"Hiss—!"
Chu Ruo dropped her longsword. Just as she was about to stick her bleeding finger into her mouth to suck on it, Nan Muxue was already by her side. She snatched the hand away, pulling a white handkerchief and medicinal salve from her robes to tend to the wound.
"Ow, ow, ow! Gentler, be gentler..."
"If you're so afraid of pain, why weren't you focusing?" Nan Muxue pressed down firmly on the hand, though her movements softened considerably. She glanced up at Chu Ruo. "You’re so distracted—are you looking for another excuse to copy scriptures?"
"Hey, hey, hey! My finger is injured and you still want me to copy books? Do you have any humanity? Ow—!" Tears welled up in Chu Ruo's eyes. "You!"
"What about your Master?"
That provocative look forced Chu Ruo to swallow her grievances. "Nothing."
"Wailing over such a tiny bit of pain. How embarrassing."
"Please, the nerves in the fingers lead straight to the heart! It’s not like I’m some thick-skinned brute who can’t feel anything."
"You? I don't think you're much better, considering how shameless you usually are."
"That’s enough! You bully me all day long. My finger was cut by your sword just now, and now you’re calling me shameless? Aren't you going too far?"
Nan Muxue gave a final, intentional squeeze, successfully eliciting another series of painful wails. She nodded with satisfaction. "If you hadn't been distracted, how would you have been injured? Today, your opponent was me. If you encounter someone else in the future, do you think they will show you mercy?"
"Why on earth would I go around fighting people?" Chu Ruo blew on her finger, which was now wrapped in a thin strip of white cloth. "Why does everything have to be about fighting and killing? I don't like it at all."
"And what would you prefer? The martial world has always been a place where the strong prey on the weak. If you don't kill them, they will eventually kill you. Just look at the incident with Hu Nuo. Even if you didn't provoke him, he still moved against you. If you fight back, he'll try to kill you. If you don't want to be bullied, you must be more skilled and more ruthless than your enemies."
"There was a reason for that, okay? If I weren't your disciple, would that 'Great Roc' have sent his student to pick a fight with me? It all started because of you."
"Oh?" Nan Muxue’s face instantly darkened. "Does being my disciple trouble you that much?"
*Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not good, not good.* Chu Ruo could already tell from the subtle shift in tone that the other woman was quite displeased. In truth, the Little Scorpion wasn't wrong. This wasn't just true of the martial world; it was the same everywhere, just expressed differently. Moreover, the fact that she hadn't lost her temper but had instead explained things so calmly was actually a good sign. The main point was that now was not the time to ponder such things, because the Little Scorpion looked like she was seconds away from exploding.
Chu Ruo leaned in with a toothy grin. "No, it’s great. Master is very good to me."
"Is that so? Since I am so 'good' to you, how do you intend to repay your Master?"
*Again?* Chu Ruo scratched her head, searching for a way to change the subject. "Speaking of Hu Nuo, it reminds me of Liu Shaopeng. That day, when he slapped the table and the lamp fell over... that was Master secretly intervening, wasn't it?"
"Was that not what my disciple wanted? I acted on your behalf, yet I haven't seen a hint of gratitude from you."
*I did that to help you, okay? And you want gratitude?* "I just didn't expect Master to understand me so well."
"Enough nonsense. Since your Master is so good to you and even fought your battles, how will you repay me?"
"How should I know? I haven't even paid back the money from last time..."
"I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Let's add that to the tally. How will Ruo'er repay me?"
*...Wait. Was I struck by lightning? Why did I remind her? Why am I such an idiot?*
"Don't just daze off. Speak."
"I told you last time, you're the one supporting me. What could I possibly give you?" Chu Ruo teased. "Do you really want me to offer myself to you in marriage?"
Nan Muxue tilted her head and smiled. It was a look of breathtaking beauty, but to Chu Ruo, it sent a shiver down her spine. "Indeed. Aside from this body of yours, you truly have nothing else to offer."
*Holy crap, you’re serious? Where’s your integrity?* Chu Ruo felt like she could hear the sound of something shattering. "Could it be that Master has a... passion for the rubbed mirror?" It wouldn't be surprising; there wasn't a single man in Baihua Palace, so it was only natural for a few to turn out that way. Then again, wasn't she the same?
Nan Muxue was so exasperated she fell silent. She stood up and grabbed her sword, gesturing to Chu Ruo. "Again."
