Chapter 111: Radiant Seton (Part 3): Unable to Bear Part 1

Her two feet were wrapped in clothes, as if sunk into a basin of hot water, and even her spine felt a bit looser. Mu Qian Tan thumped the side of her neck with the base of her palm. She heard footsteps approaching from outside the door, so the light thumping turned into slow kneading. Her gaze drifted empty as she listened to the footsteps pause at the doorway, hesitate with a few paces back and forth, then stop.

Someone was waiting at the door.

She moved her feet away from the warm belly beneath them. The person in deep sleep reached out from the pile of clothes, her fingertips trailing lingeringly over Mu Qian Tan’s ankle as if reluctant to let her go. Mu Qian Tan lowered her eyes to look at her, kicked away that bit of scalding warmth, slipped on the soft-soled cotton shoes prepared specially in the room, and walked to the door to open it. Outside stood Qin He.

“I…” Her gaze dodged away the moment it met Mu Qian Tan’s. Qin He took half a step back, lowered her head, her body stiff and straight as she stammered, “I… I’m here to…”

“To find Shang Shan?” Mu Qian Tan said bluntly.

Qin He said, “Yes.” She subconsciously stroked the hilt of the sword at her waist, her eyes darting without a place to land. “I saw she wasn’t in her room, so I thought maybe she was with you.”

Only then did she remember to pay respects. She bowed and said, “Greetings, Immortal.”

Mu Qian Tan could hear the faint wind outside the window, stirring up an invisible little whirlwind inside the room. Mu Qian Tan stared at the whirl of hair on top of her head and deliberately said nothing. When the girl started to look puzzled and then visibly uneasy, she finally responded with an “Mm.”

Qin He let out a breath of relief and slowly straightened up. Mu Qian Tan held the door open. “Where’s your master?”

Qin He said, “She went out with the Young Fu Clan Head.”

Mu Qian Tan asked, “You didn’t go?”

Qin He’s expression turned indescribably awkward in an instant. It was easy to guess why. They must have realized that Fu Li most wanted to invite Jiang Zhouyao on this outing. Rather than watch others fawn over her own master from the sidelines, it was better to go play on her own, so she had refused.

Before she could say anything, a maid standing beside her said, “The Young Clan Head arranged for this servant to show you three around the Radiant Palace, or you could go to Seton City—whatever you choose or prefer.”

Mu Qian Tan’s gaze swept over her. “Shang Shan is dead asleep.”

Qin He said, “Then I’ll wait a bit.”

Mu Qian Tan pulled the door wider. “Come in and wait. She might not wake up that soon.”

This Stupid Dragon had probably spent the entire night battling her sleepiness, silently chanting “I’m willing” all the way until dawn when she finally dozed off. She wouldn’t come to her senses until nearly noon.

Without even washing up, seeing people made her uncomfortable. After opening the door, Mu Qian Tan returned to the bedside, reached into her Storage Pouch, and pulled out the toiletries she had made and brought herself. She prepared to go to the private chamber in the room to clean up.

Qin He shuffled in slowly. She glanced at the unmade bedding on the bed, quickly averted her eyes, then noticed Shang Shan sprawled openly on the floor. Before she could be surprised, she spotted the unfamiliar items in the woman’s hands.

She hadn’t seen them clearly at first glance and couldn’t help taking a second look. As Mu Qian Tan passed her, she paused, then stepped back and asked, “Curious?”

Qin He jumped in fright. “I…”

Mu Qian Tan held up the items in her hand. “Toothbrush, toothpaste, facial cleanser. Seen them before?”

After arriving in this world, Mu Qian Tan had gone through a period of adaptation. Early on, many things had been hard to get used to for a long time—like no electricity for lights, the sky always darkening early, and nights being too quiet. There was no smart navigation either, forcing her to puzzle over ancient maps for ages to find her way.

But all that could be overcome, and what couldn’t be was overcome anyway. Just like these—the toothbrush she had made herself after failing to get used to the local ones, along with the toothpaste and facial cleanser whipped up from random ingredients. Surprisingly, they worked pretty well.

Qin He could feel the woman’s gaze on her and stood frozen. The room was too warm, hot air crowding her nose, and sweat broke out on her skin. She didn’t know how to respond. Fortunately, the woman didn’t wait long. Seeing her silent, she left, and Qin He felt like she had come back to life. She squatted down beside Shang Shan and let out a breath.

Li Biyuan said, ‘Who would’ve thought Sister Tan, you’d tease people like that.’

‘Do I?’ Mu Qian Tan walked into the private chamber and kicked the door shut with her foot. She tilted her head and gathered her long hair behind her. ‘She reminds me of my little sister. Just teasing her a bit.’

