RPDPHW Chapter 27

Upon hearing Gu Qingyin’s hearty laughter, Zhong Shujin couldn’t help herself—she turned back and glanced at Gu Qingyin once more.

But seeing Gu Qingyin so cheerful, Zhong Shujin immediately regretted turning around.

That radiant smile—it only made Zhong Shujin feel more stifled the longer she looked. Though she should be happy that Qingqing was happy, the thought that this joy was likely because of that woman outside made it impossible for her to feel the same.

At that moment, Zhong Shujin wanted nothing more than to stop seeing that dazzling smile. Yet, she also knew that if she deliberately looked away now, it would seem too obvious. So, she swallowed her grievances, quietly closed her eyes, and refused to look at Gu Qingyin’s beaming face any longer.

Right now, all Zhong Shujin felt was an indescribable bitterness.

The name Qingqing was no longer hers alone to call.

“She once saved my life, and a life-saving grace is greater than the heavens,” Gu Qingyin said with deliberate meaning. I’m merely fetching some medicinal ingredients for her. It’s nothing worth mentioning.”

Hearing this, Zhong Shujin’s eyes snapped open.

A life-saving grace?

She suddenly recalled how Qingqing once said that such a debt should be repaid with one’s own life. The thought of it made her chest tighten unbearably.

Yet, in the end, Zhong Shujin only opened her mouth slightly, but no words came out.

She had wanted to say: So… are you planning to offer yourself in return?

But in the end, she swallowed those words back down.

Perhaps she was simply afraid of hearing an answer she didn’t want to hear, so she didn’t dare to ask at all.

Zhong Shujin’s expression was anything but pleasant right now—such a stark contrast to her bright and cheerful demeanor when they had been fleeing moments ago. Gu Qingyin, of course, understood why, but she offered no explanation. Instead, she merely curved her lips into a playful smile, pretending to be oblivious as she leaned in closer to Zhong Shujin and asked, “What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?”

The sedan chair was already cramped, forcing the two of them to sit pressed against each other. But with Gu Qingyin shifting even closer, their bodies were now practically glued together.

At such a close distance, Zhong Shujin could distinctly feel the softness pressing against her.

Her face flushed red in an instant.

Hurriedly, she scooted to the side, putting some space between them to avoid the unnerving contact. Clearing her throat, she replied stiffly, “Nothing. I’m just really happy we got out of danger.”

But whenever Zhong Shujin retreated, Gu Qingyin simply advanced, maintaining their close proximity.

“Happy? Then why aren’t you smiling?” Gu Qingyin teased.

Hearing this, Zhong Shujin forced an awkward, stiff smile. She shuffled even further away before finally glancing up at Gu Qingyin, as if trying to prove that she really was happy.

Unfortunately, the sedan chair was far too small. With Zhong Shujin backing away and Gu Qingyin pressing in, the next thing she knew, Zhong Shujin had run out of space entirely—and tumbled straight out of the seat.

That was it. She was going to fall out of the sedan chair.

Resigning herself to fate, she shut her eyes, bracing for the impact. But to her surprise, the expected pain never came. Instead, she found herself caught—Gu Qingyin had pulled her back just in time.

Now, Zhong Shujin had no seat to return to at all. Instead, she was nestled right in Gu Qingyin’s lap.

“I didn’t tell them we had two people, so they only prepared a single-passenger sedan chair. It’s already cramped as it is,” Gu Qingyin said with a chuckle. “So stop squirming. If you fall again, I won’t save you next time.”

“Oh.”

Zhong Shujin thought to herself—if Gu Qingyin hadn’t squeezed her like that, she wouldn’t have fallen in the first place!

But the way they were now sitting, face-to-face and wrapped in each other’s arms, was far too intimate. Her cheeks remained stubbornly flushed, and the words she wanted to say never made it past her lips. Instead, she merely lowered her head and mumbled a quiet response.

Gu Qingyin’s smile didn’t fade. She had originally wanted to tease Zhong Shujin a little more, but her gaze was suddenly drawn to a damp patch on Zhong Shujin’s left sleeve.

