Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 50

Jiang Qionghua was an ambitious person. Previously, that ambition manifested in a thirst for power; now, her entire world revolved around Ming Yishu, and she grew more ravenous for her with each passing day.

Gradually, she was no longer satisfied with simple embraces. Every night at the third watch, after waiting for Ming Yishu to fall asleep, she would enter the room punctually to lie beside her, necks entwined.

Even with her beloved right before her eyes, she still felt a deep longing, unwilling to be parted for even a single moment.

As Ming Yishu lay there, breathtakingly beautiful and exquisite, she exerted an irresistible pull. Jiang Qionghua finally crossed the line, unable to stop herself from kissing the lips she had dreamed of day and night. Once the taboo was broken, things spiraled out of control. Jiang Qionghua indulged herself, parting those lips to entwine their breaths, wishing she could merge into one with the woman.

The sleeping woman appeared fragile and serene, allowing herself to be handled without the slightest struggle. Jiang Qionghua knew her actions were wrong, but she had already calmly accepted the reality that she was a villain. Since she was already a wretch, nothing she did could be considered “too much.” As long as Ming Yishu didn’t notice, these transgressions were as good as non-existent.

With a clear conscience, Jiang Qionghua kissed Ming Yishu heavily once more, making a slight sound, and pulled her into a tight embrace from behind with a sense of triumph.

She reached out, unreasonably interlacing her fingers with the sleeping woman’s, whispering words of love over and over again, even if the other person couldn’t hear a word.

She was determined to speak. When Ming Yishu eventually woke up and was willing to face her calmly, she would say it a thousand, ten thousand times more, until the woman grew weary of hearing it.

Jiang Qionghua’s ambition was magnified several times over by her private desires. She did more than just kiss her deeply; she also carefully undid Ming Yishu’s clothing.

The first time she did this, she didn’t dare do much, merely pressing a reverent kiss onto her shoulder before stopping. After a few more days, having kissed her all over, her courage grew. She began to leave faint bite marks and kisses in places Ming Yishu couldn’t see, such as her back or the nape of her neck.

Ming Yishu belonged to her. She was hers, and no one else could take her away.

Every time Jiang Qionghua left a mark, her eyes were filled with possessive lust. This continued for several days until one night, slightly intoxicated, she finally pulled away Ming Yishu’s undergarment and gently bit those elegant, rosy peaks.

In that moment, Jiang Qionghua’s body and soul reached a pinnacle of pleasure. With kneading and soft suckling occurring simultaneously, she felt as though her life was finally without regret.

Her Yishu was so wonderful—her frame as soft as a slender willow. Whether she was holding her or hugging her, it brought an incomparable sense of comfort. Even her taste… was delicious.

Unconsciously, Jiang Qionghua remained lost in her for several hours. By the time she snapped back to reality, the sky was already bright.

Jiang Qionghua was suddenly struck with horror, realizing she had stayed too long. Ming Yishu might wake up at any moment. If she woke up and looked down to find Jiang Qionghua sprawled over her, doing as she pleased, wouldn’t she be frightened half to death?

Time was running out. Jiang Qionghua hurriedly dressed her, pressed one last lingering kiss to those lips, and quickly departed, closing the door behind her.

Although she longed to face a conscious Ming Yishu, now was clearly not the time. She feared scaring her, which would only deepen the woman’s loathing for her—a result that would surely outweigh any gain. It was better to endure for now until the right moment came to win her back.

When Ming Yishu woke up that day, she felt an indescribable sense of wrongness. Her whole body felt uneasy, though not exactly in pain, and her heart was racing.

Perhaps because the weather was warming up, she felt hot during the night. She had broken out in a strange, sticky sweat and felt the need to bathe.

Ming Yishu went to the bathhouse and waited for the water to heat up before preparing to disrobe and enter the pool.

She thought the warm water might wash away her overwhelming fatigue. With this in mind, she looked down to undress. As her clothes fell one by one, pooling around her ankles, a moment that should have been peaceful was shattered. Ming Yishu froze, checking herself again in disbelief—her undergarment was on backward. The embroidery was pressed against her skin; no wonder it felt uncomfortable.

How could she have put it on backward? She never made such mistakes. Firstly, it felt uncomfortable to wear it that way, and secondly, it would have been difficult to tie the strings.

