Chapter 73

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Chapter 73: Hear Me Out

For the next two days, Ming He stayed away from the Zhenyuan Escort. There was little for her to oversee there; her late father had been renowned for his chivalry and generosity, treating the escort masters as brothers. Thus, even without martial prowess, she could maintain her position as the Young Master, thanks to her father’s legacy.

Chu Yi Qing assisted her in reviewing the account books, but after two days, they had only managed to cover a small portion. Zhang Gui visited once, only to be swiftly dismissed by Ming He’s light, dismissive remarks.

Outside, the sun shone brightly. It was the third day since the Young Master’s wedding and also the day for the governor’s daughter to return home.

Early that morning, Ming He had arranged for a carriage and prepared all the necessary return gifts. She ushered Chu Yi Qing into the carriage, her curiosity piqued about the place where Chu Yi Qing had grown up.

Chu Yi Qing leaned back against the soft cushions, pouting and ignoring Ming He. She tactfully refrained from revealing that Ming He’s interest lay more in the tales of malicious stepmothers and cunning half-sisters from the storybooks.

Jiangnan was a land of prosperity, and the Zhenyuan Escort was one of its most prominent families. The governor’s household, however, was of true scholarly lineage. The two families had always maintained a respectful distance, much like the separation between the martial world and the imperial court.

Were it not for Chu Yi Qing, Ming He doubted she would ever set foot in such a noble residence.

She lifted the carriage curtain, gazing out with a playful expression. The governor’s mansion, with its red walls and green tiles, grand gates, and towering structures, boasted a pair of jade lions at its entrance that far outshone those at the escort agency. She wondered if the governor was an honest man.

The carriage turned into an alley and came to a gentle halt.

Ming He stepped down gracefully and turned to offer her hand to Chu Yi Qing, assisting her with a gentle touch.

Each had their own motives; Ming He hadn’t forgotten.

"Second Miss, Second Master," greeted a middle-aged man dressed as a butler, approaching them with a respectful demeanor and ushering them inside.

"Where is Father?" Chu Yi Qing asked the butler as she crossed the threshold, glancing back.

"The master has gone to court and will return in the evening," the butler replied, bowing slightly. "The Third Miss and Third Master have just arrived and are waiting in the front hall with the lady."

"I’m not hungry," Chu Yi Qing shook her head. The journey from the escort agency had taken about two hours, and she had already eaten some snacks in the carriage.

"Then let’s proceed," Ming He said, slightly disappointed by the butler’s overly formal manner. She mused that the tales from the storybooks were indeed exaggerated.

In the governor’s front hall, Ming He followed Chu Yi Qing into the grand room, where lively chatter filled the air. A poised woman adorned with jade sat at the main seat, presumably Chu Yi Qing’s stepmother. Her sharp features, however, hinted at a lack of warmth. Upon their arrival, she fell silent for a moment.

"I’m back," Chu Yi Qing said, an odd sensation stirring within her as she instinctively omitted any formal address.

"Greetings, Mother-in-law," Ming He offered, feeling indifferent but sensing the peculiar atmosphere.

"Hmm," the woman responded quietly, not inviting them to sit, her demeanor perfectly matching the malicious stepmother from the storybooks.

"Oh, is this the fiancé whom the Second Miss was so desperate to marry?" A sharp voice pierced the hall’s silence, dripping with mockery and scorn.

Ming He found the situation somewhat absurd. She steadied her gaze and saw a girl in a pink dress, her eyes slanting towards Chu Yi Qing with unmistakable sarcasm.

Well, the cold step-sister was present as well.

Ming He gave Chu Yi Qing a knowing glance, aware that she had no desire to endure insults here, regardless of the circumstances.

"Since Father-in-law won’t return until the evening, I think I’ll take Yi Qing downstairs to have a look. I’m quite curious about the place where she grew up," Ming He said softly, her eyes filled with affection as she mentioned Yi Qing’s name, showing her utmost respect.

