RPDPHW Chapter 29

Zhong Shujin’s drooping eyes made her look truly pitiful.

Seeing her give in like this, how could Gu Qingyin stay angry?

“Are you really going to apologize?”

Gu Qingyin cast her a skeptical glance.

With Zhong Dajiao’s pride, was she really willing to apologize on her own?

Yeah, right.

“Mm!” Zhong Shujin nodded quickly. She had already slashed Lin Ziyan a few times, so her initial frustration was gone. And after being ignored by Gu Qingyin for so long, she was more worried about whether Gu Qingyin was still upset. She hurriedly added, “I shouldn’t have been so reckless and injured her like that! I’ll go apologize to her right away!”

Seeing that Gu Qingyin still had a stern face and remained silent, Zhong Shujin inched closer, tugging at her sleeve with a pitiful expression.

“I really know I was wrong. Don’t be mad anymore, Qingqing…”

“You—!” Gu Qingyin sighed helplessly and pinched Zhong Shujin’s nose, scolding her teasingly, “I really can’t do anything about you. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Zhong Shujin immediately brightened up and grinned. “Nope!”

“Next time, don’t just randomly challenge Ziyan to a fight. She may not be from the martial world, but her skills aren’t any weaker than yours. The only reason you managed to injure her is that she was going easy on you. Do you understand?”

Zhong Shujin thought about it seriously. Since Lin Ziyan was Gu Qingyin’s friend, bullying her too much would definitely make Qingqing unhappy.

“Got it.” She pulled over a small stool and sat obediently beside Gu Qingyin, solemnly promising, “One match was enough. I really won’t fight her again next time.”

Gu Qingyin was a little surprised—she hadn’t expected Zhong Shujin to compromise so easily. But since Zhong Shujin had already admitted her mistake so sincerely, there was no point in scolding her any further.

After all, this whole thing might have started because Gu Qingyin hadn’t explained herself clearly in the sedan chair, leading to Zhong Shujin’s misunderstanding in the first place.

She hadn’t expected Zhong Shujin to have such a big reaction this time. She had barely left, and Zhong Shujin had already started fighting with Lin Ziyan?

So… was this really just jealousy?

Taking advantage of the quiet moment, she decided to explain Lin Ziyan’s situation to Zhong Shujin, hoping to prevent any future misunderstandings.

“That Fifth Concubine was rescued from the battlefield by General Lin several years ago. At the time, Ziyan was there as well, and since they were both women, she was the one who took care of her throughout the journey. They spent their days and nights together, sharing meals and hardships along the way. When they returned to the city, because the concubine was beautiful and had no family to rely on, General Lin took her in as his Fifth Concubine to provide her with shelter. And from then on, she became his favored consort.”

Gu Qingyin paused, tilting her head slightly to observe Zhong Shujin’s expression before continuing.

“If that were all, it would have been a rather fortunate turn of events. But unfortunately, during that journey, Ziyan had already fallen deeply in love with her. Even after she became her father’s concubine, even though such feelings would only bring pain, Ziyan still couldn’t let go. You saw how concerned she was for the Fifth Concubine just now, didn’t you? She came here injured after fighting with you just so she could use this opportunity to see her. Loving someone but never being able to have them—Ziyan is a pitiful person. She and I… are nothing more than close friends. So next time, don’t be so hard on her.”

Back when Gu Qingyin first met Lin Ziyan and noticed her feelings for the Fifth Concubine, that was when they truly connected. They had bonded over their shared experiences, becoming confidants because of the burdens they both carried.

After all, when emotions like these have no one to be shared with, they only fester in the heart, becoming an unbearable weight. Sometimes, simply speaking about them can make the pain feel lighter.

“But…” Zhong Shujin’s brows were deeply furrowed. “They’re both women!”

“Yes, they are both women.”

After all this time, Gu Qingyin finally dared to ask Zhong Shujin a question:

“Do you think… just because they’re both women, it isn’t allowed? Do you think… that love cannot exist between women?”

Zhong Shujin’s frown deepened, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

She didn’t answer, so Gu Qingyin pressed on.

“Then what do you think our relationship is?”

This time, Zhong Shujin truly panicked.

There were some feelings she didn’t want to think about—no, she didn’t dare to think about them.

“I… I…” Unconsciously, she started picking at her index finger, trying to suppress the nervousness rising within her. In a flustered voice, she replied, “Aren’t we… just like sisters?”

“Sisters?”

