Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 19

How about if I, the Sovereign, steal just one kiss?

This night felt exceptionally long, as if dawn would never arrive. As nonchalantly as Jiang Qionghua had once tossed the medicine bottle away, she was now equally frantic in her search for it.

She brought many people with her, ordering everyone under her command to search through the snow inch by inch. They searched for a long time but found nothing.

“A pack of useless fools! What use does the Sovereign have for you?” The process of waiting was agonizingly slow. Watching these people act so submissively only fueled Jiang Qionghua’s anger. She commanded, “Watch your step! Do not crush the bottle.”

The subordinates grew even more terrified, their movements becoming increasingly cautious.

Unable to wait any longer, Jiang Qionghua simply dismissed the eyesores around her and stepped into the snow alone.

“The Sovereign will find it herself.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Qionghua, with a darkened expression, wiped the snow from her hands and placed a solitary medicine bottle onto a handkerchief presented by a subordinate.

She was the one who threw it away, and she was the one who retrieved it.

Tonight, she had first stood in the snow for two hours and then spent a long time searching for the bottle. She was now so frozen that her mood had soured completely; her fingers felt as if they had been severed, devoid of any sensation.

Jiang Qionghua was freezing, and her expression was ominous, looking very much like a gathering storm. As she stepped out of the snow, she staggered after only a few paces. The servants rushed forward in a panic to support her, a chorus of voices crying out, “Prime Minister, take care!” She only gave them a cold, sideways glance and waved them off. “Take care of what? The Sovereign isn’t dead yet. Someone quick on their feet, take this medicine and give it to Ming Yishu immediately.”

The medicine was swiftly delivered to Ming Yishu’s quarters, and only then did Jiang Qionghua find the time to soothe her own chill.

Bolu handed her a pre-warmed hand heater, letting her warm her hands. “Rest easy, Prime Minister. Miss Ming will surely recover.”

Feeling slightly mollified, Jiang Qionghua grew anxious to see Ming Yishu. She said, “If the Sovereign does not permit her to die, she certainly will not. It is but a minor injury and ailment; it is impossible for her not to pull through. Back then, when I was in prison and endured every torture, I managed to keep my life. Ming Yishu’s mere heart condition—she can surely endure it.”

Bolu took a difficult breath and whispered, “Prime Minister, that may not be entirely accurate… Miss Ming’s health has always been fragile…”

These words were an ill omen. Jiang Qionghua interrupted him: “Shut up. I do not wish to hear it.”

Bolu obediently fell silent and lowered his head, not daring to utter another word.

Jiang Qionghua hurried back. As soon as she entered the room, she heard the servants saying they were unable to get the medicine into Ming Yishu.

“Did I misjudge when I called you useless? How can you not feed her the medicine?” The frustrations of the night had reached a peak for Jiang Qionghua. She said, “If she won’t take it, then pinch her jaw and pour it in. At least a few pills will go down.”

Jiang Qionghua took the bottle, preparing to use that very method on Ming Yishu in her irritation. However, the moment she felt the icy frost on the bottle’s surface, she suddenly calmed down.

Right. This was the last bottle of medicine. It could not be wasted like that.

But if she couldn’t force it down, it was indeed difficult to administer. These weren’t liquid herbs; small pills could easily cause someone to choke.

Jiang Qionghua glanced at the servants standing by the bed and said coldly, “Prepare some water for me to wash my hands.”

Warm water was quickly brought in. Jiang Qionghua silently washed her hands and dried them with a silk handkerchief before sitting back down at Ming Yishu’s bedside.

She pulled Ming Yishu closer to her, letting the girl rest her head on her thighs. Then, she addressed everyone in the room: “All of you, withdraw.”

Jiang Qionghua looked down at the girl in her arms. At the thought of the way she was about to administer the medicine, her heart couldn’t help but tremble.

Ming Yishu’s quiet appearance truly pleased her. Holding her like this on her lap felt like the descriptions of “fragrant warmth and soft jade in one’s arms” found in romantic poems. Jiang Qionghua gently smoothed Ming Yishu’s black hair, picking up a strand and bringing it to her nose, smelling a fragrance as fresh as frost and snow.

With no one around to witness her actions, Jiang Qionghua let her inner desires run wild. Her fingers landed on Ming Yishu’s face. Taking advantage of the current silence, she slowly and greedily caressed the other woman’s skin.

If Ming Yishu were awake, Jiang Qionghua certainly wouldn’t spend so much time doing this. Only when the other was unconscious could she stroke her face for so long, meticulously admiring Ming Yishu’s beauty.

Jiang Qionghua was not a lustful person, but she was still susceptible to beauty. She thought: “Lustrous skin, a mouth of jasper and a nose of jade, an immortal’s grace…” All the words of praise in the world could not describe the beauty of the person in her arms. How could someone be born with such exquisite features? It was a blessing that she had kidnapped her to the Prime Minister’s manor; otherwise, if Ming Yishu had fallen into common hands, she would likely have suffered a hard life.

Finally satisfied, Jiang Qionghua tapped Ming Yishu’s lips with her finger. Just like in her dreams, she inserted a finger and pressed down on the other’s tongue.

“Yishu, the Sovereign is here to give you your medicine. You must be obedient to recover quickly.”

As she spoke, Jiang Qionghua placed the medicine into Ming Yishu’s mouth. While pressing down with her finger, she gave her a sip of water to help it go down.

Unsurprisingly, the first attempt failed; Ming Yishu did not swallow the medicine. Undeterred, Jiang Qionghua tried several more times, but still without success.

After several attempts, Ming Yishu’s snow-white collar was stained with water, making her look somewhat disheveled.

