Gold Medal Mediator [Quick Transmigration] 16

Chapter 16: The Empire This One Conquered For You (6)

Hua Baihe was nervous on the outside but secretly filled with anticipation on the inside. Her hands trembled with excitement as she undressed, her mind replaying the positions from the little blue book:

What does Jiang Yao like? The one on the cover? Or the standard for a first night?

The light blue palace attire came off, revealing the snow-white undergarments. Jiang Yao looked at that ordinary face, and the color in her eyes deepened—

The palace maid before her had a plain, oval face, and her features, when looked at individually, were exceedingly average. Yet, when combined, they were brought to life by a pair of spirited eyes that radiated cleverness.

When she wasn’t thinking, she appeared calm and steady, but the moment an idea struck her, a sharp glint would light up her eyes.

Jiang Yao watched her slowly pull her clothes down, from her neck to her collarbones, her smooth shoulders, and just as a faint shadow was about to emerge, she spoke coolly, “That’s enough.”

Hua Baihe froze, trying hard to suppress the astonishment in her heart—

How is that enough?

You’re telling me that’s enough when I’m only half-undressed?

Are you not up to the task?

But Jiang Yao paid no mind to her crushing disappointment. She walked up to her and placed a hand on the skin of her shoulder blade, which was exceptionally pale from years of being hidden from the sun.

The cool fingertips brushed against her, their chill sending an electric, hair-raising sensation through her that almost made her shudder.

She stammered, “Your Majesty…?”

It was such an erotic, borderline-groping scene, yet for some reason, when her gaze met the emotion in Jiang Yao’s eyes, she couldn’t help but feel—

—that she was being sized up like a piece of pork rib on a plate, being judged for its texture.

Just as Hua Baihe was full of anticipation, waiting for her to take a bite, Jiang Yao’s fingers found a small mole on her right shoulder. The tiny, raised bump was fun to the touch, and she rubbed it back and forth with the pad of her finger for a long time before finally speaking slowly, “Where are you least afraid of pain?”

She answered loudly, “My butt!” Actually, I’m not afraid of pain anywhere! Let love come at me with all its might!

Jiang Yao glanced up at her and, after a moment, asked meaningfully, “Are you sure?”

Hua Baihe: “…Is that okay?”

Jiang Yao gave a cryptic smile, gestured with her chin towards the desk, and said, “Lie down on it.”

After a pause, she seemed to recall her mention of the ‘butt’ and said in a deep voice:

“Take off your pants.”

Hua Baihe thought, how embarrassing—

And then she promptly stripped off her pants and, with her bare bottom feeling the cool air, lay down on the dark wooden table.

At the same time, she reflexively ignored Jiang Yao’s earlier question about pain and said cheerfully to the System:

“So she likes it from behind~”

System: “【I’m not listening, I’m not listening.jpg】”

**

A quarter of an hour later, all of Hua Baihe’s anticipation had turned to terror.

Her eyes widened as she watched Jiang Yao walk over to the bed and return with a wooden tray. On it was a row of silver needles, alongside a pile of bottles and jars.

“Sys-System, is she the reincarnation of Matron Rong?! Just because I took a little swim, she’s going to stick me with needles?!” Hua Baihe was trembling internally.

“Y-Your Majesty, I suddenly feel like I’m afraid of pain everywhere…” Hua Baihe looked like she desperately wanted to pull up her pants and run.

Jiang Yao shot her a sharp glance and ordered coolly, “Don’t move.”

Hua Baihe froze.

Jiang Yao’s gaze traveled from her half-exposed shoulder, down past the hem of her loose undergarment to the section of thigh revealed, and along the curve of her slender calf.

She had never noticed before that while this Qing Jia was plain-looking, her figure was quite nice.

Jiang Yao placed the wooden tray on the table with a soft thud. She glanced at her, and seeing her compliance, her tone softened.

“I’ll give you one more chance. Where do you want the tattoo?”

Hua Baihe: “…?”

Huh? What? Tattoo where?

**

“Ah…!” In the dead of night, a faint cry of pain echoed from the bedchamber of the Palace of Eternal Joy.

Jiang Yao’s hand, holding the needle, was steady. Hearing her cry, she paused and said with a hint of helplessness in her gentle voice:

“I haven’t started yet.”

Hua Baihe forced a smile. “I’m a little afraid of pain.”

So I’m just warming up my vocal cords.

Jiang Yao looked around, then after a moment, took a beautiful handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms from her robes. It carried a faint, sweet scent. She sighed softly, her voice even gentler. “Bite on this for now. Endure it.”

Hua Baihe took it, trembling, but didn’t immediately put it in her mouth. She just clenched her jaw and asked the System in her mind, baffled, “Why does Jiang Yao suddenly want to give me a tattoo?”

The System searched its database and replied, “It’s likely because your fall into the water this afternoon scared her. In this world, tattoos were originally used to mark exiled prisoners, but later, people came to believe that tattoos held a power that could ward off ghosts and bless a person with peace and safety.”

After it spoke, it expected Hua Baihe to be moved by Jiang Yao’s concern, but she remained silent for a long time.