"I'm not in the mood. I'm not practicing anymore."
"You..."
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Chu Ruo dejectedly went to pick up her sword. "I'll practice."
To her surprise, Nan Muxue sheathed her sword. "With such a long face, practicing is useless."
"Then," Chu Ruo’s eyes widened, "we’re stopping?" *The Little Scorpion is actually indulging me this much?*
Giving her a harsh eye-roll, Nan Muxue walked away with her hands behind her back. Chu Ruo followed blankly until they reached the lakeside. The scenery was as beautiful as ever, but something felt off. Given the Little Scorpion's personality, even if they stopped practicing, shouldn't she have rushed back to her study to handle palace affairs? Why would she have the leisure to admire the view? Seeing her staring vacantly into the distance, Chu Ruo felt a pang of pity for that slender figure. "What's wrong?"
What was wrong? Nan Muxue didn't know either. She should have been back in her study, so why had she walked to the lake to do something as foolish as dazing off? She shook her head. "Nothing. Stay here by yourself. I'm going back."
"Don't go." Chu Ruo suddenly grabbed her right hand. In that split second, she didn't know why, but she just didn't want the other woman to leave—or rather, to leave *her*. *Damn it, what am I thinking? But... the Little Scorpion's hand is so soft. I really like holding it.* "Sit with me for a while."
Once they sat down, silence fell again. Chu Ruo kept stealing glances at her, only to quickly look away whenever she was noticed. After a few rounds of this, Nan Muxue finally caught on. "What are you looking at?"
"I..." Chu Ruo remembered the day on the bamboo raft. The scenes kept flashing through her mind. She slapped her own head in frustration. "Don't come out!"
"What?"
"Nothing." She lowered her head and began fiddling with a handful of grass, not daring to look up again.
Then, Chu Ruo felt a sudden warmth on her forehead. It was Nan Muxue's hand. "What has been wrong with you these past few days? You're acting so strange. Have you scrambled your brains with a fever?"
*You're the one who's scrambled! I'm perfectly lucid. I'm just wondering if I've turned into Chu Shuhuan. Can you stop being so close to me? It's all your fault, you Little Scorpion. Now I think about you all day. When I'm with Yan'er, I think of you, and when I'm with you, I think of Yan'er. Yan'er is so good; she wasn't even mad when she found out I liked your hugs. Argh, what am I supposed to do?*
"Speak!"
Chu Ruo snapped back to reality. The warmth on her forehead vanished as Nan Muxue started to withdraw her hand. Chu Ruo lunged forward and grabbed it. Swallowing hard, she said with some difficulty, "Master, could you... could you hold me while I sleep for a bit?" Without waiting for an answer, she mimicked the posture from the other day, pressing her back into the other woman's embrace. She pulled Nan Muxue's arms tight around her waist and squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look. She couldn't help but add, "Uh, I'm sleepy."
Though her eyes were closed, they were squeezed so tight her whole face was wrinkled, and her cheeks began to burn. Nan Muxue stared at that face. Even though she looked ridiculous, Nan Muxue felt her own heart rate quicken. Lately, she had been pondering a question: why was she indulging this girl so much? She couldn't find an answer, but she couldn't deny that she didn't dislike their physical intimacy. In fact, Chu Ruo was very warm, which stirred feelings of affection and reluctance in her. Years of cultivating in the Ice Cave had left her body cold; only Chu Ruo could provide this comfortable warmth. Finally, she granted the request. "Sleep."
Only then did Chu Ruo's tense body finally relax. She had been so afraid the Little Scorpion would push her away. Hearing those words made her heart leap with joy; she almost wanted to cheer, but she was too embarrassed to move. In short, she was in a very good mood today...
Chu Ruo woke up earlier this time, with several hours left before dusk. *No wonder everyone likes 'warm fragrance and soft jade'; it's so much better than a wooden bed board.* She opened her eyes to look at the person holding her. *No way! Holy crap! The Little Scorpion... she actually... she fell asleep too?!*
What a historic moment! A miracle! The Little Scorpion actually took a nap, and her sleeping face was so beautiful—perfect from every angle. Even with half her face covered, it was unfair. How could someone like this exist? Even her profile was stunning. Chu Ruo wanted to check if she was truly asleep, but then she thought it was rare for the Little Scorpion to rest, so she shouldn't wake her. She opened her mouth but said nothing. Feeling bored, she remembered the time the Little Scorpion was sick and a butterfly had landed on her hand. It had been a beautiful sight. *A butterfly?* Chu Ruo smiled, grabbed a handful of grass, and began to work...
