Chapter 8: Mistakes of a Past Life Part 1

A night of shared passion.

She pressed a tender kiss to Qin Youning’s forehead, noting the traces of exhaustion the woman could not quite hide.

It was already deep into the night. She had kept this person beneath her long enough. That was sufficient.

Qi Yunchu lowered her gaze, wrapped the woman in her arms, and with her fingertips carried her once more to the heights of bliss.

“Hungry?” Qi Yunchu asked softly, easing her down onto the mattress, her voice gentler than before.

Qin Youning slowly lifted her eyes. The softness threaded through Qi Yunchu’s expression was reflected back in those hazy depths, and something sweet spread through her chest until her eyes stung.

“…I want to sleep… Will you stay with me?” Propping herself up on an aching body, she looked at Qi Yunchu with something close to begging.

Her gaze slid down Qin Youning’s cheek, taking in how thoroughly the woman had been ravished. Qi Yunchu’s eyes darkened. She caught sight of the bloodstains beneath her, and in the end, she still nodded.

So Qin Youning’s lips curved into a faint smile, and she shifted over to make room.

Qi Yunchu chuckled low, gathered her into her embrace, stroked the soft skin beneath her palm, and soothed her to sleep with a murmured lullaby of gentle words.

Perhaps she was simply too tired. Before long, the breathing in her arms evened out, and the woman sank into deep slumber.

Qi Yunchu turned onto her side and studied that sleeping face for a while, gave a quiet snort of laughter, then slowly withdrew her arm, rose from the bed, and walked to the window.

She cracked it open, and bright moonlight spilled in.

She stood at the bedside for a moment, until she spotted an eagle gliding down from a tree not far away. She met the bird’s eyes for a beat, then, lips curling, she pulled her robe closed and shut the window.

The person behind her seemed to have been roused, mumbling for her in a hoarse, unfocused voice.

“…A-Yun?” The woman’s hand groped across the sheets and found only cold, empty space. Her groggy consciousness snapped awake. Her eyes flew open and she tried to push herself up, only to be gently stopped.

Qi Yunchu covered her eyes with one hand and coaxed in a soft voice, “I’m right here. Come up and get some air, then sleep.” She lay back down, drew the woman into her arms, and kissed her forehead.

“…Don’t leave.” Qin Youning burrowed into her chest. Whatever drowsiness she’d had was mostly gone. Since her rebirth she had always been a light sleeper. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, hiding the sting at their corners.

What a tender voice…

As if nothing had ever happened…

As if… Qi Yunchu still loved her…

Qin Youning wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist and quietly clutched a fistful of her clothing, all while knowing with perfect clarity how much of this tenderness was real, and how much was not.

She smiled bitterly to herself.

Her whole body ached from head to toe. One night of indulgence had bought her only this small, warm illusion.

The most laughable part? She knew it was fake, and still she sank into it like a starving woman offered honey.

Qi Yunchu gazed down at her, her eyes perfectly calm, though the assent that left her lips was laced with sweetness.

Then she closed her eyes and slept soundly through the night.

Soon.

When she woke the next morning, the moment her eyes opened she felt a gaze fixed upon her.

Qi Yunchu glanced over and found herself nestled in Qin Youning’s arms. The woman had woken at some point and was watching her with a trace of a smile.

“A-Yun is hungry, isn’t she?” Qin Youning asked softly, raising a hand to caress her cheek.

Qi Yunchu sat up as well and rubbed the space between her brows.

Qin Youning had been the one crying out all night. So why was she the one with a headache this morning?

Was this body really that… weak?!

Qi Yunchu began to seriously question her life choices.

“A bath first.” Qi Yunchu said flatly, then narrowed her eyes and turned to look at the woman beside her.

“Would the Female Lord care to join me?” she asked with a light laugh.

Join her… in the bath?

Qin Youning froze, then flushed scarlet.

“No… no need. You go ahead, A-Yun. I’ll have someone bring water.” She rose and made to climb out of bed.

“Doesn’t it hurt anymore?” Qi Yunchu leaned against the bedframe with her arms crossed, watching as Qin Youning dressed piece by piece. Once the marks on her body were hidden, she became again that composed, luminous noblewoman of a great family.

There was a note of mockery in the question.

“…It doesn’t hurt.” Qin Youning lowered her eyes and answered quietly.

In truth, her lower back was weak and sore, and her body below ached unbearably.

She finished dressing, loosely pinned up her hair, and pushed open the door to leave, picking up the food box from the night before on her way out.

The food inside had long gone cold overnight. She would go prepare something fresh.

“Wait here. I’ll be back shortly.” So she instructed before departing.

Qi Yunchu raised a brow slightly and agreed.

Watching the woman’s figure recede into the distance, she casually threw an outer robe over her shoulders and settled against the bed to wait.

She had just closed her eyes for a brief rest when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.” She opened her eyes and squinted toward the entrance.

It was the two young maids who served Qin Youning. Neither made a sound, and neither dared look up at her. They carried in a wooden tub and water, with two cloth towels laid on top.

Behind them came Qin Youning, carrying a food box. She had already changed into a fresh set of clothes, her hair still damp. Clearly she had bathed already.

“What’s this? Did the Female Lord come to wash me herself?” Qi Yunchu arched a brow, teasing.

