The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 148

Chapter 148: Taken Home by the Princess Part 36

At night, after their clothes were dry and the fire extinguished, Qin Yang and Tao Ning huddled together for warmth.

Qin Yang could still feel the residual heat from the fire against her back, her heartbeat steady.

She glanced at the charred wood, her thoughts wandering before settling into a quiet calm. The fire in the room might be out, but something else had ignited within her.

For three days, they had been unsure of their distance from Yongzhou, when General Qi’s men would find them, or who would arrive first, surviving on fish from the river.

They couldn’t risk being seen during the day, only venturing out at night, quickly returning with their catch.

The firewood in the mortuary was almost gone, and Qin Yang, enduring the fishy smell, was cleaning and gutting a fish, then placing it over the fire to cook.

She had to endure the smell of raw fish turning into cooked fish, not having a sense of taste didn’t mean she couldn’t smell.

She had always disliked fish, and even without a sense of taste, she didn’t want it on her table.

Turning around, she saw Tao Ning rolling up her sleeve, applying medicine to the wound that hadn’t fully healed, aggravated by their escape and her efforts to catch fish.

Fresh blood oozed from the wound, a stark contrast against her porcelain-smooth skin.

Tao Ning, not noticing Qin Yang’s gaze, casually wiped the blood away with a damp cloth, putting it aside to be burned later.

As Qin Yang approached, Tao Ning noticed her coarse skirt and looked up.

Qin Yang took her wrist, her fingertips gently tracing the edges of the wound, her grip tightening.

Her lips pursed, her eyes reddening, but she stubbornly held back her tears, a touchingly vulnerable sight. She took the medicine bottle from Tao Ning and carefully applied it to the wound.

The bandage, soaked in river water, was dirty, so Qin Yang didn’t replace it.

Tao Ning didn’t dare say it didn’t hurt, afraid of making Qin Yang cry.

A soft hiss escaped Tao Ning’s lips, and Qin Yang’s heart ached. She put down the bottle, turning around anxiously: “Oh no, I forgot about the fire, it’s burning!”

Tao Ning: “…”

She looked at the treated wound. The ointment was the Jade Renewal Ointment, very effective, it should heal completely within two days.

As long as she didn’t reopen the wound.

Three days later, still not found, they left the mortuary and headed into the forest.

Before leaving, Tao Ning had asked if there was anywhere she wanted to go, and Qin Yang had replied, “I want to return to the capital.”

The path they were on now led to the capital.

To avoid being found, they avoided populated areas.

Every night, they found a cave to rest, the mountain air chilly, huddling together for warmth, the distant howls of wild beasts echoing in the silence.

They had run out of fish, and luck wasn’t on their side today, unable to catch any rabbits, the fruits on the trees already picked clean by animals preparing for winter, leaving only bare branches.

Occasionally, they found a branch with a few remaining fruits, but those left behind were usually the sour ones.

Qin Yang, while unable to taste, could still feel the sourness, her throat burning and dry, unable to swallow.

Annoyed, she tossed the fruit aside, turning away, refusing to eat any more.

Qin Yang, raised in luxury, had never even tasted cold food, let alone unripe, sour fruit.

Tao Ning, returning after setting up some traps, saw the untouched fruit and asked casually, “Why aren’t you eating, Changyi?”

Qin Yang flicked the fruit away with her fingertip, saying, “I’ll eat later.”

In her youth, she had accompanied her elders on demon-hunting expeditions, no one treating her like a princess then, venturing into dangerous territories, Tao Ning skillfully setting traps, although now, without spiritual power, they were less effective.

But since the onset of her “deficient constitution,” she had been confined to her bed, a helpless invalid.

So, many things weren’t considered hardships now, at least she had her limbs and her senses.

She said, “We’ll reach a village tomorrow, then we can exchange game for food and hot water for a bath.”

Qin Yang, hearing this, was tempted, a faint smile on her face. Who would have thought that the aloof and dignified Princess Regent would be so happy at the prospect of a hot bath?

“Cough, cough, cough…!”

Then Tao Ning heard a series of coughs from behind and quickly turned around to pat Qin Yang’s back.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Qin Yang’s face was red as she tossed the offending fruit aside, turning away, refusing to eat any more.

Tao Ning instantly understood, she was throwing a tantrum because of the sour taste. Picking up an untouched fruit, she said, “The skin is a bit sour and astringent, I’ll peel it for you.”

Qin Yang’s cheeks puffed out slightly, remaining motionless, pulling her hand away from Tao Ning’s grasp.

A silent protest, I don’t want sour fruit.

Tao Ning couldn’t help but smile, turning Qin Yang around and taking out a small knife, peeling the fruit: “I’ve set up some traps outside, we might have something better to eat tomorrow, but for now, just eat this to stave off your hunger.”

Qin Yang watched her silently.

The fruit tasted unpleasant, but it smelled quite fragrant.

As the skin was peeled away, revealing the pale green flesh inside, a sweet aroma filled the air, and Qin Yang, watching Tao Ning’s nimble fingers, couldn’t help but swallow.

