The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 95

Have you never liked me?

Qu Sheng’s low, floating words whispered in Lin Xizhao’s ear, instantly pulling the tangled mess of her thoughts into a single, straight line. The blush already on Lin Xizhao’s cheeks deepened to a fiery red.

The first time they were together, she had refused this kind of intimacy¹ from Qu Sheng. But Qu Sheng had told her this was how it was done in storybooks. Yet, she had never heard of or read any storybook that taught women to do such things with other women.

If she hadn’t lost her senses² back then, she never would have had such a beginning with Qu Sheng. And once it had started, she could no longer find a reason to refuse her.

She admitted she liked it when Qu Sheng did these things to her. But facing a Qu Sheng who could see was completely different from when she was blind; the shyness she felt was on an entirely different level.

Hearing Qu Sheng’s question now, the shyness she had just suppressed leaped out again. Her gaze, which had been hazy as she looked at Qu Sheng, cleared slightly before slowly lowering.

Of course, Qu Sheng wouldn’t give her a chance to escape. She loved seeing Lin Xizhao’s bashful expression more than anything; it made every drop of blood in her veins boil and roar.

“Jiejie,³ you’re so sweet…” Qu Sheng had completely lost herself in the moment. She clung to Lin Xizhao’s soft, fragrant lips and tongue, speaking the thoughts in her heart aloud.

“Miss Sheng, a group of people has arrived outside. They say they need to inspect the inn.”

Qu Sheng heard the knock on the door as she was kissing the water droplets from Lin Xizhao’s skin, but she had no intention of stopping. Lin Xizhao, however, heard the voice of one of the Zhao Family Guards and raised a hand to cup Qu Sheng’s cheek. “Sheng’er,” she urged.

Qu Sheng finally registered the words from outside. She looked up at Lin Xizhao, then glanced toward the door. The passion she had built up was still unreleased. Hearing the unsteady note in Lin Xizhao’s voice as she called her name, her face showed a moment of hesitation.

A moment later, another knock sounded at the door. With a look of regret, Qu Sheng could only press a final, brief kiss to Lin Xizhao’s swollen lips. “Sheng’er will make it up to Jiejie later,” she said, her voice full of reluctance.

Stopping midway like this… Qu Sheng felt she had wronged Lin Xizhao.

Qu Sheng grabbed the nearby robes and draped them over Lin Xizhao before carrying her to the bed.

After they were both dressed, Qu Sheng went to open the door. The guards mentioned earlier had already entered the inn. Qu Sheng glanced outside and saw them pulling guests downstairs, checking their faces against a portrait.

Thanks to the cover of night, their group hadn’t exposed their faces. The portrait they were holding was likely of Cheng Feng.

Qu Sheng lifted her chin slightly, signaling her own guard to stay put, and then closed the door. She turned back into the room where Lin Xizhao had already gotten off the bed. The blush was still on her cheeks, but the alluring charm in her furrowed brow had faded considerably.

Qu Sheng’s gentle eyes were still bright. Lin Xizhao met her gaze for a second before instinctively looking away. Seeing her avert her eyes, Qu Sheng’s lips slowly curved into a smile. She walked over, gently pinched Lin Xizhao’s delicate chin, and leaned in to kiss her.

“Searching for fugitives! Open the door, now!” a rude voice barked from outside.

Hearing what sounded like the Haichao Pursuers,⁴ Qu Sheng’s kiss stopped short. She looked at Lin Xizhao’s fluttering eyelashes, ultimately settling for just a light press of her lips against hers before turning to open the door.

When the door opened, Qu Sheng’s expression was icy. Her guard bowed. “Miss, this officer⁵ says he’s hunting for fugitives and wants to search the room.”

Qu Sheng said nothing. She simply pulled the door wide open and walked back inside.

Seeing this, her guard made a gesture of invitation to the soldier. The soldier had already felt the chill in Qu Sheng’s eyes and noticed the men standing guard here were armed with swords. He gave them a wary look before stepping inside.

Qu Sheng went back into the room and pulled Lin Xizhao into her arms. The soldiers began their search, checking under the bed and inside the cabinets. One of them even took his saber and stabbed into the bathing tub a few times.

After finding no one else in the room, the leader of the soldiers walked over to Qu Sheng.

Lin Xizhao remained protectively held in Qu Sheng’s embrace. The soldier stared at Qu Sheng for a moment before his gaze shifted to the woman in her arms.

