The Villainess Always Wants to Cuddle With Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 31

Ling Jun remained silent throughout the journey, her face cold as she quickened her pace toward Cuiyue Mountain.

Jian Qigui, who desperately wanted to apologize, gazed at Ling Jun’s icy expression, her lips pressed into a thin line. She swallowed the words that repeatedly rose to her throat.

At Cuiyue Mountain, where the biting wind had blown for days, the lush green bamboo branches stood tall and unyielding.

While the coming-of-age gift was a significant occasion, it was deemed inappropriate to hold a grand celebration. After all, the Cuiyue Sect was not a renowned righteous sect in the martial world, and they had amassed numerous enemies.

The sect’s disciples gathered to offer their congratulations, and the gifts piled up until they filled an entire room.

Ling Jun had been ignoring Jian Qigui for several days, deliberately avoiding her.

Today was no different. Ling Jun hovered near Yunyin, calling her “Senior Sister” repeatedly, and recounted the strange illness she had encountered on White Plum Mountain. Her words were witty and humorous, making Yunyin giggle with amusement.

“Is that truly the case? I never imagined such an illness could exist!” Yunyin’s cheeks flushed crimson, yet she was captivated by Ling Jun’s vivid descriptions.

“Senior Sister, does your menstrual pain still trouble you? While I wouldn’t claim to be a peerless physician, I’m certainly halfway to becoming a Divine Physician. Would you like to try my remedy?” Ling Jun boasted about her menstrual pain treatment, sounding like a melon-peddling old woman, shamelessly praising her own unique methods.

Yunyin didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm, so she nodded. “Alright.”

Meanwhile, the Sect Leader and his Left and Right Helmsmen were drinking merrily, leaving the two women to enjoy their leisure. Remembering the birthday gifts, Yunyin asked, “Have you seen the coming-of-age gift I sent you?”

Ling Jun shook her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What did Senior Sister give me?” The room was piled high with gifts, and she hadn’t had a chance to examine them all.

“Women are born to love beauty, so naturally, I gave you something exquisite,” Yunyin teased, refusing to reveal the gift directly.

“Senior Sister!” Ling Jun called out sweetly, her voice dripping with affection as she tugged on Yunyin’s sleeve.

Even Yunyin, who was usually quick to kill and decisive, felt her resolve melt. She relented, “It’s an intricately crafted hairpin. You can see for yourself.”

As the two women chatted and laughed, Jian Qigui stood in the distance, clutching a jade hairpin in her hand. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes filled with disappointment. I once thought we could laugh and talk like that too…

That night, Ling Jun tossed all the gifts onto the floor and began sorting through them. She pulled out Yunyin’s gift, its packaging exquisitely detailed, bearing the signature “Yunyin” in elegant, flowing script.

Inside the package was a hairpin adorned with indigo petals and golden beads, resembling a cluster of bellflowers.

The air outside the door shifted subtly. Sensing this minute change, Ling Jun turned to look, but no one was there.

“What do you want?” Ling Jun asked coldly.

A slight movement by the door revealed a figure in white robes and dark trousers. Jian Qigui emerged, clutching something tightly in her hand, her expression evasive. “Today is your coming-of-age ceremony. I came to give you a gift…”

It would be rude to turn away someone bearing a gift, Ling Jun thought, her gaze darkening. She rose, stepped over the gift on the floor, and extended her palm.

A glance at the delicate hairpin in her hand, followed by a glimpse of the signature beside the torn packaging, made Jian Qigui’s expression tighten. She quickly hid the object behind her back and said, “If you’re uncomfortable, I won’t give it to you…”

Ling Jun’s eyebrows shot up. What kind of logic is that? Jian Qigui had come to give her a gift, and she hadn’t refused it. Was she really acting that reluctant?

Seeing Jian Qigui’s hand hidden behind her back, Ling Jun understood. She reached out, coaxing gently, “Anything you give me is perfect.”

After a brief struggle, Jian Qigui relented and released the object to Ling Jun.

Ling Jun examined it in her palm. It was a hairpin, its entire body a luminous, jade-like white. The hairpin’s shaft coiled in nine graceful curves, topped with a common white flower. At the flower’s center, a tiny hole was visible.

