Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 29

You know what I want

The next day, when Ming Yishu woke up, there was a fluffy “puppy” by her pillow. Half-asleep, she reached out and stroked it; it was fuzzy and very warm.

This realistic touch instantly cleared her mind. She sat up almost immediately to get a serious look at the little animal beside her.

Where did this come from?

Was it for her?

Ming Yishu was overjoyed. She adored dogs, and at a time like this, nothing could comfort her more than owning one.

Seeing her so pleasantly surprised, cradling the puppy in her arms as if it were a priceless treasure, Jiang Qionghua couldn’t help but show a smile. “Do you like it that much?”

Ming Yishu’s eyes were bright, and her smile was radiant. “I love it.”

“So, do you have anything to say to me?” Seeing her happiness made Jiang Qionghua happy as well, so she continued, “I had someone catch this little thing for you. It’s the middle of winter; they are very hard to find.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

Ming Yishu thanked her with genuine sincerity.

Faced with this familiar yet distant form of address, Jiang Qionghua was momentarily stunned before feeling a sense of relieved gratification.

She said, “How old are you now? Still liking cats and dogs like a little girl.”

Cradling the wolf cub she believed to be a dog, Ming Yishu replied, “I’ll love puppies my whole life. I can’t change that.”

Jiang Qionghua gave an indulgent hum. “As long as you like it, I am at ease.”

For reasons she couldn’t quite name, the satisfaction Jiang Qionghua derived from this matter was greater than ever before. In her current position, she had no ancestors or elders above her and no relatives or children below her. Consequently, she rarely experienced that sense of achievement derived from “protecting” or “looking after” someone. Now, simply by treating Ming Yishu a bit better, she experienced a feeling she’d never had before.

It turned out… just by being a little kinder to Ming Yishu and bringing her some small things that brought joy, she could be coaxed so easily.

She really wasn’t difficult to please.

Previously, Jiang Qionghua had exhausted herself trying to coax her with words, only to have Ming Yishu descend further into a cold war. Today’s casual gesture had significantly improved Ming Yishu’s mood. Jiang Qionghua didn’t know what to say about it, but at least she had found a method that allowed them to interact with a relaxed mindset for the time being.

“Keep it for now and think of a name. I have matters to attend to first.” Jiang Qionghua reached out to tidy a stray lock of Ming Yishu’s hair, instructing, “If you miss me, come find me in the study at any time.”

Having received the puppy she had longed for, Ming Yishu was incredibly happy, and even looking at Jiang Qionghua became more agreeable.

She nodded obediently. “Alright.”

Jiang Qionghua stood up. “Then… I shall head out first.”

“Wait a moment.”

Hearing this plea to stay, Jiang Qionghua immediately stopped and turned back. In her haste, she only realized Ming Yishu was approaching her; a moment later, a soft kiss fell upon one side of her face.

Her heart wouldn’t stop racing—

Jiang Qionghua’s breathing became very shallow, for fear of disturbing this moment of tenderness. She stood rooted to the spot for a long time, carefully savoring the kiss. When she finally came to her senses, her heart had softened completely.

It turned out that being loved by someone was such a beautiful experience. Jiang Qionghua raised a finger to touch the spot on her cheek. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react. Even as she walked out the door, she felt as if she were floating in the clouds, her feet never quite touching the solid ground.

She thought that if they could continue to interact as they did today, she could indeed treat Ming Yishu well and keep her by her side to be pampered.

“Someone, come. Remove the surveillance on Ming Yishu. Stop keeping her confined. Wherever she wants to go, let her go.” Jiang Qionghua commanded her secret guards. “But do not follow too closely; ensure her safety.”

A guard asked, “What if Miss Ming wishes to leave the estate?”

“Permit it,” Jiang Qionghua said. “She may go anywhere she likes, as long as she is happy.”

A long time had passed since the beginning of winter. The snow had fallen and melted several times. Ming Yishu was now free to enter and leave the Prime Minister’s estate, and no secret guards followed her anymore.

It was as if she and Jiang Qionghua had returned to the years of their beginning.

