The night’s sleep had been a good one. When Chu Ruo opened her eyes, she saw the person lying beside her. Recalling the kisses from the night before, a wave of pleasure washed over her. She studied the other woman closely, only to find that Nan Muxue’s mask had slipped slightly, partially obscuring her beautiful eyes. Chu Ruo reached out, and though she was burning with curiosity, she didn’t pull the mask off. Instead, she gently adjusted it back into place.
Nan Muxue was a light sleeper. She opened her eyes instantly, and sensing the movement, she reflexively recoiled. Before she could even demand an explanation, Chu Ruo spoke up.
“Don’t misunderstand. I just saw it was about to fall off and wanted to fix it for you.”
Only then did Nan Muxue relax. She couldn't help but ask, “Aren’t you curious about my appearance? Why didn’t you take the chance to remove it?” She knew that if Chu Ruo had truly intended to peek, no matter how high her martial arts were, she wouldn't have been able to stop her in that split second.
“If you don’t want to take it off or let people see, you must have your reasons. I’m curious, sure, but I won’t do something so disrespectful.”
*Respect.* Nan Muxue’s heart gave a small thud, but she remained silent.
“Morning,” Chu Ruo said, breaking the silence.
Waking up first thing in the morning to that brilliant, beaming face—and finding herself pressed so closely in the other’s arms—Nan Muxue felt her face flush as memories of last night’s breathless, searing kisses flooded back. Overcome with shyness, she turned her back to Chu Ruo without a word, propping her head on one hand while the other gripped the edge of the quilt.
Naturally, the person behind her didn't take the hint. Chu Ruo leaned in again, taking Nan Muxue’s hand in hers. Her lips brushed against the shell of Nan Muxue’s ear, her voice sounding more sultry than usual. “What’s wrong? Why are you ignoring me?”
The hot breath puffing into her ear almost made Nan Muxue let out a soft moan. It took her a moment to regain her composure. “It’s nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, why did you turn away?” Chu Ruo became even more persistent. “I didn't do anything to upset you this morning, did I?”
“You...” Nan Muxue bit her lip. “Get back!”
“What is wrong with you?” Chu Ruo propped herself up to try and see her face. “Why won’t you look at me? Hey, hey, if you keep being this fickle and moody, I’m going to get angry.”
...How could someone be so dense? Nan Muxue was speechless, yet the girl kept leaning closer. “Don’t come any closer.”
“You’re impossible!” Chu Ruo snapped. One moment everything was fine, and the next—what, you stop recognizing people the moment the kissing is over? She finally flopped back down and turned her own back to her.
Hearing the movement behind her, Nan Muxue turned back. Was this girl... pouting? She reached out to touch Chu Ruo’s right hand, but Chu Ruo pulled away, huddling further into herself. She looked like a sulking child. Nan Muxue wanted to laugh. She gave the other’s sleeve a light tug. “Ruo’er?”
*Hmph. You think you can just call me whenever you feel like it?* Chu Ruo didn't respond. She even tucked her hands under her face, curling into a ball against the wall, playing dead as hard as she could. *Evil Little Scorpion. You can beat me to death—no, wait, even if I die, I’m not talking to you.*
“Fine, fine.” Nan Muxue embraced her from behind, her hand searching until it found Chu Ruo’s, interlacing their fingers. “Throwing a childish tantrum again.”
“Am I the one throwing a tantrum, or are you the one acting crazy?”
*Acting crazy...* A vein throbbed in Nan Muxue’s temple. *Forget it, don't get angry.* “I’m just... not used to it...”
This time, Chu Ruo didn't follow. “Not used to what?”
“You,” Nan Muxue sighed helplessly. It took her a long time to find the words. “I’m not used to being... this close to someone.”
*Oh? Shyness?* Right, right, her face had been a bit red earlier. Chu Ruo felt most of her anger evaporate, though a small spark remained. She said snidely, “Then why are you leaning on me now? Is Master 'used to it' already?”
