Chapter 78: Let Her Do As She Please
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.
The warm sensation spread from the palm to Li Qiubai's heart. With the Young Master covering her hand like this, the Princess finally felt a bit more comfortable.
She did not bother with formalities toward the Young Master. She directly followed the warmth, pressing her hand against the Young Master’s waist, and burrowed into her embrace. Shivering, she spoke, “Cold…”
The Princess’ pitiful, shivering appearance tugged at Meng Chang’an’s heart. Following the faint light along the corridor, she saw that the Princess was standing barefoot behind the door. The Young Master became even more upset and immediately lowered her voice to scold, “You still know what cold is?!”
However, what responded to her was the Princess’ trembling and aggrieved demeanor.
The Young Master, helpless against the Princess’ soft pleas, could not resist. No matter how angry she was, she still held the Princess’ hand, channeling some of her internal energy to warm her.
It was a deep, cold night. The Princess wore only her inner garments and stood barefoot behind the door, eavesdropping for so long. If she were not cold, it would have been strange.
Meng Chang’an could not bear to let the Princess continue freezing. After closing the door, she intended to carry her into the room. However, the Princess refused to let go. The hands wrapped around her waist only tightened further, so much so that the Young Master could neither move nor breathe properly. Only then did she realize something was wrong with the Princess.
After thinking carefully, Meng Chang’an voiced her guess.
“What is it? Did you hear something earlier that upset you?”
The Princess did not want to hide anything from the Young Master, so she directly admitted the frustration in her heart.
“I think I heard you say that you would not want to provoke me?”
Was she truly upset because of that one sentence?
The Young Master smiled helplessly and asked in return, "If I do not provoke you, will you let me go?"
If she could let the Young Master go, how would she have thought about this person for over ten years, even going to great lengths and sparing no effort to get close to her?
But she simply could not deny the shackles on her, which indeed posed a significant trouble for the Young Master.
Thinking of this, the Princess could not help but tighten her arms a little more, as if she wanted to embed the Young Master into her own body.
"Do not even think about it."
After saying this, the Princess realized that her grip seemed a bit too strong, so she slightly loosened her hands. She then stayed close to the Young Master, deeply inhaling twice, absorbing the warmth from her.
The muffled sound made the Young Master unable to hold back a smile. The slight frustration she had felt when talking to her father earlier was completely dispelled by the Princess' straightforward possessiveness.
"See, if that is the case, what difference does it make whether I provoke you or not?"
Li Qiubai was stunned for a moment, suddenly feeling that there seemed to be some truth in those words.
When did her Young Master learn to be so eloquent?
After Meng Chang'an finished speaking, she did not give the Princess a chance to reply. She leaned close to the Princess' head and affectionately nuzzled it, then patted her shoulder. After a soft laugh, she said, "Let us go back to the room first, alright?"
After the Princess gave a slight nod in agreement, the Young Master bent down and lifted her horizontally, carrying her toward the inner room.
After placing her on the bed, Meng Chang'an went to light the oil lamp in the inner chamber, then took a basin of water from the side. She crouched down and personally began to wipe the dust from the Princess' feet.
"You say you, a dignified Princess, have started to enjoy eavesdropping on things like this? Look at you, just listening is one thing, but do you not know to properly put on your clothes and shoes before going? What if you catch a cold? What if you freeze? Have you forgotten that you are still injured?"
The Young Master continued to hold the Princess' ankle, wiping the dust from her soles, while murmuring, "Besides, if I had not stopped them earlier and let them barge in, what if they saw you like this, all disheveled? That would have been quite improper..."
Originally, Meng Chang'an did not feel that there was anything wrong, but the more she thought about it, the more it made her feel sour. Her gaze was fixed on the Princess' bare ankle, so entranced by it that she failed to notice the deep gaze from the Princess resting on her head.
When the Young Master stood up earlier, the Princess had already woken up. However, at that time, the Young Master's attention was entirely on the noise outside, which is why she did not notice the subtle changes in the person beside her.
The Princess had not expected the Young Master to take so long. Moreover, because she had rushed to follow her instincts earlier, she hadn't realized that she had forgotten to put on her clothes.
