Early the next morning, Baoyi was awakened by the magpies[1] outside.
The injury on her back seemed to have gotten better, replaced by an aching that penetrated her bones. Baoyi also felt light-headed and was momentarily unable to react.
Where was she, who was she?
Moving around, Baoyi touched something that felt like hair. She was startled and looked down to find someone lying on the side of her bed, fast asleep.
Zhou Yunxi?
Darting her eyes around the room, Baoyi remembered.
Yesterday, after Lu Qingluo left, she had soaked in a bath because she hated the smell of medicine that was on her body. Due to Lu Qingluo"s words, she"d gotten lost in her thoughts and soaked for a while longer. The water was already cold by the time she got up.
What happened after that?
She seemed to have gotten ill, running a very high fever and scaring the two young servant girls. Then Dao Shifu came and let out her blood……this old man, he was undoubtedly an a.s.sa.s.sin but G.o.d knows where he learned a bunch of home remedies and even dared to use it on her, unafraid of bleeding her to death.
What about Zhou Yunxi? He seemed to be present at that time, has he been here since then?
—— Shizi has you in his heart."
Baoyi recalled Lu Qingluo"s words.
—— Do you think she could still marry someone else in this lifetime?"[2]
This seems to have been said by Zhou Yunxi. At that time, she felt dizzy and had lost consciousness due to the fever. However, she had heard his voice clearly, every word was etched in her memory, she didn"t know whether to laugh or cry.
She suddenly felt playful and tapped a finger on Zhou Yunxi"s nose.
"Why are you so bad?" She whispered softly. "It"s fine if you don"t want to marry me but you"re also not allowing me to marry someone else? Aren"t you afraid that your thirteen might run away one day, leaving you behind……"
Seeing that Zhou Yunxi was fast asleep, not responding even after she"d tapped him, Baoyi"s courage grew and the laughter she"d stifled spilled from her lips. After Baoyi was done laughing, she turned around only to face Zhou Yunxi"s deep eyes.
"……Ah, I"m suddenly dizzy, I"m going to faint again."
Zhou Yunxi sat up, flung his hands without the slightest hesitation and pursed his lips as he watched someone act.
This is the first sign of a volcanic eruption.
Baoyi covered her eyes with both hands and prepared to be scolded but for a long time, it was silent.
Baoyi looked at Zhou Yunxi from the gap between her fingers, only to see that his eyes were fixed below her neck. His eyes were hazy and there seemed to be a dangerous element that was bursting out. It was only then that she felt that her body was slightly cold, with both arms uncovered and her chest covered by a thin quilt. Which then slide down in her struggle, revealing the radiance of spring[3]……
Hiss!
Baoyi inhaled and hurriedly retracted her body into the quilt.
Feeling around, she was wearing fur trousers but on her upper body, she didn"t even have a dudou[4]. Isn"t this excessively letting go of oneself!
This Dao Shifu! After bloodletting, didn"t he know to put on her clothes after taking it off? Where"s his medical ethics!
Her movement caused Zhou Yunxi to snap out of his thoughts and he moved his line of vision while feigning composure. Fortunately, he didn"t look for trouble by saying the typical male lead"s nonsensical line such as "Women, you"re seducing me". Otherwise, Baoyi would"ve felt so humiliated that she would"ve flown into a rage and messed up his face before dealing with the consequences later.
However, regarding the skill of seeking death, Zhou Shizi didn"t like to pa.s.s his responsibility to others[5] and turned his head to say with disdain: "What are you covering? There"s nothing to look at."
If it were not for his red ears that betrayed him, Baoyi would"ve believed that he was unmoved.
Qi[6], it"s because of this character of yours that"s just asking for a beating, that readers disliked you! Baoyi gritted her teeth.
She wanted to put on her clothes but Zhou Yunxi refused to leave and she could only wrap the quilt around herself and glare at him. Unknown to her, her actions not only made her appear all the more wronged, it also attracted him more. Zhou Yunxi didn"t have any woman in his compound but that doesn"t mean that he hasn"t had a woman before. However, as he faced Baoyi at this moment, he felt terribly restless[7].
