Jiejie Only Wants You, Only Wants My Sheng’er.
The moment Lin Xizhao heard the man address Jin Yunfei as Paternal Aunt, she guessed that he was from the Jin family.
“Xizhao greets Maternal Uncle and Biaoge,”1 Lin Xizhao said, curtsying with a gentle smile.
Jin Yunyou looked at the young woman before him, then glanced at Qu Sheng beside her, and nodded with a smile.
Upon hearing Lin Xizhao’s greeting, Jin Mingjun’s2 lips curved into a smile, and he quickly said, “I have long heard of Xizhao-meimei—”
“Ahem.” The Crown Prince let out a soft cough. Interrupted, Jin Mingjun looked toward him, and Lin Xizhao turned to look as well.
The Crown Prince glanced at Jin Mingjun, his eyes filled with a measure of disdain. What ‘long heard of you’? What ‘younger sister’? he grumbled inwardly. He does not even remember Lin Xizhao’s name, yet he has the gall to say he has long heard of her.
At that moment, Qu Sheng walked over. She said nothing, nor did she greet the Crown Prince or the others. She simply stared at Jin Mingjun, her eyes filled with vigilance.
Lin Xizhao once had a verbal marriage contract with this Biaoge of hers. Later, after Jin Mingjun’s wife passed away, her maternal aunt had written to bring up the matter again, but Lin Xizhao had tactfully refused, and the matter was dropped.
But Qu Sheng was still displeased, especially when she saw the way Jin Mingjun looked at Lin Xizhao—it was no different from the Crown Prince’s gaze.
Qu Sheng walked to Lin Xizhao’s side and pulled her away without a word.
“Ah.” Suddenly pulled along, Lin Xizhao stumbled.
She did not know what was wrong with her Sheng’er, but as she was led away, Lin Xizhao still looked back at the group and lowered her head in a gesture of farewell.
Under the puzzled gazes of everyone present, the two of them left the reception hall.
Qu Sheng pulled Lin Xizhao back to the courtyard, where Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi were sitting and reading. Over the past few days, Cheng Xi had taught Xiao Bingying a great deal about medicine and recommended many medical texts to her—all of which, of course, had been purchased for her by Zhao Jiayu.
When Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao entered the courtyard, Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi noticed the anger on Qu Sheng’s face. They put down their books and stared at her until the pair entered their room and shut the door.
The two women exchanged a look, not knowing what had happened. Just as Xiao Bingying was about to get up to check on them and perhaps mediate, Cheng Xi stopped her, asking with a smile, “What are you going to do?”
“I… I am going to see what is wrong.”
“Your presence would only be superfluous. You would be better off reading a few more lines.”
Cheng Xi was a very strict teacher when it came to medicine, though she was considerably more lenient with Xiao Bingying than her own Shifu3 had been with her.
Hearing this, Xiao Bingying’s initial confusion gave way to a sheepish grin.
Ever since the day Xiao Bingying had gotten drunk, their relationship had returned to how it was before. Cheng Xi’s attitude toward Xiao Bingying had also changed from one of indifference to a slowly growing dependence.
They had shared skin-to-skin intimacy4 again, just not during that drunken episode. Xiao Bingying, much like Qu Sheng, was a stubborn person; even when intoxicated, she had not forgotten that she must not harm Cheng Xi.
Even when Cheng Xi actively tempted her, she had been filled with desire.
However, Cheng Xi had kept her in her room that night and told her that she no longer felt indifferent toward her.
She liked her, in a way that was different from how she liked other women.
Xiao Bingying was incredulous at first, but she gradually discovered that Cheng Xi did care for her; she just did not know if Cheng Xi was pretending.
It was not until later, when Zhao Jiayu drank with them again, that things changed. After Xiao Bingying got drunk, Cheng Xi took her once, and only then did their relationship return to what it had been before.
“You silly girl,” Cheng Xi said, her eyes curving as she gazed at Xiao Bingying with tenderness.
