Chapter 76: Whether This Young Master Likes Men Or Women Is None Of Your Business
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.
As the Young Master had expected, when the Princess stepped out of the inner room and saw the piles of premium medicinal herbs, she indeed lost all interest.
She merely glanced at those gift boxes indifferently. Seeing that the Young Master did not even spare her a glance and was still eagerly pulling Shu Yao along to check the herbs together, the Princess had already withdrawn the smile on her lips. Turning back, she continued speaking to Shen Lingyun, who was standing beside her, "Thank you for today, Miss Lingyun."
"You are welcome."
Yuechu had already arrived upon hearing the news. She was initially helping the Young Master tally and record the gift list sent by Li Xinyi. After receiving a glance from her mistress, Yuechu quickly set aside her tasks and stepped forward to take the prescription from Shen Lingyun's hands.
The calls and raised voices outside the room had naturally reached Li Qiubai's ears, but she had simply refrained from appearing at the time. Even though she did not wish to have any ties with the Prince of Yu’s manor, upon learning that Chang'an had accepted Li Xinyi's gifts, she merely laughed it off and did not voice any blame toward this person.
Who would have thought that after tallying for so long, this person still only had Li Xinyi's gifts in her eyes and not her?!
At this point, the Princess could not help but feel resentment. When Yuechu noticed the faint chill emanating from the Princess, she trembled slightly. Catching a glimpse of the foolish Young Master still meticulously counting the usable items, Yuechu could not help but silently sigh in her heart, ‘You better take care of yourself.’
She dared not linger any longer. Hastily, she fled to arrange the tasks of selecting and preparing the medicine for the Princess. The main reason she fled in such a hurry was her fear of being caught in the Princess' anger.
Unfortunately, at this moment, the Young Master did not feel the sympathy that was in Yuechu's heart. She continued with her original actions. However, as she counted, it seemed she sensed a cold, piercing feeling as if a thorn was in her back.
When she instinctively turned around, she met the Princess' gaze, which was staring directly at her.
Meng Chang'an was momentarily stunned. She did not understand where the resentment in the Princess' eyes had come from. After glancing at Shen Lingyun, who looked like she was watching a show, she ultimately chose to suppress her confusion. She stood up and walked to the Princess, presenting the incomplete list of gifts. With a smile, she asked, "Your Highness, is there anything you like among these items?"
It was quite practical; she knew she should ask the wife's opinion first.
Li Qiubai then slightly eased her expression. She took the gift list and casually glanced through it before saying, "These are all flashy yet useless things. I am injured, not weak, so I certainly do not need these items."
The Young Master only then realized, belatedly, that the Princess probably did not like these gifts. Could it be that she had made a mistake in receiving these gifts?
She had never experienced the complexities of the official world and did not understand the subtle intricacies of power. She thought there would be no harm in accepting these apology gifts. Now, seeing the Princess' indifferent demeanor, she became frightened and cautiously asked, "Is it that I should not have accepted these things? Should I send someone to return them instead?"
When the Young Master asked like that, the Princess could not help but laugh. She raised her hand and gently pinched the Young Master's cheek, scolding, "Silly girl, what sense is there in accepting a gift and then sending it back? It is fine. Since you have accepted it, just keep it."
With the Princess' approval, the Young Master finally felt relieved. She then continued plotting in her mind, capturing the hand the Princess had placed on her face. She held it in her palm and gently squeezed it. Leaning closer, she smiled in a flattering way and asked, "Then, Your Highness, how would you like to handle these things?"
Having shared the same bed and pillow many times, the Princess was most familiar with the different emotions behind each of her smiles. Now, how could she not see the deeper meaning behind the silly girl's smile?
Before the Young Master could ask, the Princess directly took the initiative and said, "It seems like you quite like these. How would you like to handle them? Shall I leave it to you to handle as you see fit?"
The Young Master did not hesitate. Seeing the Princess' indulgence towards her, she felt quite pleased and immediately said cheerfully, "Then how about we give these to Sister Lingyun? It would also be a way to thank her for treating your wounds these past few times."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lingyun immediately felt a headache.
