Chapter 70: All The Beautiful Scenery In The World Could Not Enter Her Eyes,  She Could Only See The One Who Resided In Her Heart

If it really came down to whether she had deceived her, Li Qiubai still felt a little guilty. After all, that marriage had been a trap she had carefully set for the Young Master from the very beginning.  

In fact, sometimes Li Qiubai also wondered how the Young Master would react if one day she discovered that everything was just a scheme she had orchestrated.

It was rare for someone to bring up this topic. Taking the opportunity, Li Qiubai could not help but follow along and, pretending to joke, asked, “What if I really did deceive you? What would you do?”  

Perhaps it was because the Princess' expression at this moment was too relaxed and natural, showing no hint of guilt or avoidance, that the Young Master did not take her words seriously. She only pretended to be fierce, baring her teeth and flashing a sinister smile.

"I hate being deceived the most in my life. If Your Highness dares to deceive me, you better be ready to lose your head at any time!"  

Unfortunately, the Young Master did not look serious at all. With just one glance, the Princess immediately saw through her playful intent.  

The moment of panic was brief. The Princess quickly suppressed the emotions in her eyes and, with a helpless tone, said, "Have you ever seen anyone who deceives others and also ends up losing themselves in the process?"  

Mm, the Princess had a point.

The Young Master did not suspect anything. After all, she had never seen anyone deceive others and also give up their body and mind in the process.  

Unconcealed joy spread in the Young Master's eyes.  

That's right, even the daughters of ordinary families could not make such a losing deal, let alone this daughter of the imperial family.  

But no matter how much the Young Master agreed in her heart, she still muttered, "What if there really are fools like that in the world?"  

Upon hearing this, Li Qiubai was momentarily stunned.  

Fools, huh?

Alright, just be a fool then. As long as the Young Master did not think too much about it, that is all that mattered.  

The Princess did not comment or say much. She just gave a helpless smile and silently accepted the title of "fool" in her heart. Then, she turned her head to glance at the dark eye on the side of the carriage, looking out at the situation outside. She deliberately sighed.  

"Ai. I do not know how much longer your elder brother will take to get rid of that girl. My back is about to break from sitting here."  

At this moment, the situation outside the carriage was not much different from before. He Changping and Li Xinyi were still at a stalemate, neither willing to give way nor willing to back down.  

Both of their faces looked rather grim.

Meng Chang'an did not realize that the Princess was deliberately changing the topic. She followed the Princess and leaned her head closer, looking through the other viewing panel to observe the situation together.  

Thinking about what the Princess said about her back almost breaking from sitting, the Young Master could not help but raise her hand and wrap it around the Princess' waist. She gently massaged the Princess' waist while also asking with concern,  

"If you do not want to see her, should I go down and help Elder brother get rid of her? After all, I can now be considered your personal bodyguard. There is no need to worry about that woman's feelings. If I step in to send her away, it might be quicker."  

The sensation at her waist caused Li Qiubai to shiver involuntarily.

The warm touch and the tingling, aching sensation at her waist had already stirred ripples in the Princess' heart, bringing back the feeling of entangling with this person in the past.  

At that moment, Li Qiubai felt as if she had an inexplicable sense of longing and nostalgia.  

It was truly a pity. Outside the carriage, people were watching closely, making it impossible to enjoy any intimacy without worry.  

But it was only a brief moment of stiffness. The Princess quickly suppressed the wandering thoughts in her mind and calmly accepted the affectionate gesture. She allowed her normally rigid back to relax, leaning against the Young Master's arm, sitting shoulder to shoulder. She licked her dry lips and spoke, unhurriedly.  

"That is not necessary."

The Princess' lips curved into a sly smile, hiding her mischievous thoughts behind the carriage wall. She softly said, "If I need you to handle even this, what use would I have for him?"  

Although they could technically be considered husband and wife, from the tone of the Princess' words, it sounded as though she was simply describing the role of a regular subject in her eyes.  

If useful, they could stay. If not, they could be discarded at any time.  

Could it be that royal people treat everyone this way? Only keeping those who are useful and discarding those who are not?  

Meng Chang'an felt a bit complicated. She was unsure whether she should be relieved that her elder brother did not hold any position in the Princess' heart, or whether she should carefully consider how long her own place in the Princess' heart would last.

"What use do you have for me then...?"  

The Young Master's soft murmur reached the Princess' ears. Her light tone gave no hint of emotion, yet the Princess couldn't help but think more deeply about it.  

