The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 270
by Little PandaBonus Chapter 6
I want Ning-jiejie to feed me too.
Qu Ning and Zhao Ningying exchanged a glance, wanting to explain but scarcely remembering themselves how it had happened.
Such things had occurred from time to time before—nothing unusual there—yet the two of them now harbored entirely different feelings from before, and so their reactions were subtly different as well.
But as the older ones, they naturally would not forget the younger sister on the floor. Zhao Ningying, sitting on the inside, said to Qu Ning, 「Quick, check if Qianjie-meimei has hurt herself.」
Qu Ning recovered her wits, cast one more glance at Zhao Ningying, and hurried off the bed.
Zhu Qianjie was helped to her feet, clutching her backside as she grumbled, 「When did you start sleeping like this?」 She had actually been shoved right off the bed.
Qu Ning looked up at her, swept her gaze over her, and ignored her complaint. In a faint tone, she asked, 「Did you hurt yourself anywhere?」
Zhu Qianjie perked up, clutching her backside. 「My rear is practically split in two!」
「A rear is already split in two, isn’t it?」 Qu Ning needled her.
Zhu Qianjie, now genuinely hurting, put on a tearful face. She turned to Zhao Ningying, who had also come down from the bed, and wailed, 「Ying-jiejie, look at her—she doesn’t cherish the fragrant and pity the jade1 at all.」
Zhao Ningying blinked, then quickly adopted a coaxing tone with a smile. 「Let me see where you fell.」
Zhu Qianjie thrust her backside out. As Zhao Ningying looked, Qianjie pointed at her waist. 「I hurt my waist too.」
Seeing that she could move, and the bed was not very high, Zhao Ningying reached over to rub her waist. 「I have some trauma medicinal wine2 here. I’ll apply some for you in a bit.」
Zhu Qianjie hated the smell of medicine above all else. Her tone softened as she hurriedly said, 「That won’t be necessary. Ying-jiejie just rubbing it for me will be fine.」
Zhao Ningying smiled at her cheeky look and resumed rubbing.
「Let me help rub Qianjie-meimei,」 Qu Ning said, reaching her hand over.
Zhao Ningying glanced over and saw Qu Ning’s hand approaching. She let go at just the right moment—but Qu Ning’s hand never made contact with Zhu Qianjie’s waist.
Zhu Qianjie bent forward, dodging away, then stepped forward and spun around. 「No, no need! I suddenly realize it doesn’t hurt anymore.」
Qu Ning’s hand still hung in the air. She looked up at Zhu Qianjie—she knew the girl was faking it.
「Ning-jiejie doesn’t know her own strength. I’m afraid she’d rub me to pieces.」 Zhu Qianjie absolutely did not dare let Qu Ning massage her.
Qu Ning gave a scoffing laugh, lowered her hand, and walked off to get dressed. Zhao Ningying came over to check on Zhu Qianjie again, asking softly, 「Are you really alright?」
Zhu Qianjie nodded and whispered back, 「I’m fine. I just wanted to scare Ning-jiejie.」 She deserved it for shoving her off the bed.
「But how did you two switch positions in your sleep?」 Zhu Qianjie was puzzled. She had clearly still been holding Zhao Ningying when she fell asleep last night, and after one dream, she found herself shoved off the bed by Qu Ning.
Zhao Ningying was also puzzling over this. Last night, it seemed Zhu Qianjie had wanted water; she had gotten up to pour her a cup once, and after that, she did not know.
「You kept asking for water to drink last night. Ying-meimei had just returned and was already exhausted, so I took her place. I poured you water three times—don’t you remember?」 Qu Ning said as she dressed, turning around.
Zhu Qianjie blinked. She did seem to recall being thirsty last night. It was all because of the wine—whenever she drank, she could not stop guzzling water. She had already drunk some before bed, yet still woke up parched in the middle of the night.
Zhu Qianjie knew the problem was her own fault, but… how had Qu Ning ended up holding Zhao Ningying?
And holding her so intimately, at that.
