Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 20

“Do you understand what I mean?”

The Prime Minister’s manor knew no peace throughout the night. Under the bright glow of lanterns lay the frantic panic of many within the capital.

Officials were fraught with self-preservation, terrified of whom the Right Prime Minister might torment next. Those with connections scrambled for news, desperate to know why the manor had been in such an uproar all night. Some of Jiang Qionghua’s subordinates, sensing something was amiss, arrived at the estate the following day under various pretexts, hoping to divine the direction of the wind.

Yet, until noon the next day, Jiang Qionghua received no guests.

The word was—a young lady in the manor had fallen ill. The Prime Minister had stayed by her side through the night and all morning, possessing no desire to see anyone.

Just because a woman is sick? Is it truly to this extent?

Everyone found it absurd. This was entirely uncharacteristic of the Prime Minister. Even when her chronic headaches flared up, she would force herself to handle affairs. Now, it wasn’t even she who was ill; how could she be so preoccupied?

Furthermore, to put it kindly, the Prime Minister was cold and detached; to be blunt, she was ruthless and caustic. She held even her ancestors in no regard—could such a person truly hold someone in her heart?

Including Jiang Qionghua’s own faction, everyone assumed Ming Yishu was merely a plaything kept by the Prime Minister—something that wouldn’t last, to be discarded once the novelty wore off. But after today’s events, everyone began to regard this person with more gravity. After all, this was truly unnatural; to make the Prime Minister act this way was a rare feat indeed.

While those outside the manor were consumed by anxiety, Jiang Qionghua, inside the manor, felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

She finally understood where her years of exhaustion had stemmed from.

Since killing Tang Guangjun, she had monopolized all the power under heaven, standing above the monarch, possessing inexhaustible glory and reverence. Yet, she always felt something was missing. It was as if a great hole had opened in her heart that could never be filled, no matter how much wealth and power she piled into it.

She had thought it was her ambition playing tricks, so she relentlessly seized absolute power and recruited factions… until today, when she could not resist tainting Ming Yishu. Only then did she realize she had been wrong.

It turned out that beneath the ambition she could never satisfy all these years was a corner of affection that had nowhere to be placed.

As expected, humans still need a bit of love and passion to embellish the dull years—like the finishing touch on a dragon painting, a few strokes make the scroll of time become vivid and bright. Jiang Qionghua settled Ming Yishu down gently, feeling utterly satiated. She never knew there was such a marvelous thing in this world that could make one forget time and numb pain, even greatly improving one’s temperament.

Jiang Qionghua’s gaze drifted drunkenly over Ming Yishu’s lips, recalling that soul-shaking sensation. In thirty-four years, this was her first time kissing someone. An act of intimacy she once loathed had become a source of exquisite pleasure.

She did not know the source of her stirring emotions; she only knew that doing such things with Ming Yishu brought her joy.

Had she tried this sooner, perhaps she wouldn’t have spent these years perpetually trapped in bitter resentment.

No one would subject themselves to long-term self-torment, and no one would refuse a pleasurable sensation. Jiang Qionghua considered herself a person of the world, greedy for wealth and manipulative of power, committing all manner of evils. If she could persuade Ming Yishu to actively offer herself for her amusement, she was willing to set aside all past grievances.

A smile played on Jiang Qionghua’s lips as she pinched Ming Yishu’s chin, using her thumb to brush against the other’s warm, soft lips. She thought that she still preferred the Ming Yishu who was obedient in every way. In matters of passion, it was best if the other party took the initiative to please her.

“If only you were as obedient as before,” Jiang Qionghua patted Ming Yishu’s cheek with the back of her hand, staring at her without blinking. “Pleasing the master of the house like a common concubine… with your beauty, I would certainly favor you well.”

In her memory, Ming Yishu was always lofty and aloof, never willing to compromise her integrity—cold and detached, yet enough to make one’s heart itch.

Jiang Qionghua realized she had no other desires at this moment; her sole wish was to see this person yield to her completely, weeping plaintively before her, ideally using some charming postures to entwine with her, letting those clear tears soak the red couch while making delicate, stirring sounds of passion…

Just thinking about it caused a wave of heat to rise within Jiang Qionghua. Her grip on Ming Yishu’s hand suddenly tightened, and her breathing grew deeper.

Before she had such thoughts, Jiang Qionghua looked at Ming Yishu and felt she was just average—nothing special—and occasionally even wanted to lose her temper with her.

But after the intimacy just now, Jiang Qionghua looked at Ming Yishu and saw her differently. Although nothing further had happened, in her heart, she already considered the other woman hers. Her attitude naturally underwent a great change—like brushing the dust off an old object only to find a treasure beneath, glowing with brilliance, bringing irrepressible joy.

Jiang Qionghua even felt inclined to serve the other personally. She got off the couch and dampened a cloth to wipe Ming Yishu’s face and the corners of her mouth, her movements bordering on extremely gentle.

This moment of tenderness was so beautiful that it caused her to lose track of time. When she finally stepped out, she saw that it was already past noon.

Jiang Qionghua was dazed for a moment, realizing belatedly that not only had she not slept all night, but she had been so immersed in Ming Yishu’s presence all morning that she hadn’t felt even a hint of fatigue.