How could this be…?

Ming Yishu stood frozen, unable to calm her heart for a long time.

A terrible suspicion began to take root—a recurring nightmare she didn’t dare voice, fearing that if she spoke of such evils, they would become reality.

Terrified, her heart beat even faster. She loosely threw on a robe, intending to drink some hot tea to steady her nerves. But as she lifted the teacup to her lips, she caught a faint scent of osmanthus wine.

She never drank, and she certainly didn’t care for osmanthus wine. The only time in her life she had ever tasted it… was at the Prime Minister’s estate.

Ming Yishu dropped the cup, clutching her arms as she stumbled back several paces.

Was she going mad? How could she smell osmanthus?

Why was there the scent of wine on the teacup?

Trembling slightly, she turned and searched for some floral tea. She didn’t dare touch that cup again. She didn’t want to feel that familiar presence. Now that she had a second chance at life, she didn’t want to repeat her past mistakes. Staying away from that person—staying away from the source of her misery—was the only way to survive.

This time, she brewed a pot of tea with a heavy floral fragrance, adding dried tangerine peel and sugar, using several strong flowers to force herself to forget that scent.

Her fingers shaking, she finally poured herself a new cup of floral tea. She took a deep, heavy breath, forcing herself to drink, to forget…

Clatter—

The crisp sound of porcelain hitting the floor rang out. Once again, Ming Yishu’s grip failed, and the cup fell.

She was utterly terrified because, despite the pungent floral tea, she still smelled Jiang Qionghua’s scent. It wasn’t just the osmanthus wine; she truly, physically felt Jiang Qionghua’s presence.

It wasn’t the cup’s fault, nor the tea’s. The scent lingered on her own lips and tongue.

That person… how could she have found her? How could she have left her scent on her lips while she was completely unaware? Since when had this been happening? How had she never known?

It was impossible for Ming Yishu not to be afraid. She felt as though she had returned to those days of madness, unable to distinguish between reality and dreams. Things she clearly hadn’t done seemed to have happened; nightmares she refused to accept were playing out upon her body, leaving her no room to refuse.

“Jiang. Qiong. Hua.” Ming Yishu uttered the name syllable by syllable, covering her face in agony as she slumped to the floor. She didn’t know what to do. Why could she never escape that person? What did she want this time? Did she want to kill her again?

The facade of peace in Ming Yishu’s life had finally shattered, like porcelain falling to the ground. She felt a sudden wave of hopelessness as the days shrouded in dark clouds returned.

Picking up a shard of broken porcelain, she forced herself to recall the details she had ignored. She refused to be kept in the dark any longer. She needed to know when Jiang Qionghua had targeted her and secretly come to her side.

Tracing it back, it all started with those hawthorn berries being bought out, then the scrap of fabric the dog brought back… She had hidden here, thinking Jiang Qionghua had given up searching for her, but it turned out the woman had been watching her for a long time. She even had the ability to approach her while she was unconscious and leave her mark.

It seemed impossible. Ming Yishu couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. How did she manage to hide it from her?

Or was it… that she was going mad, and the scent she just perceived was an illusion?

Ming Yishu pressed her hand to her forehead, unable to solve the riddle.

She thought that if she wanted to know if she was insane, she had to find more concrete evidence—she needed to see it with her own eyes. She had only sensed the scent after waking up yesterday. Had the woman been coming while she slept, which was why she hadn’t noticed?

But she had always been a light sleeper. How could she not know someone was approaching?

Ming Yishu couldn’t figure out the problem. With these thoughts weighing on her, she became even more restless. That day, she didn’t eat, and she poured out her medicinal tea for sleep. Filled with anxiety, she lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Tormented by her thoughts until the third watch, Ming Yishu was suddenly jolted out of her daze. She heard someone softly opening the door and walking slowly toward her bed!

There really was someone.

The emotions accumulated during her time in exile finally found a release. She finally knew she wasn’t mad; someone really was doing this.

Ming Yishu propped herself up and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the intruder—it was indeed Jiang Qionghua.

The woman was still dressed in elegant, expensive robes, but she had removed her jewelry, looking much plainer than in years past. Seeing that Ming Yishu was awake, she stopped in surprise a few paces away, meeting her gaze.

