After Becoming a Succubus, I Was Offered to My Mortal Enemy - Chapter 24

Without even dressing properly, Sikong Xue was driven out of the side room by Ning Yuan.

She wasn’t angry at all; on the contrary, she felt an indescribable joy.

“Songyan, go prepare some new clothes for her immediately. Pick the best food and items to give to her. The West Courtyard is remote; from now on, let her stay in the Yilan Pavilion, the place closest to me. Summer is here and the weather is hot, so prepare ice blocks and wind-wheels; she fears the heat most. Also, don’t send too much iced plum soup to her, as I fear it might upset her stomach.”

Sikong Xue remembered that Ayuan feared both the cold and the heat. Her constitution was weak and required careful nurturing.

That was Ayuan her Ayuan.

Five years had passed, and she never imagined Ayuan could return to her side, nor did she imagine she would ever again hear Ayuan call her “A-Lin.”

Even if Ayuan drove her away, she would never let go again.

She couldn’t delay today’s morning court session; she could only wait until she returned to coax Ayuan.

Before leaving, Sikong Xue instructed again: “The breakfast should be refined. It’s easy to lose one’s appetite in summer, so prepare more appetizers and side dishes for her. Also, she drank some wine last night; have the kitchen brew some hangover soup and prepare some preserved fruits for her.”

Hangover soup was sour and astringent; Ayuan would surely frown and call it undrinkable. But if she didn’t prepare it, she feared Ayuan would have a headache.

“Yes, this subordinate will handle it immediately.” Songyan didn’t ask questions and noted down every one of Sikong Xue’s instructions.

Upon entering the bedroom earlier that morning, Songyan found no one there, but saw the porcelain bottle for the medicine shattered, and the lady’s gauze garment torn and discarded on the floor.

As for the bed, there was a large, conspicuous patch of dried water stains on the soft silk, visible at a glance.

The door to the side room was tightly locked, so it seemed the two had already… last night.

Every year at this time, Sikong Xue would drink alone. She hadn’t expected to have someone by her side this year.

Songyan noticed a rare brightness in Sikong Xue’s eyes, no longer shadowed by the secret grief of the past. She suddenly felt that having such a person in the manor was not a bad thing.

Ning Yuan huddled under the quilt, dimly remembering that it was she who asked Sikong Xue to help her last night.

But Sikong Xue clearly had a beloved; didn’t Sikong Xue know how to refuse her?

And all that talk about giving her a formal status clearly it was a lie.

Her current identity was merely a foreign tribute. Sikong Xue held high status and great power; if she truly married her, wouldn’t she be mocked?

Due to the intoxication, Ning Yuan only felt a dull ache throughout her body and didn’t remember at all what Sikong Xue had actually done. When she looked down and saw the dense red marks on her body, she felt as if her face was about to be cooked through.

Was this Sikong Xue a dog? Had she been bitten all over by her?

Or had the woman taken advantage of her sleep to give her a beating? Otherwise, why would she be in this state?

Chunhe and Xiaqun arrived carrying new clothes. Seeing the hairpins scattered all over the floor, the two exchanged a knowing smile.

Ning Yuan glared at them, though her face burned even hotter.

Xiaqun said, “I shall serve the lady in bathing and changing now.”

Ning Yuan clutched the quilt tight and said, “I don’t need your service. Just leave the clothes there.”

In her current state, how could she let anyone serve her?

If people saw, it would be too embarrassing.

If there was a next time, she would definitely bite Sikong Xue back twice as hard to see if she still dared to bully her.

Wait, how could there be a next time for such a thing!

Yuchi Jin had kept Yin Chiyun confined for two months, originally planning to find an opportunity to provoke Sikong Xue and trigger a relapse of her old illness, taking the chance to seize power.

To her surprise, during the morning court today, Sikong Xue appeared radiant, showing no signs of distress at all.

Yuchi Jin found it dull and, seeing no opportunity to strike, could only release Yin Chiyun.

Having finally gained her freedom, Yin Chiyun returned home to change clothes and immediately went to the Prime Minister’s manor.

In the past, at this time of year, Sikong Xue would be restless all day. She hadn’t been able to check Sikong Xue’s pulse these days and didn’t know if her health was in any serious trouble.

Upon arriving at the manor, she saw servants in a flurry of activity, as if they were moving house, carrying gold and jade vessels, silks, and satins toward the Yilan Pavilion.

Yin Chiyun was puzzled: “What’s going on now?”

In previous years, during these few days, the manor would be as silent as a tomb. The servants would all keep their heads down and not dare to breathe loudly, fearing they would displease Sikong Xue. This state usually lasted for many days, until Sikong Xue went south on an inspection tour, only then could the household relax.

