“Xue’er, come, it’s time for your medicine.”
Chu Ruo gently helped the woman on the bed sit up, preparing to feed her. “Look at you. How did you manage to fall ill like this? You were just making fun of me earlier, and now you’ve gone and neglected your own health.”
Nan Muxue’s face was pale. The saying that illness comes like a mountain falling was proving true; she had been perfectly fine during the day, but as night fell, a fever had taken hold, leaving her skin burning to the touch. Leaning into Chu Ruo’s embrace, she lacked the energy to move. “To think you have so many complaints after serving your Master just once... if you don’t want to do it, just say so...”
“Even sick, your tongue is as sharp as ever. Just drink your medicine and rest. Don’t try to get up tomorrow.”
“Cough... tomorrow won’t do... cough...”
“Enough. I know you have that meeting with Xiong Feng, but you still need to rest. Are you planning to stay awake until he arrives?”
Suddenly, Nan Muxue hooked her arms around Chu Ruo’s neck. “What is it? Are you unhappy?”
“I’m not.”
“Or are you... jealous?”
Chu Ruo coughed awkwardly. “Impossible. Not a chance. In your dreams... I would never...”
“Fine.” Nan Muxue’s gaze was knowing. “Since my disciple doesn’t care, then tomorrow, your Master shall have a long, thorough discussion with the Young Gang Leader regarding the wedding arrangements.”
“Nan Muxue, that’s enough! Don’t push it!”
The other woman simply lay back down. “Enough. Go and do what I told you to do.”
“You... you make me angry and then just go to sleep and kick me out? How can you be such a little scorpion...”
*Swish!*
With a flick of her hand, Nan Muxue sent something flying. Chu Ruo caught it nimbly. It wasn’t a real hidden weapon, of course—it was a single soybean. Before Chu Ruo could ask where she’d gotten it, the woman on the bed had already turned her back to her. “Go, quickly.”
“Fine, fine, I’m going.” Chu Ruo tucked the covers around her. “Sleep well. Be careful.”
Nan Muxue found it amusing. “Those words should be reserved for yourself.”
“You...”
“Ruo’er.” Nan Muxue’s resolve always crumbled quickly; she turned back over and reached out to stroke Chu Ruo’s face. “Keep your wits about you in the palace. If you run into my mother, the most important thing is to adapt.”
*I’d love to adapt,* Chu Ruo thought, *but with a psycho like your mother, I’ll probably be dead before I get a chance to speak.* Aloud, she promised, “I know. Go to sleep.” She leaned down to kiss Nan Muxue’s forehead. “I’ll kiss you every day before I head out from now on, just like how you used to kiss me every morning. I’m off.”
Night in the Hundred Flowers Palace was as still as ever. A faint candle flickered in Nangong Yan’s room. A dark shadow approached from outside, but before it could be identified, a hidden weapon flew out from within. Nangong Yan burst through the door, sword in hand, shouting sternly, “Who goes there?!”
When she saw the person clearly, her face contorted with rage. “What are you doing here? Get out! Don’t you dare set foot near my house!”
“Everything on this mountain belongs to the Hundred Flowers Palace.”
Nangong Yan’s face flushed crimson with anger. She spoke through gritted teeth, “I don’t need the Grand Protector to remind me.”
Nan Yunshuang remained impassive. Tonight, she wore a peach-colored robe, a stark departure from her usual elegant, muted attire. Even her makeup was unusually bold; the heavy scent of powder wafted into Nangong Yan’s nose, feeling cloying and excessive. The clothes seemed... alluring. In short, Nan Yunshuang looked almost provocative tonight. She held a jar of wine in her hand. “May I come in and sit for a while?”
“There is no ‘may’ about it,” Nangong Yan sneered. “Didn’t the Grand Protector just say it? Everything on this mountain belongs to the palace. Now that the Palace Mistress has put you in temporary charge of all affairs, you can do whatever you please. I suppose sooner or later, the entire Hundred Flowers Palace will be yours anyway.”
Nan Yunshuang said nothing but stepped forward, clearly intending to enter. Nangong Yan spoke from behind her, “If you go in, I leave. From now on, wherever you are, I will be absent. If you go east, I go west. If you come in, I go out!”
“Stop.” As Nangong Yan turned to leave, the other woman spoke words she never expected. “Since you know I am currently in charge of the palace’s affairs, I am ordering you to come inside. You shall not disobey.”
“Nan Yunshuang, you!”
“If you don’t come in, I will punish the Second and Third Protectors.”
Nangong Yan was livid. “How dare you! If you have the guts, come at me!”
“Because,” Nan Yunshuang said coldly as she walked inside, “I am the one in charge now. If you won’t come in, then close the door from the outside.”
