A Stolen Romance - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Don’t Let Go

Xie Zhaoran lay on her back in a bamboo lounge chair, her injured leg, held in a splint, propped up on the long bench from before, slightly elevated above her body.

Shi Yuning washed and dried her hands, then gently rubbed them together to warm them before placing them on Xie Zhaoran’s flat stomach. She lightly massaged the acupoints known as tianshu and zhongwan. Besides learning martial arts, she had also learned acupressure and muscle relaxation in her youth, skills that were useful for martial artists. These two points, along with the sanli point on the leg, were known to help with indigestion. Since Xie Zhaoran’s leg was injured, she focused on massaging her stomach.

“How are you feeling? Any better?” Shi Yuning asked after massaging for a quarter of an hour.

Xie Zhaoran shook her head. “No. It’s still uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.”

Shi Yuning couldn’t help but laugh a little. “How could you be so full?” she asked. “If you couldn’t handle it, why did you eat so much?”

Xie Zhaoran retorted, “It would’ve been a waste of food.” At the time, Shi Yuning was busy brewing medicine, and she genuinely hadn’t realized that the pot of porridge was meant to be their lunch as well. However, although she had been a little too full, Shi Yuning’s massage had already made her feel better. But she wanted her to keep going because the gentle pressure on her abdomen was quite comfortable.

Shi Yuning felt she also had some responsibility. “You grew up in a wealthy household in the capital, so you don’t understand the countryside. Here, we don’t have dedicated cooks. People can’t always make three meals a day. Sometimes, villagers make all their meals in the morning to save time for working in the fields.” Shi Yuning had actually just made more in the morning because it was a hot day and she thought a cold porridge would be more appetizing for Xie Zhaoran.

“I guess I was ignorant,” Xie Zhaoran said with some shame. Growing up in a life of luxury, she truly knew very little about country living.

Seeing that Xie Zhaoran seemed a little bothered, Shi Yuning said, “You know more than enough. There should be some things I know that you don’t, just to make me seem smart, too.”

Xie Zhaoran smiled. “You know plenty. Like this time, we survived thanks to you. You’re so smart you could be my teacher.”

Shi Yuning was a little embarrassed by her words. She could barely recognize a basketful of characters; how could she be Xie Zhaoran’s teacher? But Xie Zhaoran continued to praise her. “That ‘protagonist’s law’ you mentioned is really ingenious.” She added in her heart, And the part about finding a treasure in this kind of desperate situation. Didn’t I just find the most precious treasure in the world?

Xie Zhaoran felt immense gratitude and joy, an incredible sense of good fortune coming after great disaster. “When did you start liking me?” Xie Zhaoran still found it hard to believe.

Shi Yuning’s hands paused. How did the topic change so quickly? She kept her head down and didn’t stop massaging. She replied casually, “You first. When did you start liking me?”

Xie Zhaoran could see she was trying to act calm, but the pressure from her hands on her stomach had increased several times over. It was starting to hurt. She quickly grabbed Shi Yuning’s hands, rescuing her abdomen. Shi Yuning looked at her in confusion. “Should I stop?”

Xie Zhaoran smiled. “Mmm, I’m not uncomfortable anymore.”

“Oh.” Shi Yuning felt the heat of Xie Zhaoran’s gaze and tried to pull her hand back, but Xie Zhaoran wouldn’t let go. After a few attempts, the more she tried to pull away, the tighter Xie Zhaoran held on. Shi Yuning simply gave up and let her hold it. But the warmth in her palm seemed to travel up her arm and to her face.

Xie Zhaoran smiled and gently caressed each of Shi Yuning’s fingers as if they were a toy. If Shi Yuning had looked up, she would have seen that Xie Zhaoran’s earlobes had also turned pink.

“From the very beginning,” Xie Zhaoran suddenly said, startling Shi Yuning.

“What?” Shi Yuning asked, confused.

Xie Zhaoran looked at her and her lips curved into a smile. “From the very beginning, when I first saw you, I liked you.”

“What???” Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. She had imagined many possibilities, but never that it was from the start. “Your ‘beginning,’ do you mean… when we first met at the palace?” Shi Yuning couldn’t believe it. That was far too early.

Xie Zhaoran nodded seriously, with a touch of shyness. “The first time I saw you, I was drawn to you.”

Shi Yuning was completely stunned, looking at Xie Zhaoran’s earnest eyes and sincere expression. Suddenly, something occurred to her. “Then why did you always avoid me at the palace?” Shi Yuning had thought Xie Zhaoran didn’t like her back then. Although Xie Zhaoran had later explained that she hadn’t disliked her, she never said why she avoided her.

When Shi Yuning brought up the memory, Xie Zhaoran was so embarrassed she wanted to rub her nose. She tried to lift her hand but realized it was her injured one, wrapped in a thick bandage. A flash of pain hit her, and she quickly put it down, using her other hand instead.

“I was afraid that if I got too close, I wouldn’t be able to resist.”

Hearing the words “wouldn’t be able to resist” again, Shi Yuning quickly straightened up and moved further away from Xie Zhaoran. They were still in the courtyard, after all. Shi Yuning hesitated, stammering, “You… you couldn’t resist even back then?”

Xie Zhaoran froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Hahahaha! What are you thinking? Hahahaha!” Seeing Xie Zhaoran laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes, Shi Yuning knew she had misunderstood. But it wasn’t her fault! Xie Zhaoran’s words were so easy to misinterpret. She glared at her. “Stop laughing and talk properly.”

