“I want you,” Xun Changqing said with a playful laugh, boldly crawling toward the outer side of the bed.
Sure enough, those two ‘demonic claws’ reached toward her bosom. Wei Lingci casually caught them and pushed them aside, saying impassively, “You are you, and I am me. Why should I give myself to you?”
Xun Changqing resorted to shamelessness. “That may be true, but everything you’re doing now is for my sake. Since you’re thinking of me, why not give yourself to me?”
“Xun Changqing, did you leave your face on your own bed when you came over here? How did you conclude that I’m thinking of you?”
“My face is right here. If you don’t believe me, feel it.” Xun Changqing actually grabbed her hand and pressed it to her own face. Wei Lingci’s fingers touched the girl’s delicate skin. The room was dimly lit, and though they lay together, they couldn’t clearly see each other’s expressions. But with Wei Lingci’s hand pressed to her face, she felt the tension in her cheek muscles.
After feeling for a moment, she mischievously pinched it. They had just discussed so many serious matters, and she had thought it would scare her, making her reconsider their relationship. But not even an hour later, she had come back demanding her birthday gift endlessly. She truly wasn’t afraid of what the future might bring.
Once Xun Changqing realized Wei Lingci’s hand was up to no good, she gripped it tightly and lightly pecked it near her lips. “If all else fails, I’ll leave my face with you for safekeeping.”
The conversation grew increasingly improper. Wei Lingci withdrew her hands and placed them on her own abdomen, gazing at the murky ceiling as she said gravely, “Changqing, if your father truly succeeds, with the vastness of the world, you’ll have many choices. You don’t have to keep fixating on me.”
Xun Changqing froze, not expecting Wei Lingci to say such a thing. Her spirits plummeted, but she suppressed her disappointment and followed her lead. “Then who do you think I should fixate on? Who should I marry? Or rather, who should you marry?”
“Fixate on whoever you like. As for me, I don’t want to be bound by marriage, so I’ll live the life I’m meant to.”
Those simple words sounded straightforward to Xun Changqing’s ears, but Wei Lingci had pondered them for a long time. She pushed Xun Changqing aside a bit, creating some distance, before continuing, “Changqing, you understand everything. Once your father becomes emperor, he won’t tolerate me. After all, a new emperor won’t let anyone who poses a threat remain. So, my best course is to stay away from court, like Fan Li, knowing when to advance and retreat.”
Everyone understood the principle of “once the rabbit is dead, the hound is stewed.” Xun Changqing understood it even better, but she interpreted Wei Lingci’s words differently. She sat up abruptly and said anxiously, “Let’s go, then! We’ll leave together. Mother Consort isn’t in the Imperial Capital, and I don’t know what Father intends for me. I’ll go with you.”
“Changqing, it’s not that simple,” Wei Lingci replied, hearing the urgency in her voice and realizing she had misunderstood. She sat up as well to explain, “You’re a princess with all the royal wealth and glory anyone could envy. Abandoning it for me would bring nothing but scandal—it’s not worth it. Stay in the Imperial Capital and continue being your carefree princess. That’s what you’ve always wanted most. Why not follow your heart?”
“Royal wealth and glory? Without you, I would have died long ago. You still haven’t told me why we were reborn. You lived longer than I did in our past lives, so you should know.” Xun Changqing gritted her teeth, choking back the bitterness in her throat. The path Wei Lingci laid out seemed bright—for the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion, perhaps—but for her personally, it offered no future.
With such deep schemes and ruthless methods, what would her father think if he knew she had orchestrated it all?
Wei Lingci could help him ascend the throne—and she could just as easily pull him down!
“I awoke the same way you were reborn. I only lived a few more years than you, muddling through in a daze. There’s nothing more to say.” Wei Lingci’s voice was soft and faint, like the first notes of a qin, devoid of emotion.
Xun Changqing might have believed it the first time, but Wei Lingci had said it many times. Over two lifetimes, nearly sixteen years together, she was used to it. She knew Wei Lingci meant well—parents would never approve of two women in love, let alone someone as proud as Xun Yi.
Wei Lingci thought it best to cut off this path early, uprooting the seedling before it grew. Unfortunately, the seedling in Xun Changqing’s heart had already become a towering tree piercing the clouds. Even if Wei Lingci sawed it down, the roots would remain.
Her silence only provoked Xun Changqing further.
Seeing her rise, Xun Changqing didn’t care if she’d anger her or face cold treatment later. After enduring for a moment, she used brute force to shove Wei Lingci onto the bed, pinning her shoulders as tears slid onto her shoulder. “Wei Lingci, you love when you want to love and stop when you don’t. Why should I listen to you? You’re a thorough scoundrel, a liar who fools me every day. I won’t do as you say. And you’re not allowed to move to the County Princess Mansion. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone tear down your house.”
Her domineering, unreasonable words left Wei Lingci at a loss. Feeling hot tears on her shoulder, she realized the little rogue was crying and deflected. “I really don’t know. I just woke up in this life. And I will move out eventually; I’m only borrowing the place for now.”
Even with just a wall between them, Xun Changqing felt emptier. She knew Wei Lingci’s intentions but couldn’t understand why. Sister Asu and Yuan Man could pursue their mutual love, yet Wei Lingci only advised against it, never planning for their future.
Xun Changqing gazed at Wei Lingci, blinking rapidly as her mind raced. The faint peach blossom scent on her was comforting, making her reluctant to leave. This untrustworthy liar deserved it—she leaned down and bit a tender spot on her shoulder. No kissing, but biting should be fine.
If her heart ached, Wei Lingci’s should too.
After two lifetimes together, Wei Lingci hadn’t expected Xun Changqing to be so unreasonable, switching from words to biting while pinning her down. She pushed her upward, but Xun Changqing’s strength was surprisingly great, immovable. This shameless act revealed her desperation.
She hurts, so she wants me to hurt too!
She was still just a child, after all. Reborn twice or not, her experience was lacking, her thoughts immature. Wei Lingci had warned her repeatedly to sever this unrealistic affection, but now she realized her own mistake.
The pain became unbearable, and Wei Lingci said, “Changqing, it already hurts.”