“Let me see your face.”

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao looked up at Qu Sheng, then turned her head to look at the soldier standing beside them.

When the soldier first saw Qu Sheng, he thought she was beautiful, but her expression was far too cold. Now, seeing Lin Xizhao, who looked as soft as if she were boneless,⁶ her eyes hiding an indescribable charm, his Adam’s apple bobbed.

At that moment, Qu Sheng’s disgust for the man in front of her reached its peak. Just as she was about to raise her hand and snap his neck, her guard stepped forward, offering a placating smile. “Sir Officer, you can see the person you’re looking for isn’t here…” The guard pulled some silver from his pouch.

The soldier’s gaze finally moved from Lin Xizhao. He glanced at the burly guard, pursed his lips, and then looked down at the silver. “Stop wasting my time,” he said impatiently, even as his hand reached out for the silver the guard offered.

After taking the silver, the soldier shot another look at Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng. His eyes darted around for a second before he gestured to his men. “Let’s go.”

Once they left, Qu Sheng’s guard followed them out. Qu Sheng looked down at Lin Xizhao, who was already looking up at her.

“Don’t worry. Sheng’er will protect Jiejie.”

Lin Xizhao, of course, believed Qu Sheng would protect her. Her eyes curved into a slight smile as she nodded gently. A perfectly good ‘feast’ had been ruined by those men. Qu Sheng lifted Lin Xizhao into her arms again.

“Sheng’er…” Lin Xizhao started to say something but stopped. The reason she had lost moments ago had now fully returned.

She didn’t want to continue.

Hearing her, Qu Sheng’s lips tilted up. She whispered in her ear, “What is Jiejie thinking about?” What could she be thinking about that makes her unable to look at me, that makes even her porcelain-white earlobes turn red?

Lin Xizhao heard Qu Sheng’s deliberate teasing and shot her a reproachful look. She slipped out of her arms and walked toward the bed.

Qu Sheng’s lips curved. She, for one, wanted to continue what Lin Xizhao was thinking about. But the pursuers had already found their way here. For safety’s sake, it was no longer possible.

Qu Sheng had someone bring them food. When she wanted Lin Xizhao to feed her, Lin Xizhao refused. The obedient little sister from before was not being obedient at all. The way she was staring at her now, she felt like she was being watched by some wild beast.

Lin Xizhao ate her own food, not even looking up at Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng wasn’t annoyed. She picked up her bowl and smiled. “If Jiejie won’t feed Sheng’er, then Sheng’er will feed Jiejie.” For over a decade, Qu Sheng had almost always been fed by Lin Xizhao. For her to suddenly stop, it had to be because of what happened in the bathing tub.

As she spoke, Lin Xizhao glanced over and saw Qu Sheng holding a spoonful of soup to her lips.

“Jiejie,” Qu Sheng called out again in a wheedling tone.

Lin Xizhao met Qu Sheng’s expectant gaze, looked down at the soup in the wooden spoon, and then back up at Qu Sheng. Seeing the smile on Qu Sheng’s lips, Lin Xizhao hesitated for a few moments but ultimately couldn’t find the heart to refuse her. She lowered her head and drank the soup. When she looked up again, Qu Sheng was leaning in close.

Lin Xizhao instinctively dodged, turning her head away. The handkerchief in Qu Sheng’s hand froze in mid-air. She stared at Lin Xizhao for a long moment. When she saw that Lin Xizhao realized she had only meant to wipe her lips, she hid the flicker of disappointment in her eyes and smiled, gently dabbing away the soup from the corner of Lin Xizhao’s mouth.

“Sheng’er can eat by herself. Jiejie doesn’t need to feed me,” Lin Xizhao said, her eyes curving as her soft voice flowed out.

She realized then that her instinctive reaction had hurt Qu Sheng. But it wasn’t that she was rejecting Qu Sheng; it was because she still had soup in her mouth…

She had thought Qu Sheng was going to kiss her.

Qu Sheng’s eyes curved slightly. She didn’t respond, simply continuing to lift the soup bowl and feed Lin Xizhao.

After dinner, they returned to the bed to rest. Before Qu Sheng could even untie her robes, she heard her guard report from outside, “Miss Sheng, that group of men is back.”

In just a short hour, they had returned. Lin Xizhao paused the motion of untying Qu Sheng’s clothes, and they exchanged a look.