When Nan Muxue finally woke up, it was nearly dusk. She saw the changing light and was shocked. "I... I actually slept for so long."
"It's because you don't get enough rest. How can sleeping only a few hours a day be enough? Are you still tired? Want to sleep more?"
Nan Muxue looked down. The girl was still leaning in her arms, looking at her with genuine concern. A warmth spread through Nan Muxue's heart, and she shook her head. "Let's go back."
"Oh." Chu Ruo stood up reluctantly; she had been so comfortable. "Right, this is for you."
Something was suddenly thrust into Nan Muxue's hand. She looked closely—it was a butterfly woven from grass. Though not as beautiful as a real one, it was remarkably lifelike. An indescribable joy rose within her. "A butterfly?"
"Yeah. You don't like it?" Chu Ruo asked nervously.
"Why are you giving me this?"
"I... that day, a butterfly landed on your hand, so I wanted to give you one. Why are you asking so many questions? Let's go, let's go back! I'm starving. I wonder what's for dinner." Ever since she started eating with the Little Scorpion, she had somehow ended up eating dinner with her too. The food was delicious and plentiful, which was great. However, Chu Ruo failed to notice that Nan Muxue continued to eat only vegetarian dishes, only picking up meat when she was putting it into Chu Ruo's bowl.
Behind her, Nan Muxue carefully held the grass object, a brilliant smile—one she had never worn before—lighting up her face.
That night, as soon as Nan Muxue stepped into Chu Ruo's room, she was pulled into an embrace. She had already grown accustomed to this and even proactively wrapped her arms back around the girl. She smiled. "Not pretending to be asleep tonight?"
"Yan'er," Chu Ruo said awkwardly, "stop teasing me about that."
"If you did it, why can't others talk about it?"
"Let's not talk about that." Chu Ruo handed something over. "For you."
*Another gift?* She chuckled, expecting another butterfly, but it was a grass crane in mid-flight. "I really couldn't tell that someone with your personality would know how to weave these."
"What do you mean? I'm very skillful, okay? I learned this from someone when I was a kid. Do you like it?"
Nan Muxue looked at her, raising the grass crane. "Does the Little Scorpion have one of these too?"
"Huh?" *Why is Yan'er asking? Oh no, is she going to be mad?* But she answered honestly. "I gave her a butterfly. Yan'er, are you... are you angry?"
"Why give us different things?"
"Because everyone is unique. I don't want to give you the same things, and I shouldn't have given them to both of you. I... I think I'm a terrible person, a 'scumbag,' but I gave them anyway."
Only when facing the nighttime "Yan'er" would this girl show such a silly, honest side, confessing her innermost thoughts without reservation. Nan Muxue suddenly pinched her chin, startling Chu Ruo. "Yan'er, what are you doing?" *This move is so much like the Little Scorpion.*
"You are not allowed to give them to anyone else from now on."
"Oh." *Such a domineering, intimidating sentence... coming from Yan'er? This shouldn't be her style, right?*
"Yan'er," Chu Ruo pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed.
"What is it?"
"I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"Today... I let the Little Scorpion hold me while I slept. I was the one who asked her to. I don't know why it happened. By the time I realized what I was doing, I was already in her arms."
There was no response. Chu Ruo grew anxious. "Are you really mad? I... I..." She didn't know how to explain. She was the one who wanted the hug, and she hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now she was terrified Yan'er would be angry. *What do I do? Why am I such trash?*
"I want a butterfly too."
"Huh?"
"You heard me." Nan Muxue toyed with the grass crane. "Give it to me tomorrow night."
"Okay. So you're not mad?"
The other woman looked up at her. In the dark room, her eyes were as bright as stars. "Is her embrace really that comfortable?"
Chu Ruo nodded. "Yeah. So... can you hold me?"
"Was the daytime hug not enough? You want me to hold you now too?"
"I know I'm greedy, I..." Before Chu Ruo could finish, she was pulled back into that coveted embrace. "Is there any difference?"
"I can't really say. It feels like the same person. But... I was the one who leaned into the Little Scorpion, whereas Yan'er proactively holds me. Hehe, Yan'er is better."
