Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 33

“Ah Zuo, you said you would try the medicine, so why are you doing this? Are you not going to keep your word?” Yan Qinglan softly said, feeling the breath close to her cheek.

Her voice didn’t intentionally raise in intensity; even when she was reproaching, it lacked force, sounding soft and gentle.

“Sister, yesterday was still part of the trial. The fragrance I used on myself was a mix, so it may have turned into a different scent when it reached me, which is effective. But on its own, it doesn’t work. As for testing other medicines, I’ve been doing it all along. I need to adjust the formula properly before giving it to you, so you’ll suffer less.” Wen Zhuojin spoke, looking at Yan Qinglan’s lips, licking her own, yet still not kissing her. Instead, she softened her voice, almost acting coquettishly.

Yan Qinglan, hearing Wen Zhuojin speak, sneered inwardly. This little brat has a lot of nonsense to say.

“Are you trying to fool me about fragrances?” Yan Qinglan said, retreating slightly to avoid the breath that carried Wen Zhuojin’s unique scent.

Wen Zhuojin’s scent had always been an attraction for her, from the beginning until now.

After yesterday’s experience, Yan Qinglan hadn’t spoken of it, but she had already understood in her heart that kissing Wen Zhuojin did indeed have an effect.

“How could I deceive you, Sister? There are rumors in the Da Shi Kingdom about people using fragrances to make a compound. They use body scents and edible fragrance pills, and the whole person exudes a fragrance. Perhaps because I’ve used fragrance for so long, I may have a similar effect. Sister, just treat me like a large fragrance product. If you don’t feel comfortable, just smell it or bite it, and you’ll feel better—it’s effective.” Wen Zhuojin continued, citing what she knew about fragrance legends to cover her tracks, speaking confidently, though her expression was faint.

She knew deep down it was just to get Yan Qinglan to approach her first.

Ah, as shameless as she is.

Yan Qinglan’s face flushed again.

If that’s true, then the fragrance detoxing medicine is too strange.

I wonder if others experience the same or if it’s specially tailored for me?

Seeing the flush on Yan Qinglan’s pale face, Wen Zhuojin felt a tickle in her heart.

She really wanted to tease her again like yesterday, but right now, Yan Qinglan wasn’t indulging her, still trying to avoid her. She couldn’t coax her this time.

“Sister, I also tested the formula again yesterday. I feel it’s good for the eyes. After using it yesterday, my eyes, which were sore and blurry, felt much better. Today, I’ll prepare a gentle fragrance for you to try.” Wen Zhuojin continued, having bought better ingredients on her way to make a more effective fragrance formula than the one yesterday.

“You’ve worked hard, Ah Zuo,” Yan Qinglan said, pausing as she thought of how Wen Zhuojin had risked blindness to test the medicine. Her heart softened once more.

“It has been tough. Sister, my eyes have been uncomfortable these past few days. Yesterday, I couldn’t see clearly and even fell down, scraping my knee… Also, the back of my head is still hurting, it’s been painful all day today…” Seeing Yan Qinglan’s tone soften a bit, Wen Zhuojin took the opportunity to get closer and spoke in a gentle voice.

Yan Qinglan’s breath caught, unsure of how to respond.

This little brat’s voice was full of coquettishness, laced with a sense of grievance.

She really was injured.

“You telling me doesn’t help; I don’t have any medicine,” Yan Qinglan said stiffly.

“Sister, if you blow on it, it’ll be really helpful,” Wen Zhuojin replied, seeing Yan Qinglan respond. She spoke in an enticing tone, unable to get her to kiss her, but maybe blowing on it would work.

“…” Yan Qinglan was speechless. Blow on it to make it stop hurting? How old are you, a little child?

“Sister, just a little blow, are you not willing?” The sound of Wen Zhuojin’s voice, full of grievance, reached her ears. Yan Qinglan felt a bit annoyed, and she blew a breath in Wen Zhuojin’s direction.

Wen Zhuojin paused, her eyes curving in delight.

Ah, her beautiful sister was too soft—just asking a little was enough.

