After Spending a Passionate Night with the Eldest Princess - Chapter 19

Xin Yuan felt as though she had had a dream that turned her soul upside down.

In the dream, the woman’s features were vivid and beautiful. Her dark brows were perfectly balanced, like distant mountains revealing just a hint of their peaks. When those affectionate eyes looked over, they were like a deep, clear spring. Her fine nose was straight, her red lips glistening, and her beauty was otherworldly and peerless.

At that moment, the corners of the woman’s lips were slightly lifted, her gaze hazy, charming, and alluring enough to overturn all living beings.

Xin Yuan stared at her in a daze, reached out to hold the woman’s cheeks, and bent down to kiss those tempting red lips.

Like jelly. Like honeyed peaches…

In a blur.

Xin Yuan’s hand was guided up. There was a brief pause, as if confirming, as if compromising…

Not long after.

The woman suddenly bit the corner of her lip, her jaw lifting as her body stayed tense for a long while, as though someone had pressed pause.

…

Xin Yuan’s vision went dark, and she closed her eyes heavily.

Who knew how much time had passed. The sky had turned faintly pale, and a rooster crowed to announce the dawn.

Only then did Xin Yuan wake from the haze of her consciousness.

At that exact moment, the woman also opened her eyes.

On that face as lovely as peach blossoms and plums, those beautiful, affectionate eyes held not a trace of tenderness. The gaze that looked over was cold and deep, like a sharp sword waiting to be drawn.

After they stared at each other for a while, Xin Yuan finally realized what had happened.

What had just happened had seemed like a dream, but it had not been a dream…

Miss Qin pressed her lips together. The stinging swelling that came from them made her eyes turn several degrees colder.

The two looked at each other in silence. The atmosphere was oppressive and heavy, as if a storm were about to break.

Xin Yuan looked at Miss Qin with complicated feelings. Her mood was indescribably gloomy. She felt a little wronged, a little bitter, and also carried an unclear sense of guilt.

Although this had happened because they had been schemed against, it seemed this woman was the more aggrieved one.

“Get off,” Miss Qin said coldly, breaking the silence.

Xin Yuan hurriedly got up and moved aside. Relying on instinct, she put on her clothes and shoes. After getting off the bed, she stood beside it.

Behind her, Miss Qin closed her eyes heavily for a moment, suppressing her chaotic emotions, then sat up and got dressed.

When she saw the scattered red marks dotting her body, her breath paused slightly, and she let out a long breath.

Xin Yuan’s heart tightened, and she blurted out, “I can take responsibility, if you’re willing.”

Miss Qin did not respond. Only after dressing properly did she say, word by word, “Before you met me, had you ever seen Tang Er?”

Tang Er was the personal guard her imperial father had bestowed upon her before his death. He had been the most outstanding fourth-rank saber-bearing guard of the imperial guards, meticulous in his work and thoughtful in everything he did. He had commanded the princess residence’s guards for three years.

Before tonight, she had never once doubted Tang Er’s loyalty.

Because Tang Er had been personally assigned to her by her imperial father. That alone had been enough for her to entrust him with her trust.

Her imperial father had loved her dearly. He would never harm her.

But at this moment, she had no choice but to admit one fact: Tang Er had betrayed her trust.

Belatedly, she remembered that when her imperial father was alive, the person he had relied on the most had been the State Preceptor. What if Tang Er had been one of the State Preceptor’s people from the very beginning?

Miss Qin’s gaze sharpened. Her imperial father had also been used by the State Preceptor…

Her words came without context, and Xin Yuan could not help freezing. Then she abruptly turned around. “What do you mean? Are you suspecting that Tang Er and I conspired together? Tang Er is your guard commander. Before this, I had never even heard of him.”

She had not even suspected this woman yet, but this woman was already suspecting her.

Seeing her indignant expression, which did not seem false, Miss Qin lowered her eyes. “I apologize.”

Under the dim candlelight, the woman’s face still carried a few traces of faint redness. The corners of her lips were slightly swollen, and her expression was weary.

Xin Yuan silently looked away. After a brief silence, she stared at the floor and hesitantly asked, “What should we do now?”

Although their relationship had happened passively, the established fact could not be changed. Pretending nothing had happened left her uneasy, but taking responsibility just like this also made her feel strangely uncomfortable.

Hearing this, Miss Qin only spoke after a moment. “How do you intend to take responsibility?”

After asking, she raised her eyes and stared at Xin Yuan’s side profile, her gaze deep.

This person was the successor the State Preceptor was looking for, the person descended from the heavens in the State Preceptor’s prophecy. Yet she was also the beginning of Miss Qin being controlled by others, a part of this scheme against her.

