Chapter 75: It Is Human Nature To Have Strong Desires For Their Beloved
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.
Having the same father but different mothers, they naturally were not considered "full-blooded sisters”. Therefore, Li Qiubai felt that she had not deceived her.
When she received this answer, Shen Lingyun did not think further about it. She did not suspect anything and simply assumed that Shu Yao was the child of a wealthy and distinguished family, which explained why she had been so close to this imperial daughter in their childhood.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Shen Lingyun quickly regained her composure, lightly nodded, and continued with her actions.
"Mm, understood."
No matter how well she tried to hide it, the slight change in her expression could not escape Li Qiubai's eyes. The Princess felt a sense of relief and was even more pleased for her younger sister. However, she had no intention of letting Shen Lingyun off so easily. She took the opportunity to smile and asked, "Actually, it is not just you who is curious. I am also a bit curious. What kind of relationship do you have with her?"
For Shen Lingyun, the relationship between them was nothing more than that of a healer and a patient. If she did not want to answer such a question, she could easily refuse or dodge it. But Shen Lingyun did not flinch or avoid it. She directly raised her head to meet the Princess' gaze, smiled faintly, and candidly said, "The relationship you have with Chang'an is exactly the kind of relationship I wish to have with her."
Looking at Shen Lingyun's bold and straightforward assertion of her claim, the Princess found it amusing but pretended not to know and asked in return, "Then, in Miss Lingyun’s eyes what do you think the relationship between Chang'an and I have?"
Shen Lingyun did not answer immediately. Instead, she slightly increased the pressure on her hands and pressed hard on the Princess' wound.
"Hiss..."
When the Princess could not help but gasp in pain, Shen Lingyun finally smiled at the Princess' suddenly pale face and said, "Your Highness' wound has not yet healed. You should not be as eager as you usually are. If, next time, you hurt yourself again while touching Chang'an out of lust, causing the wound to open and bleed, I will have no choice but to give that bloodstained cloth to Chang'an to see. Do you think Chang’an will still be soft-hearted then?"
Having her soft spot gripped so accurately was rare for the Princess. It was the first time she had been bested by Shen Lingyun, but the Princess was not angry. Once she had recovered from the pain, she smiled faintly and shook her head at Shen Lingyun.
“It is human nature to have strong desires for their beloved. In my view, Miss Lingyun, you are simply too pure and indifferent to desire, which is why your relationship with A'Yao has stalled."
After saying this, the Princess said no more.
As expected, Shen Lingyun waited for a long time but heard no further words from the Princess. Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, she finally asked, "What do you mean by that?"
At this point, the Princess' wound had been treated, and the injury was neatly bandaged by Shen Lingyun. She did not want to remain exposed in front of Shen Lingyun any longer. She immediately stood up, put her clothes back on, and slowly tied her sash, saying, "I have known A'Yao since childhood, and I understand her temperament well. She has mentioned to me that you are her lifesaver and that she stayed by your side to repay you. But she has always been a person accustomed to a life of luxury. Although she longed for a free and adventurous life, she was never someone who would settle with just one person. If she is willing to stay by your side and protect you, it shows that, regardless of whether her feelings are romantic, you are undoubtedly different from everyone else in her eyes. At least, your place in her heart is something that few others could compare to."
It was the first time Shen Lingyun heard someone analyze the relationship between her and Shu Yao in such a way. She was stunned for a long while.
She was not unaware of Shu Yao's care for her, but their relationship had only ever been limited to that fleeting closeness.
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.
Both of them were inherently reserved. For them, such straightforward declarations of love, where they could speak freely without any hesitation, would perhaps never happen.
"So what if that is the case? I know nothing of her childhood, not even who she is. She does not wish to speak of the past, nor of her family. How could I force her to do so? It is better to be as we are now, peacefully accompanying each other, rather than forcing her to open up and adding to her troubles."
Lost in thought, her guard was not as high as usual. Shen Lingyun did not suspect that the Princess' words were anything but sincere. She smiled helplessly, and only when the Princess had finished dressing and turned around did she suppress her own frustration. She then got up to fetch paper and a pen.
"These next few days, I will change your prescription. You will take medicine both internally and externally, and rest for a while. After that, your injury will be fine. If you continue to act like you are unaffected and play around recklessly as you did before, and end up with lingering complications, do not blame me. Do not say I treated you; the reputation of the Divine Doctor Sect cannot afford such disgrace."
