The Entire Harem has Transmigrated - Chapter 24

The three women in the closet were all strikingly attractive: one was alluring to the bone, another radiant and poised, and the third gentle and serene. Each possessed a unique beauty, their charms distinct and captivating.

After her initial shock, Jiang Li tugged at the corner of her lips, casting a half-amused, half-mocking glance at Ruan Qingqing. “You’re quite fortunate, aren’t you?”

Ruan Qingqing, infuriated by Jiang Li’s tone and attitude, impulsively shoved her into the closet and slammed the door shut with a bang.

The closet was spacious enough for the four women to stand side-by-side without feeling cramped. Jiang Li, deciding not to make a fuss, simply crossed her arms and stood quietly.

Who would have thought? Jiang Li lowered her gaze, unable to help but think, This young girl may be young, but she certainly knows how to collect her fish.

Just then, Fu Yeqiu entered the room.

Noticing Ruan Qingqing’s flushed, pouty face, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“So what if I’m fortunate?” Ruan Qingqing retorted, glaring toward the closet. Her eyes began to glisten with tears.

Fu Yeqiu followed her gaze and caught the faint tremor of the closet door. Yet she calmly withdrew her gaze, gently pressing the pads of her fingers against the corners of Ruan Qingqing’s eyes. “If you keep crying, you’ll ruin your pretty face,” she murmured.

Ruan Qingqing’s tears, which had been welling up in her eyes, suddenly overflowed the moment Fu Yeqiu spoke.

“Qiuqiu,” Ruan Qingqing sobbed, “do you know? The Imperial Preceptor once said the same thing to me.”

Fu Yeqiu’s fingertips, which had been resting on Ruan Qingqing’s cheek, suddenly pressed down with greater force.

Unaware of the change, Ruan Qingqing continued, “Back then, she was so good to me. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she gave me everything. But I wonder if it’s just human nature to repay kindness with resentment—a handful of rice breeds gratitude, but a basketful breeds hatred… Given the Imperial Preceptor’s kindness, I should have endured even if she beat or scolded me. But now, just because she’s forgotten me and treats me slightly worse, I can’t bear it. Hatred has taken root in my heart…”

Ruan Qingqing tilted her head to look at Fu Yeqiu, her once clear almond eyes now blurred with tears. “Qiuqiu,” she asked, “am I a terrible person?”

Inside the cabinet, pitch-black and impenetrable to light, one would expect nothing to be visible. Yet the moment Ruan Qingqing finished speaking, Jiang Li clearly felt the gazes from both sides of the cabinet fixate on her.

Jiang Li: ?

Why are they all staring at me?

Outside the cabinet, Fu Yeqiu wiped away Ruan Qingqing’s tears. When she couldn’t stop crying, she simply wrapped her arms around Ruan Qingqing’s slender waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Whether it was Jiang Li or someone else in the cabinet, it didn’t matter.

She only wanted to pull her girl close, press her against the wall, and hold her tightly in her arms, kissing her passionately and without restraint.

If the person in the cabinet heard the commotion and came out to watch, all the better.

Ruan Qingqing might try to escape out of shyness, but Fu Yeqiu would grip the back of her neck, refusing to let her pull away even an inch.

She wanted everyone to see her kissing Ruan Qingqing, to prove beyond doubt that Ruan Qingqing belonged to her.

Just imagining the scene made Fu Yeqiu’s bl00d boil. Her eyes were already tinged with red, and her slender fingers had settled on Ruan Qingqing’s jaw.

But before she could lower her head, Ruan Qingqing suddenly brushed her hand away and backed away.

The girl was crying even harder than before, her eyes lifting to ask, “Qiuqiu, do you… do you like me?”

Fu Yeqiu desperately wanted to tell her yes, that she liked her very much, liked her madly, wanted to hold her fiercely, wanted to possess her completely. But the tears streaming down Ruan Qingqing’s pale cheeks, so stark against her skin, shattered her fantasies and impulses.

Biting the tip of her tongue, Fu Yeqiu used the pain to regain her composure. She calmly countered, “Why would Qingqing say that?”

“I don’t know either,” Ruan Qingqing said, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed, but her voice was earnest. “I just wanted to say… if it’s possible, could you not like me that way? Because if you see me as just a friend, a sister, I’ll never let you down or make you sad. But if you have those feelings for me, I’m destined to disappoint you. The only outcome will be owing you and letting you down…”

A storm brewed in Fu Yeqiu’s eyes. She clenched her jaw, suppressing the words that threatened to spill.

I can’t say it. Not yet.

I’ll scare her away. I can’t say it yet.

But the story hasn’t even begun. There’s so much time ahead. Why does she think the only outcome will be owing me and letting me down?

Fu Yeqiu stepped closer to Ruan Qingqing, one step at a time.

Ruan Qingqing instinctively retreated until her back pressed against the wardrobe filled with people.

“Qiuqiu…”

Ruan Qingqing bit her lip, wondering if the Empress was about to pull a sudden face-changing act like the Virtuous Consort.

The sudden wave of pressure emanating from the woman overwhelmed Ruan Qingqing, leaving her flustered and helpless.

