Broken Linglong (12)
Qin Zhiqing's childhood was not happy. The Qin family had strict rules, and even servants who made minor mistakes would be severely beaten, let alone her, as the daughter of the head of the family. As soon as she could speak fluently, her father sent her to a private tutor. The tutor always had a stern face, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito. He carried a ruler with him during class, and if Qin Zhiqing didn't meet his expectations, he would strike her palm with it, making the little girl cry loudly. Once, Qin's father saw this and scolded Qin Zhiqing for being weak and incompetent, saying she couldn't even learn something so simple and only knew how to cry.
Qin Zhiqing felt even more aggrieved, so she simply started skipping classes. When caught, she would lie on the ground and act like a spoiled child, ignoring the persuasion of the servants. When her father found out, he punished her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and three nights, demanding that she reflect on her actions. Qin Zhiqing was so angry that tears streamed down her face. She resisted by going on a hunger strike and fainted from hunger before the ancestral tablets.
When she woke up again, she was back in her bedroom, with a young maidservant by her side. The maidservant looked about her age, with jet-black hair, a round face, and was rather cute.
When Qin's mother heard that her daughter had woken up, she rushed in with tears streaming down her face and hugged her tightly, crying uncontrollably. After she finally calmed down, she explained to Qin Zhiqing about the little maidservant beside her.
"This girl's name is Chi He. She will serve you from now on."
Chi He timidly knelt down and bowed to Qin Zhiqing, saying, "Greetings, Miss." Qin Zhiqing stared at her blankly, her heart filled with indescribable feelings.
By the time Qin's father became the head of the family, the Qin family had already declined. Various powerful families were unwilling to associate with the Qin family, waiting to see them fail. As a result, Qin Zhiqing didn't have any friends of similar age. The appearance of Chi He suddenly gave her someone she could confide in. After that, every day after class, she would openly confide in Chi He about any grievances she had.
At first, Chi He simply listened quietly, nodding and humming in response to whatever Qin Zhiqing said. Qin Zhiqing didn't see anything wrong with this and treated her like a resonant confidante, telling her everything. Then one day in class, when she couldn't answer the teacher's question, Chi He secretly passed her a note when the teacher wasn't looking. Qin Zhiqing read the answer from the note, and the teacher, surprised and speechless, unusually refrained from criticizing Qin Zhiqing.
Qin Zhiqing was overjoyed and wanted Chi He to stay overnight in her room for a chat. She had intended for Chi He to sleep in the same bed, but Chi He refused, saying she was afraid of breaking the rules. Qin Zhiqing couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she let her make a makeshift bed on the floor next to her own bed. That night, Qin Zhiqing talked to her a lot, and Chi He listened quietly, occasionally responding, until Qin Zhiqing was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open and fell into a deep sleep.
After that, Chi He basically stayed in Qin Zhiqing's room, becoming the young lady's closest companion. When Qin Zhiqing's hands were slapped by her teacher, Chi He would endure the cold to apply ice towels to her hands; when Qin Zhiqing was scolded by her father for her improper posture, Chi He would stay up all night with her to help her practice; when Qin Zhiqing talked back to her father and was put in solitary confinement, Chi He would secretly bring her snacks from the kitchen to satisfy her cravings…
Qin Zhiqing envied Chi He, especially for how quickly Chi He learned. Chi He could grasp what the teacher taught after just one reading, and could recite the poems and essays the teacher required her to memorize after only a few glances. In contrast, Qin Zhiqing had to make many mistakes before she could barely learn anything, and her father and teacher always considered her slow-witted.
So, one day, she confided her feelings to Chi He, feeling wronged. Chi He paused for a moment, then looked at her sincerely and said, "It's alright, Miss. I'll learn quickly and write down the parts that are easy to make mistakes in and the parts that require skill. That way, if you don't understand anything, I can tell you, and you'll learn faster and get punished less often."
Upon hearing this, Qin Zhiqing laughed heartily, teasing her for being so audacious as to call herself stupid. Chi He panicked and quickly explained that she only wanted to help her mistress in some way.
Seeing Chi He's panicked state, Qin Zhiqing felt a warmth in her heart. She felt that Chi He was the person who cared about her the most in the world, even more than her parents. In this "cage" called the aristocratic mansion, as long as Chi He was with her, she could persevere.
If she were still alive, she would definitely come to Yuancheng with me...
Thinking of this, an overwhelming grief welled up in Qin Zhiqing's heart. This matter had always been an indelible scar in Qin Zhiqing's heart, and she would tremble uncontrollably whenever she thought of it.
"What's wrong with you?" Qi Shuojun clearly noticed her unusual behavior and asked with concern, his hand involuntarily reaching out to catch Qin Zhiqing, who was swaying precariously.
Qin Zhiqing suddenly realized her lapse in composure. She forced herself to clear her mind and quickly regulated her breathing by covering her chest with her hand. Once her emotions had subsided, she straightened up and calmly looked at Qi Shuojun: "I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you, Young Master Qi."
“You’re not alright at all!” Qi Shuojun frowned in displeasure. “I’ll call a doctor to take a look at you.”
"No need!" Qin Zhiqing quickly grabbed his arm to stop him, "Really, no need!"
