Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 34
by Little PandaVolume 2: Power Over Court and Country
The Deposed Empress 09
Covering The Heaven With One Hand
Ling Jiu felt very comfortable in the system space, but still silently added a brutality index to her host.
Historical experience told her to never wake up Great Demon King Xin Lan when she was sleeping.
Because when she becomes irritable, she not only hits people, but also violently sodomizes people.
Xin Lan returned to her palace, patting off the dust from her body.
After moving around a bit, she didn’t feel very sleepy anymore.
She removed her outer clothes and lay on the couch [bed], staring blankly at the ceiling.
Besides past lack of sleep, another reason for her severe morning grumpiness was that if she was truly awakened, it became very difficult for her to fall back asleep.
She closed her eyes, and after one minute, opened them again.
She was thinking whether her actions earlier weren’t harsh enough.
What should have been such a beautiful evening was ruined just like that.
She really wanted to make Wu Yanqing suffer badly, but didn’t use lethal force. With current medical conditions being so poor, if things accidentally went too far and the person ended up half-dead, how could she torture him in the future? Leaving psychological trauma was enough, so she put the sheath on the dagger, avoiding Wu Yanqing becoming unable to care for himself due to injury in an unspeakable area, which might lead to complications.
Speaking of which, she lost a dagger in the process.
She was unhappy.
But at that time there weren’t any suitable objects in the room, everything was too large and couldn’t be inserted. The only usable thing was probably the sword hanging on the bed, but to prevent Wu Yanqing from seeing her figure and face, she didn’t go to get it.
Although she didn’t see Wu Yanqing’s facial expression, Ling Jiu had already vividly described it to her, just thinking about it felt satisfying.
Xin Lan exhaled, closed her eyes, and after one minute, opened her eyes again.
She couldn’t sleep, and her mood wasn’t very good again.
Xin Lan simply got up from the bed, put on her clothes, and walked out of Biyue Palace.
Tonight there were no stars or moon, Xin Lan sat on the palace walls of Biyue Palace feeling the cool breeze, watching the imperial palace sink into darkness.
Xin Lan sat cross-legged for a while, felt bored, and returned to the palace again.
Chunyue was still unconscious, she softly called to wake her up.
Chunyue got up somewhat dazed, with confusion in her eyes.
Xin Lan told her she was going out, and if she didn’t see her tomorrow morning, not to panic, everything would continue as usual, she would return tomorrow.
Xin Lan wasn’t afraid of the Emperor looking for her, anyway he couldn’t contact her, and the Emperor himself had no time to care for his own situation, let alone manage her.
Chunyue nodded in response, and fell back on the bed looking completely out of it.
Xin Lan left Biyue Palace and departed from the imperial palace.
The doors of every household on the street were tightly closed, Xin Lan walked like a ghost through the long street, arriving at a tavern lit with lanterns.
The tavern’s proprietress was a middle-aged woman, who was lowering her head calculating accounts, her abacus making clicking sounds.
Feeling the bell at the door ring, she immediately raised her head revealing a smile.
“Welcome guest, please come in. What kind of wine would you like to drink today?”
She originally thought it was a regular customer, but unexpectedly the one who entered was a beautiful young lady.
“What’s your best wine here?”
The young lady spoke, her voice was also very pleasant. The proprietress looked inside and indeed saw many people staring lustfully at this young lady.
“We have excellent Sanglo wine [桑落酒], Monkey Brew [猴兒釀]. Miss, are you drinking for yourself, or buying to take back for a man?”
“For myself.”
“It’s not safe for a young lady to be out alone at night, let alone drinking. It’s easy to be taken advantage of, especially with such a pretty face. Why not buy some milder sweet wine and drink it at home?”
The proprietress hesitated, looking at her and speaking in a low voice.
“Then two jars of Autumn Dew White [秋露白].”
Xin Lan said, looking at the wooden sign on the tavern wall.
Taking the wine and paying, Xin Lan turned to leave.
Standing at the tavern entrance, she hesitated for a moment between left or right.
Left was towards Qu Zhi’an’s home, right was towards Ah Rou’s place.
Xin Lan thought for a while, walked towards the right.
After walking a few steps to the right, she backed up again, walking towards the left.
Qu Zhi’an was awakened by the knocking sound, put on clothes and got up, seeing the woman holding wine at the door.
“Official Qu, do you need to attend morning court tomorrow?”
“I do.”
Qu Zhi’an nodded.
“Sorry to disturb, I’ll take my leave.”
“But I can take sick leave, saying I caught a cold from the night chill.”
Qu Zhi’an called out to stop Xin Lan who was preparing to leave, smiling as she spoke.
Xin Lan raised an eyebrow, carrying the wine as she entered.
“Should we go to the room or stay here in the courtyard?”
“Let’s go to the room, this courtyard is quite stuffy, and there are many mosquitoes.”
Xin Lan had no objection, carried the wine to Qu Zhi’an’s room, watching as Qu Zhi’an closed the door.
“What good mood brings you here tonight to drink with me?”
Qu Zhi’an asked puzzled, this was the first time.
And to think Xin Lan actually drinks, this way they could arrange to drink together next time too.
“Some things happened, couldn’t sleep so I came. Didn’t want to disturb you, but drinking alone in depression isn’t pleasant either.”
“This isn’t a disturbance at all, I’m actually honored.”
Qu Zhi’an was quite pleased with her doing this, and showed no displeasure at having her sweet dreams disturbed, this meant their relationship had grown closer.