While the Young Master was outside the door talking to Madame Liu, the Princess had already hidden behind the door, naturally hearing every word of the conversation clearly.
At first, she had wanted to see just how much the Young Master cared for her, which was why she hid behind the door, secretly listening to how the Young Master argued with Madame Liu on her behalf. However, the more Madame Liu spoke, the more unpleasant her words became, and the Princess nearly lost control of her anger, almost rushing out the door to support her silly girl and take charge.
Thanks to Madame Liu, the sweetness in the Princess' heart gradually turned into heartache.
At that moment, the Princess felt a deep pain and naturally wanted to go out and deal with Madame Liu. But she was also concerned that stepping out at that time would only make the Young Master's situation even more awkward and difficult, which is why she forcibly restrained the impulse to rush out.
After all, the argument concerned old matters between this person’s parents were ultimately family affairs. For her to step in and stop it at such a moment would have been clearly inappropriate. It was better to let the Young Master vent her anger rather than have her intervene at that time, making everyone present feel awkward.
What’s more, the Young Master usually seemed unwilling to make their relationship public. If she had forcibly stepped forward to defend the Young Master at that time, solidifying Madame Liu's suspicions and letting some information slip, it could have sparked gossip among others. Not only would that upset the Young Master, but it might also ruin her original plans.
That would have been one thing, but if it had caused the Young Master to be forced into the situation and accidentally get hurt, would that not have been a loss outweighing the gain?
Besides, if even such a simple woman required her to step in to discipline, would that not imply a lack of trust in the Young Master’s abilities?
Between lovers, aside from protecting one another, trust, companionship, respect, and walking side by side is even more important. If they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, merely offering protection would not suffice.
After all, no one can live forever under someone else’s wings.
Thinking this way, the Princess managed to suppress her impulse and continued listening, allowing the Young Master to face those vile words alone. She knew the Young Master was in a foul mood at the time and wished she could have stood by her side to face it together. Yet, since she had not stepped forward at the best moment, she could only hold back her frustration and endure.
Fortunately, the sect leader was reasonable enough to protect his daughter rather than blindly listen to his wife’s provocations. Only then did the Princess feel slightly relieved, at ease leaving the Young Master outside to speak with her father.
After all, when the Young Master spoke of her father in the carriage this morning, the admiration in her eyes was impossible to conceal. How could the Princess bear to ruin this rare and long-awaited opportunity for her?
Initially, the Princess had no intention of eavesdropping on the heart-to-heart between the father and daughter. However, she could not resist her curiosity and the faint worry in her heart, so she remained frozen in place, continuing to listen.
In doing so, she was able to personally hear the sect leader's opinions and come to understand what the greatest obstacle between her and the Young Master truly was.
It turned out that the greatest obstacle between them was not because they were both women, but because her royal status instilled fear in others.
Li Qiubai understood what worried Sect Master He and could also empathize with his concerns.
After all, the wrath of an emperor could leave corpses strewn across the land. She was not one standing at the pinnacle of power. How could she guarantee how her father and brothers would feel once they learned what the Young Master meant to her? How could she ensure that she could always protect the Young Master completely?
Thinking of this, the Princess felt an overwhelming complexity in her emotions, so much so that she failed to catch what the Young Master said afterward.
The faint desires that had lingered in Li Qiubai's heart for years inexplicably began to surface because of the seemingly inconsequential words that He Ziyi had casually spoken.
“Your Highness? Your Highness!”
After being called several times in a row by the Young Master, the Princess finally snapped out of her daze and met the Young Master’s worried gaze.
“What were you thinking about so deeply? I called you, and you did not respond at all.”
The Young Master had already tidied everything up for the Princess. After placing the basin of water back in its original spot, she retrieved a dim oil lamp and set it beside the bed. She spoke a few more words to the Princess, but when she received no reply, she finally realized something was off.
Fortunately, the Princess did not remain lost in thought for long. After being called several times in a row, she finally regained her senses.
Li Qiubai was unwilling to share the calculations in her heart with the Young Master. She only tugged the corners of her lips into a faint smile before reaching out to grab the Young Master, pulling her down onto the bed together.
However, the Young Master still felt that the Princess seemed even more off than before, though she could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong.