Qu Sheng walked to the door. “First, see what they’re up to,” she told the guard outside.

It was already dark, and the city gates were closed. Perhaps they had nowhere else to go and decided to stay here for the night.

A short while later, the guard knocked again and whispered, “They’re here to stay at the inn.”

“Understood.”

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Around midnight, in a hazy state of sleep, Lin Xizhao heard Qu Sheng calling her name softly by her ear.

“Jiejie.”

Hearing her name, Lin Xizhao opened her eyes, trying to make out Qu Sheng’s face in the darkness. Qu Sheng was kneeling by the bedside, looking down at Lin Xizhao’s sleepy expression with a pang of heartache.

“We have to go,” Qu Sheng said. Despite her reluctance to wake her, she knew they couldn’t sleep any longer.

Though confused, Lin Xizhao understood they were on the run. She thought for only a second before sitting up.

There were no lamps lit in the room. Lin Xizhao fumbled to put on her dress before Qu Sheng took her hand and led her out.

As she followed Qu Sheng toward the door, the faint scent of blood she had noticed earlier grew stronger.

As Qu Sheng led her out, Lin Xizhao glanced down and saw a pile of something stacked by the door. She tried to get a better look, but Qu Sheng suddenly swept her up into her arms.

Startled by being lifted so abruptly, Lin Xizhao looked out into the hallway and saw the guards, bent over and dragging bodies on the floor.

An oil lamp burned in the main hall, and now Lin Xizhao could see clearly. The bodies belonged to the Haichao Pursuers from earlier. Qu Sheng had picked her up simply so she wouldn’t have to step in the blood on the floor.

The guards dragged the bodies into a room, closed the door, and quickly followed Qu Sheng, who was already carrying Lin Xizhao downstairs.

Qu Sheng placed Lin Xizhao on a horse before mounting behind her. Since they were traveling at night, Qu Sheng didn’t feel safe letting her ride alone, so they shared a horse.

With one arm around Lin Xizhao’s slender waist and the other holding the reins, Qu Sheng leaned down and kissed Lin Xizhao’s still-sleepy face. Then, with a squeeze of her legs, she spurred the horse onward.

Before Qu Sheng had woken her, those men had been acting suspiciously outside their door. If they had only wanted money, she would have been willing to open one eye and close one eye.⁷ But they should never, ever have coveted her person.

Royal City guards from Haichao, returning with Bewitching Incense.⁸ They hadn’t needed to flee like this before, but after killing so many people, they would surely be wanted criminals with a bounty on their heads.

For a few guards hunting fugitives to behave in such a manner, it was clear how chaotic the rule of this New King of Haichao was.

Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao rode through the night. At daybreak, they entered a town, bought some dry rations and a horse carriage, and then left again.

They couldn’t afford to linger. Although no one here knew them, after what had happened, Qu Sheng felt it was safer to get Lin Xizhao back to Shoulin as quickly as possible.

After three days of nonstop travel, they finally crossed the border of Haichao and entered Tiansheng, into the fiefdom of Shoulin.

Just as Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao entered the Nanting Courtyard, Qu Ting and his wife also returned. Seeing that everyone was safe, they all went inside.

Feng Qi’s group, with Xiao Bingying, had barely stopped since they set out, but they had only arrived half a day earlier.

“The poison in Miss Xiao’s body has been stabilized, but she is still very weak,” Feng Qi reported on Xiao Bingying’s condition.

Qu Sheng nodded. “What about the others we brought back?”

“Young Master Cheng and Doctor Liu have been settled in a side courtyard,” Feng Qi replied. “Miss Cheng Xi has been watching over Miss Xiao constantly and has been given her old room in your courtyard.”

Qu Sheng’s eyes lowered for a moment. She glanced at Lin Xizhao before leading her to see Xiao Bingying first.

Xiao Bingying was awake now, but she was too weak to leave her bed. The long journey had taken a heavy toll on her. Despite Cheng Xi’s constant care, her health had deteriorated.

“Bingying,” Lin Xizhao said, sitting in a chair by the bed, her eyes filled with heartache and worry as she looked at Xiao Bingying’s pale lips. “How are you feeling?”

They had grown up together and were as close as sisters. Seeing Xiao Bingying like this, Lin Xizhao was frantic with distress but felt completely helpless.

“It’s nothing,” Xiao Bingying managed weakly before breaking into a fit of coughing.

