Chapter 3
“This injury won’t heal quickly. How about I teach you to read and write?”
Seeing Ye Rui grow even more flustered, Xie Tinglan curved her lips slightly. Her gaze fell on the hand Ye Rui held the brush with; there were calluses on it, and the knuckles stood out sharply.
“N-no, it’s fine. I can do it myself.”
Being exposed as illiterate made Ye Rui even more embarrassed, and the tips of her ears turned red. But looking at those strange characters, she instantly regretted turning Xie Tinglan down just now.
Could pride be eaten as a meal?
Hu Tu: [Meal? What meal?!]
Ye Rui: [...Are you a System or just a glutton?]
Hu Tu: [Uh... I was a little hungry.]
Ye Rui suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Not long ago, she had only just learned that artificial intelligence in the future also needed to eat, just like real people; Hu Tu, especially, loved eating.
“If you change your mind, you can tell me at any time.”
Xie Tinglan didn’t press her. The faint smile at the corner of her mouth made her look confident and composed; the little knife hidden in her sleeve loosened slightly.
Ye Rui scratched her head and kept practicing her writing, but no matter how she looked at it, she still couldn’t grasp the basics.
After a while, Ye Rui really couldn’t keep writing. Seeing the oil paper beside her, she finally remembered. “Right, I also bought a dress for you.”
She set down the brush and was just about to unwrap the oil paper when Xie Tinglan stopped her at once. “No need. Wait until I’m a little better before changing.”
Xie Tinglan hadn’t expected Ye Rui to be this attentive.
Right now, she was still wearing the pale yellow dress from the day before she was injured. Ye Rui had already cut away the blood-soaked parts, exposing her thin shoulder and the white bandages wrapped around the wound. Ye Rui had also wiped the damp part of the skirt from yesterday clean, then arranged the fabric as carefully as possible on the couch so it wouldn’t touch her leg.
It was a miserable sight. She also very much wanted to change clothes; but if she let Ye Rui help her change, she would only end up looking even more disheveled, so Xie Tinglan refused.
“Alright.”
Ye Rui’s mind was entirely on learning, and she didn’t dwell on why Xie Tinglan had refused. Looking at the unfamiliar characters before her, she frowned. She refused to believe she couldn’t learn them.
That night, Ye Rui supported Xie Tinglan while feeding her porridge. After the smell of blood faded, the sharp fragrance on the woman’s body became even more obvious.
How could someone still smell so nice without bathing?
Hu Tu: [You’re kind of ruining the mood.]
Ye Rui: “...”
Xie Tinglan’s fever had gone down. Leaning against Ye Rui, she was no longer as stiff as before. She quietly ate the porridge, like a lone wolf recuperating in peace; a little docile.
Black hair and white streaks mingled through Xie Tinglan’s hair. Her strands were silky and cool, brushing against Ye Rui’s shoulder. She drank the porridge one spoonful at a time from Ye Rui’s hand, and neither of them spoke. In the end, Ye Rui still opened her mouth a little awkwardly. “You... you should teach me to read and write. I really can’t learn it.”
Xie Tinglan only smiled, unsurprised by Ye Rui’s request for help. After slowly swallowing a mouthful of porridge, she asked in a low voice, “Why do you want to learn to read and write?”
Ye Rui turned the question over and over in her mind before saying, “I can’t be a hunter forever, and I can’t stay here forever either.”
“Oh? What ambitions do you have?”
Xie Tinglan’s eyes lit up a little. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Rui as she waited with interest for her answer.
“Talking about ambitions is too far away. I just want to leave this mountain first and see some other scenery.”
Ye Rui spoke sincerely. She really shouldn’t have said these things to this woman, but it didn’t matter. Anyway, once Xie Tinglan recovered, she would send her away, and from then on they’d have nothing to do with each other.
Xie Tinglan didn’t say anything else. After Ye Rui finished feeding her porridge, she had her help her lean against the wall, then pointed at the book on the table. “Bring it here.”
Ye Rui immediately brought the book over, but just as Xie Tinglan was about to take it, Ye Rui pulled her hand back again. “You... don’t you want to rest a bit?”
“No need.”
Xie Tinglan’s tone still carried that unmistakable arrogance, as if it admitted no argument. Her fingers hooked slightly, like a silent command, and Ye Rui handed the book to her.