It was as if, though this person still gazed at her with the same gentleness as always, she could still detect a trace of coldness in the Princess’ eyes.
Even though she understood that such coldness could not possibly be directed at her, she could not help but overthink it.
The worry in the Young Master’s heart had yet to dissipate when she felt the Princess press a kiss onto her neck, leaving her frozen in place, she didn't know how to react.
"You... what is wrong? Are you still upset?"
"Chang'an."
In that instant, the Princess had already thrown the doctor's advice out of her mind. She could no longer wait for her wound to heal before indulging herself. Holding the Young Master's hands tightly, she leaned down and gently bit her neck.
"I want you..."
Perhaps the feeling of their fingers intertwined was too long lost. As their skin pressed intimately together, the Young Master found herself uncertain whether she should continue probing or simply go along with it.
However, the Princess, who received no resistance from the Young Master, took it as tacit consent. She continued to lightly nuzzle against her neck before moving to press a kiss onto her lips.
"Mm..."
It was just the simplest of kisses, so how could it make her feel so weak and powerless?
Helpless, the Young Master, unable to summon enough strength to push the Princess away, could only let her continue like this.
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.
Though the coldness in the Princess' hands had gradually warmed due to the internal energy transferred to her, when those hands rested on her waist, the Young Master couldn't help but shiver.
She wanted to fight back, but because of the Princess' injuries, she hesitated, not daring to struggle too forcefully for fear of hurting her. She could only obediently lie flat on the bed, allowing the Princess to do as she pleased.
Mm, it was only because the Princess was in a bad mood that the Young Master allowed herself to indulge in this way.
In her heart, the Young Master silently promised, just once, only once.
Just this one time, she would allow the Princess to do as she pleased...
Unfortunately, despite being born of the same mother, now it was only the Young Master who had the warmth of soft skin in her embrace at night. As for He Changping, who had been moved to the guest room by Ye Chi, he was not so fortunate.
Unlike most drunkards, He Changping was unusually obedient and quiet when intoxicated, not making a fuss.
Ye Chi felt immensely relieved. Thankfully, Changping did not cause any drunken commotion. This spared him from exerting too much effort—he only needed to move the man onto the bed, clean him up a bit, and then lean aside to close his eyes and rest.
Originally, he intended to take proper care of Changping for the night. However, before long, just as he shut his eyes for a moment, he began to lose consciousness and fell into a deep sleep.
After Ye Chi was sound asleep, Ye Wuyou, who had been hiding on the beam for a while, leaped down. She stepped forward and gave Ye Chi a push.
Seeing him collapse to the side as she had expected, Ye Wuyou nodded in satisfaction. Then, using the tip of her sword’s scabbard, she tapped the shoulder of the young man on the bed and laughed as she asked, “The people of Jianghu praise you for being upright and forthright. How is it that now you have learned the underhanded trick of drugging your fellow disciples?”
Thus, after lying flat on the bed for quite some time, He Changping finally opened his eyes slowly. At this moment, his gaze was entirely clear, with no trace of the hazy drunkenness from earlier.
"If it were not for you hiding there for so long, why would I even need to drug Brother Ye?"
Seeing him justify himself so confidently, Ye Wuyou laughed even more cheerfully. She immediately leaned closer, stopping just an inch away from He Changping’s face. With a teasing smile, she asked, "What is it? Were you so eager to see me that you had to knock out your dear Brother Ye just to avoid him interrupting our good time?"
The resemblance between the twin siblings was truly striking. Regardless of gender, their thin skin was identical.
Young Master Meng was like this, and so was He Changping.
Just from being teased by Ye Wuyou like that, He Changping’s cheeks had already turned red. He coughed lightly and turned his head to the side while casually pushing Ye Wuyou away. After putting some distance between them, he finally sat up from the bed.
"Do not make trouble."
After glancing at Ye Chi, who was reclining on the edge of the bed, He Changping got out of bed. While casually draping his outer robe over himself, he did not forget to ask Ye Wuyou, "What is it? Seeing how long you have waited tonight, do you have something urgent to discuss with me?"
Ye Wuyou shrugged and snorted coldly. "So cold. Can I not just come and have a chat with you even if there is nothing important?"
