Chapter 14

Xie Tinglan returned to the manor, and Yin Yue was summoned away at once. Ye Rui took the medicinal oil Yin Yue had given her back to her room to rub on her injuries, and before long she was fast asleep, so deeply that she even skipped lunch.

Xie Tinglan, on the other hand, had quite enjoyed her midday meal. Back home, her injuries were being tended to more properly as well; although they still hurt a little, they were no longer anything serious. After finishing lunch, she went to the study to review official documents, with Ri Xi at her side the entire time.

“Has the matter of Linglong Incense been handled?”

Xie Tinglan held her sleeve with one hand and a brush in the other, seriously reviewing a memorial. Ri Xi was grinding ink for her as she lowered her voice and said, “My lord, that young lady wants to meet you.”

Xie Tinglan’s hand paused. A trace of interest appeared in her eyes. “So she was waiting for the chief minister.”

Hearing that, Ri Xi grew a little worried. “My lord, do you mean that young lady laid this whole trap just to meet you?”

Xie Tinglan gave a cold laugh and set down the wolf-hair brush with a turn of her wrist. “This person has nerve. I’d like to see how capable she really is.”

Ri Xi did not ask further about the earlier question, and instead said, “My lord, I’ll make the arrangements now.”

“Ri Xi, is Ye Rui still not awake?”

When Ri Xi heard Xie Tinglan mention Ye Rui again, she realized this was already the second time today. At first, she had thought Ye Rui lacked discipline; as a guard, she was actually sleeping soundly in her room in broad daylight. But Xie Tinglan was clearly indulging her rest, and Ri Xi quickly sensed that Ye Rui was not ordinary.

“Not yet. Yin Yue said that, judging by her condition, she’ll probably sleep until evening.”

At that, Xie Tinglan gave a slight shake of her head and a wry smile. After some thought, she said, “Then set the meeting with that young lady for today. Make sure she leaves before nightfall.”

“Yes.”

After Ri Xi left, Xie Tinglan turned to glance at the other side of her blackwood desk and somehow felt it was empty. In just one month, had she already grown used to the days of Ye Rui learning characters beside her?

Almost at once, Xie Tinglan made a decision.

That day, Xie Tinglan received guests in the main hall until afternoon; before nightfall, the young lady from Linglong Incense had left. Only Ri Xi and Xie Tinglan remained in the hall. Xie Tinglan was still seated in the main chair, her expression severe, still thinking about what had just happened.

“My lord, that young lady has real ability, but she’s ambitious too.”

Ri Xi said this, hoping Xie Tinglan would weigh the risks of cooperating with her.

“Ambition is a good thing. Someone with ability should have ambition to match.”

Xie Tinglan stood up. Ri Xi immediately moved to support her, and heard her say, “In the future, if she wants silver or an official post, that’s only natural, so long as she can do the work.”

“Having something she seeks is a good thing; what’s truly frightening is someone who seeks nothing.”

As soon as Xie Tinglan finished speaking, they heard footsteps outside. Then Ye Rui came swaying along outside the courtyard in nothing but an undergarment.

Xie Tinglan frowned. Watching that person wandering around outside in a loose moon-white undergarment, the servants were staring outright, and the corner of Xie Tinglan’s mouth twitched again before she could stop it. Just then, Ye Rui finally found her and hurried over. “Have you eaten? I’m starving. I looked everywhere and couldn’t find any of you.”

Ye Rui had just been asking the servants when dinner would be served, but all of them shook their heads and said they didn’t know, so she could only come looking for Xie Tinglan herself. She also hadn’t expected to sleep so long. As soon as she woke up, she was ravenous. She had eaten so little breakfast, then missed lunch too; now her stomach was growling nonstop.

Xie Tinglan moved her sleeve. Ri Xi immediately understood and prepared to leave the hall, but before she went, she gave Ye Rui a strange look and let out a sigh without realizing it as she closed the door.

“What’s wrong? Is Miss Ri Xi going to get dinner ready?”

It was now dusk. The sunset seeping through the gaps in the doors and windows tinted Ye Rui’s moon-white clothes a faint orange, and softened her harmless expression with a warm glow.

“Why did you come out dressed so carelessly?”

The crease between Xie Tinglan’s brows tightened, then eased, then tightened again. This was not the mountain; why was this person still so casual when walking around outside?

She had never seemed stupid before!

“Huh? I’m improperly dressed? I’m dressed just fine.”

Ye Rui spread her arms and looked down. She was wearing a moon-white short jacket with a crossed collar and a pair of trousers; she wasn’t showing her arms or her legs. How was that improperly dressed?

“You’re wearing sleep clothes.”

Seeing that Ye Rui truly didn’t think there was a problem, Xie Tinglan suddenly had the frustration of a scholar meeting soldiers; reason simply could not be made clear. Yet Ye Rui only shrugged carelessly. “Sleep clothes are sleep clothes. I’m not exposing my chest or my arms, and I’m not showing my legs either. Everything that shouldn’t be shown is covered, so what’s the issue?”

Xie Tinglan: “...”

Xie Tinglan gritted her teeth. She had not expected that she could contend with heroes on the imperial court, yet in this tiny reception hall, she couldn’t even refute Ye Rui once; and yet this was plainly rude.

“We need clothing freedom, right? So are we eating now?”

Ye Rui truly did not want to keep arguing about clothes. She just wanted food; she was starving, truly starving. She had used up so much energy and still hadn’t eaten enough.

“We are.”

Xie Tinglan was silent for a few breaths, then said again, “Come with me.”