*Proactive?* Nan Muxue didn't know what kind of spell she was under. When night fell and she came here, it was as if she shed everything she showed to the world—or rather, she shed her disguise. She could be relaxed here. The person she was now was her true self. She didn't have to maintain a dignified facade or worry about tomorrow's tasks. Only here, before this person, could she find a brief moment of rest. She had instinctively pulled the girl closer; after only a few times, she found herself unable to let go of this warmth. Habits were truly terrifying things.
"Yan'er," Chu Ruo was likely getting sleepy, her voice turning mumbley. "I like it when you hold me like this. It’s so comfortable to sleep. I like holding you too. Next time I’ll hold you like this so you can have a good sleep. I haven't... held the Little Scorpion, though the thought crosses my mind sometimes. But heehee, I don't dare. She's too scary. Speaking of which, I shouldn't have woven a butterfly for her. I should have woven a snake. After all, she is... the Little... Scorpion... *Zzz...*"
*Chu Ruo!* Nan Muxue glared at the girl who was already snoring. She counted in her head: *The 172nd time. This is the 172nd time she has spoken ill of me. Just you wait. One day, I'll pay you back for every single one!*
***
The next day.
*When did Yan'er leave?* Chu Ruo sat on her bed, dazed and somewhat resentful. *How could she just leave without saying goodbye? So not cute.*
"Chu Ruo, get up."
"Xiao Guo'er," she gestured for her friend to sit down.
"What?"
"I have something to ask you."
"So, I have a friend..." She used the classic 'asking for a friend' trope. "She... well, she likes being held by two girls at the same time. I mean... anyway, it's like that. What do you think of her?"
"Is the 'friend' a guy or a girl?"
"Does it matter?"
Xiao Guo'er waved a hand dismissively. "If it's a guy, he's a scumbag. If it's a girl, she's a scumbag."
Chu Ruo protested, "How is that being a scumbag?"
"Why are you so worked up? Sit down." Xiao Guo'er rolled her eyes. "How is it *not* being a scumbag? It's just like that Shuhuan guy you told us about—one minute it's Ruping, the next it's Yiping. Isn't that scummy enough?"
"That's not the same! She... she hasn't said she likes them. At most, she just likes their hugs."
"She likes their hugs but doesn't like them? That's even scummier. She's just lusting after their bodies."
*I—!* Chu Ruo was speechless. *Can we even have a normal conversation? How did I suddenly degenerate into someone just lusting after bodies?* "How is that lust? Let me rephrase. It's like this: she’s always liked the one who is gentle and kind, but the other one is fierce and loves to bully her—hitting, scolding, or punishing her every day. She only likes the hug of the fierce one. Wait... as I'm saying this, am I... I mean, is she lusting after the Little Scor—the body of the second one?"
"Exactly. You said it yourself."
"But I still think she just likes both of them. She wouldn't let them hold her if she didn't like them."
"Then what about Yongqi and Zhihua? Wasn't he just lusting after her body?"
"Bah! Stop explaining. Isn't it great to like both? Actually," Xiao Guo'er gave a wicked grin, "this 'friend' is you, isn't it?"
Chu Ruo stared at her with a 'confused Nick Young' face. *You're supposed to be an ancient person! Even if I taught you some modern slang, how are you using the 'asking for a friend' meme so fluently?* "Go away, go away! Which woman in this palace could possibly catch my eye?"
"The Four Protectors or the Young Palace Master, maybe?"
Chu Ruo broke into a cold sweat. *I can't tell this kid too much in the future, or I'll be the death of myself.*
Xiao Guo'er shook her head and continued, "But that's impossible. With your attitude, even we don't like you. How could they?"
"GET OUT!!!" This was the first time Chu Ruo truly understood how Nan Muxue felt when she was choked with rage by Chu Ruo's words.
*But the main point is... do I really like the Little Scorpion? No, no, no, I can't. I'm the one who's going to sneak away. I can't even be with Yan'er, let alone the Little Scorpion. Why am I such a scumbag that I like two people at once? Since we can't be together, why did I fall for them? How did I turn into a 'scumbag' like Aisin Gioro Shuhuan who just lusts after people's bodies? Heavens, what am I going to do?*
***
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 16 | A Divided Heart | Novela.app | Novela.app
