Chapter 67: A Small Fortune

And then…

After lunch, Luo Wushuang spent the entire afternoon clinging to Shangguan Liqian. She dragged her through the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers, sat by Taiye Pool to fish, and lingered in the Imperial Study to paint…

In short, Luo Wushuang resorted to every trick in the book to make her sister change her mind. She was, quite shamelessly, practicing the art of seduction.

Deeply moved by her “sincerity,” Shangguan Liqian eventually gave in.

That evening, after washing her hands, she proceeded to have her way with the little schemer, leaving her thoroughly spent.

The bright moonlight filtered through the dappled shadows of the trees, spilling across the bed. Shangguan Liqian stretched her aching wrists and leaned back into Luo Wushuang’s embrace with a clear conscience.

Luo Wushuang, holding her close, wore a look of utter grievance.

She had wanted to “punish” her sister, not be the one receiving the penalty…

She suddenly realized that her sister wasn’t always gentle; sometimes, she could be quite wicked.

Meeting Luo Wushuang’s mournful gaze, Shangguan Liqian asked pointedly, “What? Are you unwilling?”

“No!” Luo Wushuang shook her head vigorously, though she continued to stare at Shangguan Liqian with a face full of woe.

Shangguan Liqian buried her head in the Empress’s chest, trying her best to stifle her laughter. Her shoulders shook slightly, and after a moment, her muffled voice drifted out from the embrace.

“Since you’re so unwilling, you should go back to the study to sleep tonight.”

Luo Wushuang, unable to tell if her sister was crying or laughing, gave a decisive refusal. “No!”

She reached out, firmly cupping the face hidden against her. Shangguan Liqian, who hadn’t yet managed to tuck away her emotions, was exposed directly to Luo Wushuang’s eyes.

Once she was certain that the woman wasn’t crying, Luo Wushuang breathed a secret sigh of relief.

Now that her smile had been caught, Shangguan Liqian stopped trying to hide it. She dropped the act; she had done it on purpose.

Who told this girl to be so loose-lipped, blabbing about everything to everyone? She could only imagine how brazen Wushuang must have sounded when she questioned the Imperial Physician!

The only ones destined for eternal embarrassment were the physician and… herself.

“I am willing! More than willing!” Luo Wushuang repeated through gritted teeth.

Only she knew how much resentment lingered in her heart. The Imperial Physician had finally given the green light, yet her sister was still playing hard to get. She was going to burst from frustration!

After her laughter subsided, Shangguan Liqian pushed herself out of Luo Wushuang’s arms. She turned her back to her and whispered, “I never said I wouldn’t allow you tonight.”

Why is she getting so worked up?

Luo Wushuang froze. Once she was sure she hadn’t misheard, the resentment on her face vanished instantly. A grin spread across her features, her joy practically overflowing.

She knew it. How could her sister ever bear to see her suffer? As for the things her sister had said before, she wasn’t foolish enough to bring them up now.

Excited, she lunged forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey…

Just as the long-awaited feast was finally within reach, she was suddenly interrupted at the critical moment.

“Wait.”

Hearing that melodious voice, Luo Wushuang slammed on the brakes instantly. “Sister!”

Seeing her expression twist with frantic impatience, Shangguan Liqian suppressed a smile. “It’s nothing. You may continue.”

However, Shangguan Liqian soon found herself unable to laugh.

Having pent up her energy for so long, Luo Wushuang was like a general taking the field, commanding the wind and rain. She used the torrential downpour of her passion to vent every bit of the emotional turbulence she had endured throughout the day.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that the wind began to die down and the sounds of the rain faded…

Just as Shangguan Liqian thought the girl had finally learned the meaning of moderation…

Luo Wushuang, her face lightly dusted with sweat, lowered her head to capture those soft lips again. One hand stayed locked around her waist, while the other slowly began to climb upward…

Shangguan Liqian: “…”

I spoke too soon!

Wushuang was still the same Wushuang; she hadn’t changed one bit.

