My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 41

Fearless Qin Shanshan ultimately failed to get any reward from Du Yunge in any sense before being escorted out by the united efforts of the Tian Zaishui girls. They even slipped a few pieces of broken silver into her hand, likely sharing the same sentiment as the Four Guardians of Seasons far away on Mount Wangyou: none of them wanted to see their prized cabbage get trampled by some random pig.

Only after Qin Shanshan was forcibly ushered out did Du Yunge realize He Zhenzhen was still there, standing awkwardly, neither advancing nor retreating, clearly waiting for her response. Recalling the story He Zhenzhen had just spun, Du Yunge couldn’t help but feel a bit amused:

It seemed He Zhenzhen truly regarded her as a three-year-old child to be coaxed.

Setting aside the question of what benefit some possibly nonexistent person would gain from rendering He Family Manor unable to establish a foothold in the Central Plains martial world, Du Yunge found it impossible to believe He Zhenzhen’s claim that “this person managed to flee all the way from He Family Manor to the Ten-Mile Qinhuai”:

How heavily guarded was He Family Manor! In her previous life, when Du Yunge began to sense something amiss and tried to escape back to Mount Wangyou by climbing walls, digging tunnels, squeezing through dog holes, or blending in with vegetable and fabric deliverymen, the manor guards had politely but firmly stopped her every time. Later, after He Zhenzhen had a “heart-to-heart” chat with her, she no longer wanted to return whether out of fear or bewilderment, she couldn’t tell.

But then again, when had her mind ever been clear in her past life?

Now, He Zhenzhen stood before her like a rigid pestle, evidently determined not to leave without Du Yunge’s statement. Clearing her throat, Du Yunge smiled and said:

“Since Manor Master He has taken the trouble to inform us, rest assured we won’t be driven apart by such a villain’s beastly actions. Please do not worry.”

He Zhenzhen’s face stiffened. She couldn’t immediately tell whether Du Yunge’s words were unintentional or if she had suddenly become clever, lacing her speech with hidden barbs. Superficially, Du Yunge seemed to share her indignation, but in reality, she was subtly accusing He Zhenzhen of meddling and trying to drive a wedge between the two present members of the Miaoyin Sect. However, Du Yunge’s decade-long reputation as a simpleton ultimately outweighed He Zhenzhen’s doubts. He Zhenzhen bowed again and said:

“If you have any news about ‘Zanhua,’ Sect Master, please be sure to inform me.”

Only after He Zhenzhen left did Du Yunge finally relax. The Tian Zaishui girls were perceptive; seeing their sect master visibly fatigued, some immediately brought a beauty mallet with a yellow bamboo handle and deerhide wrapping to gently massage her shoulders and ease her weariness. Others rushed to the kitchen to check if there were any snacks or soups available if so, to quickly serve them to the sect master; if not, to swiftly prepare something. One fetched a basin of hot water and a brand-new towel to refresh Du Yunge’s face and awaken her spirits, though this girl clearly forgot one crucial detail in her eagerness to please:

Xue Shuyan was still right beside Du Yunge.

The maidens of Tian Zaishui had never set foot on Mount Wangyou, and their understanding of the sect master of the Miaoyin Sect, to which they belonged, along with the information they had gathered, mostly came from rumors circulating in the martial world. The problem was, few dared to speak ill of the Miaoyin Sect within its own territory wasn’t that akin to seeking death? Thus, their perception of Du Yunge was entirely skewed toward the positive.

After Du Yunge arrived, a series of her actions, through a twist of fate, further deepened these maidens’ fondness for her. However, if even one of the Tian Zaishui maidens had been fortunate enough to visit Mount Wangyou and witnessed firsthand just how fiercely Xue Shuyan could protect someone, then no matter how beautiful, kind, approachable, or gentle they found Du Yunge, they wouldn’t dare to approach her as boldly as they did now.

Before the towel could even get close to Du Yunge, Xue Shuyan intercepted it. The maiden from Tian Zaishui hadn’t yet realized that Xue Shuyan was acting out of jealousy; instead, she thought Xue Shuyan was concerned about the safety of the items whether there might be something untoward in them. Smiling, she explained, “Senior Sister Xue, please look there’s a circle of jade around the basin holding the hot water, isn’t there? If it encounters anything unclean, it will turn red. If there’s poison inside, regardless of the amount, it will quickly turn black. Please rest assured, Senior Sister Xue”,let me wipe the sect master’s face to help her relax.

Before she could finish speaking, she stared in astonishment as Xue Shuyan very naturally took the towel from her hand. Instinctively, she tried to snatch it back, but Xue Shuyan’s hand twisted and pushed with a faint hint of a small grappling technique, forcibly reclaiming the towel. Xue Shuyan then said calmly, “The sect master is not accustomed to others getting too close. Let me do it.”

The maiden’s eyes widened in disbelief, and after a few moments, she finally realized she had been completely outmaneuvered. Watching Xue Shuyan hold the warm towel and gently wipe Du Yunge’s face while Du Yunge half-closed her eyes and chatted idly with her, the maiden was truly furious. But since she couldn’t win against Xue Shuyan in a struggle, she could only stomp her foot, toss her head, and sulkily head toward the rear greenhouse to pick a flower for their sect master.

