The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 31
by Little PandaA Pair for a Lifetime (Being Harassed)
For the past few days in the wilderness, Ming Qin1 had always left the space inside the carriage exclusively to Murong Yan2, sleeping by herself with the horses, wrapped in a blanket.
To be more precise, Ming Qin had never slept on a proper bed while on a mission.
Even on protection assignments, she would only take short rests on roof beams or tiles, keeping a sliver of her mind alert to any movements in the surroundings.
However, it was drizzling outside tonight, so Ming Qin had originally planned to sit and rest in the corridor to keep watch for the night.
“This… isn’t quite right.” Looking at the bed that could indeed sleep two people, Ming Qin still felt a bit uneasy, scratching her head. “It just feels like it’s against the rules.”
In the darkness, Murong Yan’s eyes shone brightly. She held onto the corner of Ming Qin’s clothes tightly, yet her tone was gentle as she said, “Between you and me, Ah Qin3, the word ‘rules’ has never existed.”
Ming Qin, however, misunderstood, thinking Murong Yan was complaining that she, a shadow guard4, was always acting without regard for rules toward a Commandery Princess5. She said, somewhat guiltily, “I’ve wronged you. I will be very proper from now on.”
Looking at the person foolishly apologizing before her, Murong Yan couldn’t help but be amused, so she changed her approach. “Ah Qin, I’ll be a little scared by myself.”
Hearing this, Ming Qin patted her chest and pledged solemnly, “You don’t have to be scared. I’ll stand guard outside and won’t sleep. If any bad guys come, I’ll be the first to drive them away! You can rest easy.”
“But, this is my first time staying at this inn. I’m still a bit uneasy by myself.” In the dark, Murong Yan’s eyes looked glisteningly wet. Her somewhat cold hand grasped Ming Qin’s arm as she said in a low voice, “Stay here and keep me company, alright?”
Ming Qin had never been able to refuse this woman when she spoke in such a soft voice. Even though it still felt a bit strange, she agreed.
After moving the brazier closer to Murong Yan, she checked that the window latches were locked, then obediently lay down with her clothes on, staying near the edge of the bed closer to the door.
The woman on the bed turned over, lying on her side to face Ming Qin, and said softly, “Ah Qin, I’m cold.”
“But this brazier is already burning too strongly. It wouldn’t be good to add more charcoal,” Ming Qin explained in a low voice, turning to face Murong Yan, afraid she would get angry.
“I want a hug.” Murong Yan’s arm snaked out from under the blanket, reaching toward the person before her. Her eyes, hidden by the darkness, revealed a look of craving and attachment.
Ming Qin shifted herself closer. She let Murong Yan rest her head on one of her arms and placed her other arm obediently on her back.
“Go to sleep,” Ming Qin said in a low voice.
The woman’s soft breathing tickled her neck.
The next second, a familiar, silk-like softness suddenly appeared on her lips. Murong Yan tilted her head up slightly, her breathing a little unsteady as she pressed against her.
Ming Qin considerately leaned down, so the woman in her arms wouldn’t have to strain so much. The light, pecking kiss became long and deep.
One of Murong Yan’s hands caressed the other person’s throat, while the other climbed onto her back.
Even their lips had a noticeable temperature difference, pressing tightly against each other as if exchanging something.
Eagerly, she sought an even more scorching heat from the warm source in her embrace. When Murong Yan finally obtained the warm spring water as she wished, she held it in her mouth, letting the heat build, and only when she could bear it no longer did she devoutly swallow it down bit by bit.
The warmth seemed to travel through her entire body6; her fingers clenched Ming Qin’s clothes as if stimulated.
After a long time, so long that her body seemed to have been dyed into a pool of warm spring water, Murong Yan reluctantly pulled away, panting for air.
Ming Qin pressed her lips against the woman’s slightly sweaty forehead. It was a bit salty. In a muffled, helpless voice, she said, “Now you’re too hot.”
“No, I’m not,” Murong Yan retorted with a smile, savoring the sweetness in her mouth.
“This is just right.”
The next day.
The winter sun was slow to rise. Before the sky was bright, Ming Qin was already up and washing her face.
The woman in the bed was still sound asleep from her recent exhaustion. Tiptoeing like a cat, Ming Qin prepared Murong Yan’s clothes, then went downstairs to ask the innkeeper’s assistant where to find a decent eatery nearby.
She couldn’t bear to wake the person who rarely got to rest so early. She waited until the sky was fully lit before going upstairs and into the room. Murong Yan was already dressed, her expression clear and awake.
Ming Qin knelt before the bed, carefully adjusting the leather straps on the prosthetic leg, while reporting to the woman, “Just now, a young lad told me there’s a morning market next door. There’s a stall there that sells pretty good shaobing7. You wait here, and I’ll go buy some for you, how about that?”
Murong Yan shook her head and said, “I’ll go with you.”
“But…” Ming Qin hesitated. Although the distance wasn’t far, she was still worried it would be too strenuous for Murong Yan.
