The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 42.1

Chapter 42.1

Lin Yanran entered the room carrying the meal, intending to continue earning favor points with Youqin Mingyue.

She found that the villainess, who had been somewhat normal moments ago, now looked as gloomy as a gathering storm. Frightened, she hurried to serve her a bowl of lean meat congee and picked out some of her favorite side dishes, saying in a soft voice, “Mingyue, this morning’s meat porridge is particularly fresh and tender. Why don’t you try some?”

Youqin Mingyue gave her a cold stare before finally reaching for the soup spoon. Fortunately, she could still manage to hold it. That single look sent a shiver down Lin Yanran’s spine; she felt as if the other woman was eyeing her neck to see where it would be best to strike with a blade.

After the meal, Lin Yanran immediately wanted to flee the room, but Youqin Mingyue called out to her.

“Wait—”

Lin Yanran’s scalp tingled whenever she heard those two words, but she couldn’t ignore them. She turned back and asked, “Mingyue, what is it?”

Youqin Mingyue stared at her coldly again, her tone brooding. “I wish to bathe. Prepare for it.”

Lin Yanran breathed a sigh of relief and quickly tried to please her. “Alright, I’ve already told Xiaohua to boil the hot water. I’ll go scrub the bathtub clean right away.”

Once everything was ready, she stood at the door and said, “Mingyue, the hot water is ready.”

She felt timid in her heart and was reluctant to enter the room. To Youqin Mingyue, this was a source of hidden resentment—this commoner had caused her to lose all her strength, and now she wasn’t even willing to serve her.

Youqin Mingyue sat motionless, staring at her with somber eyes. “Carry me over.”

Lin Yanran looked at her in surprise; Youqin Mingyue’s gaze was freezing. Shuddering, Lin Yanran walked over quickly, carried her into the washroom, and brought a change of clothes. After giving a few instructions, she intended to leave.

Youqin Mingyue stopped her again. “Guard the door.”

Lin Yanran was even more surprised but promptly complied. During the wait, feeling uneasy, she knocked on the door once. Youqin Mingyue gave a low, heavy “Mm” from inside.

After a while, the door suddenly opened, though no one came out. A weary voice drifted from within: “Come in.”

Sensing something was wrong, Lin Yanran slipped inside. Before she could even close the door, she was stunned. Youqin Mingyue was leaning against the wall behind the door, her face flushed crimson. Her clothes were disheveled; her undergarments hung loosely off her shoulders, looking as if they might slip off at any moment. Beneath the scattered collar was skin that had been soaked in hot water until it was rosy and translucent.

Her hair was damp, her expression exhausted, and she leaned against the wall in a state of collapse. Seeing Lin Yanran enter, she could no longer support herself and began to slide toward the floor.

“Mingyue—”

Lin Yanran lunged forward to catch her, her hands gripping her waist tightly to pin her against the wall. Her face pressed directly against the other woman’s temple. She felt the damp strands of hair wet her cheek and smelled the rich fragrance, along with the warmth of skin radiating through the hair. Beneath the hair was Youqin Mingyue’s exquisite earlobe, and Lin Yanran’s lips were pressed right against it.

Lin Yanran’s heart began to race uncontrollably again. A post-bath Youqin Mingyue was more alluring than ever—her body fragrant and soft, her skin bright and flushed, emitting a warm, moist vapor. Holding her felt like falling into a soft and magnificent dream. The slender waist encircled by her arms felt bone-soft, hanging entirely on her support.

She instinctively held her a little tighter. The closeness of their bodies brought more distinct and sensitive contact. Her lips moved almost imperceptibly. She desperately wanted to peck at the earlobe beneath her lips.

At this moment, her heartbeat and breathing became exceptionally clear. She could hardly restrain herself from drawing closer, but then she caught a glimpse of Youqin Mingyue’s expression out of the corner of her eye.

The other woman’s eyes were downcast, her long lashes hiding her gaze so as not to leak her thoughts. However, her tightly pursed lips betrayed a mixture of stubbornness, humiliation, resentment, and a rare trace of grievance.

