The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 9

After saying these words, Yun Chu also felt that she might have been a bit too harsh. Softening her tone, she took Wen Ying’s limp hand and spoke earnestly, “Princess, perhaps my words were too severe, but I truly fear something might happen to you.”

How could Wen Ying really be angry with Yun Chu? It was just that she couldn’t go out now to find a solution. The mere thought of Fu Qingyin being monitored by those guards made her heart ache.

Since Yun Chu wouldn’t let her leave, Wen Ying had no choice but to turn and lie down on the bed, her voice muffled, “Sister Yun Chu, you can have the pastries I got from Xiao Tang.”

Yun Chu glanced at the pastries on the table, her heart also heavy. But every time she remembered Wen Ying’s birth mother her own mistress lying on her sickbed, entrusting her to take good care of Wen Ying, she couldn’t allow anyone to harm the princess. Even if it meant making Wen Ying unhappy.

Before long, the sky outside darkened with thick clouds. Wen Ying hadn’t slept at all, her almond-shaped eyes wide open as she lay with her back to Yun Chu.

Her small face was turned toward the wooden window Yun Chu had repaired during the winter. The dim light outside was gentle on her eyes, not harsh, but such weather often drew out the melancholy in one’s heart.

The early spring temperature dropped sharply, and Wen Ying tightened the little quilt around her, leaving only her head exposed as she stared at the window.

The wind was strong, so Yun Chu had already sealed it shut.

Wen Ying opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. Normally, she would have been pestering Yun Chu for a story by now, but today she didn’t feel like it. Her heart felt sour, and her usually carefree mind now weighed heavily.

As the room darkened, Yun Chu stood up to light a candle. Just as the flame flickered to life, heavy raindrops began pelting down outside.

The rhythmic pitter-patter against the courtyard was crisp and pleasant. Wen Ying loved rainy days, and the sound finally lifted her spirits a little. Propping herself up on her elbows, she sat up.

Just as Yun Chu was about to speak, someone holding an oil-paper umbrella arrived at the main hall’s entrance and knocked lightly on the wooden door.

“Who’s there?” Yun Chu was instantly on guard, quickly moving to shield Wen Ying. Wen Ying, in turn, clutched Yun Chu’s sleeve, her dewy eyes fixed on the door.

The next moment, Chu Ran’s laughter rang out from outside.

“Yun Chu, you’re so jumpy! I came to ask you to go to the laundry bureau with me. The rain today was so sudden. The concubines’ palaces have all sent over their dirty clothes, we’ll have to work late, but the pay is good. Are you coming?”

Chu Ran held some influence in the laundry bureau. If she said there was money to be made, it was true. Yun Chu turned to look at Wen Ying. She shouldn’t leave at a time like this, but after the winter, all her savings had been spent on charcoal and warm clothes for the two of them.

If she didn’t earn some silver now, as the weather grew warmer, her little princess Wen Ying wouldn’t even have summer dresses to wear.

Gritting her teeth, Yun Chu nodded and decided to go with Chu Ran to the laundry bureau.

As she was leaving, Yun Chu gave Wen Ying a deep, lingering look. If Her Highness wished to do something, then she should go ahead and do it.

Even if it meant risking her own worthless life, Yun Chu would protect Wen Ying.

The wooden door creaked shut. Wen Ying pricked up her ears, listening as the footsteps gradually faded into the distance. The rain outside was torrential, the entire Ninglu Palace had only one oil-paper umbrella, which Yun Chu hadn’t taken. Instead, she shared one with Chu Ran.

Wen Ying stared at the lone umbrella lying in the corner and sat on the bed for a long time, lost in thought, until a sudden clap of thunder snapped her back to reality. Only then did she realize it was already night.

Tap, tap, tap. The crisp knocking at the door made the stormy night feel even more terrifying. Wen Ying huddled under the blankets, not forgetting to blow out the candle. She didn’t dare make a sound, who knew if the person outside had come to claim her life?

Trembling, she hid beneath the covers, only her frightened, glistening eyes peeking out.

The wooden door was soon pushed open. At that moment, Wen Ying felt an overwhelming longing for Yun Chu but longing was useless. She didn’t dare look to see who had entered, staying buried under the blankets.

“Wen Ying.” The voice was clear and melodious, strangely familiar. The next moment, Wen Ying felt herself pulled into a warm embrace, her neck nuzzled affectionately.

Sister Beauty? Wen Ying struggled to push away the clingy head, but the unmistakable scent confirmed it was indeed Fu Qingyin. But wasn’t Fu Qingyin supposed to be under guard?

“Little Wen Ying, are you afraid of thunder?” Fu Qingyin didn’t know how to explain herself. With her skills, she could easily slip away when the guards were lax, but only now did she start to wonder, why had she rushed over without a second thought after hearing that thunderclap?

Perhaps it was because she had seen Yun Chu leave with that palace maid and still hadn’t returned. Fu Qingyin had worried something might happen to Wen Ying, so she… But then, frustration crept in should she really be this close to the daughter of her enemy?

