Chapter 74: A Faint Taste Of Blood Had Already Spread Between Their Lips And Teeth

Meng Chang'an's heart raced wildly. After taking a deep breath to slightly calm her erratic heartbeat, she smiled provocatively at the delicate face so close to her.  

"Even if I were given another chance to answer again, I would still answer no-hmm..."  

Unfortunately, those who provoke others often do not fare well. Before the Young Master could finish her sentence, she received the punishment she deserved.  

The warmth that fell on her lips felt different from usual. Before she could open her mouth to respond, the person above her had already bitten down heavily on her lips.

Though it hurt a little, it was still within the Young Master's tolerance. She merely let out a muffled groan and did not push the Princess away because of the pain. She endured it, allowing the Princess to restrain her hands and act as she pleased.  

However, lips were always delicate. With just one bite from the Princess, a faint taste of blood had already spread between their lips and teeth.  

The Princess paused slightly, suddenly realizing—what did it matter if others knew or not? What did it matter who was above and who was below? As long as the one held tightly against her was the other, that was enough, was it not?  

With that thought, the Princess felt relieved. She no longer dwelled on the Young Master's unwillingness to share this matter with others. Instead, she curled her tongue to gather the blood, carefully licking away the faint traces and carrying the metallic taste into the Young Master's mouth.  

A long-lost kiss, after all, was something one could not help but long for.

Even the always duplicitous Young Master Meng could not help but immerse herself in this wonderful feeling.  

The once ambiguous atmosphere had already transformed into a fiery passion burning in both their hearts, growing more intense by the moment.  

At this moment, the red silk draped and fluttering throughout the room seemed particularly fitting for the occasion.  

Unfortunately, the romantic moment lasted only briefly. Before the two could fully savor their time together, someone burst through the door, calling out as they ran in.  

“Your Highness! Your Highness, I heard you are back! Why did you not call me? Let me tell you, Shen…”

Yuechu, who was rushing in, had no idea how much of a nuisance she was. It was not until she stepped into the inner chamber with its door left ajar and saw the Princess' slightly annoyed expression on the bed that she belatedly realized something was amiss.  

The disheveled clothing, the crimson lips, and Young Master Meng currently half-pinned beneath the Princess, combined with the Princess' faint irritation, all made it abundantly clear just how disruptive Yuechu's intrusion had been.  

Her regret lasted only a moment. The troublesome Yuechu quickly devised a remedy for the situation. Before she even fully steadied herself, she halted her steps, retreated swiftly while closing her eyes, and said as she backed away, "I did not see anything, nothing at all! Your Highness, please carry on. This servant will return later!"

Unfortunately, in her flustered state, she completely lost her head and forgot about the person following closely behind her. As she backed away, she nearly collided with the person behind.  

Fortunately, before Yuechu could bump into them and fall backward, the person behind reached out and pressed a hand against her back, stopping her retreat.  

Yuechu hadn’t expected to be stopped before she could fully exit the inner chamber. It was only then that she remembered the two people she had personally brought to the Princess. Her heart sank, and her regret deepened.  

It’s over. Now it wasn’t just her causing trouble.  

She couldn’t help but wonder if her newly raised monthly salary would once again be deducted by the Princess.

“What is going on? Another step back and you will bump into someone.”  

Seeing that Shen Lingyun beside her was about to be hit by this clumsy girl, Shu Yao’s tone carried a hint of displeasure. “Look at you, stumbling around like that. I wonder how you even manage to serve others daily.”  

Hearing Shu Yao’s voice, Yuechu’s heart sank further into despair.  

Now she truly had no excuse to defend herself. She had meant well, hoping to arrange an early meeting between the two sisters. Who would have thought her call would end up causing more trouble than good? Not only did she anger the Second Princess, but she also managed to upset the Third Princess as well.  

Before Yuechu could suppress the grievances building up in her heart, the equally impatient Shu Yao pushed her aside during her moment of distraction and entered the inner chamber with Shen Lingyun in tow.

At this moment, the Princess and Young Master Meng on the bed had already sat up. However, even so, the conspicuous wound on Young Master Meng's lips made it easy for the newcomers to guess what the two had just experienced.  

Who would have thought? Truly unexpected. Her Imperial Sister was so impatient that, with the sky still bright and the door yet to close, she already wanted to share such intimacy with Young Master Meng.  

To think she occasionally worried about her Imperial Sister's injury. Now it seemed she had been overly concerned.  

Shu Yao chuckled playfully. Fortunately, the mask concealed her expression, preventing others from catching any traces of amusement.  

Mindful of her Imperial Sister’s dignity and her own current identity, Shu Yao refrained from teasing Li Qiubai in front of Shen Lingyun. However, Shen Lingyun showed no such restraint. She immediately teased, “It seems we have come at the wrong time.”  

“Ahem, ahem.”

Meng Chang'an's face turned slightly red. She cleared her throat and quickly raised her eyes to glare at Shen Lingyun. "What nonsense are you spouting? How is it not the right time? I just accidentally tripped, that is all. Do not overthink it, alright?"

Shen Lingyun did not refute her. She simply nodded slightly in agreement. "Mm, it seems your fall was quite severe. Look at your lips, even bleeding. I wonder how one manages to fall and end up with such a wound. I would like to try it myself."

Meng Chang'an: "..."

Why does this damned thing always love to tear her down?! From childhood to adulthood, there is no exception!

Seeing Shen Lingyun’s calm and cold expression as she made such a playful remark, Shu Yao found herself increasingly amused. She could not help but laugh out loud and joined in teasing Meng Chang'an alongside Shen Lingyun.

“Then, the Young Master must be more careful in the future. If someone with your uninjured body gets bumped or bruised, it is not a big deal. But Her Highness is still recovering. If you keep accidentally colliding into her, even if our Lingyun is willing to help, it is uncertain whether Her Highness’s wounds will heal quickly." 

