Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 13

Among the kneeling crowd, only Pei Yuqing remained standing upright, and her face was no better than Qiu Qi’s.

“You, what are you all doing?” If her memory served her right, ten out of ten of these people had a grudge against the original owner, and now they were actually asking her to spread her favor equally???

“My Lord, we heard from Butler Yan that you have ordered to only favor Sister Pei from now on. But her physique is weak, and she can’t handle such excessive affection. As for our other sisters…” Xiao Chu’er half-covered her face, her exposed, sparkling eyes shifting with feigned shyness.

What about the other sisters? Are they like hungry wolves, desperate and impatient?

Qiu Qi: Then I’m even more terrified!

If Qiu Qi didn’t know that Xiao Chu’er had been forcibly taken and imprisoned in this courtyard by the original owner, she would have almost believed that Xiao Chu’er was genuinely jealous. This kind of “stepping on others” behavior was truly a classic “green tea” move.

“That’s not right,” Qiu Qi waved her sleeve, putting on a serious expression and starting to spout nonsense. “It’s precisely because Madam’s physique is weak that I should give her more love. With my careful nourishment day and night, she will recover faster, don’t you agree?”

Xiao Chu’er hadn’t expected Qiu Qi to be so eloquent… and shamelessly bold. After all, in the past, she couldn’t pull out any other words besides “scoundrel,” “peasant,” or “I’ll make you pay.”

What Qiu Qi said undoubtedly confirmed everyone’s suspicions, and instantly, Pei Yuqing received even more sympathetic glances.

…Along with that, Pei Yuqing’s expression became even uglier, and the air around her seemed to freeze to below zero.

“That’s enough. My Lord hasn’t even changed or washed up yet. What kind of etiquette is this, with such a large group of you blocking the way? All of you, disperse,” Pei Yuqing said.

Seeing that their “coercion” was unsuccessful, everyone also worried about provoking Qiu Qi. Although she seemed much more agreeable now, there was no guarantee that her temperament wouldn’t change drastically again at any moment.

“Your concubine takes her leave.” The group arrived in unison and departed in unison, leaving only Qiu Qi to endure Pei Yuqing’s gaze, which felt like it was drilling through her skull.

“Madam…” The moment the door closed and the outsiders were gone, Qiu Qi immediately reverted to her soft, easy-to-handle demeanor. She pouted pitifully. “Don’t be angry. Everything I said was true. I only like you, and no one can persuade me to change my mind.”

Pei Yuqing had now cultivated herself to a point where listening to Qiu Qi confess two hundred times a day wouldn’t cause a single ripple. She calmly lifted her eyelids, automatically ignoring the previous topic. “My Lord, you should get dressed and wash up. Butler Yan is waiting outside for us to depart.”

“Okay, I’m going now.” Qiu Qi hastily wiped her face, rinsed her mouth with salt water, then rushed to the clothes hanger and roughly put on her outer garment using a familiar modern method of tying the sash.

The whole process took less than ten minutes. She tidied herself up and walked over to Pei Yuqing. “Let’s go.”

Pei Yuqing didn’t move, her gaze sweeping over the cowlick sticking up on Qiu Qi’s head and her dressing style, which would definitely be considered “improper attire, open indecency in broad daylight” on the street. Her brows unconsciously furrowed.

That little bit of obsessive-compulsive gene in her made her unable to resist reaching out, untying the sash at Qiu Qi’s waist, grabbing her collar, and starting to rearrange her clothes for her.

Her movements were swift. One second, Qiu Qi was still dodging uncomfortably due to the sensation on her neck, the next, Pei Yuqing’s cool hand had already slipped to the ticklish spot on her waist.

“Wa-wait, Madam… I’m ticklish…” Qiu Qi’s small face flushed crimson, and she twisted back and forth like an earthworm.

“My Lord, just bear with it a little longer, it’ll be done soon,” Pei Yuqing used her classic phrase.

“Madam is bullying me,” Qiu Qi’s moist eyes were full of accusation, her chubby face crumpled into a ball, like a pitiful dumpling that had been kneaded.

Unfortunately, playing pitiable didn’t work much on Pei Yuqing. She emotionlessly looked away, cruelly pressing her icy hand against Qiu Qi’s waist through the thin inner garment. Her movements didn’t falter in the slightest due to Qiu Qi’s pleading. “My Lord, be steady. If you can’t even dress yourself properly, you’ll probably lose all face when you go out. Don’t forget, you are still a Beast God, at least.”

Qiu Qi thought, who are you kidding? The original owner once ran naked in public; her being improperly dressed compared to that is like a small witch meeting a great one.

But those hands seemed to possess magic, touching every ticklish spot. Qiu Qi’s ticklishness wasn’t faked; she had had this sensitivity since childhood. Moreover, Pei Yuqing’s naturally low body temperature, even through clothes, couldn’t be blocked. It felt as if her bare palm was directly touching her skin.

“Don’t touch there… Madam…”

“No, no… I can’t… please have mercy on me, Madam…”

“Ah… I can’t breathe… Madam is so mean…wuwu…”

Having taught her enough of a lesson, Pei Yuqing coolly loosened the sash a bit, giving Qiu Qi a slight opening to breathe. “It’s done, My Lord.”

Qiu Qi gasped for breath, her face as haggard as someone who had just run a marathon.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked. She found that the clothes resembled Tang Dynasty attire, with light, flowing fabric that was actually quite comfortable to wear.

“My Lord, your foot,” Pei Yuqing knelt beside Qiu Qi, holding a shoe in her hand.

Qiu Qi stepped back. “No, I can put on my own shoes… Ugh!”

