Chapter 30: Caught Stealing a Kiss

Shi Yuning slept deeply, more deeply than she had in ages, and she had a long, rambling dream.

She dreamed of her mischievous childhood days—climbing trees to steal eggs, fishing in the river—living without a care in the world until her grandfather came calling.

In the dream, everyone around her was overjoyed. The neighbors all came to congratulate them, saying from now on they would live good lives.

Her mother wept tears of excitement.

But in the dream, she alone did not look happy. She saw her dream-self forcing a smile, pretending to be delighted.

Shi Yuning knew why. She was reluctant to leave the home where she had lived for over a decade, and she worried about the unknown future ahead.

On the day they entered the capital, Shi Yuning gazed up at the towering city walls and sighed. Once they passed through those gates, her past and future would be like two different worlds.

Just as they were about to enter the city, a luxurious eight-carrier sedan draped in red silk tassels came heading out from the opposite direction.

The once-wide road instantly grew crowded as pedestrians hurried to make way.

The carriage carrying Shi Yuning’s family pulled over to the side.

Shi Yuning lifted the carriage curtain and caught sight of the sedan drawing near. It was embroidered with intricate peony blossoms in full, vibrant bloom, their stamens studded with dazzling gems that sparkled brilliantly. It was the picture of opulence.

From the crowd making way, she heard someone call out, “That’s the young lady from Duke Xie’s household—the future Crown Princess’s sedan. What a beautiful sight!”

“What’s so special about the sedan? That Miss Xie is the greatest beauty in all of Great Ye. Now that’s something truly worth seeing.”

The crowd buzzed with chatter, piquing Shi Yuning’s curiosity. She craned her neck, trying to peek through the sedan’s window curtain for a glimpse of this famed first beauty.

As the sedan passed their carriage, the little bells hanging around it chimed with a clear, tinkling melody.

A gentle breeze lifted the window curtain ever so slightly.

“Xie Zhaoran—”

Shi Yuning cried out and jolted awake from the dream.

Her eyes flew open to see the exact same face from her dream, though this one bore scabbed scratches.

“You’re awake?” Xie Zhaoran noticed Shi Yuning bolt upright and stare at her in a daze without a word. Worry creased her brow. “Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Shi Yuning blinked, quickly taking in their surroundings. They were in a modest, somewhat rundown room that had been cleaned spotless.

The space was small, with odds and ends piled in the corner. Aside from the bed they lay on, there were only two trunks at the foot and a long bench by the bedside that could seat four.

“Where are we? How did we end up here? What about you—how’s your leg? Your leg?”

Shi Yuning’s mind was a jumble, full of questions she couldn’t quite string together.

Xie Zhaoran grasped her flailing hands, her gaze deep and soothing. “Easy now. Everything’s fine. We’re safe, and it’s all thanks to you.”

The warmth of Xie Zhaoran’s grip steadied Shi Yuning, calming her under that steady look.

Xie Zhaoran recounted what had happened after Shi Yuning passed out.

The Tian Dame whom Shi Yuning had called for help turned out to be a kindhearted soul with a warm disposition. Not only did she fetch people to carry them back to her home, but she also summoned the village’s expert on sprains and fractures—the Village Chief—to tend to them.

Xie Zhaoran had woken from the pain during treatment.

When the Village Chief asked about their background, Xie Zhaoran spun a tale of traveling to visit relatives, only to be ambushed by bandits. They had jumped off a cliff to escape. The Village Chief lamented the state of the world, while Tian Dame called it a miracle they had survived.

Xie Zhaoran removed the earrings from her ears and Shi Yuning’s, handing them over to Tian Dame as payment for medicine and lodging.

Tian Dame had refused at first. Her husband had passed years ago, and with her daughter married off, she lived alone. She was just about to go stay with her daughter anyway, so the house would be empty. They could watch it for her.

But Xie Zhaoran insisted, saying the bandits had taken everything else they had. Tian Dame shouldn’t turn up her nose at these.

After some polite refusal, Tian Dame accepted. Though she hadn’t seen many fine things in her life, she could tell from the exquisite workmanship that these earrings were valuable.

She thought of how she hadn’t been able to give her own daughter anything nice for her wedding—this could make up for it.

Tian Dame wasn’t one to take advantage. She left them a pot of chicken soup and told them to help themselves to the vegetables from her garden and the rice, flour, and oil in the house.

If they needed anything, they could find the Village Chief at the village head.

He agreed, but since they were two young ladies and Tian Dame wouldn’t be home, it wouldn’t be proper for him to visit alone. Fortunately, Xie Zhaoran’s leg had been splinted. His wife would deliver the medicine in the coming days.

Xie Zhaoran thanked them profusely once more. After seeing them off, she turned to find Shi Yuning still asleep and pondered the day’s events.

She was wondering how to get in touch with Xiao Liju when she heard Shi Yuning murmur her name in her sleep.

Upon waking, Shi Yuning had stared at her in that dazed, dreamlike way. Xie Zhaoran’s heart ached—she must have been terribly frightened.

Hearing the full story, Shi Yuning remembered everything too.

They had run into an ambush on the way to Crane Cry Temple, then been chased and forced to leap off the cliff. She had pulled Xie Zhaoran from the water and encountered kind strangers.

Safe at last. Once the reality sank in, Shi Yuning couldn’t hold back. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Xie Zhaoran.

Xie Zhaoran wiped them away gently, soothing her all the while. “No more crying. We’re both alive.”

