CH 70

Agreeing to Meet in the Next Life

When the group of three people and a tiger arrived in Shu during late autumn, they had already fought countless bandits and thieves along the way. Later, Song Shu Qing became too lazy to persuade them and simply nailed a few bandits to a tree before they could even speak.

Upon returning to Haosheng Hall, Cao Yun, who was sweeping the front gate, respectfully bowed to the Princess and handed the broom to Song Shu Qing, saying that he was taking a three-month leave.

In less than three days, the wealthy and powerful Murong Yan waved her hand and bought a delicate little courtyard near the teahouse, moving in with Ming Qin and Tiger. This made Song Shu Qing feel pitiful and sad as she watched the empty teahouse alone.

Ming Qin, worried about the safety of her beloved woman, took her senior sister and destroyed all the bandit nests within a hundred-mile radius centered on Murong Yan in one night. This resulted in the area, which was once filled with Qin Lou Chu Guan1, no longer being chaotic. Public security in the nearby area rapidly improved, and the local government even made a plaque to express their gratitude.

In their free time, the group would gather at the teahouse.

“Hmm… so it turns out that the tea brewed by the shadow guards can kill people with poison.”

When Murong Yan couldn’t help but spit out the tea that Song Shu Qing had tremblingly handed her, she gave this deadly evaluation with a blank expression. “It seems that I misunderstood Ah Qin in the beginning.”

“Huh? Is it really that bad?” Ming Qin casually took the teacup, paying no attention to the fact that the tea had once entered the woman’s mouth, and drank it down in one gulp. She then seriously tasted it, saying, “I think it tastes good.”

Although she always indulged her beloved, this time Murong Yan only pursed her lips and refrained from saying anything untrue. She simply patted Ming Qin’s head with affection.

“…Princess, please save this teahouse.”

With the account book pulled out from under the counter, Song Shu Qing, who knew her own tea-making skills, looked pitifully at Murong Yan. ‘This teahouse has been in the red since the day it opened. If this goes on, Ah Yun, Qin Qin, and I will all go bankrupt.’

‘Save us, Princess. Can you bear to see us homeless?’ Song Shu Qing tried hard to squeeze out a few tears from her eyes, attempting to show the most pitiful expression.

Seeing that the Princess was not moved by her pitiful appearance, she secretly pulled on Ming Qin’s clothes next to her, letting her senior sister stand by her side with a look of confusion.

Glancing at the two in front of her, Murong Yan picked up the mung bean cake on the table, took a graceful bite, and sighed after a moment of thought.

She fed the remaining cake to Ming Qin and said, ‘Although I can’t let Ah Qin become homeless… from now on, let me handle the family’s finances.’

Looking at the person in front of her nodding her head as if it were a matter of course, Murong Yan finally turned around satisfied and asked Song Shu Qing, who was eagerly looking at her, ‘Let me see the account book and inventory list.’

In less than half a moment…

‘I said this is spring tea. Why did you buy it now?’

‘Because that person said it tastes better if it’s aged… so…'”

“…Also, why is the purchasing price so high for such low-quality tea leaves?”

“I…I…”

Scratching her head, Ming Qin watched as her lover scolded her pitiful-looking senior sister, and conscientiously took a broom to sweep the floor outside the shop. But when she looked up, she saw a woman with an umbrella walking slowly towards her.

“Ah! Zi Yan, long time no see!” Ming Qin exclaimed upon seeing the beautiful courtesan, her face lighting up with a smile.

“Qin Qin, you’re back?”

Zi Yan smiled and tightened her grip on the paper umbrella, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the half-open door of the teahouse. “Is your senior sister, Ms. Song, come back with you?”

“Yes, she’s inside.” Feeling the chill outside, Ming Qin opened the shop door and invited the woman inside. “It’s so cold, come in and sit down. I’ll have my senior sister brew tea for you.”

As Zi Yan stepped into the teahouse and put away her umbrella, she saw Song Shu Qing sitting seriously at a wooden table, talking to a beautiful white-haired woman next to her. Zi Yan couldn’t help but put her hand to her chest.