Their eyes met for a moment before Cheng Xi leaned in and placed a light kiss on the corner of her lips. As Cheng Xi pulled away, Xiao Bingying looked at her face, feeling as if it was not enough.
“Do you want others to see?”
Feng Qi was still standing in the courtyard.
Hearing Cheng Xi’s words, Xiao Bingying froze for a second, a hint of bashfulness appearing on her face as she lowered her gaze.
Seeing this, Cheng Xi smiled and said, “Memorize half of this book today.”
“Ah?” Xiao Bingying, her head still bowed, seemed a little startled. The book was quite thick.
“Otherwise, we will sleep separately tonight,” Cheng Xi whispered into her ear.
The moment she heard they would be separated, Xiao Bingying became determined. Even if they did nothing, she did not want to be apart from Cheng Xi, not to mention that at night, she would lose control of herself…
“I will memorize all of it right now.”
Xiao Bingying already remembered most of it. Reciting it roughly would not be a problem.
After pulling Lin Xizhao back to their room, Qu Sheng began to throw a small tantrum. She sat down at the table and ignored Lin Xizhao completely.
Seeing Qu Sheng’s angry expression, Lin Xizhao coaxed her in a soft voice, “What is wrong with my Sheng’er?”
Lin Xizhao’s voice was naturally gentle, but when she deliberately softened it further, it tickled Qu Sheng’s heart until she could hardly bear it.
As Lin Xizhao drew near, Qu Sheng looked up at her and said, “That was Jin Mingjun, the one who had a marriage contract with you.”
Hearing the jealousy in Qu Sheng’s words, Lin Xizhao was stunned for a moment before she quickly smiled. “What are you talking about? When did I ever have a marriage contract with him?”
That marriage contract had been merely verbal. She had not even known about it at the time, and her mother had lost her life because of that voided agreement. From the bottom of her heart, she refused to acknowledge it.
Upon hearing this, Qu Sheng’s expression did not change, but her heart was soothed by Lin Xizhao’s words.
“Did you not say he has two sons? Do you want me to go and be their stepmother?” Lin Xizhao teased deliberately.
She knew Qu Sheng had told her that on purpose last time.
Qu Sheng’s sullen face was now tinged with shock. She turned to look at Lin Xizhao, and although she knew she was only joking, her heart still tensed.
She looked at Lin Xizhao, her lips trembling for a moment before she said, “Jiejie, you have learned to be naughty.”
She had even learned to scare her like this. But from this, she also knew that Lin Xizhao did not care about Jin Mingjun.
Lin Xizhao’s brows curved. She raised a slender, pale hand to cup Qu Sheng’s cheek, her thumb rubbing gently. Her eyes filled with affection, she kissed the corner of Qu Sheng’s lips and said in a soft, lingering voice, “Jiejie only wants you. Only my Sheng’er.”
In this world, she would never find another person who cared for her so deeply.
And she could no longer live without Qu Sheng.
What did those other people have to do with them?
“Jiejie…” Qu Sheng’s gaze began to shimmer with tiny sparks of fire.
The last time, when she could not see and was bathing, she had heard Lin Xizhao confess her feelings like this, but she had not known how much was true and how much was false. This time, however, she knew that Lin Xizhao meant every word she said.
“Sheng’er.” Lin Xizhao looked into Qu Sheng’s eyes and saw the desire within them. She soon satisfied Qu Sheng’s craving.
Lin Xizhao pressed her soft lips against hers again, using the tip of her tongue to pry open Qu Sheng’s teeth. She mimicked what Qu Sheng always did to her, twining her tongue around hers and, after a moment, gently sucking on it.
Qu Sheng was dazed by Lin Xizhao’s initiative. In the past, her own advances, while causing the passion in her body to surge, were different from this sudden blaze.
As Lin Xizhao’s kiss deepened, the feeling of emptiness in her heart grew ever stronger.
After Qu Sheng led Lin Xizhao away, the Crown Prince, deeming Qu Sheng an idiot5 and a madman6 with martial arts, did not dare to provoke her and thus took his leave.
With the arrival of the maternal uncle from the Jin family, Jin Yunfei had someone arrange a family banquet.
