Offered As A Lucky Bride To The Mad Princess To Ward Off Misfortune - Chapter 49

49: Everything Is Just Xiao Qiling Pretending to Scare Her

A faint breath brushed against the nape of her neck, mingling with the cool dampness of the night’s dew, as warm air subtly seeped through the fabric of her clothes.

The sweet chestnut cakes in Yu Nanqing’s hands clattered to the ground, some even sticking messily onto Xiao Qiling’s boots. In the past, if Yu Nanqing had dirtied the esteemed Prince Ning’s boots, she would have playfully crouched down to wipe them clean.

But at this moment, Yu Nanqing only stared blankly as the cakes rolled away. She hadn’t expected Xiao Qiling to be so bold, daring to utter such flirtatious words typically heard in pleasure houses to charm patrons.

Her face flushed even redder than Xiao Qiling’s, who was the one teasing her. “S-s-stop talking! How could you say such things?” she stammered.

Xiao Qiling tilted her head slightly, still leaning close to Yu Nanqing, her unbound hair cascading down and brushing through Yu Nanqing’s fingers, as if unintentionally yet deliberately entwining them.

She lowered her voice, “Didn’t you, Qingqing, ask me to beg?”

The breath tickled Yu Nanqing’s ear, and she couldn’t help but turn her head, pleading, “Fine, I forgive you. I’m not upset with you anymore.”

Xiao Qiling’s lips curved into a smile. The hand not holding the sugar lantern circled Yu Nanqing’s waist, fingers grazing along the fabric, spreading a faint warmth. “Since you’ve forgiven me, shall I serve you tonight as you retire to bed?”

Her lips carried a hint of amusement, her eyes lazily drooping, her words laced with seduction. “The crabapple petals in the courtyard have been carefully cleaned, free of any insects. Bathing with them would surely infuse a delicate fragrance. Don’t you love reading under the crabapple tree, Qingqing?”

Yu Nanqing, defeated once again, fled in a hurry, not even sparing a glance at the sugar lantern. She lifted her skirt and rushed into Qinfang Pavilion, ordering Chenxiang, “Lock the door, and don’t let anyone in!”

Seeing her mistress in such a rush, Chenxiang thought an assassin had infiltrated the residence. She quickly bolted the main gate of Qinfang Pavilion and asked anxiously, “Miss, where’s Miss Yin San? Does Her Highness know about this? Should you hide in your room while I fetch Her Highness for help?”

Yu Nanqing had just pushed open the door to her bedroom and, too flustered to explain, simply said, “Don’t go looking for them, especially not Prince Ning. Don’t let her in, do you hear me?”

“So you’re hiding from Her Highness?” Chenxiang realized belatedly. Prince Ning must have upset her mistress again.

But hadn’t they been perfectly fine when they left together this morning? How could a day out together lead to another rift?

Chenxiang was utterly puzzled. Following Yu Nanqing’s usual habits after an outing, she asked thoughtfully, “Miss, shall I prepare hot water for your bath?”

The room fell silent for a moment before a faint voice replied, “Yes.”

As Chenxiang helped remove Yu Nanqing’s hairpins, watching the servants carry in the wooden tub, Yu Nanqing casually mentioned, “Her Highness seems to have had the crabapple petals cleaned. They’re fresh today and should be perfect for a bath, right?”

Chenxiang removed the final hairpin, letting Yu Nanqing’s dark hair cascade over her shoulders.

“Shall I ask Her Highness for the petals?”

Yu Nanqing gave her a sidelong glance. “Do you think Her Highness would personally pick and clean flowers?”

Would Xiao Qiling’s hands even know how to clean petals?

Chenxiang understood immediately. “Very well, Miss. I’ll go ask the maids at Lanshi Garden.”

That night, Yu Nanqing soaked in a bath scented with crabapple petals as she wished. But when she lay in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Staring at the candle burning low in the room, her mind involuntarily replayed Xiao Qiling’s pleading words.

Good sister, please take pity on me.

Take pity.

Yu Nanqing, well-versed in poetry and novels, felt that Xiao Qiling’s words outshone any romantic tale she’d ever read.

If Xiao Qiling hadn’t been born into the imperial family, she could have made a name for herself as the greatest writer of romantic novels in Great Qi.

How could such an elegant and refined person utter such lascivious and suggestive words?

From now on, no more novels should be allowed near Xiao Qiling, lest she take inspiration and push boundaries further.

Yu Nanqing’s mind was filled with thoughts of Xiao Qiling. As the saying goes, what occupies the mind by day becomes dreams by night, and her sleep was far from peaceful.

In her dream, she found herself inside a giant sky lantern. Before her stood a woman in a light red robe, shrouded in mist, facing away and praying softly to the heavens. Yu Nanqing approached slowly and called out, “Miss?”

