Is she even a woman!
Early morning, the rain had cleared, leaving the air fresh, the view bright, and the mood expansive.
Last night’s downpour had been heavy, not only sweeping away the stifling heat but also filling the small mud puddles outside the door.
Frogs croaked noisily in the ears, the scent of damp grass and trees filled the nose, and closing the eyes to breathe in and out felt incredibly soothing.
It was as if the whole body had become lighter and more spirited.
This kind of post-rain mountain scenery was something one could never see in the densely packed capital.
The bearded man stood at the temple entrance, stretching his back with his belly sticking out, hands on his hips. After loosening his limbs, he turned his head and called back, “Wake up, wake up! The rain’s stopped. Pack up, eat, and let’s get back on the road.”
He had woken early, but some who had drunk too much last night were still snoring away.
“I told you not to drink so much,” the bearded man walked back, nudging each of them with his foot, “Get up now.”
“The roads are soft and wet after the rain, no need to rush,” someone mumbled, rolling over to continue sleeping. “We can wait for the sun to dry the path before leaving.”
“Say that to the young master. If he agrees, then go back to sleep.”
“It’s his first time traveling, what does he know about these things?” The man only realized his words were disrespectful after speaking and awkwardly shut his mouth, reluctantly sitting up to rub his face.
“Drank too much,” he muttered. “Shouldn’t have had so much.”
“Chen San was finally generous for once would’ve been a waste not to finish the wine he brought,” someone else laughed. “Right, Chen San?”
Chen San had just sat up as well, wincing as he massaged his stiff, sore neck with one hand, clearly not well-rested.
Already in a bad mood, hearing this only made it worse. “Will you ever shut up?”
“Alright, alright, we’ll stop. No need to get angry.”
Chen San lowered his head, rubbing his neck. The temple floor was too hard, his whole body ached from sleeping on it.
The dry grass they had gathered yesterday had all been given to the two girls, laid out as bedding for them.
As for the only rickety wooden bed in the temple, it had gone to Qin Yu because he was the young master, his delicate body couldn’t possibly sleep on the ground.
Just thinking about last night’s events made Chen San’s chest burn with anger. Glancing at the scattered wine jars on the floor only deepened his regret.
He had tried to chase beauty and ended up losing his wine instead.
The bearded man scanned the area. “Is the young master up? Whoever’s feeding the horses, call him from the backyard.”
Despite his rough appearance, the bearded man was quite meticulous.
He gathered the wine jars and stacked them in a corner, then carefully checked the fire from last night, making sure no embers remained that could reignite with the wind and burn down the temple.
Breakfast was still dry rations steamed buns and beef jerky washed down with clean well water.
Today, it was Lao Wu’s turn to feed the horses. Seeing movement in both rooms in the backyard, he stood in the courtyard and called out, “Young master, ladies, once you’re ready, come out to eat and we’ll hit the road.”
Yunzhi opened the door and responded, “Thank you, we’ll be right out.”
Once Lao Wu left, Yunzhi closed the door again. “Miss, let me help you with your hair.”
“Alright.” Shen Su had just woken up, yawning and stretching lazily as she sat hunched on the dry grass.
Her posture and movements bore no resemblance to those of a refined noble lady, but her face was so breathtakingly beautiful that no matter what she did, it was a delight to behold.
Even after seeing Shen Su’s face day after day, Yunzhi couldn’t help but marvel:
Her young mistress was truly a celestial beauty, a peerless treasure descended to the mortal realm.
Shen Su’s long hair cascaded over her shoulders, dark and luxuriant, swaying like mist with every movement of her head.
Perhaps due to poor sleep, Shen Su rubbed her shoulders with a backward motion, revealing a slender, fair neck and arms as pale as jade as she tilted her head and raised her hand.
“Young Mistress is truly beautiful,” Yunzhi, who had never been educated, lacked flowery words but praised Shen Su with simple sincerity, “even more stunning than a fairy.”
Shen Su laughed, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents, and nodded without modesty, “I also think I’m quite beautiful.”
She had full confidence in her looks.
