On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 31

Before Liu Qinglan could speak, Xie Xuanzhao had already said, “This exquisite incense burner came from Concubine Yu. I sent people to her palace earlier, and something felt off. You must be cautious and avoid any further contact with her.”

Liu Qinglan nodded. “Empress Sister, you must be careful too. If you encounter any danger, send someone for me immediately. I will protect you!”

Looking at the serious eyes of the little beauty before her, Xie Xuanzhao knew Liu couldn’t actually protect her, but her heart warmed nonetheless. She couldn’t help but grasp Liu’s fingers. “Qinglan, no matter what happens, you must trust me. In this back palace, I can ensure your safety.”

Liu Qinglan let out a mental howl of joy. After working so hard to “cling to this golden thigh,” she had finally succeeded!

The little “willow sprite” was so moved that her eyes welled with tears. She gazed at the gently smiling Empress and hugged her arm tightly, feeling that her journey had truly been difficult! At this moment, she couldn’t help but shed a tear of relief.

Xie Xuanzhao looked at her excited expression with amusement. She assumed Liu must have grown up lonely in the mountains without the warmth of family or anyone to care for her, which was why she was so touched.

Thinking this, a surge of pity welled up in Xie Xuanzhao. she pulled this “pitiful little white flower” into a tender embrace, stroking her long hair. “You won’t be lonely anymore. I will always stay with you and care for you. If you feel wronged, you can tell me anything.”

While Liu Qinglan snuggled against her, she was actually confused. I’m not lonely, and I don’t feel wronged! Since I was little, I’ve had a whole troop of animals following my every command… Just wait until we get to Mount Huo, you’ll see!

Right, words are cheap. At this monumental moment of successfully securing my patron, I must show some proper etiquette!

Liu Qinglan quickly released the Empress and gave a shy, embarrassed giggle.

Xie Xuanzhao tapped the tip of her nose. “What are you laughing at?” Every time Liu Qinglan laughed like that, she was plotting something. Based on previous experience, Xie Xuanzhao felt a small spark of anticipation beginning to stir in her heart.

Liu Qinglan nudged toward her and poked the Empress’s arm with a finger. “Um… that… you said you’re going to cover for me from now on. In my neck of the woods, when you acknowledge a ‘Big Boss,’ you have to make a mark to show that I belong to you now.”

Acknowledge a Big Boss? Xie Xuanzhao felt the situation was heading in a direction quite different from what she had imagined.

Seeing the Empress’s expression sour, Liu Qinglan quickly reflected and realized she might have misspoke. “Wait, I said it wrong.”

Xie Xuanzhao watched her, her mood rising and falling like a roller coaster. “What did you get wrong?” If she recognized her mistake, all would be forgiven.

Liu Qinglan rubbed her hands together like a sycophant, looking ready to serve tea. She corrected herself: “I am acknowledging you as my Big Boss, not the other way around. So, it means from now on, I am your person.” Without waiting for a reaction, the little sprite knelt on the bed and bowed deeply. “Big Boss, please take me under your wing!”

At that moment, Xie Xuanzhao felt like she had taken ten thousand points of emotional damage, the kind that could only be healed by a kiss!

Liu Qinglan waited for a moment. Seeing no movement, she worried the Empress might regret taking on a lackey. She peeked up cautiously.

Xie Xuanzhao’s face was cold and elegant, her phoenix eyes narrowed as she stared.

Liu Qinglan scratched her ear, feeling uneasy. What does the Empress mean?

Just then, a shadow loomed over her. Liu Qinglan looked up to see the Empress leaning in. Panicked, she backed away, but Xie Xuanzhao followed.

The narrowed eyes of the Empress felt full of “killing intent.” Liu Qinglan knew she’d messed up but didn’t know how. She retreated until she was cornered against the bedpost, with nowhere left to run.

Xie Xuanzhao pressed one hand on Liu’s long leg and the other against the wall, trapping her. Her shimmering eyes glinted with a dark light. “Let me ask you, all these days you’ve been flirting with me and seducing me… was it just to acknowledge me as your ‘Big Boss’?”

Liu Qinglan nodded, then seeing the Empress’s face darken further, she frantically shook her head, looking as innocent as a bewildered kitten.

Xie Xuanzhao took a deep breath, then turned back with a very “kind” smile. “Then let me ask you this: in your neck of the woods, does acknowledging a Big Boss involve secretly drinking the Boss’s tea, stealing the Boss’s personal items, playing in the water together, and hugging and kissing the Boss? Hmm?”

The killing intent in that last “Hmm” was palpable!

Liu Qinglan’s face turned bright red. Of… of course not! I was just trying to absorb your spiritual energy!