“Petty.” Hearing her tone, Nan Muxue knew the girl was over it. “Turn around.”
Chu Ruo didn't budge. Then she heard: “If you don’t turn around, don’t even think about holding me tonight, no matter how hot it gets.”
*!!! Cruel! How can you be so cruel?* Not only was she always more powerful, but her tongue was just as vicious. *Would it kill you to let me win once?* Despite her thoughts, Chu Ruo obediently rolled back over. To have someone give her the cold shoulder first thing in the morning and then end up being called the "petty" one—what kind of logic was that? Sigh.
Nan Muxue couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her muttering under her breath. “What are you thinking about?”
“None of your business.” She had turned back, but Chu Ruo was determined to maintain her last shred of dignity. She kept her head turned ninety degrees to the left, nearly craning her neck off. In short: *I am absolutely not looking at you.*
“Stop being stubborn. Your neck is going to snap. Doesn't it hurt?”
“Doesn't hurt at all. It feels great. I like it this way.” *I’m just not looking at you, so what? Hit me, go ahead, hit me!* Even as she thought this, she was a little scared. Past experience told her the Little Scorpion could practically read minds. What if she actually delivered a slap to fulfill Chu Ruo’s cheeky inner thoughts? *Heaven forbid, the mark from the last slap hasn't even faded yet.*
...This girl. Once she started sulking, there was no end to it. And yet, she seemed... a little bit cute. Nan Muxue knew Chu Ruo’s character well; the more you argued with her, the more energized she became. The best way was to change the subject. “You usually love to sleep in. Why are you up so early today? Why not sleep a bit longer?”
Sure enough, Chu Ruo was immediately baited. She swung her head back around eagerly—*damn, after just that short time, my neck really is sore.* “I want to go out and play, hehe.”
Nan Muxue knew exactly why she was acting so unusual, but she couldn't resist the urge to tease her. This was something that had never happened before she brought Chu Ruo back to the Hundred Flowers Palace. And in the future, she doubted she would ever feel this way with anyone else. “You’re not allowed to go.”
Chu Ruo’s voice jumped an octave. Her eyes went wide. “Why? You let me go out yesterday!”
“Yesterday was yesterday. Today is today.”
“You!” *No, no, stay calm.* She couldn't use force with the Little Scorpion. She remembered the painful lessons of the past. If she provoked her, not only would she be grounded, she’d probably be tormented too. Time for a different tactic. She grabbed Nan Muxue’s right arm with both hands. “Please, Master? Just let me go, please?”
Just as Nan Muxue was about to speak, Chu Ruo remembered something and let go instantly. A second later, she leaned back in, looking at the arm with intense concern. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt your wound? Let me see, quickly...”
The sight of her frantic worry warmed Nan Muxue’s heart. “It’s fine. Don’t be nervous.”
“That’s good.” Chu Ruo clung to her again. “Since you’re fine, let’s go to the market! Oh, right, first we’ll visit Cai Feng’s mother, then we’ll go shopping, and then...”
“And then what? Go on, say it.” Nan Muxue stared at her, a sharp glint in her eyes.
Chu Ruo gave a guilty, dry laugh. “And then... there is no 'and then'.”
“Hmph,” Nan Muxue snorted. “And then you’ll go stroll through a brothel. Am I right, Master’s dear disciple?”
“Well... since you already know, why ask? I...” Since she’d been caught, she might as well be a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. “I just want to see what a brothel is like!”
...Nan Muxue was so frustrated she nearly clutched her forehead. “Chu Ruo! Do you even realize that you... you are a woman!” Even though she had Chu Ruo traveling in male attire, and even though the girl’s original clothes and habits were quite masculine, how could a young lady be so obsessed with brothels? Could it be... that she had someone she liked there?
“I know! How could I not know my own gender?” Chu Ruo looked indifferent and utterly confused. “So what if I’m a woman?”