The “liveliness” in the manor today was truly an unexpected surprise for Yin Chiyun.

Seeing Yin Chiyun, Songyan hurriedly said, “Lord Yin, you’ve finally returned.”

Over the past two months, Sikong Xue had tried several times to ask Yuchi Jin for her release, but the Eldest Princess insisted she was gravely ill and required Lord Yin’s personal care.

Yin Chiyun carried her medicine chest and asked, “Where is A-Xue?”

She hadn’t performed acupuncture on Sikong Xue for a long time and didn’t know how she was doing.

Songyan said, “The Master is in the study, waiting for you.”

Yin Chiyun followed Songyan to the study. Pushing open the door, she saw Sikong Xue sitting there, grinning foolishly one moment and then frowning with a sigh the next.

Yin Chiyun’s heart went cold.

Oh no, Sikong Xue has gone mad.

What on earth did Yuchi Jin do to make a perfectly fine person go crazy like this?

Had Sikong Zhi not noticed? Why hadn’t she thought to hire a doctor from outside to treat her?

She stepped forward, set down her medicine chest, and took Sikong Xue’s pulse.

Yin Chiyun frowned, finding it more and more inexplicable.

Sikong Xue’s pulse was stable, and there were signs of improvement in her old ailment; she didn’t seem mentally deranged.

So why was she alternating between anxiety and foolish smiles?

Sikong Xue was still wearing her court robes, clearly having just returned from the palace.

Was she like this in court as well?

Before Yin Chiyun could find the root of the problem, Sikong Xue suddenly looked up and said excitedly, “Chiyun, Ayuan isn’t dead! Ayuan has returned!”

Sikong Xue truly couldn’t resist sharing such wonderful news with Yin Chiyun.

Yin Chiyun: “…”

It’s over. She’s really gone mad.

Yin Chiyun didn’t think this was a good thing; she felt Sikong Xue was suffering from excessive longing and had become delusional.

Yin Chiyun took out the needle wrap from her medicine chest, intending to perform acupuncture. Then she heard Sikong Xue sigh and say, “Chiyun, I’ve truly made Ayuan angry this time… What should I do if she refuses to talk to me again?”

Sikong Xue also felt some self-reproach for doing that to Ayuan while using the excuse of intoxication.

Even though there were two pills of the heat-suppressing medicine left, she had ignored them. She insisted on using that method to help Ayuan release the heat and left so many marks on her body.

Now that she was sober, Sikong Xue was filled with regret.

Ayuan must be furious today.

Yin Chiyun took a needle and pricked the Neiguan point on Sikong Xue’s forearm. The pain made Sikong Xue snap back to reality. Frowning, she said, “What are you doing? I’m talking to you about serious matters; why are you stabbing me with a needle for no reason!”

She could only talk about such things with Yin Chiyun. She hadn’t expected Yin Chiyun to be unhappy for her, but instead to do this.

Yin Chiyun’s expression grew even more solemn.

In the past, when Sikong Xue was troubled by her “heart illness,” acupuncture at the Neiguan point would help. She hadn’t expected it to be so severe today that even that didn’t work.

Should she try the Baihui point next?

Just as Yin Chiyun raised her hand, Sikong Xue caught her arm.

Sikong Xue said, “What is wrong with you today? Did Yuchi Jin feed you something bad during your days at the Eldest Princess’s manor?”

Sikong Xue felt that Yuchi Jin must have done something to Yin Chiyun to make her so strange. She wanted to share her joy and melancholy with Yin Chiyun, but Yin Chiyun was acting so odd, stabbing her with needles as soon as they met.

Yin Chiyun said, “Sikong Xue, what is wrong with you?”

Ning Yuan died long ago; it was she who accompanied Sikong Xue through the funeral.

Five years had passed. Why was Sikong Xue going so mad today?

“Sikong Xue, wake up. Ning Yuan is dead. Yesterday was the anniversary of her death.”

At a time like this, humoring Sikong Xue would only make her illness worse. She had to make her see reality quickly.

Sikong Xue finally realized why Yin Chiyun was looking at her that way. She said, “Chiyun, have you heard of ‘corpse-possession by a returning soul’? The woman sent by the foreign tribes is Ayuan. Ayuan has returned; she is right here by my side.”

“What are you talking about?” Yin Chiyun truly couldn’t believe such a bizarre thing. “A-Xue, could it be that this woman was specifically found by the foreign tribes to disrupt your mind?”

Sikong Xue said, “No, she is Ayuan. She knows my childhood nickname, she glares at me, she says she hates me…”

The teasing, the anger, the scolding it was exactly the same as Ayuan. That had to be her Ayuan.