Jiang Qionghua finally felt distressed. She worried about how to feed her, trying to pinch Ming Yishu’s neck and then letting go suddenly, hoping to feed her in the moment she gasped for air. The result was that she nearly caused Ming Yishu to choke.

“You really… what am I to do with you?” Jiang Qionghua had never served anyone in her life. She had been busy for half the night and had achieved nothing. Feeling helpless, she could only wipe the corners of Ming Yishu’s mouth with a handkerchief, saying wearily, “I only hope you wake up and take your medicine properly. Even if you throw a tantrum at me again, the Sovereign will not have a single word of complaint.”

That was her wish, but a moment later, she had to continue trying to feed her.

This time, by a stroke of luck, Jiang Qionghua finally managed to get the medicine down.

When the pill was swallowed by Ming Yishu, Jiang Qionghua didn’t even react immediately. She forgot exactly how she had made the girl swallow it; she only felt an immense surge of joy!

Did she really eat it?

Jiang Qionghua hurried to check Ming Yishu’s mouth. After several inspections, the worry in her heart finally eased.

The medicine was finally administered.

Exhausted, Jiang Qionghua rested her forehead against Ming Yishu’s. She gently withdrew her finger and, without even bothering to wipe it, lay down on the bed while holding her. Before lying down, Jiang Qionghua instinctively shielded Ming Yishu’s shoulders and back so as not to hurt her wound.

Even though it was she who was punishing Ming Yishu tonight, it was unclear who was actually suffering. After all this, Jiang Qionghua was so tired she didn’t even have the strength to leave.

She lay beside Ming Yishu for a long time. She didn’t know if it was dawn outside, nor did she have the mind to care about anything else. The moment she regained some spirit, she immediately checked on Ming Yishu’s condition again.

Ming Yishu usually slept very lightly, but now she was injured and unconscious. Jiang Qionghua sat up slightly to look at her, staring for a long time until she gradually became entranced.

Jiang Qionghua couldn’t help but touch the tip of Ming Yishu’s nose—slightly cool, with a gentle breath. Below the nose was a sandalwood mouth, beautiful and exceptionally soft to the touch, carrying a hint of warmth.

Ming Yishu’s lips seemed to possess an enchanting power. As Jiang Qionghua watched, she leaned down until their breaths began to mingle…

What am I doing?

Jiang Qionghua suddenly snapped back to her senses. She immediately climbed off the bed and turned away, the back of her ears beginning to burn.

She realized something was wrong with her. She was supposed to be checking on Ming Yishu; how had she drifted so close without realizing it? Had she not restrained herself in time, she feared she would have committed a grave mistake.

Jiang Qionghua paced by the bedside for a moment. She went to wash her hands, letting the cold water flow over her fingertips, but still felt unable to calm down.

She put on a stern face, trying to push those thoughts out of her mind, but it was futile. After several attempts, the images were etched into her heart. She couldn’t forget that face; whenever she closed her eyes, she saw the girl—the cool tip of her nose, her slightly parted thin lips, her soft tongue…

After thinking about it several times, Jiang Qionghua stopped being hard on herself. She thought that since no one would know, she might as well settle the irrepressible longing while Ming Yishu was unconscious.

Once she tried it, she wouldn’t think about it anymore. It would bring her peace of mind.

Thinking this, Jiang Qionghua once again pulled Ming Yishu into her arms. Her heart was racing as if she were about to do something momentous.

Closer, little by little…

She stopped.

Jiang Qionghua felt as if her heart were about to explode, the pounding creating a buzzing in her ears. She frowned slightly, set Ming Yishu down, and tried to steady her spirit.

How could this be?

Jiang Qionghua truly didn’t understand why she was being so indecisive. She had clearly made up her mind, yet when the moment came, she hesitated.

“You’ve tormented the Sovereign all night; consider this your apology.”

Jiang Qionghua talked to herself while facing the unconscious girl, finally convincing herself to be at ease. She leaned in again and gently touched Ming Yishu’s lips.

So soft.

Jiang Qionghua pulled back slightly, her eyes full of disbelief. She hadn’t done much, but the surge of emotion from her heart made her feel endless joy.

Could there be such a joyful thing in this world?

She looked down at Ming Yishu in surprise and tried to get close again. She kissed the other’s warm upper lip, gently sucking on it without much force, as if tasting a precious and fragile delicacy. Every bit of contact made her heart tremble.

Ming Yishu tasted like cold snow and felt like a flower touched by dew. Jiang Qionghua was reluctant to pull away; after a brief pause, she deepened the kiss.

This time, she tilted her head at a subtle angle. Following the other’s slightly parted lips, she carefully pushed the tip of her tongue deeper. Their warm breaths intertwined intimately. Instinctively, Jiang Qionghua began to entangle with that wisp of heat, her breathing growing heavier…

For two whole hours, she remained immersed in this, ignoring everything else. Later, she even reached out to pull down the bed curtains, leaning over Ming Yishu as if falling into a “land of gentle warmth.”

Ming Yishu didn’t know when she woke up. Her chest no longer felt uncomfortable, but she felt dizzy, as if she were walking on clouds. She didn’t know where she was; her ears were filled with hot air, and her limbs were too weak to move.

Am I… dead?

Ming Yishu’s eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes—

Before her was a face she knew all too well. Ming Yishu wanted to say something in disbelief, but found her mouth and tongue were not her own; even her breath was being plundered.

The person before her hadn’t noticed she was awake. Instead, she pressed down more intoxicantly, their lips and tongues entwined in extreme intimacy, as if she wanted to rub her into her very blood and bones.

Ming Yishu felt she wasn’t awake enough, as she was once again having the kind of dream where she desired this person.

She closed her eyes again, allowing herself to sink back into the dream.

Support Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven’t Arrived