At this moment, the two were very close. The Princess only needed to tilt her head slightly to press her cheek against the Young Master's.  

If it were usual, the Princess would have immediately turned to kiss that silly girl's cheek to comfort her, to let her know that she was not someone whose worth could simply be measured by usefulness.

Unfortunately, the Princess had not yet emerged from the deep thoughts she had been lost in. Hearing the Young Master's words, she felt as if there was a deeper meaning behind them. She even forgot to comfort her and simply continued in the same position, lost in thought.  

After a moment of silence, the Princess finally snapped out of it. She turned her head and spoke softly near the Young Master's ear.  

"There are many uses for you. For example, you can warm my bed for me."  

Meng Chang'an felt her ears instantly become hot.

Who would have expected that the Princess would not stop there? She continued to lean close to the Young Master's ear, smiling as she spoke.

"I already said it back at Baiyun Inn, did I not? I do not lack skilled guards by my side. What I lack is someone to warm my bed for me. Now that you have voluntarily come forward to be my personal guard, are you not just trying to offer yourself up to warm my bed?"

The words "personal" were emphasized by the Princess, adding a touch of ambiguity to her tone.

The blush gradually spread across the Young Master's face. Such direct words made her both embarrassed and angry.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too. 

Perhaps the sight of the beautiful girl in such a flustered state was too alluring, and this time, Li Qiubai could no longer hold back. She pressed her lips directly to the Young Master's cheek, following her previous thought, and gave her a firm kiss on the cheek.

"You..."

What is wrong with this person?!

How could a noble Princess always resort to such shameless tricks?

Meng Chang'an's heart was pounding wildly, both embarrassed and angry. She immediately turned around and glared at the Princess.

However, her previous complicated feelings had already dissipated, leaving only the racing heartbeat and a mix of both anger and affection for the person beside her.

Before they could continue their playful banter, the sound of thundering hooves came from the distance. The horses pulling the Princess' carriage grew restless and stamped their hooves, causing the carriage to shake.

Instinctively, the Young Master tightened her hold on the Princess to prevent her from falling due to the rocking carriage. Afterward, she continued to look outside at the situation.

The sound of hooves was deafening, stirring up a cloud of dust.

After a short while, the leader of the group reined in his horse and stopped right in front of He Changping and Li Xinyi, breaking the long-standing stalemate between the two.

"Ahem... ahem..."

Li Xinyi quickly waved her sleeve to fan away the dust. Once the dust had settled, she revealed her eyes and looked at the newcomer. She then casually swept her gaze over the disciples with swords surrounding her and said with a hint of mockery, "Uncle*, this display is truly impressive. I do not understand, though. What is the meaning of suddenly coming here with a group of disciples, all looking so aggressive?"

*世伯 (shìbó) is a polite and somewhat familial term of address for an older male of a senior generation or someone held in high esteem. Not the relative uncle.

The martial arts leader, who had experienced great storms in his life, was certainly not someone who could be easily tricked by the words of a young girl like Li Xinyi. He Ziyi seemed to have not noticed the hidden meaning in the princess' words and only laughed heartily.

"I heard from the young man delivering the message that Her Highness encountered some accidents on the way, and her injuries were quite severe. Coincidentally, I also heard that a young friend from the Divine Doctors Sect was traveling near Yecheng, so I thought to bring people out of the city to personally bring this young friend to the gate as a guest to treat Her Highness' injuries. Unexpectedly, I ran into Her Highness' carriage right at the city gates. It is all my fault for being so anxious to see my son that I hurried a bit, and was unable to rein in the horse in time. If there has been any offense, I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

He said this while looking at the princess for understanding, but Li Xinyi did not see any remorse in He Ziyi's eyes.

If it had not been for that group of disciples in green robes with swords who quickly surrounded her, blocking her from any movement as if it had been planned from the start, Li Xinyi might have reluctantly believed that this person had not done it on purpose. 

Before Li Xinyi could continue with her sarcastic remarks, He Ziyi's direct disciple, Ye Chi, hurriedly rode over. Without any regard for her, he immediately reported, "Master, Miss Lingyun sent a message to you. She has already entered the city directly and will visit you at your door later. Should we still go look for her?"

Hearing this, He Ziyi could only smile helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, let her go then. This girl is really something, never giving us a heads-up, but waits until we have all come out before telling us. Truly reckless."

