Chapter 93: Am I Well-Behaved Enough?

“Sister, may I?” Luo Wushuang swallowed hard, her voice tinged with a sharp edge of urgency.

In the face of her dear sister, she wanted it—wanted her—every waking moment.

She felt that if she were a person possessed by poison, then her sister was her cure. Her only cure.

Sensing the rasp in Luo Wushuang’s voice, a panicked Shangguan Liqian shook her head. “Wushuang, no… we’re outside!”

Luo Wushuang let go of the reins. With a slight exert of strength, she turned the woman in front of her around to face her.

As their eyes met, Luo Wushuang saw the flicker of resistance and the instinctive panic in the depths of Liqian’s gaze. The lust clouding her eyes vanished instantly. She fought to suppress her wicked impulses, leaning forward to coax her like a spoiled child.

“Then Sister must compensate me properly when we return.”

As long as her sister was unwilling, she couldn’t bring herself to force her. The only thing she would ever force was for her never to leave.

Seeing the sudden fire in Wushuang’s eyes die down, Liqian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Meeting the lingering, playful smirk in the Empress’s eyes, a blush crept onto Liqian’s face.

Normally, if they were out and she noticed her sister was embarrassed, Luo Wushuang would know when to stop. But today, for some reason, she felt the urge to keep teasing.

“Sister?”

The lilt at the end of her voice and her relentless tone laid her naughty intentions bare. Liqian shot her another glare, biting her lower lip. Her voice was raspy as she pleaded, “You… just be good.”

Luo Wushuang stifled a laugh, leaning in close until she was right in front of Liqian’s face. She put on a look of pure innocence. “Am I not being well-behaved enough?”

They were so close that Liqian could clearly see the fine, soft hairs on the Empress’s face and the suppressed mischief dancing in her eyes. She knew Wushuang truly wanted to do something wicked here…

Though the younger woman seemed to have changed her mind, Liqian didn’t dare relax. She didn’t want to be outside. Not at all.

Fortunately, Wushuang understood her unease. Fortunately, she hadn’t forced her like she had in their past life. In that sense, she really was being “good.”

Faced with Wushuang’s expectant, obedient gaze, Liqian lowered her eyes. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Wait until we’re back… after we’re back, we can…”

Luo Wushuang swallowed hard, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the blushing beauty before her. Pinned by such a burning gaze, Liqian found it impossible to finish her sentence.

Yet, Wushuang’s playful streak was ignited, and she couldn’t let it go. “What are we going to do when we get back, Sister?” Luo Wushuang tightened her grip on the beauty’s waist, tilting her head with a charming, innocent smile.

Liqian glanced up at the girl who was clearly feigning ignorance. The corners of her eyes were slightly flushed. Wushuang’s throat tightened. Her fingers brushed against those red lips currently being worried by pearly teeth.

“Can we do anything?” she rasped. “Sister, I want to…”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, but the smirk in her eyes only grew more pronounced. Meeting the reckless light in the young woman’s eyes, Liqian patted the small hand wreaking havoc at her waist. Her voice trembled. “Wushuang, don’t bully me…”

The plea in her voice was unmistakable. Seeing the glint of tears that threatened to fall from her sister’s eyes, Luo Wushuang swallowed her desire. She didn’t dare push any further, afraid that if she lost control, she would break her sister’s heart.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but it felt like Liqian’s aversion to intimacy outdoors wasn’t just simple shyness. A memory from their last trip out of the palace surfaced. Back in the carriage, she remembered Liqian asking her a question. She had asked if Wushuang would ignore her objections and force her if she still intended to leave.

Why would her sister ask such a thing out of the blue?

Recalling the look in Liqian’s eyes just now, a flash of contemplation crossed Wushuang’s mind. From Shen Youran to Master Yujing, and now this… Could it be… that things had happened to her sister that she didn’t know about?

What exactly was Liqian hiding? And why? Was it because her sister didn’t trust her enough, or didn’t want to rely on her completely, or…

At the thought of the latter possibility, a hint of crimson flashed in Wushuang’s eyes. She lowered her head, pressing a gentle kiss to her sister’s brow. Pushing down the irritability in her heart, she spoke softly. “Sister, don’t ever leave me. Never…”

Keenly sensing the emotions Wushuang was hiding beneath her gentle facade, Liqian’s heart skipped a beat. Forgetting her usual shyness in public, she tilted her head back and kissed the Empress with deep emotion.

She would never leave Wushuang. Never again.

A light breeze drifted past, ruffling their hair. Their black tresses danced and intertwined in the air like the red threads of the Old Man under the Moon; once entangled, they never wanted to be parted.

After a long while, Liqian leaned into Wushuang’s embrace, breathless. Her voice was shaky but resolute. “I want to be with you, Wushuang. Always.”

Just as Wushuang understood her resistance and panic, she understood Wushuang’s cowardice and insecurity. So, no matter when it was, no matter how many times she had to say it, as long as Wushuang asked, she would answer. She would answer her insecurity; she would answer her undying devotion.

Meeting the tolerance and doting affection in Liqian’s gaze, Wushuang’s lashes fluttered, blinking away the threat of tears and fear. The missing piece of her heart was filled by this blazing love. Feeling Liqian’s care and heartache, a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Sister, you’re so wonderful!” Luo Wushuang buried her head in the crook of Liqian’s neck, letting out a sigh of contentment. Truly, she thought, there was no woman in this world better than her sister.

Sensing her attachment and joy, Liqian didn’t speak. She simply pulled the younger woman closer into her arms. Her Wushuang really loved her. And she felt the same… Never again would there be anyone like Wushuang, who could sway her every emotion with a single look or gesture.

Liqian’s slender fingers gently stroked the other woman’s tense back, offering a silent comfort. Once she felt Wushuang’s emotions stabilize, she finally let go. Wushuang looked up from her embrace. With her messy hair and reddened eyes, she looked so pitiable and lovely that anyone would be moved.

With a quiet sigh in her heart, Liqian led her to the bank of a stream to wash her face, scrubbing away the tear stains and any lingering unhappy emotions. They leaned against each other by the stream, surrounded by green water and red flowers, whispering softly.

A playful glance, a smile—it was unclear who started it, but soon there was a splash of clear water, a burst of lighthearted laughter, and two graceful figures playing. They played in the cool stream without restraint, letting everything out…

Casting aside the burdens of a ruler and the affairs of the palace, they stole a half-day of leisure from their fleeting lives. Once they returned to the palace, even if they had free time, they would likely never be as carefree and uninhibited as they were right now.

Happy, warm moments are always brief. Soon, the sun began to dip into the west, and twilight approached. Having temporarily discarded their worries, the two changed into the clothes prepared by the Personal Guard. Donning their public masks once more, they spurred their horses back toward the palace.