Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 22

Yan Qinglan obediently ate half a bowl of congee.

However, when she couldn’t suppress her dry heaving anymore, Wen Zhuojin quickly stopped.

Wen Zhuojin wiped Yan Qinglan’s mouth, gazing at her thick eyelashes, now damp with teardrops. Wen Zhuojin felt she’d been too harsh earlier, scaring the woman so much that she didn’t even dare to speak, even after finishing her meal.

Sigh, such a timid and delicate person—it made her want to hold her tightly, kiss her fiercely, and tease her.

“You… Didn’t I tell you to let me know when you’re full? Why didn’t you say anything? That’s one punishment recorded,” Wen Zhuojin said, her voice initially softening, but she quickly corrected herself, returning to her stern tone.

The woman in front of her was clearly someone who feared strength and yielded to harshness.

If she wasn’t strict, Yan Qinglan would act against her wishes, and what if she even refused to eat altogether?

Yan Qinglan paused for a moment upon hearing Wen Zhuojin’s words but said nothing.

It wasn’t until after Wen Zhuojin left yesterday that Yan Qinglan’s muddled thoughts finally began to clear.

She recalled some things Wen Zhuojin had said before—about her family and her husband, asking if she wanted to see them.

Wen Zhuojin had even promised to take her to meet them and free her from her lowly status.

At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it, assuming the other party was just lying to placate her.

But if everything Wen Zhuojin said was true—if she really was the legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household and the niece of the upright and stern Imperial Censor—then her rescue of Yan Qinglan had been purely coincidental.

Her status contract came from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and her identity was merely what the contract dictated.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t seem to know her true identity and likely assumed she had an abusive husband.

If that were the case, some of her speculations aligned with what Wen Zhuojin had said, though not entirely.

Certain strange, incongruous details finally made sense.

But there were still puzzling aspects.

For instance, why would a legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household be out all night without anyone questioning her?

Wouldn’t the Imperial Censor, known for his strict and upright nature, discipline his niece?

And why would the legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household frequent a place like Xiaoxiang Pavilion?

The young girl might not be a truly wicked person, but she was still a reckless and frivolous troublemaker.

This situation was slightly better than falling back into that person’s hands, but only just.

Yan Qinglan couldn’t fully trust the girl. Still, she might be able to use her to reach out to the outside world.

The loyal guards, protectors, and trusted servants were all dead.

The few she trusted were far away in the northern frontier.

Were there any trustworthy people left in Yunjing City?

What was the situation outside? How many people had been implicated and punished?

Yan Qinglan knew none of this.

As she furrowed her brow, deep in thought, her head began to throb slightly. Suddenly, a sharp pain came to her lips, followed by a warm, moist sensation.

Startled, Yan Qinglan’s eyes widened slightly as she came back to herself.

That little rascal—she bit her again!

“Are you planning to stay sick forever and not take your medicine? If you refuse again, I’ll do it just like I did earlier.” The girl’s mischievous voice rang out as she gave Yan Qinglan’s chin a playful squeeze.

Yan Qinglan’s brow twitched faintly.

She hadn’t realized the girl was trying to make her take medicine. Instead, she’d taken the opportunity to “bite” her again.

What kind of behavior was this!

If she managed to contact her own people, this little rascal wouldn’t have an easy time of it—that was for sure!

Despite her thoughts, Yan Qinglan opened her mouth and drank the medicine.

She had always suspected the medicine might be poisoned, and drinking it was indeed difficult. But this time, her guess seemed off. It was still bitter—terribly so—but there was a familiar sweetness mixed in with the bitterness.

“I brought along a hundred-year-old ginseng from home,” she recalled the girl saying in a tone full of pride, as if presenting a treasure.

So there was really ginseng in the medicine?

Though Yan Qinglan was annoyed, she reflected on everything. From yesterday until now, aside from biting her, the girl’s behavior hadn’t been much different from before. She gave her medicine when needed, meals when needed…

After finishing the medicine, Yan Qinglan’s body gradually warmed from the inside out, though her mouth and throat were still overwhelmingly bitter.

The bitterness stung her eyes, making them water again. She could feel tears falling.

Just as Yan Qinglan was about to wipe them away, a warm cloth appeared, gently drying her face. Then, something sweet was placed in her mouth—a piece of brown sugar, melting quickly and taking the edge off the bitterness.