This girl really… Couldn’t she just say what grievances or grudges she had? There was no need to drag others into this…
Without a second thought, she immediately refused, saying, "There is no need. The Divine Doctors Sect does not lack medicinal materials. You should keep these for yourself.",
Shen Lingyun certainly did not want to be involved in the small quarrels between the couple. To avoid being dragged into it unnecessarily, before the Young Master could mention her again, she gave Shu Yao a signal with her eyes, and together they ran off.
"We still have some unfinished business, so we will be heading back first. We will also be staying at Qingyang Clan these next few days. If there is anything, just send someone to notify us."
Before leaving, Shu Yao did not forget to close the door for her imperial sister to prevent any careless person from interfering with the Princess' matters.
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.
Meng Chang'an had not yet reacted when the room was once again left with just the two of them.
She was still focused on how to handle these things, completely unaware that the Princess was getting closer and closer to her.
Since Shen Lingyun was wealthy and disinterested in these things, why not send them to the Blood Flame Sect for her aunt?
Although her aunt might not necessarily lack these medicinal materials or even care for them, if she knew that they were sent specifically by her, she would surely be much happier, right?
After all, she had not returned in such a long time. Her master must be even angrier with her now. If she could flatter her aunt beforehand, maybe she could avoid getting a beating later.
The Young Master was still secretly plotting in her mind, not yet done calculating, when a pair of delicate hands had already wrapped around her neck.
When she came to her senses and looked up, she was met with the Princess' warm breath, just inches away.
"Little money-loving fool, is it really worth getting so happy over these trinkets? Am I not as good as them? If you like them, I will have someone find more for you in the future."
The Princess' resentful tone was full of bitterness. Even though the Young Master was clueless about matters of romance, she could still understand that in this situation, reasoning with the Princess was useless. The only option was to patiently coax her.
As she raised her hand to protect the Princess' waist, the Young Master could not help but laugh, repeatedly coaxing, "I was wrong. I should not have been so obsessed with money and forgotten that Your Highness was waiting by my side."
This kind of apology was, in fact, quite perfunctory. But to the lover's eyes, it was as sweet as honey.
After all, the other person was as thick-headed as a block of wood. To have her speak words of coaxing was already a rare occurrence. What more could one expect her to say?
"It is good that you know you were wrong."
The Princess did not make things difficult for her. She directly leaned in a little closer and gently brushed her lips against the Young Master's, teasingly licking the scabbed wound on the Young Master's lip, softly soothing her as if giving a reward.
Before the Young Master could respond with her lips, the Princess had already pulled away and leaned her body into the Young Master's embrace, resting her head against her neck, slightly aggrieved, and said, "What should I do? The wound seems to be hurting a little."
When the Princess called out in pain, it immediately drove away any flirtatious thoughts from the Young Master's mind. Hearing the pain, she felt heartbroken, and quickly asked, "Did the wound reopen when you applied the medicine? Should I go call Sister Lingyun back?"
"That is not necessary."
Li Qiubai smiled helplessly, not giving the Young Master the chance to leave her. She directly nuzzled her neck and, in a coquettish tone, said, "Carry me back to rest for a while. Yuechu has already gone to boil the medicine. After drinking it, I should feel better."
In front of others, the Princess often wore a smiling face, but that kind of smile, like that of a smiling tiger, still made people feel a chill in their hearts.
It was a rare opportunity to see the Princess act so coquettishly and soften in private. Even though the Young Master considered herself a cold-hearted person, she could not help but soften her heart.
Ah, why was it that she could never resist the Princess' soft gestures? Every time, she was tightly held by her.
Even though the Young Master constantly cursed herself in her heart and was secretly annoyed at how she always got fooled by the false facade of this person, seeing the Princess so weak, she still couldn't help but, as always, willingly be coaxed by the Princess. She softly responded, "Alright."
As her words fell, the Young Master carefully lifted the Princess in her arms and gently carried her into the inner chamber.