"Come on, I know your personality too well. Would you ever come to me if nothing is going on?"
With Ye Chi as a potential problem sleeping in the room, the two found it rather inconvenient to speak freely.
After putting on his clothes and leading Ye Wuyou outside, the two tacitly leaped onto the rooftop together.
Only then did He Changping, with a faint smile, lower his voice and ask, "What is it? Were you not staying perfectly fine on Her Highness’ rooftop earlier? Why did you suddenly think of coming to me?"
Ye Wuyou, after sitting firmly on the roof ridge, propped her chin on her hand and looked in the direction of the Princess' room. She confessed honestly, "Ah, is it not because our dear little sister is not clever enough? She fell for a lie so easily and got utterly taken advantage of… Ahem, I could not bear to watch anymore, so I thought I would come to you to hide for a while. Otherwise, if someone finds out, they might want to silence me."
Even though Ye Wuyou spoke so vaguely, it was not difficult for He Changping to catch the deeper meaning behind her words. He was momentarily stunned before reacting, raising his hand to rub his aching brow. Helplessly, he said, "You really should stop watching things you should not be watching. Otherwise, if that vengeful Princess finds out, I would not even know how to help you."
"How would I know I would see something like that? I originally just wanted to see if you would get beaten up by Chang'an after that Aunt Liu sent you to Li Qiubai's room, so I hid on Li Qiubai's rooftop. Who knew that Aunt Liu would be so useless, making it so you could not even enter Li Qiubai's door? I could not watch any good show, nor could I find Li Qiubai. Since there were people around you, I could only stay on their rooftop. Who knew their skills would be so lacking? They could not even sense me hiding there, yet they dared to act so intimately in the room."
"Who told Lady Wu to have mastered the Turtle Breathing Technique to such a level, that not a single sound was made? Us ordinary people, how could we be a match for Lady Wu?"
"Too much flattery, too much flattery. My mere Turtle Breathing Technique cannot compare to Young Master He's extraordinary skill in pretending to be drunk with wine."
After hearing the teasing in the words, He Changping could not help but curve his lips into a smile and explained, "If I do not pretend to be drunk, perhaps what awaits me next will not be wine. If it is some other kind of medicine, where would you want me to cry?"
Before He Changping could continue joking with Ye Wuyou, he suddenly recalled the key point from the person's previous words and immediately raised an eyebrow to ask, "What is it? You seem to be eager for me to be sent to Her Highness’ room quickly, huh?"
Ye Wuyou laughed heartily and replied calmly, "Yes, I did not get to see how you and Chang'an fought last time. Now that this opportunity is rare, of course, I want to see it with my own eyes. Moreover, if I can see you making Chang'an angry again, then I will not have to worry about watching over you anymore. Chang'an will take care of it for me. That way, you can forget about getting anywhere near Li Qiubai again."
Fortunately, He Changping knew that this person loved to joke, so he did not take Ye Wuyou's words to heart. He merely smiled helplessly and sighed indulgently, "You, if only you really could think like that. Then I would not have to worry and be afraid every day, wondering whether you will once again personally sell me to someone else, or who you will sell me to next time."
When the old matter was brought up again, Ye Wuyou couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
After a forced laugh, she stretched out her elbow to nudge He Changping's arm and, in a somewhat ingratiating manner, said, "Young Master He, you are a magnanimous person, so please do not stay angry with me any longer, alright?"
In recent days, both of them have been extremely busy. Moreover, due to the dangerous path they had chosen, each step they took had to be exceedingly cautious. As a result, they rarely had the opportunity to sit on the roof like tonight and casually chat and joke around.
A rare opportunity, and both of them cherished it greatly.
He Changping smiled and did not bring up old matters with Ye Wuyou again, not wanting to waste such a great moment.
The two of them continued sitting on the roof, enjoying the starry sky and chatting leisurely for over an hour.
It was not until they saw that the light in the Princess' room had been out for some time that Ye Wuyou figured the time was about right. She then bade farewell to He Changping and, with a breath, leaped toward the Princess' roof.
Author's Note:
Princess: Ye Wuyou, do not get in the way!
