Chapter 23: Scheme Twenty-Three Part 3

Hearing her keep saying “my own doing” over and over, Yun Qian was so angry she wanted to bite someone. When she could bear it no longer, she grabbed the girl’s fair arm and bit down on her wrist.

Qin Xiang was someone who had been cast off by her family, yet she had never resented it. Tracing back, she was from the Warm Valley in the Northern Frontier. That year, the valley was targeted, and someone bought her out of it. To protect the valley, the Clan Chief had chosen the girl who never argued, who lived at peace with the world. That girl was passed along and sold into the Qin family, renamed Qin Xiang—her past no longer existed. To everyone she met, she never spoke of what lay within the Warm Valley.

Her wrist stung. Qin Xiang let out an “ah” and cried, “You can’t bite like that—it hurts…”

“So you can say it hurts.” Yun Qian mocked her. Seeing the timid, weak manner of the Little Empress Qin, she felt even more angry—she’d rather the girl be as fierce as in the previous life. The rule of the world: the kind are bullied. But thinking of the past life, she swallowed the words back. Let it be. This was good, very good.

They returned to the Prime Minister’s Residence late at night. After dinner, Yun Qian dragged Qin Xiang off to swim. The moment she shed her outer robe and dove into the water, Qin Xiang felt her skin ease wonderfully; the warm clear water washed over her heart. But her sister had vanished. She chased deeper. Underwater, everything was limpid, and a trail of white garment seemed to drift like a cloud. Chasing it with a single breath, she pressed on.

The inner garment billowed, nearly slipping away. Pressing her collar down and holding her breath, she finally caught hold of her sister’s clothing.

Yun Qian stopped underwater and looked back at her, eyes glinting. She took Qin Xiang’s hand, pulled her into her arms, and kissed the lips that were pressed tightly together.

Kissing underwater demanded endurance, and lung power was everything. Qin Xiang had already held her breath for a long time; caught off guard by the kiss, she felt her breath trapped inside her, as if she were suffocating. At this moment, she looked even more helpless.

Yun Qian released her with a smile. Qin Xiang burst out of the water, breathing desperately, her neck stretched back as she gasped for air.

Yun Qian braced her hands on the pool’s edge, lifted herself lightly, and perched on the rim, watching Qin Xiang breathe as if she were dying. Her slender neck arched in an elegant line as she gasped, while the water surface concealed her pale collarbones completely. Her small face above the water was flushed red, lovely as a lotus rising from the water, her clear eyes brimming with autumn ripples, glistening with light.

Qin Xiang also swam to the pool’s edge, planted her hands on it, and pushed with all her might… She didn’t make it up. She tried again; her collarbone emerged, her delicate skin flawless as white jade, as if it could be pinched to water. She was still in the water.

Helpless, Qin Xiang reached out to Yun Qian. “Sister, give me a hand.”

Yun Qian refused, lifting a brow. Her legs swayed lightly in the water, sending up droplets that nearly blinded Qin Xiang. “Sister, Sister…”

Not content with that, Yun Qian shifted toward Qin Xiang, her toes trailing across the garment at her waist, across her fair skin. Qin Xiang was furious, her face burning red. The person on the pool’s rim smiled fondly down at her, wet white robes clinging to her skin, her chest half-exposed, exuding an air of gentle, bewitching charm.

“You won’t pull me up, and you even kick me. Just wait until I get up there.” Qin Xiang’s arms weren’t strong enough to haul herself up. With her hard luck, she had to swim to the steps, climb ashore, and then walk along the white jade rim. The rim was slippery and covered in water; she pressed her feet carefully against it and crept along extremely slowly.

Yun Qian lifted her eyes, a hint of teasing in her slightly arched brows. She tilted her chin up a little, and just as the girl was about to reach her, she plunged into the water with a splash. Qin Xiang stared, dumbfounded. “You… you’re so mean!”

This time, Qin Xiang didn’t go back down. Huffing, she sat down and kicked the water. “Don’t come up! Don’t you dare come up!” The words had barely landed when someone grabbed her ankles and gave a gentle tug, dragging her into the water. Qin Xiang flailed. “Sister! There’s a water ghost…”

She had barely hit the water before she was pinned against the cold pool wall. Underwater, Yun Qian held her chin… Yun Qian was the “water ghost”—a water ghost living a second life.

Qin Xiang was bullied again. When their lips touched, she could clearly see the “water ghost’s” face. Under the water, the pressure was heavy, and she felt a hand slide from her neck downward, while she greedily drew breath from the kiss, trying to taste the other’s flavor. At that moment, she sensed danger and hooked both arms around her sister’s neck.

Bubbles rose to the surface. Qin Xiang burst out of the water and arched her neck again, gasping for air, while Yun Qian once more leapt onto the pool’s rim and leisurely watched the girl’s greedy breathing.

Unwilling to give up, Qin Xiang braced her arms and tried to climb out again. Yun Qian wasn’t content to sit still either; she kicked her foot past the girl’s waist, sending up a spray of water. Qin Xiang glared helplessly, gave up trying, swam back to the steps, and then trotted over.

Yun Qian glanced at her, lips red and beaded with water. “Little A-Xiang, have you learned it yet?” After so many rounds, she really should have.

Qin Xiang was struck speechless. She opened her mouth, then obediently sat down beside her. It was time to collect the lesson. Yun Qian gazed at her, slowly leaned close to her ear, and said, “Still haven’t learned?”

Qin Xiang frowned, met her sister’s clear, cool eyes, and her heart abruptly began to race. She tried to explain: “I think… I think I can.”

“So you’ve learned. You’re a rather slow student—I’ve taught you so many times.” Yun Qian tilted her head and leaned on her shoulder. Their soaked clothes were almost no barrier at all. Skin against skin sent little shivers of amazement.