The woman didn’t respond, continuing her quiet prayers.

Yu Nanqing called out twice more, drawing closer until she could finally hear the woman’s words: “This humble woman has recently married her beloved, but alas, her days are numbered. Before I die, I only wish to share one last moment of intimacy with my beloved. I beg the heavens to grant this wish.”

Yu Nanqing felt a pang of sadness. No wonder the woman’s figure seemed so frail—she was gravely ill.

How pitiful, how tragic. If Yu Nanqing were a deity, she would surely grant this dying wish.

As this thought arose, the mist in the air began to gather, forming a large character: Granted.

Yu Nanqing marveled at the wonder of this world, but suddenly her body felt weightless. When she opened her eyes again, she stood face-to-face with the woman in red.

The woman’s light veil slipped down as she moved, revealing smooth, delicate skin. The surrounding mist seemed to carry the warmth of her body, dizzying those nearby.

Yu Nanqing tried to retreat, but the woman grabbed her hand, guiding it to the last tie of her robe.

As Yu Nanqing looked up, the woman’s face, previously unclear, became distinct—it was Xiao Qiling, her eyes glistening with tears as she leaned closer. “Good sister,” she whispered, “please take pity…”

Yu Nanqing’s mind went blank, the scene shifting rapidly. Her body felt restrained, overwhelmed by an unending wave of heat.

When her vision cleared, the dream transformed. The mist condensed into a grand red wedding bed, with phoenix candles flickering. Xiao Qiling lay beneath her, her face flushed.

Xiao Qiling bit her lower lip, her eyes hazy. When Yu Nanqing paused, Xiao Qiling looked at her with confusion. “Are we… not continuing?”

Not continuing?

Continuing what?

Xiao Qiling shifted her waist, brushing lightly against her.

Yu Nanqing’s bl00d surged. Pushed to her limit, she bit down on Xiao Qiling. “Didn’t you say you were in perfect health, strong enough to shoot down a sky lantern with a hidden weapon? Yet here you are, terminally ill and still thinking of this?”

Xiao Qiling gasped, “I was wrong, I was wrong, Qingqing, be gentle—”

Yu Nanqing felt a surge of triumph, pressing Xiao Qiling’s shoulders and demanding fiercely, “Will you dare tease me with those words again?”

Xiao Qiling’s teary peach-blossom eyes glistened. “I won’t, I won’t, please spare me, my princess.”

Yu Nanqing leaned down, smugly biting Xiao Qiling’s lips again.

Then, a weight on her shoulder pulled her out of the dream.

When she awoke, she was still on her bed, but the festive red was gone. Xiao Qiling wasn’t beneath her but sat at the head of the bed, leaning back slightly with a relaxed smile, one hand on Yu Nanqing’s shoulder, looking down at her.

The beauty she’d dominated in her dream had transformed into a serpent-like enchantress, her refined features perfectly made up, lazily drawling, “Qingqing, you were calling my name and biting the pillow. Did you dream of something interesting? Care to share?”

Yu Nanqing: …

Waking from a vivid dream to find its subject sitting at her bedside left Yu Nanqing stunned, her heart still racing.

Her voice carried a hint of guilt. “Why are you here?”

Her eyes darted outside. It wasn’t even dawn yet.

Xiao Qiling released her grip on Yu Nanqing’s shoulder, her fingertips brushing Yu Nanqing’s lips as she smiled. “Today is the day you go to the Wei residence to formally become a disciple and offer tea. The teacher has to attend court later, so we need to go early.”

Yu Nanqing thought she’d drooled from biting someone in her dream and hurriedly wiped her lips with her sleeve, only to find it clean.

She’d been teased by Xiao Qiling.

Yu Nanqing slapped Xiao Qiling’s hand away, annoyed. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier about going to the Wei residence?”

Xiao Qiling coolly replied, “I meant to tell you last night, but didn’t you lock me out of the courtyard?”

Yu Nanqing: “So you just got here?”

Xiao Qiling stopped teasing her. “Yes, I just sat down when I heard you whimpering. Did you have a nightmare?”

Yu Nanqing’s eyes slowly shifted, the caution in them fading, replaced by boundless joy.

So Xiao Qiling hadn’t realized she’d had a risqué dream, let alone that Xiao Qiling was its star?

Why should she feel guilty, then?

Emboldened, Yu Nanqing even gave Xiao Qiling a meaningful look.

The usually composed Prince Ning, so soft and delicate in bed in her dream—everything before was clearly just Xiao Qiling pretending to intimidate her.

She’d almost been fooled!