“Your childhood nickname?” Yin Chiyun was puzzled; she had never heard of Sikong Xue having a childhood nickname. “Didn’t you say you didn’t need a courtesy name?”

Yin Chiyun remembered that Sikong Xue used to dislike studying. When the teacher asked her to take a courtesy name, she didn’t know many characters and couldn’t think of one, which led to her being mocked by Yuchi Jin and her followers.

Actually, Yin Chiyun had also teased Sikong Xue about it back then. She meant no harm; it was just that at the time, Sikong Xue was truly amusing.

Sikong Xue said seriously, “I have a childhood name; it was given to me by Ayuan. That day, Ayuan gave me the name ‘Linfeng’, and from then on, she always called me A-Lin.”

At the mention of this, the corners of Sikong Xue’s mouth couldn’t help but turn up again.

Yin Chiyun was confused: “If that’s the case, why did you say you didn’t have a courtesy name at your coming-of-age ceremony?”

Sikong Xue said somewhat embarrassedly, “At the time I thought, since this was a name Ayuan gave me, I didn’t want others to call me by it, so I told the teacher I didn’t have one.”

Yin Chiyun: “…”

Such stinginess that does sound like something Sikong Xue would do.

In the past, Sikong Xue had treasured everything Ning Yuan gave her like a precious heirloom; she wouldn’t let anyone else even touch them. The sword tassel Ning Yuan gave her had faded, yet Sikong Xue still carried it every day. She had changed swords several times, but that tassel always remained.

She just hadn’t expected Sikong Xue to be so stingy even about a childhood name, allowing only Ning Yuan to call her by it.

No wonder as soon as she entered the manor, she saw servants moving things around. Likely Sikong Xue didn’t want to keep her in the remote West Courtyard but wanted her in a place with a better atmosphere.

Fearing Yin Chiyun wouldn’t believe her, Sikong Xue said, “This name is known only to me and Ayuan. She is my Ayuan.”

“Yes, yes, yes, only your Ayuan knows, she is Ayuan,” Yin Chiyun said. “Since she is Ayuan, it should be a good thing. Why are you sighing? And what was that about making her angry…”

Over the years, Yin Chiyun had seen how Sikong Xue protected the Ning family and how she worked tirelessly to overturn their case. Sikong Xue had done so much; Ning Yuan should be grateful to her, so why would she be angry?

Sikong Xue sighed, for a moment not knowing how to tell Yin Chiyun. How could she casually speak of such private matters?

Yin Chiyun frowned. Thinking of Sikong Xue’s foolish grin and the fact that Ning Yuan occupied a succubus’s body…

She said, “Sikong Xue, you didn’t take advantage of the situation, did you?!”

If that were the case, then she truly had offended the person in a way that wouldn’t be easy to smooth over.

Sikong Xue pressed her lips together and said nothing—her expression was clearly a silent admission.

Yin Chiyun shook her head helplessly. She knew it; Sikong Xue couldn’t possibly resist such a temptation. Just a similar appearance was enough to disrupt her mind; if she truly were Ning Yuan and her “heat” was acting up, how could Sikong Xue remain unmoved?

Yin Chiyun took Sikong Xue’s pulse again and said, “Your heart illness has improved, and the dosage of your medicine should be reduced. Stop taking the sedative I prescribed before.”

Sikong Xue nodded. Last night, holding Ayuan, she had slept very soundly and was no longer startled awake by nightmares. In a few more days, she should be completely recovered.

Yin Chiyun said, “However… as for the medicine to suppress the heat, does it still need to be prepared?”

In Yin Chiyun’s view, since they were already like this, why would medicine even be needed?

At the mention of this, Sikong Xue sighed and said, “The medicine must be prepared. Last night, Ayuan and I both drank some wine, and I feel some regret after waking up… Now Ayuan is angry, and I still don’t know how to coax her.”

Yin Chiyun was too lazy to expose her; Sikong Xue’s alcohol tolerance was famously high, so how could she easily get drunk? She could distinguish that it was Ning Yuan, which showed she wasn’t drunk. The so-called “after drinking” was merely an excuse.

However, there was one thing Yin Chiyun never understood. In the past, she felt Sikong Xue only had eyes for Ning Yuan, and Ning Yuan sometimes followed Sikong Xue like a little tail. Ning Yuan was delicate and weak, yet she was always willing to follow them to play in the mountains.

Once, they went to the mountains to pick wild fruit. To protect Ning Yuan, Sikong Xue was bitten by a snake. Yin Chiyun told Ning Yuan to look after Sikong Xue while she went to find a remedy. It wasn’t a particularly venomous snake, but Ning Yuan was so worried that she insisted on sucking out the poison with her mouth, just like in the storybooks.