“Also here… blow again,” Wen Zhuojin continued.

“I’m out of strength. I’m hungry,” Yan Qinglan said, retreating back against the cushion. Was this never-ending?

“Alright, we’ll eat now,” Wen Zhuojin agreed, not pushing any further. She quickly went to arrange dinner, her mood delightfully lifted.

Yan Qinglan’s wounds had scabbed over, and she could technically eat on her own now, but Wen Zhuojin still insisted on feeding her.

After dinner, Wen Zhuojin fed Yan Qinglan some medicine, then checked her injuries, changing the bandages where needed.

The wounds on her arms and hands had already scabbed over, no longer needing bandages, though her ankle still wasn’t fully healed. However, the flesh was beginning to grow back, and it didn’t look as terrifying as before.

Every time the bandages were changed, Yan Qinglan would feel intense pain, her tears flowing uncontrollably.

After changing the bandages, Wen Zhuojin held Yan Qinglan gently, comforting her while feeding her some honeyed fruit.

There was no “flirtation” in her voice, just a soft, caring tone as she comforted her.

With the sweetness in her mouth, the pleasant fragrance in the air, and the soothing sound in her ears, for a moment, it felt as if all of Yan Qinglan’s worries during the day melted away.

“I want to eat phoenix crisp again,” Yan Qinglan whispered to Wen Zhuojin.

Yan Qinglan still remembered she had to ask Qing Chenning to come again.

“Okay, I’ll go buy it for you tomorrow,” Wen Zhuojin replied.

The 99-tael phoenix crisps didn’t seem expensive to Yan Qinglan, since they made her happy.

If Yan Qinglan wanted to eat them, Wen Zhuojin would buy them.

Once Yan Qinglan felt a bit better, Wen Zhuojin went to prepare the medicinal incense to let Yan Qinglan try it.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t dare to make much, just a little, to see if Yan Qinglan would have any adverse reaction. If she felt uncomfortable, the formula would be adjusted again; if she could tolerate it and feel better, Wen Zhuojin would refine the formula further.

This time, the medicinal incense wasn’t as uncomfortable for Yan Qinglan as last time because it was specifically for her eyes. She could feel that when the incense entered her eyes, it was slightly cool, which was quite soothing.

After asking Yan Qinglan how she felt, Wen Zhuojin was happy and went to re-adjust the formula to let Yan Qinglan try it again.

Yan Qinglan couldn’t see, but she could sense how seriously Wen Zhuojin was adjusting the formula. She felt a bit of happiness from Wen Zhuojin’s small success in making her feel slightly better.

By the third adjustment, when Yan Qinglan felt some stinging in her eyes, Wen Zhuojin didn’t make the formula stronger.

She lit a piece of incense, which was considered one treatment.

“This time, the effect isn’t very obvious. Use it every day for the next few days and see how it goes. I’ll continue testing the medicine,” Wen Zhuojin said to Yan Qinglan.

Listening to her, Yan Qinglan’s inner scales tipped once again. The little brat’s actions were more beneficial than her faults—she should reward her.

After the incense burned, Wen Zhuojin helped Yan Qinglan wash up.

Her ankle was injured, so she couldn’t take a bath and could only be wiped down.

Wen Zhuojin still had to wear a black veil and didn’t dare to look.

After Yan Qinglan was cleaned and covered with a soft blanket, she noticed Wen Zhuojin had left.

The scent of Wen Zhuojin gradually faded away, and Yan Qinglan felt a little disappointed.

Then, she quickly realized… was she expecting the little brat to hug her and sleep like yesterday?

She was a living person, not some kind of incense.

Yan Qinglan closed her eyes and fell asleep.

There was still some discomfort in her body, with pain occasionally coming through, but it was much better than before.

Yan Qinglan had been lying down all day and hadn’t fallen asleep yet. After a while, she felt someone come near her.

“Sister, I’m done with washing. Can I sleep with you? You can think of it as having a large medicinal pillow beside you at night. Maybe it will help you kick your addiction sooner,” Wen Zhuojin’s voice came, soft and whispered, with not only her usual scent but also a faint soap-like smell and floral fragrance, likely from the ointment.