In the evening, a servant from Jin Yunfei’s side came to summon them. Qu Sheng, who was in the middle of drawing a map of a residence, replied casually, “We are not going.”
Hearing the irritation in Qu Sheng’s voice, Lin Xizhao walked to her side, glanced at the brush in her hand, and gently took it away. “Maternal Uncle has come from afar, likely to see your Biaomei7 from the Jin family. Have you forgotten what you promised her?”
Qu Sheng lowered her eyes for a moment. Although she had not told Jin Yunfei where she had placed the person, a simple guess would reveal that she had hidden her in Lin Xizhao’s small courtyard.
“If you are worried, then I will not go over,” Lin Xizhao said, knowing what was making Qu Sheng angry and what she was concerned about.
Hearing how considerate Lin Xizhao was of her feelings, Qu Sheng suddenly felt that she was overreacting and being a bit willful.
She did not want Lin Xizhao to be put in such a position. Lin Xizhao was the most observant of etiquette and had never given anyone cause for criticism. She was right; Maternal Uncle had traveled a long way. Even if it was not for Biaoge’s sake, she had to show respect for an elder.
“Let us go together,” Qu Sheng said, her voice softening.
Lin Xizhao’s slender brows rose slightly, and she asked with a smile, “Is my Sheng’er not jealous anymore?”
Qu Sheng’s face flushed with embarrassment for a moment, but she quickly collected her thoughts and said, “Jiejie already said she only wants Sheng’er.”
Seeing Qu Sheng, though awkward, still speak her mind, Lin Xizhao’s lips curved. She leaned down to kiss her soft lips, lingering for a few moments before pulling back. “My Sheng’er has grown up,” she said.
When Qu Sheng was little, she also had her willful moments, but back then she would just remain silent. Now, she was able to express what was on her mind. Although Lin Xizhao had always been able to easily guess her thoughts, hearing her speak so directly now made her feel that they could truly talk about everything,8 as if they were one person.
Having received her reward, the softness of the lips once again plunged Qu Sheng’s heart into a certain emptiness. But after a moment, she stood up, a docile smile on her face, and led Lin Xizhao out of the room.
The two followed the servant to the dining hall in Jin Yunfei’s quarters. Qu Sheng stepped inside, and Lin Xizhao, lightly holding the hem of her skirt with one hand, smiled as she watched Qu Sheng deliberately slow down by half a step to wait for her.
“Zhao’er and Sheng’er are here,” Jin Yunfei said, her eyes smiling as she looked at the two of them.
Lin Xizhao’s lips curved, and she walked over with Qu Sheng.
“Maternal Uncle,” Qu Sheng said, properly greeting Jin Yunyou.
Lin Xizhao, at her side, also paid her respects.
Seeing his niece had blossomed to become so tall and graceful, Jin Yunyou nodded with a smile and said, “Sheng’er has grown taller again.”
Jin Yunyou had seen Qu Sheng a few times: at her birth, on her first birthday, and the year she returned to Shoulin. Of course, whenever he came to the capital, he would also visit. But because Qu Sheng was always at the Lin Residence, he would only stay for half a day before leaving, so he had not seen her often.
Qu Sheng lowered her head and did not reply. She had always been like this when they met before—quiet and sullen.
“Quickly, take your seats,” Jin Yunfei said, ushering them to the table.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao looked up and walked toward Jin Yunfei.
“Biaomei, Xizhao-meimei.” Jin Mingjun started to rise from his seat, intending to help pull out their chairs.
Their seating was usually fixed, but with two additional people, the arrangement had changed.
The seats next to Jin Yunfei were originally for Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng, but now Jin Mingjun was there. As she had not seen her nephew in a long time, Jin Yunfei had specially arranged for him to sit with her.
Everyone else was already seated. Just as Jin Mingjun had half-risen, Zhao Jiayu quickly raised her hand and said, “Xizhao, little Sheng’er, come sit over here.” After speaking, she whispered to Qu Yu, “Ah Yu, you go sit with Biaoge.”