Li Qiubai seemed to have not heard the lighthearted joke hidden in those words. She quietly watched Shen Lingyun as she busied herself with her tasks. As she recalled how her younger sister spoke of this person in the past—her conflicting feelings of guilt and affection, the careful yet hesitant approach, the reluctance to get too close—everything stirred a sense of pain and sympathy in Li Qiubai.
Though she knew that matters of the heart should not be interfered with by outsiders, upon seeing the fleeting loneliness in this person’s eyes, she could not help but feel compelled to give a little push for these two.
Perhaps this may be a way to repay the family of Doctor Shen, who had been implicated by the death of the Empress all those years ago, right?
"If Miss Lingyun is willing to trust me, I could offer you some advice. After all, I know A'Yao's temperament better than anyone. I can tell that she does care about you, perhaps more deeply than the usual romantic feelings. Unfortunately, sometimes, it is because she cannot move past the dead end in her heart that she behaves this way—unable to say anything, unable to do anything."
As expected, upon hearing this, Shen Lingyun did not hesitate to lift her gaze to look at her.
She did not refuse, so that must mean she accepted, right?
Li Qiubai chuckled lightly, then walked over to sit across from Shen Lingyun. She half-jokingly and half-seriously began to chat with her.
"To be honest, A'Yao was originally the pearl of her family, pampered and cherished. Unfortunately, her parents are stubborn. When they saw she had reached the proper age for marriage, they unilaterally arranged a marriage for her. A'Yao only wanted a free and carefree life, not to be bound by a marriage. This was when she thought of running away. Her face..."
When this topic was brought up, a touch of pain unexpectedly appeared on the Princess' face. After suppressing the pain in her eyes, she continued, "Her face was injured during the escape due to some unforeseen circumstances. From what I know of her, no matter how she appears on the surface, she still cares about that injury in her heart. Perhaps it is for this reason, or perhaps for some other reason, that she feels hesitant—wanting to get close to you but not daring to. If Miss Lingyun has feelings for her, could you take the initiative and make the first move for her?"
Shu Yao had never mentioned her escape to her. In front of her, she had always appeared carefree and bright, never once speaking of the pain in her heart. Now, when Li Qiubai mentioned it, Shen Lingyun was stunned for a long while, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.
It was only after several drops of ink fell from the tip of the pen, smudging the characters on the paper, that Shen Lingyun came to her senses and murmured, "What would count as taking the initiative?"
"This is not difficult."
Seeing that Shen Lingyun was willing to ask the question herself, Li Qiubai smiled slightly, satisfied. "In truth, I am but an outsider in this matter. What I know is limited and partial. If you truly want to uncover the secrets about her, it would be best to ask her directly."
After a brief pause, the Princess lowered her voice and quietly gave Shen Lingyun some advice. "I have heard that in a few days, there will be the annual Lantern Festival in Yuzhou. If you do not mind, you could join us. That day, we could first..."
The two inside the room were having a pleasant conversation, but the Young Master outside was not as happy.
Although it was perfectly normal to be naked in front of a doctor, the moment Shen Lingyun thought about how she was treating the Princess' wound and applying medicine, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat uncomfortable in her heart.
With this thought in mind, the Young Master cast a more resentful glance towards the door of the inner room.
Mm, it seemed that after returning to her teachings, she should find her aunt and properly learn some medical skills. This way, in the future, she would not have to rely on others to treat even the Princess' minor injuries.
At this moment, Shu Yao was still unaware that her own sister had sold her out entirely. When she caught sight of the Young Master occasionally gnashing her teeth and glaring at the door like a scorned woman, she couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing.
Unfortunately, before Shu Yao could laugh out loud and tease her, Yu Jin, who had already left the courtyard, hurried back.
Upon seeing Shu Yao, Yu Jin was momentarily stunned but quickly suppressed the urge to salute. He then turned to ask the Young Master, "Miss Meng, where is Her Highness?"
Meng Chang'an finally stopped casting the resentful glance and turned to look at Yu Jin. "Her Highness is still inside tending to her injuries. Why the hurry, Commander Yu? Is there something urgent?"
"This..."
Yu Jin appeared troubled, about to say something, when a familiar voice suddenly echoed from within the courtyard.