“Such beautiful hair would be perfect with a jade hairpin,” Yunzhi gathered Shen Su’s long locks, kneeling behind her, sighing regretfully.
Their vanity case had been left in their carriage, and now they didn’t even have a comb, let alone a jade hairpin.
Yunzhi’s heart ached at the thought of their lost belongings. “I saved for a whole year to buy a silver hairpin, and I barely wore it twice before it was gone.”
If only she had kept it pinned in her hair at all times. “Young Mistress, were all your fine hairpins also too precious to wear often?”
Throughout their journey, Yunzhi had never seen Shen Su wear any gold or jade hairpins. The only adornment in her hair was this unremarkable copper plum blossom pin.
Yunzhi couldn’t estimate the value of the other hairpins, but this copper one in her hand was clearly worth only a few coins.
“Does this hairpin hold special meaning for you, Young Mistress?” Yunzhi asked curiously. “I see you wear it every day.”
After a night’s rest, Yunzhi was no longer as fearful as the day before. Having survived the bandit attack, she had grown closer to Shen Su and was now far more talkative.
Still drowsy, Shen Su nodded absently. “This hairpin once saved my life.”
It had saved her from destitution.
Shen Su owned no gold or jade hairpins, the only decent piece of jewelry she had was this copper pin in her hair.
If she had anything prettier, she wouldn’t be wearing this ugly thing every day.
Her birth mother had died, her father remarried, and she was sent back to the ancestral home.
Motherless and father-neglected, Shen Su’s life in the old Shen residence was far from as comfortable as Yunzhi imagined.
Yunzhi, innocent and naive, didn’t doubt Shen Su’s words in the slightest. “No wonder.”
She styled Shen Su’s hair into a maiden’s bun, smiling as she secured it with the hairpin. “But with a face like yours, Young Mistress, any hairpin would look just as good.”
After all, anyone who saw Shen Su would be instantly captivated by her face, unable to look away.
With all the hair pinned up, Yunzhi finally noticed a reddish mark on Shen Su’s shoulder.
“Oh!” Yunzhi pointed. “Young Mistress, why is this spot red?”
Shen Su turned to look at her shoulder and felt her eyelids twitch.
“Was it a bug bite?” Yunzhi hastily pulled open Shen Su’s collar to inspect her shoulder and arms. “It didn’t bite me must be because your skin is more tender, so it only went for you.”
Last night, Qin Yu had indeed focused solely on “biting” her.
Shen Su gave an awkward laugh and quickly tightened her collar.
This wasn’t the work of any insect, it was clearly a love mark.
At only fourteen, Yunzhi was still innocent and had no idea what it was. But anyone with experience would recognize it at a glance.
Shen Su wrinkled her nose, cursing Qin Yu inwardly for kissing her in such an obvious spot and leaving a mark so unlike her usual self.
How considerate she was! She always chose hidden places to kiss, making sure no one else could see!
In Qin Yu’s room, Qin Yu lowered her gaze to the two symmetrical red marks on either side of her neck and fell into silent contemplation.
Should she kill “Su Qingqing,” or should she kill “Su Qingqing”?
With a wooden expression, Qin Yu wrapped a strip of cloth around her neck, neatly covering the bitten spot.
Long-legged and slender-waisted, Qin Yu stood up and reached for the pure white silk undergarment from the side, draping it over her shoulders.
As she tied the strings, she couldn’t help but recall Shen Su’s words.
“Have you never worn a dudou before?”
“Mine is light pink, embroidered with lotus flowers.”
“All girls wear these.”
In the dim light of the night, Qin Yu hadn’t seen the light pink or the lotus flowers she had only felt Shen Su’s “flower” with her own hands.
Realizing where her thoughts had wandered, Qin Yu’s frown deepened.
She pinched her throbbing temples, pondering what to do now.
Shen Su knew her secret, which meant she had another leverage to threaten and control her, a situation Qin Yu found extremely unfavorable.
The best way to ensure someone kept a secret was to silence them forever.
Lowering her eyes, Qin Yu selected a thin, dark green robe that draped down to her feet, concealing her unremarkable shoes, revealing only half of the black shoe tips.
