Daily Survival After Inheriting a Harem (GL) - Chapter 13

Among the kneeling crowd, only Pei Yuqing was still standing upright, and her complexion was not much better than Qiu Qi’s.

“W-What are you all doing?”

If her memories were not wrong, ten out of ten people in this group had grudges against the original body. And now they were actually begging her to “share her favor equally”???

“My lord, we heard Steward Yan say that you ordered that from now on, you would favor only Sister Pei alone. But her body is weak to begin with and cannot withstand too much of that extra favor. As for the rest of us sisters…”

Xiao Chu’er half-covered her face. Her exposed pair of watery eyes rippled as she looked over, carrying a shy charm that seemed both hidden and revealed.

What about the rest of you sisters? Are you hungry like wolves and tigers, thirsting beyond endurance?

Qiu Qi: That only makes me even more scared!

If she had not known that Xiao Chu’er had been forcibly seized by the original body and imprisoned in this courtyard, Qiu Qi would have almost thought she was truly fighting for favor out of jealousy. This wave of stepping on one person to elevate herself was truly a classic green-tea move.

“That is incorrect.”

Qiu Qi waved her sleeve, put on a serious expression, and began spouting nonsense.

“It is precisely because Madam’s body is weak that I should give her even more love and care. With my careful nourishing every day and night, she will recover faster. Don’t you all agree?”

Xiao Chu’er had not expected Qiu Qi to be so sharp-tongued… and so shameless. After all, in the past, other than “bastard,” “lowly commoner,” and “I’ll make you pay,” she had not been able to squeeze out many other words.

Once Qiu Qi said this, it undoubtedly confirmed everyone’s guesses. In an instant, Pei Yuqing received even more sympathetic gazes.

…Along with that, Pei Yuqing’s expression also became even uglier. The air around her seemed to freeze to its lowest point.

“Enough. My lord has not yet dressed or washed. What propriety is there in all of you blocking the doorway like this? Leave.”

Pei Yuqing spoke.

Seeing that their “palace coup” had failed, everyone also worried that they might truly anger Qiu Qi. Although she seemed much easier to talk to now, there was no guarantee she would not suddenly change temperament again one day.

“This concubine takes her leave.”

The group came in unison and left in unison, leaving only Qiu Qi in place, forced to endure Pei Yuqing’s gaze that was about to drill through her skull.

“Madam…”

Once the door closed and there were no outsiders left, Qiu Qi immediately turned into that soft, easy-to-bully look. She pouted pitifully.

“Don’t be angry. Everything I said was true. I only like you. No matter who comes to persuade me, I won’t change my mind.”

Pei Yuqing had now cultivated herself to the point where even if she heard Qiu Qi confess two hundred times a day, she would not have the slightest ripple in her heart. She lifted her eyelids with an indifferent expression and automatically ignored the topic from earlier.

“My lord, you should dress and wash. Steward Yan is waiting outside for us to set off.”

“Okay. I’ll go right now.”

Qiu Qi randomly wiped her face, rinsed her mouth with salt water, then ran to the clothes rack and used her familiar modern, rough-and-violent belt-tying method to put on her outer robe.

The whole process took less than ten minutes. After tidying herself up, she walked up to Pei Yuqing.

“Let’s go.”

Pei Yuqing did not move. Her gaze swept over the silly tuft of hair sticking up on Qiu Qi’s head, then over the way she had dressed herself, which would absolutely be seen as “disheveled and committing indecency in broad daylight” if she walked out onto the street. Her brows unconsciously furrowed.

The tiny bit of obsessive-compulsive instinct in her bones made her unable to resist raising her hand. She untied the sash around Qiu Qi’s waist, grabbed her collar, and began reorganizing her clothes.

Her technique was very fast. One second, Qiu Qi was still dodging uncomfortably because of the feeling at the side of her neck. The next second, Pei Yuqing’s cool hand had already slid to the ticklish flesh at her waist.

“W-Wait, Madam… I’m ticklish…”

Qiu Qi’s little face flushed bright red. She stood in place, twisting back and forth like an earthworm.