The winter in Jinling’s Qinhuai district stood in stark contrast to the bone-chilling cold of Liaodong. Liaodong’s cold was a fierce, snow-laden northern wind that withered all vegetation in its sweep. In Jinling, the cold was a lingering, clinging chill that, while frigid, at least didn’t cause mass fatalities every winter, nor was there the risk of northern tribes suffering from harsh conditions and resorting to plundering. Growing flowers in winter was also much easier here than in Liaodong. Thus, every household in Jinling that had the means maintained a large greenhouse. For those more fastidious, the greenhouse walls were even made of glass, allowing the vibrant colors of the flowers inside to be visible from the outside wasn’t that truly beautiful?

After entering the greenhouse, the maiden pondered for a long time but couldn’t decide which flower to pick for Du Yunge. Just as she was hesitantly picking and choosing, she faintly heard a soft chuckle from above, startling her into looking up, but she saw no one there.

Just as she was rubbing her head, wondering if she hadn’t slept enough and was hallucinating, the red plum branch beside her suddenly trembled, as if something had brushed against it. In the bitter cold of winter, a few bold birds would occasionally sneak in to seek shelter. While it was one thing for them to overwinter here, it was quite another for them to peck at these precious flowers and plants, leaving them in disarray. To prevent this, someone was assigned daily to inspect the greenhouse and ensure no intruders had made their way inside.

Could it be that the person on duty today had been negligent, allowing a bird to slip into the greenhouse? Lost in thought, she walked over, intending to carefully examine the surroundings and determine what had crept in. After all, the plants in this greenhouse were exceptionally valuable. If anything were to go wrong, neither she nor the person responsible for tending the greenhouse today would have anywhere to turn to vent their despair.

As soon as she stood beneath the red plum tree, she caught a faint, delicate fragrance.

The scent drifted in silently and naturally, blending seamlessly with the myriad floral aromas filling the greenhouse. It was so subtle that one might easily mistake it for the fragrance of one of the flowers. By the time the girl, Tian Zaishui, belatedly realized something was amiss, she was already teetering on the edge of a deep, drowsy slumber. Her body swayed unsteadily as she leaned against the tree, looking as though she might collapse into a sound sleep at any moment.

She knew something was terribly wrong. Whatever had entered the greenhouse was no small animal or bird but a dangerous individual, one who might pose a threat not only to her but even to the sect leader’s life. Yet, despite this realization, her eyelids felt as if they were glued together, growing heavier by the second. In her desperation, she even used the dagger she carried to cut her palm, letting blood drip to the ground, but it was no use against the overwhelming drowsiness. She had no choice but to succumb to a deep sleep.

However, her persistence paid off. Just before she closed her eyes and lost consciousness, she caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in red and a hand bearing the faint marks of a pipa plectrum.

Was it the Qinhuai courtesan they had just escorted out earlier? What was she doing here? And how had she gotten her hands on such a potent incense?

Qin Shanshan bent down, carefully studying the girl’s features, and clicked her tongue in admiration. “To last this long as expected of someone from the Miaoyin Sect.”

She retrieved something from a pouch at her waist, kneaded it in her hand, and then pressed it against the girl’s face. After a moment, she gently lifted it, revealing a freshly made translucent mask. Once Qin Shanshan had moved the girl to a warm, flat spot, she seriously considered whether to fetch a blanket to cover her. In the end, she decided against it and even managed to justify her decision with a clear conscience:

“It’s not my fault you’re not that good-looking. If you were even half as beautiful as your sect leader, I’d risk my cover to carry you back to a room and let you rest properly. Sorry, girl.”

She then took some liquid and applied it to her face. After a few moments, she peeled off a similarly translucent mask, revealing her true appearance. Swiftly, she pressed the freshly made mask onto her face, smoothing out the edges and corners. In an instant, the newly crowned courtesan of Qinhuai, who had just been playing the pipa and singing melodies in the Hall of Heaven in Water, transformed into one of the girls of Heaven in Water.

Apart from the fact that she was still wearing that eye-catching bright red gown, her disguise technique was seamless. Yet, even in that brief moment when her true face was revealed, much could be discerned. If someone familiar with Xue Shuyan had been watching, they would have recognized from that fleeting glimpse.

The true face of this self-proclaimed “Qin Shanshan,” the Qinhuai courtesan, bore a subtle resemblance to Xue Shuyan, both possessing the deep-set eyes and high-bridged nose characteristic of the Hu people.

【Mini Theater】

The unlucky girl from Heaven in Water: I want to wipe the sect leader’s face, wuwuwuwu.

Xue Shuyan: The sect leader is not accustomed to others getting close.

The girls of Heaven in Water were furious but dared not speak up. Eventually, one brave soul stepped forward: And what about you? Aren’t you “others” too???

Xue Shuyan: The sect leader is my future wife. In that case, I am naturally not an outsider.

Du Yunge: ???????????????

Qin Shanshan: ?????? Do you really think I wouldn’t dare to intercept this???

What are you even doing? Isn’t it better to just live peacefully, little sister?

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