Wen Ying squirmed uncomfortably in Fu Qingyin’s arms, wriggling free and sitting back on the bed, eyeing the rain-soaked woman before her.

“Sister Beauty, Wen Ying is afraid of thunder.” It was true, she was terrified. In the past, Yun Chu would tell her stories to help her through stormy nights. Never had she imagined Fu Qingyin would come to keep her company. Warmth filled her heart, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder, how did Fu Qingyin know she was afraid of thunder? “But, how did Sister Beauty know?”

The candle in the room flickered back to life as Fu Qingyin relit it. Wen Ying could now see the faint awkwardness on Fu Qingyin’s face and found it oddly endearing.

Fu Qingyin made up an excuse on the spot, pointing to the small cabinet beneath Wen Ying’s dressing table. “I just wanted to read some of your storybooks. How about this you go to sleep, and I’ll tell you a story, alright?”

Before Wen Ying could respond, Fu Qingyin had already pulled out a book from the cabinet and was about to start reading. But when Wen Ying caught sight of the title, she immediately snatched it from Fu Qingyin’s hands and hid it behind her back.

“Th-th-that… We should be thinking about how to help you right now, not reading storybooks!”

Wen Ying was truly terrible at lying, making it all too easy for Fu Qingyin to see through her words now. Fu Qingyin, who had initially been quite flustered, placed her hands on her hips and looked at Wen Ying. “Just now, I caught a glimpse of a few words something about a peerless princess falling for me?”

It was bad enough unspoken, but hearing it aloud made Wen Ying so embarrassed she covered her ears, not daring to listen. Seeing her like this only fueled Fu Qingyin’s mischief, and she leaned in close to whisper right by Wen Ying’s ear.

Realizing that covering her ears was futile, Wen Ying reached out and clamped her hand over Fu Qingyin’s mouth instead. The soft warmth of Fu Qingyin’s lips against her palm, the faint brush of her breath, it was all far too intimate.

Fu Qingyin froze as well, her cheeks flushing as she noticed the reddened tips of Wen Ying’s ears.

“Little Wen Ying, is this book about two women?” Fu Qingyin asked, immediately realizing the question did nothing to ease the awkward tension. But Wen Ying answered anyway, “Y-yes. But I didn’t finish it Sister Yun Chu wouldn’t let me read it.”

In truth, Wen Ying had stopped after the first few chapters, feeling she wasn’t quite ready for such content, and had set it aside, forgetting about it entirely until Fu Qingyin pulled it out, reminding her of its contents.

As Wen Ying recalled the story, her expression grew increasingly uneasy, so Fu Qingyin didn’t press further.

Time was slipping away, and Wen Ying began to grow anxious. She tugged at Fu Qingyin’s sleeve. “This whole thing today, it must be Noble Consort Xin framing you. She sees you as a threat because you’re beautiful and could overshadow her. You need to find a way out of this quickly.”

Fu Qingyin nodded. Though she was indeed the one behind the incident, she had left no traces. Noble Consort Xin must have orchestrated this deliberately. The only reason no punishment had been meted out yet was because she didn’t dare involve the emperor she merely wanted to confine Fu Qingyin to Hanguang Palace, restricting her movements.

Just another excuse to keep her under watch.

Fu Qingyin smiled faintly. She had seen such tricks many times before. Noble Consort Xin didn’t know that the hostage decree explicitly stated, “Hostage Fu Qingyin shall not be taken as a consort.”

Had she known, she wouldn’t have wasted so much effort targeting her. Bai Zhi, too, was nothing more than a pawn Noble Consort Xin was willing to exploit even in death.

Seeing Fu Qingyin still smiling at a time like this, Wen Ying pinched her ear and pretended to glare at her. “What are you laughing about? This is serious!”

Fu Qingyin caught Wen Ying’s mischievous hand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Then, little Wen Ying, do you have any ideas?”

Wen Ying laid out everything she had been thinking, and to her surprise, Fu Qingyin actually found it plausible.

“It’s just after dinner now. The Eighth Prince used to wander the palace even in heavy rain. I think if we go near his palace, we might run into him.”

Wen Ying was earnestly analyzing the situation, but a shadow of melancholy flickered in Fu Qingyin’s eyes. Wen Ying could affectionately call Yun Chu “sister,” yet she couldn’t bring herself to address the Eighth Prince as “younger brother.”

Little Wen Ying, how have you spent these years?

Fu Qingyin didn’t dare dwell on it too much. With a bitter smile, he simply accompanied her, picking up the oil-paper umbrella from the corner and walking slowly outside. Neither of them had eaten much, so Wen Ying had packed some pastries and hidden them in her sleeve.

The rain outside showed no sign of letting up if anything, it was falling harder than before. Wen Ying couldn’t help but worry: what if they didn’t find what they were looking for? Still, this was the only solution she could think of at the moment.

Fu Qingyin held the oil-paper umbrella over her, his beautiful eyes fixed intently on Wen Ying as she pondered.

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