Her heart was filled with joy, so she did not feel weary. If there were any urgent matters at this moment, she might even have a hundred times the energy to handle them.

Jiang Qionghua’s chronic headaches had almost never let her feel comfortable. Even if they didn’t flare up every day, she would certainly be in agony after a sleepless night; she would never have such high spirits as she did now.

This… was truly an unexpected boon.

Jiang Qionghua even felt that Ming Yishu was the medicine for her headaches. With her by her side, she could alleviate her suffering. Just a moment of intimacy could completely suppress the pain. If things continued this way, if she took Ming Yishu as her own, could she make it so the headaches never returned?

Regardless of the reason, Jiang Qionghua felt it was good.

While waiting for Ming Yishu to wake, she went to the study in high spirits and composed a poem. The ink and brush soothed her countenance; this emotion was silent yet intense.

“Prime Minister! Miss Ming is awake!”

A servant hurried in to report. Jiang Qionghua joyfully set down her calligraphy and ordered rewards for the entire manor.

“Su Qian’er.” Before entering the room, Jiang Qionghua stopped. She glanced at the maid serving Ming Yishu and asked, “What has she wanted lately? Tell me quietly; do not let her know.”

Su Qian’er’s shoulders tensed at the voice, feeling immensely joyful that her lady and the Prime Minister were reconciling: “As long as it is a gift from the Prime Minister, Miss Ming cherishes it deeply. The lady does not care for worldly possessions, but perhaps… you could bring her a fine puppy. The lady mentioned recently that she likes keeping pets.”

Jiang Qionghua nodded and gave the order: “A dog is no good. Go to the mountains and find a wolf cub.”

Su Qian’er was stunned for a moment, puzzled: “Prime Minister, wouldn’t a mother wolf not give birth in winter? Our lady likes dogs; wouldn’t catching a puppy be better?”

Before Jiang Qionghua could say anything, a subordinate who always stayed by her side shot Su Qian’er a sharp look. It was rare to see the Prime Minister in a good mood—this was the perfect time to seek rewards. How could such a fool dare to contradict the Prime Minister’s decision?

The man immediately stepped forward and said in a flattering tone to Jiang Qionghua: “Prime Minister Jiang is wise. After the snowfall, the wolf cubs born in the mountains are mostly pure white. Not only are they beautiful, but they will be easier to raise once brought back to the manor. One must know that most wolf cubs born in winter do not survive; it is only because of the Prime Minister’s broad benevolence that they can grow up well-fed and healthy.”

Pure white? Jiang Qionghua thought about it. This did indeed suit Ming Yishu’s tastes. The other’s temperament was like a bright, cold moon; raising a snow-white wolf cub would be very pleasing to the eye.

“You handle this. There will be a great reward once it is done.”

After giving the order, Jiang Qionghua stepped into the room.

Ming Yishu on the couch was awake, but after taking her medicine, she still had no color in her face. She leaned pale against the newly brought soft pillows, her black hair falling all over the couch, her head bowed as if lost in thought.

“How is your body?”

Jiang Qionghua naturally sat by the couch, reaching out to stroke her hair.

But when she made this gesture, Ming Yishu silently leaned back to avoid it, her cheek turning away, her dark hair hiding her expression, revealing only the white tip of her nose.

“You…”

Jiang Qionghua didn’t react immediately. She was still immersed in her own good mood and hadn’t recalled the things the other had endured before fainting.

Only when the silence between them began to spread did Jiang Qionghua snap back to reality, speaking with a hint of a smile in a good-tempered way: “Fine, I was wrong. Stop being willful. I am in a good mood today, so I forgive you for everything.”

After the events of last night, Ming Yishu’s body had suffered a heavy blow; she was numb and exhausted in both body and soul. She could barely even hear the other’s voice clearly. Occasionally hearing half a sentence, she heard the other tell her not to be willful. Because the other was in a good mood, she had better not ruin it; only then could she receive some modicum of forgiveness.

She was truly exhausted. If she could sleep forever, she would rather not have woken up so soon to face all of this.

What the other said was right: only when she was in a good mood could she be forgiven. If her mood turned sour another day and her temper flared again, she would have to face the other’s volatility once more.

“I waited in the snow for a long time and carried you back to treat your illness and injuries. Even if I was truly at fault, I am already coaxing you—what more do you want? Ming Yishu, I can indulge you when you throw a tantrum occasionally, but I will not give you the room to be arrogant because of my favor.” Jiang Qionghua, wanting the other to reconcile with her quickly, used force to pinch her chin and turn her gaze toward her. She spoke with half-coaxing, half-threatening words: “Ming Yishu, it becomes tiresome if you make a scene too often. Do you understand what I mean?”

Having said this, Jiang Qionghua condescended to withdraw her hand, waiting with a bit of joy in her heart for Ming Yishu’s apology.

She couldn’t wait to have that obedient and soft Ming Yishu back; she wanted it so much, more urgently than she ever had before.

As long as the other softened just a little, she would grant all of her requests. The rewards would surely be the best in the world; whatever Ming Yishu asked for, she would satisfy her.

Jiang Qionghua softened her brow in anticipation, separated from Ming Yishu by a small distance, the joy in her heart nearly leaping from her chest.

the words “Granted” were right on the tip of her tongue. She was so happy it was unbearable.

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