Cloud-Piercing Peak.
"Are we there yet? Are we there?"
Seeing her impatient look—despite her supposed inability to see—Nan Muxue couldn't help but find it amusing. "You were the one dragging your feet and acting all reluctant to return. Why the sudden urgency now?"
Chu Ruo, as usual, refused to admit it. "What do you mean 'urgency'? I'm just tired of walking and want to get back to my room to rest."
"Is that so? I thought you were just anxious to see someone."
"I... I'm not... wait, that's not right." She had been sounding dejected, but her voice suddenly jumped an octave as she realized something. "What's it to you? Who I miss is none of your business. Hmph, busybody."
"Oh?" A cold snort followed. Suddenly, the hand leading her let go. Chu Ruo felt herself pitch forward and "ate dirt" in the most literal sense, landing face-first in a patch of mud.
"Ptooey! *Cough*... Ptooey!" She frantically wiped her mouth. Although her vision could vaguely make out light and shadows, it was blurry at best—hardly better than being totally blind. She couldn't see the path at all and had relied entirely on Nan Muxue to lead her. Falling was inevitable the moment the hand was withdrawn. She didn't even try to get up, choosing instead to sit indignantly in the mud. "Why did you let go so suddenly? Are you toxic?"
Through the blur, the "Little Scorpion's" figure loomed over her, looking down from a height. "Didn't you say it yourself? Since you think I'm a busybody, you can walk back on your own. I wouldn't want to delay your tryst with your 'fair lady'."
"Do you have even a shred of humanity?"
*Oh no.* Chu Ruo hurriedly covered her mouth, wanting to slap herself. Why did she let that slip? She was asking for death. Then, as expected, her chin was gripped.
"What did you say? I didn't quite hear you. Hmm?"
Chu Ruo swallowed hard. "Uh, nothing..."
"Do you know how Baihua Palace deals with useless disciples?" Nan Muxue ignored her and continued smoothly. "Usually, if they complete a mission but end up crippled, they are granted a swift death. But if they are severely injured and fail..." She left the sentence hanging, leaving plenty of room for unpleasant imagination. "They are left to suffer until the venom in their bodies torments them enough, then they are tossed off this peak. Since we happen to be right by the cliffside..."
"But I completed the mission!" Chu Ruo interrupted hastily.
"Oh? So you're saying you'd prefer I execute you right here and now?"
"I—"
"You what?" Her chin was gripped tighter and tilted up a few inches.
"I was wrong... I was wrong... wrong..."
Nan Muxue nodded with satisfaction. "In the future, will you dare call me a busybody again?"
"I... wouldn't dare," Chu Ruo replied gloomily. "Master taught me martial arts and cares for me deeply. It was my own ingratitude."
"A teachable pupil." These words made Chu Ruo's teeth itch with frustration. *You're a young girl just like me, can you stop acting like an ancient grandmaster?*
"From now on, everything concerning you—no matter how big or small—must be reported to me. I will have a say in everything. Do you understand?"
Chu Ruo asked weakly, "Even if I go to the latrine—" *Thud!*
She performed a magnificent 360-degree roll in the mud, spinning like a mud-covered top. "You!"
"Hmm?"
That single syllable was heavy with authority. Chu Ruo shrunk her head back like a turtle. She tried to brush the mud off her clothes but eventually gave up. She couldn't see clearly anyway. If the Little Scorpion found out her eyes were recovering, she'd probably force her to practice martial arts or balance the ledgers. It was better to play blind for a few more days.
Besides, there was the First Protector, Nan Yunshuang. The words she'd overheard that day still left her with lingering fear. She had to stay on guard. Playing blind might make Nan Yunshuang lower her guard, allowing Chu Ruo to keep an eye on her from the "shadows." More importantly, she could use it to gain sympathy from Yan'er. If Yan'er felt sorry for her, she might hold her and give her a few kisses... *Hehehe, delightful...*
Nan Muxue watched as the girl stood there suddenly shivering with weird laughter. She stepped forward and, without a hint of disgust, began brushing the mud off Chu Ruo's clothes. "Covered in filth and still smiling like an idiot. It seems you didn't fall hard enough."
"Why are you so unlovable?"
"Then why don't you tell me, which disciple in Baihua Palace do you find 'lovable'?"
"...Can I not answer?"
"You still haven't given me an answer to my question from that day."
Fortunately, the Little Scorpion didn't press further on the "lovable" disciple issue, but this new question left Chu Ruo bewildered. "What?"
"Why did you want to leave?" To Nan Muxue, this wasn't a real question anymore. She understood the words Chu Ruo hadn't finished that day. However, nothing had been explicitly stated yet. Chu Ruo had promised an answer, but what that answer would be remained unclear.
