Destined Hearts of Mu and Yu (GL) - Chapter 15

“Hey, you are staring.” Wei Yue’er waved her hand in front of Qin Mu’s eyes when she noticed Qin Mu gazing at Wei Hanyu in a daze. Qin Mu quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing red. She knew she had been caught watching Wei Hanyu too intently.

“This is the famous First Princess of Wei. Known throughout the land as the most learned and virtuous, the most gentle and graceful, the most beautiful and striking, and the most skilled in both pen and sword. She is none other than Wei Hanyu.” Wei Yue’er, clever as ever, hurried to flatter her sister, knowing full well Wei Hanyu had yet to settle accounts for last night’s trouble.

Wei Hanyu shot her sister a sharp look, but when she saw that Qin Mu’s complexion had improved, her heart eased.

“You are still dazed? Quickly thank my sister for saving your life. Look at your wound. Without her care, you would have died in the street by now.” Wei Yue’er raised her brows, nudging Qin Mu with her words.

Qin Mu immediately got off the bed, walked over to Wei Hanyu, and said softly.

“Elder Sister Hanyu, thank you.” She could not help but steal another glance or two at her, knowing their meetings were always brief and hurried. Every look was precious.

“It was you who saved me. I only repaid the debt. We are even now.” Wei Hanyu pressed her lips together, meeting Qin Mu’s gaze. Though her heart stirred faintly, she forced herself to remain calm.

“So you and my sister knew each other before.” Hearing their words, Wei Yue’er jumped excitedly. Neither denied it, which was as good as admitting it. She rubbed her chin, piecing things together. Last night, Qin Mu had risked her life, flying forward to block an arrow for Wei Hanyu. Afterward, Wei Hanyu had nearly lost control, ready to kill Qing Yunlong in fury. Yet Wei Hanyu had always been known for her composure, calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before her. This reaction was far too strange. Wei Yue’er felt sure there was something between them. The thought thrilled her. At last she had found a weakness of Wei Hanyu’s, one that could one day be traded for the freedom to slip in and out of the palace at will.

“Elder Sister, are you still angry with me for that matter?” Qin Mu asked quietly, stepping closer. She remembered the cold, resolute look Wei Hanyu had given her at the temple, and her chest ached with the thought.

Wei Hanyu frowned. Her eyes did not meet Qin Mu’s but fixed instead on a nearby pot of orchids. She said nothing.

Seeing her turn away, Qin Mu’s heart tightened. She bit her lip and whispered.

“If Elder Sister Hanyu no longer wishes to see me, then I will leave.”

She had so much she wanted to say, and she had missed Wei Hanyu dearly these days. Yet if her presence only brought displeasure, she could not bear to linger. With her head lowered, she turned to go.

Wei Hanyu watched her back retreating, the bloodstains still visible on her clothes, and felt a pang of reluctance. At last she said lightly.

“I do not hold grudges.”

Qin Mu froze as if struck by lightning. She turned back, joy lighting her eyes, and her lips curved into a smile.

“Elder Sister Hanyu, truly you are no longer angry with me?”

Wei Hanyu pressed her lips together and stepped back slightly, nodding. She still was not used to Qin Mu’s fiery warmth, and besides, Wei Yue’er’s sharp eyes were watching their every move. She turned aside, fetched the medicine, and handed it over.

“This is for the wound outside. Apply it once a day and change the dressing. This one is to take by mouth, twice daily.”

Qin Mu accepted the medicine, her heart touched. She knew the wound and the poison in her body had all been tended by Wei Hanyu. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hold her. She remembered the embrace at Qing Yunlong’s estate, still vivid in her mind. She breathed deeply, as if the faint fragrance still lingered at her nose.

“Elder Sister Hanyu, I will be staying at Zhuangyuan Inn in the capital these days. If you have time, come see me.” Qin Mu spoke with longing, reluctant to part.

“My duties are many. I will not have the time.” Wei Hanyu turned and answered coolly. In truth, the words were for Wei Yue’er’s ears. She knew her sister well, clever as a monkey, and by now surely spinning countless fancies about her and Qin Mu.

As expected, Wei Yue’er clapped her hands, went forward, and pulled at Qin Mu’s sleeve.

“Brother Mu, my sister truly is busy. But I have plenty of time. I will come play with you.” She cast Wei Hanyu a sidelong glance and, seeing the coldness deepen in her eyes, added.

“After what happened last night, you still dare dream of leaving the palace? Foolish. You will be confined for a month as punishment.”

Wei Yue’er stuck out her tongue, unconcerned. She tugged at Qin Mu’s clothes and said.

“Brother Mu, it is late. I will sneak you out of the palace now.”

Her words jolted Qin Mu awake. She turned once more, her eyes reluctant, only to see Wei Hanyu’s face return to its usual coldness. She longed to say farewell but was pulled away by Wei Yue’er.

Outside Biyue Pavilion, Wei Yue’er noticed Qin Mu’s distracted look and laughed.

“My sister is always like this. You take one step close and she takes ten steps back.”

Qin Mu looked at her in surprise, but Wei Yue’er’s eyes glittered mischievously as she asked.

“You like my sister, don’t you?”

Qin Mu waved her hands quickly. “Miss Yue’er, do not misunderstand. My feelings for Elder Sister Hanyu are not like those between a man and a woman.”

“Bah, nonsense.” Wei Yue’er tapped her nose with disdain. “If you cannot even admit you like her, then forget about winning her. My sister despises hypocritical bookworms like you.”

“I, I—” Qin Mu stammered in panic at the thought that Wei Hanyu might dislike her.

Wei Yue’er only laughed more, her eyes dancing. “Brother Mu, you looked so weak and fragile. Last night, when we broke into Qing Yunlong’s estate, even I was scared half to death, but you did not even blink. You claimed to have a heart ailment, yet you risked your life to save my sister. And now, all it takes is a few words and you can barely speak.”

Qin Mu’s face turned crimson. She herself did not know what her feelings for Wei Hanyu truly were. Both of them were women. How could she say it was love? Yet if it was not love, why did her heart ache with emptiness when she could not see her, and overflow with sweetness when she did? Why did parting feel even harder than the days before they met? And why did the thought of not knowing when they would meet again cut so deeply?

“Brother Mu, do you know? If you do not like my sister, then things will be troublesome,” Wei Yue’er said with a sly smile, covering her mouth as she laughed. Inwardly, she thought this fool was far too easy to tease.

Qin Mu looked at her in confusion, not understanding. Wei Yue’er clasped her hands behind her back, her voice light as she added.

“Because you have already ruined my sister’s innocence.”