I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 96

“But,” Lady Gong Beinu said, “I won’t take your things for nothing.”

Wei Ying’s eyes curved into a smile. “Hmm?”

Gong Beinu: “I’ll give you something in return.”

Wei Ying: “Alright, alright.”

When Miss Gong made a move, it was never simple. Wei Ying expected to see priceless Eastern pearls or a one-of-a-kind jade from Lantian. But instead of pearls or jade, Gong Beinu mysteriously pulled out… a silk handkerchief.

On the silk was embroidered a little fluffy yellow oriole, its goose-yellow feathers and tender red claws perched on a branch, singing loudly.

Wei Ying was stunned for a moment.

Gong Beinu held up the silk. “I just finished embroidering this. I’ve been so bored being locked up here that I had to learn needlework from my elder sister. What do you think, isn’t my embroidery much better now?”

Her eyes sparkled, clearly waiting for praise.

Wei Ying curved her brows with a smile. “It’s beautiful.”

Gong Beinu couldn’t hold back her grin and said proudly, “Of course! I practiced for so long. My hands got pricked so many times, I even cried. Look closely.”

But the tiny punctures had long since healed. No matter how hard she stared at her slender fingers, she couldn’t find the spots that once hurt so much.

She pouted and searched for a long time before finally finding one. Quickly raising her pinky, she thrust it before Wei Ying like a soldier showing off a medal. “See, look here, here—there’s a pinprick!”

Wei Ying chuckled and blew gently on her finger.

Gong Beinu’s eyes went wide, and she quickly pulled her hand back. “What are you doing!”

Wei Ying laughed. “Blowing on it for you. If I blow, it won’t hurt anymore.”

Gong Beinu pouted. “So weird. Hmph, how could blowing make it stop hurting? You’re supposed to put medicine on a wound.”

Wei Ying waved a hand. “You don’t understand. This is a kind of magical spell. Blow on it, and it doesn’t hurt. Didn’t your mother ever blow on your hand when you were little?”

Gong Beinu’s eyes turned red, a thin sheen of tears appearing.

Wei Ying noticed something wrong. “You—”

Gong Beinu quickly said, “I don’t have a mother.”

Wei Ying: “…”

Gong Beinu sniffled. “My mother died giving birth to me, and Father never remarried.”

So everyone spoiled her, indulged her, and raised her into this pampered yet unrestrained young lady.

Wei Ying gently brushed the tears from the girl’s cheeks, her voice soft. “Don’t cry. Sigh, it’s my fault for bringing it up.”

Gong Beinu’s tears spilled down, plopping onto her sleeve. She gripped it tightly, then instinctively reached for the handkerchief to wipe her tears. Halfway through, she remembered something and threw the handkerchief at Wei Ying instead, gruffly saying, “It’s yours. You—you must keep it safe! This is the prettiest one I’ve ever made.”

She casually tossed aside a box of priceless Eastern pearls, yet carefully presented an almost worthless handkerchief, solemnly saying: “You must treasure it.”

For some reason, Wei Ying’s heart softened. She glanced at Gong Beinu.

The girl immediately widened her eyes, her flying fairy hairstyle making her look just like a little rabbit. “Well? Do you want it or not? If you don’t, I’ll take it back and—and give it to someone else!”

Wei Ying smiled, looking at the fluffy yellow oriole on the handkerchief, and carefully took the tear-stained cloth, treating it like something precious. She gazed at Gong Beinu and softly said, “Thank you.”

Gong Beinu briskly wiped her own tears away with her sleeve. “That’s better. At least you’ve got some sense. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have given it at all.”

Suddenly, footsteps came from outside.

Gong Beinu’s face turned pale. She urged Wei Ying: “Quick—quick, get under the bed! If anyone finds you here, we’re both done for.”

Wei Ying, like some sneaking adulterer, first thought to hide under the bed. But finding the space too cramped, she turned and slipped into the wardrobe instead.

Every one of Gong Beinu’s clothes was perfumed with rich spices. The mixture of a dozen fragrances made Wei Ying dizzy.