She reached out and touched it, and her fingertips came away stained with crimson.

“Your wound reopened,” Gu Qingyin murmured, frowning slightly. “See what happens when you insist on acting tough? Does it hurt?”

Her injury hadn’t even fully healed, yet she had still carried Gu Qingyin and run all the way here?

Of course, Gu Qingyin conveniently forgot how she had let Zhong Shujin do exactly that without protest. Now, she simply sat there, waiting for Zhong Shujin’s response with a serious expression.

But, as always, Zhong Shujin’s thoughts were completely different from hers.

Her already flushed face now showed a hint of panic as she instinctively pressed her hand over her belt.

“D-Don’t take it off here…”

Gu Qingyin blinked in surprise before asking, “Why not?”

“It’s… it’s not appropriate…”

The memory of last night—when her belt had been undone, leading to that—flashed through Zhong Shujin’s mind, making her face burn even hotter.

Gu Qingyin, catching on, couldn’t help but chuckle. Tightening her arms around Zhong Shujin, she pulled her even closer, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

“I think… inside the sedan chair works just fine too…”

“N-No! That’s not…!”

Zhong Shujin squirmed, trying to lean away, her breath hitching as she dodged Gu Qingyin’s teasing whispers against her skin. In a flustered voice, she stammered, “There are people outside! We can’t!”

Gu Qingyin’s smile grew even gentler. In the end, she couldn’t bear to tease Zhong Shujin any further. Instead, she lightly pinched her cheek and chided, “Silly girl, what are you even thinking? If you don’t want me to help you apply for medicine here, then we’ll just wait until later.”

Meanwhile, outside the sedan chair, Lin Ziyan, who was riding alongside it as a guard, had overheard fragments of their conversation. And those fragmented words pieced together into what she thought was the full picture.

“Don’t take it off here…”

“There are people outside… It’s inconvenient…”

Her expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she mused: So Qingqing is actually such an impatient person.

She glanced at the small sedan chair, seriously wondering—would Qingqing be upset that she hadn’t prepared a more spacious carriage for her?

That way, perhaps… it would have been more convenient.

When they arrived at the General’s Manor and entered Lin Ziyan’s courtyard, she dismissed the attendants before calling out from outside the sedan, “Qingqing, we’re here.”

Inside the sedan chair, Zhong Shujin—who had been so thoroughly flustered by Gu Qingyin’s teasing that she had momentarily forgotten all her earlier bitterness—was abruptly pulled back into reality by that name.

Especially when the very person pinning her down, Gu Qingyin, even nudged her and urged, “We’ve arrived, hurry and get out.”

In the end, Zhong Shujin, who was still seated on Gu Qingyin’s lap, had no choice but to get out first—albeit reluctantly and with a stifled sense of grievance. She stepped down from the sedan chair with a cold face, only to lock eyes with the cold, beautiful woman standing outside.

Earlier, everything had happened too quickly. After escaping from the rooftop, Gu Qingyin had immediately pulled her into the sedan, leaving Zhong Shujin with no chance to get a proper look at this person.

Likewise, Lin Ziyan hadn’t paid much attention to her before. But now, this moment gave her the perfect opportunity to take a good, long look.

Lin Ziyan shifted her gaze slightly, already forming an opinion in her mind.

Good looks.

Strong presence.

Fearless, composed—not bad.

But what was with that intense hostility and icy glare directed at her?

The stare-off didn’t last long, though, as Gu Qingyin soon stepped out of the sedan. She gave Zhong Shujin’s shoulder a light push and said, “Why are you just standing there? Let me introduce you—this is Lin Ziyan, the third young lady of the General’s Manor. From now on, you can just call her Ziyan.”

“Oh.”

Without much enthusiasm, Zhong Shujin cupped her hands in a formal martial salute and greeted, “Greetings, Third Miss.”

Gu Qingyin: “…”

Hearing this, Lin Ziyan couldn’t help but chuckle.