After speaking, she led Chu Yi Qing away, paying no heed to the reactions behind them; after all, her priority was Chu Yi Qing’s well-being.

She embraced her role as the governor’s daughter-in-law with ease.

"How is it? Isn’t my husband quite wonderful and gentle? Better than those domineering princes, heroic generals, or charming young heroes from the storybooks?" Ming He asked Chu Yi Qing eagerly.

After a moment of silence, she felt puzzled and walked over to find Chu Yi Qing leaning against the pavilion, watching the fish in the pond below, her brow furrowed, looking troubled.

Ming He didn’t quite understand and assumed Chu Yi Qing felt neglected and wronged. She couldn’t help but offer reassurance, "It’s alright. Now that you’ve married me, they won’t be able to bully you anymore." She believed Chu Yi Qing must have endured much hardship in her family before.

A wise, generous, kind, and brave image of a resilient illegitimate daughter sprang to life in her mind. The look she gave Chu Yi Qing now held more genuine compassion.

Unbeknownst to her, Chu Yi Qing felt increasingly strange under such a gaze, sensing that the expression did not match the face and name before her.

As dusk fell, the legendary governor finally returned home, requesting Chu Yi Qing and Ming He to join him for dinner.

In the dining hall, Ming He looked curiously at the middle-aged man dressed in plain clothing sitting opposite her. Was this Chu Yi Qing’s father?

As she observed the ordinary appearance of the middle-aged man, a flicker of oddity crossed her mind. She felt that Chu Yi Qing’s father should not look like this. But she could not articulate how he should be.

“Dear nephew, this child Yi Qing has insisted on marrying you, threatening to do anything to achieve it. I hope she hasn’t caused you any trouble in these past few days. If she has done anything wrong, feel free to teach her a lesson,” he said lightly, his eyes showing disdain for her connection to the martial world.

“However, since you’ve married her, you should hold back a bit. In my opinion, there’s no need for any violent matters; it’s better to engage in something more proper.”

Ming He lowered her head in silence. If he looked down on the people of the martial world, why did he agree to Chu Yi Qing’s marriage to her? Moreover, now that the marriage was done, his words only deepened her dislike for Chu Yi Qing. Such remarks didn’t sound like something a father would say.

She raised her gaze, her expression a mix of a smile and seriousness. “Father-in-law, Yi Qing is a wonderful person.” She only said this much, ignoring the long-winded remarks that followed from the middle-aged man.

Her path should be decided by her alone; others had no say in it.

“Your father spoke kindly to you for so long, what’s wrong with you?” A young man next to them burst out angrily, slamming his hand on the table. He then continued in a patronizing tone, “I work as a doctor in the Ministry of War, and I need a clerk. You should tidy up and come work for me.”

“Who is this…?” Ming He looked at him with an astonished gaze. After a moment, she confirmed his identity: Chu Yuan Huai, the governor’s eldest legitimate son. He was also quite handsome, but how could he be such a peculiar character?

“Don’t change the subject. Just answer if you want this job or not,” the young man’s sharp gaze held an imposing air.

“I don’t want it,” Ming He replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

The young man scoffed disdainfully. “You don’t know what’s good for you.”

The dinner ended in an unhappy manner.

Night had fallen, and Ming He and Chu Yi Qing decided against traveling at night, choosing instead to rest in the room where Chu Yi Qing used to live before her marriage, planning to leave at dawn.

Chu Yi Qing sat at the foot of the bed, her brows tightly knitted as if lost in thought, an aura of confusion and gloom surrounding her.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ming He approached and took her hand, gently brushing her forehead. “It’s alright, I won’t bully you anymore.” The escort agency was flourishing; keeping a leisurely person around was not a difficult task.

When Chu Yi Qing heard this, she looked up with an unreadable expression, her clear eyes glimmering with unusual emotions, revealing an unsettled heart. After a long while, she nodded to show she had heard her.

