Be a good girl.
Perhaps it was the inconvenience of the carriage, coupled with Shen Su’s recent monthly discomfort, but Qin Yu could clearly sense her restlessness.
Shen Su was like water, she didn’t need Qin Yu to exert any effort before melting in her palm.
Like the first snow of winter, like thin ice in summer, placed in scorching hands, slowly melting into a puddle of clear liquid.
Qin Yu had been somewhat tense, partly because she was wary of potential nighttime ambushes in the capital, and partly because she inexplicably felt that “Su Qingqing” was acting out of character.
Only after the first half of the night passed peacefully at the inn did Qin Yu finally relax slightly.
Perhaps nothing would happen tonight.
Then, in the warmth of Shen Su’s mouth and the coolness of the beads, she completely let go.
Today, Shen Su was almost entirely obedient to her, even willing to use the jade bracelet.
Qin Yu wasn’t one to abstain from worldly pleasures, but her grandmother, Lady Qin, was.
Lady Qin was a kindly old woman with a benevolent, almost Buddha-like face. In recent years, as Li Xuanliu’s health deteriorated, she had placed a statue of Guanyin in her small meditation room.
To outsiders, it seemed she was praying for Li Xuanliu’s swift recovery after all, even if he was an ingrate, he was still the only grown man in the Qin family.
But in truth, whenever Qin Yu and her grandmother lit incense, they prayed for Li Xuanliu to die as soon as possible.
Perhaps to show piety, or maybe just because the elderly needed a hobby, Lady Qin had taken to counting prayer beads and burning incense.
Chen San would always buy fine wine for his father when he traveled, and Qin Yu was no exception.
Whenever Qin Yu went to Jiangnan, if she came across fine jade, she would bring some back as gifts for her grandmother.
Among them was this jade bracelet.
Each emerald-green bead was the size of a thumbnail, flawless and translucent, the finest quality. Especially under sunlight, each bead shimmered with a vibrant green glow, full of life.
Perfect for daily meditation.
But this shade of green seemed more suited for a young woman than an elderly lady.
Qin Yu had taken a liking to it at first glance and bought it on impulse, though she hadn’t yet decided whether to gift it or not.
But one thing Qin Yu was certain of, before meeting Shen Su, she had never imagined that a string of beads could be used anywhere other than the wrist.
Before this, Qin Yu had feared Shen Su might not like it, so she had never tried anything unusual. But today, it was Shen Su who had asked for it.
To swallow each cool bead, one by one.
Perhaps it was because she had been deprived for too long, or maybe she simply wanted to indulge.
After all, Shen Su had always been one to chase pleasure, it wasn’t strange for her to want to experiment.
Qin Yu thought that perhaps she had been overly suspicious, reading too much into “Su Qingqing’s” behavior.
“Why are you being so good today?” Qin Yu pressed her lips together, her voice soft. “You don’t have to accommodate me so much.”
She would never force “Su Qingqing” to play with such unconventional toys, she wasn’t that kind of person.
But if Shen Su enjoyed it, Qin Yu certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Shen Su blinked, tilting her head as she countered, “Haven’t you always wanted me to be good?”
She mumbled, her tone light and sweet, though her words were a complaint. “I’m being so good now, and yet you’re still not satisfied.”
Hearing her coquettish whining, Qin Yu lowered her lashes and smiled faintly. For some reason, she cupped Shen Su’s face and kissed the corner of her lips, murmuring, “Qingqing, can you speak in the capital dialect?”
Shen Su’s breath hitched.
Fortunately, the lamp had been blown out, and within the dark bed curtains, they could only feel each other’s scorching skin, unable to see the expressions on their faces. Otherwise, Qin Yu would have clearly seen the word “guilt” written all over Shen Su’s face at this moment.
Qin Yu’s question had come at an opportune time, just as Shen Su was about to make her escape.
Throughout their journey, Shen Su had spoken only in the soft, sweet Wu dialect, with a typical southern accent that made her seem like a native who had never set foot elsewhere.
“It’s the accent from the capital region,” Qin Yu said, having deliberately studied various dialects and picked up a few from Shen Su. “Like this.”
Shen Su grew intrigued. She placed her hand on Qin Yu’s thigh and blinked. “Sister, try calling me using my accent.”
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. “What’s in it for me?”
That accent was far too soft. Without a substantial reward, Qin Yu couldn’t bring herself to say it.