After personally removing the Princess's shoes, socks, and outer clothing, the Young Master placed her on the bed and covered her with a brocade quilt.
"Rest first for a while, I will go find someone to hurry Yuechu."
"Silly girl, what is the rush? It will not be ready that quickly."
Before the Young Master could rise to leave, the Princess had already grabbed her wrist, casually patted the spot beside her, and softly indicated, "I want you to stay with me."
When the Young Master collided with the Princess' soft gaze, she always found herself unable to refuse, not knowing how to write the word 'no'. Unable to bring herself to reject, she could only lose herself and let the Princess arrange things as she pleased.
After all, they had shared a bed in broad daylight before. What was there to be embarrassed about?
Thinking of this, the Young Master felt somewhat relieved. She had no choice but to comply with the Princess' wishes. She pulled back the quilt and lay beside her, letting the Princess snuggle into her arms like a pillow.
As she casually embraced the Princess, she noticed that the Princess had already popped her head out from her arms, propping her chin up, gazing at her with a light smile.
That smile was like the sly grin of someone whose little scheme had succeeded, clearly showing that the Princess' feigned pain was just a playful trick.
But strangely enough, the Young Master felt much more at ease, and she couldn't help but curve her own lips into a smile along with the Princess.
It seemed that since the Princess could still smile, the pain must not have been so bad after all.
Meng Chang'an did not directly point it out, but instead patted the Princess' shoulder lightly and coaxed her with a smile, saying, "You have been through so much today, and are tired from the travel, you should rest now. I will stay here and watch over you. You can sleep peacefully, and when the medicine arrives, I will wake you to drink it."
If the Young Master did not mention resting, the Princess would not have felt tired. But now that the Young Master had brought it up, the Princess truly began to feel a little weary.
"Alright, then you must stay with me every step of the way."
"Yes, yes, yes, I will obey Your Highness."
It was rare to see the Young Master so obedient, and it made the Princess feel a touch of affection. She had no intention of putting on a strong front in front of the Young Master. So, she naturally leaned into her arms, inhaling the faint fragrance of the Young Master, and obediently closed her eyes.
In just a moment, the Princess had already fallen into a deep sleep, accompanied by the familiar scent.
The Young Master was always true to her word. Since she had promised the Princess to stay by her side, she naturally had to keep that promise.
Until Yuechu brought the medicinal soup, the Young Master did not want to wake the Princess. She patiently held the half-awake Princess, blowing on the soup to cool it before carefully feeding it to her, coaxing softly, "Come, open your mouth. Just open your mouth, that is all. Yes, just like that, swallow it down."
Under the gentle guidance of the Young Master’s soft voice, the Princess truly did not need to open her eyes to drink the entire bowl of medicine. After drinking the medicine in a dazed state, the Princess felt even sleepier and fell back into the Young Master’s embrace, drifting into a deep sleep once more.
It was rare to see the Princess sleeping so soundly. Yuechu really did not want to disturb her, so she merely covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then quietly exited the room to handle the tasks the Princess had previously assigned, thus providing the two with some private space.
After watching the Princess sleep for a long time and seeing how peacefully she rested, the Young Master also could not resist the sleepiness. She casually removed her mask and, with her head resting against the Princess’s, fell asleep beside her.
Even in their dreams, both of them still had a small, same smile on their faces.
As the sun went down, the soft light from the sunset came through the window and shone on the two women holding each other. It made them feel a little warmer.
As it got darker and night had come, the evening banquet at the Qingyang Clan began.
The Princess had already given orders that she would not attend the banquet tonight, and her guards were also sent away to the banquet. Because of this, the Young Master and the Princess could sleep soundly in the room without anyone bothering them.
There was no need for the Princess to attend the banquet. Yu Jin and Yuechu would handle everything the Princess had instructed. All the proper courtesies were taken care of, ensuring neither the sect leader's face was lost nor giving anyone the impression that there was any overly close relationship between the Princess and He Changping.