Li Biyuan said, ‘Is your sister that well-behaved?’

Mu Qian Tan squeezed out some toothpaste and bit the toothbrush between her teeth. ‘Not at all.’

Far from it. Back when they first met, she had been a total little demon king, her mouth full of street-fight gutter talk that was more vulgar than the last. Fortunately, Mu Qian Tan had corrected her later, or she really would have been too disgusted to admit they were blood sisters.

Of course, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it back then, it couldn’t change the fact that the same blood flowed in their veins.

Li Biyuan said, ‘Not well-behaved, and you still say she reminds you of her.’

A moment later, Mu Qian Tan spat out the foam with water. ‘That guilty look on her face is just like.’

The expression of someone afraid to face things, unsure if they were right or wrong, not knowing what to do next—full of inner conflict.

Mu Qian Tan completely understood the complex feelings Qin He had toward her right now. Shouting to kill before, conflicted after being saved, declaring she’d go find evidence and coming back empty-handed—anyone would feel frustrated, even more conflicted, not knowing how to resolve it.

Any considerate person wouldn’t provoke the girl, but Mu Qian Tan wasn’t one, so she had to say that line.

Li Biyuan snickered. ‘Alright, but weren’t you embarrassed talking to her? I was dying of secondhand embarrassment just watching.’

Mu Qian Tan wet a towel with water and bent over to wipe her face carefully. A few stray hairs stuck to her ears, water droplets moistening her pale pink lips. Those cherry blossom-like translucent lips said merciless words: “How embarrassing could it be? More than when Jiang Yuanqi heard your thoughts before?”

‘Sister Tan!!!’

Mu Qian Tan chuckled lightly and put her things away. Li Biyuan felt half-dead. ‘You embarrassed the sleepiness right out of me. My toes curled hard enough to build a castle.’

‘Toes? You’re pretty tough then.’

‘It’s an internet meme, don’t take it literally.’ Li Biyuan yawned, cheekily adding, ‘Oops, almost forgot—you’re past the age of surfing the net.’

Mu Qian Tan pushed the door open to leave. ‘This sleepy and you still haven’t slept all night? Take care of yourself. Staying up every day like this—what body can handle it? Don’t end up not even living to my current age.’

‘Ah, I really haven’t slept, but it’s still nighttime for me. Our time flows differently, you know.’

Hearing the door open, Qin He’s shoulders twitched. She sneaked a peek upward and saw a white figure flash past. The hem of the woman’s long skirt brushed over Shang Shan’s body. She stopped at the head of the bed, coiled up her hair, inserted the Crane-Gazing Orchid Step-Shake, put on her clothes, draped a cloak over her shoulders—the ice-blue fur wrapping up every trace of the warmth she had just leaked out.

The woman Mu Qian Tan had seen that morning when she first opened the door, showing a rare approachable air from just waking up without tidying, seemed to have vanished as she returned to her usual demeanor.

Except… something was a little different.

When Mu Qian Tan picked up her Storage Pouch, she noticed a little wooden hut embedded on the wall and couldn’t help thinking of the one Shang Shan had built in front of the Azure Palace gate. She reached up to touch it. Unexpectedly, the little door on the wooden hut suddenly opened, and a small bird poked its head out, chirping loudly several times, “Time to get up!” It was actually an alarm toy to wake people.

The sound was enormous, filling the entire room. Mu Qian Tan narrowed her eyes and flicked it with her finger. The little bird immediately shrank back inside and shut the door to hide.

Looking down at the floor, Shang Shan had rolled over, eyes tightly shut, sleeping like a dead pig. The huge noise hadn’t disturbed her at all.

“….” Her sleep quality was impressive.

Mu Qian Tan stepped over her to head out, but was suddenly called. “Immortal.”

She turned back and saw Qin He hesitantly pushing herself up from her knees. Her eyes didn’t look this way but pointed to the spot just below her right cheek, near the jawline. “There’s something white there.”

Mu Qian Tan touched the spot she indicated and looked at her fingertip—a thin layer of foam about half the size of a nail.

Even in such an opulent palace, there wasn’t a single mirror. These were the troubles.

But this girl noticed such fine details? She clearly hadn’t even looked this way.

“Thanks.” Mu Qian Tan wiped away the foam and said, “I’ll head out first. You stay here and wait for…”

She had just said the word “head” when Shang Shan, who had been sleeping like the dead, shot up on the spot. Her eyes were still closed, but she precisely grabbed Mu Qian Tan’s calf and hugged it tightly, shouting, “Where to? Where’s Master going? Take me with you!”