“Senior sister, Zi Yan is here.” Ming Qin closed the door to block the cold wind outside, took the umbrella from the woman and leaned it against the wall, and called out to them inside.

Song Shu Qing only casually waved her hand to signal Zi Yan to wait, but Murong Yan seemed to react to the name and suddenly raised her head to scrutinize the beautiful woman at the door.

“Yan Yan, this is Zi Yan, the courtesan who I told you before is also skilled at playing the guqin!” Ming Qin introduced, holding a tea cup and a set of utensils in front of Murong Yan.

“And Zi Yan… this is Princess Chongwen, the one who… well, the person I am in love with…” She rubbed her nose and giggled uncontrollably.

Upon hearing the woman’s prestigious status, Zi Yan’s initial awe quickly turned to fear. She lowered her eyes and kneeled, saying, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“No need for formalities. You’re a friend of Ah Qin’s,” said Murong Yan, picking up the tea set and speaking in a calm voice. “Please sit and have tea with us.”

At that moment, Song Shu Qing, who had finished organizing the accounts, also looked up and greeted the newcomer, saying, “Hey, Zi Yan, you’re here.”

Giving her stool to Ming Qin, Song Shu Qing sat next to the nervous courtesan and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be too nervous. I know she looks intimidating, but just think of her as Qin Qin’s wife.”

“Okay…,” even the experienced courtesan was a bit flustered at this point, unsure if it was because of the sudden intimacy or the presence of a noblewoman.

“Hey, your hands are so cold,” Song Shu Qing reached out to hold the hand that Zi Yan was tightly clutching her sleeve with, patting it in a comforting manner. “Wait a moment, I’ll go get some hand warmers.”

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it!”

Ming Qin, who was rummaging under the counter, held two hand warmers and handed one to Song Shu Qing. She stuffed the other one into Murong Yan’s embrace while smiling mischievously at Zi Yan, saying, “It’s getting colder, so be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Um… thank you.” Zi Yan received the hand warmer from Song Shu Qing and shyly thanked the two.

The courtesan noticed Song Shu Qing’s lingering gaze on her, and Murong Yan didn’t miss it either. The white-haired beauty suddenly felt cheerful and couldn’t help but smile.

As she made tea for Zi Yan, the courtesan sighed as if implying something, “It seems not everyone has such good taste. Looks like there’s no need to worry…”

(Senior Sister: Sorry if I offended you…)

“Huh? What’s worrying you, Yan Yan?” Eating cake, Ming Qin tilted her head in confusion, looking clueless, but only drew a doting kiss from Murong Yan.

Watching the blushing scene before her, Song Shu Qing felt speechless and turned to Zi Yan muttering, “Don’t look if it’s inappropriate, don’t look if it’s inappropriate…” even causing the beautiful courtesan to blush.

The usually quiet little building suddenly became lively in this inexplicable autumn season.

The teahouse, which was once as quiet as a deserted city, became bustling under Murong Yan’s iron-fisted management. Thanks to the excellent quality of the tea leaves and meticulous control over the tea soup, the small Haoshengtang2 tea house became a well-known establishment in Shu.

Though busy, Song Shu Qing was earning a lot of money every day, with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Fortunately, Cao Yun, who had been traveling, came back, giving her some time to listen to music with Zi Yan.

As for the biggest contributor, Murong Yan, since the business was on track, she used the excuse of the cold winter and rarely went out, spending her days and nights with Ming Qin in her own yard.

With her keen eye, Song Shu Qing noticed the hickies between the two every time they met, which were completely unconcealed under their clothes. The marks spread over their wrists, necks, and even below their collarbones. She sympathized with the rejected tiger cub but did not disturb them.

When the season of blooming flowers came again, Ming Qin came back from the teahouse carrying a bamboo basket and leading a horse. She took Murong Yan out of the city mysteriously.

“Ah Qin, where are we going?” Although she never doubted the person behind her, Murong Yan still couldn’t help feeling curious.

“Just wait, it won’t be long,” Ming Qin soothed her after kissing her hair and restraining her excitement.