Lin Xizhao’s seat was next to Jin Mingjun.
Hearing Zhao Jiayu call them, Qu Sheng glanced over and immediately led Lin Xizhao around the dining table to the other side.
As they approached, Qian Shuangying glanced at Qu Ting, who also stood up to make room for Qu Sheng.
“It is all the same where you sit,” Jin Yunfei said with a smile.
“Please sit, Biaoge.” Having switched places, Qu Yu smiled and gestured for the half-risen Jin Mingjun to sit back down.
Jin Mingjun’s face showed a flash of embarrassment, but he smiled and sat down.
“Now that everyone is here, let us begin eating,” Qu Jinian said. Seeing the junior generation so close, he felt a sense of relief.
The Qu family had few blood relatives; it was only in their generation that there were so many juniors. If the junior generation was harmonious, the Qu family would prosper in the future.
The Qu family members rarely spoke during meals. Lin Xizhao was serving Qu Sheng food, but she was unwilling to eat. Looking at the food in Qu Sheng’s bowl, Lin Xizhao thought for a moment, then picked up her bowl and chopsticks.
Lin Xizhao began to feed Qu Sheng again.
Everyone was used to such sights and did not find it strange;9 only the two from the Jin family stared a little longer. Jin Mingjun, in particular, could not take his eyes off them.
“Come, Biaoge, let me toast you,” Qu Yu said, raising the wine cup before him to Jin Mingjun.
Hearing this, Jin Mingjun looked slightly flustered. He quickly tore his gaze away and smiled at Qu Yu. “Alright.”
The two drank, and then Qu Jinian began drinking with Jin Yunyou, and the two Qu family uncles also started toasting.
At a Qu family banquet, no one was ever pressured to drink; you drank as much as you could handle.
With guests present, there was a bit more conversation at the table than usual.
Qu Ting and Qu Yu took turns toasting Jin Mingjun. By the time the banquet ended, he was stumbling as he walked.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao did not leave immediately after finishing their meal. Jin Yunyou had not drunk much. The table was cleared, and the others left. Jin Mingjun was helped back to his guest room to rest, while Qu Sheng stayed behind to answer Jin Yunyou’s questions.
“Biaojie10 left two days ago,” Qu Sheng said. She now knew why Jin Mingyi had run away from home: she was trying to flee a marriage.
Jin Yunyou and Jin Mingjun must have come after her to take her back.
Hearing this, Jin Yunyou’s brow furrowed. “Sheng’er, do you know where Yi’er went?”
“I do not know,” Qu Sheng replied, her eyes downcast.
Seeing the anxious look on Jin Yunyou’s face, Jin Yunfei quickly reassured him, “Yi’er is a sensible child. She will be fine. Big Brother, please do not worry.”
Jin Yunyou looked up at Jin Yunfei and said, “Younger Sister, you do not understand. Yi’er was engaged to the Zheng family some time ago. They are now discussing having her married over sooner, but she suddenly disappeared. The residence is in chaos. Mingjun and I have been searching everywhere. We only came here to try our luck, guessing she might have come to you. As soon as we received your letter, we rushed over, but we were still a step too late.”
Qu Sheng listened to Jin Yunyou with a calm and natural expression, but Jin Yunfei glanced at her and Lin Xizhao.
Jin Yunfei knew that Jin Mingyi had not left, but now…
Jin Yunfei sighed inwardly, then heard Qu Sheng say, “I have heard that the Zheng family fell under His Majesty’s suspicion some years ago. Maternal Uncle, in marrying Biaojie to them, have you considered that the union of our two families might deepen His Majesty’s suspicions and lead to disaster?”
Qu Sheng was direct. She knew what the Jin family’s intentions were. For years, the Jin family had been like treading on thin ice,11 not daring to expand their power. Back then, it was only by marrying her mother into the Qu family and gaining their support that they managed to clean up the mess in their fiefdom.
Before Qu Jinian inherited the title of Marquis, he had spent a year with the Jin family, helping Jin Yunyou, who had lost his father at a young age and had already become a Marquis, to manage his domain and bring it to order.