Ye Rui was obedient. At first, she thought Xie Tinglan was taking her to the dining hall, but instead she was led to Tinglan Pavilion. Ri Xi had said that Xie Tinglan’s courtyard could not be entered casually, so why was she bringing her here?

“You... why did you bring me here?”

Ye Rui stood at the entrance to Xie Tinglan’s bedchamber and did not go in. The moment the door opened, she caught the scent of Xie Tinglan on the air; it was richer here, the smell of incense. Just beyond the door stood a carved screen, separating off everything inside. Xie Tinglan stood just within the doorway, looking at Ye Rui.

“Come in first.”

In that instant, Ye Rui had a ludicrous thought: could it be that Xie Tinglan was also hungry, but didn’t want to eat food, and wanted to eat her instead?

Soon after, Ye Rui thought she was being absurd. Setting aside whether Xie Tinglan wanted to eat her, with that body of hers, how could she possibly force herself on someone?

I’m overthinking it.

Ye Rui followed Xie Tinglan inside, around the screen. There was not much furniture inside; it was simple in a way that didn’t seem like the room of someone who ate delicacies every day. There was only a plain blackwood table and chairs; the only special thing was the carved incense burner on the tea table, where the incense had just burned out.

The incense burner was carved with something that looked like a fierce beast. Before Ye Rui could make it out clearly, Xie Tinglan had already come over with a robe and draped it over her shoulders. “I don’t know what you mean by clothing freedom.”

Xie Tinglan had chosen a dark green cross-collared long robe and casually placed it over Ye Rui’s shoulders. Her cool hand rested lightly there as she said in a low voice, “Until I understand, you need to dress properly.”

Ye Rui looked embarrassed. The clothes still carried Xie Tinglan’s scent. She could easily have simply told her to go back and put her clothes on properly; there was no need to drag her into her room and dress her.

This doesn’t make any sense!

Seeing Ye Rui’s expression change again and again, looking rather at a loss, Xie Tinglan couldn’t help but laugh. “This place isn’t like the mountain. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and besides...”

She paused, then said meaningfully, “Remember what I told you: only those draped in fine brocade can win the world’s favor. If you want to climb higher, first you must use these fabrics to establish your authority.”

“In the manor, you can be a bit more casual, but you still can’t...”

She still couldn’t just wander around in an undergarment!

“When you go out, you must be more careful.”

Ye Rui listened. She really had been too careless today; no wonder all the servants had been looking at her and whispering.

“But I can wear my own clothes too. I can go back to my room and—”

Before Ye Rui could finish, Xie Tinglan tightened the hand resting on her shoulder and said, “If I tell you to wear it, then wear it.”

Tsk. What an unreasonable woman.

“Fine, fine, I’ll wear it.”

Seeing Xie Tinglan’s deeply furrowed brows, Ye Rui had no choice but to give in. It wasn’t even because she was afraid of making Xie Tinglan angry; it was because this person seldom frowned, and for the moment Ye Rui couldn’t think what deeper meaning there was in making her this troubled. But she felt that if she didn’t put it on, it would only leave Xie Tinglan very vexed.

Ye Rui then slipped her arms into the outer robe. Just as she was about to look for the belt after putting it on, Xie Tinglan had already picked one up.

It was a dark green wide belt with a black jade clasp, and bamboo patterns woven in subtle relief; elegant and beautiful.

Ye Rui reached to take it, but Xie Tinglan deftly avoided her hand. Then she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Ye Rui’s waist to fasten the belt for her.

“You... you don’t have to. I can do it myself.”

Ye Rui fumbled to take the belt, but Xie Tinglan did not let go. Instead, she lifted her eyes to Ye Rui and curved her lips in a challenging smile. “When you pinned me to the bed back then, why didn’t you look embarrassed?”

Ye Rui’s face went hot in an instant. That storm-tossed night in the rain; her impulse had since planted the seed... of Xie Tinglan’s revenge?

Using the belt as leverage, Xie Tinglan drew Ye Rui closer. Ye Rui was forced to take a few steps toward her. By the time they were nearly touching, Ye Rui braced herself on her toes and refused to move even an inch closer.

Xie Tinglan was not angry; instead, she laughed. “What, now you’re afraid of me?”

“Who’s afraid of you?”

Ye Rui refused to lose on words. Even if the Emperor himself came, she wouldn’t be afraid; at worst, she’d become cosmic trash. Whether psychologically or physically, she still couldn’t accept the class hierarchy of this world.

These were clearly things she had only ever seen in history books.

Even if the wage-slave life of the modern world was somewhat similar, Ye Rui considered herself somewhat capable. Since becoming a game planner, her abilities had been enough to make the boss listen to her; she had not suffered much in the way of torment from a boss.

“If you’re not afraid of me, then why don’t you dare get close?”

Xie Tinglan gave a cold laugh, the challenge in her tone unmistakable. Ye Rui could not stand being provoked. Looking at the undisguised desire and provocation in those beautiful eyes before her, she reached out and pulled Xie Tinglan into her arms. The warm, soft body pressed against her; the belt in Xie Tinglan’s hand immediately slipped to the floor, and where Ye Rui’s waist had been, Xie Tinglan’s cool palm took its place.

Why wouldn’t she dare? Who said she wouldn’t dare?

Ye Rui’s breathing and heartbeat both quickened. As she watched Xie Tinglan’s gaze gradually soften, her reflection in those eyes seemed to turn into spring water, nourishing the fiercely growing desire within.

Ye Rui cupped Xie Tinglan’s face and gently lifted it. Just as her red lips were about to meet those lush, rose-colored lips...

Gurgle—

Author’s Note:

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Here it is~ [dog head][dog head][yellow heart][yellow heart]

Next chapter on Friday~ [dog head]