Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 3

Qiu Qi was incredibly strong. Forget a tub of water; she suspected she could carry a mountain on her shoulder with no problem.

She brought the hot water into the room, mixed it with cold water to a comfortable temperature, then stepped away from the tub.

“Beauty, go ahead and wash. I’ll wait for you in bed.”

Pei Yuqing lowered her head, her gaze falling to the ground. “My Lord, I’m feeling a bit unwell today, I’m afraid…”

“You misunderstood!” Qiu Qi, of course, knew what Pei Yuqing was implying.

Bathing, getting into bed, sleeping—weren’t these the three steps of serving the master for the night? But she wasn’t the impatient pervert the original owner was; how could she do something so forceful?

Besides, with the current Pei Yuqing, she felt such pity that she wouldn’t even let someone else pour her a cup of tea, let alone think about things that should be pixelated.

“Sleeping, just simply sleeping. I won’t lay a finger on you!” Qiu Qi raised her left hand and held up three fingers. “I swear.”

Pei Yuqing’s gaze swept over Qiu Qi’s face, tense from nervousness, circled around, and then calmly shifted away. “Thank you for your consideration, My Lord.”

She could have exposed me on the spot, yet this demon insists on playing along and pretending to be harmonious. This is a tactic she never used before.

But if she thinks I’ll easily drop my guard because of this, she underestimates me too much.

However, since she wants to act, I’ll cooperate.

••••

Qiu Qi had been quite sleepy after all the commotion.

But as soon as her head touched the pillow, before sleep could fully arrive, those “forbidden” fantasies started crowding into her mind.

Although the room wasn’t small, this body’s enhanced hearing was something else.

Only a screen separated the bathtub and the bed, and the orange-yellow candlelight cast the graceful silhouette of a woman behind it.

Qiu Qi held her breath as she watched the alluring figure behind the screen. Just a simple movement of raising a hand to caress her body was enough to make Qiu Qi feel hot all over.

She widened her eyes, watching Pei Yuqing lightly run her fingers through the water and bring them to her shoulder, then push away the long hair clinging to her skin from the moisture. Remembering the smooth, perfect skin like congealed fat she had seen in the bath earlier, Qiu Qi felt her just-stopped nosebleed starting to itch again.

As Pei Yuqing leaned back against the edge of the tub, and Qiu Qi heard the soft sigh that naturally escaped her, she knew that Pei Yuqing was truly relaxed and enjoying herself at that moment, seemingly not even giving a thought to the great pervert lying nearby.

Qiu Qi covered her flushed face and turned over, intending to practice the good manners of “see no evil, hear no evil.” She used to be the one constantly urging authors to “hurry up and draw the spicy scenes” when reading manga, but now that it was a real person, she was already getting cold feet. Sob, sob, sob, this is too embarrassing!

Pei Yuqing indeed took a long bath. Qiu Qi was half-asleep and drifting off when she finally heard the sound of her getting out of the water.

She instinctively perked up her ears, her body not moving an inch, but all her attention focused on the other person.

One step, two steps, Pei Yuqing slowly approached the bed. That faint, refreshing scent drifted to Qiu Qi’s nose, making her furrowed brows unconsciously relax.

“My Lord, are you asleep?” Perhaps worried about disturbing her, Pei Yuqing softened her voice.

Qiu Qi poked half her head out from under the covers, her round eyes blinking. “Mm, almost.”

After speaking, she very consciously moved aside. “Come up quickly, be careful not to catch a cold.”

The bed was very wide. Qiu Qi was currently curled up in less than a third of the edge, looking cautious, as if she were the one being forced to serve in bed, a respectable woman dragged there against her will.

Pei Yuqing nodded, sat on the edge of the bed, took off her shoes, then knelt and reached to untie the bed curtains.

Qiu Qi stared at her actions as she untied the mosquito net. Her long, pale fingers contrasted with the vibrant red, creating a strangely alluring beauty. She was already like a celestial being, as if she would grow wings and fly away the next moment. Though so close, it felt as if a hand stretched out would grasp only air.

Once the curtains were lowered, the intimate feeling of being alone together intensified.

Ahhhhhhh! Sharing a bed on the very first day, and with such a beautiful woman! Qiu Qi sniffed, unable to stop herself from murmuring, “I’m too lucky…”

“Hm?” Pei Yuqing heard her voice, and her eyebrow slightly raised. “Does My Lord have any commands?”

