The Abused Female Protagonist In The Angst Novel Is Actually A White Lotus - Chapter 9

By the time Yun Nian finished reading the storybook, she realized Shen Sijing had fallen asleep. Assuming she was exhausted from the day’s events, Yun Nian didn’t wake her. She quietly took the book and slipped out of the room. At the doorway, after a moment’s hesitation, she called Ling Qingyi out as well.

“Third Young Miss Ling, our Young Miss seems to be quite fond of you,” Yun Nian said, her eyes fixed on Ling Qingyi, anxious for her agreement. “Would you mind staying the night and sharing a bed with her?”

Ling Qingyi looked puzzled. “What’s the reason for this?” she asked softly.

Yun Nian explained Shen Sijing’s troubled state of mind. It was the first time she’d seen her mistress so deeply attached to someone, so willing to protect them. As a servant, her greatest wish was simply for her mistress to be happy.

Madam Shen likely felt the same way. After hearing the full story, Ling Qingyi found it all rather strange. Why would Shen Sijing, whom she’d never even met, value her so highly? The genuine concern in her eyes didn’t seem feigned.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Ling Qingyi nodded, assuring Yun Nian she would comply. Just as she turned to go back inside, Madam Shen appeared at the entrance of Dreamlike Pavilion.

“Madam… Madam Shen,” Ling Qingyi said, her voice tinged with respect. Despite her underlying reverence for Madam Shen, she felt constrained under the woman’s roof, unable to truly relax.

Madam Shen, noticing Ling Qingyi’s unease, softened her expression. She carried a food box in one hand, while a maid behind her held a bowl of freshly brewed medicine.

“Sijing has been quite agitated today and needs to take her medicine. I’ll go check on her.” Madam Shen was about to bypass Ling Qingyi and enter the room when Ling Qingyi stopped her. “Madam, Young Miss Shen is already asleep.”

Madam Shen looked surprised, but quickly realized it was only natural. She handed the food box and medicine to Ling Qingyi, a subtle hint of worry crossing her dignified face.

Madam Shen gazed at Ling Qingyi, the pearl earrings dangling at her ears, nearly identical to Shen Sijing’s own, swaying with an air of understated opulence.

“I apologize for the inconvenience tonight, Third Young Miss Ling. I will personally escort you back to your residence tomorrow.” With these words, Madam Shen turned to leave, sensing Ling Qingyi’s discomfort in her presence. Little did she know that after Madam Shen departed, Ling Qingyi lifted the lid of the scalding bowl of medicine, fresh off the stove, and dripped a few drops onto her arm.

“Hiss…” Yun Nian, who had gone to see Madam Shen off, noticed Ling Qingyi standing alone without any maids nearby. When Yun Nian approached, the sight of the bright red mark on Ling Qingyi’s wrist startled her.

“Young Miss! Your wrist!” Yun Nian exclaimed, forgetting all formalities. She had only been gone for a moment, yet Ling Qingyi had already burned herself?

Ling Qingyi shook her head with a smile, then picked up the medicine bowl and food box and went inside. Even though she tried to open the wooden door as quietly as possible, it still creaked, instantly waking Shen Sijing, who was a light sleeper.

The moment Shen Sijing opened her eyes, she called out, “Ling Qingyi.”

Ling Qingyi froze, her fingertips touching the medicine bowl turning slightly red. Yet she seemed oblivious to the pain, wanting only to hear Shen Sijing say her name again.

So my name can sound this beautiful, Ling Qingyi thought, a sudden smile blooming on her face like the radiant sun. She placed the medicine and food on a small table, then sat down to gaze at the drowsy Shen Sijing, her expression softening with tenderness. “Sister Shen, did you rest well? It’s time to get up and take your medicine and have some food.”

Shen Sijing was now fully awake, but her body felt too lazy to move. She gazed at Ling Qingyi’s beautiful face, hugging her arms tightly, reluctant to take her medicine. But Ling Qingyi wouldn’t let her off the hook.

“You have to finish your dinner before taking your medicine. Please?” Ling Qingyi’s childish pleading was impossible to resist. Shen Sijing immediately sat up, rubbed her eyes, and shuffled over to the small table.

Madam Shen had specially commissioned this table for Shen Sijing to use while eating in bed. It was small and elegant, and the moment Shen Sijing saw it, she thought it looked exactly like the modern bed trays she knew.

So these things existed this early? Shen Sijing marveled inwardly, but as she ate, her gaze kept drifting to the medicine pot sitting nearby.

“Can’t I skip the medicine?” Shen Sijing grumbled, repeating the question with every bite. By now, dusk had fallen outside. Yun Nian had already lit the candles indoors, and the courtyard lanterns glowed warmly.

The light was sufficient to see clearly. The original owner of this body and Shen Sijing shared a fear of the dark, so Yun Nian had filled the room with candles, making it as bright as day. She used high-quality candles that produced minimal smoke and had a faint, pleasant scent, easily masking the medicinal aroma.

Shen Sijing had little appetite to begin with. After a few bites, she set down her chopsticks and gazed at the medicine bowl with a troubled expression.

Ling Qingyi sat beside Shen Sijing’s bed, watching her drink the medicine. Suddenly, Shen Sijing felt like she was being supervised by the cub she had raised, and her smile turned bitter.

Resigning herself to the inevitable, she lifted the bowl and gulped down the medicine in one go, swallowing it quickly to avoid letting the bitter liquid linger in her mouth for even a second. Yet even this couldn’t completely dispel the lingering taste. Shen Sijing grimaced, her small face wrinkling like a steamed bun as she looked at Ling Qingyi, seeking comfort.

Ling Qingyi hadn’t expected Shen Sijing to drink it so decisively. She pushed the pastries Yun Nian had brought forward, and Shen Sijing eagerly picked one up and ate it. The sweet, cloying taste finally melted in her mouth, offering a slight reprieve from the bitterness.

Feeling utterly overwhelmed by the bitterness, Shen Sijing collapsed back onto the bed in despair, gazing at the intricate carvings on the ceiling beams and sighing.

Ling Qingyi didn’t understand why Shen Sijing was sighing, assuming it was due to the medicine’s bitterness. Uncertain how to comfort her, she simply sat quietly by her side.

As night deepened, the maids outside in the courtyard finished their tasks. The growing silence seemed to signal it was time for them to retire as well.

Yun Nian entered at just the right moment, expecting to find Shen Sijing asleep as she had been that afternoon. Instead, she found Shen Sijing wide-eyed, staring at Ling Qingyi, who was dozing off, her head propped up by her hand.

“Shh…” Shen Sijing, startled by Yun Nian’s entrance, quickly hushed her and whispered instructions to move the table aside so Ling Qingyi could lie down slowly.

Ling Qingyi wasn’t fully asleep, but she was utterly exhausted. She let herself be arranged on the bed, then turned to face Shen Sijing and drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Shen Sijing’s heart melted at the sight. She reached out a delicate finger to poke Ling Qingyi’s cheek, then smiled.

No wonder she’s the female lead. She’s just so beautiful. Shen Sijing had napped earlier and wasn’t particularly sleepy anymore. She gazed at Ling Qingyi, her mind already planning how to help Qingqing avoid the tragedies of her past life.

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