"Imperial Sister, this humble one was rude outside the city gate today. After returning and reflecting on it, I still feel uneasy. That is why I have come to humbly ask for forgiveness. I hope the Imperial Sister can understand."
Now, there was no need for Yu Jin to explain. Meng Chang'an already understood the situation.
How was it that Li Xinyi, that persistent ghost, was involved again?
Now that the Princess was still in the room changing the dressings and could not come out, her Elder brother was away handling matters, Yuechu had long since disappeared, and Commander Yu was unable to stop Li Xinyi, it was clear that the result would be the same if he tried again. At this point, it seemed that only her title of "personal bodyguard" would be suitable to handle this person.
She wondered how her father’s disciples managed their affairs, as they could not even stop a weak woman.
Meng Chang'an furrowed her brows as she walked toward the corridor. She coldly spoke to Li Xinyi, who stood with a straight back in the yard, "Her Highness is unwell, and I believe Your Highness is aware of this. Now is the time when Her Highness needs the most rest, so I ask that Your Highness not make too much noise and disturb her peace."
After being reprimanded by the Prince of Yu, Li Xinyi naturally did not carry herself with the same arrogance as she had in the morning. When facing the disdainful attitude of the Young Master, she was not angered. Instead, she smiled and waved her hand, signaling the accompanying guards to carry several boxes of precious medicinal materials and place them in front of the corridor. Then, she spoke, "Rest assured, I have only come to deliver some medicinal materials to the Imperial Sister. I hope you do not misunderstand."
Regardless of whether they believed her or not, Li Xinyi stopped shouting for the Princess after speaking. She quietly waited for the guards to finish placing the boxes of medicinal materials neatly. Once that was done, she cupped her hands toward the direction of the Young Master and Commander Yu, saying, "I hope you can deliver these medicinal materials to the Imperial Sister, as a small token of the Prince of Yu's goodwill."
It was always said that one should not strike a smiling face. Li Xinyi’s gesture of coming to apologize was so sincere this time that the Young Master, for a moment, did not know whether to accept or refuse.
As the Young Master hesitated, she saw that Shu Yao, who had followed behind, stepped forward and casually opened a few of the boxes to take a look. She gave an ambiguous smile and said, “Oh, even century-old ginseng has been sent. It seems these are all good things.”
Before the Young Master could respond, Li Xinyi, with a forced smile, answered, "Miss has a good eye. It is but a small token of my goodwill. I only wish for the Imperial Sister to recover soon. I hope you can help me by delivering these to her, giving me a chance to make amends."
After the words were spoken, Li Xinyi's gaze still lingered on Shu Yao's mask without moving.
There had long been rumors that the Young Master of the Divine Doctor Sect was always accompanied by a cold-faced swordsman, inseparable from her, who wore a half-mask and carried a wine flask at her waist year-round. Now, upon seeing this, and recalling He Ziyi's words at the city gate, Li Xinyi, knowing that Shen Lingyun was present, easily deduced the identity of this person.
But how is it that for some reason, even though she had never seen Shen Lingyun and her guard before, she couldn't shake the feeling that half of the face visible beneath the mask looked somewhat familiar?
While Li Xinyi was still confused, Young Master Meng had already made up her mind after a moment of hesitation. She raised her hand grandly and said, "In that case, we will accept it on behalf of Her Highness. Your Highness, please return."
Best medicinal herbs delivered to her door for free? Why refuse? If Her Highness does not need them, she can coax her into doing favor for Sister Lingyun and repay the debts of gratitude!
Young Master Meng thought to herself happily, unaware of the trouble her thoughts would soon bring her.
Seeing that Young Master Meng had agreed, Yu Jin dared to call for the items to be accepted.
Li Xinyi, no longer wanting to linger unnecessarily, took her leave with her attendants after delivering the gift.
However, as she was leaving, Li Xinyi could not help but recall the familiar half-face of Shu Yao. She pondered for a while but still could not figure out where the faint sense of familiarity came from. Still, her curiosity was piqued. She immediately called over her trusted subordinate and whispered, "Send someone to investigate the background of the masked swordsman who follows the Young Master of the Divine Doctors Sect."
Author's Note:
The first update of the New Year, waiting for praise! If there are many comments, I will update another chapter tomorrow!
