CH 28

Ah Qin, I still want (water)

Murong Xiao’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared, “What did you say?!”

His headgear, typically dignified, was now askew, and in one swift motion, he knocked everything off the table before him.

The inkstone containing ink crashed to the ground, staining the clothes of the people kneeling in front of him.

He seemed to be venting his frustration as he picked up the nearby jade pot and hurled it into the crowd, shattering it into pieces that sliced through several people’s robes.

Finally, he grabbed the leader’s hair, squatted down to face him, and spoke in a sinister tone, “What did you just say? Say it again.”

The man knelt before Murong Xiao, his face turning pale as the tearing pain on his scalp made him struggle to control his trembling body. Despite this, he managed to speak clearly, “Your Highness ordered me to retrieve County Princess Chongwen from Hidden Moon Tower. However, upon arrival, she was nowhere to be found. Only an iron hook fixed to the window rope was discovered. It is believed that she was abducted by someone.”

“Abducted? And you did nothing?” Murong Xiao’s anger was evident as he fiercely slammed the man’s forehead to the ground three or four times, causing the other kneeling people to shiver with fear.

The man was left with a red mark on his forehead and struggled to open his eyes to answer, “We have searched the entire capital from top to bottom for the past two days, but the Princess has not been found. It is feared that she has already left the city…”

“She left the city?” Murong Xiao pushed the man aside, disregarding his painful groans as he fell to the ground. He muttered, “My sister left the city? That’s impossible.”

One of the elderly men kneeling spoke up, “Your Highness, it is suspected that the shadow guards have abducted the Princess.”

Murong Xiao’s gaze fell upon the elderly man lying prostrate before him.

“The Shadow Guard Camp?” he asked incredulously.

“How could my sister be there…?” Suddenly, his eyes widened as a realization dawned on him. He clenched his teeth tightly and muttered to himself, “Damn it! That treacherous shadow guard, that woman who dared to wear my sister’s earrings!”

His appearance was that of a wild man, his hair unkempt, and his feet bare. He exuded a sense of madness that was nothing short of terrifying.

“Zhang Chi!” he bellowed, his voice tinged with desperation and anger.

“Send someone out of the city to retrieve my sister and that woman who dared to take her earrings!” he bellowed, his fury reaching new heights. “If you cannot find them, then none of you will live to see another day!”

“Your Highness!” Zhang Chi spoke up, his words laden with pressure.

“Our top priority should be finding the Eleventh Prince and ensuring that Your Highness can board the plane without any worries. There are still many generals who have not yet surrendered, and Princess Chongwen may not be…”

“Silence!” Murong Xiao interrupted, his eyes blazing with fury.

“How dare you defy me, you old fool!” He glared at his uncle with undisguised hatred. “I may be the legitimate heir to the throne, but what good is that if I cannot retrieve my sister? Get out of here, all of you! Don’t come back until you have found her!”

As the crowd scattered like startled animals, the hall emptied out, leaving Murong Xiao alone on the dragon throne. He slumped listlessly, gasping for air and holding his head in agony as he pondered.

Why had his sister run away? Why had she chosen to flee with those commoners instead of staying by his side?

Why? Why?

If only he had known, he would have severed her remaining leg.

During the autumn hunt that year, he had dispatched assassins to try and eliminate the Emperor.

He never anticipated that his sister, who had just finished mourning, would join the Emperor on his travels or that she would risk her own life to shield him from the assassins. Those cursed fiends ended up slicing her leg with a poisoned blade, leading to its amputation.

Ah, how he used to love watching her dance, but now she couldn’t move without her missing limb.

Those damn fools!

Ignorant, pathetic wretches!

He personally lashed the lifeless bodies of those assassins thousands of times, yet he still couldn’t pacify his rage as he gazed at his sister, who had narrowly escaped death.

Yet, it was the very reason why the accursed Marquis Changping had willingly broken off the engagement.

Indeed! That fool of a man who was so ignorant and powerless did not deserve to be with his sister!

Thank goodness the engagement was called off. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to assassinate the Crown Prince’s consort again.

Eight years ago, he had sacrificed one of his sister’s legs to prevent her from being given away to another man.

But if he were to sever her remaining leg, would she be bound to him forever?

Upon his sister’s return, he would construct a larger cage, one that would confine her to his side indefinitely.

He would clip her wings so she could never fly away from him again and remain with him for eternity.

No longer would he have to force other women to consume contraceptives, nor would he be restrained by Confucian ethics.

He could touch his beloved sister as much as he desired.

Murong Xiao’s eyes shone with madness as he entertained these ideas.

After driving the carriage continuously for four days, Ming Qin had barely taken any rest breaks.

She was determined to put as much distance between herself and the capital as possible, in hopes of ensuring her safety.

The rough road caused the carriage to sway constantly, making it difficult for Ming Qin to bear.

Eventually, she turned around and opened the small window to the person inside, saying, “Let’s wait until we reach an official road and find an inn to rest for the night.”

The person inside did not respond right away. After a moment of silence, a weak voice came from within, “Don’t worry about me, Ah Qin. Stick to the plan and return the same way we came.”

Anxious, Ming Qin halted the horse and dismounted the carriage. She opened the door and found Murong Yan trying to sit up, her face pallid with black and blue bruises under her eyes, and her dry lips stained with sour fluid.