“I can do it. Ah Qin, let me try, alright?” The woman’s face was calm, but her words held a hint of determination.
“Alright.”
Seeing Murong Yan like this, Ming Qin nodded. “I’ll be right beside you. Tell me if you can’t take it.”
After all, carrying her around is as easy as turning over a palm8.
After putting on her cloak, Ming Qin supported Murong Yan downstairs. She let the boss lady know they were stepping out, and then they slowly walked toward the morning market.
Although it was a journey of less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea9, Murong Yan struggled, her face pale as she bit her lip tightly, which made Ming Qin’s heart pound as she watched over her from behind.
The sign for the morning market was almost in sight when Murong Yan couldn’t hold on any longer and stopped. Her body went limp as she panted, “Ah Qin, I can’t go on.”
Ming Qin shot forward in a single step, scooping her up by the hips and holding her.
“You already did great. Yanyan10 walked for a very long time.”
She coaxed her gently, and as if afraid she’d be discouraged, Ming Qin added, “Yanyan is very good for speaking up when she couldn’t bear it anymore. We can take it slow; there’s no rush.”
Pulling open her cape, Ming Qin half-hid Murong Yan in her embrace and walked slowly toward the morning market. Fearing the woman wouldn’t be able to handle the bustling crowd, she placed her on a bamboo bench in a less crowded area not far from the entrance. Only then did Ming Qin excitedly bounce into the market.
Resting her chin on her hand, Murong Yan watched Ming Qin’s profligate enthusiasm, looking as if she wanted to buy everything, and felt a laugh coming on. Unexpectedly, her line of sight was suddenly blocked by the figures of several men.
“Beautiful lady, you’re here all alone. Who are you waiting for?”
The magnificently dressed man in the lead looked at the unmasked Murong Yan with a frivolous smile. “Could it be that you’re waiting for your destined man, this young master11, perhaps?”
The few men behind him whistled and roared with laughter at his words.
Murong Yan did not feel anger, only annoyance.
She wanted to get up and leave, but her weak legs were still trembling slightly. Unwilling to cause a commotion, she could only say patiently, “This Pa… This young lady is indeed waiting for the one my heart desires, and fortunately, that person is not you.”
Seeing this commoner-dressed woman dare to talk back, the men became even more interested. “Oho! The young lady has quite a sharp tongue. A beauty like you is too good for any ordinary man.” The leader straightened his collar and said confidently, “You’ll still need this young master to keep you company.”
A guard with a sword at the lavishly dressed man’s side, as if familiar with the routine, chimed in for his master, “This young master is the second son of the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel12, you know? If you become this young master’s bed-warming maid13, that’s a matter of flying up the branch to become a phoenix14.”
The Ministry of Personnel? Isn’t that the most corrupt faction?
The department controlled by the Crown Prince’s faction, managing the dismissal, promotion, demotion, and transfer of all civil officials in the country, using their power to turn the imperial court into a chaotic mess, rotten to the core.
And the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was a notorious silk-pants scion15, a bully who oppressed the common people and seized women by force, just a thug hiding behind an official’s skin.
At this thought, Murong Yan’s voice turned cold with displeasure. “A fine bird chooses its tree to roost16. What’s more, this young lady now only envies a pair for a lifetime, one world, one couple17, and in this life has never thought of becoming a concubine. I’m afraid this withered branch will have to find someone else.”
“You!”
The lavishly dressed man froze for a moment before realizing he had been compared to a withered branch by this commoner woman, too shocked to speak.
“However, you did get one thing right.”
Murong Yan looked at the man before her with disdain, dressed so gaudily as if he couldn’t wait to announce to the world that he was a young master. She let out a cold snort. “Indeed, no man in this world is worthy of this young lady. Not even if your old man came here himself.”
The man flew into a rage from the humiliation, his face flushing red as he yelled, “What an insolent woman with an unbridled tongue! This young master wants to see if you can still bark when you’re on the bed., under this young master’s body?!”
The man’s unbearable roaring made Murong Yan extremely vexed. She gathered her strength, intending to rise and leave.
Seeing she wanted to go, the man reached out to grab Murong Yan’s collar.
Unexpectedly, in a flash, his hand was struck down by another woman who had appeared before him.
She was tall, holding two shaobing, and smiling sweetly.
But her eyes, glinting with a fierce light, were fixed level with his, making the man feel a bit terrified.
“Young Master18, is there something you need with my young miss?” Ming Qin spoke, stepping forward to shield Murong Yan behind her.
“It hurts like hell!”
The lavishly dressed man suddenly started shaking his hand, wailing and howling.
“How dare you hit this young master?! Men!” Several guards with swords at his side surrounded them, drawing their long swords in an intimidating manner, acting with utmost arrogance.
“Hurts?”
Ming Qin felt no sense of tension at all. She just tilted her head in confusion and flexed her palm. She didn’t think she had hit him very hard, merely a light pat.
“How are you going to apologize to this young master now!” the lavishly dressed man roared, veins popping on his neck.
