After Becoming a Succubus, I Was Offered to My Mortal Enemy - Chapter 22

Could it be that they truly shared the same plight?

Sikong Xue looked at the girl in her arms, limp with intoxication, and felt a stir of sympathy in her heart.

At such a young age, sent here as tribute by her clansmen; separated from her beloved, she still had to please someone she didn’t like just to preserve herself.

Thinking back to her harsh words and stern countenance of the past few days, Sikong Xue felt she had truly been excessive.

Seeing the girl reach out again for the wine jar, Sikong Xue caught that soft, boneless hand.

“Don’t drink any more.”

If she drank further, she would likely wake up with a headache tomorrow.

She was so delicate; if she felt unwell, she would certainly cry.

Sikong Xue looked up; there wasn’t a single servant in the backyard.

The people of the manor didn’t dare provoke Sikong Xue today, and Sikong Xue didn’t wish to be disturbed on this date.

In the past, she wouldn’t have thought much of it, but with this foreign woman drunk in her arms, Sikong Xue couldn’t find anyone to help support her back.

Left with no choice, she could only pick her up.

Having drunk so much wine herself, Sikong Xue’s legs were also somewhat soft.

The West Courtyard was some distance away; fearing she might drop her, she could only carry the girl back to her own room for now.

Placing her on the bed, she saw her wearing newly made gauze clothes, her hairstyle and makeup both crafted with care.

She really was beautiful.

Sikong Xue pulled over a brocade quilt to cover her. Seeing her eyes misty with drink and a tear still hanging at the corner of her eye, Sikong Xue said, “Clearly your heart belongs to another, yet you have to please me. You must feel very aggrieved in your heart.”

Ning Yuan was too drunk to hear clearly what Sikong Xue was saying.

As the alcohol took hold, she felt incredibly thirsty.

“Hey, you, go pour me a cup of water.”

At this moment, she no longer treated Sikong Xue as any “Master”; her tone carried a few hints of a bossy command.

Sikong Xue didn’t mind her insolence but instead rose to pour her a cup of warm water.

She supported her up, letting her lean in her arms, and fed her the warm water.

A drop of water slid along the corner of her mouth, and Ning Yuan stuck out her tongue to curl away the bead of moisture.

Still a bit thirsty.

Sikong Xue gazed at the person in her arms, her throat tightening slightly.

Her lips and tongue looked so soft.

So alluring… if only she were Ayuan…

Sikong Xue shook her head. How could she possibly be Ayuan?

Ning Yuan didn’t notice that Sikong Xue’s heartbeat was quietly accelerating. She pointed at the table and said in a somewhat arrogant tone, “Sikong Xue, I want more water!”

It was just like when she used to boss Sikong Xue around as a child.

When they were naughty and went out to play as children, Ning Yuan would get tired of walking and say to Sikong Xue, “Sikong Xue, carry me back!”

Even though Sikong Xue was her nemesis, Sikong Xue never refused her in such matters.

Ning Yuan treated this as the only way she could “oppress” Sikong Xue and never grew tired of it.

Sikong Xue’s breath hitched. She must have drunk too much to think that this foreign woman’s tone was exactly the same as Ayuan’s.

Ning Yuan was deathly thirsty, yet Sikong Xue didn’t move. She furrowed her brows, her lips pouting high.

“Sikong Xue, why haven’t you gone to pour me water yet?! You’re bullying me, I’m going to tell the Grand Commandant and have him spank your bottom!”

“What did you say?!”

Sikong Xue grabbed Ning Yuan’s shoulders and stared into her eyes.

Her mind wasn’t entirely clear at the moment, but the words this foreign woman just spoke were clearly things Ayuan used to say often.

Every time she made Ayuan unhappy, Ayuan would angrily say she was going to find the Grand Commandant to get justice.

However, Ayuan only ever said it; she never truly let the Grand Commandant hit her.

How could this foreign woman speak like this?

Ning Yuan was shaken slightly more awake by Sikong Xue. She tried hard to open her eyes wide, but her eyelids felt so heavy.

“I just… I didn’t say anything just now… did you hear wrong?”

Ning Yuan felt she had said something wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.

Sikong Xue felt a sense of loss in her heart. She pulled over a soft pillow for Ning Yuan to lean on, then rose again to pour her another cup of water.

Having just misspoken, Ning Yuan’s heart was racing. Though not yet sober, she kept telling herself in her mind: Can’t speak recklessly, can’t speak recklessly.