Pei Yuqing didn’t have that much patience. She directly pulled Qiu Qi’s slender, fair ankle, put a white sock on her bare foot, and then slipped it into the shoe.

Qiu Qi lost her balance and tilted sideways, quickly reaching out to steady herself by holding Pei Yuqing’s shoulder. She barely managed to regain her footing.

This time, Pei Yuqing didn’t push her away. She extended a hand. “Left foot.”

Qiu Qi silently put her foot up, her round toes curling nervously. She leaned on Pei Yuqing’s shoulder and, with a sigh of relief, quietly said, “Madam, you’re really good.”

The soft tone close to her ear, the straightforwardness that came out without thinking, and the genuine sincerity in her voice, without the previous affectation, made it much more pleasant to hear.

Pei Yuqing’s movements paused for half a second. She silently helped her put on the shoe and stood up.

“My Lord overstates it. These are merely my duties.”

“That doesn’t stop me from liking you,” Qiu Qi said with interest, launching a direct attack as Pei Yuqing rarely showed such a slip.

“…”

When the two came out, Yan Wan, who was waiting by the door, seemed a bit surprised. “You’re out already?”

Qiu Qi processed the meaning of Yan Wan’s words in an instant. She skillfully took the steering wheel and stepped on the gas. “With good technique, two times in three minutes is not a problem.”

“My Lord, you’re joking again,” Pei Yuqing said from behind, enunciating each word, her lowered voice carrying a blatant threat.

A chill ran down Qiu Qi’s spine, and she immediately pulled the “car” back. “Cough, I mean Madam’s dressing technique is good. Such difficult clothes, she tidied them up in the blink of an eye. Excellent, truly excellent.”

••••

Before lunch, Yin Ci delivered the item that Yan Wan had asked her to transfer to Xu Zishe’s door in the West Courtyard.

Xu Zishe only willingly left her home a handful of days out of the year, so everyone was accustomed to her habit of rarely venturing out.

“Open the door.” Yin Ci raised her hand and hammered on the door. Xu Zishe, who was taking a nap in bed, was almost jolted out of her wits.

She pulled open the door, her face full of displeasure. “Can’t you be gentler? All day long, it’s just hammering, hammering, hammering. I knew it was you, you dead dog, just by the sound. What’s wrong? So urgent, are you here to ask me to burn incense at Pei Yuqing’s grave?!”

Xu Zishe already had a poisonous tongue, and with her morning grumpiness, she became even more uninhibited. Yin Ci’s eyes suddenly darkened, and her right hand moved to her waist, gripping the hilt of her dagger.

Xu Zishe knew what Yin Ci was doing even with her eyes closed. She spoke carelessly, “Crude and clumsy, what else can you do besides fighting and killing? If you have the guts, slit my throat with one slice, otherwise save your energy, lest the courtyard has to pay to treat my injuries.”

Yin Ci’s actions always preceded her words, and when she spoke less, her tongue naturally became clumsy. Of course, she couldn’t out-argue Xu Zishe, this snake spirit with a forked tongue.

“Alright, say what you need to say, otherwise get lost.” Xu Zishe waved her sleeve.

Yin Ci pursed her lips and handed over the item in her hand. “Butler Yan asked me to deliver this. It’s something the Demon Lord bestowed upon you.”

Xu Zishe, receiving a reward for the first time, scoffed. “What the hell? Is this money for me to buy a coffin?”

Before the original owner would choose someone to serve her, she would usually give them some gifts. Whether they were valuable or not wasn’t important; the main thing was to send a signal.

—This mistress is going to expletive you tonight. Wash yourself and wait.

“Yes, take it and buy a coffin and lie down in it early,” Yin Ci replied. “I’m afraid I might not be able to resist killing you before she does one day.”

Xu Zishe understood her meaning. “She’s not calling for me to serve her?”

“Even if you beg for her favor now, she might not agree.”

“What, was it the full moon a few days ago, and her head went wrong again? Oh…” Xu Zishe raised an eyebrow, pointing her finger downwards. “Or maybe that isn’t working anymore.”

“…” Yin Ci didn’t want to say another word to her. “The item’s delivered, I’m leaving.”

“Get lost. Next time you come, remember to wash off that dog stench.”

Just as her words fell, from the direction where Yin Ci had disappeared in the distance, a silver light shot through the air. Xu Zishe narrowed her eyes and swiftly raised her hand, blocking it with the box she held.

The blade hit the lock precisely, and the wooden box opened with a snap.

Underneath the red cloth cushion was a palm-sized serpentine gold sculpture. The carving was lifelike and looked very exquisite and pleasing.

Most Beast-folk were not interested in gold, silver, or jewelry. In their eyes, it was not even half as precious as wolf fangs or phoenix feathers.

But Xu Zishe was an exception. She had a natural inability to resist shiny gold objects. It could be said that Qiu Qi’s gift truly hit her sweet spot.

Xu Zishe held the gold sculpture lovingly, the more she looked at the round-headed, round-bodied snake sculpture, the more she liked it. As she was about to close the lid, her gaze fell upon the small note under the base.

The note had crooked handwriting: “Thank you A’She for the shed skin, I really like my current face, jiumi (kiss)! ”

Xu Zishe didn’t quite understand the last two words, but she could grasp the general meaning.

This Demon Lord now… had learned to be polite?

Connecting this with what Yin Ci had said, Xu Zishe found herself growing curious about Qiu Qi’s current demeanor.

Indeed, she spent all her time cooped up here, and her information reserves were vastly different from those outside.

“Then I’ll make some time to go out and see,” Xu Zishe curved her lips, noting down her first outing on her schedule for the year.