In the past, Qin Yu had feared others might discern her true gender through her voice. To mask it, she had taken medicine for years and even learned to smoke a pipe from a tobacco enthusiast when she was around fourteen or fifteen, nearing the age of voice change.
After years of effort, her voice now carried a cool, neutral tone, slightly magnetic and husky when she lowered it.
During those first two years, when she had choked on the pipe smoke with tears in her eyes, Qin Yu had hated Li Xuanliu the most.
She could never live openly as her true gender, nor could she speak in her natural voice.
But after enduring so much hardship, Qin Yu had grown accustomed to it.
Yet today, this casual conversation about accents had piqued “Su Qingqing’s” interest.
Unlike her grandmother, “Su Qingqing” was the only outsider who knew her true gender. Coincidentally, she also preferred women and was so perfectly in sync with Qin Yu in their intimacy, it was as if the mountain god of the ruined temple had gifted her to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu thought that once she married “Su Qingqing,” not only would it serve as a cover, but she wouldn’t have to hide in front of the person closest to her. Nor would she need to marry an innocent woman only to neglect and hurt her for life, leaving her to live as a widow.
Thus, Qin Yu always indulged “Su Qingqing” a little more after all, she was someone who would soon enter her household.
Though there was calculation involved, there was also genuine affection.
“Reward?” Shen Su thought for a moment, then removed the jade bead bracelet from Qin Yu’s wrist. Reaching out from the bed curtains, she placed the bead into an ice basin.
She said to Qin Yu, “If Sister calls me in a way that pleases me, I promise to call you in a way that satisfies you later~”
She asked, “How about that?”
These two “calls” were quite different.
The first was two syllables, possibly soft in tone but utterly plain. The latter, however, would be a series of undulating, single-syllable sounds.
Remembering “Su Qingqing’s” alluring, melodious voice, Qin Yu’s breath hitched slightly, an inexplicable itch stirring in her heart.
She pulled Shen Su into her arms, one hand resting on her back, the other tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her lips brushed against Shen Su’s ear as she whispered, “You said it yourself.”
This line was in the capital’s accent.
“Qingqing.”
This line was in the soft Wu dialect.
Shen Su froze, instinctively turning to look at Qin Yu in astonishment. “You’ve studied voice modulation?”
This voice was suddenly soft and light undeniably a woman’s, entirely different from Qin Yu’s usual tone.
Hearing it for the first time, Shen Su felt her heart melt.
So the name “Qingqing” could be called with such lingering tenderness.
Shen Su pressed closer into Qin Yu’s embrace. “Say it again, Sister. Call me again, I love hearing it.”
It was agreed that she would only call her once, so Qin Yu deliberately softened her voice. The moment the words “Qingqing” left her lips, even her own ears burned.
She rested her forehead on Shen Su’s shoulder, her fingers idly tracing Shen Su’s spine.
Before meeting Shen Su, she had almost forgotten that she, too, was a woman.
“Too…” Qin Yu paused, murmuring softly, “embarrassing.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it again.
“Sister,” Shen Su nuzzled against Qin Yu’s neck like a little piglet, squirming restlessly, “one more time, just once more.”
If Qin Yu could call her “Qingqing” while taking her, Shen Su would be even more satisfied.
Shen Su suddenly turned shamelessly coquettish, and after a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yu relented.
“Be good, Qingqing.”
“Don’t fuss, Qingqing, it tickles.”
“The beads are enough, Qingqing.”
Too cold would be uncomfortable.
By the end, tears welled in Shen Su’s eyes, though she couldn’t tell why.
Perhaps it was reluctance, or perhaps it was sheer bliss.
She clung to Qin Yu and asked, “Sister, am I soft?”
Soft, as soft as water.
By the time dawn approached outside, the swaying bed curtains finally stilled.
Just then, commotion erupted downstairs, it sounded like Qingmu shouting, “Don’t let him run!”
Followed by the bearded man, “Block him, catch him alive! The young master wants to interrogate him.”
Qin Yu turned to Shen Su. “There might be a thief. Sleep first, I’ll go check.”
Qin Yu’s clothes hung in the wardrobe. Her fingers hesitated briefly over the row of garments before finally pulling out the dark green one.
When traveling, Qin Yu never washed her own clothes it wasted too much time. Once garments or shoes got dirty, she would discard them at the next inn.
The reason this dark green one remained was that after meeting Shen Su, whenever Shen Su and Yunzhi did laundry, they would casually wash her clothes for her.