Wen Zhuojin watched as Yan Qinglan obediently finished the medicine. Leaning closer, she caught the mixed scent of medicinal bitterness and sweetness on her. Even with those added smells, Yan Qinglan still carried a pleasant fragrance.

Wen Zhuojin licked her lips but restrained herself from leaning in again.

She quickly got up and began inspecting Yan Qinglan’s wounds, changing the medicine and re-bandaging them.

Some of the shallow wounds had already scabbed over, but the deeper ones, like the one on her ankle, still looked terrifying. The flesh was healing at an excruciatingly slow pace, and it was too early to tell if it was improving.

Wen Zhuojin replaced the medicine on Yan Qinglan’s wounds and carefully wrapped them in fresh, clean bandages.

As the injuries gradually healed, the pain intensified. The process of changing the medicine made Yan Qinglan feel like she was enduring some form of cruel punishment.

The medicine’s coolness seemed to offer some relief, and the pain lessened slightly after it was applied.

Feeling the girl wipe her face, tidy her hair, and gently tuck her back into the warm bedding, Yan Qinglan’s heart softened a little more.

“I want to go outside,” Yan Qinglan murmured as Wen Zhuojin adjusted her blanket.

Despite the heavy fog of uncertainty surrounding her situation, doing nothing wasn’t an option. Yan Qinglan wanted to test the waters, gather more information, and figure out who could be trusted.

“No,” Wen Zhuojin immediately replied.

“How can you go out with all these injuries?”

“There are plenty of soldiers outside searching for someone. Do you remember the last time they came here looking for people? They’re still searching these past few days. If the soldiers find someone without proper identification or background, they’ll arrest them.

“Even though your contract is in my possession, I haven’t gone to the authorities to register you yet. If you get caught, you’ll be taken away by the soldiers,” Wen Zhuojin added, deliberately emphasizing her words to scare the woman.

“…” Yan Qinglan froze.

She had escaped from Heavenly Xuan Palace, and now soldiers were searching Yunjing City for someone—it was likely they’d found some sort of lead.

Blindness, the iron ring on her ankle—if they investigated thoroughly, they would undoubtedly trace her back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

If they were now targeting people without proper identification, could it be an attempt to pressure this girl into registering her with the authorities, only to then arrest her later?

If the current assumptions were correct, it was fortunate that the girl hadn’t yet gone to the authorities to register her. When the soldiers came to search, she had hidden Yan Qinglan away once again.

As for Xiaoxiang Pavilion, going there now would likely be disastrous.

This was truly walking on thin ice—one wrong step could lead to the abyss.

“For now, you can’t go anywhere. You’ll have to stay here. Since you’re mine, I’ll naturally protect you and won’t let the soldiers catch you. Be obedient, and I’ll help you get registered and find a way to restore your good status,” Wen Zhuojin said, her tone softening slightly as she noticed Yan Qinglan seemed genuinely frightened.

Wen Zhuojin was indeed considering registration and restoring Yan Qinglan’s status.

However, doing so would expose the fact that she had redeemed Yan Qinglan from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and it would likely cost a significant amount of silver as well.

With her purse running dry at the moment, it would have to wait a little longer.

“…I, I want to eat Phoenix Pastries from Qingji,” Yan Qinglan said softly after a moment, noticing the girl’s gentler tone.

Wen Zhuojin looked closely at Yan Qinglan, who still had that delicate and timid demeanor.

What was different today? She was actually expressing a desire.

Perhaps after drinking the medicine for several days, her appetite had improved, and she now craved something specific?

Requests weren’t a bad thing—it was the rebellion that she feared.

“You want to eat?” Yan Qinglan felt her chin being cupped as the girl’s voice reached her.

She softly murmured her agreement.

The Phoenix Pastries from Qingji were memorable to Yan Qinglan because the shop owner was Qing Chenning, the top-ranked scholar of the imperial exams three years ago.

She wondered if Qing Chenning was still in Yunjing City and whether the pastries were still available.

“Sister, I can go buy them for you. But be good, open your mouth, and don’t bite me,” the girl’s voice teased, her breath brushing against Yan Qinglan’s face.

In the next moment, that warm breath made its way to her lips, then slipped inside.

Warmth pressed against her cool lips, pushing further in, colliding with the soft tip of her tongue.