But then, in an instant, the overwhelming aura vanished. Fu Yeqiu flicked Ruan Qingqing’s forehead with a smile. “Silly girl,” she teased, “what are you thinking? Who told you I like women?”

“Huh?” Ruan Qingqing blinked in surprise.

Fu Yeqiu ruffled her hair, turning her long, soft locks into a tangled mess. Her tone was light as she said, “While I do have many women chasing after me, my sexual orientation isn’t women at all. I’m kind to you and let you rely on me because you’re so well-behaved and adorable—you remind me of a little sister.”

Ruan Qingqing was immediately distracted. “You have a sister in this life too?”

“No,” Fu Yeqiu replied, her lips curving into a flawless smile. “But ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted a sister. Unfortunately, my parents never gave me the chance to fulfill that wish, so I could only dream about it.”

Ruan Qingqing visibly relaxed, then reached out to take Fu Yeqiu’s hand and gave it a gentle shake. “If you don’t mind,” she said, “I could be your little sister.”

Fu Yeqiu’s eyebrows arched in unison. She leaned down and pinched Ruan Qingqing’s cheeks with one hand, making her lips pout. A low, husky laugh escaped her throat. “I was thinking the same thing.”

After pinching her cheeks, Fu Yeqiu released her and led Ruan Qingqing to the mirror, pointing at her eyes. “Look at how much you’ve been crying.”

Ruan Qingqing had stopped crying, but her ears and cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.

She covered her face and said, “I’m so sorry. I was being petty and suspicious, even imagining you liked me. I… I’m just really sorry…”

“What kind of older sister would be angry with her younger sister?” Fu Yeqiu stood behind her, gently kneading her soft cheeks, concealing her true thoughts behind a casual tone. “You agree, right?”

Now that everything was out in the open, Ruan Qingqing no longer resisted Fu Yeqiu’s affectionate gestures. She continued, “I’m glad you’re not angry. I was being ridiculous earlier.”

It was all Li Qianxuan and Ye Shiyu’s fault for giving her the wrong impression and making her overly confident. I knew it, she thought. I’m not some treasure or pile of money—how could everyone possibly like me?

“Stop overthinking,” Fu Yeqiu said, patting her head with a soft laugh. “Weren’t you yawning from sleepiness earlier? Go get some rest.”

“Okay.” Ruan Qingqing planned to wash her face and go to bed. After taking only a few steps, she remembered to ask, “Oh, right, Qiuqiu, why did you come back too?”

After Ruan Qingqing entered the hotel, she had glimpsed a figure following her, fleetingly resembling Jiang Li.

She couldn’t shake her unease.

Fu Yeqiu glanced sideways at the seemingly calm wardrobe and said casually, “I came back to change.”

“Oh.”

Ruan Qingqing thought of the people hiding inside the wardrobe.

But what did it matter? It wasn’t her hiding in there, so she felt no guilt whatsoever.

Ruan Qingqing even said, “Then go ahead and change, Qiuqiu. I’m going to wash up and go to bed.”

But Fu Yeqiu stopped her.

“Still calling me Qiuqiu?” Fu Yeqiu stood her ground, arms crossed casually, and made her intentions clear. “Weren’t you just saying you wanted to be my little sister?”

“Then… Sister?” Ruan Qingqing ventured tentatively.

Fu Yeqiu rubbed her ear, feigning exasperation. “Too quiet. I didn’t hear you.”

“Sister! Sister!” Ruan Qingqing raised her voice.

Fu Yeqiu continued to tease her. “Still can’t hear you, my dear little sister. What’s wrong? I ordered you so much delicious food at lunch. Didn’t that fill you up?”

Ruan Qingqing knew Fu Yeqiu was doing this on purpose, but feeling guilty, she leaned in, tugged at Fu Yeqiu’s collar, and stood on tiptoe, pressing close to her ear. “Sister! Sister! Sister! Sister! Can you hear me now, Sister?”

The girl’s clear, sweet voice entered Fu Yeqiu’s ears, sending a tingling, numbing sensation through her bones and softening her soul. For a fleeting moment, Fu Yeqiu considered dragging Ruan Qingqing back to her room and forcing herself upon her, abandoning all pretense of playing this childish sisterly game.

But in the end, Fu Yeqiu suppressed her predatory instincts, adopting a seemingly gentle tone. “Then give your sister one more hug before you go rest, okay?”

Ruan Qingqing didn’t even have time to agree.

At that moment, Li Qianxuan, who had been hiding in the closet, could no longer contain herself. She burst out, shouting, “I can’t take it anymore!”

She stormed over and pointed a finger at Fu Yeqiu’s nose, demanding, “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? The amnesia is just an act, right? What exactly are you pretending to be here, Fu Yeqiu? Do you really think we can’t see through your charade?”

Fu Yeqiu raised an eyebrow, glanced at the closet, and feigned surprise. “If I’m not mistaken, Miss Li, you just emerged from the closet, correct?”

“Yes!” Li Qianxuan lifted her chin, her striking features flushed with anger but radiating defiant pride. “I’ve come out of the closet! I admit it—what’s so shameful about liking women? At least I, Li Qianxuan, dare to own my truth!”