Those peaceful and simple days were indeed comfortable. She named the “puppy” Heyi, a name with the auspicious meaning of “satisfaction and harmony,” hoping to lock in all the beauty of this period. However, Jiang Qionghua was always too lazy to use that name. Every time she visited, she would casually call out “Little White” to summon it.

Seeing that Heyi also seemed to like the simple name, Ming Yishu compromised and let the puppy’s “surname” be White; calling it Little White seemed appropriate enough.

If Jiang Qionghua had free time, she would come and play with Heyi alongside her. At night, she stayed in her chambers to spend the night with her. If she was too busy, she never forgot to send someone with a message, telling her to rest early and not wait up.

Such days continued for an unknown amount of time. Ming Yishu was immersed in the beauty of it all, personally watching Heyi grow rapidly—far exceeding the growth rate of an ordinary puppy.

“Qian’er, why is Little White growing so fast?” One day, Ming Yishu suddenly felt something was amiss and asked casually, “Do normal puppies grow this large?”

Su Qian’er couldn’t bear to hide the truth from her lady any longer. “Miss Ming, this is actually a wolf cub. It’s normal for it to grow fast.”

Ming Yishu was stunned; she had never even considered that possibility. “A wolf cub?”

“Ordinary little white dogs of such high quality cannot be found. The Prime Minister specifically sent people into the snowy mountains to find a cub born of a mother wolf before bringing this one back.” Fearing she might feel guilty, Su Qian’er explained, “In these freezing winter months, wolves in the mountains aren’t supposed to give birth. Even if they do, it’s hard for them to survive. If the Prime Minister’s people hadn’t brought Little White back, it likely would have frozen to death in the snow long ago.”

Ming Yishu was speechless. She had never seen a wolf cub before and hadn’t distinguished it at first, nor had she asked in detail. Thus, she had raised a wolf by mistake. If it weren’t for the fact that she noticed something was wrong as it grew, she might have never discovered the truth.

She had never thought about raising a wolf. Firstly, because in the modern world, few people keep such dangerous animals. Secondly, it was said that wolves were very difficult to tame and might even turn on their masters, being nowhere near as loyal as dogs.

“Qian’er, do you think… when Heyi grows up, will it bite me?” Ming Yishu looked at the wolf cub frolicking in the snow with uncertainty. “If it hurts someone, how should I handle it…”

Back in the modern world, not long after Ming Yishu started raising a German Shepherd, she learned the breed had been listed as a restricted dog in her area. Every time she walked the dog, she was terrified, fearing her dog might startle someone and be reported—in which case, it might be put down.

In her nightmares, she’d had such fantasies: what if her dog bit someone? Would it be forcibly taken to a slaughterhouse…

Although that German Shepherd had never done anything to harm others, Ming Yishu often worried she didn’t have enough power to protect her own dog.

“Miss Ming, do not worry. As long as Little White doesn’t bite Prime Minister Jiang, it won’t be punished,” Su Qian’er said. “The entire estate is under the Prime Minister’s control. Even if Little White bites a few servants, it’s of no great consequence. After all… our lives as slaves are worth nothing. To put it bluntly, we aren’t even as valuable as a favored little dog.”

Ming Yishu didn’t let her continue. “Don’t belittle yourself. I won’t let it bite anyone. If there comes a day it learns to attack people, it will surely be sent away to the mountains. I will not treat your lives as a joke.”

Su Qian’er bit her lip, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at Ming Yishu. “You are such a good person, Miss.”

Ming Yishu stroked her hair. “You and I are the same.”

We are all equal human beings.

“The weather is fine today, Miss. Shall we go out for a walk?” Su Qian’er suggested. “The Prime Minister passes through Shangshi Street every day after court. Why don’t we head there today? We can buy some sweets on the way back.”

Ming Yishu said, “Alright.”

“Take Heyi along. Let it see people outside so it won’t be hostile to those outside the estate in the future.” Ming Yishu picked up the little white wolf cub rolling in the snow and pinched its soft ears.