The Princess' absence was not a problem for most of the Qingyang Clan disciples. After all, when the Princess was present, they often felt some pressure or restraint. In contrast, with her absence, they could relax and enjoy themselves, drinking and eating freely with the ordinary soldiers.
At the banquet, laughter and conversation filled the air. People exchanged toasts and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the Princess and the Young Master Meng were still sleeping soundly in the room, peacefully resting in each other's embrace.
It was not until late at night, when the banquet was about to end, that the Young Master Meng was awakened by the chaotic footsteps outside.
Those who practiced martial arts had sharper hearing than ordinary people. In the quiet courtyard earlier, she could sleep soundly while holding the Princess. But now, with the noise outside, she could not ignore it.
Meng Chang'an rubbed her eyes and saw that the Princess had not yet woken up. She quietly got up, put on her outer robe, and carefully walked toward the door.
As soon as the door opened, Meng Chang'an saw Ye Chi carrying the completely drunk He Changping, followed by He Ziyi and his second wife, walking down the long corridor toward the Princess' room.
The second wife surnamed Liu, was the daughter of a merchant family in the city. She was the wife He Ziyi married three years after divorcing his first wife. Although she was not skilled in martial arts, she had a talent for managing internal affairs. She took care of everything within the Qingyang Clan and expanded its trade routes, which helped her secure the position of the clan's Mistress.
Although Meng Chang'an was often clueless and naive when it came to the Princess, she was still quite sharp at times. Following the lantern light in the corridor, she could clearly see Liu's joyful expression and her urgent gestures, urging Ye Chi to hurry. It was enough for her to vaguely guess their intention.
They must be here for the Princess.
Thinking this, Meng Chang'an's expression darkened slightly.
Before they reached the door, Meng Chang'an stepped out first, closing the door behind her, and stood in front of it, coldly watching the hurried group approaching.
"Father, is there something you need at this late hour?"
The light was dim, and He Ziyi couldn't see the expression on Meng Chang'an's face clearly. However, he was momentarily stunned by the sense of detachment in her words.
Was this still the obedient daughter who had smiled warmly, kindly, and innocently at him during the day?
The few people who had come along already knew about the siblings' background. Now that Meng Chang'an had dropped her pretense, the face she shared with He Changping as if they were carved from the same mold, made it impossible for anyone not to recognize her.
Before He Ziyi could react, Madame Liu, walking beside him, smiled and stepped forward, urging, "Ah, what are you asking for, girl? Your elder brother is so drunk tonight, of course, we need to send him to your sister-in-law's room!"
Madame Liu smiled in a way that was full of suggestiveness as if she had already imagined the He family gaining a grandson.
Seeing her like this, the coldness in Meng Chang'an's eyes intensified.
Not giving Madame Liu a chance to push the door open, Meng Chang'an stretched out her hand and blocked their way.
"It is already late. Her Highness has already gone to rest. Everyone, please leave."
Madame Liu was stunned for a moment. With the Young Master guarding the door, she could not reach it, and her husband was lost in thought, remaining silent and allowing them to negotiate. She had no choice but to step back and glared at Meng Chang'an in frustration, saying, "What is wrong with you, girl? Your elder brother is drunk, and the person inside is your sister-in-law. It is only natural to send your brother to your sister-in-law's room. Why are you blocking the way? Hurry up and step aside, do not delay their marital affairs."
Madame Liu had thought the Young Master was simply too young to understand these matters, so she had made her intentions clear, assuming the girl would step aside. But to her surprise, not only did Meng Chang'an refuse to move, but her expression also grew even more unpleasant, as though she was about to turn hostile on the spot.
"I have already said, Her Highness has rested and does not wish to be disturbed. Even if it was elder brother who came while sober, it would be the same. Please leave."
At these words, Madame Liu became truly angry.
"What is wrong with you, girl? Blocking the way at a time like this? Do you really think of yourself as the Princess' personal guard? Look properly, we are not outsiders; we are your closest family. We are just taking your elder brother inside, not some random man! Do not cause trouble and block the way!"