He dry coughed and opened his mouth only to find that his voice was hoa.r.s.e.
"Dang it! □ □ Chunhong Chunxi come in."
These two servant girls risked their lives by bursting into his quarters yesterday. Not only did Zhou Shizi not reproach them, but he also rewarded them heavily. However, the steward who"d stopped them yesterday was punished, and it wasn"t lightly.
On one hand, the two servant girls Chunhong and Chunxi were glad that they had won the gamble and on the other hand, they"ve worked up a sweat for their life"s sake, doing their utmost to serve Baoyi.
"Shizi." Baoyi suddenly spoke.
Zhou Yunxi stopped at the door.
Remembering her critical condition the night before, Baoyi felt like she"d let Zhou Yunxi down.
"Shizi, I"m sorry for worrying you. If anything really happens to me, I hope……"
"It won"t." Zhou Shizi"s voice was suddenly cold. "Rest well, don"t let your imagination run wild. You are mine, your life is also mine. Without my permission, no one can take it."
Due to this unforeseen event, the next time Baoyi got out of bed was half a month later.
During this half month, Zhou Yunxi visited her everyday. Sometimes he would just take a look at her, sometimes he"d just say a word but he mostly stayed silent. It"s just that recently, Chunhong and Chunxi"s expressions were a little weird. The two girls were scared to death of Zhou Shizi and wouldn"t tell when Baoyi asked.
Baoyi felt that she"d just about recovered fully during the past few days and tidied herself up in preparation to find Zhou Shizi to report for duty and express her determination to return to her post. Baoyi was originally Zhou Shizi"s personal bodyguard and everyone in the residence knew her. Plus with the things that happened previously, she is free to enter or exit the courtyard as she pleased and no one dared to question her. Strangely, Baoyi circled the inside and outside of Zhou Yunxi"s residence and couldn"t find him.
Baoyi grabbed a pa.s.sing sweeper woman and asked, "Shizi has gone out?"
That woman evaded her eyes.
Baoyi was immediately alert: "I asked you where Shizi went?"
The woman subserviently mumbled a reply and while Baoyi was lost in her thoughts for a moment, the woman actually threw down the broom and ran off!
The more she thought about it, the more Baoyi felt that things weren"t right. Recalling Chunhong and Chunxi"s att.i.tude also made her a little nervous. Did something happen during the time she was bedridden?
After some thought, Baoyi turned and walked towards the courtyard. As she pa.s.sed by the garden, she heard Qin[8] sounds coming from among the water and trees, together with the slight sound of chatter.
Baoyi looked into the distance and saw that one of them was Zhou Yunxi, as well as a woman who was sitting beside him and playing the qin. After a few notes, the qin"s music stopped and the woman seemed to be teasing him. Seeing this, Zhou Yunxi leaned over and played a few notes on the qin. From Baoyi"s point of view, it looked like they were flirting, affectionate beyond compare.
After a long while, the woman"s qin sounded again.
The qin"s music contrasted the murmuring of the flowing water, cleansing people"s will. It was slightly enchanting.
There was an uncomfortable feeling in Baoyi"s heart that she couldn"t put into words.
Why you[9]…Zhou Yunxi, Laoniang is terribly ill but you"re here, free and happy! Baoyi suppressed the unhappy feeling in the heart and proceeded to hide behind the rockery as she quietly approached the waterside pavilion.
Eventually, Zhou Yunxi"s eyes narrowed as he strolled to the edge of the waterside pavilion with his hands clasped behind his back. He appeared to be immersed in the qin"s music, oblivious to the fact that someone was spying on him.
When Zhou Yunxi moved, the face of the person behind him was finally exposed to Baoyi.
Baoyi felt her heart tighten.
Lu Qingluo!
It"s actually Lu Qingluo!
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Lu Qingluo was currently wearing a light green silk skirt, looking dignified as she played the qin. She looked just like the Lingbo fairy[10], no trace of a servant girl"s submissive manner. She used to be so afraid of Zhou Shizi but she could now play the qin in front of him comfortably, clearly showing that the relationship between the both of them had grown by leaps and bounds.