Only when the first needle pierced her shoulder did Hua Baihe’s voice sound again, filled with a heavy gravity. “Does she hate me very much?”

System: “?”

Hua Baihe: “Jiang Yao just said she would be studying with me tonight. She’s using me as a test subject.”

She continued to wail in her mind, “From now on, the moment I take off my clothes, it’ll be a green dragon on the left, a white tiger on the right, and a Mickey Mouse in the middle. How will I ever face people again?”

The System pictured that mind-boggling image and fell silent for a long time.

“…Take care.”

**

In the quiet room, a candle burned silently in the corner. Thin wisps of incense rose from an intricately carved burner, its faint plum blossom scent secretly permeating every inch of the space.

On the dark wooden table, a half-undressed woman lay, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white shoulders and back. With each deliberate movement from the person above her, an ink-wash pattern gradually took shape.

The rhythmic, ant-bite-like pain came and went. Hua Baihe relaxed her mind, figuring that at worst, she would just never change in front of people again. She resigned herself to the fate of having an ugly drawing on her body—

After all, she was already this ugly. Had she ever complained before?

She had no choice but to accept it.

Her eyes were half-open, and around the fourth watch (approx. 1-3 AM), drowsiness crept in. Her head began to nod like a woodpecker. She vaguely heard Jiang Yao’s voice:

“This might hurt…”

Hua Baihe didn’t react at all. The next second, a searing pain spread across her back shoulder. She couldn’t hold back and let out a standard, bloodcurdling scream!

Drowsiness was consumed by pain. She hurt so much she almost fell off the table. Jiang Yao caught her by the waist, gently blowing on the red, swollen area on her shoulder from a slight distance, whispering, “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt, be good…”

Just then, there was a sound from outside. Huan Xi had woken up early and, seeing the lights had been on all night, came to knock on the door. “Your Majesty!”

Jiang Yao released her hand and said to Huan Xi, “Come in.”

Huan Xi entered and immediately said, “I heard His Majesty favored a palace candidate last night and promoted her this morning, straight to the rank of Consort—”

Halfway through her sentence, her eyes widened at the sight of Hua Baihe’s back.

“Your Majesty, is this…?!

She looked at Hua Baihe with a mixture of shock and envy, but Hua Baihe just covered her face, not wanting to be seen.

“What’s all the fuss about? His Majesty is the ruler of the world. It is the fortune of whoever can please him,” Jiang Yao said, putting down her needle. Having been up all night, her voice was lazy.

She glanced at Hua Baihe’s pained expression, as if she hadn’t been the one holding and comforting her just moments ago, and said casually, “Go back and rest. Remember not to get it wet for the next few days.” Then she turned to Huan Xi, having her help her dress and wash up while instructing her to take some jewelry from the storeroom to reward the new Consort.

“What’s her name?” Jiang Yao asked.

“Shen Qingyu… I think that’s the name. Ah, yes, it’s the one Qing Jia saved yesterday!” Huan Xi continued, “His Majesty was passing by the Palace of Gathering Elegance last night and heard that the person who fell into the water was the Vice Minister of War’s youngest daughter. For some reason, he went in. I heard she’s always being isolated. Turns out she’s a little fox, just entered the palace and already she can—”

Hua Baihe: “…What should I do? I think I just saved someone I shouldn’t have.”

The System threw a brick emoji at her: 【This is what you get for meddling.jpg】

“Enough,” Jiang Yao interrupted Huan Xi coolly, her expression unreadable, as if she were completely unconcerned.

Her gaze shifted. Seeing Hua Baihe had re-covered her clothes and was about to slip out, she called out to her:

“Five hundred times. Don’t forget.”

Hua Baihe: “…” She still remembers???

Hua Baihe: “This servant obeys.”

**

She pondered the mystery of Shen Qingyu’s sudden success with the Emperor as she walked back to her room. As she passed the dressing table, she paused.

After a moment’s hesitation, Hua Baihe moved closer, turned her back to the mirror, and slowly pulled down her clothes—

On her right shoulder blade were two small, lifelike koi fish, one black and one white, swimming head to tail in a circle. Their ethereal ink-wash tails were rendered with exquisite grace, fanning out like the wings of a butterfly, so fluid they seemed ready to leap from her snow-white skin at any moment.

Even the faint bone lines on the two fish were vividly depicted.

Hua Baihe stared at the mirror for a long time, then suddenly blurted out, “Do you think the Empress has had a secret crush on me for years?”

System: “…Instead of worrying about saving a love rival, you’re here daydreaming?”

Hua Baihe whimpered with emotion. “She tattooed koi fish on me!”

“How did she know I’ve never won a single lucky draw in my life?!”

***

Author’s Note: System: “…” Fcking retard.*

Ps Trivia: Goldfish(koi fish) are tattooed, symbolizing good luck and happiness.

Also, this fictional setting mainly references the Qing Dynasty, but I’m too lazy to be historically accurate, so it’s a mix. Don’t mind it too much. No braided hair queues; ask again and I’ll commit suic*de.