Without any sign of disgust, Ming Qin fetched the wooden basin from the carriage and cleaned her up, stating in a dry voice, “It’s not because of you… it’s because the horse needs a rest, and… I need some sleep.”

As she scrambled to come up with excuses, Ming Qin couldn’t bear seeing Murong Yan suffer through the hardships of the journey.

“I’m really okay, Ah Qin.”

Recalling the person who had claimed to go seven days without sleep while on a mission, Murong Yan felt a twinge of guilt for putting her through such trouble.

Ming Qin’s tone became frustrated as she insisted, “I said both the horse and I need rest, and if you get sick, it will only slow us down!” However, her hands were gentle as they supported Murong Yan’s head while she helped her drink water.

Distress filled Ming Qin’s eyes as she watched Murong Yan faint in the carriage. She knew that her discomfort was not just from the rough travel conditions, but also from the pain of her amputated leg.

The tasteless rations were a far cry from what the Princess was accustomed to, yet she never complained and always tried to ease Ming Qin’s worries.

Murong Yan took a sip of water and turned her head away, refusing to drink more no matter how much Ming Qin pleaded with her.

“I wouldn’t mind,” the shadow guard said with frustration evident in her voice.

Ming Qin understood that Murong Yan was hesitant to drink more water because she didn’t want to burden her with helping her with personal needs.

At the Hidden Moon Tower, everything was designed to be accessible for Murong Yan to use independently, but on the road, she often needed Ming Qin’s assistance even with basic tasks.

Sometimes, when Murong Yan was too weak and lacked the energy to do anything, Ming Qin had to press her hand gently against her lower abdomen and even assist her with the final cleaning.

That was why Ming Qin was so anxious to find an inn after traveling for so long without access to water.

“I understand, but please drink some more for your own health,” Ming Qin said, her voice full of concern.

Murong Yan attempted to speak calmly, although her eyes betrayed her sadness that she couldn’t conceal. “I would prefer not to,” she expressed.

She believed that escaping the prison would bring her freedom, but now she had to rely on Ming Qin for even her most basic physiological needs, and she despised it.

Every moment, from the sounds she made to the uncontrollable sensations in front of Ming Qin, made her feel ashamed.

Despite Ming Qin closing her eyes every time and offering to blindfold and plug her ears, the sense of shame still consumed her.

In fact, Murong Yan loathed feeling so helpless, as if she couldn’t change the sensation of being trapped no matter what she did.

She despised needing to rely on others.

Or rather, she was afraid.

She was grateful that she could escape with Ming Qin’s help, and she was willing to accept Ming Qin’s protection, but now even for such a small matter as urinating, she needed Ming Qin’s help, and suddenly she felt like a burden.

Yes, a burden.

Heavy burden that could be dropped at any moment.

For the first time, Murong Yan felt a sense of fear that she had never experienced before – the fear of being abandoned by others, particularly Ming Qin.

Was Ming Qin performing these duties because she wanted to, or was it simply part of her duty as a shadow guard?

Murong Yan wondered what tasks Ming Qin was willing to do voluntarily as an individual and which ones she had to perform as a member of the shadow guards.

Would Ming Qin continue to tolerate these actions, or would she leave after the mission was completed?

Furthermore, Murong Yan wondered whether Ming Qin saw her as Princess Chongwen or simply as an object, as she once mentioned. Did Ming Qin regard her as anything more than a mere pancake or a piece of candy?

She has nothing left to offer now, and can’t use wealth, beauty, or status to win Ming Qin back. She is stripped of everything…

Murong Yan’s chaotic and hysterical thoughts are cut off by a cold and moist sensation on her lips.

Her mind goes blank as sweet water flows into her mouth, refreshing her parched soul like a godsend in a desert.

Ming Qin carefully passes the water to her, as if worried that she might choke, and then casually licks away the sourness at the corner of her mouth.

Earlier, she watched as Murong Yan fell into deep thought, not responding to her gentle calls and filled with anxiety and endless sadness.

She didn’t know why women get upset about certain things, but she disliked seeing Murong Yan like this.

Ming Qin furrowed her brow and complained, “I told you that I don’t mind you bothering me. No matter how much you change, I won’t mind. So you shouldn’t mind either, okay?”

She then turned to look at the person in her arms, who looked shocked. “Don’t refuse to drink water. Your body won’t be able to handle it.”

“Ah Qin…” Murong Yan hesitantly touched Ming Qin’s forehead.

Had Ming Qin just kissed her?

For the first time, did she kiss someone who only carried a burden and nothing else?

Despite her earlier statement that she wouldn’t mind any changes, Ming Qin remained concerned about Murong Yan’s well-being.

Doesn’t all of this mean that Murong Yan is more than just a burden?

That she is important?

And indeed, it seemed that “Murong Yan” held great importance to “Ming Qin”.

Putting aside the tangled thoughts swirling in her mind, Murong Yan’s heart softened and tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered, “Ah Qin, I still want it.”

Tilting her head, “Want what?” Ming Qin took another sip of water and lowered her head again.

Feeling the person in front of her blocking her lips, Murong Yan thought to herself while gently stroking Ming Qin’s hair.

What she still wants isn’t water.

But this is fine too.