“No, no, go to sleep quickly,” Qiu Qi said, shrinking her shoulders. “You must be exhausted today.”

Pei Yuqing’s gaze swept from Qiu Qi’s expression to her hands, not missing her unconscious clenching of her palms, the shy little action of pinching the corner of the quilt.

The former Qiu Qi always had an unhidden ferocity in her brows, taking whatever she wanted by force, not stopping until bl00d was drawn. But the current her had no aggressive aura whatsoever. Those moist, deer-like eyes made her seem as docile as a pet raised by humans. It was as if with just a wave of a hand, she would foolishly grin, then rush forward without any defense to hug your leg and wag her tail, showering you with affection.

She truly looked very easy to bully.

“My Lord, your face is very red,” Pei Yuqing said softly, leaning towards Qiu Qi and placing her right hand on her smooth forehead to check her temperature.

The cool fingers touched her skin, and Qiu Qi trembled all over, seemingly not expecting Pei Yuqing to initiate contact.

“I, I… maybe just a bit shanghuo (internal heat) recently? It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“Perhaps it’s nearing mid-month and the weather is a bit dry and hot. Tomorrow I will go to the kitchen and personally prepare some cooling sweet soup for My Lord.”

The seasonal changes in this world were different from modern times. Seasons changed frequently, with the middle of each month being the hottest, and the end and beginning of the month gradually cooling, in a continuous cycle.

After speaking, Pei Yuqing silently withdrew her hand, and the doubt in her lowered eyes deepened. When she reached out to touch, Qiu Qi didn’t immediately pull her hand away; this was her first point of surprise.

Secondly, although she took advantage of the brief contact to read her mind, she found no difference between Qiu Qi’s inner thoughts and what she said aloud.

Not even a five-year-old child would be so naive as to have such perfect sincerity. Pei Yuqing’s heart slowly sank.

This wasn’t the first time; it couldn’t be a coincidence. Yet, she couldn’t guess where Qiu Qi had found such a trick that allowed her to repeatedly and easily evade her mind-reading.

Qiu Qi, as a full-time manga artist, was used to living alone, subsisting on takeout and instant noodles. Hearing that Pei Yuqing was actually going to personally make soup for her, an enemy, she was almost moved to tears.

She even excitedly hugged the beauty’s slender waist, deeply inhaling her addictive scent, filled with emotion. “Madam, how can you be so kind? Even if I lost my memory, I definitely did many bad things to you before. You can hit me, scold me; you’re making me feel so guilty.”

Pei Yuqing’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly put it back on, gently patting Qiu Qi’s back. “My Lord exaggerates. Since you don’t remember anything now, let those past events drift away with the wind.”

Qiu Qi didn’t realize that Pei Yuqing’s smile didn’t reach her eyes; she only felt that the voice in her ear was pleasant and gentle, as if every word was softly comforting her lonely soul.

She nodded vigorously, thinking that no matter what stunning beauty appeared in the future, she would not change her target of affection.

Such a beautiful and gentle character was practically tailor-made by the scriptwriter to her preferences!

After all the commotion, the two finally managed to lie down and rest.

With her enemy right beside her and countless unexpected variables today, Pei Yuqing found it impossible to sleep soundly. She closed her eyes but amplified all her other senses, not missing the slightest rustle in the air.

Qiu Qi, true to her promise, was very well-behaved. She didn’t try anything inappropriate but lay spread-eagle on her side, sleeping very soundly.

However, as the night deepened, Qiu Qi’s sleeping posture gradually became more unrestrained. First, she flung an arm onto Pei Yuqing’s waist, then rolled over, draped a leg over her, and finally, hugged her tightly like a body pillow.

Pei Yuqing’s brow furrowed slightly, and she reacted very quickly, blocking Qiu Qi’s approaching head. Just as she was about to push her away with force, the other woman took advantage of the movement, grinned, and rubbed her fleshy cheek against Pei Yuqing’s palm.

“Beauty… don’t be sad. From now on, you’ll be my one and only precious Madam. I’m very loyal; I’ll be good to you my whole life. I’ll make it up to you properly and spoil you to the heavens!”

The soft murmur was right by her ear, a sweet, slightly soft tone, paired with that defenseless smile, it was indeed very deceptive.