Lin Xizhao immediately stood to help her up, but Cheng Xi was a step ahead. She moved to Xiao Bingying’s side and gently rubbed her chest, trying to help her breathe more easily.

Qu Sheng stood off to the side, watching the guilt on Cheng Xi’s face. After observing her for a few moments, she left the room.

Lin Xizhao stayed with Xiao Bingying for a while. When she returned to her own room to find Qu Sheng, she was gone. A maidservant saw her and curtsied. “Eldest Miss, Miss said that you should go bathe as soon as you returned. She will be back shortly.”

Lin Xizhao had been planning to bathe anyway, but hearing that Qu Sheng had told her to—and would be back shortly—made her hesitate.

After days of travel, she truly needed a good wash. But the thought of Qu Sheng saying she’d be back soon… Lin Xizhao glanced toward the door, bit her lower lip, and followed the maidservant to the bathing chamber.

As soon as Lin Xizhao entered the chamber, she had the maidservant bolt the door. But by the time she finished washing, Qu Sheng still hadn’t returned.

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Ever since they returned, Cheng Xi had remained by Xiao Bingying’s side. Here at the Marquis Qu’s Residence, they lacked for nothing, and there were plenty of maidservants to care for her. But Cheng Xi entrusted the tasks to no one else, even washing Xiao Bingying’s body herself.

The visit from Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng had prompted Xiao Bingying to speak her first words in days.

Cheng Xi knew Xiao Bingying was still angry with her, but since Xiao Bingying didn’t ask, she didn’t explain.

When dinner was brought, Cheng Xi helped Xiao Bingying sit up against the headboard. She brought over a small table and, after blowing on a spoonful of porridge to cool it, began to feed her.

Xiao Bingying didn’t refuse Cheng Xi’s care. She watched as Cheng Xi cooled the medicinal porridge in the silver spoon, then lifted her eyes to meet hers.

Seeing that Xiao Bingying was finally willing to look at her, Cheng Xi’s soft lips parted. She wanted to take the chance to explain, but she realized that no matter what she said, what she had done was a kind of betrayal to Xiao Bingying.

After meeting Xiao Bingying’s gaze for a few moments, Cheng Xi lowered her eyes to the porridge. “I added a few herbs to it,” she said, her voice cool yet gentle. “They will be good for your body.”

Cheng Xi waited for a response, but Xiao Bingying said nothing. Confused, she glanced up furtively.

Xiao Bingying’s gaze had never left her face. She watched Cheng Xi quietly, her expression showing neither shame nor anger.

Being stared at like that made Cheng Xi’s heart twist. In the past, whenever Xiao Bingying looked at her, her eyes were always so gentle they seemed to overflow with tenderness. But this flat, indifferent gaze, as if she were looking at a stranger, made her deeply uncomfortable.

“Before, I…” Cheng Xi tried again to explain, but the words caught in her throat.

“Before, you could have treated Sheng-meimei’s⁹ eyes, couldn’t you?” Xiao Bingying finally asked, unable to hold back any longer.

She didn’t know when Cheng Xi had started deceiving her, but it was probably from that kiss onward.

“I could treat them, but I wasn’t completely certain it would work.”

“You’re still lying.” Although Xiao Bingying spoke without much force, she was clearly becoming agitated. The words had barely left her mouth before she started coughing again.

Cheng Xi had wanted to explain further, but seeing Xiao Bingying’s sudden coughing fit, she forgot about being misunderstood. She quickly put down the bowl, intending to help soothe her breathing.

“Don’t… cough, cough… Don’t bother,” Xiao Bingying choked out, pushing away Cheng Xi’s outstretched hand.

Though hurt by the rejection, Cheng Xi’s face was etched with worry. She had felt no love for the Xiao Bingying of the past; she believed there could be no real affection between two women. If anything, she could only treat Xiao Bingying as an older sister.

“I’m not. I truly wasn’t certain. When I told you before that there was only a fifty percent chance, that was my honest assessment.” She remembered only hearing Liu Wuxiang mention the treatment in passing as an interesting anecdote, and she hadn’t paid it much mind at the time.

Seeing that Cheng Xi’s expression didn’t seem like a lie, Xiao Bingying, though still skeptical, was reminded of her own illness.

Liu Wuxiang’s medical skills were far superior to Cheng Xi’s. How could a student he taught be anything less than brilliant?

“What about the coldness in your body? What was that about?” Xiao Bingying took a deep breath, her brow furrowed as she asked in a weak voice.