“My lord, bear with it a little longer. It will be done soon.”

Pei Yuqing brought out her classic line.

“Madam is bullying me.”

Qiu Qi’s wet eyes were full of accusation. Her plump face wrinkled into a ball, like a poor little dumpling that had been kneaded by someone.

Unfortunately, the pitiful act had no effect on Pei Yuqing. Expressionless, she moved her eyes away and cruelly pressed her icy hand against Qiu Qi’s waist through the thin inner robe. Her movements did not hesitate in the slightest because of Qiu Qi’s pleas.

“My lord, be steadier. If you cannot even dress properly, you will lose all face outside. Do not forget, at the very least, you are still the Beast God.”

Qiu Qi thought, who are you fooling? The original body once went boldly streaking. Compared to that, her current disheveled clothes were nothing but a small witch before a great one.

But those hands seemed to carry magic. Wherever they touched became ticklish flesh. Qiu Qi’s ticklishness was not an act. She had had this problem since childhood. On top of that, Pei Yuqing’s body temperature was naturally low, and even clothing could not block it. It felt as if Pei Yuqing’s bare palm was touching her skin directly.

“Don’t touch there… Madam…”

“No, no… I can’t take it anymore… Spare me, Madam…”

“Ah… I can’t breathe… Madam is so bad… wuu…”

After teaching her enough of a lesson, Pei Yuqing loosened the sash slightly with a cold face, leaving Qiu Qi a bit of room to breathe.

“It is dressed properly now, my lord.”

Qiu Qi panted, looking as haggard as if she had just run a marathon.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked herself over, discovering that these clothes somewhat resembled Tang Dynasty garments. The fabric was light and floating, and it was actually quite comfortable to wear.

“My lord, your foot.”

Pei Yuqing crouched beside Qiu Qi, holding a shoe.

Qiu Qi took a step back.

“No need. I can still put on shoes by myself… ah!”

Pei Yuqing did not have that much patience. She directly pulled over Qiu Qi’s slender, fair ankle, put white socks on her bare foot, and slipped it into the shoe.

Qiu Qi lost her balance and tipped sideways, hurriedly reaching out to support herself on Pei Yuqing’s shoulder. Only with great difficulty did she barely steady herself.

This time, Pei Yuqing did not block her. She stretched out her hand.

“Left foot.”

Qiu Qi silently placed her foot on it. Her round toes curled nervously. Leaning against Pei Yuqing’s shoulder, she softly said as if sighing,

“Madam, you’re so good.”

The warm, soft tone pressed close to her ear carried a straightforwardness that had slipped out naturally. Her tone was also quite sincere, without the earlier deliberate, affected acting-cute quality. It sounded much more pleasant to the ear.

Pei Yuqing’s movements paused for half a second. Silently, she helped Qiu Qi put on the shoe and stood up.

“My lord exaggerates. These are only part of my duties.”

“That doesn’t stop me from liking you.”

Qiu Qi looked with interest at Pei Yuqing’s rare moment of imperfection and launched a straight-ball attack.

“…”

When the two came out, Yan Wan, who was waiting by the door, seemed somewhat surprised.

“You came out so quickly?”

Qiu Qi processed it for a moment and instantly understood what Yan Wan meant. Very skillfully, she took the steering wheel and stepped on the gas.

“As long as the technique is good, twice in three minutes is no problem.”

“My lord, you are joking again.”

Behind her, Pei Yuqing bit out each word one by one. Her lowered voice carried a clear and obvious threat.

A chill ran down Qiu Qi’s back, and she immediately yanked the car back onto the road.

“Cough. I mean Madam’s dressing technique is good. Such difficult clothes were tidied up in the blink of an eye. Amazing. Truly amazing.”

…

Before lunch, Yin Ci delivered the thing Yan Wan had asked her to pass along to the door of Xu Zishe’s residence in the western courtyard.