Due to Qin Yu’s gender, her undergarments were always personally washed by Shen Su.
This was also why Qin Yu guessed Shen Su’s life wasn’t easy after all, what pampered young lady would stoop to washing clothes herself?
Fully dressed, Qin Yu walked to the bedside and lifted the curtain to peek inside.
Summer days dawned early.
In the dim light, she saw Shen Su lying exhausted on the bed, drenched in sweat, her lashes damp, her dark hair clinging to her fair skin, a stark contrast that made her hair seem ink-black and her skin snow-white.
Qin Yu sat on the edge of the bed, gently patting Shen Su’s hip as if soothing a child, her rare tenderness laced with indulgence. “Sleep. Wait for me to return.”
Shen Su blinked, offering her a soft smile. “Be careful.”
“Mm.”
Qin Yu left, closing the door behind her. Not long after, Shen Su sat up, clutching the thin blanket, her hair carelessly swept behind her as she stared blankly at the canopy above.
Only when Yunzhi knocked, three long, two short, their secret signal did Shen Su snap back to reality. “Come in,” she answered, her voice hoarse.
Clad in only a bellyband and undergarments, Shen Su stepped barefoot from the bed and rummaged through the pile of high-quality, expensive, and beautifully colored clothes in her bundle until she found her original plain white summer robe.
Cheap fabric, utterly ordinary.
Yunzhi carried another bundle in her arms, placing it on the table. “Miss, as you instructed, I’ve washed and folded all the clothes. They’re all here.”
The bundle contained the clothes bought with Qin Yu’s money during this time.
Yunzhi thought to herself, After the young lady leaves, Young Master Qin will probably toss these away without a second thought.
One was that they had passed through, and the other was that they were utterly infuriated.
“Would you like to say another word to Young Master Qin?” Yunzhi looked at Shen Su’s thin, delicate back, her heart aching a little. “After all, you won’t see him again.”
The young miss must have liked “Young Master” Qin otherwise, she wouldn’t have cried so hard that a few casual words of comfort from him turned her tears into laughter.
Shen Su paused as she dressed, her damp lashes fluttering lightly, like a black butterfly drenched in morning dew, struggling to take flight but unable to rise.
“No need,” Shen Su took a deep breath, lowering her head as she dressed. “Everything that needed to be said was said yesterday.”
There was nothing, she wanted to say anymore.
Just as Yunzhi had said, since they wouldn’t meet again, it was better to leave behind only the beautiful memories. Why create a sorrowful, lingering farewell?
Not only would it be pointless grief, but Qin Yu might also notice.
“As you wish, miss,” Yunzhi helped Shen Su fold her clothes. “The carriage is already rented, we can leave directly. Naturally, the silver is nearly all spent.”
As Yunzhi spoke, she wasn’t watching her steps. Passing by the bedside, she felt her foot kick against a copper basin, nearly tripping.
“The ice basin?” Yunzhi glanced down and saw ice cubes in a copper basin the size of a sea bowl, with a string of green beads on top. “Huh?”
The beads were a vibrant emerald, exceptionally beautiful.
Yunzhi crouched down. The beads, perhaps because they were wet from the ice water, glistened on the surface, making them appear even more vividly green.
She reached out to pick them up, just as Shen Su turned her head and saw.
Shen Su’s face flushed crimson in an instant. She snatched the jade beads before Yunzhi could, hastily and roughly wiping them dry with her skirt. “M-mine.”
She had used them.
Just before dawn, they had been slipped out by the eldest Miss Qin’s slender, elegant fingers.
At the time, Shen Su had only heard the crisp sound of the beads hitting the ground and guessed they might have fallen into the ice basin. But she was still catching her breath and hadn’t bothered to retrieve them.
Seeing Shen Su’s intense reaction, Yunzhi asked, “Should we take them with us?”
Should they take them?
Shen Su looked down at the jade beads in her palm, hesitated for a moment, then slipped the strand onto her wrist. “Take them.”
Besides that, Shen Su also reached up and removed the copper hairpin holding up her hair, replacing it with the jade hairpin Qin Yu had first given her.
Pressing her lips together, Shen Su seemed lost in thought or perhaps not thinking at all. Before leaving, she placed the copper hairpin atop the pile of her clothes in the wardrobe.
The door opened softly, then closed just as softly.
The room was now empty, while downstairs in the backyard, Qin Yu was surrounded by a crowd.
She was interrogating an assassin.