As if finding it amusing, the intrusion began to tease and entangle, relentless in its playfulness.

Yan Qinglan found it hard to breathe, the air in her mouth forcibly taken away.

Furious and flustered, Yan Qinglan’s face grew unbearably warm.

How improper!

If yesterday’s reaction had been more about shock—thinking the other had overstepped, filled with blatant hatred—then today’s was primarily embarrassment and frustration.

Just for mentioning wanting Phoenix Pastries, she was treated like this. What would happen if she asked for something else in the future?

Letting out a dissatisfied hum, Yan Qinglan attempted to bite down, but her chin was still held in place, and a hand on her back pressed gently, stroking lightly.

That warm hand against her spine made her arch slightly, her neck forced to tilt back. The position left her lips parted, unable to close or retaliate, giving the other even more control.

This little rascal!

Yesterday had felt like an aggressive bite—how had it turned into this today?

Even though shame and anger churned within her, after just a few breaths, Yan Qinglan caught the scent of Wen Zhuojin.

It was similar to what she’d noticed before when Wen Zhuojin got close but more intense now.

Fresh and sweet, like summer fruit.

That scent, amidst Yan Qinglan’s haze of recent torment and confusion, felt refreshing and oddly grounding. It was pleasing and almost irresistibly alluring.

This girl surely carried some unique fragrance.

If she wasn’t sent by that person, then perhaps she carried it unintentionally.

Yan Qinglan barely had time to consider further before being pulled back into her frustration. She let out a muffled groan, raising a hand to push Wen Zhuojin away. Wen Zhuojin, noticing the injury on her hand, quickly grabbed her wrist, holding it gently yet firmly. Feeling Yan Qinglan’s resistance, she reluctantly pulled away from her lips.

Wen Zhuojin’s breathing was ragged, utterly disordered, and she couldn’t even speak. She lowered her head, resting against Yan Qinglan’s neck, exhaling shakily.

Beside her ear, she could hear Yan Qinglan’s breathing—just as uneven.

Wen Zhuojin realized she was becoming addicted to playing the villain.

Her wicked thoughts bubbled up, uncontrollable and unstoppable.

The taste she hadn’t fully savored yesterday was finally hers today.

The lingering anger from yesterday had dissipated significantly, and even the fatigue from a restless night seemed to fade.

She wanted more, and… more…

Sigh, she really was this despicable and shameless.

“Sister, you were so obedient just now… I’ll go to Qingji to get you some Phoenix Pastries now,” Wen Zhuojin whispered, her voice soft in Yan Qinglan’s ear after a few calming breaths.

“You… Are you really the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jing’an’s household?”

As Wen Zhuojin’s words fell, she heard Yan Qinglan’s voice, trembling slightly with anger.

Lifting her head to look at Yan Qinglan, Wen Zhuojin saw her tear-laden lashes, her flushed cheeks, and lips full and moist. Her expression was angry, yet tinged with an unmistakable allure.

“Elder sister, I am, of course. When your eyes are better, I’ll show you my identity token,” Wen Zhuojin murmured, the corners of her lips curving up.

She didn’t bite her this time, and now she was willing to speak—that was progress!

“The legitimate daughter of the Marquis’s household going to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to find women?” Yan Qinglan retorted, her clear, watery eyes giving Wen Zhuojin a disdainful glance.

“That’s all because of the Eldest Princess! My uncle was falsely accused, and our family’s property was confiscated. I had to find a way to gather silver to save him. The fragrances I made before were only purchased for a few taels of silver by official stores, so I went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to sell them. I’m not some reckless person—Elder sister is the first woman I’ve ever taken a liking to,” Wen Zhuojin explained patiently, her cheeks tinged red as she uttered the final sentence.

Yan Qinglan froze for a moment. If things were as she said, it was plausible.

“Sweet-talking. Anyone who steps into Xiaoxiang Pavilion is no gentleman,” Yan Qinglan replied, her tone dripping with disdain.

She hoped her words would discourage Wen Zhuojin from going there again—better safe than sorry.

Wen Zhuojin, whose face had still been a little warm, was now infuriated, her chest tightening with anger.

She didn’t believe her at all!

Wen Zhuojin’s breathing grew heavier as she stared at Yan Qinglan’s still-flushed lips. She leaned closer again.

Fine. She really wasn’t much of a gentleman after all.