Looking at the scene in front of her, Baoyi repeatedly urged herself to calm down and not let her emotions affect her decisions. In fact, if the female lead could put away her prejudice and be with Zhou Shizi, it would also count as a different kind of HE, but —— she wasn"t happy!
What is this? Reignition of dying cinders?
There was a mix of five flavours[11] in her heart. She couldn"t tell whether it was due to her disappointment in Zhou Yunxi or anger towards Lu Qingluo……the sweetness that had acc.u.mulated since the start vanished into thin air. Suddenly, Baoyi didn"t want to be a little angel anymore.
Dang[12A] the male and female lead, d.a.m.n[12B] this stupid love. She wanted to transform into the vicious supporting female right now and grab Lu Qingluo"s collar as she asked her if she still remembered the Third Prince from the sh.o.r.es of Daming Lake eighteen years ago? Then kick the b.a.s.t.a.r.d with the surname Zhou into the lake!
While she was still rational, Baoyi turned and left, not even caring when she alarmed the people at the waterside pavilion.
Hide? Why should she hide?
Even though she had the thought of catching the adulterous pair, it wasn"t in her position to catch them!
The qin"s music stopped and Lu Qingluo looked up to see a figure flash behind the rockery. She wasn"t sure who it was and didn"t know if she should alert Zhou Shizi.
"Why have you stopped playing?" Zhou Shizi looked back, his eyes were clear and cold like always, completely unmoved by the qin"s music. "There is skill but no soul. This kind of music can"t please Zhou Yuncheng. Continue practicing."
"Yes." Lu Qingluo lowered her head nervously.
Although Zhou Shizi had recently relaxed his att.i.tude towards her and no longer feigned affection with her, Lu Qingluo was still very afraid of him. Recalling Baoyi"s previous worry that she would fall into Zhou Shizi"s gentle trap, Lu Qingluo couldn"t help but to laugh.
How could that be possible? Such a terrible person.
After staying by his side for a while, she was already shaking with fear.
Looking at the sky, Zhou Shizi remembered that Baoyi should"ve probably woken up by now and wanted to visit her but he heard Lu Qingluo calling out to him from behind.
"Shizi, there seemed to be someone behind the rockery just now. It looked like……"
Zhou Shizi casted her an indifferent sidelong glance.
Lu Qingluo lowered her head: "Like Baoyi Guniang."
Zhou Shizi stood dazed for a moment before knitting his brows, letting out a cold grunt and storming off in a huff.
Baoyi was still sulking.
She didn"t have any status, but based on that bit of unclear and ambiguous relationship, she wasn"t crazy enough to point at Zhou Yunxi"s nose and scold his unfaithfulness. Rather than saying that she was angry with Zhou Yunxi, it"ll be better to say that she was angry with herself.
At the start, she"d thought that she was only carrying out her mission and sounding him out, she didn"t expect herself to care so much.
This has gone too far?
That face, it"s all that face"s fault! She hadn"t been here long, to have such deep feelings for someone, she must"ve inherited the affections Thirteen had from their shared fates. To be so angry, it must be because she liked that face too much!
Chunhong and Chunxi didn"t know what had happened. Seeing that Baoyi was in a bad mood, they stood at the side and didn"t dare to utter a word. However, they saw that the medicine on the table was cold and Baoyi didn"t wish to drink it but Shizi had repeatedly instructed them on this. If the blame was put on them……the two servant girls glanced at each other. Being slightly older, Chunhong mustered up her courage and said: "Thirteen Guniang, it"s time to take your medicine."
Seeing Chunhong"s timid and nervous appearance, Baoyi knew that it didn"t make sense to vent her anger on them. Plus her body was her own and if she fell ill, it would be her that felt unwell. She contained her anger and murmured a "M-hm" in reply. Not needing someone to serve her, she cupped the bowl and downed all of it in one go. Unexpectedly, there was a "new ingredient" in today"s medicine and before she could even swallow it, the odour caused a bout of nausea and Baoyi choked, coughing incessantly and breaking the bowl on the floor.