*Roaming the Garden, Playing Spring*—when Xie Tinglan saw those four words, her brows couldn’t help but knit together. In a low voice, she asked, “This book was recommended by the shopkeeper?”
“Yes. He said it was good stuff.”
Ye Rui nodded. She hadn’t noticed at the time, but now that she thought back on it, she felt the shopkeeper’s eyes had been a little too ill-intentioned. Was that just her imagination?
She turned to look at Xie Tinglan’s expression, but the other woman had already withdrawn her gaze. Those deep eyes revealed nothing at all.
Xie Tinglan didn’t open it, and there was no anger on her face. Her lovely features remained calm. “Are there any other books?”
“Yes, two more.”
Ye Rui took the other two books out of the oil paper and handed them to Xie Tinglan.
*Spring Passion in the Inner Chambers*, *Two Beauties Play at Love*—Xie Tinglan’s gaze landed on *Two Beauties Play at Love*, then she returned the other two books to Ye Rui.
The Great Yan fashion was fairly open; books like these could be bought in many bookshops. She just hadn’t expected the shopkeeper to have taken advantage of Ye Rui not being able to read and sold her these three books.
They must have cost quite a bit.
Xie Tinglan didn’t care about the money. She was simply curious what Ye Rui’s reaction would be if she ever learned what kind of book this really was.
With her left hand unable to move, Xie Tinglan could only use her right hand to turn the pages. Looking at those obscene phrases and seductive lines inside, her beautiful eyes half-lidded, her throat shifting slightly.
Then she saw Ye Rui move a stool over and sit by the bed, one hand holding paper, the other a brush, looking eager for knowledge. Xie Tinglan lowered her head again to glance at the book’s contents. The impact was a little strong; she almost couldn’t suppress a laugh.
“If you don’t sit on the bed, how are you going to read the book?”
Ye Rui thought about it. Xie Tinglan had a point, so she sat up, naturally shoulder to shoulder with her, making it easier to see the words in the book. Xie Tinglan’s breath caught. Ye Rui’s whole body was warm, like a little stove. Their shoulders accidentally touched; though Xie Tinglan wasn’t quite used to it, Ye Rui always carried the clean scent of sunlight and grass, and she didn’t dislike the contact.
In short, Xie Tinglan didn’t dislike Ye Rui’s closeness. That was rather rare.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?” Ye Rui joked half-seriously after climbing up, and that sharp little knife had somehow disappeared.
“You can try.”
Xie Tinglan said it lightly. Ye Rui laughed and said she wouldn’t dare, then her gaze fell back onto the book and casually caught sight of one very fitting line: “The two of them stood side by side; a pool of spring passion spilled from their eyes, and the air was filled with a damp, luscious scent.”
Reading that line made Xie Tinglan’s breathing quicken a little. After a beat, she lifted a finger and pointed at the character “one.” “This is yi, the yi in one, two, three, four.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is.”
Ye Rui copied the characters from the book stroke by stroke, also writing the Chinese characters beside them. Xie Tinglan then pointed out a few simple, common ones to her. When she noticed Ye Rui writing some strange, odd-looking symbols nearby, she asked, “What is this?”
“Oh, these are something I came up with myself to help remember what this character is.”
Ye Rui even felt a little proud saying that. Chinese characters were something I invented myself; if I’m not impressive, who is?
Though Xie Tinglan found it odd, she didn’t bother arguing with Ye Rui at this moment. After teaching her a few characters, she lay back down to rest again.
She watched Ye Rui repeatedly practice the characters she had just learned, and before long, she became slightly entranced. Her originally sharp gaze gradually softened; then, as if recalling something, it slowly turned deep and unreadable.
“By the way, you... do you want me to help notify your family?”
Only then did Ye Rui remember this. But she had only just started learning to read and write, and Xie Tinglan was the only one who could teach her... Still, Ye Rui felt that Xie Tinglan did not plan to leave here for the time being; otherwise, she would have already told Ye Rui to notify someone. Who knew what else she was plotting?
“No need. I still have to teach you, don’t I?”
Xie Tinglan said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. Who knew how many human-faced ghosts were currently in the Prime Minister’s residence?
“Alright.”
Ye Rui didn’t care what she was plotting. At the very least, she could still learn for a while. First she’d learn the numbers; then when she went into town to do some business, she wouldn’t get fooled by sly merchants.
