After Becoming a Succubus, I Was Offered to My Mortal Enemy - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Yin Chiyun was dragged to the tea house by Songyan, half-pulled and half-carried. Upon entering, she saw Ning Yuan sitting there with furrowed brows and pursed lips, silent, while Sikong Xue stood by with a face full of worry.

Sikong Xue didn’t even give Yin Chiyun a moment to catch her breath before blurting out: “Ayuan sprained her foot. Quickly, check if she’s injured the bone or tendon.”

Seeing Ayuan so pained she couldn’t say a word made Sikong Xue’s heart ache uncontrollably.

Yin Chiyun: “…”

“It’s just a sprain. Going back and resting for a few days should fix it.”

Being summoned in such a frantic hurry, Yin Chiyun thought something catastrophic had happened. Hearing it was merely a sprained ankle, she felt her own life was truly a bitter one. As children, whenever Sikong Xue caused trouble, she was the one who took the fall; when Sikong Xue made Ning Yuan cry, she was often pestered to go and apologize on her behalf.

Now, because Ning Yuan was acting a bit spoiled, Sikong Xue summoned her with such urgency. It was truly…

Sikong Xue said nervously: “Chiyun, look quickly. Ayuan can’t even walk; she must be hurting terribly.”

Ning Yuan bit her lip, glaring at Sikong Xue with a face full of resentment. She had only meant to play-act a little, but now that Sikong Xue had insisted on calling Yin Chiyun, she didn’t know how to end the charade.

Yin Chiyun stepped forward helplessly. She lifted Ning Yuan’s skirt slightly and saw that the joint wasn’t swollen, nor did its range of motion seem restricted. She reached out to check the ankle, and the moment she touched it, Ning Yuan let out a cry of pain.

Yin Chiyun: “…”

I didn’t even use any force; how could it hurt?

Ning Yuan also knew her reaction was a bit fake, but since Yin Chiyun was already here, she couldn’t let the trip be for nothing. Surely Yin Chiyun won’t expose me…

Hearing Ning Yuan cry out, Sikong Xue immediately snapped: “Be gentler!”

Startled by Sikong Xue’s shout, Yin Chiyun’s hand hung suspended in mid-air. She thought for a moment, then reached up to press an acupuncture point on Ning Yuan’s knee. If it were truly a sprain, the pain wouldn’t be localized to just one spot.

“Does it hurt here?”

Ning Yuan shook her head. She was a bit puzzled if her ankle was sprained, why was Yin Chiyun pressing her knee?

Hearing Ning Yuan say it didn’t hurt, Yin Chiyun was now certain: this eldest Miss was perfectly fine. No wonder Ning Yuan had been glaring at Sikong Xue since she arrived. It seemed Ning Yuan wanted to play piteous to gain some affection, but she hadn’t expected Sikong Xue to summon a doctor immediately.

If she didn’t know Sikong Xue so well, Yin Chiyun would have thought Sikong Xue had called her here specifically to ruin the mood. She shook her head helplessly, thinking Sikong Xue was truly a block of wood.

Sikong Xue saw the head-shake and assumed the injury was severe. She asked hurriedly: “How is it, exactly?”

Yin Chiyun said sarcastically: “Your beloved is gravely injured; even I cannot cure her. I’m afraid she won’t be able to walk on the ground for a long time—you’ll just have to carry her in your arms every day.”

Ning Yuan’s face turned scarlet instantly. Beloved this, beloved that… Yin Chiyun must have seen right through me.

Sikong Xue, however, took it literally. Heartbroken, she said: “How could it be so… Ayuan, if it hurts, just bite me. We can share the pain together. Don’t worry, no matter what happens to you, I will take good care of you.”

Even if Ayuan could never walk again, Sikong Xue would never abandon her. She was simply terrified that Ayuan was suffering.

Ning Yuan: “…”

I just wanted to pretend to have a sprain; how did it become this dire in Sikong Xue’s mouth?

Hearing Sikong Xue’s dramatic vow, Yin Chiyun couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Sikong Xue, oh Sikong Xue… you truly are ‘matchless in wit’.”