Sikong Xue was her nemesis; if she spoke recklessly, there would be danger.

Sikong Xue poured another cup of water but didn’t give it to Ning Yuan to drink. Instead, she placed it before her, held her shoulders, and said, “Repeat what you just said. Say it again, and I’ll give you the water.”

Thirsty beyond endurance, with water right before her eyes but unable to drink, Ning Yuan didn’t remember at all what she had just said. She only said aggrievedly, “Sikong Xue, you’re bullying me! Why are you always bullying me!”

She was this thirsty, yet Sikong Xue wouldn’t even let her have a drop of water.

How could there be someone as wicked as Sikong Xue in this world!

Sikong Xue’s heart felt as if something were scratching at it. In the past… in the past, Ayuan always said she was bullying her too.

But how could she ever bear to truly bully Ayuan?

Sikong Xue fed Ning Yuan another cup of water. Seeing her pink lips were exceptionally enticing after being moistened, Sikong Xue felt her own throat grow dry.

She had seen stories of “corpse-possession by a returning soul” in ancient books. Could the foreign woman before her be Ayuan?

Their appearance was so similar, and her tone of voice was exactly the same.

Sikong Xue gazed at the dazed person on the bed and began to test her: “During the days you’ve lived in my manor, the servants only call you ‘Lady.’ I still don’t know what your name is.”

Being this drunk, it should be easy to coax the truth out.

What was her name?

Ning Yuan remembered that when she was presented as a tribute to Daliang by the foreign tribes, she had heard what this body’s name was.

What was it…

Ning Yuan couldn’t remember it for the life of her.

Something like Lan?

Xiang Lan?

No, Xiang Lan was her “small name” (childhood name); she couldn’t say it.

Ning Yuan used her last bit of consciousness to force herself absolutely not to say the wrong thing.

Seeing Sikong Xue staring at her like a fox, she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch Sikong Xue’s face, saying, “I was sent here as tribute. Now you are the Master and I am your person. You can call me whatever you want to call me.”

Saying it this way shouldn’t be wrong, right?

Sikong Xue gently brushed aside Ning Yuan’s hand. This answer was flawless, yet it made her feel even more that the person before her was hiding something.

“Tonight… why did you bring almond cakes to find me?”

Ning Yuan stared blankly at Sikong Xue. Because of the alcohol, her eyes couldn’t focus; she felt as if the person before her had split into three or four, and she didn’t know which one was the real Sikong Xue.

“Don’t be noisy, don’t shake… whatever you want to ask, say it one by one.”

You guys?

Looking at the person on the bed who couldn’t even sit steady, Sikong Xue realized she was truly drunk.

Still, she was unwilling to let go of this woman who might be Ayuan.

Sikong Xue said, “Who mentioned the Grand Commandant to you, and who told you that I like almond cakes?”

Ning Yuan felt tired sitting up, so she rested her chin on Sikong Xue’s shoulder.

Her shallow breath brushed against Sikong Xue’s ear, carrying a hint of wine fragrance. She closed her eyes and said groggily, “That day… that day Sister Azhi took me out… I, I heard the commoners mention it…”

Sikong Xue pressed her lips together, not believing a single word.

The commoners loved to secretly gossip about the private affairs of princes and ministers after tea, but no one would ever dare mention her family matters. Especially with Sikong Zhi present; how could Sikong Zhi allow outsiders to speak nonsense.

Sikong Xue didn’t expose her but continued to ask, “Then what about the almond cakes? How did you know I liked almond cakes?”

Everyone thought she liked white sugar cakes; only Ayuan knew that what she liked were the almond cakes Ayuan sent over.

Ning Yuan let out two cat-like whimpers and said, “I just had someone buy them randomly. I didn’t know you liked them.”

She wouldn’t let Sikong Xue think she cared about her very much.

Who told Sikong Xue to like someone else.

How annoying—liking someone else and not telling her earlier.

Sikong Xue gently stroked Ning Yuan’s back and said, “Then… why did you ask the servants about the Ning family?”

The back of the person in her arms stiffened, and her breath stalled.

Sikong Xue could feel her heart rate accelerating.

Was she nervous?

Sikong Xue hadn’t heard anything about her asking about the Ning family; she had just said it offhand to bluff her.

She was drunk and had a guilty conscience; unable to react in time, she had been startled.