The wine jar wasn’t large, Xin Lan didn’t slowly pour it into cups, but drank directly from the jar’s mouth.
Seeing this, Qu Zhi’an also didn’t bother drinking formally from cups, and picked up the jar as well.
Xin Lan took a big drink, swallowing down the spicy flavor, the wine was mellow and fragrant, with a sweet aftertaste.
Xin Lan hadn’t drunk for a long time, suddenly gulping down such a large amount made her somewhat dizzy.
“What happened that has you unable to sleep and leaving the palace to drink in the middle of the night?”
“Last time he didn’t succeed, today he tried the same trick again.”
“What! Are you alright?”
Qu Zhi’an was both shocked and angry, anxiously looking at Xin Lan, carefully examining her from head to toe, only relaxing after confirming there were no injuries.
After Qu Zhi’an’s relief, that anger began to surge.
“Why must he torment and trouble you like this? Clearly you’re no threat to him now, why does he still refuse to let you go?”
Qu Zhi’an really couldn’t figure out why the Emperor would repeatedly use such despicable methods against Xin Lan, what deep hatred existed between them that wouldn’t let Xin Lan have peace even in the Cold Palace.
“If only I knew the reason. He owes me greatly, I haven’t even settled accounts with him yet. I also didn’t expect that I would be such an eyesore to him, that I can’t escape even in the Cold Palace.”
Hearing this, Qu Zhi’an didn’t know how to console her, because Xin Lan didn’t appear sad, her expression was very calm, expressionlessly pouring wine into her mouth.
Qu Zhi’an found it hard to imagine how a woman could endure such terror, her heart rarely abandoned its reverence for the Emperor, only wanting to curse him as a beast.
A monster with human face but beast’s heart, showing no signs of it on the surface.
Qu Zhi’an felt somewhat agitated, clinked jars with Xin Lan, swallowed a large mouthful of wine, with what hadn’t been swallowed dripping down her chin, soaking her collar.
Looking at it this way, the one drinking in depression didn’t seem to be Xin Lan, but rather Qu Zhi’an.
“Why do you look even more depressed than me?”
Xin Lan held the wine with one hand, using the other hand to poke Qu Zhi’an’s face, that face had some meat [was somewhat plump], the feeling wasn’t bad.
“He treats you like this, yet you don’t seem very angry.”
When Xin Lan brought it up, her tone was completely undisturbed.
“I’ve already been angry.”
Xin Lan could even smile now, her mood much improved.
Ling Jiu, who saw everything, remained silently speechless – thinking not angry? The Great Demon King was practically exploding with rage, she had already gone and violently dealt with the person, if it wasn’t for wanting to keep him around to play with, that Emperor would probably have ended up with a bloody head and twisted limbs.
Xin Lan briefly described the process, emphasizing how the Emperor personally came to watch the spectacle, but didn’t get to see it and left, as for how she later took revenge on the Emperor, she didn’t mention it.
That content was too brutal, better not to frighten people.
“Such a narrow-minded person…”
Was this really the monarch she was supposed to believe in and follow?
Actually, her faith had been shaken almost completely from the very beginning, but she hadn’t spoken of it, there were some other reasons, so she kept enduring.
If the Emperor truly was just unable to deal with the Xin family from the previous dynasty, and instead turned to torment his already-dismissed wife from the back palace to make himself feel better, this was simply absurd.
Not only was it petty and unsightly, but it also made people sense his incompetence and cowardice.
Xin Lan saw what Qu Zhi’an was thinking, gently clinked wine jars with her.
Only worthless men would try to assert their existence through women, using their natural advantages to threaten or intimidate, this was also why she showed no mercy to that domestic abuser in the first world.
Joking aside, if an Alpha beats an Omega they would face court, right? Imperial law would sentence at least thirty years.
So Xin Lan despised those who bullied the weak the most, especially when that ‘strength’ was only relative.
Qu Zhi’an drank with a worried expression, her thoughts of leaving growing stronger.
If she had known earlier this place was such a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den [dangerous place], such a quagmire, such a mess, Qu Zhi’an would rather have never come here, never entered the examination hall that day due to a moment of pride.
This way, she wouldn’t be like now, caught in such a difficult situation between advance and retreat.
Thinking this through, Qu Zhi’an herself was stunned.
Caught between advance and retreat?
What is advance and what is retreat?
That depressed feeling overflowed from her heart, she didn’t even know why she was so troubled.
Angry about what happened to Xin Lan, but not just that.
She no longer had any so-called respect or faith in the Emperor, those were just superficial acts.
Qu Zhi’an couldn’t understand her own emotions for a moment, or rather, was unwilling to understand.
Xin Lan originally wanted to win over Qu Zhi’an, but at this point, she didn’t speak up.
She felt still not confident enough, there was still some risk.
She currently couldn’t give Qu Zhi’an any promises, while the Emperor could give her more. If she spoke up, it would completely be trading on their friendship.
She knew Qu Zhi’an didn’t value power and status, at least currently so, which is why she could feel so at ease drinking and talking with her.
The two unknowingly finished an entire jar of wine between them, the wine’s aroma filled the room, that wine had quite an aftereffect, making one somewhat dizzy.
“If that day I hadn’t entered the examination hall and palace, none of this would have happened.”
“Do you regret it?”
Xin Lan asked with a smile.
“No,” Qu Zhi’an shook her head, “If I hadn’t entered the palace, how could I have met you.”
Her cheeks were red from the wine, but her eyes showed some clarity.
LP: Re-translated on December 19, 2024
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.
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