At that moment, Ye Shiyu pushed open the closet door and stepped out, tucking her chestnut-brown hair behind her ear and winking at Ruan Qingqing.

“Qingqing probably doesn’t know what ‘coming out’ means, so let me explain,” Ye Shiyu said, clasping her hands in front of her with a gentle smile. “According to Baidu Encyclopedia, ‘coming out’ is a direct translation of the English phrase ‘coming out of the closet,’ referring to the act of LGBTQ+ individuals publicly disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Fu Yeqiu didn’t respond to Li Qianxuan’s words, instead turning to Ye Shiyu and asking, “So Miss Ye is here too?”

“Not just her, I’m here too!” Yu Yunfei burst out, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Qianxuan as they jointly condemned Fu Yeqiu. “Great President Fu, what are you pretending for? Saying your sexual orientation isn’t female and that you only see Qingqing as a younger sister? Do you even believe that yourself?”

Fu Yeqiu remained unfazed, calmly retorting, “I’m simply stating the truth. Why does no one believe me?”

“Because you’re a hypocritical, pretentious, shameless liar!” Li Qianxuan spat, pointing her finger at Fu Yeqiu. “I love Ruan Qingqing, and I dare to admit it. Do you?”

Perhaps infected by Li Qianxuan’s impassioned fervor, Yu Yunfei threw her head back and declared, “I’m coming clean too! No more pretending! I want to sleep with Ruan Qingqing, I crave her body, and I dare to admit it. Do you?”

Ruan Qingqing stared in disbelief at Yu Yunfei, her voice trembling with anger and confusion. “A-Yun, you… you… you…”

Ye Shiyu watched the Noble Consort and Consort Shu, their faces flushed with righteous indignation and battle-ready resolve, and smiled faintly. “Qingqing,” she said calmly, “I’m not like them. Sure, I teased you before, but it was just for fun. In my heart, you’re like a little sister to me. President Fu and I share the same sentiment on that.”

Li Qianxuan and Yu Yunfei exchanged incredulous glances, utterly bewildered by Ye Shiyu’s sudden betrayal.

Before coming here, the three had agreed to secretly observe and find a weakness, then expose Fu Yeqiu’s amnesia act. But at the critical moment, only the two of them charged to the front lines, while Ye Shiyu, that treacherous bastard, suddenly defected to the enemy camp.

As it turned out, Ye Shiyu’s choice was absolutely correct. The next moment, Ruan Qingqing pulled her over, positioned herself behind Fu Yeqiu and Ye Shiyu, and unleashed her fury at the opposing side. “How could you do this?”

Ruan Qingqing’s anger blazed. “A-Yun, I trusted you so much, and you actually wanted to sleep with me!”

She then turned to Li Qianxuan. “And Qianxuan, why are you targeting Qiuqiu? What’s so fake, pretentious, or shameless about her? Qiuqiu is such a good person! How dare you say such things about her?”

Li Qianxuan seethed with rage, her face contorted with fury.

“Ruan Qingqing!” Li Qianxuan tried to pull her away, but Fu Yeqiu blocked her path. Forced to remain rooted to the spot, she shouted, “Who’s the one with poor judgment here? I’ll tell you this: if you trust Fu Yeqiu, she’ll devour you whole, leaving not even a bone behind! You need to understand—among everyone here, I’m the only one who truly cares about you!”

She pointed at each person in the room, launching scathing attacks: “Yu Yunfei, with her nauseatingly pretentious demeanor! Great President Fu, that hypocritical and despicable man! And your beloved literary prodigy, the so-called virtuous and refined Virtuous Consort Ye Shiyu—she’s nothing but a treacherous, malicious, and utterly vile little person!”

Yu Yunfei was utterly bewildered. “Are you out of your mind, Li Qianxuan? Attacking them is one thing, but why drag me into this?”

“Why not drag you in?” Li Qianxuan nearly lunged at her. “What right do you have to lust after Qingqing’s body? What right do you have to lust after Qingqing’s body?”

“So what if I’m jealous? Everyone’s jealous! Why shouldn’t I be?” Yu Yunfei, provoked beyond endurance, abandoned her facade of delicate, alluring beauty. Gritting her teeth, she pointed at each person in turn, her voice dripping with venom. “Ask yourselves honestly—don’t you all lust after Ruan Qingqing’s body? You? You? And you!”

Her final, accusatory finger landed, by sheer coincidence, on Jiang Li, who had just emerged from the closet, looking utterly composed.

Hearing this, Jiang Li raised her hand, her expression cool. “Ladies, don’t drag me into this. I’m just passing through.”

Yu Yunfei had already launched into indiscriminate attacks. “Stop pretending! Dare you swear to the heavens that you have no feelings for Ruan Qingqing, that you’ve never harbored any desire for her?”

“I swear, I truly have no feelings for Miss Ruan,” Jiang Li replied, glancing at the girl with reddened eyes before quickly averting her gaze. “Besides, Miss Ruan’s pond is already overflowing with fish. Why would I jump in and make things even more complicated?”