Although it was a wolf cub, it showed no trace of wildness. Perhaps because it had been raised with human companionship since it was tiny, it was exceptionally clingy and well-behaved. Ming Yishu only had to rest her palm on its head for it to proactively nuzzle her, using its not-too-sharp teeth to gently mouth her finger without applying force. If it accidentally left a tooth mark, it would hurriedly let go and lick the spot apologetically with its pink tongue.

Ming Yishu held it directly in her arms and boarded the carriage.

“Set off for Shangshi Street.”

“You all wait outside. I’ll take a look inside and come right back out.”

She didn’t even bring Su Qian’er with her, walking inside alone. However, she didn’t look at the exquisite pastries; instead, she went straight to the backyard and met Ji Zijun, who was supposed to be “locked up by Jiang Qionghua.”

“Teacher.”

She still preferred to call her that, even though she had already roughly guessed that the other woman came from the same world as her.

“Sit as you please.” Ji Zijun had completely removed her mask, revealing her true face. “I didn’t expect you to have the patience to wait this long before coming to find me.”

Reasonably speaking, staying by Jiang Qionghua’s side was so agonizing that she should have come much sooner.

Ming Yishu lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t expect that instead of meeting in reality, we would first meet with my true face here.” Ji Zijun poured a cup of clear tea for her and asked with a smile, “Now that you’ve seen me… what do you think?”

What?

Ming Yishu was suddenly asked this and didn’t react for a moment.

“Did my secretary really not send you a photo?” Ji Zijun was somewhat surprised. “No wonder you barely recognized me just now.”

“She was going to, but… I didn’t agree, so I didn’t want to trouble her.” Ming Yishu lowered her head and took a sip of tea, sounding apologetic. “I didn’t know then…”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s all in the past anyway. Now that both of us have been delayed here for over ten years, it’s time to focus on getting down to business.” Ji Zijun smiled, seemingly unbothered. “Over these years, I’ve visited all the places I wanted to see and recorded the treasures and culture I wanted to search for. My wishes are mostly fulfilled, so I can come find you. I didn’t notify you before because I was afraid of disturbing your peace of mind—increasing your worries would have been bad.”

Ming Yishu listened quietly without saying much.

“So the person I truly need to help is you, Teacher? That ‘benefactor’ didn’t die, but refers to you?” Ming Yishu said, “I will do my best to help you.”

Upon hearing this question, Ji Zijun suddenly sighed. “The one you need to help is indeed me, but I do not know who the actual protagonist is. I have already died once; I don’t dare gamble again. If I lose the bet, I’ll cause you to be stuck here with me, wasting your years for nothing.”

Ming Yishu: “Is it not Prime Minister Jiang?”

Ji Zijun shook her head. “Even though I can’t find the person, it’s definitely not her. I made that mistake once. Even if I were to recognize a beggar on the street as the protagonist, I would never help her again… She is the most wicked person under heaven, too ruthless. Stay as far away from her as possible.”

Ming Yishu: “Is the protagonist Chu Qing?”

“I’m not sure, I can’t be certain.” Ji Zijun said, “The only token that could confirm their identity was tampered with by Jiang Qionghua. Now that token’s whereabouts are unknown, and I can’t find the protagonist. We can only take it one step at a time.”

The two fell silent, both starting to worry.

Ji Zijun: “You need to continue staying in the Prime Minister’s estate. It’s for the best that Jiang Qionghua trusts you now; when necessary, we still have to find clues through her.”

Ming Yishu nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

Then, she hesitated as she put down her teacup and asked, “Teacher, are we going to leave soon?”

Ji Zijun: “As long as we find the token, we can leave this place very quickly. Once we return to reality, everything will be fine. It was my selfishness that brought you here in the beginning; after we get out, I will make up for the debt of these years…”

“I am truly grateful for your care and help during those years. I will repay you properly; I don’t need any other compensation. I haven’t even repaid your past kindness yet.” Ming Yishu apologized to her somewhat bashfully. “I’ll say sorry to you again. I was immature back then.”

Ji Zijun stepped closer and took her hand. “There’s no need to apologize. You know what I want.”

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