Qu Sheng’s words stunned Jin Yunyou for a moment. Currently, the Son of Heaven did not interfere with marriages between officials in the capital. But if feudal lords12 and vassal kings13 were to connect by marriage, the Son of Heaven would certainly become wary and take suppressive measures.
Jin Yunyou did not ask about Jin Mingyi’s whereabouts again. He chatted with his sister Jin Yunfei for a while longer before going to rest.
Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng saw Jin Yunyou to the courtyard gate and then turned back.
Seeing them return, Jin Yunfei asked, “Has Yi’er really left?”
“No, she is still at Jiejie’s residence.” Qu Sheng would not lie to Jin Yunfei, and she trusted that Jin Yunfei would not tell Jin Yunyou where Jin Mingyi was.
“That is good.” Jin Yunfei had only asked out of concern for Jin Mingyi’s safety. When Qu Sheng had brought her over, she had apparently been starving for days. Now, she could rest assured.
Jin Yunfei had not gone to see Jin Mingyi, fearing that her presence would scare her away.
“Mother, if there is nothing else, this child and Jiejie will be heading back,” Qu Sheng said, looking at Jin Yunfei.
Pulled from her thoughts, Jin Yunfei nodded. “Go on.”
The next morning.
Lying in bed, Lin Xizhao opened her eyes and reached for Qu Sheng, only to find the space beside her empty. Although the sky was already bright, it was still early, just past the hour of mao.14
Puzzled, Lin Xizhao lifted the thin quilt and got out of bed. Qu Sheng was not in the inner room, so she draped a thin robe over her shoulders and went to the outer room to look for her.
“What are you drawing?” Lin Xizhao walked to Qu Sheng’s side and saw her, dressed only in her inner robes, sitting at a small desk in the outer room, drawing something that looked like the layout of a residence.
Qu Sheng was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not hear Lin Xizhao’s footsteps, but she was not startled by her voice. She turned her head. Seeing Lin Xizhao in her robe, her long, dark hair cascading down her sides, her eyes lit up. “The Yan Residence,” she replied.
She only remembered the path she had taken to enter, but from her observations during the night, she had been able to deduce its structure and layout.
The construction of residences in the capital almost always followed the principles of feng shui.15 This was especially true for prominent figures, who would not casually alter the feng shui of their homes. Therefore, the Yan Residence had to be square and symmetrical.
“Why are you drawing this?” Lin Xizhao asked casually.
Qu Sheng’s gaze flickered, as if avoiding the question.
“You want to kill him directly?” Lin Xizhao guessed what Qu Sheng was planning.
This Yan Fengwu had no real power in the capital, and no one was willing to curry favor with him. It would be very difficult to get any leverage on him.
“Mm,” Qu Sheng grunted, her head still bowed.
“He is no ordinary official. First, there was the matter of Marquis Yongshen and his wife. If he dies now, it will surely attract attention. Besides, Her Majesty the Imperial Noble Consort16 is still waiting for an opportunity to retaliate…” Lin Xizhao briefly analyzed the situation.
If Qu Sheng had not helped her avenge her mother, the Qu family would not have provoked the Imperial Noble Consort. She could not let Qu Sheng take such a risk.
“It does not matter.” Qu Sheng did not care. Last night, Yan Fengwu had set up a hongmen banquet17 that had nearly cost Lin Xizhao her life. This debt had to be repaid.
“Sheng’er!” Lin Xizhao said urgently. She did not want Qu Sheng to be in danger, nor did she want anything to happen to the Qu family.
Hearing Lin Xizhao’s anxious call, Qu Sheng looked up, her brow slightly furrowed. Right now, the quickest way to kill Yan Fengwu was through assassination.
“Can we not slowly plan it?” Lin Xizhao did not want to stop Qu Sheng from avenging Qu Ce, but she could not let her lose her composure over what happened last night.
Qu Sheng lowered her head, seemingly unwilling to accept Lin Xizhao’s suggestion.