No matter what, she had to keep this person. Or rather, completely control this person. In extraordinary times, certain necessary methods had to be used.

Xin Yuan thought for a moment and said, “Although you had Jiang Si slap me twice, I don’t hate you. As long as you’re willing, I can take responsibility.”

She did not hate her, but she could not say she liked her either.

Miss Qin looked steadily at her. After a long while, she said, “As it happens, I do not hate you either.”

As for how much sincerity was in those words, and whether they were forced by circumstances, perhaps only the two of them knew.

At this point, the two fell silent again.

After a long silence, Xin Yuan considered her words and said, “If you don’t object, we can marry after entering the capital.”

No matter how much wariness was mixed between them, since some things had already happened, if this woman needed it, she was willing to work hard to take responsibility. After all, she was alone. No matter how she lived, life would go on.

Miss Qin’s eyes paused. “There is no hurry regarding marriage.”

Right now, she only wanted to keep this person and control this person in order to break the situation.

As for marriage, that was not within her considerations.

Xin Yuan thought for a moment and did not object. “That’s fine too. We can try getting along first. If we’re not suitable, we can talk about it later.”

Miss Qin nodded, and there was another stretch of silence.

After discussing the matter of responsibility, Xin Yuan simply sat down by the bed.

The moment she sat, Miss Qin unconsciously clenched her fingers and leaned back slightly.

Their eyes met. There was no lingering intimacy after closeness between them, only an unreadable complexity.

Inside the room, apart from silence, there was only more silence.

Gradually, Xin Yuan felt somewhat awkward, so she searched for something to say. “If we get along all right in the future, will you marry me as your wife, or will I marry you?”

Miss Qin’s tone carried no discernible emotion. “It will be enough for you to return to my residence with me.”

Xin Yuan had originally only said it casually. She had not expected this woman to avoid answering directly.

Looking at the calm-faced woman, she asked as though casually, “I’m penniless, so I probably can’t afford to marry you. But marrying into your family is no problem, if you don’t mind.”

Miss Qin looked at her strangely and said faintly, “Your status is low. If that day truly comes, I can only take you in as a concubine first.”

Xin Yuan froze. With great difficulty, she digested what “take you in as a concubine” meant.

A concubine!

What the hell? She knew this woman’s reaction had been off. So the “responsibility” she wanted was for Xin Yuan to become a concubine!

In an instant, her heart filled with grievance, as well as anger.

Seeing that her expression was wrong, Miss Qin raised her brows slightly, as if seeing through her thoughts, and said coldly, “Do not covet what is not yours. A person’s worth lies in self-awareness.”

Xin Yuan: “…”

&&&**. To hell with not coveting.

She had seriously thought about so much just now, considering how she would work hard to take responsibility in the future. And in the end, what kind of nonsense was this woman saying?

She clenched her fists. Under Miss Qin’s scrutinizing gaze, she lowered her head.

“All right. I’ll listen to you.”

Listen, my ass. She did not want to take responsibility at all now. She wanted to slap this woman twice, then run far, far away.

At the same time, the person outside the room heard their conversation. As if confirming the result, he left with peace of mind.

Across the hall, when Guo Xiaowu saw Tang Er leave, she immediately let out a breath of relief. She rubbed her eyes and patiently waited a little longer before carefully opening the door.

On the floor, Jiang Si was still lying there. Guo Xiaowu quietly walked to Jiang Si’s side, bent down, and checked his breathing. He was still alive.

She hesitated for a moment, then went to the corner of the second floor and looked down. She saw guards lying all over the main hall, collapsed in every direction.

!!!!!!!!

Guo Xiaowu froze. After calming down, she quickly walked toward Miss Qin’s room.

“Xin Yuan, Miss Qin, are you all right?”

Inside the room, Xin Yuan heard Guo Xiaowu’s voice and stood. “I’ll go outside and take a look.”

Since Guo Xiaowu could come over, there should not be any danger outside.

Miss Qin nodded. Her hand unconsciously rubbed her aching waist, then her movement stiffened. She pulled down the bed curtain, blocking Xin Yuan’s line of sight.

Xin Yuan looked at the figure reflected on the bed curtain and turned away with a heavy heart.

This time, the door could be pushed open.

“Xin Yuan, let me tell you… it was seriously too dangerous.” The moment Guo Xiaowu saw Xin Yuan, she pulled her back to her room and impatiently told her everything she had seen and heard that night.

She spoke with lingering fear, but as Xin Yuan listened, her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Tang Er had left. The guards had all fainted. Miss Qin temporarily did not know what had happened outside.

A good chance!

A once-in-a-thousand-years great chance! If she did not run now, when would she?

She would rather be a beggar or a ghost than become someone’s concubine.