Pei Yuqing heard every word clearly, but to her, every word in that sentence was alien.

Make it up? Spoil me to the heavens?

She scoffed, a silent, mocking smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her body trembled. Even such a tiny movement tugged at her back, and the profound ice rings on her back brought the tearing pain of flesh.

I only want your life in return. Are you willing?

••••

Pei Yuqing lay on her back, patiently waiting until Qiu Qi’s breathing became long and even, then quietly pulled the arm off her and got up.

“Madam…” A soft call, long, gentle, and tinged with deep weariness.

Pei Yuqing froze, slowly turned her head, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Qiu Qi’s tightly closed eyelids.

Qiu Qi’s eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted, and her long eyelashes cast shallow shadows on her skin. Her brows were relaxed, and a smile played on her lips; she was sleeping completely unguarded.

Pei Yuqing lowered her head, gazing at Qiu Qi’s peaceful sleeping face. The expression in her eyes grew darker and deeper. The impulsive urge in her mind constantly screamed at her to send the demon in front of her to the afterlife immediately.

Her hand, hanging by her side, was tightly clenched, nails digging into her flesh, and streaks of bl00d seeped from beneath them.

She raised her right hand. Without the need for auxiliary incantations, a small ball of light, pale blue, materialized in her palm.

Among the five elemental spiritual arts of the elves, Pei Yuqing was most skilled at controlling water. She could freely change the form of water, turning it into a solid or vapor. Such a small magic orb was enough to instantly turn all the tissues of an elephant’s head into ice.

Pei Yuqing held her hand up, slowly bringing it closer to the sleeping Qiu Qi. The pale light shone on her face, making her skin an eerie pale blue. A few stray strands of hair close by were already covered in white frost, frozen stiff, as if a gentle touch would snap them in half.

Just a little closer, and the living person in front of her would, in the next second, lose the vitality of life, just like those strands of hair.

But Pei Yuqing didn’t immediately proceed. She just felt that something wasn’t right.

Qiu Qi’s Beast Core Orb was naturally sensitive to surrounding energy. Even a fight dozens of miles away could be detected. For so many years, no one had successfully ambushed her because of this—no one could even get close to her.

But now, everything in front of her felt within reach. Yet, the easier and more effortless it was, the more suspicious Pei Yuqing became, wondering if there was a trick involved.

“Mmm…” Qiu Qi, with closed eyes, unconsciously rubbed the pillow she was hugging. The messy hair on top of her head stood up fluffily. She frowned, laboriously pulling the quilt that was entirely on her over towards Pei Yuqing. “Madam, remember to cover yourself… you’re prone to cold, you’ll easily catch a chill.”

Her tone was relaxed, with no sense of danger about what might happen. It seemed that even in deep sleep, her heart was filled only with undisguised pity and concern for Pei Yuqing.

Pei Yuqing lowered her brows. The blue light in her palm gradually dimmed, and the murderous intent in her eyes receded with it.

“Yes, My Lord.”

Even with amnesia, this instinct, deeply ingrained, couldn’t be suppressed. But the current Pei Yuqing only felt Qiu Qi’s Beast Core Orb was like stagnant water, completely undisturbed.

Pei Yuqing calmly changed her expression, abandoning the thought of “beating the bush to scare the snake.” She reached out to take the quilt, spread it over the spot where she had been lying, and leaned into Qiu Qi’s ear, replying, “It’s already covered, My Lord.”

The person in her dream smiled sweetly, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing. “That’s good, goodnight!”

Pei Yuqing didn’t leave immediately. She sat still for a while longer, waiting until Qiu Qi was completely quiet, then left.

The wooden door closed with a barely noticeable sound. Compared to before, the room only had a faint hint of bl00d.

The person on the bed, seemingly sound asleep, quietly opened her eyes. Qiu Qi’s dark pupils had, at some point, taken on a bloody hue. She stared at the bed curtains, her unfocused gaze making her appear somewhat dazed.

Qiu Qi maintained this dazed state for about five or six minutes before slowly raising her hand, trembling as she grasped a strand of hair by her ear. The chill her fingertips encountered felt as if it could freeze her skin to necrosis in just a second, but she held on tightly, unable to let go for a long time.

It was the first time in her life she had been this close to death, and it was truly… a little bit thrilling.

Author’s Note:

She survived!

Thank you all so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!