Qin Xiang didn’t know what to say. Helplessly, she licked her own lips, and as her tongue swept past the air, her heart trembled. She looked cautiously at her sister. “Now?”

“Tomorrow would be fine too.” Yun Qian parted her red lips, pressing them against the shell of Qin Xiang’s ear, and watched as the skin there flushed crimson. Not satisfied, she bit down on the trembling little ear, white as jade.

Qin Xiang’s ear went numb. She hurriedly said, “Now works too. Now is fine.”

Yun Qian immediately sat up straight and asked this student who was suddenly facing an exam, “Do you want to do it underwater?” Most of the lessons had taken place on the surface, after all.

The student shook her head. “No, no, no.” Her stamina couldn’t compare with her sister’s; going underwater was just asking to be tormented. She tried to keep her breathing steady and turned to face her sister. The instant their eyes met, her mind grew hazy, her feet felt soft, as if she were standing on clouds.

Yun Qian teased, “I’ve invigilated the metropolitan examinations before, and none of the candidates were as nervous as you. Look at yourself—like you’ve done your homework wrong and are about to lose your head.”

“You… you…” Qin Xiang was speechless again, her red lips slightly parted, but her heart was full of sweetness. The sweetness that surged up was like drinking honey water. She slowly leaned closer, pressing her lips not to her sister’s lips directly, but to the flawless, soft cheek. Lip against cheek—it was like a breeze opening the door to knowledge, revealing a different world. It was a tentative touch, cautious and shy, like a tart green fruit given an experimental bite.

Yun Qian didn’t move. Inwardly she was shaken. She felt something different, something impossible to put into words. It was profoundly complex.

Qin Xiang’s movements were clumsy and slow, reminding Yun Qian of the floral bear sent from the Shu Region—huge and lumbering, furry all over. The floral bear was clumsy yet adorable, especially its coat.

Yun Qian’s heart stirred. She raised her hand and stroked the back of her neck—equally soft. A traveler walking through the desert, given such a touch, forced herself to hold her breath and straightened her spine, reaching back to clutch at her own wrist.

But Yun Qian pushed her away. “This teacher’s methods are flawed, and this student is far too dull.” Her brows and eyes were full of charm, her whole body languid. After scolding the clumsy student, the female teacher naturally taught her once more.

But both of them were drenched. After a moment’s thought, Yun Qian pushed the girl into the water and followed her in. They had practiced on the surface so many times; it would be a waste not to use the underwater space.

When the dull student surfaced and arched her neck gasping for breath, the clever teacher had already emerged. She casually grabbed a blanket to cover her barely concealed figure, leaving the dull student sighing alone in the water.

By the time they returned to the Wanglan Pavilion, it was late. A maidservant had prepared herbal decoction. Qin Xiang drank it all in one go and stuck out her tongue at the bitterness.

When she went in, Yun Qian was already in bed. She carefully took off her shoes, climbed onto the foot of the bed, and crawled to the inner side on all fours.

Seeing Qin Xiang crawling on all fours, the reclining woman found it amusing again. She pinched the flesh at her waist and said, “You’re too thin.” After a pause, she asked, “Do you know what a floral bear is?”

“What’s a floral bear?” Qin Xiang shook her head. Floral bears were rare, so it was normal that Qin Xiang had never seen one. Yun Qian explained, “It’s a great big bear with only two colors—black and white. But they’re formidable, also called Iron-Eating Beasts, highly aggressive. In a while, I’ll take you into the palace to see one. You’re very much like them.”

Qin Xiang found it odd. “In what way?”

“You’ll know when you see them.” Yun Qian didn’t want to elaborate. She pulled the girl down to lie beside her and settled against her shoulder.

Once lying down, Qin Xiang was faced with her collarbone—pale, with fine bones sweeping like mountain ridges. She was dazed for a moment. Were they really going to sleep like this? Was she sure they shouldn’t change positions? Her sister was so beautiful, reminding her of a line from a poem: a beauty’s beauty lies in her bones, not her skin. With bones this beautiful, she was naturally beautiful.

Having thought that, Qin Xiang squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to sleep. Sleep, sleep—only when asleep would she stop thinking nonsense. She breathed deliberately, calming her mind.

After steadying herself for a while, Qin Xiang abruptly opened her eyes. They had talked about consummation the day before—so were they going to do it or not? She blinked hesitantly, and before her eyes the unbroken scenery appeared again. She simply wriggled forward and buried her head in her sister’s arms. Hmm—this way she couldn’t see it, and she could sleep in peace.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather grew hotter still, and heat could be felt the moment one woke in the morning.

The Old Madam, a regular visitor, came again, sitting in the front hall while being served fine food and drink. Every time she came alone, and every time she was escorted out and sent back to the Xun Residence. The Xun family never showed their faces or followed her. Word had it that the eldest Xun son had married and had children, and the second son was currently courting.

This time, Qin Xiang didn’t go to the front courtyard to get involved. She meant to use the money she’d earned to buy a small trinket for her sister. As Qin Xiang turned her little pouch over five or six times, the Old Madam in the front courtyard started cursing and shouting that her son-in-law was unfilial for not coming to pay respects.

Qin Xiang tucked the pouch away and hung it at her waist as usual, then quietly slipped out the back door with A-Gui, so the Old Madam’s rage couldn’t reach her.

The carriage dashed out of the Prime Minister’s Residence, and as they passed the front gate, she caught sight of the Xun family’s carriage. Qin Xiang couldn’t understand the Old Madam’s behavior—she had remarried and had sons, and yet she made trouble for her daughter at every turn.