The next day, just after Ye Rui left to hunt, Yin Yue arrived.
“My lord, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. Huan Jing has disguised herself as you and is recovering in the residence.”
Xie Tinglan gave a soft “mm” and said in a low voice, “Help me up.”
Yin Yue did as she was told, but when Xie Tinglan found that Yin Yue’s support still tugged at her wound somewhat, she realized Ye Rui wouldn’t have...
“Any disturbances in the residence?”
Xie Tinglan looked out the window. The sunlight was good today; through the crack in the window, she could see lush green all around outside. A gentle breeze carried a trace of medicinal fragrance. The light was crisp and bright; it was a perfect summer day.
“Some servants have been asking after my lord’s condition.”
Yin Yue reported honestly. As she spoke, only her long ponytail swayed slightly, neat and orderly, just like her.
“Mm. Leave it to Ri Xi; life or death is up to her.”
“Yes.”
Yin Yue then reported on court affairs, but aside from the emperor’s inquiry there was no movement from the court. It seemed those people were still watching and waiting.
“My lord, that hunter from yesterday showed no abnormalities. Do you think she can be trusted?”
Yin Yue couldn’t help glancing toward the door. Her face was strikingly heroic, with handsome, sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, yet soft lines as well. There was a small scar on her face, but it didn’t ruin her beauty; instead, it added to her wildness.
“She’s only a simple hunter.”
After Xie Tinglan said that, Ye Rui’s serious expression while holding the brush and writing words surfaced in her mind again. Last night, she had studied until almost midnight before sleeping. To call her simple, yet she didn’t seem entirely simple; this person always gave Xie Tinglan a strange sense of incongruity.
“I patrolled the area nearby. With my lord staying here, safety can be ensured.”
Yin Yue was still somewhat uneasy. She had spent the whole night inspecting the mountain and only relaxed after confirming there was no danger; only that hunter... Yin Yue knew she was fine at killing, but not at judging people.
“Mm. Come back in three days to report. Don’t expose your trail.”
“Yes.”
After Yin Yue left, Xie Tinglan swallowed another wound-healing pill. Her hand brushed the white cloth over her left shoulder as she remembered this morning when Ye Rui had changed her dressing.
Ye Rui had helped her to the latrine and back before starting to change the bandages. Though she only removed one side of her clothing, Xie Tinglan still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Ye Rui’s gaze had been so focused and clean, yet every time her fingers touched Xie Tinglan’s skin, Xie Tinglan couldn’t help a shiver; in the end, she could only stiffen her body and endure it.
Her mind kept drifting, at the most inappropriate moments, to the suggestive contents of *Two Beauties Play at Love*. She really was losing her mind.
**
On the other side, Ye Rui shot down a pheasant and prepared to add a little extra to dinner today. Today’s hunt seemed unusually smooth; both her strength and her accuracy felt especially good.
Hu Tu: [Ah! Right, the reward for the first task was raising your archery by one level!]
Ye Rui picked up the pheasant and was a little speechless. “Raise it by one level? What is this, a game?”
Hu Tu: [That’s how it’s recorded here. Right now your archery is already at intermediate level. Above that are advanced and divine. Once you reach divine, you’ll be a master archer!]
There was even such a good thing?
Hu Tu: [Of course there is. The second main quest is to cure that woman. If you succeed, your archery can be raised to advanced. If you fail...]
“Then what?”
Ye Rui carried the pheasant and prepared to head back. Her heart was already flying home on arrows; she was worried that if Lady Lingchao needed something while she wasn’t there, it would be bad. After all, even when going to the latrine now, she had to be helped there by Ye Rui.
Hu Tu: [We’ll become cosmic trash together.]
Ye Rui: “...”
Turning everything into cosmic trash at the drop of a hat—what kind of main quest was this? This was a death quest!
“No, your task data got fixed?!”
Hu Tu was silent for two beats before saying, [...Huh. It really did get fixed!]
Ye Rui: “...”
Other people get ‘my System saved me’; with her, it was ‘I saved my System.’ Who could be more miserable than her?
Author’s Note:
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Prime Minister Xie: I suspect she’s hinting at something.
Little Ye: I’m going to learn everything in this book! (serious and earnest)
[doge][doge][yellow heart][yellow heart]
Next chapter on Tuesday.