My Female General Is A Villain (GL) - Chapter 19

“Ninth Princess, you’ve lost again.”

He Jiaojiao adopted the mannerisms of an old master, shaking her head as she blew on her hot cup of tea. She took a few sips, which felt wonderfully warm.

She looked into the distance. A “young master” in a blue robe was crouching on the balcony, feeding the birds. His lips moved as if he were talking to them, and the scene looked incredibly harmonious.

Yuwen Jinhuan was fuming. “It doesn’t count! Let’s start over!” She hurriedly gathered the pieces on the board, quickly sorting them into the two wooden bowls.

Jiaojiao panicked. She didn’t even put down her tea cup. She grabbed Jinhuan’s wrist with her free hand, shocked. “This is the twentieth game! Aren’t you tired?!”

“Only twenty? We have a long way to go. I won’t stop until I beat you,” Yuwen Jinhuan said resolutely, her determination as overwhelming as a rushing river.

Jinhuan seemed determined to make her stay. “You can’t go easy on me like you did before. Don’t think you can fool me. I want to win fair and square.”

Jiaojiao was defeated.

With that kind of willpower, you could succeed at anything.

Yuwen Jue, hearing Jinhuan’s grand ambition from a distance, walked over to persuade her. “That’s enough, Huan’er. Second Miss is still injured and needs to rest.”

“Alright then, we’ll continue tomorrow. You can’t escape me anyway.” Yuwen Jinhuan’s high ponytail swished as she turned, looking absolutely certain she would win.

As soon as she said that, Yuwen Jinhuan suddenly leaned in close to Jiaojiao, placing her hands on the table. “I have a brilliant idea that’s perfect for both of us.”

“What…?” Jiaojiao leaned back.

“How about you become my master? You teach me how to play Go, and I won’t pester you every day. You’ll have an easier time. Isn’t my idea perfect?”

Jiaojiao chuckled, pursing her lips as she put a slice of orange in her mouth. “Not really.”

If she agreed, Jinhuan would only become more attached to her.

Jiaojiao couldn’t bear to imagine the scene.

“Don’t you hate me? I’m a cruel person. What if I get angry and decide to take out my anger on your sister? Don’t you worry about that?”

“Second Miss, you…” Yuwen Jue was immediately displeased.

Oh, so he was worried.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Yuwen Jinhuan’s foot stomped on the stone bench. “If you do, I will go to the general’s estate and kill you, even if we made a promise.”

Then she continued. “Besides, I don’t think you’re as annoying as you used to be. After getting to know you these past few days, you’re not that unlikeable. You’re… tolerable.”

She was right, of course. With Yuwen Jinhuan’s personality, she wouldn’t have cared about her life, not for a letter from her sister, not even if a knife were at her throat.

Who knew that someone so dedicated to her word would be as protective as Yuwen Jue?

“Well, what do you say? Will you take me as your disciple? Usually, people beg me to take them on, and I don’t even give them a second glance.”

Seeing He Jiaojiao unresponsive, she kindly reminded her. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

He Jiaojiao, of course, didn’t agree. Being a master was too exhausting. Living was already hard enough. She didn’t have the ability, nor did she want to take on such a burden.

She didn’t turn around, adopting the tone of a wise sage. “What’s meant to be will be; what’s not will never be. If you want to achieve mastery, you must study on your own. Otherwise, what you learn won’t truly be yours. Only by understanding can you truly integrate the knowledge.”

The girl’s back cast a long shadow in the warm light, giving her a mysterious, ethereal aura.

Jinhuan turned to Yuwen Jue, then looked down at the unfinished game of Go on the table, confused. “Brother, what does she mean by that? She’s not even that old, but she acts like she’s a wise old woman.”

******

After dinner, Jiaojiao lifted her skirt and rolled up her pants. Her skin was as white as an old lotus root, and a few small, noticeable cuts were visible. She cleaned a cloth and began carefully wiping the wounds.

Even after a few days, the wounds hadn’t healed that quickly. When she touched them, the pain made her gasp.

She gripped the wooden chair with all her strength.

Just then, the door opened. A ‘young master’ in a blue robe and jade crown walked in. He didn’t blink when he saw her bare, slender, and pale legs. He simply stood there, staring at the wounds.

For some reason, Jiaojiao felt her body temperature rising. Her face was flushed and felt like it would burst.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she quickly pulled her skirt down to cover her legs.

“Don’t… look,” Jiaojiao said, her face burning with embarrassment.

Even though she knew that they were both girls, she still felt awkward.

“Turn around.”

“Okay.”

Pei Ji obediently turned around, waiting for Jiaojiao to finish.

She didn’t understand why He Jiaojiao was reacting this way.

She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she hadn’t seen anything she shouldn’t have.

Besides, she was a woman, too, so there was nothing to be shy about.

Perhaps He Jiaojiao was thinking about the difference between men and women.

“Hiss…”

Jiaojiao had never used this kind of crushed herb before. It was icy cold and stung her wounds. The pain was ten times worse than before.

She had always been sensitive to pain. Even a small cut would make her cry.

Her pain tolerance had reached its limit.