Nan Muxue truly felt the urge to strangle her. “Why must you go to a brothel?” Recalling her suspicion, her tone turned cold. “Are you going there to meet someone?”
“You go to a brothel to see the girls, obviously. Who else would I meet?” Chu Ruo’s answer was as shocking as ever. “What kind of question is that? Do you think I’m going there to find a toilet?”
“Silence! 'Brothel' this, 'brothel' that!” Though she was fuming at the answer, it at least meant there was no "lover" involved. *Lover.* Nan Muxue felt a wave of awkwardness. Why had she even thought of that? Besides, this girl came from a distant, remote foreign land. She had been rescued and taken straight to the Hundred Flowers Palace. This was her first time down the mountain. Nan Muxue had been investigating her background since day one, and the Palace’s intelligence was never wrong. After all this time, they had found nothing; she really did seem to have appeared out of thin air. It was unlikely she knew anyone else. “Shallow. Vulgar.”
“How am I shallow and vulgar? I just want to go to a brothel! Aren't the women there supposed to be incredibly talented and beautiful? I just want to take a look, and suddenly I’m vulgar?”
Nan Muxue was completely at a loss. She took a deep breath. “Why on earth are you so obsessed with going there?”
“I’m curious, really curious!” Seeing a potential opening, Chu Ruo leaned in and started babbling her explanation. “I used to hear about brothels and felt nothing but curiosity and longing. I always dreamed that if I ever transmigrated—uh, that’s a hometown word—I mean, if I ever came here, I’d go see a brothel for myself. I heard they’re very fun.”
What kind of person "dreams" of going to a brothel? Nan Muxue was so annoyed she grasped at straws. “Does your hometown not have brothels? Is that why you’re so curious?”
“No.” Chu Ruo shook her head honestly. Modern places... you couldn't really call them brothels. Ancient courtesans knew music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; they could compose poetry and share romantic moments with scholars under the moon. Some of them were even high-minded and pure. Compared to that, the modern world was far behind. She couldn't exactly say that modern "brothels" had lost all their flavor.
Seeing that she wasn't lying, Nan Muxue was stunned. Even if this girl came from a remote place and talked nonsense half the time, her insights and perspective were often extraordinary. How could such a place not have brothels? Besides, no matter how poor a place was, how could there be a corner of the world without them? Yet, if Chu Ruo said it, she believed it without hesitation. “A young woman who only thinks of brothels... I truly wonder about the education in your hometown. Is everyone there like you?”
*This sounds promising!* “I just really want to go! Master, show some mercy and let your disciple go!”
“If you go, you are not allowed to stare at other women.”
“What? What’s the point of going to a brothel if I can’t look at the girls?”
She had already made the greatest concession, yet the girl was still unsatisfied. Nan Muxue said coldly, “Then don’t go at all!”
“I’ll go, I’ll go! I won’t look!” Chu Ruo immediately put on a cheeky smile. “I’ll listen to you. I won’t look.” *Anyway, once we’re there, my eyes are on my own face. If I look, I look. It’s not like you can gouge my eyes out.*
“Don’t be so sure, Ruo’er,” Nan Muxue remarked dryly from beside her. “The dungeons of the Hundred Flowers Palace still hold several disciples whose eyes I gouged out with my own hands. Would you like to go live with them?”
*Eek!* On one hand, Chu Ruo was shocked that her mind had been read again; on the other, she felt that her nickname for the "Little Scorpion" was spot on. *You really are poisonous.* She shrank back. “Your disciple wouldn't dare.”
*Wouldn't dare? Your words aren't even fit for a ghost to believe.* Nan Muxue suspected that three seconds after stepping out the door, the girl would toss this warning to the back of her mind. In truth, she was overestimating Chu Ruo; the girl didn't even wait to leave the room before she forgot. “Then let’s get up quickly! If we’re late, we’ll miss the pretty flowers.”
“Chu Ruo!”
*Thud!* Every so often, a miserable shriek echoed from a certain room in the inn...