Zhu Qianjie scrutinized the two of them. Zhao Ningying noticed her darting little glances and asked, 「What is it?」
「Get dressed,」 Qu Ning turned and cut them off, tossing Zhu Qianjie’s clothes over to her.
Zhu Qianjie had some martial skill of her own—though, like her Mother and Niangqin3, she was merely half a catty and eight taels4. She caught the clothes, shot a glance at Qu Ning with a look of defiant yet helpless resignation, and put them on.
The three finished dressing. The maids outside came in to attend them. Zhu Qianjie quickened her pace, slipping past Qu Ning. 「Hey, I’m washing up first.」
Qu Ning did not argue with her. Though she was the Imperial Crown Princess, at home, she was simply the older cousin. She maintained the distinction of sovereign and subject with others—but here, that was unnecessary.
A maid handed her a towel. After washing up and wiping her face, Zhu Qianjie bolted out the door—surely the kitchen at General Zhao’s Residence would be making something delicious today.
After Zhu Qianjie left, Zhao Ningying and Qu Ning washed up at a leisurely pace.
Yesterday, Zhao Ningying’s hairstyle had been simple and efficient. Today, she had styled it into an elegant young lady’s5 updo. Black tresses cascaded loosely on either side, her dark hair flowing and drifting—refined and beautiful.
Qu Ning still wore yesterday’s attire. When Zhao Ningying turned to face her, the light in Qu Ning’s eyes kindled several times over.
Zhao Ningying noticed, but the corners of her lips held only a faint smile.
「The triumph banquet the palace prepared for you is this evening. Let’s go out to eat in a bit,」 Qu Ning said, gazing at Zhao Ningying, her voice warm.
Zhao Ningying nodded. 「But Mother should have prepared breakfast by now…」
「Then eat a little less,」 Qu Ning said with a smile.
Zhao Ningying’s brows curved. 「Alright.」
The two left the room and headed toward the dining hall of the Zhao Residence. Qu Zhimu sat at the table holding the baby, and seeing them approach together, smiled. 「I was just about to send Jin’er to find you.」
Zhao Ningying walked over with a smile, bent down, and reached out to tease the baby into giggling, replying, 「We slept in a bit today.」
「Not late at all. We only just arrived ourselves,」 Qu Zhimu said gently.
Qu Ning glanced down at Qu Zhimu, then over at Qiao Jin beside her. The two exchanged nods of acknowledgment and found seats.
Gradually, the household members arrived one after another. When Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying came over, they carried dishes in their hands.
General Zhao was no longer suited to cooking in the kitchen, so these dishes had all been made by Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying—though, of course, Xiao Bingying was merely the assistant.
Xiao Bingying set down the last dish on the table and smiled at everyone. 「Today’s dishes are all home-style fare. Let’s make do—tonight we’ll feast at the palace banquet.」
Qu Zhimu regarded the lavish spread on the table and smiled. 「When Maternal Aunt says ‘home-style dishes,’ it’s because Maternal Aunt Xi made them, isn’t it?」
Cheng Xi looked up at her, a smile in her eyes. 「I did put in a bit more effort today. After all, Ying’er has just returned.」
Zhao Ningying looked over at the sound, her face wearing that sweet, doted-upon look. Mother and daughter bore a strong resemblance, and when they smiled, they looked even more alike.
「Enough talking, come now, let’s eat. Don’t let the children go hungry,」 Zhao Dian said, and everyone looked over with smiles and began to eat.
Qu Ning and Zhao Ningying ate in small, unhurried bites. The others at the table chatted about various things, though the most talkative were Qu Zhimu and Mother Zhao.
The two discussed matters concerning the child—they now had four generations under one roof6. Over on the Retired Emperor’s side, they were also waiting for good news from Qu Ning, though the matter of the Imperial Crown Princess’s marriage negotiations7 was no small affair for the Quzhao Dynasty.
After everyone finished breakfast, Qu Ning and the others found an excuse to leave the residence. Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi did not stop them. The young women had not seen each other in so long—they could hardly keep them from clinging together.