Ning Yuan didn’t remember if she had asked anyone about the Ning family; she shouldn’t have.

Ning Yuan pushed Sikong Xue away, lay down on the bed, and pulled over the thin quilt to cover her head, saying, “What… what Ning family? I haven’t heard of them. I’m tired, I want to rest…”

She pressed down hard on the quilt, seemingly afraid Sikong Xue would snatch it from her.

The exposed half of her wrist showed that the burn had almost fully healed, but upon closer inspection, one could still see traces of an old injury.

Sikong Xue looked at the person on the bed and gave her own arm a hard pinch.

It hurt; she wasn’t dreaming.

Could the person before her truly be Ayuan?

She wanted to pull the person up from the bed and pull her into a tight embrace, yet she feared disturbing her rest.

Sikong Xue sat by the bedside, her heart beating faster and faster.

Ning Yuan covered her head with the thin quilt. Since it was now summer, she only felt an unbearable heat.

But Sikong Xue was right there; she didn’t dare poke her head out.

Just now… she shouldn’t have said the wrong thing, right?

She probably hadn’t.

She had always been cautious here, not even daring to ask Chunhe or Xiaqun questions recklessly.

She couldn’t have mentioned the Ning family casually.

But why did Sikong Xue ask that?

Could it be that Sikong Xue knew something?

Ning Yuan tossed and turned under the quilt. Sikong Xue sat there, watching the small bundle shifting around. She suddenly wanted to pull back the quilt to see what she was doing.

Sensing the person under the quilt was breathing more and more heavily, Sikong Xue couldn’t help but feel worried.

Covering her head like that—wasn’t she afraid of suffocating?

Rather than fear of suffocating, what Ning Yuan feared most happened.

Perhaps because of the wine, Ning Yuan felt her body getting hotter and hotter.

Wine truly was not a good thing.

Ning Yuan finally poked her head out, revealing a flushed little face, and said with some distress, “Hot. Go open the window.”

Bossing Sikong Xue around again.

Sikong Xue looked at the propped-open window, lost in thought.

The window was open; though it was summer, the night breeze carried a chill. The room was not hot at all.

Could it be that her “heat” had risen again?

Seeing the person on the bed kick away the brocade quilt and reach out to unfasten her clothes, she summoned Songyan and said, “Songyan, quickly go to the West Courtyard and bring the medicine to suppress the heat.”

Songyan was initially confused, but hearing the sound of gasping coming from her Master’s room, she hurried to the West Courtyard.

As Songyan ran, she was worried. This foreign woman was far too bold; how did she dare use such methods to seduce the Master.

Today—today of all days was Miss Ning’s death anniversary.

On this day, even Sikong Xue’s mother, Sikong Yan, didn’t dare provoke Sikong Xue. How did this foreign woman dare…

Songyan feared that running too slowly would cause the woman’s death. She soon brought the medicine.

Sikong Xue looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand, then looked at the person on the bed who was being tormented by the heat until her eyes were teary and had already removed her outer garment. She couldn’t help but develop an unseemly thought.

If she truly were Ayuan and if it was as Yin Chiyun said, that a succubus could not use medicine to suppress the heat in the future…

Then could she… take the opportunity to have Ayuan?

Ning Yuan was too drunk to distinguish where she was. She couldn’t find the medicine at the head of the bed and felt so aggrieved she nearly cried out.

So uncomfortable.

Hot, and craving for someone to hold her.

Sikong Xue thought back to the backyard just now, when she said she also had someone she loved but couldn’t have.

Her heart sank, and she hurriedly suppressed that thought.

If this truly were Ayuan, knowing Ayuan didn’t like her, how could she offend her.

Ning Yuan struggled to open her eyes and saw clearly the person standing by the bed.

Was it a hallucination?

How could Sikong Xue be here?

If there was no medicine, it would be good if Sikong Xue could help her a little.

Her mind was in a complete mess. Looking at Sikong Xue, she couldn’t help but reach out and hook her fingers into the man’s collar, pleading: “A-Lin, help me…”

Sikong Xue’s hand jerked, and the porcelain bottle in her hand fell to the floor. The remaining two pills rolled off to nowhere.

Sikong Xue looked at the person on the bed, her voice trembling slightly.

“What did you call me?”

Ning Yuan was so uncomfortable she wanted to cry. Looking at the only person who could help her, she suppressed her gasps and caught Sikong Xue’s finger.

“A-Lin, help me, okay?”