Her appearance was too strange, and Qi Shuojun was really worried. The two were at an impasse for a while, but in the end, Qi Shuojun gave in first and sighed helplessly, "Then I'll take you back to rest."
At Lingyun Inn, Ye Yingying's expression faltered slightly upon hearing "Valley of Witches." The term stirred up distant memories. Valley of Witches was no ordinary place; its inhabitants were renowned for their witchcraft and divination, and they all loved to play tricks, frequently uttering ominous pronouncements like "How long do you have left to die?"—creepy and unsettling.
"Why are you suddenly bringing up the Valley of the Witches?" Ye Yingying pouted, somewhat displeased.
"Didn't Senior Yun tell you?" Zhao Yuxiao looked at her in surprise, then explained, "There's a very skilled diviner in Witchman Valley who has been providing Senior Yun with information about the Azure Nether True Fire."
Ye Yingying was shocked; Yun Yanqiu was actually connected to the Valley of Witches.
“That guy said he was coming here recently, and Senior Yun even asked me to prepare a guest room in advance.” Zhao Yuxiao finished speaking, looking troubled. “That guy is a complete charlatan, with a bad temper and a very sharp tongue. Don’t be scared when you meet him.”
It was clear that Zhao Yuxiao was suffering greatly; his originally high eyebrows were now almost pressed against his eyelids, forming a "囧" shape. Seeing this, Ye Yingying couldn't help but feel a little curious about the sorcerer.
But curiosity aside, she still needed to be more vigilant. After all, Ye Yingying had witnessed the power of those people from the Witch Valley, and who knew what kind of trouble they might cause if she encountered them?
"Did Senior Yun say when that guy will arrive?" Ye Yingying asked Zhao Yuxiao, who shook his head.
"That person is elusive; it's hard to say when he'll appear."
In Witch Valley, even the strangest fellows seem normal. The two were silent for a moment before parting ways. With no need to travel with Qi Shuojun today, Ye Yingying had a lot of free time. She headed straight for her bedroom to catch up on some sleep, but as she passed Yun Yanqiu's door, she unconsciously stopped and peered through the crack. Zhao Yuxiao was right; the crack only revealed a table, chairs, and a window, not a bed. There was no one in sight; Yun Yanqiu must still be in bed.
Is he awake or asleep? Ye Yingying swallowed nervously, her fingers slowly touching the crack in the door, trying to pry it open a little so she could peek inside.
She moved with extreme caution, afraid of disturbing Yun Yanqiu inside, but before she could move even a millimeter, a deep voice came from inside: "Come in."
Feeling guilty, Ye Yingying was immediately taken aback, then, as if possessed, she pushed open the door and met Yun Yanqiu's eyes, who was leaning against the headboard. His gaze remained calm and indifferent, seemingly unsurprised by Ye Yingying's appearance. There was no embarrassment on his face from her discovering his secret the night before. Instead, he asked frankly, "Is there something you need?"
"It's nothing, I just came to see you, worried you might be uncomfortable..." Looking at Yun Yanqiu like this, Ye Yingying felt a little embarrassed.
"Seeing you doesn't make me uncomfortable."
Yun Yanqiu's words came as a surprise to Ye Yingying, who was momentarily taken aback. She was worried that Yun Yanqiu's body had not yet recovered, but his words seemed to imply that she was avoiding him because she was afraid he would dislike her.
Ye Yingying was inwardly worried, but dared not say much, afraid of angering him again like she had at the Han residence. He was practically a patient now, and she couldn't afford to lose her temper. However, the weakened Yun Yanqiu seemed to be speaking more politely than usual? Such a good opportunity shouldn't be wasted; Ye Yingying suddenly had a brilliant idea and decided to use this once-in-a-lifetime chance to get Yun Yanqiu's forgiveness.
So she closed the door, stepped forward and said, "Senior Yun, you looked so pale last night, I was so worried about you."
These words seemed to please Yun Yanqiu. He lowered his eyes, relaxed, and became like a lazy white cat, elegantly flicking its non-existent tail.
Seeing his expression, Ye Yingying's hope was greatly increased. She happily moved closer, bent down, and coaxed softly, "Senior Yun, are you still angry with me?"
Yun Yanqiu looked up, staring at her groggily, "There's still a little."
Ye Yingying's smile froze.
“But not much,” Yun Yanqiu added, gesturing with her hand as she spoke, “just this much.”
His thumb and forefinger were so close together that there was almost a gap between them.
"Then, what else do I need to do to stop you from being angry?" Ye Yingying coaxed, her heart pounding as she held her breath, waiting for Yun Yanqiu's reply.
Yun Yanqiu fell silent, his eyes seemingly showing displeasure at her cheating, as she actually wanted to come directly to him for the answers. He stared at Ye Yingying's smiling, ingratiating face, noticing a stray strand of hair that had fallen down. He unconsciously raised his hand and gently brushed the stray hair aside with his fingernail, revealing her clean and smooth face.
He gazed silently at the girl before him, his eyes brimming with affection that seemed about to overflow. He parted his lips slightly and finally uttered the words that had been buried in his heart for so long: "You're always smiling like this, I don't like it."
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