Once they left the residence, Qu Zhimu handed the baby to her Maternal Grandmother and brought Qiao Jin along to join the other three.
The ice had not yet fully melted, so boating was out of the question. Qu Zhimu and Zhu Qianjie racked their brains but could not think of a good destination.
But the moment the carriage stopped on the bustling streets of the Capital City, Qu Ning called for the horse-driving guard to halt. Taking Zhao Ningying’s hand, she prepared to step down.
「Where are you going?」 Zhu Qianjie asked, seeing them rise.
「To buy something tasty,」 Qu Ning said, and kept walking forward.
Zhu Qianjie looked puzzled, muttering, 「Didn’t we just eat?」
Watching the two descend from the carriage, Zhu Qianjie lowered her head and muttered for a moment. She glanced back at Qu Zhimu and Qiao Jin sitting inside the carriage, felt a wave of cloying discomfort, and quickly scrambled down after them. 「Wait for me! I’m coming too.」 She had no intention of staying behind as the one who could not read the room.
Qu Zhimu watched Zhu Qianjie’s nimble exit from the carriage, then glanced sideways at Qiao Jin.
Qiao Jin was also looking down at Qu Zhimu. Seeing the love in Qiao Jin’s eyes—so thick it could be wrung out—Qu Zhimu smiled in helpless amusement. 「Why are you still like this even when we’re out?」
「Like what?」 Qiao Jin asked, genuinely puzzled.
Qu Zhimu laughed softly and did not clarify. This unrestrained devotion—she could hardly get enough of it.
After stepping down from the carriage, Qu Ning headed to a warm pastry shop. She did not buy too much—Zhao Ningying had already eaten a fair amount at breakfast. A little something to satisfy the craving first; when midday8 came, she would take her for a proper meal.
Qu Ning, savoring the fragrance of the warm pastry, held it out before Zhao Ningying. 「It’s coated in honey, fresh from the oven. Try it.」
Zhao Ningying glanced down, then gently took the pastry from Qu Ning’s hand into her mouth. Tasting its crispy layers, she looked up with a smile. 「This shop must be new, right?」
A smile appeared on Qu Ning’s face. 「That’s right. I only found out about it recently too.」
Zhao Ningying seemed to like it very much. 「I’d like another bite.」
Hearing this, Qu Ning quickly pinched off another piece for her. After Zhao Ningying lowered her head and took another bite, Zhu Qianjie came trotting over. 「What are you eating? I want some too.」
Qu Ning glanced at her sideways. Zhao Ningying raised a hand to lightly cover her lips, chewing delicately as she looked back at Qu Ning.
Qu Ning’s expression shifted from its earlier warmth. She looked down at Zhu Qianjie and held out the pastry.
「I want Ning-jiejie to feed me too,」 Zhu Qianjie said, unwilling to be outdone, stretching her little neck out.
Qu Ning stared at her until she began to feel goosebumps, and she quickly amended in a small voice, 「If Ning-jiejie won’t, then Ying-jiejie feeding me is fine too.」
「Eat it yourself.」 Qu Ning held the pastry out before Zhu Qianjie—and the moment the younger girl reached for it, she let go.
Zhu Qianjie caught the pastry in her hands, leaned down and sniffed. The fragrance immediately made her forget all about Qu Ning’s cold expression. She smiled. 「It smells so good!」
Zhao Ningying chuckled softly. 「Mm, this pastry is crispy and not too rich. Give it a try.」
Zhu Qianjie did not hesitate. She pinched off a piece and began eating, praising as she chewed, 「So good!」
Qu Ning looked down at Zhu Qianjie, her gaze narrowing in thought for a moment. 「If it’s good, then eat all of it.」
Zhu Qianjie nodded with an ‘Mm’ and began eating without reservation.
「There are a few more shops nearby. Let’s go take a look,」 Qu Ning said, looking toward Zhao Ningying.