Soon, her thoughts were interrupted again. Sensing Luo Wushuang’s increasingly bold movements, Shangguan Liqian’s gaze grew hazy once more, her breathing hitching.

Luo Wushuang suddenly leaned down and whispered something in her ear that she didn’t quite catch. She only felt a soft pillow being tucked beneath her waist.

Wushuang, what are you doing?

Shangguan Liqian’s eyes flickered. she lowered her gaze and pulled her knees up…

All she could see was the crown of that raven-black hair.

A hundred flowers bloomed at once, unfolding in total abandonment…

For a fleeting moment, Shangguan Liqian felt as though the entire world had fallen silent. She was drifting among the clouds, playing with the stars.

Her hand instinctively gripped the brocade quilt beside her. She threw her head back, exposing her slender neck, which was now covered in marks. The mixture of blue and pink was breathtakingly captivating.

When her reason finally returned, she met Luo Wushuang’s smiling eyes. A single drop of moisture hung from the tip of the Empress’s nose.

Shangguan Liqian turned her head slightly to avoid the gaze. She grabbed a clean silk towel and began to rub it haphazardly over Wushuang’s face.

Realizing her sister was shy again, Luo Wushuang’s throat bobbed. She lowered her head, burying it back into that soft warmth, and let out a muffled chuckle.

Shangguan Liqian bit her lip lightly. Her hand found the girl’s delicate earlobe, stroking it gently. Before Luo Wushuang could even begin to enjoy the sensation, Liqian suddenly increased the pressure.

“Sister… it hurts!” Luo Wushuang looked up piteously, pleading in a small voice.

“Serves you right!” Shangguan Liqian scoffed softly, but her grip immediately loosened.

Sensing that her sister was now rubbing the ear she had just tugged, Luo Wushuang began to grin like an idiot again. Her sister was worried about her; she could feel it!

The night was quiet, draped in a warm, peaceful glow.

…

The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the window screens, falling gently over the sleeping Shangguan Liqian. The beauty who had shared her bed last night was already gone.

Luo Wushuang had risen early for the morning court.

Before leaving, she had looked at the sleeping woman. After much hesitation, she finally instructed the maids outside the hall: if her sister wished to go out today, they were not to stop her.

Her sister had agreed to marry her; she wanted to try and give her some freedom.

However, her heart was still uneasy. She was used to keeping the woman within her bedchamber, used to seeing her the moment she returned from court. Even though this was a well-considered decision, Luo Wushuang feared that things might change.

Consequently, she spent the entire morning session with a furrowed brow, looking deeply unsettled. To the ministers, it appeared as though the Empress was in a foul mood, causing every one of them to be on their best behavior.

The moment the session ended, Luo Wushuang abandoned the sedan chair behind her and strode quickly toward Phoenix Hall.

She had worried for the duration of the morning court, only to return and find her sister sitting by the table, calmly sipping tea.

Luo Wushuang exhaled a sigh of relief, the tension in her brow finally smoothing out.

“Why didn’t you go out, Sister?” Luo Wushuang approached with a smile and sat down beside her.

Hearing the question, Shangguan Liqian, who had been watching her approach with a smile, paused. She frowned slightly and asked, “Without your orders, who would dare let me out?”

Luo Wushuang blanked. Only then did she remember that she had only instructed the guards; she had forgotten to tell her sister. And the maids serving her were accustomed to being cautious and tight-lipped; they would never have mentioned it of their own accord.

Despite it being her own oversight, a secret sense of relief bubbled up in Luo Wushuang’s heart.

Her sister hadn’t known she could leave, so she was still here when Wushuang returned. It was wonderful!

However, she feared she wouldn’t be so lucky tomorrow. Once her sister realized she had her freedom, why would she stay here every day, obediently waiting for her return?

At that thought, her mood instantly plummeted again.

A bewildered Shangguan Liqian watched the Empress’s face cycle through a dozen emotions. She managed to catch the main point from those few words.

“You’re not keeping me locked up anymore?” she asked.

“When did I ever lock you up?” Luo Wushuang replied, her tone stubborn even as her heart wavered.