Nangong Yan clenched her fists. After weighing her options, she chose to enter. The other woman was already seated at the table. She commanded, “Close the door.”
“Yes,” Nangong Yan emphasized the word pointedly, “subordinate obeys.”
“Come, sit.”
Nangong Yan sat down reluctantly. Nan Yunshuang didn’t touch the wine she had brought; instead, she poured a cup of tea for the younger woman. “Your temperament hasn’t changed since we were children.”
“Is that so? Yet some people have changed quite a bit—becoming strange and terrifying.”
“People must grow up. Growing up means change.”
“And is that your excuse for being a cold-blooded, numb killer of innocents?”
Nan Yunshuang swallowed a cup of cold tea. “If I don’t do certain things, someone else will.”
“Excuses! You’re just obsessed with power and martial arts, even willing to be the Old Palace Mistress’s lapdog!”
Nangong Yan grew more agitated as she spoke, eventually slamming the table and standing up. Nan Yunshuang merely looked up at her. For once, a rare smile touched her lips—one that seemed both sincere and accidental. “I actually hope you can stay this naive forever.”
In her fury, Nangong Yan drew her sword and lunged. Nan Yunshuang, while still pouring tea with one hand, used two fingers of her other hand to catch the blade with unerring precision. Her grip was like iron; no matter how hard Nangong Yan pulled, the sword wouldn’t budge. Then, with a casual twist of her fingers, the blade began to bend. She let go. *Clang!* The vibration sent Nangong Yan stumbling back several steps.
Before she could steady herself, Nan Yunshuang was in front of her. Nangong Yan raised a hand to strike, but her wrist was caught in a tight grip. “Yan’er.” The other woman stared at her, her expression as flat and unreadable as ever. “In the future, when I am not around, you must be careful.”
In that instant, Nangong Yan sensed a different emotion from her—a faint, lingering sadness. But she ignored it, struggling angrily. “Let go! I don’t need you worrying about me! Let go...”
The next second, Nangong Yan froze. The woman did let go of her wrist, but only to kiss her! She was stunned for three full seconds. For those three seconds, she allowed the other woman to invade and possess her lips. Finally, she snapped back to her senses and struggled desperately, only to have her hands pinned again. Nan Yunshuang pressed her against the door, kissing her lips with a desperate, forceful intensity...
*Slap!*
The sound was sharp and loud. Nangong Yan’s hair was disheveled, her breathing ragged from anger and the shock of the forced kiss. She had successfully broken free and delivered a stinging blow to the other woman’s cheek. “What do you take me for? Get out! Get out of here, or I’ll kill you!”
In terms of strength, she was no match for Nan Yunshuang; the threat was merely a product of her rage. She had never expected this—never thought that after everything, they would come to this. Once, they had been so close. She used to shake Nan Yunshuang’s arm and act spoiled; she used to cover the other woman’s eyes from behind and call her name affectionately. But... she had given her chance after chance, felt pity for her wounds time and again, and her heart had told her to trust her one more time—that her Yunshuang couldn’t be this evil. But the reality was cruel. After countless disappointments, she knew they could never go back.
Nan Yunshuang didn’t even touch her smarting cheek. She simply straightened her clothes, picked up the jar of wine she had brought, and left. She walked away cleanly, without a single word, as if nothing had just happened.
“Fire! Fire!”
A commotion broke out to the east. The two women put aside their conflict, exchanged a brief look, and rushed toward the source.
A fire had broken out in the Hundred Flowers Palace. It wasn't particularly large; it had started in an uninhabited area, burning only a few dilapidated rooms and some worthless old books. Perhaps it was just the dry weather. No one was hurt, which was a relief.
“Who set the fire last night?!”
Nan Menghua’s hand was clamped around Nan Yunshuang’s throat. Nan Yunshuang’s face began to turn purple. “I... do not know.”
“You do not know?” Nan Menghua’s face was a mask of fury. “Was it your doing? Speak!”
“No.”
“Hmph.” Nan Menghua’s voice was ice. “You didn’t want to go seduce Liu Songhe, so you set that fire, didn't you? How bold of you, learning to defy me just like that little wench Xue’er.”
“This disciple... would not dare...”
Nan Menghua released her abruptly, and Nan Yunshuang collapsed to her knees. “The fire... truly... was not this disciple’s doing.”
“I suppose you wouldn't dare!” Nan Menghua shook her horsetail whisk viciously. “If it wasn't you...” She began to laugh, a sound full of malice. “Fine. Good. The tail finally shows itself. Not only did she dare to return, but she dares to pull these stunts under my very nose. Should I call her stupid, or should I praise her?” She helped Nan Yunshuang up. “Before the wedding, you must find out who was responsible for last night.”