"I... I..." Chu Ruo's tongue tied itself in knots. "I said I'd give you an answer. Just give me a little more time. Really, just a little. I'll tell you. I'm not brushing you off, I promise." *Yan'er, the Little Scorpion... sigh...*
Nan Muxue stopped being overbearing. Because of that "promise," she chose to believe her. She took the muddy hand again, her expression not even twitching at the filth. "You're in such a hurry. Who is it you want to see?"
Before Chu Ruo could speak, Nan Muxue answered her own question. "Yan'er, I presume."
The guess was spot on, but Chu Ruo couldn't read the tone. Was she happy? Unhappy? Indifferent? Or was it complicated? *Argh, they say when you go blind your other senses get sharper, so why am I getting more confused? I keep mistaking the Little Scorpion for Yan'er.* She decided she must have just missed Yan'er too much. The thought of seeing her "cutest little fairy" tonight made her heart tremble and her hands shake with excitement.
Nan Muxue took in the shifting expressions and rolled her eyes. "Pathetic," she muttered.
"How am I pathetic? I just miss Yan'er. I want to see her. She... she doesn't even know I'm blind yet." Chu Ruo sighed. "I wonder if she'll find me repulsive."
Nan Muxue felt a flash of helplessness and even a trace of loneliness, but she spoke in a mischievous tone. "Yan'er hasn't been on the mountain these past few days."
*I've been by your side all this time, yet the one you miss most is 'Yan'er'.* Even though they were the same person, Nan Muxue felt a prickle of discomfort. Yet, when this girl talked incessantly about the "Little Scorpion" in front of "Yan'er," she didn't like that either. *Nan Muxue, are you ill to be acting so irrationally?*
"What!" Chu Ruo's mouth fell open in shock. "She's not here?" She was utterly dejected. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I was rushing back like my hair was on fire for nothing."
Seeing her defeated look, Nan Muxue almost laughed. she quickly raised a hand to cover her face. "Enough. Get back to your room. You're filthy."
"I wouldn't be if you hadn't let go!"
"If you say one more—"
"Ah, what a beautiful sunny day! Master, let's go, let's go! Don't waste time, keep moving!"
Nan Muxue let out a disdainful snort. "Coward."
*I'll endure it!* Chu Ruo added another mark to her mental tally. *That's one thousand, two hundred and eight times. Just you wait, I'll pay you back later.*
***
Nightfall...
After much hesitation, Chu Ruo fumbled her way to the door. Though her vision was poor, she could roughly tell the direction of Yan'er's room. If she was careful, she should be fine. *Wait, if I go out this late, will Nan Yunshuang try to slit my throat? No, no... there are disciples living all along the path. If anything happens, I'll just scream. Yan'er's place is secluded, but she definitely won't let anyone hurt me. Right, let's go.*
*Creak—*
Just as she reached for the door, it opened on its own. Before she could wonder if the door had been upgraded to an automatic one, a figure slipped inside. For no reason at all, Chu Ruo's nose felt stingy. She rushed forward and hugged the person. "Yan'er..."
*Wait, this scent... this feel... this cool, comfortable sensation...* She had always thought the two of them were similar, but today they felt identical. *Could this not be Yan'er? Is it...* At that thought, she asked uncertainly, "Yan'er? Is it you?"
"What?" It was that familiar voice, and her ear was suddenly pinched, though very gently. "You've only lost your sight; have your ears gone bad too? You can't even tell me and that 'Little Scorpion' apart?" *But we are the same person, so how could you truly tell?*
Chu Ruo let out a massive sigh of relief and relaxed completely. She clung to the slender figure, leaning her whole weight against her and greedily inhaling her scent. Her voice was a mix of joy and grievance. "It's Yan'er, it's really you. I missed you so much. I knew you were on the mountain. I knew you wouldn't leave me alone. That wicked Little Scorpion lied to me..."
She realized that after losing her sight, her other senses were indeed magnified. She could perceive every tiny detail in the room. But why did she get such a strong sense of the Little Scorpion from Yan'er?
"You..." Nan Muxue felt a vein throb.
"Yan'er," Chu Ruo rubbed her face against the other's chest, her voice full of hope. "I missed you so much. Did you miss me?"
"I..."
Before Nan Muxue could answer, the person holding her suddenly let go. Chu Ruo stumbled back toward the bed. Once she felt the edge, she curled up on it, frantically pulling the blanket over herself. In her confusion, she only managed to cover herself in a messy, haphazard way. "I can't see clearly. My eyes... you must find me repulsive now."