“What are you thinking about?” Xiao Qiling noticed Yu Nanqing’s shifting expressions, even catching her staring with a silly grin. Unable to stand it, she pinched Yu Nanqing’s chin. “Was it the dream?”

Under such scrutiny, Yu Nanqing instinctively wanted to dodge but mustered her courage. She grabbed Xiao Qiling’s face with both hands. “What’s it to you what I’m thinking? Aren’t we going to the Wei residence? You’re still dressed as a woman—hurry and change!”

Xiao Qiling frowned, glancing coolly at Yu Nanqing’s hands.

Yu Nanqing forced herself to ignore the displeasure in Xiao Qiling’s eyes, meeting her gaze confidently. “What? You can pinch me, but I can’t pinch you?”

Of course she could.

But did Yu Nanqing realize how provocative such an intimate gesture was?

Xiao Qiling studied her for a moment before smiling slowly. “You can, of course you can.”

Seeing Xiao Qiling yield so easily, Yu Nanqing grew more convinced that Xiao Qiling was just a paper tiger. Emboldened, she pinched Xiao Qiling’s face twice more before letting go.

She threw off the covers and got out of bed. “It’s getting late. I’ll go change. What colors does Master Wei prefer? Should I dress plainly or more formally?”

Xiao Qiling watched Yu Nanqing’s retreating figure, deep in thought.

Formal attire wouldn’t do.

“Simple, understated colors will suffice. The teacher doesn’t care about such things,” Xiao Qiling said, pausing before adding, “You’ve already met the teacher and several senior disciples at the Xishan hunting grounds. No need to fuss over appearances.”

Yu Nanqing’s briefly eased nerves tightened again. “…There are senior disciples too?”

“Of course, you’ll meet them during the ceremony,” Xiao Qiling said, guessing her concerns and smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry so much. They’re all around your father’s age. They won’t compare talents with you.”

Yu Nanqing relaxed slightly. “I’ll go change.”

With that, she quickly slipped behind the screen and headed to the next room.

Half an hour later, at the Wei residence.

Master Wei sat at the head of the main hall, flanked by several Confucian ministers in crimson robes, each holding ivory tablets, all above the fifth rank.

The eldest among them had white hair at his temples, while the youngest was nearly forty.

Yu Nanqing knelt on a cushion, listening to Master Wei’s instructions. She kowtowed three times, then held a teacup high above her head, respectfully saying, “This student pays respects to the teacher. Please, teacher, accept this tea.”

Master Wei took the cup and drank, completing the ceremony and formally accepting Yu Nanqing as his disciple.

“At my advanced age, I never expected to take on such a promising young disciple. The heavens have been kind to me, granting me this great fortune in life. Especially with a student of your talent and youth, I’m the one who benefits.” Master Wei said with a laugh.

Those around him joined in the laughter.

The eldest senior disciple smiled and said, “Not just you, Teacher. That day at Xishan, Little Junior Sister’s discourse left me envious for quite a while. If not for her status as Princess Ning, I’d have shamelessly tried to take her as my own disciple. Who would’ve thought we’d end up as fellow disciples?”

Master Wei sipped his tea again, brushing away the foam with the lid. “Indeed, your Little Junior Sister is young and may face challenges in court. You all must support her in the future.”

The disciples quickly bowed. “Teacher, you’re too kind. Whether it’s His Highness or Little Junior Sister, we’ll do our utmost to assist.”

After some polite exchanges, the eldest disciple sighed, “Little Junior Sister is the same age as my son. It’ll be quite a sight if she joins us in court one day.”

The others laughed merrily.

Master Wei’s high regard for Yu Nanqing was clear to his direct disciples, even if others might not understand.

A young woman among a group of older men was a startling image, but with the calm, tea-sipping Prince Ning present, a female official in court didn’t seem so unusual.

Wei Yunhan, who had risen early to study and was now yawning, chimed in, “Exactly! The princess was my peer, and now I have to call her… what? Master Uncle? Grandmaster Uncle? Great-Grandmaster Uncle?”

Even Wei Yunhan’s parents’ generation would have to address Yu Nanqing as Master Uncle. The group exchanged glances, their faces showing helpless amusement.

Amid the laughter, Yu Nanqing greeted each senior disciple with composure and grace, even maintaining her poise before Xiao Qiling, earning admiring looks from the ministers.

Later, Master Wei and the ministers left for the palace, while Xiao Qiling lingered. Before boarding the carriage, she asked Yu Nanqing, “Are you really going to the Princess’s residence later?”

Yu Nanqing waved the invitation in her hand. “I missed Princess Rongxi’s return banquet, claiming illness. I can’t keep pretending to be sick, or the moment I send an apology to the Princess’s residence, Princess Rongxi will show up at my door with an imperial physician.”