Lin Yanran drew a bit closer, her lips lightly brushing against her hair, almost touching her face. Her warm breath fanned across Youqin Mingyue’s skin, causing the latter to immediately turn her face away. A flash of resentment crossed her expression again. “What are you staring for?”

Entangled by the ambiguous atmosphere and a sudden surge of heartache, Lin Yanran couldn’t help but ask, “Mingyue, what’s wrong?”

Youqin Mingyue struggled slightly, but this movement caused the loose undergarments on her shoulders to slip, exposing a patch of snowy, rosy skin at her neck and shoulder. She felt it herself and reached out to pull it back, but her arms had no strength. After one failed attempt, she bit her lip hard and tried again. Finally, Lin Yanran reached out, pulled up the slipping fabric, and closed the collar for her.

Youqin Mingyue’s sense of shame reached its peak. Her eyes snapped toward her. “It’s all your fault!”

This accusation left Lin Yanran bewildered, but the moment their eyes met, her heart twinged. Those eyes were glaring at her, but the rims were red, and a hazy mist floated over the dark pupils, turning a resentful gaze into something stubborn yet fragile. Perhaps worried she might actually cry, Youqin Mingyue turned her face away again, presenting only her profile.

Yet this stubborn profile—biting her red lips until they were almost broken, emitted a dense, tragic beauty that tugged at one’s heartstrings even more. The lingering romantic feelings in Lin Yanran’s heart vanished, replaced by an indescribable pang of pity.

Youqin Mingyue leaned limply against her, filled with resentment. If not for this commoner, how could she fail even to dress herself? How could she lose her composure so disgracefully? Her eyes felt sore and swollen, making her humiliated heart suffer even more. Yet Lin Yanran just held her as if she were in a daze. This situation added to her sense of grievance. Commoner, commoner, commoner! She must be dawdling on purpose to make me look pathetic.

Turning her face away, she said hatefully, “Why haven’t you carried me back to the room yet?”

Lin Yanran sighed inwardly. Too stubborn.

At this moment, she felt all of the other woman’s emotions—especially that rare tear nearly overflowing from her eyes, and the hidden endurance and grievance revealed as she stubbornly suppressed it. This moved her deeply. Ever since waking up this morning, Lin Yanran had been in a “save my own life” survival mode, but catching this unintentional glimpse into her fragile heart made her feelings incredibly complex. She could only wonder: How can there be a woman this stubborn?

Stubborn to the point of causing heartache.

She couldn’t help but look at her again, seeing her biting her lip nearly to the point of bleeding. Her resentful expression was suppressed to the limit, and her body was even trembling slightly. Lin Yanran felt it was quite strange; she could sense her emotions. She was suppressing anger, dissatisfied that Lin Yanran hadn’t carried her out yet, and her patience was nearly exhausted. Perhaps in the next second, she would erupt in a thunderous rage.

But strangely, she suddenly felt that even if she did get angry, she wasn’t that afraid anymore.

She pulled her tightly into her embrace with one arm and grabbed her skirt with the other, wrapping it directly around her. She bundled her up tightly from neck to foot before picking her up horizontally.

Her steps felt a bit floaty as she walked out. The morning breeze blew against her face, and she finally cleared her head, realizing that Youqin Mingyue likely hadn’t recovered from her physical weakness, which was why she needed to be carried to the washroom.

Does a Kunze have such a strong reaction after being marked? To stay weak until the next day without fully recovering? The taste in her heart was subtle.

Back in the room, she didn’t put her down but instead sat down and held her on her lap. Realizing the awkwardness of her posture, Youqin Mingyue reached out to hold the slipping collar of her undergarments and barked again, “Let me down!”

Lin Yanran didn’t really want to. She said seriously, “Your body is weak. Let me dry your hair and help you into your outer clothes before I put you down, okay?”

Youqin Mingyue frowned. Back in the washroom, she had used all her strength just to get from the tub to the door, and used the last of it to pull on her undergarments. Eventually, she really couldn’t stand steadily and was forced to call Lin Yanran in. She looked at Lin Yanran; the other woman looked serious, holding a towel to dry her hair. She gave her a hateful look, which served as a silent agreement.

Lin Yanran peeked at her expression. Seeing no objection, she quietly increased the strength of the arm encircling her, pulling her a bit closer into her chest. She remained outwardly calm, meticulously drying her hair.

