Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 110

Volume 4: The Perils of the Jianghu

The Splendid Flower

Ji Qingchi, whom Xue Zhining considered omnipotent, now had one thing she couldn’t do.

—To get on good terms with Hua Wushang, to cozy up to him.

According to the information in the note Hua Wuying gave her, she was actually supposed to deliberately show goodwill towards Hua Wushang. It would be best if it made him like her more, giving him the illusion that she had already fallen for him.

This would make it more convenient to operate.

Ji Qingchi, however, had no such intentions.

She detested showing weakness, hated selling her looks, and more importantly, she was afraid that if Su Yi found out she did this, it would incur Su Yi’s displeasure.

With only Su Yi in her heart, she would absolutely never do such a thing, not even as a pretense.

Therefore, regarding Hua Wuying’s plan, she remained noncommittal and did not reply to her.

Hua Wuying thought she had agreed and began to accelerate her own arrangements within the Xuanji Tower.

Although Ji Qingchi didn’t show Hua Wushang any pleasantries, she would occasionally offer a sentence or two when he spoke to her.

Her expression remained cold, yet it made Hua Wushang ecstatic.

See? His strategy was indeed effective. Even the most chaste and fiery woman would gradually soften under a man’s relentless pursuit.

He put even more effort into currying favor with Ji Qingchi, often spending several shichen a day bringing her little trinkets, or simply standing guard at the door of the wooden cabin, staring at her blankly, not going anywhere.

This was tantamount to keeping her under surveillance, which made Ji Qingchi extremely uncomfortable.

She tried her best to act as if nothing was wrong, but his gaze truly felt like thorns on her back, utterly nauseating.

Once or twice was bearable, but as it happened more often, even the calmest person would inevitably feel a sense of irritation.

The next time he looked at her with a gaze full of adoration mixed with plunder, Ji Qingchi couldn’t take it anymore.

Her icy gaze stabbed towards him. “What are you looking at?”

He smiled faintly. “Your Highness the Ninth Princess, you are graceful and elegant, a beauty that could topple cities. Naturally, I am admiring Your Highness’s beauty.”

Ji Qingchi stared coldly at his smiling face. As she watched, a smile suddenly bloomed on her own face. “Young Master seems to be very idle recently? Why are you here at This Palace’s place every day? Your defenses are so tight, This Palace cannot escape easily. Besides, This Palace is currently injured; it’s not worth a busy person like the Young Master coming to watch over This Palace every day.”

Ji Qingchi’s beauty was outstanding; she was a publicly acknowledged beauty of the Yanxue Kingdom. When she didn’t smile, she was like a red plum in the ice and snow, something to be admired from afar but not profaned. Once she smiled, it was as if the ice and snow melted, warming one’s heart, and the spring bud called love could easily sprout in one’s soul.

No one could refuse Ji Qingchi’s beauty, especially those who already had a favorable impression of her.

Seeing her smile like that, Hua Wushang felt something deep within his heart had been completely touched. He stared at her in a daze. “Your Highness’s status is noble. To be able to accompany Your Highness is my honor.”

“Is that so?” Ji Qingchi tilted her head, leaning against the doorframe in a lazy, boneless manner.

She listlessly complained to Hua Wushang for a while about how terrible the treatment here was, not even comparable to a single finger of hers in the Yanxue Kingdom. She then spoke of the luxurious life¹ she led in the Yanxue Kingdom, her words carrying a faint complaint and even a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of pampered petulance.

This act of making small talk filled Hua Wushang’s heart with some joy. Her Highness is finally willing to show me a pleasant face.

So, he smiled apologetically. “The Xuanji Tower naturally cannot compare to the imperial palace. Your Highness, please don’t be offended. Just endure it for a few more days. In the meantime, if Your Highness wishes to add anything, you can tell me.”

“Is that so?” Ji Qingchi gently raised her eyes, her slender finger pointing to the vibrant flowers outside the window. “In that case… Young Master Hua, these flowers are too monotonous, and some have withered. It’s quite a downer to look at. Could I trouble the Young Master to help send over some fresh flowers?”

The person before him, more than the flowers in front of the cabin, was like a slowly blooming rose in a deserted valley.

Hua Wushang’s throat moved slightly. He slowly said, “That is… of course.”

“Cough cough…” Ji Qingchi coughed twice, her voice suddenly weakening. “This Palace… cough cough… my throat is a bit sore… My voice is soft, I’m afraid Young Master Hua can’t hear clearly. Could Young Master Hua come a little closer? This Palace will tell you what kind of flowers This Palace likes.”

Ji Qingchi was very dangerous.

Although she was currently injured, her wit was extraordinary. Methods others could and could not think of, she could devise them all and would put them into action one by one.

She was like a cunning wolf, lying in ambush in the enemy’s shadows, waiting for an opportunity to reveal her sharp fangs. Therefore, one must never get close to her. Even if one had to, it was necessary to bring several guards to stand by.

—His father Hua Bao’s warnings were still ringing in his mind. Hua Wushang saw Ji Qingchi’s arm, held up in a white sling, and her pale face from excessive blood loss, and secretly shook his head.