When Yin Chiyun returned with the herbs and saw the two had fainted but were still holding each other, she only felt a massive headache. She didn’t dare recall how much effort it took her to get the two down the mountain. She only remembered that Sikong Xue later had a fever and forgot what Ning Yuan had done for her, while Ning Yuan forced her to keep it a secret.

For no other reason than the snake venom had caused Ning Yuan’s lips to be swollen for several days. Ning Yuan was so vain and had such a delicate temper that Yin Chiyun feared making her cry from anger, so she kept the secret.

When Sikong Xue woke up and didn’t see Ning Yuan, she thought Ning Yuan didn’t care about her and was depressed for several days.

The two were clearly mutually in love, so why was it that when they got together, they either bickered or pouted?

When Ning Yuan was to be betrothed to Yuchi Jin, Yin Chiyun wanted to urge Sikong Xue to snatch her back. Yin Chiyun was certain that as long as Sikong Xue stopped saying irritating things, Ning Yuan would definitely be willing to be betrothed to her.

Unexpectedly, Sikong Xue was disheartened and volunteered to go to the Northwest to suppress a rebellion. That departure nearly caused a lifelong regret.

Now that she had recovered what was lost, Sikong Xue was once again so full of anxiety.

The turn of events was sudden, and Yin Chiyun didn’t know how to advise her. She only said, “Preparing the medicine isn’t a problem, but several rare herbs have all been bought up by Yuchi Jin. Likely she thinks you need the medicine, so it might be impossible to buy them in the short term. Since you two have already… why not just make the best of it?”

Since they were already like this, they should just get married.

Sikong Xue’s expression turned solemn: “No, Ayuan already feels I took advantage of her. If I tell her now that the herbs can’t be found, she will surely think we’re conspiring to deceive her.”

At this time, Ayuan was helpless and missing her family. If she bullied her now, Ayuan would surely be even more sad.

Yin Chiyun said, “Then we can only try to buy the herbs from outside at a high price. How long will the medicine I prepared for her last time hold out?”

Sikong Xue rubbed her temples. Last night she accidentally knocked over the bottle and hadn’t picked up the pills. Returning to the room today, the servants had already cleaned up the shards. Those pills were likely discarded along with the fragments.

“Last night after I was drunk, I accidentally knocked over the bottle. I don’t know where the pills rolled… if Ayuan finds out, she will think I did it on purpose.”

Yin Chiyun: “…”

Never mind Ning Yuan thinking you did it on purpose—even I suspect you did it on purpose.

“Forget it, forget it. I will prepare the medicine for you as soon as possible. For the next few days, you’re on your own.” Yin Chiyun was well aware of Miss Ning’s temper. And Sikong Xue always managed to offend people with pinpoint accuracy.

In the Yilan Pavilion, Ning Yuan propped up her head, watching as food, toys, and items were constantly brought in. She said gloomily, “Where is Sikong Xue?”

After such a thing happened, Sikong Xue hadn’t even shown her face. She had thought Sikong Xue would give her an explanation, just like when they were children. At the very least, an apology.

Songyan was just about to come over and ask Ning Yuan if she lacked anything. Hearing her question, Songyan hurriedly said, “Please don’t be anxious, lady. Lord Yin is at the manor to take the Master’s pulse. It will be a while before the Master can come to see you.”

“What did you say?” Ning Yuan sat up straight.

Songyan said, “Lord Yin is a physician of the Imperial Academy. The Master’s health has always been looked after by Lord Yin.”

Ning Yuan’s heart sank. Yin Chiyun was at the manor?

Thinking of what Sikong Xue said last night, about having someone she loved but couldn’t have, someone she grew up with…

Ning Yuan quickly grew dejected. At this moment, her heart was filled with only sourness, and she temporarily forgot her anger. If Sikong Xue’s beloved really was Yin Chiyun, would Sikong Xue kick her out to please her?

Looking at the gold and silver vessels in the room, Ning Yuan suddenly had a thought.

Perhaps she should hide some valuable things. If Sikong Xue kicked her out one day, she wouldn’t starve to death. But how was this behavior any different from theft?

Ning Yuan thought carefully; Sikong Xue had bullied her so much last night. Taking a few pieces of gold and jade as compensation wasn’t excessive, right?

When it was time for dinner, Sikong Xue arrived at the Yilan Pavilion with a fawning expression.

Seeing Ning Yuan still looking angry, she asked, “Are you used to living in the Yilan Pavilion yet?”