When Lin Yanran focused on a task, she was truly dedicated. Even a mundane thing like drying hair was done better than anyone else—it was the kind of quality where one could feel the meticulousness, thoughtfulness, and care.

Youqin Mingyue’s resentful mood improved, and her body gradually relaxed. Her back softened as she leaned into the curve of Lin Yanran’s arm. Lin Yanran’s embrace was powerful and warm, perfectly enveloping her slender and exquisite frame. A strange sensation sprouted in her heart; it was quite peculiar. But thinking about how she was weak until now because of her, she felt a surge of displeasure and anger, forcing herself to ruthlessly suppress that strange feeling.

Just then, a low voice rang out from the shadows.

“Master, your subordinate has an important report.”

“Come in.”

A Death Guard appeared silently in the room. It was Shadow. The moment she saw the situation in the room, she was struck with horror. How could the Master be held in that bastard Lin Yanran’s arms, and with her clothes in such disarray? What on earth happened?

Youqin Mingyue moved her body and found she was still powerless. Having already gone through everything, she simply leaned lazily in Lin Yanran’s arms and asked calmly, “Shadow, is there news from the Black Dragon Stronghold?”

Shadow glanced at Lin Yanran, lowered her head, and replied, “Yes. News came from Hidden Wind. The county yamen and the general will deploy troops at the hour of the Pig (9-11 PM) tonight and attack at the hour of the Rat (11 PM – 1 AM). Your subordinate has arranged everything and hurried back to inform the Master so that you may rest easy.”

Lin Yanran couldn’t help but look at Youqin Mingyue, who happened to look back at her at the same time. Both simultaneously had the same thought: Just as expected.

Youqin Mingyue lowered her eyes and said sternly, “Go. Be extremely cautious. There must be no mistakes.”

“Yes.” Shadow stood up, giving Lin Yanran another look before leaving.

Lin Yanran felt that look was full of warning and wondered to herself: I haven’t offended this Death Guard, have I?

After Shadow left, the room fell silent. Youqin Mingyue had leaned completely into her embrace, her body becoming bone-soft, like a pool of water rippling in her arms. Strands of the singular fragrance drifted into her nose. Water droplets kept falling from the tips of the hair, wetting her neck.

Lin Yanran moved her neck restlessly to avoid the annoying droplets, but even a small movement made her feel the soft body in her arms. How can the villain be this soft? she thought dizzily, her head swelling from the fragrance and her consciousness turning into a blur.

Her heart continued to speed up quietly. Even though she tried her best to suppress it, Youqin Mingyue still heard it. Why is this commoner’s heart beating so fast? Guilty again?

She couldn’t help but study Lin Yanran and noticed tiny beads of sweat on the tip of her nose. Her face was very close to her own, and the breath from her lips was so hot.

Suddenly feeling a bit panicked, she barked, “Let me down.”

Lin Yanran peeked at her and said softly, “Alright, let me put your outer clothes on first.”

Saying this, she loosened her hold slightly, encircling her waist with one hand while the other went to tidy her undergarments. Her expression was so serious that even though Youqin Mingyue stared at her, she couldn’t find anything abnormal.

Lin Yanran dressed her in her undergarments and then used one hand to tie the sash. Seeing her fingers moving with incredible flexibility, tying the sash in the blink of an eye, Youqin Mingyue grew suspicious. Does she often undress and dress people? Otherwise, how could she be so skilled?

But how could she speak of such a thing? She could only bottle up the discomfort in her heart, adding another mark of hatred against Lin Yanran.

Poor Lin Yanran didn’t know; if she did, she would certainly scream of her innocence. She had been single her whole previous life, obsessed with experiments. Her manual dexterity was extremely high; while she might not reach the level of a medical student tying knots with tweezers under a microscope, tying a sash with one hand was effortless for her.

After Lin Yanran finished dressing her, she finally placed her in the chair. Thinking of the events tonight, she decided to earn some favor and asked proactively, “Mingyue, regarding tonight’s matter, do you need my help?”

Youqin Mingyue suppressed those mysterious emotions in her heart and gave her a flat look. “No need. You may go out.”