Seeing this, Chunhong placed her hand on Baoyi"s back at once and Chunxi immediately followed by pouring a cup of water to suppress her cough.
The room was a bustle of chaotic mess, no one even bothering with the broken bowl on the floor.
When Zhou Shizi entered, this was what he saw. The shattered medicine bowl on the floor, an awful mess, Baoyi coughing non-stop, her face pale, expression miserable.
He frowned: "What happened?"
Chunhong and Chunxi immediately knelt and apologised.
But Baoyi said: "I wasn"t careful, why are you apologising, you may leave."
Zhou Shizi didn"t say anything this time, only waiting for them to leave before frowning as he circled Baoyi and examined her. Seeing that she was fine, his expression relaxed.
"You just got better, what wicked idea are you planning? You"re also not drinking your medicine properly, how long do you want to stay bedridden?"
"Me staying in bed is exactly what makes it convenient for you to hit on girls." Baoyi muttered softly.
"What did you say?" Zhou Shizi shot daggers at her and Baoyi shivered.
Insert a bookmark
The author has something to say:
Zhou Shizi: Who touched the female lead"s hand?
Baoyi: It"s me……
Zhou Shizi: Who snuggled against the female lead"s chest?
Baoyi: It"s……me.
Zhou Shizi: Nu shuai[13]! You have the cheek to tell me off, who"s the one that"s. .h.i.tting on girls?
Baoyi: It seems to be……me = = Why? Shizi, are you regretful?
Zhou Shizi: (Recovers emotions in one second) You"re overthinking, I"m just reminding you not to confuse your target. If you want to hit on anyone, it should be me.
Baoyi: ……You"re shameless!
Thank you, yes yes yes, big sister has thrown in Baoyi"s first thunder! =3=
This translation is brought to you by:
Iluska & Maelani Translations
Translator: Iluska & Sugakookie
Editor: Sugakookie
Proofreader: Sugakookie
1. Magpies are good omens↩
2. This is Baoyi recalling what was said in the previous chapter. In the previous chapter, the word used was "could (能)" but in this chapter, the author used "intend (准备)" instead.
To put it simply,
Previous chapter: Do you think she could still marry someone else in this lifetime?
Current chapter: Does she intend to marry someone else in this lifetime?
We"re a.s.suming that the author had a typo in this chapter and are following the writing in the previous chapter.
We"re a.s.suming the typo because in the previous line, the author wrote "Lu Yunluo" instead of "Lu Qingluo".↩
3. 春光 (chūn guāng) In this context, it basically means that Zhou Yunxi saw something s.e.xy ?↩
4. 肚兜 (dùdōu) Ancient chinese underwear that looks like a halter top]↩
5. 当仁不让 (dāng rén bù ràng) It"s an idiom that means to be unwilling to pa.s.s one"s responsibilities to others. Author is using this in a sarcastic manner.↩
6. 嘁 (qī) Whispering sound↩
7. 心猿意马 (xīn yuán yì mǎ) It"s an idiom that translate literally to heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse.↩
8. 琴 (qín) It"s a seven-stringed zither. Nowadays, we call it "guqin" but in ancient times it was referred to as "qin".↩
9. 好你个 (hǎo nǐ gè) Please note that this is based on sugakookie"s own understanding and interpretation because nothing could be found online.↩
10. 凌波仙子 (líng bō xiān zǐ) According to ancient chinese legend, she lived in the heavens and is well-known for reincarnating as a daffodil.↩
11. 五味俱杂 (wǔ wèi jù zá) Literal translation – A mix of five flavours, with the five being sweet, sour, bitter, spicy & salty. Meaning – mixed feelings.↩
12A. 去 (qù)↩12B. 他娘 (tā niáng) Baoyi is really angry, because all these are vulgarities. In the second phrase, both 去 & 他娘 were used, so a more accurate translation would be "d.a.m.n this f****** love".↩
13. 怒摔 (nù shuāi) to throw something ruthlessly / have an awful fall (Nothing we"ve found makes any sense so we"ve resorted to writing it in pinyin and leaving a footnote)↩
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