“Sister, since you’re not replying, I’ll take that as a yes…” Yan Qinglan didn’t answer, and then she felt the blanket being lifted as someone lay down beside her.

“Sister, I won’t do anything. Right now, I’m just a medicinal pillow.”

The whisper came again.

Yan Qinglan’s mouth twitched. She had already snuggled under the covers, and she still claimed she wouldn’t do anything?

She finally understood what it meant to take advantage of an opportunity, to push forward when given an inch.

Yan Qinglan listened to Wen Zhuojin’s breathing, wondering when she would be unable to resist, or when she would start coaxing her. Before long, the breathing became steady, and the person beside her remained still.

Yan Qinglan couldn’t see, but she guessed that Wen Zhuojin had fallen asleep.

She didn’t know when exactly Wen Zhuojin left in the morning, but after a busy day, she hadn’t had a moment to rest at night.

She must have been exhausted.

With Wen Zhuojin lying beside her, Yan Qinglan felt that her discomfort had eased a bit, and soon she fell asleep as well.

Once asleep, without any restraint, her body instinctively moved toward the warmth and pleasant scent.

In her dream, Wen Zhuojin felt something move closer and instinctively reached out to embrace it.

At dawn, Wen Zhuojin was woken up by a light call from a maid outside.

Seeing the soft and fragrant figure curled up in her arms, Wen Zhuojin smiled, her lips curling.

She hugged the figure and sniffed it, reluctantly getting up.

Jin Rui had already prepared everything and came to assist when she saw Wen Zhuojin coming out.

“Miss, you mentioned making some clothes. Has the fabric for the lady’s clothing been selected according to what you wanted?” Jin Rui asked as she helped Wen Zhuojin get dressed.

“I’ll use the same fabric as before for my clothes. As for the lady’s clothing, change her nightgown and undergarments to light brocade, and use Shu brocade for the outer garments. Ask the embroiderers from Yunyi Workshop to come, and we’ll set a fitting date for them to bring the best samples for me to choose from,” Wen Zhuojin replied after a pause.

Jin Rui inhaled sharply.

“Miss, are you joking? The light brocade costs a hundred taels of silver per bolt, and Shu brocade costs fifty taels per bolt. The fabric you usually use costs no more than ten taels per bolt,” Jin Rui said.

“Jin Rui, I’m not joking. You just need to know—treat that lady better than you treat me,” Wen Zhuojin turned and looked at Jin Rui as she spoke.

Jin Rui usually didn’t argue with Wen Zhuojin’s orders, so upon hearing this, she quickly lowered her head in acknowledgment.

In the past few days, Yan Qinglan had been wearing Wen Zhuojin’s clothes, most of which were nightwear—loose and ill-fitting. She didn’t even have a proper set of clothes.

Wen Zhuojin wanted to make clothes for Yan Qinglan, and once she had the silver, she aimed to make the best.

The beautiful sister deserved only the finest, after all.

After Wen Zhuojin finished washing up and dressing, she checked on Yan Qinglan in the inner room before leaving.

The workers at the incense shop were already busy.

Yesterday, Jin Rui had purchased simple fabric from a ready-made clothing shop for the new recruits from the Imperial Music Bureau. She had them all dressed in matching outfits, which helped keep them warm and looking more spirited. The ones with injuries had even seen a doctor.

Perhaps they had suffered in the Imperial Music Bureau, enduring hardships and hardships. After arriving at Wen Zhuojin’s place, they were especially diligent.

Wen Zhuojin could no longer tell that any of them had once been young ladies from noble families.

Of course, Wen Zhuojin didn’t intend to rescue them as young ladies and raise them up.

It was naturally a good thing that they were more hardworking.

Min Xiwun truly lived up to her reputation as a talented woman. When Wen Zhuojin asked her, she had already come up with names for more than ten incense products, along with little poems.

