With those words, Wei Lingci suddenly remembered that Xun Changqing was currently disguised as a “boy.” She glanced at Xun Changqing and met her timid gaze. Beneath the aggressive shell from their first meeting, she was just a half-grown child. Though wiser and more sensible than her peers, she was still a child with secrets she didn’t want others to know.
Wei Lingci understood and nodded before walking out.
But after she left, Xun Changqing ran into trouble again. The clothes were men’s style, different from women’s garments. Back in the Imperial Capital, servants had always dressed her, but these were common folk’s attire, unlike what she usually wore. She struggled for a long time without managing to put them on.
It took her the time it took for a stick of incense to burn before she finally got them on, but then she didn’t know how to tie the waist sash. The autumn day was cool, yet she broke out in layers of sweat, her face flushed red—whether from heat or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell.
By the time she finished dressing, nearly half an hour had passed. She opened the door, and Wei Lingci stood there with her hands behind her back under the corridor. Hearing the door, she turned to look. Xun Changqing’s forehead glistened with sweat, her face was bright red, and the sash around her waist looked odd. Wei Lingci paused, then realized why.
She stepped closer, bent down to smooth the wrinkles on Xun Changqing’s clothes, retied the sash neatly, and straightened up. After looking her over, she softly explained, “Clothes from the Prince’s Mansion are naturally different from those worn by common folk. From now on, you’ll have to learn to take care of yourself. You’re still young, and I’m your master. If there’s anything, come find me. Understand? There’s no point in forcing yourself.”
Xun Changqing’s face remained red as she kept silent, her eyes downcast. Her long, dense lashes hid her peach-blossom eyes, leaving her thoughts a mystery. Wei Lingci poked her plump cheek with a fingertip, teasingly amused, and laughed, “Are you angry already? How am I supposed to discipline you in the future?”
“I’m not angry,” Xun Changqing said, tugging at her sleeve. Her face burned even hotter with embarrassment. Lately, Wei Lingci had been kind to her, and she knew she couldn’t avoid her forever. She and Wei Lingci were bound together once more. She didn’t want to fall for her again, but her heart wouldn’t listen.
As she thought this, even without anger, she grew annoyed. She looked up at Wei Lingci, puzzled. “That first time we met, it was clear you disliked me. So why did you take me as your disciple? And why are you treating me like this now? If you dislike someone, you should hate them and stay away.”
Wei Lingci straightened up. “Are you saying I should dislike you, not take you as a disciple, or not treat you well?”
Her heart surged like turbulent tides. Xun Changqing gritted her teeth. “All of those… would be right.”
“That time you barged in was normal, and I didn’t blame you. I keep to myself and don’t talk much, so people think I have a bad temper. You probably thought the same. I took you in because of your mother’s request. I treat you well because you’re my disciple—naturally, I must take good care of my people.”
My people—naturally, I must take good care of them… Xun Changqing pouted, displeased. In her previous life, Wei Lingci hadn’t done that. She’d abandoned her in her hour of need. Wei Lingci was a liar. Xun Changqing scoffed, “Protect me? What if you abandon me later? Maybe you’re just a deceiver, lying to me from the start.”
By the end, her voice was a mosquito’s hum, but Wei Lingci, standing so close, caught every word. She bent down and tapped Xun Changqing’s forehead, laughing as she asked, “Xun Changqing, what has your master deceived you about?”
In her previous life, she’d deceived her feelings, then discarded her without acknowledgment—cold and heartless. While she’d been tortured half to death in prison, Wei Lingci never appeared. Who knew, maybe after her death, Wei Lingci had married the emperor and become the motherly empress of the world.
Xun Changqing huffed softly through her nose, turned her head away, and stared elsewhere. She truly couldn’t answer that.
Wei Lingci thought she seemed more childlike than ever. She reached out to take her hand and lead her outside, but Xun Changqing still harbored some resentment and pulled away. Puffing her cheeks, she huffed, “I’m a boy. I can walk by myself. I’m not some delicate little girl.”
With that, she strode ahead. Behind her, Wei Lingci smiled faintly, lips curving. It had been a long time since she’d seen Xun Changqing act so childishly.
This small town was filled with merchants and laborers who earned their keep through strength. Women stayed home tending vegetables, helping in the fields during harvest when the men returned. Children studied at school halls and came home at dusk.
As the two emerged, the sun hung low in the west, its orange glow bathing the joyful little town. They saw groups of students heading home from school. Wei Lingci scanned around but saw no sign of the sneaky figure from before. Still, one should always stay vigilant while out. She kept glancing at the child walking beside her.
Xun Changqing kept her head down and hurried forward, crossing the street into a narrow alley. She sensed something off—perhaps her martial senses from her previous life after training. She stopped, looked at Wei Lingci who had also halted, and their eyes met deeply.
Wei Lingci pulled her closer to her side. This was the only path back to the inn—they couldn’t avoid it, so they waited.