“It’s just a place to sleep; it’s the same everywhere.” To be fair, the Yilan Pavilion was indeed quite good. But after what had happened, Ning Yuan truly couldn’t bring herself to praise it. Especially since it was so close to Sikong Xue’s bedroom and study; she was afraid they would lose control again if they saw each other every day.

Ning Yuan looked at the dishes the maids had laid out and saw two sets of bowls and chopsticks. She asked, “Aren’t you going to have dinner with Lord Yin?”

Sikong Xue didn’t catch the sour tone. She said, “Chiyun has already returned… I was in the wrong for last night. If you’re angry, you can hit or scold me as you wish.”

Ning Yuan’s heart felt even more sour. Sikong Xue called her “Chiyun” one after another, so affectionately.

Ning Yuan said, “There’s no need for hitting or scolding. Just return the remaining medicine to me.”

She had sent Chunhe to the West Courtyard to get the medicine, but Chunhe said Songyan had taken it last night. Songyan must have followed Sikong Xue’s orders. Although there wasn’t much medicine left, it would still last for a few days. She didn’t want to have to beg Sikong Xue whenever the heat rose.

Sikong Xue said somewhat guiltily, “Last night you were drunk and knocked over the medicine yourself. The pills rolled under the bed. It was too dark and I couldn’t find them…”

The chopsticks in Ning Yuan’s hand fell to the floor. “And you didn’t have anyone look for them during the day?”

Sikong Xue said, “I went to the palace during the day. The servants cleaned the room and discarded the medicine… Don’t worry, Chiyun has already gone to prepare more. It’s just that some herbs are hard to find, and she doesn’t know how long it will take.”

Secretly, Sikong Xue hoped it would take Yin Chiyun longer, yet she also feared that a delay would make Ayuan angry.

“Truly?” Ning Yuan was somewhat suspicious.

Sikong Xue said, “Truly. How could I lie to you?”

Seeing Ayuan’s brow relax, Sikong Xue asked cautiously, “Can I sit down now?”

Fearing she would displease Ayuan, she had been standing aside and didn’t dare to sit. She wanted to eat with Ayuan, yet feared that sitting down abruptly would make her even angrier.

Ning Yuan said, “This is your place; how could I dare refuse to let the ‘Master’ sit down?”

She spoke sarcastically, yet Sikong Xue wasn’t annoyed. Chunhe brought clean chopsticks, and Sikong Xue quickly dismissed her. As soon as Chunhe stepped out, she and Xiaqun shared a secret laugh.

With only the two of them in the room, Sikong Xue very diligently placed food into Ning Yuan’s bowl. In Ning Yuan’s eyes, this behavior looked exactly like she had a guilty conscience.

But thinking carefully, she couldn’t really blame Sikong Xue. Her body was experiencing the heat; if not for Sikong Xue, she wouldn’t have known how to get through it.

Ning Yuan only dazed for a moment before the food in her bowl piled up like a small mountain.

She frowned and said, “What are you doing?”

With so much food piled together, how was she supposed to eat? Was Sikong Xue trying to raise her like a pig?

“I feared that serving yourself would tire you out.”

If not for fear of making Ayuan angry, she would have loved to feed her personally.

Hearing Sikong Xue mention being tired, Ning Yuan’s face turned even redder. When she woke up, she did feel a bit tired, her waist so sore she couldn’t get up, and her throat was inexplicably painful. But now she was much better. Was Sikong Xue mocking her?

Ning Yuan said defiantly, “You aren’t even tired yet; how could I be tired?”

“What did you say?” Sikong Xue was stunned.

She had just seen that Ayuan seemed to like the fish ball soup and was planning to have the kitchen note it down—whenever there was fresh river fish, they should make more for Ayuan. Ayuan’s sudden remark was truly something Sikong Xue couldn’t react to.

Ning Yuan said, “Your performance last night was truly mediocre. I thought it was you who was too tired to lift your hand. Master, you’re truly a bit ‘strong on the outside but weak on the inside’.”

Ning Yuan felt that speaking this way would definitely anger Sikong Xue.

Sikong Xue: “…”

Looking at Ayuan’s red ear tips, Sikong Xue knew she was being intentionally provoked, yet she couldn’t expose her.

Last night, Ayuan had tears at the corners of her eyes as she called her name in a trembling voice. And there was the lethargy and hoarse voice of the morning…

After all that, she still blamed her for being “incapable”?

Seeing Ning Yuan’s ear tips grow redder, the stone in Sikong Xue’s heart suddenly felt a bit lighter. It seemed Ayuan wasn’t extremely angry, but just needed time to process things.

Next time, she definitely wouldn’t let this sharp-tongued girl off so easily.