Soft footsteps approached, and then the bed dipped. "In this heat?" The voice was right beside her. Chu Ruo looked over through the blur and saw Yan'er lying down in the same curled-up posture, facing her. "Isn't it uncomfortable to be smothered like that?"
The more tender the words, the sadder Chu Ruo felt. Her voice cracked. "If my eyes stay like this forever, I'll be useless. I'm... I'm scared, Yan'er. I'm scared I'll be like this forever. And I'm so scared you'll find me repulsive and never talk to me again." Even though she could see a little, it was just shifting shadows. How was that better than being totally blind? Only in front of Yan'er did she show her most vulnerable, fragile side, appearing almost childlike.
Nan Muxue felt a pang in her heart. She gently pulled the tightly gripped blanket away, moving with extreme care so as not to hurt her. Once Chu Ruo relaxed her grip, Nan Muxue kicked the quilt to the floor. She pulled Chu Ruo into her arms and patted her back soothingly. "Don't be afraid. I will never find you repulsive. Don't be afraid, Ruo'er."
"What did you call me?"
Nan Muxue stiffened, realizing she had slipped up. She forced herself to remain calm. "What's wrong?"
Chu Ruo shook her head. "Nothing," she replied casually. "It's just that usually only the Little Scorpion calls me that. You've always called me Chu Ruo." *Why are they so similar? It's uncanny. I'm truly beyond help, I can't even tell people apart. I'm such scum.*
"Do you not like me calling you that?"
"No." Chu Ruo leaned into her embrace. They were about the same height, but because Chu Ruo was curled up and Nan Muxue was holding her, Chu Ruo's head rested right against the other's heart. She truly needed a hug right now. Even though Yan'er's body was cool, it felt so warm. "It's just... you're so much like the Little Scorpion. I'm finding it harder and harder to tell you two apart."
Nan Muxue could have told her the truth, but she didn't want to—at least, not yet. She felt it wasn't the right time. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but she felt she would know when the moment arrived. She changed the subject. "Did you gain anything from your trip down the mountain?"
"Oh, yes! So much!" Chu Ruo began to speak animatedly. "It was so lively down there. So many things happened. I went to a brothel, and the Little Scorpion got so angry at me. Don't you think she's crazy? Oh, and I met Caifeng's mother. By the way, can you come with me to see Caifeng tomorrow? I didn't tell her mother about her current situation since the old lady isn't in good health. I just said she was busy. Her mother gave me some things to pass on to her."
"Tomorrow..." Nan Muxue hesitated. "I..." If she went, she would surely run into others, and her identity would be exposed.
"I've never been out with you during the day. Are you that busy? Is there something you have to do? It's okay, don't worry about it. I'll just ask the Little Scorpion or Xiaoguo'er to take me. You do your work."
Nan Muxue placed a hand on Chu Ruo's handsome face. "You should be prepared. She might not appreciate your kindness."
Yan'er's hand felt wonderful on her face. Chu Ruo nuzzled into it. "I know. But I'm doing it for her mother, not her. Let me tell you, Yan'er, it was so dangerous! Not long after we left, Liu Shaopeng captured me. He wanted to kill me! He even had people beat me. Look," she pulled up her sleeve, "he had them whip me." The wounds had long since healed under Nan Muxue's meticulous care, leaving no trace, but she still acted pitiful.
Nan Muxue didn't expose her. She just held her hand tighter. "And then?"
"Then? Then the Little Scorpion saved me. Why couldn't she have come sooner? I got beaten for nothing. Don't you think she's terrible for that?"
Nan Muxue felt like slapping this ungrateful girl. *I was so badly injured saving you that day, and yet you... fine, fine. Your eyes aren't healed yet, I won't settle scores with you. That's mark four hundred and twenty-nine.*
"Yan'er? Yan'er?" Chu Ruo shook her arm. "Are you listening?"
"Yes," she snapped back to reality. "Continue."
"Where was I? Oh right. Actually, she's still quite good to me. I saw her wound that day; her hand was almost ruined. It made my heart ache. I'm just a nobody, how could I be worth her sacrificing so much?"
Her chin was lifted again. "So, you care for her deeply?"
"I..." Chu Ruo couldn't look her in the eye, but she nodded. "Yes. Yan'er, actually..."
She was interrupted. "Tell me, what happened after that? I heard you went to Sword Casting Villa to steal a weapon?"
"After that? Well, the Little Scorpion made me go. The weapon is nice, I like it. I even bought myself a slingshot to use as a concealed weapon. Let me tell you, it was so thrilling! As soon as I got inside..." Chu Ruo proceeded to give a vivid and highly exaggerated account of the events at the villa. Nan Muxue wanted to laugh but held it in, not wanting to spoil the story.
