayed silent. Not angry? The Demon King had been so furious her lungs were about to burst. She’d already gone and ass-fucked the guy — if she weren’t keeping him around for amusement, the Emperor would probably end up with a cracked skull and twisted limbs.
Xin Lan gave a brief account of what had happened, emphasizing that the Emperor had even come in person to gloat — but left without getting his show. As for how she’d retaliated afterward, she left that part out.
That content was far too brutal — better not to frighten anyone.
“A man so petty and narrow-minded…”
…Was this really the sovereign she was supposed to revere and follow?
In truth, her faith had already wavered almost completely from the very start. She simply hadn’t said so — there were other reasons, too — so she’d been enduring in silence.
If the Emperor was truly unable to strike at the Xin family in the court, and so instead turned his aggression on his discarded first wife in the rear palace just to make himself feel better — that was simply absurd.
Not only was it petty and beneath all dignity, it reeked of his own incompetence and cowardice.
Xin Lan could see what Qu Zhian was thinking. She tapped her wine jar gently against Qu Zhian’s.
Only worthless men needed to assert their existence through women, wielding their natural advantage to threaten and intimidate. That was why, in the first world, she hadn’t shown the slightest mercy to that wife-beating scum.
Please. In the Empire, if an Alpha beat an Omega, they’d go to court — the law would sentence them to at least thirty years.
So Xin Lan had nothing but contempt for those who bullied the weak — especially when the so-called ‘strength’ was relative at best.
Qu Zhian drank with a furrowed brow, the urge to leave growing stronger by the minute.
If she had known this place was a dragon’s pond and tiger’s den4, such a quagmire, such a tangled mess, she would rather have never come — never let a moment of pride drive her through the examination hall doors that day.
Then she wouldn’t be caught in this position, trapped between advance and retreat5.
The thought stopped Qu Zhian cold.
Between advance and retreat?
But what did it mean to advance, and what did it mean to retreat?
That bitter frustration spilled over from somewhere deep inside, and she found she didn’t understand why she was so troubled.
Angry about what had happened to Xin Lan — but it was more than that.
She no longer held any genuine respect or faith in the Emperor. All that remained was surface formality.
For a moment, Qu Zhian couldn’t even untangle her own emotions — or perhaps, she didn’t want to.
Xin Lan had originally intended to recruit Qu Zhian, but at this juncture, she held back.
It still didn’t feel certain enough. Still a bit risky.
She couldn’t offer Qu Zhian any promises right now, while the Emperor could give her far more. If she made her pitch now, she’d be leveraging their friendship — and nothing else.
She knew Qu Zhian didn’t care much for power and position — at least not yet — and that was why she could feel so at ease talking and drinking with her.
Before they knew it, they’d emptied their jars. The room was thick with the smell of wine, and the afterkick was strong, leaving them hazy.
“If I hadn’t walked into that examination hall, hadn’t entered the palace, none of this mess would exist.”
“Do you regret it?”
Xin Lan asked with a smile.
“No.” Qu Zhian shook her head. “If I hadn’t entered the palace, how would I have met you?”
Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, but her eyes held a trace of clarity.
The author has something to say:
Yesterday’s chapter got locked. Those who read it know I wasn’t driving6 at all. I’m in a terrible mood. My emotions get affected easily. I’d originally planned to update twelve thousand words today, but now I’m not in the mood to write, so today’s update is only three thousand words. See you tomorrow at nine.
Footnotes
- A traditional Chinese rice wine named after the autumn season when mulberry leaves fall, known for its rich, mellow flavor.
- Literally 'monkey brew'; a colloquial name for a type of fermented Chinese wine.
- Literally 'autumn dew white'; a traditional name for a clear, refined Chinese rice wine.
- A Chinese idiom (long tan hu xue) describing an extremely dangerous and treacherous place — literally a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.
- A Chinese idiom (jin tui liang nan) describing a dilemma where neither advancing nor retreating is viable — literally 'advance and retreat both difficult.'
- Chinese internet slang for writing explicit sexual content — literally 'driving.'
Third of the way through the story and barely any yuri to be seen, xin lans heart is as solid as a rock
Third of the way through the story and barely any yuri to be seen, xin lans heart is as solid as a rock
I thought she was using the knife normally for the previous chapter. O.O Explains how he didn’t die.
I thought she was using the knife normally for the previous chapter. O.O Explains how he didn’t die.