Though she felt justified in her head, she looked terrified on the outside. Her ears drooped, her hands fidgeted, and she whispered piteously, “It… it’s not usually required… but whenever I see you, I can’t help but want to stick to you. You have something special that attracts me. What is it… let me think…”

In this life-or-death moment, the little sprite summoned all her wit and finally found the answer: “It’s your beauty!”

Xie Xuanzhao: “…”

Liu Qinglan jumped up, eyes sparkling with adoration. “It’s your unparalleled beauty that drew me in! At first, I was bewitched by your looks, but as I spent time with you, I discovered your brilliant inner qualities. You’re not just beautiful, you’re gentle, not just gentle, you’re smart, not just smart, you’re…”

“Alright, alright, enough flattery.” Xie Xuanzhao suppressed a smile, interrupting the little beauty’s improvisation. She was truly stuck between anger and laughter. “Don’t think sweet talk will work. I’m telling you, I am still very angry.”

Liu Qinglan wilted again, looking guilty. She tugged at the Empress’s sleeve. “Then… what can I do to make you stop being angry? If you don’t like it, I won’t call you Big Boss anymore…”

It felt like a perfectly grown cabbage had suddenly reverted into a tiny seed, what a waste!

Xie Xuanzhao’s eyes flickered. She maintained a serious face and said, “It’s not that I don’t like it.”

“Really?!” Seeing a glimmer of hope, the little sprite clasped her hands, eyes shining.

Looking at that expectant face, Xie Xuanzhao finally realized that when Liu had looked at her like that in the past, she wasn’t “loving” her or “seducing” her… she was just hoping to successfully become her lackey?

How bizarre…

Xie Xuanzhao was truly confused by this little creature. Her previous assumptions had been completely overturned!

Pushing the weirdness aside, she looked at the expectant beauty and said leisurely, “In your neck of the woods, what do you have to do to acknowledge a Big Boss?”

Liu Qinglan regained her spirit. “It’s simple! I prepare a piece of meat and a bottle of wine, and then I offer them to your ‘Old Ladyship’ as a token of respect!”

Old… Ladyship…

The “elderly” Empress took a breath and smiled gently. “Am I that old?”

“Ah! I’m wrong! Empress Sister, you are eternally youthful!” The little sprite apologized instantly.

Xie Xuanzhao resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks and continued her “plot.” “Forget the meat. On an auspicious day, you pick out a fine bottle of wine, and we will complete the ceremony then.”

Suspecting no trap, Liu Qinglan nodded happily. As long as the Empress agreed to be her Boss, she could finally absorb spiritual energy with total confidence!

The Boss protects the lackey, it’s the natural law!

Seeing her so happy, Xie Xuanzhao smiled with satisfaction. Then she turned serious again. “However, the wine is the custom of your place. Since you’re acknowledging me as Boss, I have my own rules here.”

Liu Qinglan was puzzled. “What rules?” she asked nervously.

Then she saw the Empress give her a smile so breathtaking it made her legs go weak and her eyes glaze over.

Xie Xuanzhao reached out, hooking Liu’s well-defined chin, her breath like orchids. “In my world, acknowledging a Big Boss means being ready to satisfy the Boss’s demands at any time. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do it obediently. Can you do that?”

The “willow sprite,” intoxicated by the Empress’s smile, was no longer in control of herself. You’re beautiful, so whatever you say goes.

Xie Xuanzhao curled her lips. “For example, the Boss is angry right now, the kind of anger that takes days to go away. What do you think should be done?”

Liu Qinglan blinked, feeling incredibly guilty. She’s still angry! She asked humbly, “What should I do?”

Seeing how “un-enlightened” she was, Xie Xuanzhao sighed. Fine, she would have to do it herself.

She held Liu Qinglan’s chin, pulling her face closer. Under the little sprite’s dazed gaze, she slowly lowered her lips and kissed her.

The kiss was lingering, deepening, and passionate.

A moment later, Xie Xuanzhao pulled back, her eyes dark. “Do you understand what to do now?”

Liu Qinglan, left weak-limbed and breathless by the kiss, looked at her in a daze and stammered, “So… so in Empress Sister’s world, this is how you acknowledge a Big Boss…”

Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t help but chuckle while trying to stay serious. “Yes. You have a lot to learn.”

“Oh, oh, okay.” Seeing how serious the Empress looked, Liu Qinglan nodded, promising to be a studious pupil.

Xie Xuanzhao ruffled her hair. “Also, you can only have me as your Big Boss. You said you are my person now. Is that true?”

“True! Truer than gold!” The little sprite had just sold herself completely.

Seeing the satisfied smile on the Empress’s face, Liu Qinglan asked cautiously, “Empress Sister, are you not angry anymore?”

Xie Xuanzhao patted her shoulder. “Little Liu, when I get angry, it doesn’t go away for days. You’ll just have to figure out how to handle the rest.”