Although she was only the stepmother to these siblings and the girl had not grown up under her care, Madame Liu, if she was being honest, had never done anything wrong to the He family. She had treated Changping like her own child. To this girl, she was, to some extent, an elder. Yet now, this child was being so disrespectful, even throwing her a cold look in front of her husband. This was truly too much.
Thinking of this, Madame Liu could not help but resentfully scold: "At a time like this, you do not know how to help your own elder brother and sister-in-law? You silly girl, I do not know what you are thinking, always turning your elbows outward*."
*净是胳膊肘往外拐了 (Jìng shì gēbó zhǒu wǎngwài guǎile) - being selfish/traitor/turning against a family/teammate
Turning elbows outward?
This time, Meng Chang'an was truly both angry and amused.
The one lying inside was the person who shared her bed, who had been together with her atop Wushan*. She was blocking these people with ulterior motives, not letting them disturb the Princess—what fault was there in that?
*"Going to Wushan together" originally refers to the story of the goddess of Wushan raising clouds and bringing rain in ancient mythology. Later it referred to the sexual union of a man and a woman.
The blame could only lie with her current lack of rightful status, leaving her unable to simply drive these so-called "close relatives" as far away as possible.
Suppressing this unspoken anger, the Young Master's expression naturally did not look pleasant.
Some words she could not say outright, so if she wanted to stop them, she could only find other excuses.
Meng Chang'an let out a mocking laugh and directly borrowed the Princess' authority to retort, “Madame Liu, perhaps you should first weigh our family's position before speaking. The person lying inside is none other than a daughter of the Heavens. What could possibly come of sending my elder brother, drunk as he is, into her room? Do you expect Her Highness, a noble of the highest order, to lower herself to care for a drunkard? If you anger Her Highness, our entire family will not be able to bear the consequences. How many heads do you think we have to lose? Can you take responsibility for that?”
It was merely for an instant that Madame Liu had been intimidated by the Young Master's act of borrowing authority. She quickly regained her composure and began to scrutinize the Young Master's expression carefully.
At this moment, the Young Master's eyes were filled with such hostility that it was completely unlike her usual demeanor, whether the obedient or the brazen and flamboyant side she occasionally displayed. As a fellow woman with an inherently keen intuition, how could Madame Liu fail to notice the Young Master's abnormal behavior?
What could possibly have caused this mischievous little devil, who had always been obedient in front of her father and elder brother, to be so furious that she would outright glare coldly at her despite their presence? After all, she had not said anything overly harsh, had she? All she had done was ask her to step aside and let Changping into the room. Was there anything more to it than that?
Could it be because of the Princess that she became so anxious?
But that overwhelming possessiveness—how could it possibly be an emotion that a younger sister should have toward her sister-in-law?
At first, Madame Liu could not figure out why the Young Master had been glaring at her so coldly. It was only when she recalled the scandal from the He family years ago that she suddenly realized the truth. Thinking about how her husband had been unable to let go of that person all these years, her rage surged.
In her fury, Madame Liu could no longer maintain her façade of graciousness and gentleness. Without thinking, she gritted her teeth and hissed, “Meng Chang’an! Are you just like that slut, like your mother? Do you also like women? Is that why you are doing everything you can to ruin your elder brother and your sister-in-law’s relationship?”
That single insult—"slut"—instantly ignited the Young Master’s long-suppressed fury.
She could hate her mother for abandoning her father and leaving her as a child, but who else had the right to insult her mother?
At this moment, the Young Master no longer cared about saving face for He Ziyi. In her rage, she swung her hand directly and slapped Madame Liu across the face.
Martial artists' strikes were always fast, fierce, and accurate. Madame Liu was caught off guard and was slapped so hard by the Young Master that her face was turned sideways, and she almost lost her balance.
"Keep your mouth clean. Whether my mother likes men or women, is not for you to talk about. Whether I like men or women, it is none of your business!"
Author's Note:
There may be some characters mentioned above who will make cameo appearances one after another. Friends who have read "Poison Doctor," you can start voting for who you most want to see make a cameo!