Even the most ferocious wolf, once heavily injured, what can it do to anyone?

Besides, although his martial arts couldn’t compare to his father’s or Ji Qingchi’s at her peak, dealing with the currently injured Ji Qingchi was more than enough.

This was a chance to get close to her.

Hua Wushang was extremely confident that even without guards by his side, Ji Qingchi couldn’t harm him.

Therefore, he slowly approached Ji Qingchi. “What kind of flowers does Your Highness want?”

“Cough cough…” Ji Qingchi didn’t answer, squatting down and burying her head in the crook of her arm, monitoring his movements with her peripheral vision.

When she saw him getting closer and closer, until he was only three steps away, Ji Qingchi moved.

She swiftly swept Hua Wushang’s legs. Hua Wushang, who had spent years frolicking among women, was a martial artist, but his foundation was unstable. Swept by her like this, he lost his footing and was about to fall. He quickly used his qinggong to try and leap away, but it was too late.

—A sharp golden hairpin was pressed against his heart, and the artery in his neck was gripped tightly by a hand. If he moved even slightly, blood would splatter on the spot.

“Your Highness…” Hua Wushang’s face paled a shade, but he still forced a smile. “Your Highness… what is the meaning of this?”

“Speak. Where did you take Su Yi?”

“So Your Highness is threatening me like this just for that sickly seedling.” Hua Wushang’s smile twisted. “Unfortunately, even if Your Highness kills me, you won’t find out her whereabouts.”

Ji Qingchi narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“She and another woman fell into a dark river. I’m afraid they drowned and became water ghosts² long ago. How could you possibly find her? Hahahahahahaha… Ugh…”

The triumphant smile turned into a pained whimper. Hua Wushang looked in disbelief at the golden hairpin gradually sinking into his chest.

“You… you actually dare to hurt me?”

“Hurt you?” Ji Qingchi sneered, speaking word by word into his ear, “This Palace wants to kill you.”

“This Seat is the Young Master of the Xuanji Tower! You are still in our hands! You! How dare you?!”

Ji Qingchi smiled faintly. “Why wouldn’t I dare? The Xuanji Tower is about to change masters soon. With or without you, the Young Master, what difference does it make?”

“You… what do you mea—”

Before he could say another word, Ji Qingchi directly hit his sleeping acupoint, slowly pulled out the golden hairpin, threw it on the ground, and wiped her hands with a handkerchief.

A person walked out from behind the small cabin.

Jing You silently watched the unconscious Young Master on the ground for a moment before walking forward, picking up the golden hairpin, carefully wiping the bloodstains off with her sleeve, and handing it back to Ji Qingchi.

Ji Qingchi shook her head and didn’t take it.

Jing You asked, puzzled, “Looking at the gems inlaid on it, this golden hairpin must be very valuable, right? Why doesn’t Your Highness want it anymore?”

“This Palace no longer wants something that has been sullied.”

“Then if a person is sullied, does Your Highness not want to associate with them anymore?” Jing You was taken aback, the light in her eyes dimming significantly. The hand holding the hairpin drooped. “I’ve helped the Tower Master and the others do many bad things. I am indeed not someone worth befriending.”

Ji Qingchi paused, realizing her words had hurt the girl in front of her.

She sighed, slowly took the golden hairpin from her hand, tossed it at Hua Wushang’s feet, and said to her faintly, “People and things are different.”

Jing You didn’t quite understand. She was born to be a killing tool and had no friends. But while she was monitoring them in Changsheng Valley, she had slowly grown to like the atmosphere of Su Yi and the others’ interactions. Consequently, she developed a good impression of all of them. Even the Young Miss, whom she usually found somewhat unfathomable, seemed rather cute in her eyes.

In just a few short days, she had developed a sense of closeness to Ji Qingchi and the others. She knew that for an assassin, this was a great taboo, but she just couldn’t help it.

Ji Qingchi squatted down slightly to be at eye level with her. After meeting Jing You’s gaze for a moment, looking into her clear eyes, Ji Qingchi suddenly asked, “How old are you this year?”

“After this year, I’ll be thirteen.”

…She’s even younger than Gancao.

Hearing the mature tone in her words, she had thought Jing You was the same age as them.

The top assassin of the Xuanji Tower was actually just over twelve years old. The other assassins were probably around the same age. No wonder Shui Qing, who broke into the Marquis’s manor, didn’t want to return to the Xuanji Tower after getting a little food.

Perhaps from spending too much time with Su Yi, Ji Qingchi actually felt a bit moved at this moment.

She sighed softly. “Your Young Master has fainted. Are you going to help him? Report to your Tower Master?”

Jing You shook her head and said hesitantly, “Your Highness… and that Miss Su are both good people. I… don’t want you to die.”

If the Tower Master knew his son had been seriously injured by Ji Qingchi, in his fury, there was no telling what he would do to her.

“Then what will you do?”

“I will injure myself and pretend that the Young Master and I were both hurt by an unknown person. The Tower Master has been busy negotiating with Your Highness’s mother recently and won’t have time to investigate us. When the Young Master wakes up, if Your Highness says a few soft words to him, I’m sure he won’t blame Your Highness. Then we can all retreat safely.”