In an entire year, the number of days Xu Zishe voluntarily went outside could be counted on one hand. Everyone was already used to her habit of never stepping out of her room.

“Open the door.”

Yin Ci raised her hand and hammered on the door. Xu Zishe, who was lying on the bed enjoying a return-to-sleep nap, was nearly shocked out of her soul.

She pulled the door open with a face full of dissatisfaction.

“Can’t you be gentler? All day long, all you know how to do is hammer, hammer, hammer. Just from the sound, I knew it was you, damn dog. What is it? You’re in such a hurry. Did you come to ask me to burn incense at Pei Yuqing’s grave?”

Xu Zishe already had a poisonous tongue to begin with. Added with her bad temper after waking up, she became even more unrestrained. Yin Ci’s gaze suddenly sank, and her right hand moved to her waist, gripping the hilt of her blade.

Even with her eyes closed, Xu Zishe knew what Yin Ci was doing. She spoke indifferently,

“Big and bulky. Aside from fighting and killing, what else do you know? If you have the ability, slit my throat with one strike. Otherwise, save your energy. The courtyard would still have to pay to treat my injuries.”

Yin Ci had always acted before speaking. Since she spoke little, her tongue was naturally clumsy. Of course she could not outtalk this snake spirit with one tongue split into two forks.

“Enough. If you have business, speak. If not, get lost.”

Xu Zishe waved her sleeve.

Yin Ci pressed her lips together and handed over the thing in her hand.

“Steward Yan asked me to pass this on. It is something the demon bestowed upon you.”

Receiving a reward for the first time, Xu Zishe sneered.

“What the hell? Is this money for me to buy a coffin?”

Before the original body summoned someone to serve in bed, she would usually send some reward to that person. Whether it was valuable or not was unimportant. The main point was to send a signal.

—I’m going to sleep with you tonight. Wash yourself clean and wait for me.

“Yes. Take it and buy a coffin so you can lie in it earlier.”

Yin Ci answered.

“I’m afraid one day I won’t be able to resist killing you before she does.”

Xu Zishe caught her meaning.

“She isn’t summoning me to serve in bed?”

“Even if you beg for favor now, she might not agree.”

“What, did something go wrong with her head again during the full moon a few days ago? Oh…”

Xu Zishe raised a brow and turned her finger downward.

“It’s also possible that she can’t perform anymore.”

“…”

Yin Ci did not want to say another half-word to her.

“The item has been delivered. I’m leaving.”

“Get lost. Next time you come, remember to wash off that dog stink on you.”

The moment her voice fell, from the direction where Yin Ci had disappeared in the distance, a flash of silver light tore through the air. Xu Zishe narrowed her eyes and reacted quickly, raising the box in her hand to block it.

The blade happened to strike the lock, and the wooden box opened with a sound.

Resting on red cloth was a palm-sized snake-shaped golden sculpture. It was carved vividly and looked very delicate and pleasing.

Most beastmen were not interested in things like gold, silver, and jewels. In their eyes, those things were not even half as precious as wolf fangs or phoenix feathers.

But Xu Zishe was an exception. She was born with no resistance toward shiny gold things. It could be said that Qiu Qi’s gift had struck her preferences perfectly.

Xu Zishe held the golden sculpture fondly, liking the round-headed snake carving more and more the longer she looked at it. When she was about to close the lid, she lowered her eyes and saw the little note beneath the base.

On the note was a line of crooked writing:

Thank you for the shed skin, A-She. I really like my current face. Mwah!

Xu Zishe did not quite understand the last two words, but she could still understand the general meaning.

This demon had now… learned courtesy?

Thinking of what Yin Ci had said, Xu Zishe discovered that she had actually become somewhat curious about what Qiu Qi looked like now.

That made sense. She stayed cooped up here all day, and the information she had was far too different from the people outside.

“Then I suppose I’ll find some time to go out and take a look.”

Xu Zishe curled her lips and wrote down her first outing of the year in her schedule

Author’s Note:
Mm, maybe Sister Pei is also a face-con, which is why her heart keeps softening.