Seeing Qu Sheng’s stubbornness, Lin Xizhao sighed and raised a hand to her cheek, making her look up. “Yan Fengwu is a trusted confidant of His Majesty. If we want to eliminate him, perhaps we can start with His Majesty.”
Lin Xizhao’s words were a sudden revelation for Qu Sheng. With just that one pointer,18 Qu Sheng understood what she meant.
Yan Fengwu was a Hanlin Scholar personally appointed by the Son of Heaven. Although he had no real power, he advised His Majesty, a role very similar to that of Prime Minister Lin Jianhai, who oversaw the review of memorials.19 But Lin Jianhai had the authority to make decisions on his own, whereas Yan Fengwu, as a Hanlin Scholar, could only try to discern the emperor’s will and influence his thoughts.
After an early breakfast, Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng went to the small residence.
“My father and older brother are here?” Hearing Qu Sheng’s words, Jin Mingyi was so shocked that she instinctively wanted to go back to her room, pack her things, and run away.
Seeing this, Lin Xizhao exchanged a look with Qu Sheng and said with a smile, “Biaomei, do not worry. Sheng’er has already told Maternal Uncle that you have left the capital.”
Jin Mingyi stopped her backward steps. She looked at Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng and asked, “Did they say anything about making you capture me and bring me back?”
“No, but Maternal Uncle will be staying in the capital for a few days, so it is best you do not go out,” Qu Sheng advised.
Over the past few days, Jin Mingyi had asked her for a considerable amount of silver and had been wandering around the capital with Zhu Ming’an.
“I understand,” Jin Mingyi said, nodding her head obediently.
“Where is your attendant?” Qu Sheng asked, deliberately looking around.
Hearing Qu Sheng ask about Zhu Ming’an, Jin Mingyi paused for a moment, then smiled. “You mean Zhu Ming? She went out early this morning. Do you need her for something?”
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Jin Mingyi felt her skin crawl under Qu Sheng’s emotionless gaze.
Although her Biaomei was a stuffy gourd,20 back in the army, whenever she stared at someone like that, they would confess all their wrongdoings.
Even she, who had been by Qu Sheng’s side all that time, had been subconsciously influenced. Qu Sheng’s gaze felt like it could see right through a person.
“Oh, well, I recently took a liking to a jewelry shop and bought it. Zhu Ming went to manage it.”
“You sent her?” Qu Sheng asked with a frown. The day before yesterday, Jin Mingyi had indeed borrowed a large sum of silver from her.
“Ah, yes, I did. What is wrong?” Jin Mingyi’s eyes darted back and forth, a clear sign that she was not comfortable lying.
Hearing Jin Mingyi’s words, Qu Sheng lowered her gaze for a moment and said, “When you make a profit, pay me back triple.”
“Triple? You might as well just rob me!” Jin Mingyi’s eyes widened at Qu Sheng’s unreasonable demand.
Qu Sheng looked at Jin Mingyi’s clueless expression. She wanted to tell her about Zhu Ming’an’s origins, but seeing that she genuinely did not know, she thought for a moment and decided not to tell her for now.
Qu Sheng ignored Jin Mingyi’s complaint that she was worse than a robber and took Lin Xizhao to Prime Minister Lin’s Residence.
They had just entered the inner courtyard when the steward came to announce that the Marquis and the eldest young master of the Lingyi Jin Family had arrived.
Qu Sheng, holding a half-finished cup of tea, looked at the steward, her expression turning colder.
Other than Lin Xizhao’s marriage arrangement, Lin Jianhai had no dealings with the Jin family. Now, while searching for Jin Mingyi, they had come to visit the Lin family.
Qu Sheng had a guess as to what the Jin family was planning.
Lin Jianhai was not at the residence at the moment. Lin Xizhao had just returned, and she had always been the one to manage and receive guests in the courtyard. Although she could have Lin Xirui receive them, she had just seen them at Marquis Qu’s Residence. She could not use the excuse of being a maiden to refuse to see them.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “It is time to lay one’s cards on the table21 with the old father-in-law.”
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