The two little maids pressed their lips tight, set everything down, and fled, not daring to listen to another word.

Qin Youning set down what she carried and sighed. “You’re still injured. You can’t properly bathe yet. We can only wipe you down a little.”

Bending down, she took out a clean set of clothes from the dressing table’s cabinet, along with a pair of shoes.

“I can’t touch water?”

“Mm.” She had only just remembered herself.

“Then can I touch other fluids?” Qi Yunchu rested one hand on her knee and asked with an air of innocent curiosity.

Qin Youning stared blankly for a moment, then understood exactly what she meant and shot her an indignant, flustered glare.

“I never did…” Her earlobes burned crimson, and she could not force the rest out.

Last night she had been so afraid of tearing at this woman’s wounds that she had barely dared to move at all. How could she possibly have…!

Qi Yunchu burst out laughing at her expression, ducking her head to smother her laughter for a good while.

“So then. Are you going to step out, or are you going to wipe me down?” She rose to her feet and casually shed the robe.

The garment slipped from her shoulders. Her collar hung loose and gaping, shamelessly baring smooth white skin, the delicate line of her collarbone, and… the soft curve dipping lower still.

Qin Youning jerked her eyes away, not daring to look again.

Her lips pressed together faintly. “I’ll step out.”

With that, she fled as fast as her legs could carry her and shut the door behind her.

Qi Yunchu watched her retreating back and chuckled softly. She lifted her fingertips to her nose and breathed in the scent clinging to them.

Delicious. Just as imagined.

She stripped off her clothes and glanced down at her body. The wounds were healing at remarkable speed, but the meridians and martial foundation of this body had truly been completely destroyed.

She had to admit, Qin Youning had shown considerable restraint last night. She had barely left any marks on her at all.

Qi Yunchu shook her head, picked up one of the towels, dipped it in the water, and began washing herself.

A short while later, the door opened. A woman in a red dress stepped out, toweling her hair while lifting her eyes to look outside.

Qin Youning was still waiting at the door.

Hearing the sound, she turned, and wonder flashed through her eyes.

In her memory, the Young General had only ever worn long robes, never the full skirts that fashionable women favored these days. Seeing it now, the effect was soft, alluring, and breathtakingly beautiful.

When she caught Qi Yunchu leaning against the doorframe, watching her, an inexplicable rush of joy welled up in her heart.

As if… this woman were already her wife, and the two of them were simply living out an ordinary life together.

That was the future she had dreamed of above all else.

Qin Youning stepped forward and took the towel from her hands, wanting to dry her hair for her.

“You plan to keep me locked up in here?” Qi Yunchu made no move to stop her, tilting her head to survey the courtyard with narrowed eyes.

The question came abruptly, though it was really a statement.

The woman behind her stiffened, sidestepping the topic. “In half a month, our wedding will be complete. After that, wherever you want to go, I will go with you.”

“The situation is volatile these next few days. It’s better if you stay here, A-Yun.”

Qin Youning looked at the silent figure before her and sighed softly, pulling her close and tucking her face against her shoulder. “Give me one more chance. Let’s live a good life together. All right?”

Be good. Stay by my side. All you need to do is wait for me to lay the most precious things in this world at your feet.

She waited, but no answer ever came.

Qin Youning smiled helplessly, her eyes darkening, and pressed a kiss to her ink-black hair. “Let’s eat something first, hm?”

Qi Yunchu, who had been staring blankly at the horizon, sighed and agreed.

This is difficult…

A corrupted, upgraded version of Lady Qin was never going to be easy to fool.

Look at this. They’d even spent a night together, and the woman hadn’t loosened her grip in the slightest!

Infuriating!

Was the universe actively trying to make my life impossible?!

Qi Yunchu felt a headache coming on.

Life is hard. Yunchu sighed.

Still… her dear little brother Qingyun… or rather, her little sister Ruocai, could surely get her out of here. Right?

She cast one last glance at the eagle that had quietly landed on the tree branch, and the corner of her mouth lifted.

“Where is A-Ning right now?” Qin Youyuan demanded of the guards posted at his door, his face no longer wearing its usual mildness but sunk in gloom.

He had been confined here for two days. Even if Qin Youning would never mistreat her own elder brother, she had still posted guards to keep him from wandering, and worse, she had detained his personal guards.

Suppressing his fury, Qin Youyuan asked again. Still, no one answered him.

Good breeding kept him from resorting to curses and abuse. He could only resist the urge so far before his fist lashed out, striking the door in a burst of pent-up frustration.

The guards’ expressions did not so much as flicker.

Helpless, he turned to go back inside and think once more about how to rescue that Young General who had fallen into his sister’s hands.

But the moment he turned, a heavy thud sounded behind him, as if someone had collapsed to the ground.

Qin Youyuan spun around in shock and found a man in black flexible armor standing in the courtyard outside. He recognized him at once. This was Qi Qingyun, Qi Yunchu’s most trusted aide.

A quick sweep of his surroundings showed that every guard assigned to watch him had been knocked unconscious.

“You… you’re here to rescue General Qi?” He hesitated, then asked anyway.

“Qin Youning just left the manor. She’s gone to see Jiang Lihan.”

“I need a token to leave the city.” Qi Qingyun said coldly, his eyes bloodshot.