The moonlight poured in softly, casting shadows within the room.

As Ming He slept, she felt a slight chill. In her dreams, she vaguely reached for the blanket but found only emptiness.

Where was Chu Yi Qing?

Startled, she sat up and discovered that the blanket had somehow fallen to the floor. The room was empty; Chu Yi Qing was nowhere to be found.

Ming He was taken aback. Finding her white robe beside the bed, she quickly slipped it on and got up to go outside.

The governor’s mansion was spacious and wide, not overly complicated in layout. However, since Ming He was new to this place, she didn’t know her way around. Remembering Chu Yi Qing’s ever-icy expression, she felt her heart race. What if she was feeling hopeless?

But where could she search for her? Ming He could only recall the pavilion where Chu Yi Qing had been gazing at the swimming fish during the day.

That pavilion should be this way, right?

She glanced at the dark rockery, hesitating for a moment, but after a pause, she stepped into the darkness.

“Bang!” Something soft bumped into her in the darkness, feeling like a person.

Ming He instantly thought it was Chu Yi Qing and instinctively reached out to steady the person. For some reason, that person rubbed against her, murmuring, “Brother Yu.” She heard a sweet, delicate voice.

As the moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting a silvery glow, Ming He finally saw the face of the person in her arms. With three parts elegance and seven parts frailty, it was the petite girl in pink she had seen in the main hall earlier that day—Chu Yi Qing’s legitimate sister.

She pushed the girl away and glanced behind her. Chu Yi Qing stood there, watching her with a gaze that was both confused and cold, layered with an unreadable complexity.

Feeling uneasy under that stare, Ming He instinctively said, “Chu Yi Qing, let me explain.”

“Go back,” Chu Yi Qing replied curtly, not even sparing a glance at her sister, who lay on the ground doing who knows what. She turned and walked ahead, leaving Ming He to follow.

Inside the room, Ming He spoke gently, careful not to upset her. “What… what were you doing just now?” She quickly added, “I went out to find you. I don’t know why I ran into her first.”

Pausing, she realized that her marriage to Chu Yi Qing was a sham, and there was no need to explain herself.

“Not much. Just took a look at this world,” Chu Yi Qing—or rather, Qin Chu Yi—replied with a faint, knowing smile, her tone tinged with resignation.

In the Vast Ancient Realm, the cause and effect of the mortal world, the first Trial had turned out to be this kind of ordeal.

She glanced at Ming He, and the helplessness on her face deepened. She had remembered everything—who she was, why she was here—but what good did it do?

Did Ming He have to remember as well for the Trial to be considered complete?

The Vast Ancient Realm. She mulled over the name, feeling a strange sense of wonder. In the mortal world, she had indeed gained much.

“Ah?” Ming He didn’t quite understand. “As long as you’re not upset,” she said, assuming Chu Yi Qing was troubled by the governor’s family’s attitude.

“I’m not angry,” Qin Chu Yi replied. Everything here was an illusion; how could she be angry?

The spirit of the Vast Ancient Realm likely wasn’t human. Otherwise, how could it have crafted such a false reality to deceive her?

A faint smile played on Qin Chu Yi’s lips.

Born into a noble family, she had been the Young Master from the moment she entered the world. Her father and brothers were strict yet indulgent, so she had never known what it was like to be treated with such coldness.

To be honest, Qin Chu Yi had never experienced such grievances before.

Because she had never known them, the feeling was novel, and the strangeness grew stronger until she recalled her true memories, easily separating them from the fabricated ones.

But Ming He still hadn’t remembered.

She looked at the concern on Ming He’s face and felt a headache coming on. Was it possible that the Vast Ancient Realm had tailored the background to match her reality? But she remembered Ming He’s father was still alive, and in reality, Ming He seemed to be the illegitimate daughter.

Could it be because of her status as the sole heir? Qin Chu Yi wondered silently.