“Jiang Qionghua.”

Ming Yishu’s voice rang out in the night, devoid of joy or sorrow. Her gaze toward the woman was as cold as ice.

“Yishu, it’s me.”

Jiang Qionghua hadn’t expected Ming Yishu to be awake. She had been looking forward to their daily intimacy and had come with a heart full of joy. Now, seeing the cold, emotionless look in the other’s eyes, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. She stood there nervously, silently clutching her sleeve.

The two remained silent, staring at each other for a long time.

Ming Yishu: “Leave. Get out.”

After a long silence, Ming Yishu issued her order to leave. Jiang Qionghua finally closed her eyes tightly, speaking with a voice full of sorrow: “Yishu, I love you. I came to marry you that day… Won’t you continue to love me? I want to be good to you, to make it up to you…”

“Get out.” Ming Yishu didn’t want to hear a word. She grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it at the person in front of her. “There is no ‘future’ for us. Stop this pestering.”

Jiang Qionghua didn’t dodge. She let the pillow hit her body, then reached out to catch it, pulling it into her arms. Holding the pillow, she said somewhat aggrievedly, “I was wrong. Just give me one more chance, please.”

Ming Yishu looked at her coldly. “Prime Minister, being a persistent stalker will make you lose face. I have already said there are no more ties between us in this life. I hope you will be sensible and stop entertaining these delusions.”

“I don’t mind being a stalker. If it’s for you, I’ll do anything.” Jiang Qionghua gripped the pillow tightly, her eyes fixed on Ming Yishu as if she weren’t holding a pillow, but the person herself. “I love you. While you were gone, I nearly went mad. Now that you have returned to life, how can I stand by and watch you leave… I truly cannot do it.”

Ming Yishu was momentarily speechless. She knew there was no point discussing morality with this person. She had nowhere to hide, and the other person simply wouldn’t listen to anything she said.

Jiang Qionghua set the pillow aside and tried to step forward. “Yishu…”

Ming Yishu retreated, turning her gaze away in rejection. “Jiang Qionghua, don’t make me loathe you even more. Whatever you do has nothing to do with me anymore. Can you stop bringing up the past?”

Jiang Qionghua froze, then asked softly with a hint of hope, “Anything I do has nothing to do with you? You won’t care?”

Ming Yishu frowned. “Yes.”

“Good. That’s enough.” Jiang Qionghua’s tone finally relaxed. A faint smile touched her lips as she said happily, “I can leave, but I will continue to follow you. If you don’t want to see me, I will hide further away. It’s enough just to catch a glimpse of you occasionally. Yishu, I am easily satisfied. You can sleep peacefully tonight; I will just stay here and watch you.”

Ming Yishu was speechless, realizing she had still underestimated this person’s shamelessness.

How could someone interpret her words like that? How shameless did one have to be to act this way?

Seeing Jiang Qionghua about to pull up a chair and sit by the bed, Ming Yishu finally lost her patience. She stepped forward, grabbed the woman’s sleeve with a dark expression, and dragged her out.

“Get out.”

Ming Yishu threw Jiang Qionghua out the door, closed it, and bolted it from the inside.

Silence finally returned, but she couldn’t feel even a bit of joy.

She didn’t know what the future held; she only knew it would likely be fraught with difficulty.

Jiang Qionghua’s shadow was cast against the window by the moonlight, like a lingering ghost that couldn’t enter and could only wait outside. It was an immense headache. Ming Yishu didn’t sleep all night. She waited in fear and trepidation until the shadow finally departed, only then allowing her eyes to close for a moment.

When dawn broke, Jiang Qionghua walked out of the main gate holding Ming Yishu’s pillow as if no one were around. She encountered several subordinates in the courtyard, all of whom looked at her as if they had seen a ghost.

Auntie Xu stepped forward and asked if she had been discovered.

Jiang Qionghua said easily, “She has tacitly allowed me to come and go freely. She even threw her pillow to me.”

The subordinates all wore expressions of disbelief, but Jiang Qionghua ignored them, continuing to walk out while clutching the pillow.

She thought that today, she didn’t have to wait so painfully for nightfall. She had Ming Yishu’s pillow and a great deal of her scent. It would be enough to get her through these difficult few hours.

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