***
“Stop dawdling and get up. Didn't you want to go out?” Nan Muxue had already dressed herself and finished washing up. “I’m going to tell the waiter to prepare some food. If I come back and find you still lazing in bed, you can stay there for the rest of the day and 'rest' properly!”
*Can’t you just say, 'My dear disciple, Master is going to order you some grub, so be a good girl and get up'?* Chu Ruo didn't get it. Other people in novels transmigrated and got everything they wanted. Even if things were rough at first, the love interest would dote on them, holding them like precious porcelain. Why couldn't she get that treatment just once? Still, she couldn't help but imagine the Little Scorpion with two giant hair buns, her face caked in terrifyingly thick red rouge, standing there with a bright red-and-white face, bowing respectfully. *“Young Master, Erya is here to help you dress...”*
“Pfft, hahaha!” Chu Ruo couldn't hold it in. She clutched her stomach, howling with laughter. “I can’t... pfft... hahaha... this is killing me...”
Nan Muxue, who was about to open the door, shot her a nasty look. She knew the girl wasn't thinking about anything good—she was completely mad. And yet, she found herself feeling a bit happy too. However, before she closed the door, a row of large silver needles suddenly thudded into the bedframe, causing Chu Ruo to choke back her laughter and start dressing with uncharacteristic speed. Being a powerful "Little Scorpion" had its perks; at least it kept a certain someone in line.
“Is that enough? If not, I’ll have them bring more,” Nan Muxue said, elegantly wiping her mouth as she watched Chu Ruo wolfing down the food.
“Mhm,” Chu Ruo nodded, her mouth full of a chicken wing. “Plenty, plenty. Why aren't you eating? You only had a few bites.”
“I’m full.”
“The day I cooked, you ate quite a lot,” Chu Ruo said casually. “Are you a picky eater, or just picky about the chef? I told you before, with my skills, I could open a restaurant in ancient times and be a happy little boss. Such a waste. Alas, I was kidnapped up the mountain, and now my talents have no place to shine.”
Nan Muxue was annoyed, yet she replied with a beaming smile, “Is that so? Then it seems Master has truly wronged you.”
“What are you eating?” Chu Ruo looked at the spread, picked up a piece of fish, and began picking out the bones without looking up. “If you give me some money now, I can go down the mountain and open a small eatery. I’ll make money and gather intelligence at the same time. We can split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you think?”
If Nan Muxue were a modern person, she would have asked, *“Why don’t you just fly to the moon while you’re at it?”* Instead, she said, “Hmm, Master feels that would be a waste of your talent. It would be a grievance to you, Ruo’er.”
“You finally... see... light...” Chu Ruo finally looked up, realizing something was wrong. “Uh, I mean...”
Unfortunately, Nan Muxue didn't give her a chance to continue. “From now on, the meals for all the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Palace will be handled by you. I shall pass down the order: the kitchen belongs to Ruo’er alone.”
*!!! Cooking for thousands of people by myself? You want to kill me!* “You’re so evil!” she blurted out.
The sharp eyes fixed on her again. “What was that?”
...I surrender. I’m a coward, okay? “Hehe, I mean, how could that work? My culinary skills are so extraordinary they shouldn't be revealed lightly. Only someone of Master’s level is worthy of eating my cooking.” *Wait, no, that’s a trap I just set for myself.* She had to fix this. “What I meant just now was...”
Interrupted again, the other woman smiled triumphantly. “Excellent. That is exactly what I was waiting for.” Even if Chu Ruo hadn't said it, Nan Muxue would have found a way to steer the conversation there. This was perfect. “Since you are so sincere, I shall leave my three meals a day to you. Oh, wait—”
Chu Ruo thought the "wait" meant the Little Scorpion had found her conscience, or perhaps realized she was better suited for martial arts. In short, she hoped she was being let off the hook. Instead, Nan Muxue said, “My appetite isn't very good, and I don’t eat at regular times. Sometimes I might want a midnight snack, or some chicken soup, or perhaps some freshly ground soy milk in the middle of the night. I’ll have to trouble you to get up then.”