Although the name of Shen Lingyun, the Young Master of the Divine Doctors Sect, was not renowned across the world, it was still a prominent name around the Yuzhou area. the Prince of Yu's family had close ties with the martial world, so they were certainly familiar with the Young Master of the Divine Doctors Sect, who had gained fame at such a young age.

Knowing that the Divine Doctors Sect and the Qingyang Clan had always had a deep relationship, Li Xinyi was not surprised by the closeness between the martial arts alliance leader and Shen Lingyun. However, she only raised her hand to stop the royal guards who had hurried over but were blocked by the disciples in green, ensuring that the guards would not rush forward to act. After making sure, Li Xinyi then pulled out an ambiguous smile and looked up at He Ziyi.

"Since Uncle has specially come to pick someone up, and even managed to invite someone from the Divine Doctors Sect to treat the Imperial Sister, it seems that I no longer need to worry about Imperial Sister's safety."

Even though she knew that this alliance leader had rushed over merely to prevent her from making things difficult for He Changping and his group, Li Xinyi did not expose anything. Instead, she graciously offered a way out and took the initiative to say, "In that case, I shall not disturb you for now. My father has often spoken of your chivalrous deeds from your youth over the past few days. I hope that when you have the time, you can visit the royal residence frequently, so my father will not feel too lonely or bored as he grows older and spends his days alone in the manor."

Without waiting for He Ziyi to be polite, Li Xinyi shifted her gaze to He Changping after finishing her words. She smiled playfully and said, "Once my Imperial Sister recovers, Prince Consort, do remember to send someone to inform me. That way, I can host a banquet to welcome her and fulfill my duties as the host."

He Changping frowned slightly but responded calmly, "Of course. Your Highness, rest assured."

Only then did Li Xinyi turn and step away from the position beside the carriage.

The Qingyang Clan disciples, who had been surrounding her, dispersed only after seeing their sect leader nod slightly, making way for her.

He Changping's expression was far from pleasant, while Li Xinyi, harboring her own simmering anger, looked even more displeased. Once she was far from the carriage where Li Qiubai sat, Li Xinyi refused to return to her soft sedan. Instead, she directly seized a horse from one of the guards and immediately rode off, whipping the reins as she went.

She wanted to give Li Qiubai a show of dominance, but with Li Qiubai unwilling to even leave the carriage, what could she possibly do?

Meng Chang'an, who had been watching for a long time, couldn't help but laugh with joy when she saw Li Xinyi leave as if she had just added trouble for no reason. "Finally gone. My father is amazing. With just a few words, he sent her away."

At that moment, the Young Master's face was filled with uncontainable joy, much like a child proudly talking about their parents with a sense of pride and happiness.

Indeed, the silly girl would always be that innocent, silly girl.

Seeing this, Li Qiubai couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile and teasingly said, "Mm, this is also thanks to your father's great reputation. She was willing to give him a little face."

After saying this, Li Qiubai could not help but raise her hand to gently tuck the stray hair behind the Young Master's ear, her voice soft as she asked, "Why? Is it just seeing your father, and you are this happy?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Chang'an's gaze once again shifted toward He Ziyi's figure.

After Li Xinyi left, the remaining officials did not insist on having the Princess move, and the Qingyang Clan members only had a brief exchange before sending the officials away.

Meng Chang'an, however, did not ponder deeply on why Li Xinyi and those officials had suddenly become so easy to talk to.

Looking at He Ziyi and He Changping’s back, leading them into the city from the front of the group, Meng Chang'an could not help but feel a sense of yearning in her heart.

Since the Princess had asked, she naturally had no intention of hiding anything from her. Instead, she openly shared her current feelings with the Princess.

"The last time I saw Father, he was still troubled by the fact that my elder brother was abducted. I could not bear to add to his worries, so I did not dare speak much to him. The time before that, during his birthday last year, he invited many people from the Jianghu, and he was so busy that he could not spare any time. I had no opportunity to have a proper conversation with him. The time before that..."

The Young Master counted on her fingers, carefully recalling the rare interactions with her father. A trace of longing and nostalgia appeared on her face.

The more the Princess listened, the softer her heart became.

Members of the royal family were always distant when it came to familial affection. Apart from the power struggles, there was rarely any warmth.