“No need to be so formal. Just call me Ziyan, as Qingqing said.”

Zhong Shujin’s expression grew even colder.

“I’m not well acquainted with Third Miss. Calling you directly by name would be too disrespectful.”

At this, Lin Ziyan finally understood why Zhong Shujin seemed so hostile towards her. With a playful smirk, she replied, “No worries. Qingqing and I are close, and her friends are my friends. If you keep calling me ‘Third Miss,’ Qingqing might not be happy about it.”

Zhong Shujin felt even more stifled at those words.

But Lin Ziyan didn’t bother her any further. Instead, she walked straight to Gu Qingyin’s side, leaned in slightly, and whispered in her ear, “It’s her, isn’t it?”

Gu Qingyin glanced back at the person standing beside the sedan, cheeks puffed in frustration, and replied with a soft chuckle, “Mm.”

Meanwhile, Zhong Shujin, who had been left behind, watched as the two whispered intimately to each other. Her molars ached from how hard she was clenching her teeth.

Noticing Zhong Shujin’s expression, Lin Ziyan felt rather pleased. She deliberately rested a hand on Gu Qingyin’s shoulder and leaned in again, lowering her voice. “I’d really love to teach her a lesson.”

“Ziyan.” Gu Qingyin’s smile faded as she spoke seriously, “If she gets upset and her hand trembles while inserting the needle later, causing it to miss the right spot, don’t blame me for what happened.”

Hearing this, Lin Ziyan immediately withdrew her hand and put some distance between them, letting out an awkward laugh.

“I was just joking! If it weren’t for her, who knows when you’d have finally come to Shu? I should be thanking her, not actually bullying her.”

Only then did Gu Qingyin smile again, satisfied.

“Mm, I was joking too.”

With that, she turned and took Zhong Shujin’s hand. Ignoring the weak resistance, she firmly held on and pulled her to stand in front of Lin Ziyan. Looking serious, she said, “Stay with Ziyan for a while. I need to go treat someone, but I’ll come find you later.”

“I’ll go with you!”

Before Gu Qingyin could respond, Lin Ziyan quickly interjected, “Qingqing doesn’t like people watching when she treats patients. Be good and stay here with me. Don’t run around. If you step out of this courtyard and get caught by the Tang Clan, I won’t be responsible.”

Zhong Shujin frowned and glanced at Gu Qingyin, as if something had just occurred to her. She didn’t argue further. Instead, she relaxed her brows and nodded obediently. “Alright, I’ll wait here for you.”

Only then did Lin Ziyan let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Gu Qingyin and said seriously, “She doesn’t want to see me, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go with you. I’ll have Xiao’er accompany you instead—no one would dare stop you then.”

Gu Qingyin nodded. “Got it.”

Before leaving, Gu Qingyin reminded Zhong Shujin once more, “Don’t run around. Wait here for me like a good girl.”

“Mm.”

For once, Zhong Shujin responded obediently.

…Why was she suddenly being so cooperative?

Though Gu Qingyin found it a bit strange, she didn’t dwell on it. Without hesitation, she followed the maid under Lin Ziyan’s command toward Fifth Madam’s courtyard.

After all, the illness afflicting Fifth Madam could no longer be delayed.

Meanwhile, the seemingly well-behaved Zhong Shujin turned cold the moment Gu Qingyin left.

Gripping the Yanling Saber in her hand, she gave Lin Ziyan a formal martial salute, the kind exchanged between fighters before a duel.

“I have long heard of Third Miss’s great name and that your spear skills are unmatched. I am Zhong Shujin, merely a humble learner, and I would like to seek your guidance. I hope Third Miss will not hold back.”

Lin Ziyan: ???

Before she could refuse, the Yanling Saber was already unsheathed, slicing through the air as it struck toward her.

…Was this really just a friendly spar?

Lin Ziyan sighed inwardly, feeling utterly helpless. Left with no choice, she raised her silver spear and engaged Zhong Shujin in battle.