Behind her, a frowning Murong Yan was about to speak but was stopped by Ming Qin’s outstretched hand.
Handing the shaobing to Murong Yan, Ming Qin gave her a reassuring smile and then said in a low voice, “Don’t make a sound. You absolutely cannot let anyone else notice you.”
Ming Qin turned around, her smile vanishing. With a serious face, she shouted at the group of men, “If that’s the case, an eye for an eye. I will let the Young Master punch me once.”
The lavishly dressed man was surprised by the woman’s proposal. His eyes widened, and then he said with some excitement, “You said it yourself!”
He looked at the plain-faced and shabbily-dressed Ming Qin without a shred of pity.
The man licked his lips and stepped forward, rotating his wrists. Seeing the woman’s calm and unconcerned expression angered him even more. He shouted, “You better not dodge!”
“Go ahead and hit me. I won’t dodge,” Ming Qin said nonchalantly, spreading her feet slightly and crossing her arms.
“Good.”
The man clenched his fist, bent his knees to gather strength, twisted his waist, and threw a punch that landed on Ming Qin’s face with a 『Thump』.
Although his punching hand hurt as if it had hit a rock, the man still looked triumphant, seeing the woman tilt backward from the force of his heavy blow.
Straightening up, Ming Qin looked up and asked calmly, “There. Are you satisfied now?”
She seemed completely indifferent to her own highly swollen cheek.
“You… Doesn’t it hurt?” The lavishly dressed man looked in some horror at the woman before him, who was neither crying nor begging for mercy.
“It doesn’t,” Ming Qin said faintly, raising a hand to touch her cheek. “But you are indeed stronger than I thought. You’re definitely not a soft-legged shrimp19.”
“You… you lunatic!” The lavishly dressed man absolutely could not comprehend the woman before him. He waved his hand and hurriedly left with his equally shocked group of guards.
Ming Qin was a bit confused by their reaction but was happy that they had left.
She smiled, not caring about the pull on her swollen cheek, and turned to look at Murong Yan behind her, saying with concern, “Hurry and try this shaobing. Is it good?”
But Murong Yan just kept her head down.
“What’s wrong? Is it not good? How about I go buy something else?”
Ming Qin squatted down, only to see Murong Yan’s eyes red-rimmed, as if on the verge of tears. In that instant, a surge of rage swelled in her chest, and killing intent erupted from her eyes. “Don’t tell me those men hurt you just now?”
The blade left its sheath.
Murong Yan was silent. After a long moment, she finally spoke.
“You’re really so foolish.”
LP: Re-translated on July 05, 2025
Footnotes
- 明沁 | Míng Qìn
- 慕容灩 | Mùróng Yàn
- 阿沁 | Ā Qìn | An affectionate nickname for Ming Qin.
- 暗卫 | ànwèi | A type of secret guard or assassin, often operating in the shadows.
- 郡主 | jùnzhǔ | The daughter of a Prince of the First Rank. A high-ranking title in the imperial nobility.
- 四肢百骸 | sìzhī bǎihái | Literally “four limbs and a hundred bones,” an idiom meaning the whole body.
- 烧饼 | shāobing | A type of unleavened, layered flatbread, often baked or grilled.
- 易如反掌 | yì rú fǎnzhǎng | A Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning something is extremely easy to do.
- 一盏茶的路程 | yī zhǎn chá de lùchéng | A traditional way of measuring a short period of time, roughly 10-15 minutes.
- 灩灩 | Yàn Yàn | An affectionate, reduplicated nickname for Murong Yan.
- 小爺我 | xiǎo yé wǒ | An arrogant and informal way for a young man to refer to himself, often used by spoiled sons of wealthy or powerful families.
- 吏部侍郎 | Lìbù shìláng | The Ministry of Personnel was one of the six key ministries in imperial China, responsible for the appointments, promotions, and dismissals of officials.
- 通房 | tōng fáng | A low-ranking personal maid who also had sexual duties, often a stepping stone to becoming a formal concubine.
- 飞上枝头做凤凰 | fēi shàng zhī tóu zuò fènghuáng | An idiom meaning to marry into wealth and power, a Cinderella story.
- 纨绔子弟 | wánkù zǐdì | A term for spoiled sons of rich and powerful families who are idle and dissolute.
- 良禽择木而栖 | liáng qín zé mù ér qī | An idiom meaning a talented person chooses a worthy master to serve, or a wise person chooses a good environment.
- 一生一世一双人 | yīshēng yīshì yī shuāng rén | A romantic phrase expressing the desire for a single partner for one’s entire life.
- 公子 | gōngzǐ | A respectful term of address for a young man, typically the son of an official or aristocratic family.
- 软脚虾 | ruǎnjiǎoxiā | Literally “soft-legged shrimp,” a slang term for a weakling or coward.
the question is- did they have sex? the way the author wrote this, im confused.
I think not. I got the impression that they just made out
the question is- did they have sex? the way the author wrote this, im confused.