FID – Chapter 1002

 Chapter 1002: Qian Yi’s Face Dropped

  Without even looking, Xue Qinglian could already imagine the flattering expression on the girl’s face when she said those words.

  Flattery never failed her.

  A total flatterer.

  Sure enough, the Elder’s voice below softened, carrying a subtle note of helplessness.

  “Fine. Tomorrow, bring him to me so I can see for myself. In a few days, the palace envoy will arrive; whether you pass the test will depend on him,” the Elder sighed. “Qian Yi, among those of your age eligible this year, you are the youngest but also the cleverest. I hope your cleverness doesn’t backfire on you.”

  “I understand, Elder. I’ll do my best.”

  After leaving the Elder’s hall, the little girl’s energy and liveliness returned. Her steps were light and quick, and as she stepped out of the courtyard, she gave Qian Yu, who was standing guard, a big hug.

  Watching the girl leave, Qian Yu finally turned and went into the hall.

  “Elder, should we really just let Qian Yi run wild like this?”

  The Elder was silent for a moment, then sighed lightly. “In our Saintess Tribe, most girls born as saintess are chosen to enter the palace when they reach the eligible age, while only a few remain to continue the next generation. Outsiders all envy us, thinking serving the Emperor is a great honor. Who would know that we are merely vessels raised by the royal family, used to prolong the Emperor’s life?”

  She then gave a bitter smile. “Qian Yi doesn’t want to enter the palace, so she found someone to act as her protector. If she succeeds, let her be. Entering the palace is not a blessing.”

  “But Qian Yi is the most beautiful and the most pure among those eligible this year. I fear—”

  No more words followed. The hall fell into a long, heavy silence.

  On the rooftop, a figure slipped away silently.

  Early the next morning, Qian Yi’s courtyard was in an uproar, noisy enough to prevent anyone from sleeping.

  Xue Qinglian painfully opened his eyes, wishing he could just sprinkle a handful of medicine powder and poison all the buzzing, irritating bees to death.

  Back when he used to toil day and night refining medicine, he would stay up and ruin his schedule. Whenever there was a chance to rest, he made sure to sleep fully.

  But at this moment, he was still very, very far from a proper rest. He was about to have poison scattered at the courtyard gate!

  “Qian Yi! You really brought a protector back last night? What does he look like? Hurry and call him out so we can see!”

  Qian Yi sat in the courtyard like a star at the center of the sky, surrounded by a circle of girls her age from the village, all chattering away, trying to get the details.

  “The man I like? Of course he’s handsome!” Slapping her chest, Qian Yi confidently assured her sisters. Her eye for men was absolutely reliable.

  “I heard that handsome men from outside are all fickle, not loyal and devoted like the men in our village,” a sudden voice cut in, ruining the atmosphere. “And those men have terrible tempers. They’ll hit a woman if things don’t go their way, and they’re always arrogant at home.”

  “Those are just rumors! You haven’t even seen him for yourself. My protector has a great temper!” Seeing it was Qian Xi again, the one who always picked on her, Qian Yi frowned and immediately retorted.

  Before anyone could respond, a roar came from upstairs: “Can you all be quiet?! Disturbing someone’s sleep is like cutting off their livelihood! Keep it up and I’ll make every one of you mute!”

  ”……”

  Qian Yi’s face literally fell to the ground, shattered into pieces.

  The others left, stifling their laughter.

  Especially Qian Xi, who, before leaving, couldn’t resist tossing out one last sneer, “I wasn’t wrong, was I? Men from outside can’t be trusted. You turned your nose up at my brother before, and now you’ve lost face. You can’t even pick it up again. Serves you right, doesn’t it?”

  By late morning, Xue Qinglian finally enjoyed a full, deep sleep. Stretching lazily, he descended from the bamboo house, only to find the little girl sitting in the courtyard, looking completely defeated, like a wet, bedraggled rooster.

  “Little girl, is there anything to eat?” Without waiting for her answer, he walked straight into the kitchen, lifting pots and helping himself—just like he used to in the Liu family courtyard. Old habits die hard.

  The girl trudged behind him, her voice muffled: “I made a few steamed buns this morning. There’s some porridge on the stove and a plate of pickled vegetables on the table. I haven’t made lunch yet.”

  “Not bad.” It was simple, just like the meals prepared by the old lady at the courtyard—plain and exactly to his taste. In a good mood, he asked casually, “Have you eaten yet?”

  “No.” Qian Yi looked up at him plaintively, glad he finally asked. If he asked another question, she could finally complain about her troubles and maybe get him to change a few things.

  “Then sit down and eat with me. There’s plenty of porridge, I’ll give you some.”

  “……” Watching him happily slurp and eat, Qian Yi’s anger flared. She slammed her chopsticks down. “I’m not eating!”

  “Then give it all to me.”

  “I bet you’ve never had a wife. You’ll be single for a hundred years!”

  “I never planned on marrying.”

  The conversation stalled. Qian Yi felt herself getting worked up just talking to him. “But now you’re my protector! You promised to help me!”

  “I promised to help you,” Xue Qinglian said, lifting his eyes, “I never promised to help you at the cost of depriving myself of sleep. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that disturbing someone’s rest first thing in the morning is very rude?”

  “This is my house—”

  “I’m already living here, so it’s not just your house anymore. You need to consider other people’s feelings. If you insist on keeping your old habits, then you shouldn’t have sought a protector in the first place.”

  Qian Yi pursed her lips, her anger fading a little. He actually had a point.

  “I don’t care what you did before, or what you’ll do later. But until I leave, you have to remember: there are other people in this courtyard. If you’re asking for help, you should put people first.”

  “Understood,” Qian Yi said quietly. The words made sense, but something about them still felt off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  Oh well. She was asking for help, so she’d bite her tongue.

  In a good mood, and having eaten her fill, Xue Qinglian finally looked relaxed. He set down his chopsticks and stood. “Wash the dishes and come out quickly. I’ll take you somewhere.”

  “Okay.” The little girl obediently went to wash the dishes, though she didn’t hold much hope for this mysterious ‘somewhere’ he promised.

  That roar from him this morning had completely humiliated her in front of all the sisters in the village. How was she ever going to save face now?

  Was she really supposed to go around explaining to everyone that they had all heard wrong?

  “Tell me,” he asked lazily, leaning against the doorframe while she washed the dishes. “Who embarrassed you this morning?”

  “You mean Qian Xi? She’s another beauty in our village, only slightly less pretty than me. She’s jealous because I’m more attractive, and she still holds a grudge since I rejected her brother’s proposal. That’s why she’s always picking on me. I don’t like her.”

  “So you mean to say you’re the most beautiful girl in the village?”

  “I am,” Qian Yi said, standing a little straighter, without a hint of modesty.

  “Really? Doesn’t look like it. You’re just a bit better than the rest.”

  “That’s because you have no taste! Don’t you know what it means to be a true beauty? Beauty isn’t in the skin, it’s in the bones! My bone structure is perfect, my bloodline pure. Whoever marries me will—”

  She suddenly clamped her mouth shut, her face flushing as she ducked her head.

Xue Qinglian’s eyes flickered, pretending not to catch the meaning. Seeing that she had finished washing the dishes, he turned toward the door. “Let’s go.”