Chapter 82: Her Majesty is Very Easy to Coax!

Luo Wushuang swallowed hard, feigning composure as she met the curiosity in Shangguan Liqian’s eyes. After a moment of thought, she replied honestly, “As long as Sister does not leave me, there will be no ‘what if’.”

“And if I did leave—”

Before Shangguan Liqian could even finish her sentence, Luo Wushuang’s eyes instantly turned red.

It wasn’t the redness of impending tears, but the bloodshot strain of extreme grievance, of a heart so stifled by anger and fear that the blood rushed to her eyes.

Shangguan Liqian immediately bit back her words. She grabbed Luo Wushuang’s hand and promised, “I won’t. Not at all!”

Watching the scarlet tint in the other woman’s eyes fade, though her body was still trembling slightly, Liqian felt a wave of regret. She pulled the Empress into her arms and coaxed her gently, “I was just talking. I have no intention of leaving.”

Her head pressed against Liqian’s soft embrace, Luo Wushuang blinked, clearing the grief and indignation from her eyes. “Even just talking about it is forbidden!” she muttered resentfully.

Hearing the slight sob in her voice, Shangguan Liqian continued to coax her patiently. “I won’t say it anymore. I’ll never say it again, alright?”

“Mm.”

Luo Wushuang gave a low response, her voice small and thick with a nasal tone. “Sister, just wait for me a little longer.”

A flash of doubt crossed Liqian’s eyes, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she rhythmically patted Wushuang’s back, quietly listening for whatever came next.

After a moment, Luo Wushuang gathered her emotions. She tilted her head slightly and pressed a kiss to Shangguan Liqian’s chin.

Feeling the tickle against her skin, Liqian instinctively tried to dodge, but she found her supple waist already firmly pinned in place. Unable to flee or hide, Liqian could only stay still and “enjoy” the attention.

Soft, cool kisses traveled from her chin to the corner of her mouth, finally settling by her earlobe.

Perhaps to vent her lingering frustration, or perhaps as revenge for Liqian’s careless words earlier, Luo Wushuang gave the earlobe a firm bite before continuing. “I still need some time to adapt. Sister, please… don’t be afraid of me.”

Liqian’s hand, which had been about to pinch Wushuang’s waist in retaliation, froze. Her strength drained away.

This woman always knew exactly how to make her heart soften.

“I’m not afraid. Wushuang is very good. No one is better to me than Wushuang,” Shangguan Liqian said, her voice tender and firm.

Yet, she was met with a rare contradiction from the Empress. “Sister is the one who is the best!”

Seeing Luo Wushuang’s dead-serious expression, Liqian shook her head and laughed.

She pressed a kiss to Wushuang’s forehead, then rose to get a damp, soft silk towel. She wiped away the traces of tears from the Empress’s eyes, murmuring softly, “Hurry and wipe your face. Otherwise, at the Morning Court tomorrow, the officials will all laugh at their formidable Empress Regnant for being a crybaby at night.”

Luo Wushuang was amused by her words and put on a fierce front. “Whoever laughs, I’ll have them executed!”

Liqian smiled and went along with it. “Fine, fine. Kill them all.”

Wushuang reached up and pressed her fingers over Liqian’s hand as it lingered near her eye. She felt like crying again. Looking at Liqian’s gentle face, she choked out, “I thought Sister was going to call me tyrannical again.”

Liqian looked away slightly, her mouth stubborn. “When did I ever say that?”

Seeing her “Sister” refusing to admit it, Luo Wushuang’s tears dissipated into a laugh. “Sister never said it. I must have misremembered.”

As Luo Wushuang changed her tune, Liqian’s cheeks flushed with heat. She was about to urge the other woman to sleep when Wushuang suddenly spoke again.

“I have news regarding Master Yujing.”

Liqian’s drifting gaze snapped back to Luo Wushuang. There was a spark of urgency in her eyes that she hadn’t even noticed herself.

Knowing that Liqian had always wanted to know the Master’s whereabouts, Luo Wushuang didn’t have the heart to keep her in suspense. She pulled Liqian closer into her arms and began. “Two years ago, Lou Yanhui encountered Master Yujing in the Western Regions.”

“At that time, the Western Regions were in chaos. The commoners were suffering, and strange portents were appearing frequently. It was thanks to Master Yujing’s intervention…”

As Luo Wushuang explained, Liqian grew more certain in her heart that this Master Yujing was indeed the eminent monk from her dreams.

When Wushuang mentioned that she had obtained a token left by the Master from Lou Yanhui, and that they could send someone to search for him at the Rakshasa Ancient Temple at any time, Liqian felt a mix of excitement and unease.

The matters involving Prince An and Shen Youran had been a thorn in her heart since her rebirth. Now that she had news of Master Yujing, she was joyful, yet apprehensive.

A man as compassionate and powerful as Master Yujing would surely be able to restrain that demon, ensuring no harm would come to Wushuang.

As for Prince An, she believed in Wushuang. Had Wushuang not given up on herself in her previous life, Prince An would have been nothing more than meat on her chopping block.

The only concern… was whether Master Yujing would see the abnormality within her.

And more importantly, she wondered if her rebirth was something that would be “corrected” back to the original path.

Looking up at Luo Wushuang’s face, which was full of love, Liqian’s heart suddenly throbbed with pain.

She and Wushuang had finally made it this far. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to live, and more than that, she wanted Wushuang to live… to live and stay by her side. She didn’t want Wushuang to suffer as she had in their past life.

She only hoped that the world would allow things to go as she wished.

Luo Wushuang’s voice was calm and steady. Liqian used a faint smile to mask her inner turmoil.

When Wushuang finished speaking, she noticed that Liqian’s reaction wasn’t as joyful as she had anticipated. She frowned slightly, searching Liqian’s face.

“Is Sister not happy?” After the questioning tone, Luo Wushuang stared at her without blinking.

Hadn’t Sister been the one clamoring to find Master Yujing all this time? Why was she shrinking back now that they had news?

The long-standing doubt resurfaced in her mind, and Luo Wushuang couldn’t help but look aggrieved. “Why must you find Master Yujing? Is Sister still unwilling to tell me?”

Faced with the accusation in Wushuang’s eyes, Liqian sighed inwardly. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep secrets; she simply couldn’t speak of the past life or the dreams. If Wushuang blamed her for it, there was little she could do.

But she truly couldn’t stand seeing Wushuang look so hurt. After a brief hesitation…

Enduring her exhaustion and bashfulness, Shangguan Liqian draped her wrists over Luo Wushuang’s fair neck. She pulled slightly, her intent clear.

Normally, Luo Wushuang would have leaned down eagerly. But now… she felt wronged and worried about exhausting Liqian further, so she forced herself to suppress her mounting desire.

Sensing the restrained, controlled kisses Luo Wushuang was pressing against her ear, Liqian leaned in and whispered with a low chuckle, “Are you really going to hold back?”

She didn’t believe for a second that Luo Wushuang could actually resist.

As it turned out, her prediction was correct. The moment that warm breath hit Luo Wushuang’s ear, the Empress lost all her defenses.

Mindful of Liqian’s health, they didn’t stay up all night. However, under Luo Wushuang’s tireless “diligence,” they managed to unlock quite a few new… experiences.