CH 66

The Ugly State of Being Obscured by Jealousy

Murong Yan hurriedly passed through the screen, wanting to comfort her beloved Ming Qin. In her field of vision, a figure could be seen groping around anxiously.

Ming Qin’s clothes had been half removed, revealing a back covered in scars, some deep and some shallow, making Murong Yan unable to stop feeling heartache.

“Is anyone there? Why has everyone disappeared?” She furrowed her brows slightly, seeming distressed as to why the maidservants had vanished.

One hand touched the edge of the bathtub, while the other waved in the air. With each step she took, the iron shackle on her right ankle would produce a crisp impact sound.

“Ah! It’s the smell of Yan Yan.”

With her eyes closed, Ming Qin suddenly showed a brilliant smile, the corners of her nose slightly twitched, and the anxiety on her face receded. “It’s Yan Yan, right?”

Smelling the familiar fragrance, she turned her head in the direction of Murong Yan.

“Yan Yan, where did you just go? Where are you… ah.”

Ming Qin reached out, but was hugged by the woman unexpectedly. The sudden embrace caused the shadow guard to step back reflexively, but she accidentally stepped on the iron shackle by her foot, causing both her and Murong Yan to fall into the hot water-filled bathtub.

Nevertheless, Ming Qin still carefully protected the woman, allowing herself to become the cushion for the other person’s body. After releasing her, she gently touched Murong Yan’s body while asking anxiously, “Yan Yan, did you hit anything? Does it hurt?”

Murong Yan sat across Ming Qin’s waist, watching as her wet clothes clung to her body, the white garment becoming transparent from being soaked in water.

“Ming Qin,” she said, reaching out to support her shoulder and peering down at her.

“Where did they touch you just now?”

Since Ming Qin moved into the Changning Palace, everything has been taken care of personally by Murong Yan – from the larger tasks like changing clothes to the smaller details such as providing meals and helping with baths.

Murong Yan was possessive of Ming Qin, and did not allow anyone to approach her.

“Where did they touch you?” Murong Yan leaned in, pressing her lips to Ming Qin’s, murmuring softly as she caressed her.

Without gesturing with her hands, she couldn’t help but ask, then kissed her possessively, not wanting Ming Qin to know her jealous and ugly side.

Afraid that the person in her arms would catch a cold, Ming Qin held her tightly as the water flowed over their shoulders, allowing her lips to be plundered.

Even though she felt herself being bitten and torn apart, Ming Qin remained oblivious to Murong Yan’s unusual behavior, silently enduring it and taking off the wet shirt hanging on her arm.

Murong Yan’s hands caressed Ming Qin’s cheeks, but her fingers accidentally touched the scarred ear hole where the earlobe had been lost, causing her to snap back to reality.

“Where did Yan Yan just go? Did you go see Tiger?”

Ming Qin tilted her head with a vacant expression, guessing, “I just smelled Tiger’s scent… and, oh, mung bean cakes. Did Yan Yan just eat mung bean cakes?”

Ignoring Ming Qin’s question, Murong Yan took a deep breath and grabbed her hand to write something.

“Hmm… Why have maidservants? Ah, Yan Yan wants to ask why the maidservants helped me bathe first?”

Mingqin patiently felt the words written on her hand by the woman, and then answered, “When I mentioned the fragrant perfume just now…you seemed to be angry. I think it’s because the medicine on me doesn’t smell good…it’s bothering you, so I wanted to wash with a slightly fragrant soap before you came back.”

“I’m sorry…are you still angry, Yan Yan?”

Asking carefully, Ming Qin frowned and looked concerned, as if afraid of offending the woman and making her unhappy.

“If I did something wrong, please tell me. I’ll change it. Yan Yan, don’t be unhappy…”

The shadow guard felt up the woman’s face along her arm, trying to discern her expression.

“No anger, no anger towards Ah Qin,” Murong Yan looked at the person in front of her with a solemn and caring expression. It filled the anxiety and emptiness she felt due to jealousy. It seemed like all the chaos in her heart was smoothed out in an instant, leaving only tenderness.

She held the hand that was pressed against her cheek, not writing anything on it, but gently kissing it, as if comforting and conveying her helplessness towards the person in front of her who she could never stay angry at.

Following the wrist up, Murong Yan’s lips touched the nape of Ming Qin’s neck.

Her fingers circled Ming Qin’s back. Due to being in a coma for several days, the originally well-defined muscles of the shadow guard had atrophied considerably, making her appear even more emaciated. The protruding spine bones were clearly visible, reddened from hitting the wooden bathtub.

Helping the person beneath her sit up, Murong Yan’s fingers touched the scar on Ming Qin’s right shoulder. It looked like a huge flesh-colored poisonous spider creeping on her shoulder, grim and terrifying.

Murong Yuan knew very well how the scar on Mingqin’s shoulder came to be, from that winter that she could never forget, in the forest that disturbed her dreams every midnight.

She took off her clothes, revealing a red silk outer robe with exquisite patterns. It floated softly and mixed with the white undergarments, rising and falling on the water’s surface.