Shi Yuning sniffled and nodded, then noticed the crude splint on Xie Zhaoran’s leg made from just two boards. Concern filled her.

“Your leg?”

Xie Zhaoran smiled reassuringly. “It’s fine. Just broken.”

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. “Broken and you call it fine? How skilled is that Village Chief? Did he say if it’ll affect you long-term?”

Xie Zhaoran arched a brow. “If my leg ends up lame, would you despise me for it?”

Shi Yuning spat twice in superstition. “Don’t talk nonsense! Lame? Your leg will heal just fine.”

“And your life is one I barely saved. No matter what happens, I won’t abandon you, and you can’t abandon yourself either.”

Xie Zhaoran gazed at her earnest expression, warmth blooming in her chest. “If not for you, I’d be dead by now.”

She paused, her eyes shimmering like sunlight caught in their depths. “How would you have me repay this life debt?”

“Ah?” Shi Yuning let out a soft exclamation. She hadn’t even mentioned repaying the favor, and here Xie Zhaoran was bringing it up.

Her cheeks flushed. She couldn’t quite meet Xie Zhaoran’s eyes, her gaze darting about.

She had planned to demand marriage before, but now the words stuck in her throat.

Shi Yuning inwardly scolded herself. How could she leverage a debt like this, take advantage of someone’s vulnerability?

“No, no need to repay anything.”

Shi Yuning pulled her hand free, ducked her head, and scrambled off the bed, putting distance between them.

Xie Zhaoran stared at her suddenly empty hand, disappointment washing over her.

She had hoped Shi Yuning might ask, “How do you plan to repay me?”—giving her the opening to say, “With my hand in marriage.”

No matter. She would take it slow.

Xie Zhaoran schooled her expression and pointed to the chicken soup nearby. “Tian Dame left this for us. Drink some to build your strength. You worked so hard today.”

Shi Yuning shook her head. “You’re the one hurt so badly. You drink it. I’ll see what else is in the house. Anything you’re craving?”

Since Tian Dame had said to use whatever was there and Xie Zhaoran had already paid, they’d likely be staying a while. Shi Yuning figured she should check what she could prepare.

The light outside was fading—it had been a long day of fleeing for their lives. They had survived, and now her senses sharpened. She was starving.

Xie Zhaoran was hungry too. She inwardly cursed her luck—not just the leg, but her hands were injured as well. The thought of burdening Shi Yuning twisted her heart.

Unaware of her turmoil, Shi Yuning took the initiative since Xie Zhaoran hadn’t specified.

Fortunately, she wasn’t some delicate miss. The earthen stove in Tian Dame’s house was just like the one back in her rural home, and Shi Yuning handled it with ease.

For dinner, she simmered a pot of porridge, stir-fried a plate of potato shreds, and another of cucumbers.

Xie Zhaoran didn’t complain, polishing off every bite.

Shi Yuning thought this must be what her mother meant: when you’re starving, anything tastes good.

But with the chicken soup, Xie Zhaoran turned picky after two sips. “Too oily. Not skimmed properly—tastes off.”

Shi Yuning skimmed the fat for her, but after one taste, Xie Zhaoran said it was bland now.

Shi Yuning silently retracted her earlier praise. This woman wasn’t picky at all—until she was, and then she was pickier than anyone.

No helping it. Wasting a whole pot would be a shame, so Shi Yuning drank it all. It wasn’t as good as the chefs at Xie Zhaoran’s house, but it was drinkable.

Xie Zhaoran really was too finicky, Shi Yuning mused as she sipped. What should she make next to nourish her?

Right—marrow bone soup, to mend bone with bone. But with her cooking skills, would it suit Xie Zhaoran’s palate?

Even after washing up and lying down, Shi Yuning stared at the woman beside her, wondering where she might scrounge some ribs.

Xie Zhaoran had lost a lot of blood from her injuries and felt overwhelmingly drowsy. She had so much she wanted to say to Shi Yuning, but her body had its limits.

After dinner, her eyelids grew too heavy to fight.

Tian Dame’s house had only this one bed. Tonight was their first sharing it, and Xie Zhaoran didn’t want to drift off just yet. But she couldn’t hold out.

Her eyes closed in sleep.

Shi Yuning, however, lay wide awake. Xie Zhaoran’s breathing filled the quiet room, steady and even.

Her upbringing had ingrained manners deep in her bones—even in sleep, she lay properly on her back, hands folded over her abdomen, hair neatly fanned behind her head.

Shi Yuning had been lying on her side, able to see only half of Xie Zhaoran’s face. After a moment, she propped herself up on one elbow for a better view.

Tian Dame’s wooden bed sat right under the window, which was simply papered over. Moonlight poured in unimpeded, spilling across the bed and bathing Xie Zhaoran’s face.

Her lashes were so long, dusted with a shimmer under the moonlight, fluttering faintly with each breath like twinkling stars.

Her straight, proud nose rose like a lone peak, carrying a sharp edge softened only by its delicate, rounded tip.

Shi Yuning’s gaze trailed down the bridge to those softly parted pink lips.

They were like tender lotus buds blooming in a summer night, exuding a fatal allure that made her lose herself in the darkness, tempting her to sin.

Shi Yuning’s heart raced wildly.

Like a devotee ensnared and mindless, before reason could pull her back, her body moved on its own. She leaned down and pressed her lips softly to that warm, tempting temptation.

In the hazy night, the scent of gardenias wafted on the breeze into their little bed canopy.

Under the silver moonlight, the sleeper’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

They blazed with a thousand sparkling stars, bright enough to set the night aflame.