CH 29

Trick This Person Only (Little Fox)

Ming Qin drove the carriage onto the main road and found an inn as it was getting dark.

After patting the sturdy horse to allow it to rest, and rewarding the boy with red cheeks who was sweeping the stables, Ming Qin wrapped the scarf around Murong Yan’s neck twice. She also put on the plain robe that was given by Cao Yun and tied the hood tightly, before leading the woman into the inn.

Inside, the hall on the ground floor was occupied by a caravan of merchants heading for the capital, who were having their dinner. Several men were shouting at each other in thick voices, and the overpowering smell of alcohol permeated the air.

Ming Qin stood silently beside Murong Yan, shielding her from the view of others. She then called out to a middle-aged woman behind the counter with her feet crossed.

“Boss lady, please give us your best room,” Ming Qin requested.

“Oh my.”

The innkeeper turned around and looked up and down at the two plainly dressed women. She then said perfunctorily, “Our rooms here are quite good. If it was just you two girls, you wouldn’t need the best room.”

Ming Qin took out a small bag of coins and dropped it on the counter. She gently snapped her knuckles to indicate, “My young lady is weak and must have the best room, so please arrange it.”

Upon hearing the sound of the bag, the innkeeper immediately put on a smile and said, “Oh, dear guest! Of course, certainly.”

After receiving the money, she called out to an employee to escort the two upstairs.

The employee led the way, while Ming Qin carried the disabled Murong Yan lightly in her arms. Upon reaching a spacious room, Ming Qin turned to the employee and ordered him to prepare hot water and food, and handed him a few coins. The employee happily went downstairs to fulfill the request.

Ming Qin then closed the door.

Ming Qin carefully checked their surroundings, touched the bed, and looked out the window before breathing a long sigh of relief. “It’s not bad,” she remarked. She then started the fire and went over to help Murong Yan undo her hood. “But it’s still far worse than the Hidden Moon Tower, so I’ll have to trouble you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Murong Yan replied.

She looked up at Ming Qin, who was frowning, and gave her a new smile before asking, “But Ah Qin, do you know this inn so well because the shadow guards have to go on missions in the capital and have to stop by from time to time?”

“No way.”

Ming Qin shook her head and calmly replied, “The shadow guards are always in a hurry, traveling thousands of miles on most missions. Even after completing their missions, they must return as soon as possible to receive their next orders. Sometimes, I was so anxious that I had to switch horses instead of people, and several times I was so sleepy that I dozed off on the back of the horse. However, I eventually tied myself to the horse to avoid falling off.”

“My senior sister always said that the power of information lies in speed. If we don’t deliver the information as quickly as possible, we would lose the first opportunity, and the information would be worthless.”

“Besides, if the master knew which shadow guard had gone to an inn during a mission with the funds, he would not only be angry, but he would also lose his beard!”

Ming Qin was uncertain about the other shadow guards, but she had never done this herself.

“But,” Ming Qin tilted her head, “if it’s an escort duty, it’s very common to stop by an inn.”

“Have you also worked as an escort for others, Ah Qin?” Murong Yan asked as she sat down on the soft couch and narrowed her eyes.

“A few times,” Ming Qin nodded, but her tone sounded complaining, as if she was thinking of something troublesome. “Most of the time, it was to help my senior brothers and sisters escort noble officials, and they were too difficult to serve! They would need to take a nap within half an hour of walking, complain about everything, and even if they like to run around, they still take offense at the guards. You are much better behaved than them!”

“Oh? So you think I’m well-behaved?”

Murong Yan smiled, pleased. Her face, which had been pale for several days, became more vibrant.

“Of course. You don’t fuss, you don’t make me carry you when you can’t walk, you don’t steal my maps, you don’t kick me, and you don’t ask me to hit you back.”

Murong Yan frowned, thinking that if she were Ming Qin, she would not have such a good temper. She would have probably thrown such a stubborn escort into the forest to feed the wolves.

She asked again, “Have you been on solo escort missions before?”

“Actually, only once. I was tasked to escort a mad imperial doctor from the capital to Jingzhou.”

Ming Qin recalled, squatting down to remove Murong Yan’s shoes and socks. “That old man was very hot-tempered. Once he started researching herbs, he wouldn’t hear a word, and he wouldn’t eat. I had to carry his belt and his pile of bottles and jars several times when I became impatient. He always chattered about something… Asian Hippocrates… Hippocrates… Breaking bad… Something about penicillin… I’m still confused.”

“Is that so? He sounds like a real oddity.” Murong Yan looked at Ming Qin with a vivid expression, lying on her side and listening quietly.

“He is indeed a strange man. Oh, by the way, this is for you.”

Suddenly, Ming Qin produced a small wooden box from her sleeve and handed it to Murong Yan. The box was about the size of a thumb, with a groove on the underside, a small hole on the top, and a smooth, polished surface.

“This is what the old man gave me when he parted with me. If you press it against someone, a poison needle will come out.”

Ming Qin demonstrated, then scratched her head in embarrassment. “But…I forgot to ask the old man for the antidote, so you’ll have to be careful with it.”