Names like “Bo Ya’s Broken Strings,” “Spring News in the Snow,” and “The Mountains and Forests Closing In,” all of which carried a certain depth, making the products sound much more refined.

Wen Zhuojin was quite pleased with the results.

When they went to the bookstore, Wen Zhuojin brought Min Xiwun along to involve her in the work there.

The bookstore actually belonged to Min Xiwun’s family, and the shopkeeper still remembered her. Seeing her there, the workers put in even more effort.

The bookstore couldn’t open just yet; the preparations weren’t something that could be done in a short time.

Wen Zhuojin spent a while checking and overseeing everything, and time passed quickly. As the day grew late, she hurried to the Qing Ji Pastry Shop to buy phoenix crisps.

This time, the phoenix crisps were already made, so Wen Zhuojin took them and, on the way back, stopped at other stores to buy some tonics.

Bird’s nest, silver fungus, deer antler, ejiao, and so on. The beautiful sister’s health needed to be restored, and it had to be with the best tonics.

In addition to taking medicine, she would need supplements like ejiao bl00d tonic paste and ginseng and deer antler pills to help her body recover.

But Wen Zhuojin didn’t really know how to prepare the tonics, so she took the ingredients and went to Zheng Qianqin for help, asking her to assist in making them.

“You’ve just earned so much silver, and you’re buying all this stuff? Truly a spendthrift, don’t you save some for yourself?” Zheng Qianqin exclaimed as she looked at the items.

“Aunt Zheng, when you earn silver, you should spend it. My sister’s health isn’t good, and it’s better to take care of it sooner,” Wen Zhuojin said.

“…You’re so affectionate, even your sister wouldn’t be treated this way,” Zheng Qianqin shook her head.

When there was no silver, she would scrape it together for nurturing; now that there was silver, she couldn’t control herself.

She always thought Wen Zhuojin was good, but she hadn’t expected her to be this good.

“To be this kind to her, who knows how she’ll treat you in return? Well, I’m not concerned about that. These tonics are a hassle to make, I won’t prepare them for free. You’ll need to pay me properly, or I’ll cut from your ingredients!” Zheng Qianqin added.

“Alright, I’ll make sure to pay you properly,” Wen Zhuojin hesitated for a moment and then smiled at Zheng Qianqin.

After leaving Zheng Qianqin’s place, Wen Zhuojin quickly headed back to Wujiao Alley.

As she neared the house, Wen Zhuojin paused, sensing a familiar fragrance of ointment in the air.

Following the scent, she walked a few steps, turned a corner, and saw a tall, thin figure.

Wen Zhuojin frowned.

Wasn’t that Qing Chenning?

How did she run into this person again?

As Wen Zhuojin scrutinized the person, Qing Chenning was holding a folding fan, walking slowly in deliberate steps, his eyes straight ahead, not glancing around.

A coincidence, or not?

Wen Zhuojin watched him walk away and decided not to dwell on it.

She continued on her way and returned to Wujiao Alley.

That day, Yan Qinglan didn’t show any signs of her addiction, and she seemed to have regained some of her vitality. However, her brows were furrowed, and she appeared a bit upset.

When Wen Zhuojin entered and saw Yan Qinglan, she thought she was still feeling unwell. She opened the oil paper package she had brought and tried to feed her a new candy she had bought.

“Sister, try this, have you had it before?” Wen Zhuojin said, but she noticed the candy wouldn’t reach Yan Qinglan’s lips.

Yan Qinglan didn’t open her mouth and even turned her face away.

Usually, when she fed her, Yan Qinglan would obediently open her mouth and eat, trusting her completely.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to eat it? Or are you feeling unwell?” Wen Zhuojin asked with concern.

“No.” Yan Qinglan answered with two words, clearly unwilling to elaborate further.

“Then let’s eat first.” Wen Zhuojin followed along with Yan Qinglan’s cue.

“I’ll do it myself.” During the meal, Yan Qinglan didn’t let Wen Zhuojin feed her and insisted on eating by herself.

“……” Wen Zhuojin felt that something wasn’t quite right.

What’s going on?!