She couldn’t understand how someone could be so “intelligent” in the affairs of the heart.

Sikong Xue said: “Ayuan is in this state, how can you make sarcastic remarks? Ayuan, don’t be sad. No matter what, I won’t leave you.”

“Sikong Xue, I don’t want to talk to you!” Ning Yuan suddenly pushed Sikong Xue away, stood up, and marched out without looking back.

This block of wood. I’m never talking to her again.

“Eh? Ayuan?” Ning Yuan’s movements were so swift that Sikong Xue didn’t react in time. Didn’t the doctor just say she couldn’t walk? How did she just march out on her own? She was moving so fast; she wondered if her foot hurt.

Yin Chiyun sighed: “Sikong Xue, oh Sikong Xue… aren’t you going to chase after her?”

Sikong Xue chased her outside the tea house and found Ning Yuan angrily telling Songyan to drive the carriage and take her back. Songyan looked troubled: “Should we wait for the Master?”

Ning Yuan snapped: “Why wait for her!”

She had only wanted to pretend to be hurt so Sikong Xue would hold her and coax her. Instead, this blockhead brought Yin Chiyun to ruin everything. Now Yin Chiyun would surely mock her for it.

Sikong Xue caught up and said: “Ayuan, I was wrong. Please don’t be angry.”

Ning Yuan refused to look at her, saying coldly: “Where were you wrong? Why don’t I know about it?”

Sikong Xue was stunned. She truly didn’t know what she had done wrong. She saw Ayuan sprain her foot and her first instinct was to call a doctor. she was worried to death; how could she have the presence of mind to guess Ayuan’s little schemes? But since Ayuan was angry, she had to admit fault first, regardless of the reason.

“Sikong Xue, you really are a blockhead!”

Ning Yuan climbed into the carriage in a huff, and Sikong Xue followed right behind. Ning Yuan glared at her for a long time before saying: “I just wanted you to hold me for a bit, to take extra care of me after we got back… You, why did you have to call Yin Chiyun in such a rush? Even if it were a real sprain, a few days of rest would have been enough. You… you…”

Even Yin Chiyun saw through her little trick; why was Sikong Xue so dense?

Sikong Xue said helplessly: “But even if you didn’t sprain your foot, I can still hold you and take care of you forever. Ayuan, when you said you sprained it, I was truly terrified. Today was my fault, but… can you please not scare me like that in the future?”

Given Ayuan’s special constitution now, she couldn’t use just any medicinal balms or treatments; how could she not worry?

Seeing that the worry in Sikong Xue’s eyes was genuine, Ning Yuan sighed helplessly. She reached out to hook her finger into Sikong Xue’s and said: “Sikong Xue, how can you be so silly?”

Admitting you’re wrong even when you weren’t.

Ning Yuan felt a sudden pang of regret. If Sikong Xue had been like this as a child, they might have been betrothed long ago. No—if Sikong Xue had coaxed her like this then, they might never have fought at all.

After Sikong Xue and Ning Yuan left, Yin Chiyun stood by the second-floor window of the tea house, looking out at the street. Aren’t these two being a bit too high-profile? A person of Sikong Xue’s status, standing on the street just to coax Ning Yuan.

Yin Chiyun saw a figure flicker at the corner of the street. The moment Sikong Xue entered the carriage, that person stepped out into the open. Her brow furrowed slightly.

Sikong Xue and Ning Yuan were dressed magnificently; their dispute on the street was far too conspicuous. The capital was filled with the Eldest Princess’s eyes and ears. With Sikong Xue calling her “Ayuan” so openly, she wondered if trouble would follow.

The person lurking in the shadows was none other than Ruan Qingshu, who was in league with Yuchi Jin. Ruan Qingshu had no official position and spent her days idling. Her mother was only the Minister of Rites, without much actual power. By rights, Yuchi Jin should have looked down on her, but the fact that she could stay by Yuchi Jin’s side all these years meant she had her own special talents.