That single phrase, "our Lingyun," melted the coldness from Shen Lingyun's demeanor, and she could not help but curl her lips into a faint smile. 

After hearing this, Meng Chang'an's face turned even redder. She had no spare thoughts to notice the faint smile in Shen Lingyun's eyes.

Fortunately, there was a mask covering her face, so she was not afraid of Shen Lingyun noticing her flushed expression and making fun of her. She only glared fiercely at the two of them, gritted her teeth, and said, "In that case, Elder sister Lingyun, please hurry and check Her Highness' injury."

Li Qiubai beside them gave a helpless smile.

The previously intimate atmosphere had long been shattered by Yuechu's shouting, and the warmth in her heart was completely extinguished by the sudden arrival of these people.

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

It was a rare good moment that had been interrupted. Though the Princess felt a bit regretful, she was not as angry and embarrassed as the Young Master. She slowly adjusted her disordered clothing, licked her lips, and smiled faintly, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Lingyun. Yuechu, you really... Why did you not call me out to welcome guests earlier? Such rudeness."

But after meeting the Princess's light, fleeting gaze, Yuechu felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, as if the Princess was not scolding her for failing to notify her earlier about Miss Lingyun's arrival, but instead blaming her for bringing Miss Lingyun along to cause trouble.

At that moment, Yuechu could no longer continue to feign ignorance and had no choice but to lower her head and admit her mistake honestly, saying, "This servant knows her mistake. This servant will never dare again..."

Never dare to cause trouble again...

Although Shen Lingyun was usually distant and cold, the kindness in her heart far exceeded that of the two Princesses present, who had been playing along with teasing the Young Master. To avoid Li Qiubai transferring her frustration from the teasing onto the young maid who had led the way, Shen Lingyun ceased to tease the Young Master and instead shifted her gaze to Li Qiubai. With a playful smile, she said, "Her Highness' injury has not yet healed. She should focus on resting and avoid indulgence in wine, meat, and pleasures."

Looking at the Young Master's furious glare directed at Shen Lingyun, the Princess could not help but feel a sense of joy. The more she looked, the more she liked it. Completely ignoring that there were still others present, she placed her hand on the Young Master's hand, gently squeezing it as a sign of comfort. She then looked at the Young Master with a soft smile and said, "Miss Lingyun is right. From now on, I will definitely follow the doctor's orders and avoid indulging in such desires."

In the entire room, no one else, except Li Qiubai, dared to openly and frankly discuss such private matters in front of others.

Such a straightforward and clear statement instantly made the Young Master blush with anger. Her face turned red, her ears hot, and her eyes were at a loss as to where to look.

Shen Lingyun knew she was no match for Li Qiubai, who, no matter how much she teased, would not show the same embarrassed and angry reaction as the Young Master. She decided not to further entertain herself at the Young Master's expense and instead put down her medicine box. She casually asked, "I am going to examine Her Highness' wound. Do you all want to stay and watch?"

Meng Chang'an naturally wanted to stay and watch, but she feared that Shu Yao would also shamelessly stay behind. She stood up, pulling Shu Yao with her as she headed toward the door, forcibly answering on behalf of both of them, "No need, no need. We will wait outside."

Shu Yao did not even have the chance to refuse, as the Young Master had already dragged her out.

Yuechu, not wanting to offend anyone further, also hurriedly followed them out, not daring to stay in the Princess' room.

With that, the inner chamber was left with only Li Qiubai and Shen Lingyun.

The Princess did not hesitate. She had already heard from the head of the He family about this matter and knew that Shen Lingyun had come intending to treat her injuries. Naturally, she would not refuse her good intentions. She directly and openly began to undress in front of Shen Lingyun.

At the same time, she did not forget to express her gratitude once again.

"Thank you, Miss Lingyun, for your trouble."

"You do not need to thank me. After all, I did not want to come and help you."

Li Qiubai was slightly stunned. Before she could think carefully about the deeper meaning behind Shen Lingyun's words, she saw Shen Lingyun, who was opening her medicine box and preparing the medicine, continue as if she were speaking to herself.

"It is only because A'Yao cares about you that I could not bear to let her be unhappy because of my selfishness. That is why I brought her into the city. She has been with me for a long time. Though I do not know her past, I do know that although she always appears cheerful and smiling, her heart remains cold and hard. Apart from me, I rarely see her care about anyone else. You are the first one I have seen her care about. That is why I could not help but be curious and want to probe into your situation."

For the first time, Li Qiubai encountered someone so open and transparent with their probing, without any concealment. She could not help but smile, feeling a bit of admiration for Shen Lingyun.

"I wonder what it is that Miss Lingyun is most curious about? Since you are my savior, I am naturally willing to clear your doubts."

"That is very good."

Shen Lingyun smiled with satisfaction, then moved forward with the prepared medical supplies. She carefully unwrapped the bandages from the Princess' chest and began tending to the gruesome wound.

"What I am most curious about is the relationship between you and her."

At this point, how could the Princess not know what Shen Lingyun was truly thinking?

Li Qiubai could guarantee that if her answer did not satisfy Shen Lingyun, her wound might not heal until next year.

With a helpless smile, the Princess then spoke seriously, though in a roundabout way.

"Although we are not full-blooded sisters, our bond is stronger than that of full-blooded sisters."

Shen Lingyun wanted to test the Princess, and similarly, the Princess also wanted to take this opportunity to test Shen Lingyun.

After speaking, the Princess' gaze was already fixed intently on Shen Lingyun, quietly waiting for her reaction.

Author's Note:

Yuechu had already transformed from being a CP fan to being a troublemaker.