Remembering the hairpin Yunyin had given her, Ling Jun suddenly understood what had been bothering Jian Qigui earlier.

Seeing Ling Jun turn the flower’s center toward herself, Jian Qigui quickly reached out to rotate it. “Be careful,” she warned, “there’s a mechanism hidden in the flower’s core—a concealed needle. My homemade trinket can’t compare to Senior Sister’s exquisite craftsmanship.”

So it was a hidden weapon. Though less refined than Yunyin’s gift, it was clear that Jian Qigui had poured her heart into its creation. Ling Jun imagined how much time she must have spent preparing this gift. She shook her head. “Thank you. I really like it. It’s perfect for me.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

A long silence hung between them. One stared at her toes, the other at the ground, neither knowing what to say.

Jian Qigui broke the silence first, her expression firm yet gentle. “I was too forward the other day. I’m sorry.”

Having said this much, Ling Jun wondered if failing to forgive her would drive Jian Qigui to darkness. After a moment of internal struggle, she spoke gently, “We’ve grown up together since childhood, our bond as close as sisters. So, your feelings for me were merely the affection one feels for an elder sister? We’re both inexperienced in matters of love and romance; it’s only natural we misunderstood each other.”

This was Ling Jun’s way of offering forgiveness. Jian Qigui understood the unspoken meaning behind her words, a bitter smile curving her lips. “Yes,” she replied, “I suppose we did misunderstand each other.”

From that day forward, the two reconciled, though beneath the surface, both knew they were deliberately playing dumb.

A few days later, Jian Qigui’s coming-of-age ceremony arrived. Unlike Ling Jun’s grand affair, this one was more modest, with only a few elders and disciples in attendance.

The winter sun lacked the scorching intensity of summer, its gentle warmth filtering through the window lattices, casting dappled patterns across the hall. The air was thick with a cold fragrance, Jian Qiongjun’s unique icy scent slowly permeating the elegant hall.

Those who practiced the Ice Lotus Art possessed a cold fragrance, each distinct yet subtly similar. Every individual carried their own unique scent, a spectrum of icy aromas that never repeated.

Jian Qiongjun’s voice rang out across the hall: “My beloved disciple, Jian Qigui, has reached her twentieth year. Her outstanding achievements are known to all. Today, I bestow upon her the title of Second-in-Command of the Left Protector, Jian Lingjun…”

As Jian Qiongjun slowly revealed her intentions, Jian Qigui felt a surge of astonishment. She had always believed Jian Qiongjun was grooming her to be a blade for the Cuiyue Sect, yet now she was being granted a position of authority within its ranks.

Since coming of age at fourteen, Jian Qigui had been accepting Cuiyue Sect’s assassination bounties. Starting with lowly targets, she had gradually progressed to targeting individuals of prominent lineage.

The higher she climbed, the more her heart trembled. She had once glimpsed a bounty in the Right Helmsman’s possession—a bounty targeting an entire clan, every member of a family.

How was this different from the annihilation of the Qi Family years ago? Once doubt took root in her heart, it grew like a mountain, suffocating her with its weight.

Jian Qiongjun presented her with a square token, its surface a deep ochre-red. The front was inscribed with “Left Protector,” while the back bore Jian Qigui’s name.

As she accepted the token, Jian Qigui felt as if struck by lightning. She knelt to the ground, expressing her gratitude with flawless etiquette, leaving no room for criticism.

Was this merely a coincidence? The token’s design and the tassel hanging from it were identical to the ones she had glimpsed in the sea of bl00d. If her suspicions were true, what should she do? Twelve years of nurturing, meticulous training, and imparted teachings. The deep-seated hatred for the annihilation of her entire clan—how could she reconcile these conflicting loyalties? Every time she called Jian Qiongjun “Master,” she reaffirmed those twelve years.

Was it Jian Qiongjun? Was it her?

Jian Qigui dared not dwell on her thoughts. Her mind was in utter turmoil as she bid farewell to Jian Qiongjun, appointed Jiang Jinru as Right Helmsman, and Fan Xing as Left Helmsman. Leaving the bustling banquet table behind, she ventured alone into the depths of Cuiyue Mountain.

Her heart a tangled mess, Jian Qigui found the lush jade bamboo surrounding Cuiyue Mountain blanketed in snow. Drawing the Cold Light Sword, she unleashed a series of icy sword strikes that shattered the snow, revealing the bamboo’s vibrant green beneath.