Seeing Sikong Xue and Ning Yuan acting so flamboyantly, Yin Chiyun felt a sense of unease. She called for a carriage and headed to the Prime Minister’s manor.

Songyan led her to the gazebo in the back garden. Sikong Xue and Ning Yuan had somehow made up already. The gazebo was filled with various snacks, and Sikong Xue was feeding Ning Yuan with a gaze so tender it made one’s teeth ache.

Yin Chiyun cleared her throat. Seeing her, Ning Yuan hurriedly lowered her head in embarrassment. Having her fake injury exposed by Yin Chiyun made Ning Yuan remember the awkwardness at the tea house.

Ning Yuan lowered her head and whispered to Sikong Xue: “You two talk; I’m going back to my room.”

“Ayuan…” Sikong Xue had barely had a moment to enjoy being with her since they made up before they were interrupted by Yin Chiyun. She had never found Yin Chiyun’s visits so annoying before.

Her tender gaze turned cold as she looked at Yin Chiyun with displeasure: “Ayuan didn’t really sprain her foot, so what are you doing here?”

Yin Chiyun snapped: “Sikong Xue, you really are ‘burning the bridge after crossing it’.”

Summoning her without explanation when she was worried about Ning Yuan, and then dismissing her the moment she knew she was fine. This Sikong Xue truly didn’t care about anything else once she had Ayuan. If they hadn’t grown up together, and if Yin Chiyun hadn’t seen how Sikong Xue spent years unable to sleep from grief, she wouldn’t have been so patient with her.

Sikong Xue muttered: “I just got her coaxed; why must you come and disturb us?”

Yin Chiyun didn’t bother to argue. Based on her knowledge of Sikong Xue, it was definitely not Sikong Xue who did the coaxing. It must have been Ning Yuan sulking for a bit and then realizing Sikong Xue was too clumsy to say the right things, so she simply forgave her.

Yin Chiyun said: “Sikong Xue, you were spotted by Yuchi Jin’s people on the street today.”

Sikong Xue instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, gritting her teeth: “I just punched Yuchi Jin after the morning court; she still dares to target my Ayuan?”

Yin Chiyun reached out to press an acupuncture point on Sikong Xue’s wrist to calm her down.

“A-Xue, don’t get angry over her; it will harm your health. She doesn’t know this is Ayuan yet; she’s just doing this to make you miserable. I only came to remind you: don’t call her ‘Ayuan’ in front of outsiders anymore.”

When the tragedy first happened to Ning Yuan, Yuchi Jin had intentionally used it to wound Sikong Xue. At that time, Sikong Xue was so heartbroken she had literally spat out blood from the provocation. If it weren’t for the fact that Ning Yuan’s family was still alive and she was focused on clearing their names, she likely would have followed Ayuan to the grave.

Even though Sikong Xue’s heart illness was improving, she still couldn’t handle much stimulation.

Sikong Xue suddenly smiled. She said: “Why can’t I call her Ayuan? Even if I call her Ayuan and someone hears it, they will only think I’ve gone mad. How could they ever imagine that this truly is my Ayuan?”

Yin Chiyun thought for a moment. “There is some logic in that.”

Sikong Xue was grateful that Yin Chiyun had come specifically for this, but… at this moment, she only wanted to be with Ayuan. She had no desire to chat with Yin Chiyun.

Seeing Sikong Xue about to issue a guest dismissal again, Yin Chiyun said teasingly: “By the way, while flipping through some ancient medical texts, I saw a certain medicine that might ensure Ning Yuan is never troubled by the ‘heat’ again.”

Sikong Xue’s eyes widened, and she immediately reached out to cover Yin Chiyun’s mouth.

She checked to make sure no one was around before whispering: “Chiyun, can you… can you not tell Ayuan about this yet?”

Yin Chiyun burst into laughter. “Sikong Xue, oh Sikong Xue! Where would such a medicine come from? Even if it existed, it wouldn’t be easy to make. I was only teasing you. If Ning Yuan knew what you were thinking, she’d surely start another row with you.”

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