After riding for two or three miles, they arrived at a hill and walked straight along a shaded path. Besides the sound of horse hooves, there were only chirping birds in the woods.

Suddenly, the view opened up, and a green meadow appeared before their eyes.

Wildflowers of different colors were in full bloom, and colorful butterflies fluttered among them, flapping their wings and dancing.

“Here we are!”

With a crisp jump off the horse’s back, Ming Qin unfolded a piece of oilcloth on the ground. She then lifted Murong Yan off the horse and loosened her hair.

Kneeling down, Ming Qin lifted the woman’s dress and clumsily removed her shoes and socks to reveal her delicate feet.

“Ah Qin?” Murong Yan sat on the ground, her face surprised and her cheeks blushing. “Ah Qin, you…want to do it here? But…this is the wilderness…”

“Hmm? Can’t we do it in the wilderness?” Ming Qin tilted her head in confusion, arranging the woman’s shoes neatly.

“As long as Ah Qin wants to, I’m fine with it,” she said, unusually shy. Murong Yan couldn’t help biting her lip.

“It’s just that, if someone sees us…” she continued, her voice trailing off.

“No one will see us, I’m watching!” Ming Qin guaranteed with confidence. She then spoke with some embarrassment, “I’m sorry… Yan Yan told me about your wish to ‘walk barefoot in the mountains and forests, and travel across the five lakes’ a long time ago… I only prepared for it so late.”

“Today, I’ll let Yan Yan play barefoot in this forest, and then we’ll head north once you’re ready. The forests there are cooler in the summer. After that, we’ll head east. I’ve heard that there are excellent bamboo shoots in the forests there, and we can dig them as we go,” said the straightforward shadow guard, pulling out a map from her pocket and unfolding it with a serious expression.

“But…the five lakes might have to wait. I’m still learning how to swim with my senior sister. When I learn, I’ll take you to row a boat and we’ll go to all five lakes!”

“If Yan Yan wants to let her hair down and walk barefoot, I’ll chase away everyone else. Yan Yan can do whatever she wants…eh? Yan Yan…don’t cry, okay?”

The powerful shadow guard looked at her beloved woman, her eyes turning red. She was inwardly panicked, unsure of what to do.

“Ah Qin…” the usually composed woman choked up, clutching onto the woman’s clothes.

Why…did Ah Qin still remember that thing from so long ago, mentioned so casually with a tinge of sorrow?

Why…would she brave the cold winter just to learn how to swim, despite her fear of water?

Why…did every word she said cause ripples in her heart, rendering her self-restraint useless?

Murong Yan couldn’t help but push down the person in front of her, allowing her aching knees to absorb the impact of the fall. Hot tears fell one by one onto Ming Qin’s scarred and uneven cheeks.

“Don’t cry, Yan Yan. Is there something I did wrong?” Ming Qin couldn’t bear to see her beloved crying and gently wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. “Tell me what needs to be improved. Don’t cry.”

“…Ah Qin.”

“If there is a next life, and we are reincarnated countless times until our souls wither away, would you still be willing to stay with me?”

Murong Yan couldn’t restrain her feelings any longer and asked the question she had been holding back all this time.

“Only look at me, only be loyal to me, only love me… would Ah Qin still be willing?”

She raised her neck, her cheeks turning slightly red, and whispered something in the other woman’s ear.

In that moment, her extreme possessiveness was satisfied.

As the spring breeze blew, the rustling sound of the branches masked their inability to restrain themselves.

Surrounded by lush greenery, not even the nearby horse quietly grazing could peek at them.

Several butterflies resting on flowers were startled by the movements of the two, flapping their wings and fluttering in the wind like flower petals.

The red silk embroidered with peonies and the white outer robe were scattered on the ground.

A piece of red cloth hung on the basket, contrasting sharply with the neatly arranged shoes and socks.

The wide black robe that belonged to the shadow guard was spread beneath her, but even if it got wet, there was no need to worry.

After all, there were only the two of them in this world.

And, besides, the sunshine today was especially beautiful.

Translator: The main story end here! The next 30 chapters will be side stories, stay tuned!