“Yes.”
Nan Menghua adopted a "kindly" facade once more. “Do not resent me. The wedding is near; there can be no chaos in the palace. Yunshuang, I have always trusted you. Today, I shall issue the order: you are to serve as the Acting Young Palace Mistress.”
“This disciple does not deserve such an honor.”
“There is no ‘deserve.’ You are a clever person; I am sure you won’t disappoint me. As for the Fourth Protector...” She paused deliberately to watch the flash of panic in Nan Yunshuang’s eyes, then smiled with satisfaction. “I believe you understand my meaning.”
“This disciple... accepts the command.”
Soon, another day passed. When night fell, Chu Ruo crept toward the bed, but the sleeping woman sat up instantly. Chu Ruo pouted. “No fun. How do you hear me every single time?”
Nan Muxue acted out of character, shrinking into Chu Ruo’s arms almost like a child acting spoiled. Chu Ruo found it quite endearing. “What’s wrong?”
The response was even more surprising and delightful. “You’ve been in this room for days. Now that you’ve started going out again, I find myself missing you.”
Chu Ruo’s heart fluttered with joy. She was practically beaming. But business was business; she had to stay grounded. “What’s gotten into you? That doesn’t sound like something you’d say. Did something happen when you saw Xiong Feng today? Are you hiding something from me again?”
“No,” Nan Muxue replied truthfully, holding her tighter. “I just missed you.”
The words nearly moved Chu Ruo to tears. She stammered for a moment before saying, “Are you always this honest?”
“Only with you.”
“Nan Muxue, how is it that you can grip my heart so tightly every single time? Tighter and tighter, until I can’t escape.”
Nan Muxue smiled. “And where would you escape to?”
“Into your heart.”
She didn't answer that, choosing instead to change the subject. “About last night—did anyone see you?”
“No, I was very careful. You were right, though—your mother really sent Nan Yunshuang to seduce Liu Songhe. She’s so cruel. Nan Yunshuang was raised by her! I checked that jar of wine yesterday; it was spiked with an aphrodisiac. Sigh, Nan Yunshuang is a fool too. Why would she actually listen to your mother?”
“It was expected. Mother must have used Yan’er to blackmail her. And she will surely break her word. Mother hates nothing more than people in love—especially those willing to sacrifice everything for each other. She enjoys torturing them, deceiving them, and savoring their despair and rage when the truth comes out.”
“But she could have asked us for help. She didn't have to do all those terrible things for your mother.”
Nan Muxue shook her head. “Yunshuang is no fool. She’s thought of everything we have. Mother’s methods are extraordinary; she doesn’t dare take the risk. Even putting everything else aside, if Mother poisoned Yan’er with the Hundred Flowers Gu, do you think she’d have a choice? Furthermore, Mother has several poisons made from toxic flowers that even I don’t know the recipes for. She truly has no choice. From the moment she fell for Yan’er, her fate was sealed.”
“She’s a poor soul. But why doesn’t your mother threaten the Second Protector and that girl Duan Ning? They seem to have something going on too. Between the five of you and me, that’s three couples. Two are already miserable. Those two seem to be doing okay by comparison.”
“She can’t do that to everyone. Since Yunshuang and I are already under her thumb, she doesn’t want to push the other two completely to my side. For now, they obey me, but mostly they are just trying to protect themselves. If she pushes too hard, we might all be forced to burn our bridges. If all the Protectors and the Young Palace Mistress turned against her at once, it would be disastrous for the palace. She doesn’t have the time or energy to train replacements. Besides, Liuli and Ning’er are cautious; they haven’t crossed the line yet. Their prudence keeps them alive. Liuli knows her limits. Even if Mother moves against them later, she won’t be too harsh—at most, she’ll just separate them. For now, let’s not drag them into this. We should save whoever we can.”
“You... I’ve finally realized it. You spend all day thinking and calculating too much; it’s bad for your health.” Chu Ruo kissed her. “What did you say to Xiong Feng today?”
Nan Muxue didn’t answer, choosing instead to get up. “I’ve slept too long. Help me up so I can walk around the room.”
Whenever the "Little Scorpion" didn't want to tell her something, she would change the subject like this. But since she always had her reasons, Chu Ruo didn't press further. After helping her up, an idea struck her. “Let me teach you how to dance. A dance from the world I came from.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t put on your shoes. Here, just step directly onto my feet.”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, it’s fine. Come on, I’ll teach you a partner dance...”
Time flowed quickly, gone in the blink of an eye. In a flash, only three days remained before the wedding.
***