Perhaps when her mother was still alive, the Princess could have been like Meng Chang'an, enjoying her parents' love and always looking forward to curling up in their arms to act spoiled. But from the moment her mother passed away, it seemed that her fate was sealed, and she could no longer be at ease as a child.

As she thought of this, Li Qiubai's gaze dimmed, and she couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating smile.

The past could not be recalled. No matter how much she missed it, her mother would never return. Now, Li Qiubai only hoped that the warmth she could not obtain would never be lost to her silly girl.

Seeing that the Young Master was still immersed in her own memories and had not noticed her earlier oddity, the Princess finally relaxed, leaning back into the soft cushions behind her, and spoke gently.

"That is good. During this period, you can stay with me in the Qingyang Clan. It will be a chance for you to have a good talk with your father."

"Mm."

Meng Chang'an only responded softly.

As she was lost in her memories, the carriage had already followed He Ziyi and slowly entered the city. With the royal decree in hand, their group was even spared the inspection at the city gates. After coming back to her senses, she only glanced briefly at the familiar streets outside the carriage. The Young Master then withdrew from her hidden view, no longer looking at the father and son chatting happily together.

When Meng Chang'an turned her head, she was met with the Princess' gaze, which was fixed firmly on her.

That focused gaze, along with the unmistakable concern within it, made the Young Master's heart feel slightly warm.

Recalling all the moments since they met, the Young Master suddenly realized that from the very beginning until now, the Princess' gaze had always been fixed solely on her.

Under what circumstances would someone’s gaze remain locked onto another person like that?  

It was as if all the beautiful scenery in the world could not enter her eyes. She could only see the one who resided in her heart.  

At that moment, Meng Chang'an seemed to suddenly understand why people would devote their entire lives to love and affection.  

Sometimes, having someone like this by one’s side could provide a place to share emotions that could not be expressed to family or friends.

This seems quite nice too.

In that instant, Meng Chang'an felt as if something had filled her heart to the brim. For once, she took the initiative to reach out her hand, placing it over the Princess' hand, and began sharing the little thoughts she had long suppressed in her heart.  

"Do you know? Sometimes, I truly envy my elder brother. After all, between the two of us siblings, only he grew up by our father's side."  

Li Qiubai saw the loss on her face clearly. Although the Young Master had never taken the initiative to talk to her about her family affairs before, Li Qiubai had observed her for so long that she understood well what kind of environment this person had grown up in.

Some things, even if the Young Master does not speak of them, the Princess can still know. However, if those things are told to her by the Young Master herself, they would always carry a different meaning.

At least, this silly girl is willing to open her mouth and say these things, which means she is willing to treat her as someone close, right?

A faint smile spread across the Princess' eyes. She allowed the Young Master to hold her hand and play with it, then gently hooked the silly girl's pinky, watching their intertwined fingers with a soft smile.

“By the same reasoning, your elder brother is also envious of you. After all, among the two of you, only you could grow up by your mother’s side.”

Meng Chang'an was momentarily stunned before replying, “No, it is not the same.”

The grievances that had weighed heavily on her heart since leaving home, grievances that no one could hear, were now spilled out in front of the Princess at this moment.

“In my father’s eyes, we are his heart and soul. He always treats my elder brother and me with all his sincerity. But in my mother’s eyes and heart… there is always that woman. Perhaps, the two of us siblings combined never even had a place to stand.”

“You see, even on my elder brother’s wedding day, she could be absent just for that woman.”

At this moment, the Young Master seemed like a child who could not win any affection. All her grievances, frustration, and jealousy were turned into resentment.

The Princess chuckled softly and leaned in close to the Young Master’s cheek, taking a sniff.

"Why does this sound so sour?"

Before the Young Master could get embarrassed and angry, the Princess had already raised her hand to pat her head, gently rubbing it.

"I do not know what your mother thinks, but I do know, if the two of us could have children, the child would certainly be important. But in my heart, the most important, always, will be you. It will only ever be you."

The gentle whisper seemed both comforting and like a promise.  

After hearing this, Meng Chang'an was stunned, unable to regain her senses for a long time.  

It seemed this was the first time the Princess had so directly spoken about her place in her heart.

Author's Note:

I think, to cure my laziness, I will need to use some outside help! I will give a red envelope for every 2 comments left on this chapter! I will keep sending them until the next chapter is updated! Let’s see if I can update more frequently to avoid wasting money (Please, little cuties, give me some face and leave some comments! If I can't even send 50 red envelopes, that will be so embarrassing for me!)