*Damn you! Even if you don’t care about the fact that we’ve slept together for a few nights and kissed a few times—they say one night as a couple brings a hundred days of grace—you’re turning your back on me the moment we’re out of bed! No, this is worse; this is a vendetta!* And she was supposed to be her disciple! Who asks for freshly ground soy milk in the middle of the night? Chu Ruo wondered why this alternate history setting even had such things. There were several modern items, especially fruits and foods, that even had the same names. It wasn't a "proper" ancient setting at all. It reminded her of a scene from a sitcom where a cruel mother-in-law mistreats her daughter-in-law. Thinking of this, Chu Ruo whispered cautiously, “Transmigration?”
Nan Muxue looked confused. “What?”
“I said, are you also a transmigrator?”
The confusion deepened. “What is 'transmigration'? You keep mentioning that strange word. What does it mean?”
*Okay, she’s probably not.* You could tell if someone was a transmigrator by their speech and behavior. Unless they were born into it, they couldn't hide it perfectly. “Hometown talk. Never mind.”
“Do you... want to go back very much?”
“Not really.” Chu Ruo shook her head. She had been a loner anyway, with too many siblings and no sense of belonging. One more or one less of her didn't matter. “Let’s eat.”
“Ruo’er.” Nan Muxue placed her hand over Chu Ruo’s. “I...” She wasn't good at comforting people. After searching her mind for a long time, she finally said, “As long as I am here, no one will bully you.”
Chu Ruo dazed for a moment. “Yan’er...” Yan’er had said the exact same thing to her.
Nan Muxue jerked her head away. “What about Yan’er?”
“Nothing. What did you just say?”
“I said, except for me, I won’t let anyone else bully you.”
“Yeah... wait, hey! What kind of logic is that? What do you mean 'except for you'?”
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. “Do you have an objection?”
“No...”
“Then the matter of the cooking is settled.”
*I... will endure...*
“Alright, I have to go out for a while. You go wander on your own.”
“Aren't you coming with me?”
“I’ll pick you up later. Tonight, you have a mission to execute.”
Reluctantly: “Huh?”
“I’m not making you kill anyone,” Nan Muxue said, annoyed again. She handed over a box. “Take this.”
“What is it?”
“The antidote.”
Another “Huh?”
“Take it. You threw your previous stash on the ground. I’m returning it to you now.”
Chu Ruo took it tentatively. “Why give it back?”
“I will still give you the antidote in the future. If you want to save it up, go ahead, as long as you can bear the pain.” Nan Muxue looked away. “I said it before: if you can steal the antidote, I will let you leave the mountain. I never break my word.” She knew deep down that Chu Ruo wouldn't leave, but using it as a challenge would motivate her to improve.
“I’m not leaving,” Chu Ruo said, shaking her head as she took the box. “But I’m still going to steal the antidote. Stealing it is the only way to prove my skills.”
“Fine.” Nan Muxue smiled. It was a smile of peerless elegance, arrogant and untamed. It was so beautiful it nearly blinded Chu Ruo. “Master will be waiting.”
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
:--- | :--- | :---
守宫砂 | Cinnabar mark / Virginity mark | A traditional Chinese myth/trope where a red mark on a woman's arm disappears if she loses her virginity.
穿越 | Transmigration / Time-travel | The act of a soul moving from one world/time to another.
咪西 | Mixi | Slang for "to eat," derived from Japanese "meshi."
小蛇蝎 | Little Scorpion | Chu Ruo's nickname for Nan Muxue, implying she is beautiful but deadly/venomous.
百花宫 | Hundred Flowers Palace | Nan Muxue's sect.
青楼 | Qinglou / Brothel | A traditional Chinese brothel, often associated with high-class courtesans.
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Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 26 | Sweetness and Sharp Tongues | Novela.app | Novela.app