“Then we’ll go back tomorrow and not return,” Ming He said, assuming Qin Chu Yi was too proud to voice her grievances.

“Mm,” Qin Chu Yi nodded, watching her climb into bed. She suddenly remembered how Ming He had teased her before she regained her memories.

So the calm and composed sword cultivator had this side to her as well.

A playful smile curled her lips as she leaned closer to Ming He, her breath warm and fragrant. “You once said I was beautiful, didn’t you?”

Her ink-black eyes sparkled like stars. “After today, I think you’re quite impressive. You might even make a good partner.”

Qin Chu Yi’s smile bloomed as she caught Ming He’s startled gaze. “Why don’t we live as you suggested and make do with each other, hmm?”

“Your heart is racing. Are you nervous?” She echoed Ming He’s earlier words, placing her right hand in the same spot Ming He had once touched, her eyes filled with genuine affection.

When it came to deception, Qin Chu Yi was no less skilled.

Ming He’s heart skipped a beat, and she trembled slightly. She looked at Qin Chu Yi, whose eyes shimmered with tenderness, her voice melodious and captivating. Was this gratitude for her care today?

She hesitated, feeling flustered. Her earlier words had been a joke; she hadn’t expected Chu Yi Qing to take them seriously. What should she do now?

Refuse outright? That didn’t seem right, especially after what she had just endured.

Ming He hesitated, unsure how to respond. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly at a loss. Her mind raced for a solution, but her peripheral vision caught the faint smile on Qin Chu Yi’s lips.

Ah, Ming He realized. There was no misunderstanding here. Chu Yi Qing was simply teasing her—perhaps even seeking a bit of revenge.

A flicker of irritation rose within her, and her eyes narrowed slightly as she formulated a response. In one swift motion, she flipped Qin Chu Yi beneath her, her smile mirroring the same deep affection. “Yes, you are indeed beautiful.”

As she answered Qin Chu Yi’s question, her right hand deftly unfastened the first button of her deep garment. “Of course, I’ll be a good partner. If we’re good together, how can this life be called ‘making do’?”

Ming He lowered her head and unfastened the second button, her fingers tracing a faint red mark along Qin Chu Yi’s collarbone. “How could I not be nervous when binding my life to yours, my wife?”

She pulled aside Qin Chu Yi’s deep garment, her gaze lingering on her lips, which reminded her of the red bean cakes she had loved as a child.

“Shall we consider this our pledge, then?” Her voice was deliberately seductive, her peach blossom eyes gleaming as she wrapped an arm around Qin Chu Yi’s waist, holding her in place. She leaned down, her breath warm against Qin Chu Yi’s ear.

At her age, it was her first time being deceived, and she had almost fallen for it.

“Let go of me,” Qin Chu Yi whispered, her body trembling, her breath uneven. A blush spread to her ears. She hadn’t expected Ming He to be so bold. Realizing she had been outmaneuvered, she couldn’t help but admire Ming He’s cunning. Beneath that gentle exterior lay a side she hadn’t known.

Ming He released her obediently. “My wife, what’s wrong?” Her right hand lingered at the edge of Qin Chu Yi’s garment, revealing glimpses of her form in the moonlight.

“You…” Qin Chu Yi reached out, intending to summon her spiritual energy to strike back, only to find it absent. She was still in a mortal body, and Ming He’s gaze was fixed on her exposed skin, intense and unwavering.

She adjusted her clothes, feeling that the person before her was both familiar and unfamiliar. The Ming He she knew was serious and reserved, not this tender, flirtatious figure who seemed so at ease.

There was so much more to Ming He that she hadn’t yet discovered.

A blush crept across Qin Chu Yi’s cheeks as she glared at Ming He, deciding to settle this score later. She pulled the quilt over herself and snapped, “Sleep!”

Ming He, still half-leaning over her, laughed softly. It seemed she had won this round.