"That's how it went, Yan'er. That First Protector wants to kill me. Now that I can't see, will she try to slit my throat when the Little Scorpion isn't around?"
"She won't." Nan Muxue pulled Chu Ruo closer. "Even if the Little Scorpion isn't here, I will be by your side to protect you."
"You both are so good to me."
"Then you..."
"Wait a second!" Chu Ruo fumbled around. Nan Muxue watched in silence, waiting to see what she was doing. After searching for a while, Chu Ruo pulled out a white jade hairpin and held it out. "A gift. Do you like it?"
It was made of the same high-quality jade as the bracelet. Nan Muxue took it. "I heard from the Little Scorpion that you gave her a bracelet?"
"Wait, what do you two usually talk about?"
"Do you want to know?" She smiled playfully. "The Little Scorpion and I are like sisters. We tell each other everything."
*Good heavens.* "Uh... all those things I said about her... Yan'er, you didn't tell her, did you?"
"What do you think?"
"Hehe, I think you're too good to betray me. Besides, she's so wicked; if she found out, I'd be dead meat. My dear Yan'er definitely wouldn't be that cruel to me."
*Wicked?* Nan Muxue smiled brilliantly, though the smile held a hidden depth. "Is that so?" she said, gritting her teeth. "Of. Course. Not." *Chu Ruo, just wait until your eyes are healed. I'll show you 'wicked.' No, even before they heal, I can deal with you. Don't you love food? What if your next meal is incredibly salty, or bitter, or 'accidentally' has some laxatives in it...*
Unaware of these thoughts, Chu Ruo hugged her tightly. "I knew you were good to me. So tell me, how do you two usually talk about me?"
"You?" Nan Muxue acted dismissive. "What is there to say about you?"
"What do you mean? I'm handsome, elegant, suave, and brilliant! I know everything from astronomy to the most trivial gossip—"
"Quiet." *Such eloquence.* "She usually doesn't mention you."
*Unbelievable! That Little Scorpion is so stingy, not even mentioning me.* "Well, it doesn't matter, I have you. What about you? How do you talk about me to her? Do you tell her I'm well-behaved, cute, and smart?"
Nan Muxue wondered how someone could be so shameless. Yet, looking at that face, she didn't find it annoying; she actually found it cute. She reached out and pinched her cheek. "Me? I don't mention you either."
"You two..." Chu Ruo pouted, ignoring the hand kneading her face. "Both of you are so mean."
"Mean?" Nan Muxue didn't stop; her hands became even more daring. "I heard her say you wanted to leave. Who's the mean one?"
*Crap, Yan'er knows.* She tried to deflect. "I thought you said you didn't talk about me."
"Why did you want to leave?" Nan Muxue looked at her seriously. "Why?"
"Don't be mad," Chu Ruo explained hurriedly. "I... I..." But she couldn't bring herself to say it. She had promised to resolve this when she returned. She took a deep breath. "Yan'er, I... I want to confess something to you."
Nan Muxue remained silent, waiting.
"I... I didn't just kiss you. I kissed the Little Scorpion too. More than once. And while we were down the mountain, we slept together every night. Are... are you angry?"
Chu Ruo knew it was a stupid question. Unless the other person didn't care about her at all, anyone would be angry. And if Yan'er didn't care, she wouldn't have let Chu Ruo kiss her. She hung her head. "I know I'm stupid. You can scold me. You can even hit me. Or ignore me..."
*Mmph—*
Chu Ruo was stunned. The surprise came too suddenly. Yan'er wasn't angry; she was actually kissing her! But just as Chu Ruo was getting into it, the other pulled back. Nan Muxue flipped over, pinning Chu Ruo beneath her. Her thumb brushed against Chu Ruo's lips.
"How many times did you kiss her?"
Chu Ruo answered honestly and bluntly. "I don't know. I didn't count. Let me try to remember..."
Before she could think, her thoughts were interrupted. The lips covered hers again, this time with more intensity. "Don't get distracted," Nan Muxue whispered, her voice suddenly softening. "No matter how many times you kissed or how many nights you shared, you have to pay it all back to me—with interest."
No more words were spoken in the room, only the sound of a passionate kiss.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
入云峰 | Cloud-Piercing Peak | The location of Baihua Palace.
南云霜 | Nan Yunshuang | The First Protector of Baihua Palace.
彩凤 | Caifeng | A disciple of Baihua Palace.
柳少鹏 | Liu Shaopeng | An antagonist from Sword Casting Villa.
小果儿 | Xiaoguo'er | A young disciple/servant in Baihua Palace.