The young girl’s voice was hesitant. Ji Qingchi knew that she herself didn’t really believe they could get away unscathed.

“Then don’t report it. Go and call your Young Miss over.”

Jing You glanced at the still unconscious Hua Wushang on the ground. Ji Qingchi knew what she was worried about and smiled. “Rest assured, I won’t let anything happen to your Young Master before your Young Miss arrives.”

With this assurance, Jing You felt more at ease. She nodded and went to fetch Hua Wuying.

A moment later, Hua Wuying arrived. It was her first time setting foot in this place. Previously, whenever she tried to find a way to see Ji Qingchi, she was blocked by her “good” brother for various reasons. Her father was still alive and well, and her own arrangements were not yet complete, so she couldn’t rashly start a conflict with her brother. Thus, after several days, this was her first time speaking face-to-face with Ji Qingchi.

“Your Highness, how are your injuries?”

Without a single glance at her brother on the ground, she looked Ji Qingchi up and down as soon as she arrived. “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Rest assured, This Palace is perfectly fine.” Ji Qingchi explained the whole story and gestured for her to look at the person on the ground. “Your brother… what should be done with him?”

Only then did Hua Wuying spare a moment to look at the person who had fainted on the ground.

Seeing his handsome face slowly bead with sweat from the pain and his body twitching, she suddenly let out a light laugh, her voice like silver bells, full of delight. “Hahaha, so my dear brother also has such a pathetic moment. Back when I was covered in blood and carried out of the Huachen Kingdom’s imperial palace, didn’t you call me a good-for-nothing? Brother, look now, between us, who is the real good-for-nothing?”

The person who had fainted, of course, could not answer her.

Hua Wuying carefully admired her dear brother’s pained appearance, her smile growing wider. “Not bad, not bad. Seeing my brother like this, I wonder how much it will pain that old ghost of a father of mine. I’ll take him back and let him feel some proper heartache.”

Ji Qingchi grabbed her hand. “But with your brother like this, how will you explain it to your father?”

Hua Wuying gave a charming smile. “Your Highness must believe in my strength. Right now, in the entire Xuanji Tower, even the flies in the latrine know not to bother me.”

Ji Qingchi let go of her hand. Hua Wuying smiled, “I must trouble Your Highness to stay here for another day or so. At the latest, it won’t be past the day after tomorrow before Your Highness can leave.”

Ji Qingchi nodded. “You be careful.”

“Don’t worry.” Hua Wuying licked her lips, looking like a beast eager to feast. “I have endured humiliation and carried a heavy burden for almost ten years. I’ve waited for this moment for a very, very long time.”

She took Hua Wushang away.

Ji Qingchi was a little worried. Jing You saw her frowning and handed her a human-skin mask.

Ji Qingchi was surprised. “You know how to disguise yourself?”

“I do.” Jing You nodded. “Your Highness is worried about the Young Miss, right? Why don’t we go over and take a look together? I will protect Your Highness.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. This Palace can take care of myself. Just protect your Young Miss.”

After putting on the mask and disguising herself, Ji Qingchi smiled. “Let’s go. We’ll go and see how your Young Miss avenges her past shame.”

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Hua Bao had been very irritable lately.

The emperor of the Yanxue Kingdom was even more difficult to deal with than the terminally ill old emperor of the Huachen Kingdom. She said she was willing to agree to his conditions in exchange for her daughter, but in reality, she hadn’t made the slightest move.

Upon asking, she actually said that the current Minister of Revenue was some Marquis Ding’an, an old official left behind by the late emperor, who was not of one mind with her. Her words didn’t count, and even if she wanted to give all the business in the entire capital to the Yiyun Tower, the Ministry of Revenue wouldn’t agree—how utterly absurd!

She, an emperor, couldn’t even control her own officials!

What a good-for-nothing!

Hua Bao was furious. He had someone inquire and found out it was indeed the case. The original Minister of Revenue had been promoted to Chancellor, leaving the position vacant. Marquis Ding’an, who should have been enjoying his retirement, had, for some unknown reason, recommended herself³ for the post of Minister of Revenue.

Marquis Ding’an was the Chancellor of the previous dynasty and was related by marriage to Marquis Zhenwei, who had retired from military service⁴. The two great families were like great mountains pressing down on the imperial family, and the emperor could do nothing about them.

“F#cker! What a f#cking good-for-nothing! As expected, women are no good as emperors!” Recalling the female emperor’s tearful, sobbing appearance when he presented his conditions, Hua Bao was filled with rage. He nearly smashed the chair beneath him.

“No, I can’t just let that b#tch have her way! This Seat must think of another way!” He paced back and forth in his study for a long while, but the lack of a good solution only made him more and more agitated.

After smashing two pear wood chairs, the anger in his heart still hadn’t subsided, but he was getting tired. He collapsed onto a chair and said angrily, “Serve tea!”

There was no response from outside the study. After a long while, the door opened with a creak.

Hua Wuying, dressed in a splendid, vibrant red dress, walked in gracefully, holding a cup of tea. She smiled and said, “Father, have some tea.”

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