Beside the Cold Pond, the air crackled with the sound of sword strikes. From the sky to the snow-covered ground, her movements were swift and her swordsmanship like a shadow, blurring her path.

With a final, piercing strike, a patch of forest undergrowth was severed at its roots.

A rustling came from the bushes behind her. Jian Qigui narrowed her eyes, sword raised in defense, as layers of ice crystals floated around her.

Yet the frigid aura in the air melted the ice crystals, turning them to water that dripped to the ground. Jian Qigui sheathed the Cold Light Sword, her gaze darkening.

“Hiding here?” Ling Jun’s voice preceded her arrival. Pushing aside the bushes, she stepped before Jian Qigui.

Still unprepared to face Ling Jun, Jian Qigui’s expression was complex, her tone flat. “I dislike crowds. Practicing my swordsmanship is preferable.”

The words sounded like those of a martial arts fanatic. Had Ling Jun not known Jian Qigui so well, she might have believed them.

“I heard you’ve been promoted to my Left Protector,” Ling Jun remarked, her gaze lingering on the hilt of the Cold Light Sword in Jian Qigui’s hand. The tassel she had woven still adorned it, though the strands were now sparser, yet neatly arranged.

My Left Protector…

Jian Qigui’s heart skipped a beat. The crisp, icy fragrance of Ling Jun’s presence filled her senses, momentarily stealing her breath. She cleared her throat and replied softly, “That is correct.”

“Show me your token,” Ling Jun said, raising an eyebrow and extending her hand.

It was as if Jian Qigui would willingly tear out her own heart for Ling Jun at her mere request. Obediently, she retrieved the newly acquired token and handed it over.

Ling Jun accepted it, examining it closely. The design remained similar to those of the elders, unchanged except for subtle adjustments in the fine details. The vermilion tassel threaded through the circular hole was identical to Jian Qiongjun’s. After a thorough inspection, she returned it to Jian Qigui.

“I brought you a coming-of-age gift,” Ling Jun said, licking her lips.

Jian Qigui stared at Ling Jun’s moist, crimson lips, her throat bobbing. Her voice came out hoarse and strained as she asked, “What is it?”

Ling Jun withdrew a palm-sized wooden carving from her robes. It depicted two intertwined Swallow Bamboo Flowers, seemingly inseparable yet separated by an invisible gulf.

“Did you carve this yourself?” Jian Qigui asked, accepting the carving. She couldn’t identify the flower, but it lacked the scent of wood, instead exuding an icy, snow-like coolness. No… upon closer inspection, there was also a faint, fruity sweetness, and a hint of… the bitter almond-like fragrance of apricot kernels…

“It took over a month to carve,” Ling Jun nodded. Despite their small size, these two wooden flowers required considerable time, from grinding the medicinal ingredients to condensing them into shape and meticulously carving them.

This was no ordinary wood. Jian Qigui’s curiosity deepened. “Such a unique fragrance,” she asked. “What kind of flower is this?”

With nothing to hide, Ling Jun answered truthfully, “It’s a Swallow Bamboo Flower.”

“What kind of wood did you use?”

“It’s not wood. It’s a medicinal ingredient that was ground and condensed. It’s called Myrrh.” Ling Jun’s expression shifted, and before Jian Qigui could thank her, a phantom image of an ice lotus bloomed beneath her feet, and she hastily departed.

Jian Qigui’s face froze. It seems she doesn’t want to explain the deeper meaning behind this. I’ll have to find out myself.

The Swallow Bamboo Flower was easy enough to trace, linked to a tale of profound sisterly affection, originally symbolizing friendship.

But Myrrh…

This was no ordinary medicinal ingredient. Despite searching extensively, Jian Qigui found only a fragment of information in ancient texts.

Myrrh, also known as “No Medicine,” possesses a fragrant, cool, bitter, and sweet taste. It promotes bl00d circulation, dispels stagnation, replenishes deficiencies, and alleviates pain. With its diverse therapeutic properties, it is an exceptionally precious medicinal material.

Jian Qigui remained puzzled by Ling Jun’s intended message. Did it mean their relationship was purely platonic, with no deeper connection?