Pei Ji couldn’t stand the sound. She turned around, knelt in front of her, and ignored Jiaojiao’s astonished expression. She gently placed the herbs on the wounds. Her movements were quick but light.

Then she wrapped them in a cloth to prevent infection.

Jiaojiao watched her from top to bottom. Her high-bridged nose was perfectly complemented by her faint, sword-like brows. If she had been born into a normal family, she would have grown into an elegant and graceful woman.

I have the next passage. I will continue the translation in a natural, humanized English, making sure the character’s voices and the narrative flow are captured effectively.

A sudden surge of pity rose in her heart.

The pain once again crashed over her brain. Her entire body tensed, and she instinctively grabbed Pei Ji’s wrist, squeezing so hard she almost shattered it.

“What are you doing? I told you not to look!” Jiaojiao said, realizing something was wrong. She quickly pulled her hand back and hurriedly covered herself.

Pei Ji showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, the red mark on her wrist seemed to bring her a sense of pleasure, as if she hadn’t felt such a rush in a long time. She wished the grip had been even tighter.

She returned to her calm state. “There was nothing to see. I just saw that you couldn’t be cruel enough to do it yourself, so I came to help you.”

Jiaojiao could never read the emotions in Pei Ji’s eyes, nor could she guess her thoughts. It was as if Pei Ji hated her, yet could still speak to her so calmly.

No wonder she was the one destined for great things.

Jiaojiao suddenly said, “Come for a walk with me.”

Although her wounds weren’t fully healed, she just wanted to have a drink. It had been a long, long time since she had tasted alcohol, and on a cold winter’s day, a few sips would warm her right up.

She had won two jars of wine from Yuwen Jinhuan during their Go match. She excitedly pulled them out and gave one to Pei Ji.

There was a swing chair in Jinhuan’s courtyard, though it wasn’t as pretty as the one she had painstakingly decorated.

She sat on it, then waved to Pei Ji, patting the spot next to her.

“Your wounds aren’t healed yet,” Pei Ji said, her first words after sitting down.

Jiaojiao smiled. “Are you worried about me?”

“No,” Pei Ji retorted, then fell silent.

“Oh, come on, a little drink never hurt anyone. We’re just wasting time here every day, don’t be such a party pooper.” Jiaojiao opened the jar and took a sip. The spicy taste burned her throat, and she let out a satisfied “ahhh,” as if she had been waiting for this.

Pei Ji watched her, completely devoid of the reserved demeanor of a high-born lady. The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. Where was the old He Jiaojiao who always paid attention to her image in front of others? The one in front of her now was so carefree and different.

Jiaojiao caught this moment and let out a small burp. “Pei Ji,” she called, her voice soft and sweet.

“Hmm?”

“You look so good when you smile.”

Jiaojiao had never noticed before. The always-cold Pei Ji could actually smile. And it was so natural, like the warm sun in winter or a floating cloud on a scorching day. It made her want to possess that feeling forever.

“Can you smile like this more often?”

“Just like this.”

Jiaojiao used one hand to draw a curve on her lips, demonstrating for her.

“Being cold all the time must be so boring.”

She tilted her head back, her cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. Her pink lips parted, and her white teeth flashed in the moonlight.

Pei Ji’s eyes widened. She quickly pulled her lips back. “It’s ugly.”

“What?”

“I said your smile is ugly. Don’t do it.”

“…”

Jiaojiao tilted her head, glaring at her, and took another big gulp of wine.

This conversation was impossible.

She was the original Conversation Killer.

The snow had lessened, and there was only a thin layer on the ground. The weather had warmed up, and in a few days, it would be early spring.

She was a little reluctant to leave this snowy scene. After all, beautiful things always made people linger.

“Do you like snow?” Jiaojiao asked, as if to herself. “I don’t like winter, but I love the snow, especially when it falls heavily. I was born on a snowy day. If I die one day, I hope to become one with the white snow. That would make me so happy.”

The smile on the girl’s face was as radiant as the stars, pure and clean, putting her at ease.

Pei Ji quietly watched her, her lips pressed into a thin line. She had never liked winter. Her mother had died in a blizzard, and from then on, she had been all alone, with no one to rely on and no one to love her.

Her stepmother abused her, her brother hated her, her sister humiliated her, and her father ignored her.

If it weren’t for Auntie Qiuyue, she would already be a ghost.

“If I die one day, I hope it will be in the spring,” Pei Ji said calmly.

“Spring is the beginning of hope and the rebirth of life.”

The atmosphere became incredibly quiet. Even the howling wind and snow stopped. All that was left was their steady breathing and the sound of the swing chair swaying back and forth.

The slender girl beside her looked a little lonely, her eyes fixed on the night sky.

The winter sky was especially beautiful, dotted with stars like a vast, boundless painting. It was so dazzling it made people yearn for it.

Jiaojiao was starting to feel a bit drunk, but she didn’t realize it. She held up her wine jar and clinked it against Pei Ji’s with a clear, resonant sound.

“Cheers. To our death.”

Pei Ji looked at her blankly, then after a moment of stunned silence, she said slowly, “To death.”

Followed by a sigh, her voice was so soft that only she could hear it.