Murong Yan looked at the clever gadget in her hands, finding it interesting. However, she decided to give it back to Ming Qin and said, “Such a clever tool, Ah Qin should keep it to protect herself.”

Ming Qin replied, “I’ve been carrying it all these years, but I haven’t used it, and… I’m afraid I’m even faster than this poison needle. You keep it for peace of mind.”

Murong Yan listened to her and put the wooden box back into her sleeve.

As the employee knocked on the door to bring water, Ming Qin rolled up her sleeves and poured the hot water into the tub. She then went downstairs to collect some cool water.

After preparing the soap, towels, and testing the water temperature, Ming Qin left the room.

After four days of travel, Murong Yan struggled to undress and sink into the tub. She leaned against the edge, shaking her hands, and trying to remove her prosthetic leg. Slowly she lowered herself into the water, her arms propped up as she sighed with relief when the hot water covered her body.

She was not a pretentious person and knew the limits of what could be done in critical situations. Despite the hardships of the journey, she didn’t complain.

She knew that Ming Qin had been very considerate of her and had done everything possible to make the journey less strenuous. Perhaps it was Ming Qin’s presence that gave her the strength to continue, as she had never traveled under such difficult circumstances before.

Ah Qin.

When Murong Yan thought of the bright eyes and warm embrace of the shadow guard as she looked at her, her heart fluttered.

The memory of Ming Qin cleaning her in the wilderness with her fingers was a tidal wave that swept over her. She couldn’t help but tilt her head back and bite her lower lip tightly to hold back the cry that was rising in her heart.

Ah Qin…

She meticulously washed herself, allowing the warm water to cascade over every inch of her body. Her once-pale skin blushed a sweet red as the mist swirled around her eyelashes, forming dense droplets that made her eyes appear misty.

As the heat enveloped her, her toes curled slightly, and her body tensed before shivering involuntarily. Finally, she relaxed like a loose bowstring, feeling the clear water mingling with transparent dew.

Half-laying in the tub, Murong Yan panted slightly, the fleeting climax leaving her feeling a bit drowsy. However, her mind was preoccupied with the person she longed to see, and her anticipation overshadowed her nostalgia.

Struggling to keep her eyes open, Murong Yan stretches her arm towards the prosthetic leg she has put aside, intending to retrieve it before the water cools. But as her fingers close around the strap, she loses her grip and slips, falling back into the tub and causing the leg to thud loudly on the floor.

Ming Qin, who was waiting on the roof, hears the noise and rushes into the room, pushing open the window and asking nervously, “Is everything alright?”

She hurries to the tub where Murong Yan looks a little pained, and helps her out of the water, wrapping her in a towel and placing her on the bed. Her voice is strained with panic as she asks, “Are you hurt?”

Murong Yan’s eyes flickered with surprise at the sudden intrusion, but she quickly concealed the cunning in her eyes and let out a muffled grunt. “Ah Qin… it hurts,” she said, gesturing towards her side.

Ming Qin’s heart raced with worry as she quickly fetched medicinal wine and lifted the bath towel to examine Murong Yan’s body for any injuries. “Where did you bump into?” she asked, her voice strained with concern.

“Here,” Murong Yan replied, gently nudging the side of her waist. Ming Qin noticed red marks on her pale skin and felt a pang of regret for allowing Murong Yan to get hurt.

Ming Qin covered half of the woman’s body with a quilt and gently rubbed the redness on her waist, cooing softly, “It doesn’t hurt, it’ll be okay in a while, my dear Yan Yan.”

The warmth of her fingertips stirred up a soreness in Murong Yan’s waist that seemed to extend the pleasure she had just experienced, a feeling that intoxicated her.

She loved the way Ah Qin called her by that name.

Unlike her usual energetic and carefree voice, Ah Qin’s “Yan Yan” was always full of tenderness mixed with a hint of doting, as if she would not hesitate to coax her into accepting anything she wanted.

Here’s a revised version with improved writing and grammar:

Ah Qin always avoided addressing Murong Yan by this and only spoke it unconsciously when she was in pain or hurt.

Murong Yan once asked Ah Qin at dinner why she didn’t use her title more often. After thinking for a long time, Ah Qin tilted her head and stumbled over her words, saying something that even she couldn’t explain.

“It’s because… I feel like calling you ‘County Princess’ would make you a different person.”

Ah Qin didn’t quite understand her own reasoning.

But Murong Yan did.

Because she knows, she is looking forward to the day when Ah Qin will open up.

The day when she would no longer be Princess Chongwen.

“Yan Yan, does it still hurt?” Ming Qin bit her lower lip, her face full of worry.

Murong Yan nodded, her eyes lowered to hide the smile in her eyes, but she still said softly, “Ah Qin, it still hurts.”

“It’s alright, the pain will go away soon after the medicine is applied. Just be patient, my dear Yan Yan,” Ming Qin said, as she carefully applied the medicine to Murong Yan’s waist, her voice gentle and soothing.

Murong Yan relaxed, feeling the warmth from Ming Qin’s hands spreading through her body, easing her discomfort.

She closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh.

Aah, I am so cunning.

Will the heavens forgive such a treacherous person?

But what can I do?

I have no sense of guilt.

This is the last time, let me trick this person only for the last time.

Please forgive me.