At this, Yu Nanqing recalled the praying Xiao Qiling from her dream, her eyes flickering. She reached out to adjust Xiao Qiling’s collar. “What about you? Isn’t there a thicker prince’s robe? The morning dew is heavy—you should wear more.”

She wasn’t worried about Xiao Qiling; she just didn’t want Xiao Qiling to end up pitifully begging her like in the dream if she fell ill.

She’d be in a tough spot.

Xiao Qiling let Yu Nanqing fuss with her collar, complying readily. “Alright, starting tomorrow, I’ll add an extra layer.”

Yu Nanqing was barely satisfied.

As she withdrew her hand, Xiao Qiling caught it. “You’re telling me to dress warmly, but your own hands are cold.”

Yu Nanqing retorted, “But I can snuggle under the covers and nap.”

Xiao Qiling said, “Wear more at the Princess’s residence. It gets windy after the banquet.”

Yu Nanqing shook her head. “No, I think this is fine.”

The lotus-viewing banquet would be attended by the capital’s most prominent ladies and daughters. Showing up bundled like a dumpling would be embarrassing.

Xiao Qiling gave her a look, her tone subtle. “Just one more layer.”

Yu Nanqing was adamant. “No way.”

Xiao Qiling stared at her lively, fox-like eyes and suddenly laughed.

Yu Nanqing, feeling seen through, bristled at Xiao Qiling’s composed demeanor. She tugged sharply at Xiao Qiling’s collar. “Stop laughing.”

Xiao Qiling stopped, but her gaze grew even more teasing.

Yu Nanqing had meant to assert herself, but meeting Xiao Qiling’s eyes, she froze, realizing something—her hand had pressed against Xiao Qiling’s chest, tightly bound for the prince’s court attire.

If Xiao Qiling had been in women’s clothing, Yu Nanqing would have been more cautious, but the gold-and-silver-threaded, flat-fronted prince’s robe made it hard to notice.

Xiao Qiling brushed Yu Nanqing’s hand away, casually adjusting her collar and giving her a deep look with a smile. “Alright, I’m off to court. Take Yin San to the Princess’s residence, dressed as a maid to accompany you.”

Yu Nanqing waved dismissively. “Got it.”

But she didn’t expect that before she could even enter the Ning Prince’s residence, her carriage would be stopped by an unexpected visitor.

Chenxiang lifted the curtain and reported, “Miss, it’s the Fourth Miss.”

Yu Nanqing, who hadn’t had contact with the Duke’s residence in a while and was still groggy from waking early and dozing in the carriage, was momentarily confused by “Fourth Miss.” “Which Fourth Miss?”

Before Chenxiang could answer, a voice came from outside the carriage. “Third Sister, it’s me, Yu Nanrou.”

Yu Nanqing thought of the widely discussed engagement between Yu Nanrou and Xiao Qijun, assuming Yu Nanrou had come to flaunt it.

Having no interest in Xiao Qijun’s harem in either of her lives, Yu Nanqing only wanted to return to Qinfang Pavilion for a good nap to prepare for the lotus-viewing banquet at the Princess’s residence.

She instructed Chenxiang, “Tell her to leave. I’m not in the mood to deal with her today. If it’s something important, she can find me at the Princess’s residence later.”

Chenxiang went out to relay the message. Yu Nanrou’s already pale face grew more forlorn, her hand clutching her handkerchief tightly, her eyes reddening.

Back at the Duke’s residence, Yu Nanrou had always targeted Yu Nanqing, so Chenxiang had little patience for her. Expecting Yu Nanrou to throw a haughty tantrum as usual, Chenxiang was startled to see her crying pitifully.

Instantly wary, Chenxiang said, “With so many people watching, the Princess hasn’t bullied you. Don’t act like this to slander us!”

With the Ning Prince’s guards nearby, Chenxiang spoke boldly. “This is the Ning Prince’s residence. If Fourth Miss Yu has something to say, speak plainly and stop this pretense!”

“I-I just want to see Third Sister. Let me see her, please.” Yu Nanrou repeated, pushing past Chenxiang to rush toward the carriage.

Chenxiang was alarmed, and even Yin San, startled, half-drew her sword. But Yu Nanrou stopped at the carriage’s steps, lifted her skirt, and knelt. “Third Sister, I beg you, please see me. I have a request.”

Through the half-open carriage door and thin veil, Yu Nanqing clearly saw Yu Nanrou’s actions. Lifting the curtain, she looked at her with a complex expression. “You…”

With vendors already setting up stalls on the busy street, whatever Yu Nanrou’s intentions, it wasn’t suitable to discuss matters outside the residence.

Besides… Yu Nanrou looked unwell.

Moved by compassion, Yu Nanqing said to Yin San, “Bring her inside the residence.”