Zhao Ningying looked at Zhu Qianjie eating the pastry and said gently, 「Come along with us, Qianjie-meimei.」
Of course Zhu Qianjie wanted to tag along. As soon as the two set off, she fell into step behind them.
Along the way, Qu Ning bought quite a lot. Every time she purchased something, she would first feed Zhao Ningying a few bites—and by the end, whatever remained always ended up in Zhu Qianjie’s hands.
Zhu Qianjie stifled a burp, clutching her oil-paper-wrapped pastries. When she saw Qu Ning heading off to buy yet more pastries, her stomach churned, and she pleaded miserably, 「Can we stop buying? I can’t eat anymore.」
Qu Ning turned to look at her but still handed the silver coins to the vendor. Seeing this, Zhao Ningying said, 「Mu-jiejie and Jin-jiejie are still in the carriage. Why don’t you bring these over to them?」
They had been eating their way down the street, while the other two had not even stepped out of the carriage.
Zhu Qianjie considered this. She truly could not eat another bite, and there were still two people in the carriage.
「I’ll bring it to them, then. You two don’t buy too much.」 It was not that Zhu Qianjie was worried about the silver—she just felt miserable whenever Qu Ning bought more and she could not have any.
Zhao Ningying nodded. 「Walk slowly. We’ll wait here for you.」
Zhu Qianjie gathered an armful of pastries and trotted over to the carriage. Without a word, she climbed straight in.
With the pastries still clutched to her chest, Zhu Qianjie lifted the carriage’s front curtain—only to be met with a flurry of flustered movement. She immediately backed out, her face burning red.
Zhu Qianjie silently set the pastries at the front of the carriage and immediately spun around and ran. Qu Zhimu lifted the carriage curtain to look out, but only caught sight of Zhu Qianjie’s retreating back.
She turned to look at the culprit, Qiao Jin. Her eyes held helplessness, but not a hint of blame.
Zhu Qianjie trotted all the way back. Qu Ning was currently holding up a pastry, feeding it to Zhao Ningying.
Zhao Ningying took a small bite and looked up at Qu Ning. Qu Ning was gazing at her as well. In their eyes, an unnamed tenderness blossomed between them—like the first stirrings of a young girl’s spring.
But from Zhu Qianjie’s perspective, the way the two gazed at each other seemed altogether too clingy9—arousing suspicion.
「What even is this…」 Zhu Qianjie frowned, standing rooted in place, not even wanting to take another step.
The author has something to say:
Zhu Qianjie: 「So I’m the only lone wolf10 here?」
Qu Ning: 「No idea.」
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Footnotes
- 怜香惜玉 | lián xiāng xī yù | Literally 'cherish the fragrant and pity the jade'; idiom for being tender and considerate toward women.
- 跌打药酒 | diē dǎ yào jiǔ | Traditional Chinese medicinal wine formulated for bruises, sprains, and traumatic injuries, applied externally by rubbing onto the affected area.
- 娘亲 | niángqīn | An affectionate term for mother, commonly used to distinguish a second mother in families with same-sex parents.
- 半斤八两 | bàn jīn bā liǎng | Literally 'half a catty and eight taels'—in the old Chinese weight system, half a catty equaled eight taels. The idiom means roughly equal, neither better nor worse.
- 闺阁 | guī gé | The traditional domestic quarters of unmarried young ladies of good family, also used as a metonym for refined young women themselves.
- 四代同堂 | sì dài tóng táng | Four generations living together under one roof, a Chinese cultural ideal of familial completeness and blessing.
- 议亲 | yì qīn | The formal process of negotiating and discussing marriage arrangements for someone of high social rank, particularly royalty or nobility.
- 晌午 | shǎngwǔ | Around noon, the traditional midday period.
- 黏黏糊糊 | nián nián hú hú | Literally 'sticky and paste-like'; colloquially describes behavior that is overly clingy or excessively affectionate in a suspicious way.
- 孤家寡人 | gū jiā guǎ rén | Literally 'a lone sovereign without subjects'; originally a self-deprecating term used by rulers, now a colloquial idiom for being completely alone with no companions or support.
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