Gong Beinu sat on the bed, her wide skirts covering the space beneath, her embroidered shoes resting neatly on the bed step.

Concubine Shu entered with a box of pastries. Gong Beinu had been confined for some time now, locked inside the small palace hall. Fearing she might be bored, Concubine Shu often came to visit.

“Hm? What’s this?” Concubine Shu noticed the oil-paper parcel on the table and reached to take it.

Gong Beinu’s face went pale. “Sister!” she called sharply.

Concubine Shu turned and, seeing her red eyes, forgot all about the parcel. She hurried over, taking the girl’s hand and asking with concern: “Why are you crying? Are you tired of being cooped up in here?”

Gong Beinu whimpered: “Wuu…”

Concubine Shu sighed. “Don’t cry. I’ll talk to Auntie and have her let you out, alright? But once you’re out, you mustn’t go near Jade Dew Hall again. Is that woman some kind of spirit or demon? Look how she’s turned you into this… Ai.”

Gong Beinu lowered her head. “Wuu wuu wuu.”

Concubine Shu wiped her tears, soothing her gently. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Fine, I’ll take you to the Imperial Garden. It’s nearly spring, the flowers are blooming. We’ll go chase butterflies, how about that?”

Gong Beinu brightened at once. “Yes!”

Concubine Shu tapped her nose playfully. “So big already, still crying like a baby. Shameful.” With that, the two sisters linked arms and left the hall.

Wei Ying was finally able to crawl out of the wardrobe, hastily climbing over the palace wall to make her escape.

When she reached Yangxin Hall, she saw Yun Shao sitting by the window, gazing down at a branch of peach blossoms in a vase, her lips curved with the faintest smile.

Hearing movement, Yun Shao turned her head, brows arched, voice gentle. “Yingying, are they gone?”

Wei Ying nodded. “Gone. Your Majesty, I brought back two packs of qingtuan—one with lotus paste, one with red bean!”

Everyone else had prepared only one pack, but for the emperor there were two, both flavors included. That was VIP treatment!

Yun Shao smiled as she came over. Suddenly, her smile froze. She glanced at Wei Ying.

Wei Ying: “What? Oh, right—” She took off the flower bracelet on her wrist and placed it on Yun Shao. “Pretty, isn’t it? I made it!”

Yun Shao’s smile returned. She laughed softly, then opened her arms and threw herself into Wei Ying’s embrace. “Thank you, Yingying.”

Wei Ying patted her back. “No need to be so polite, Your Majesty.”

“But,” Yun Shao pressed her face against Wei Ying, inhaling deeply, then looked up with a playful smile. “This time, Yingying, what fragrance have you come back with?”

Wei Ying: !!!

Yun Shao plucked a tiny white blossom from Wei Ying’s shoulder, frowning slightly. “Pear blossom… So it was the Hall of Splendor. You went to see Gong Beinu again. But you can’t enter that hall directly.” Her eyes flicked to the moss and dirt on Wei Ying’s shoes, her smile teasing. “Climbed the wall? To deliver her qingtuan?”

Wei Ying: …

She rubbed the emperor’s cheek and sighed. “Your Majesty, you’re too clever.”

Yun Shao wasn’t angry, nor did she show jealousy like before. She only smiled. “Gong Beinu is different from her aunt. She’s not bad.” After a pause, she corrected herself: “At least… she can’t do much harm.”

Wei Ying thought to herself: If Miss Gong heard that, she’d be furious.

Yun Shao toyed with the flower bracelet, the pale purple blossoms swaying from her slender, snow-white wrist.

Wei Ying unwrapped the oil-paper parcel. “Your Majesty, have some qingtuan.”

Yun Shao’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “You first.”

Wei Ying didn’t suspect a thing, picked up one, and bit into it. The grassy freshness of mugwort and the soft stickiness of glutinous rice spread in her mouth—when suddenly Yun Shao leaned forward swiftly, lips brushing lightly, and stole the other half away.

Tilting her head, she winked playfully at Wei Ying.

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