“Uh… Your Highness is right…”
A trace of helplessness flickered through Lin Wanqiu’s eyes. She had no idea what Xiao Minghuang was really thinking.
If she cared about that little maid, how could she say such things to her? But if she didn’t care, then that night, when she spoke to Ye Ruoshui, every word had been so sincere and heartfelt. It hadn’t sounded fake at all.
While Lin Wanqiu was lost in thought, something was suddenly held out in front of her. She accepted it on reflex.
It was an ornate brocade box, its four corners inlaid with gold, a piece of jade set in the center. It looked anything but ordinary.
Lin Wanqiu looked up at Xiao Minghuang, confusion in her eyes.
“Your Highness?”
Xiao Minghuang’s lips curled slightly, a hint of a smile at the corner of her eyes.
“Open it.”
Hearing that, Lin Wanqiu’s heartbeat sped up and her cheeks flushed.
Was Your Highness giving her a gift? Was this… a token of affection?
She opened the box. A rich medicinal fragrance burst forth, instantly filling the entire courtyard.
Inside lay a brown pill, quietly resting in the box. Its surface glowed faintly. Just a single breath of its scent made one feel as if their cultivation had already improved.
Of course, that was only an illusion. It was just a Xuan-grade pill; its effects were nowhere near that miraculous.
Lin Wanqiu recognized it at a glance. This was the very same item the Chen clan had taken out last night, planning to use it as leverage to force her into marriage—the Origin Replenishing Pill.
In that moment, Lin Wanqiu’s expression grew complicated. Emotions rose in her eyes that could not be put into words.
“Did Your Highness destroy the Chen clan and seize this pill… all for my sake…?”
Naturally, she couldn’t bring herself to say that aloud. But aside from that explanation, what else could there be?
Seeing Lin Wanqiu staring blankly at the pill, Xiao Minghuang gently reminded her,
“Wanqiu, take the pill.”
“T-This… doesn’t feel very appropriate…” Lin Wanqiu said, embarrassed.
She had only known Xiao Minghuang for a few days, and yet the princess was already willing to give her such a precious pill.
Just how much did Your Highness like her?
Xiao Minghuang smiled.
“What’s inappropriate between you and me? Go on, take it. This pill should help with the blockage in your meridians. Don’t you want to improve your strength?”
“Improve… my strength…”
The words stunned Lin Wanqiu for a moment. Then realization dawned on her.
Her meridians were naturally blocked. She could never break through the Qi Refining Realm. Meanwhile, Xiao Minghuang’s talent was extraordinary, her brilliance unmatched, with the potential to reach the Spirit Seed Realm.
With Xiao Minghuang’s talent, it wouldn’t be long before she left Lin Wanqiu far, far behind.
By then, even if Xiao Minghuang still liked her…
She would still only be a weakling stuck in the Body Tempering Realm. What right would she have to stand openly at Xiao Minghuang’s side?
Not to mention, a Spirit Seed Realm expert could live for a thousand years, while a Body Tempering cultivator barely had a hundred.
A hundred years from now, Xiao Minghuang would still be radiant and peerless, while she would already be a handful of dust.
The thought made Lin Wanqiu’s nose sting. Tears welled in her eyes, almost spilling over.
Seeing that she not only wouldn’t take the pill but was on the verge of tears instead, Xiao Minghuang was utterly baffled.
She couldn’t bear to see a pretty girl sad. So she quickly slipped an arm around Lin Wanqiu’s shoulders and spoke softly,
“Wanqiu, is something bothering you? I’m here. I’ll definitely be able to help you. Don’t be afraid. No matter what the difficulty is, we’ll face it together.”
Those words moved Lin Wanqiu even more. Her composure collapsed; she suddenly burst into tears and buried her face in Xiao Minghuang’s chest, sobbing her heart out.
She had lost her mother young and been raised by her father. Never once had she truly felt the care of an older woman.
Now, Xiao Minghuang’s gentleness felt just like that of a mother.
“Uu… uu…”
Xiao Minghuang’s eyes were full of confusion. She had no idea why Lin Wanqiu was suddenly so heartbroken.
She could only gently pat and rub Lin Wanqiu’s back, silently comforting her.
After a while, Lin Wanqiu finally pulled away from Xiao Minghuang’s embrace. She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing that she’d calmed down, Xiao Minghuang teased,
“Mm… has Wanqiu cried enough?”
With her head slightly lowered, Lin Wanqiu gave a choked little reply. She didn’t dare look directly into Xiao Minghuang’s eyes, but by accident she noticed the wet patch on Xiao Minghuang’s chest.
Her cheeks flushed pink, embarrassment flickering in her eyes.
“Your Highness, let me help you take off your clothes.”
“…???”
Xiao Minghuang’s eyes went wide. She jolted in shock.
“What are you doing? Why are you taking my clothes off?”
Seeing her reaction, Lin Wanqiu knew she’d misunderstood and quickly explained,
“Your Highness’s clothes are dirty. I want to take them off and wash them clean for you.”
Xiao Minghuang lowered her head to look, and sure enough, there was a damp patch on her chest—it must have been from Lin Wanqiu’s tears.
“All right, then.”
She nodded and followed Lin Wanqiu into the room.
Lin Wanqiu helped her remove her outer robe, revealing the pale, thin inner layer underneath. In the bright light, the faint outline of the soft skin beneath could be vaguely seen.
Lin Wanqiu set the pill down on the table, took Xiao Minghuang’s outer robe, and went into the inner room. A moment later, she came back out holding a fresh dress.
She opened her arms to display it.
It was a fiery red dress, its borders embroidered with golden thread. A phoenix with outstretched wings was stitched on the front. Pale moon-white cloud patterns trailed along the sleeves and hem, and the remaining fabric was adorned with various delicate motifs. It was extremely beautiful.
“What does Your Highness think of this one?”
Xiao Minghuang had never paid much attention to clothes or fashion. She had no particular preferences; usually, she wore whatever Ye Ruoshui dressed her in.
Now that Lin Wanqiu had taken out a dress with a completely different style, it felt like a fresh new experience.
“It’ll do.”
With Xiao Minghuang’s consent, Lin Wanqiu happily helped her change into it.
In no time, Xiao Minghuang was dressed.
Lin Wanqiu brought over a tall mirror, big enough to reflect the whole body.
Xiao Minghuang stood before it and saw a girl in red and white robes staring back at her. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, her skin was as fair as snow, and her features were bright and enchanting, full of youthful charm and seductive grace.
When she’d first seen her own reflection after arriving in this body, she’d been amazed too, sometimes wondering why she was so pretty.
But after seeing it every day, she’d gotten used to it. Her own face no longer interested her.
Yet today, simply changing into a different outfit made her feel like she’d become a different person, giving off a completely new impression.
“Looks like I should change my style more often from now on.”
The corners of Xiao Minghuang’s lips quirked up, a trace of amusement in her eyes. She nodded to herself.
When she turned around to look at Lin Wanqiu—
She saw the other girl staring at her in a daze, utterly captivated, as if she were about to leap forward the next second and throw herself straight into Xiao Minghuang’s heart.
“Ahem.”
A sudden cough snapped Lin Wanqiu out of her trance. She flushed bright red.
It wasn’t entirely her fault. Before this, Xiao Minghuang had always given others a sense of elegant dignity and lofty grace, like a queen standing above the mortal world.
But after changing into this outfit, that feeling vanished. It was as if she’d transformed from a distant empress on a pedestal into a newly grown, enchanting young maiden.
How could anyone not be stunned?
Whatever others might think, at the very least, Lin Wanqiu had been dazzled.