Seeing that Shi Yuning was getting annoyed, Xie Zhaoran immediately stopped laughing, wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, and nodded. “My fault.” Seeing her good attitude, Shi Yuning’s anger subsided a little. “Now tell me, why did you avoid me back then?”

Xie Zhaoran became serious and explained the misunderstanding. “Back then, the first time I saw you, I thought, how can there be such a lovely girl in the world? Your eyes curved when you smiled, and you smiled at everyone so sincerely and simply. You were so pure and innocent, like a ray of light. But at that time, I couldn’t like you. It wasn’t that I didn’t like you, it was that I couldn’t.” She had always believed that a moth flying into a flame was its destiny, but at that time, she couldn’t give in to her feelings. So Xie Zhaoran could only avoid Shi Yuning to keep herself from falling completely.

It was the first time Shi Yuning had heard someone praise her like this. Was she really that good? But Xie Zhaoran’s sincerity was so firm and certain, as if she were stating that the sky was clear, which it was. Shi Yuning believed Xie Zhaoran, but once she accepted this premise, many things started to make sense.

Shi Yuning asked, “So, when you shot the pouch, you were deliberately helping me? It wasn’t because you just didn’t like Prince Yu?”

Xie Zhaoran said, “Mmm.”

Shi Yuning asked, “And when the crown prince asked me to go hunting with you, that was actually your idea?”

Xie Zhaoran replied, “No, that wasn’t. He had found out about my feelings and was deliberately creating an opportunity for me to get closer to you.”

Shi Yuning asked, “The emperor knew you liked me even back then? How did he know? Did you tell him?”

Xie Zhaoran said, “Only you couldn’t see my feelings for you.”

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. “Huh? So, Qiang Di knew? And the princess knew, too?”

Xie Zhaoran nodded. “Mmm.”

Shi Yuning was completely stunned. They all knew? Why was I the only one who didn’t see it? She now finally understood why the princess had seemed to single her out that night, using her to get Xie Zhaoran to serve her soup and pick out vegetables for her.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You made me worry that you saw me as an oddity!” Shi Yuning said, full of regret. After she realized she liked Xie Zhaoran, she had been anxious for a long time, not knowing how to face her. She had lost sleep night after night, her heart in a panic. If only she had known earlier that Xie Zhaoran liked her too, she wouldn’t have had to suffer all that.

Xie Zhaoran laughed softly. “Mmm, my fault. I should have told you sooner.” The moment she found out Shi Yuning liked her, she regretted her cowardice. Thankfully, her darling Ningning had been bold enough to steal a kiss, and she had been lucky enough to catch her. She shook Shi Yuning’s hand that she was holding. “From now on, I’ll tell you everything right away. Can you forgive me this time?”

Shi Yuning wasn’t really angry. Seeing Xie Zhaoran’s sincere apology, she felt a little embarrassed herself. “Fine. You sit here. I’m going to check on the medicine I’m stewing.” Shi Yuning wiggled her hand that was still being held. “Let go first.”

Xie Zhaoran held her hand tight. The pad of her thumb gently rubbed the back of Shi Yuning’s hand as she smiled and brought her hand to touch her own cheek. “No. Not unless you give me a kiss.”

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. “What???” What’s wrong with Xie Zhaoran? Did she hit her head? She’s acting like a completely different person. In broad daylight… well, there’s no one here, but still, this is out in the open by the main door. Shi Yuning’s face felt incredibly hot.

But Xie Zhaoran continued. “You said we’d call it even. If you kiss me, then we’ll be even.”

“Who… who said I wanted to call it even with you—” As soon as the words left her mouth, Shi Yuning realized they were wrong. There was no good way to say this. To call it even, she would have to kiss Xie Zhaoran, and if Xie Zhaoran kissed her back, they would no longer be even. With all this back-and-forth, in broad daylight, she couldn’t even imagine the scene. She just felt like her face was as hot as a steamed bun. She stomped her foot in embarrassment. “If you don’t let go, I’m going to bite you!”

Xie Zhaoran looked at Shi Yuning, who was pretending to be fierce to hide her shyness, and thought she was incredibly cute. Her beloved’s eyes curved when she smiled, her cheeks were rosy when she was shy, and her eyes widened into perfect circles when she was annoyed. Every expression was lively, interesting, and so cute that it made her heart itch.

Xie Zhaoran let go with great reluctance. Not because she was afraid Shi Yuning would bite her, but because she smelled something burning. Sure enough, a moment later, she heard a small gasp, and then her beloved came storming out, holding a blackened medicine pot. “Look at this—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Zhaoran immediately raised her hands in apology. “Yes, it’s all my fault. I’ll take a punishment and not have any medicine today.”

“Pffft.” Shi Yuning couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. She glanced at Xie Zhaoran sideways. “Dream on. You have to drink two pots of this medicine today.”

Xie Zhaoran feigned a look of regret. “Alright, fine. I’ll drink the medicine Ningning made, even if it stuffs me.”

This made Shi Yuning laugh again.

“What’s so funny, young ladies, that you’re laughing so happily?” A high-pitched, sharp female voice suddenly came from the doorway. Shi Yuning and Xie Zhaoran both looked over to see a strange middle-aged woman, who, without their permission, had opened the courtyard gate and walked in.

Support A Stolen Romance