“It was from drinking a medicinal soup brewed from something called Vile Nether Bamboo.¹⁰ It lowers the body’s temperature.” For Cheng Xi, taking that concoction had been like constantly gambling with her life.

Hearing that it lowered one’s body temperature, Xiao Bingying recalled something from her medical texts: if a person’s body temperature drops below normal, their internal organs will suffer damage. Cheng Xi had been taking that medicine for so long… could it be that…

“Shifu¹¹ has already prescribed me medicine. The condition has been cured,” Cheng Xi said, seeing the flicker of worry in Xiao Bingying’s eyes.

Xiao Bingying still cared about her.

Xiao Bingying heard this, remembered the medicine Liu Wuxiang had sent back with Cheng Xi, and her brow furrowed again.

And to think she had believed that with enough effort, she could nurse Cheng Xi back to health. It turned out she had brought it all on herself.

“Then what about your martial arts? Why did you hide that from me?” She had checked her pulse before and detected nothing. If she hadn’t vaguely seen her killing those men on the mountain that night, she probably would have never known.

Cheng Xi heard the question and countered with one of her own. “If your brother knew I had martial arts, would he have let me move about freely?”

Cheng Xi’s skills were superior to Xiao Yaocai’s.

The question silenced Xiao Bingying. She looked down for a moment, then met Cheng Xi’s eyes again. “Then why didn’t you run?” With skills like that, escaping should have been easy.

“If I ran, my brother would have died.”

The New King of Haichao knew Cheng Xi had martial arts, though he didn’t know the extent of her abilities. When he sent her away, he had warned her: if she didn’t behave and did anything to harm the Haichao Kingdom, he would kill Cheng Feng.

Hearing Cheng Xi’s explanation, for a fleeting moment, Xiao Bingying wished so desperately that Cheng Xi would say she had stayed for her. But it was all just a foolish hope.

“Have you never liked me?”

Hearing Xiao Bingying’s question, Cheng Xi met her gaze. She looked for a long time into those eyes that already seemed to know the answer, and finally, she lowered her head.

She had never liked Xiao Bingying. Everything she did was simply to stay alive. Only by living could she hope to see her brother again, and that day had finally come.

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Lin Xizhao returned to her room to find the table laden with dishes prepared for them by the Marquis Qu’s Residence. Nearly all of them were her favorites.

A maidservant placed a pair of jade chopsticks for her, but Lin Xizhao didn’t move. She kept glancing toward the door until she saw Qu Sheng return. Only then did her eyes curve into a smile. She stood up. “Where did you go? What took you so long?” She had asked Feng Qi earlier, but he hadn’t known either.

Hearing the hint of complaint in Lin Xizhao’s voice, Qu Sheng’s eyes lit up. “Did Jiejie miss Sheng’er?” she asked with a grin.

Lin Xizhao just looked at her helplessly. Qu Sheng knew when to quit while she’s ahead,¹² so she sat down to have dinner with her.

It was a habit of more than ten years. The moment Qu Sheng sat down, Lin Xizhao reached for her bowl and chopsticks, intending to feed her. Seeing Lin Xizhao’s hand hover over her bowl, Qu Sheng’s lips curved. “I’m tired today, too. Sheng’er needs Jiejie to feed her.”

Lin Xizhao bit her lower lip, and her hovering hand finally descended, picking up Qu Sheng’s bowl and chopsticks. She felt a pang of guilt. When she was bathing earlier, she had deliberately had the door bolted to prevent Qu Sheng from coming in.

Even though Qu Sheng hadn’t tried to enter, she had still done something that made her feel guilty. This could be her way of making it up to her.

After dinner, Qu Sheng announced she was going to bathe. Lin Xizhao, sitting to the side, just gave a soft “mm” and said nothing more.

As Qu Sheng reached the door, she remembered how she had returned earlier to find the bathing chamber door bolted. A flash of bitterness crossed her eyes. She turned back to look at Lin Xizhao.

“Isn’t Jiejie going to help Sheng’er?” Qu Sheng asked, her eyes smiling.

Her eyes had been blind for so long, and Lin Xizhao had always taken care of her. Why did she stop now that her sight was restored?

Lin Xizhao’s repeated evasion was making Qu Sheng feel more and more insecure.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “You heartless woman. You won’t acknowledge the debt after putting your clothes back on.”¹³

Lin Xizhao: “……”

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