The water in the bathtub was still warm, allowing the two people soaking in it to relax their bodies and minds, their consciousness drifting away.

Even so, the two of them were still tightly embraced in the water, their skin pressed against each other, hotter than the steaming water.

The steam from the water mixed with the scent of crushed flower petals, which spread throughout the room despite the screens covering them.

After a while, Ming Qin spoke to the person lying limp on her, worried about the slightly cooler water temperature, “Yan Yan will get cold, the water is getting colder.”

She lifted her right arm from the water and rested it on Murong Yan’s shoulder. The fingertips reflected a brighter luster than the water droplets. Murong Yan’s throat was hoarse, tears filling her eyes as she slowly wrote something under the collarbone of the person in front of her with her left hand.

“Resting?” Ming Qin understood and obediently hugged the woman who was still sitting on her, kissing her wet hair.

“Okay, then Yan Yan can rest a little longer.”

March is a month of birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Ming Qin’s right foot was securely locked with an iron chain around Murong Yan’s wrist. The two of them walked hand in hand by the fish pond in Changning Palace.

Feeling the scent of flower buds in the air, Ming Qin took a deep breath and felt inexplicably happy.

This was the first time the two of them had been so at ease, walking under the sun.

No mission, no pursuers, just freedom.

After more than a month of recovery and self-training, Ming Qin had regained about thirty percent of her original martial arts skills. She was afraid that the woman next to her would feel tired, so she carefully supported Murong Yan’s body, letting the woman lead them aimlessly in the gentle breeze.

The warm sunlight shone on her face, and Ming Qin’s eyes felt inexplicably hot. She couldn’t help but shed some tears.

She blinked and looked up. The previously pitch-black view seemed to have cleared up, and several beams of light pierced through the thick clouds, bringing in the morning light.

In front of her, it was no longer dark…

Although she still couldn’t see very clearly, she could already vaguely distinguish the contours and colors.

The blue sky, white clouds, and green trees formed a large mass of color blocks piled up in what was originally a dark view. Though blurry, it was still far better than nothing.

Ming Qin was overjoyed and turned to look at the woman tightly holding her hand. Murong Yan’s fingers twirled the silver hair in front of her forehead and pulled it back behind her ears. Her white coat concealed her wrists, and the wide cuffs were embroidered with red flowers, which were so eye-catching that they swayed slightly with each movement and step.

Even if there was a layer of fog, it could not obscure Murong Yan’s beauty and radiance in Ming Qin’s eyes.

Just as the excited shadow guard was about to speak, she felt a long-lost, furry touch in the palm of her left hand.

“Tiger!”

The huge tiger nudged her palm and walked around to stand behind Ming Qin, propping up on its hind legs. Its retracted claws only lightly pressed against her chest, while affectionately lifting its head to lick its beloved owner’s chin.

“Little Tiger, long time no see. You’ve gotten so big. Wait, don’t lick…” The barbs on the tiger’s rough tongue scraped against Ming Qin’s face, making her instinctively dodge. Feeling her balance was off, she let go of Murong Yan’s hand and fell backwards.

Sitting on the ground, Ming Qin fondly stroked Little Tiger’s furry head, looking at the bright orange fur mixed with black in front of her. She couldn’t help but ask with a smile, “Has Little Tiger been obedient while I was away?”

Little Tiger seemed to understand and to prove it, it waved its rough paw and made a low purring sound in response, like it was back in its days as a cub, constantly nuzzling at Ming Qin’s neck.

The two played on the ground, the chains clinking as the wild tiger rolled around, flicking its long tail heavily and repeatedly, getting dangerously close to the oblivious Ming Qin.

“No, you can’t.”

Murong Yan, who had been quietly smiling on the side, suddenly spoke up and looked at the wild beast rolling on the ground. “Little Tiger, calm down.”

As soon as the tiger heard the woman’s voice, it quickly rolled over and stood up. Its heightened emotions cooled down, and it hung its head like a child who had done something wrong, secretly glancing at Murong Yan.

“Good boy, no more playing. Let’s go eat.” Murong Yan’s tone was gentle, but it felt unquestionable. She nodded at the tiger as a sign.

The majestic tiger grumbled dissatisfiedly, its tail drooping in disappointment. It looked back and forth between Ming Qin sitting beside it, but still remembered to obey Murong Yan’s orders. It lifted its feet and walked towards the palace, taking slow, reluctant steps with a “pat, pat” sound.

“What happened to Little Tiger? Why did it suddenly leave?” Ming Qin stood up, dusting off her clothes, unable to hear anything and looking puzzled.

Murong Yan took Ming Qin’s hand and straightened her messy hair before patiently writing something on her palm.

“Oh, he’s hungry.” Ming Qin felt Murong Yan’s response and trusted him, “He doesn’t even forget to eat while playing, no wonder he’s grown so big.”

Murong Yan smiled and plucked a petal off the shoulder of a dark guard.

The two held hands tightly again and continued their leisurely stroll under the sun, along the unfinished cobblestone path.