The light pink undergarment Shen Su had left behind the previous night was set aflame by Qin Yu and tossed to the ground to burn slowly to ashes.
First, she would use her to eliminate the dissenters in the group.
Qin Yu looked down coldly at the undergarment burning in the flames, watching as it bloomed like a pink flower before withering and turning to ash.
“Su Qingqing” would eventually meet the same fate as this cheap, coarse fabric disposed of after use, requiring no further effort on her part.
“Young Master is awake,” the bearded man said, smiling as he saw Qin Yu approach. “Time to eat.”
Shen Su and Yunzhi had stepped out before Qin Yu. Now, the mistress and maid were crouched by a puddle outside the temple, poking at a toad with a small stick.
Qin Yu glanced at them briefly before looking away, clasping one hand behind her back. “No need. Let’s get moving.”
Then, she added to Lao Wu, “I didn’t sleep well last night. Tie my horse to the front of the carriage, I’ll rest inside for half the day.”
Lao Wu nodded. “Got it.”
The carriage was originally pulled by just one horse. Even with Qin Yu’s horse added, it was only two. In the capital, some people had extravagant carriages drawn by three horses.
Chen San snorted heavily upon hearing Qin Yu’s words.
Didn’t sleep well? He slept in a bed and still didn’t sleep well?
Chen San sneered inwardly. If Qin Yu hadn’t slept well last night, it was probably because she’d been busy sleeping on top of a woman.
His gaze flicked between Qin Yu, who was walking away, and Shen Su, who had just stood up from the ground. He understood everything now.
Shen Su had refused him because she was saving herself for Qin Yu.
Slut. Whore.
Just wait!
Chen San viciously tied his bundle, gripping it tightly in his hand.
Outside, Shen Su noticed Qin Yu walking toward them and quickly tossed the stick aside, pretending she hadn’t been involved in such a childish activity.
Yunzhi, still grinning foolishly, said, “Miss, look! It puffs up again when you poke it!”
Realizing something, Yunzhi turned her head and looked up, meeting Qin Yu’s cold and indifferent face. Instantly frightened, her face turned pale, and she immediately ducked back down.
Qin Yu was only seventeen, yet despite her youthful age, she had a preference for mature-colored clothing.
The dark green robe accentuated her pale, aloof complexion, and a single glance from her was still somewhat intimidating.
Yunzhi, clutching her small stick, stood up and hid behind Shen Su, glancing between her and Qin Yu before hastily correcting herself, “It’s, it’s ‘elder sister,’ not ‘young miss.'”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Qin Yu walked past them without a word, heading straight ahead.
Only after she had left did Yunzhi grip the stick with both hands, her eyes flustered as she looked at Shen Su. “Did I say it wrong? Do you think she heard me?”
Shen Su glanced at Qin Yu’s rigid back and said, “It’s fine. Even if she heard, so what?”
What did it matter if Qin Yu knew that she and Yunzhi weren’t really sisters? Shen Su also knew that Qin Yu was a woman disguised as a man.
It had to be said, the young mistress of the Qin family played the role of a man exceptionally well.
Qin Yu was naturally striking, with features that blurred gender lines. If she wore lighter-colored clothes, she would come across as a bold and heroic young lady, distinctly feminine. That was why she always opted for darker attire to add a sharper, more imposing edge.
At a glance, Shen Su couldn’t help but notice how Qin Yu carried herself with an upright posture, like a pine or bamboo.
Ignoring the fact that she was actually a cunning wolf in disguise, just judging by her demeanor, Shen Su felt there was a phrase that suited Qin Yu perfectly:
“Majestic as the wind through pines, towering like a solitary pine standing alone.”
A description befitting a noble gentleman or a woman like Qin Yu.
But all of Shen Su’s admiration vanished the moment she saw Qin Yu leisurely stepping onto the carriage footrest and sitting inside.
“Hey? Wait! Why is she getting in?”
Could it be that her back was sore from riding, and she didn’t want to ride a horse anymore expecting Shen Su and Yunzhi to do it instead?
It wasn’t as if she was the only one who had exerted herself last night! As if her own waist wasn’t aching too!
Shen Su fumed, “Is she even a wo—a man?!”