She was always curious about how Tao Ning, also a fugitive, always seemed to have everything she needed.

A fire starter on the first day, then medicine, a dagger, and even the pomegranate-embroidered handkerchief she had given her, which Tao Ning had taken out last night for Qin Yang to wipe her sweat, then washed and returned.

She looked so slender and agile, yet she seemed to have an endless supply of things.

The fruit wasn’t large, about the size of a child’s palm, and someone unskilled with a knife could easily cut themselves while peeling it.

After peeling the fruit, Tao Ning cut it into four pieces with her knife.

She offered the pale green fruit to Qin Yang, smiling faintly in the firelight: “Here, I’ve peeled it for you, it won’t be so hard to swallow.”

After some coaxing, Qin Yang finally took a bite, her brows furrowing slightly. The astringency was indeed less intense, but it still wasn’t tasty.

Still sour.

But she hadn’t eaten anything all day, and refusing would only worry Tao Ning.

After finishing the fruit, Qin Yang lay down, her back to Tao Ning, still sulking.

Tao Ning found it amusing, but seeing Qin Yang’s face smudged with dirt, she didn’t want to provoke her further, so she tidied up the fire and lay down to rest as well.

After a while, half-asleep, she felt Qin Yang turn around, snuggling closer, resting her forehead on Tao Ning’s shoulder. Tao Ning, her eyes still closed, patted Qin Yang’s back and continued to sleep.

Qin Yang, however, wasn’t asleep yet. She opened her eyes, there was no need to worry about soldiers here, but they couldn’t extinguish the fire, lest they freeze to death in the night.

Facing the fire, she took Tao Ning’s hand, noticing the small cuts and scars, new injuries.

Even as a cleaning maid in the retreat, Tao Ning’s hands, although not as soft as someone raised in luxury, had been smooth and unblemished.

Qin Yang’s slender fingers traced the scars, bringing Tao Ning’s hand closer to the firelight for a better look, then she lowered her head, gently kissing each mark.

She knew these were caused by her, Tao Ning shouldn’t have to endure this.

Why am I still holding back? This thought suddenly crossed her mind, like a blocked passage finally cleared.

Why should the person she cared about suffer because of her?

She recalled the time, when she was eighteen, the Yangxin Palace filled with the bitter scent of medicine.

The late emperor, tears streaming down his face, had begged her to assist the young emperor. After the two princes’ rebellion, he had no one else to trust.

For years, she had fulfilled this promise, working tirelessly for the Yu Dynasty, only wanting to return to Danyang and live a peaceful life after the emperor’s wedding.

She had told the emperor about the lingering poison in her body, which the imperial physicians couldn’t cure, fearing it would eventually consume her, her only wish a simple life.

But what did she get in return?

The shackles that had bound her for years suddenly shattered, and Qin Yang felt a sense of liberation. A thought, a thought that could change the Yu Dynasty, was born.

She pressed Tao Ning’s hand against her cheek, the warmth comforting.

The Yu Dynasty was ill, a hidden disease now showing its symptoms, a festering wound that needed to be treated, or it would consume the entire kingdom.

Women were adaptable, and Qin Yang quickly adjusted her mindset, discarding her self-pity, and they left the cave, heading down the mountain.

As dawn broke, Tao Ning, returning after washing up, heard a noise from the traps she had set the previous night.

Snakes were hibernating at this time of year, so the creature trapped in the cage was a brightly colored pheasant.

Checking the other traps, she found a rabbit with an injured leg, the rest empty. Since they were leaving, she dismantled the traps.

Carrying the squawking pheasant and the limping rabbit, Tao Ning returned to the cave.

Qin Yang hadn’t had such a bountiful meal in days, and the princess, accustomed to a life of luxury, hesitated between eating the pheasant and the rabbit first.

She pointed at the plump rabbit: “If we’re exchanging it for something, a live pheasant would be more valuable.”

Tao Ning readily agreed: “That makes sense, let’s eat the rabbit then.”

They quickly prepared the pheasant for trade, cleaned the rabbit by the stream, and ate their fill.

It was getting late, and they had to leave soon. They wrapped the leftover rabbit leg in leaves.

Coincidentally, there was a small, remote village at the foot of the mountain. The women and elderly, after finishing their farm work, occasionally made wicker baskets, while most of the young men worked in town, returning only every few days.

While the village seemed close, it took them until dusk to reach it, the sun setting, the last rays of sunlight fading.

Tao Ning knocked on the courtyard gate of a house at the edge of the village. A clear, loud voice, the loudest in the entire village, came from inside: “Grandma, I told you, your eyes aren’t good, don’t weave baskets when it’s dark, I’ve made enough.”

An old woman’s voice replied, “Are you saying my eyes are bad?”

The young woman choked: “…”

She took a deep breath, preparing to repeat herself loudly.

Her grandmother was hard of hearing, so she had to raise her voice.

The knocking interrupted her, and she turned around and shouted, “Who is it, so late?!”