Gu Qingyin let out a self-mocking laugh.

To say it didn’t hurt would be a lie.

She hid the pain and disappointment in her eyes, turning away from Zhong Shujin to stare at the medicine stove. In a cold voice, she said, “Have you ever seen sisters who kiss the way we do? Who… does what a husband and wife would do?”

Seeing Gu Qingyin like this, Zhong Shujin felt a pang of sadness as well.

“I… I’m sorry… I lost my memory back then… I didn’t know any better…”

Before she could finish, Gu Qingyin interrupted.

“You lost your memory back then—did you also lose your memory last night?”

At the mention of last night, Zhong Shujin’s face immediately flushed crimson. She lowered her voice and muttered, “That was just… repaying you for your medical services… This sect leader doesn’t like owing people anything…”

Hearing this, Gu Qingyin felt utterly exhausted.

She had thought that, given all the little signs from the past few days, it was clear Zhong Shujin had feelings for her too. But now, hearing such a response, she couldn’t help but feel crushed.

The warmth in the air instantly turned cold again.

At that, Zhong Shujin didn’t dare to apologize anymore. She simply curled up on the small stool, resting her chin on her knees, sneaking a few glances at Gu Qingyin.

But Gu Qingyin kept her face cold, focusing on the medicine stove.

Perhaps the blow Zhong Shujin had dealt her earlier had been too much—Gu Qingyin found herself absentminded, unable to fully concentrate.

When she reached out to add more water to the stove, she was so distracted that she forgot to use the damp cloth to hold the lid and instead grabbed it with her bare hand.

“Tss—”

A sharp, burning pain shot through her fingers, reaching straight to her heart. It was as if all the earlier heartache surged forward at once, overwhelming her.

Suddenly, she felt a little wronged.

“Qingqing!”

Seeing this, Zhong Dajiao-zhu, who had been secretly watching Gu Qingyin all along, immediately rushed forward. She grabbed Gu Qingyin’s hand and, without hesitation, took the reddened fingers into her mouth, gently sucking on them.

After carefully soothing each of the three burned fingers, she finally let go, frowning as she blew softly on them. “How could you be so careless? Does it still hurt?”

Gu Qingyin’s nose stung slightly.

Expressionless, she gave a small nod.

That only made Zhong Shujin even more distressed. She took Gu Qingyin’s fingers into her mouth again, carefully licking along the reddened marks.

They say this method helps ease the pain—whether it actually worked or not, she didn’t know.

The sensation of her fingertips being tightly enveloped like this made Gu Qingyin momentarily dazed.

This feeling—it reminded her of last night’s intimacy.

Back then, Zhong Shujin had also held her fingertips in a similar way, using another mouth to wrap them around them tightly.

But the moment she recalled how this person, once clothed again, acted as if nothing had happened, Gu Qingyin’s anger flared up.

She forcefully pulled her fingers back and said coldly, “It’s fine now.”

Her palm was empty, her mouth was empty—and along with them, Zhong Shujin’s heartfelt empathy too.

She stared blankly at Gu Qingyin’s indifferent attitude, emotions tangled and indescribable.

But the moment she saw Gu Qingyin reaching for the stove lid again, she didn’t have time to dwell on her own bitterness. She immediately stepped forward, grabbed Gu Qingyin’s wrist, and quickly lifted the lid herself.

“I’ll do it! What do you need to add—medicine or water? Just sit down and tell me, I’ll take care of it!”

It was as if their Cold War from moments ago had never happened.

“Hmm? Why aren’t you saying anything? What should I add?”

Gu Qingyin couldn’t tell if Zhong Shujin was deliberately playing dumb to avoid discussing what had just been said or if she truly didn’t care about it at all.

Resigned, she huffed, “Add some water.”

“Oh, oh! Got it!”

Zhong Shujin happily poured in some water, then closed the stove lid again. By the time she finished, Gu Qingyin was already standing behind her.

“What’s wrong, Qingqing?”

Gu Qingyin didn’t respond. Instead, she simply hugged Zhong Shujin tightly.

Zhong Shujin lowered her eyes slightly.

Every time Qingqing felt sad, she would hold her tightly like this.

It seemed that today, Qingqing must be feeling sorrowful again.

Zhong Shujin sighed softly, raised her hand, and patted Gu Qingyin’s shoulder, gently calling her name, “Qingqing.”

But what responded to her was not Gu Qingyin’s voice—it was the sharp, piercing pain in her neck.

Zhong Shujin’s brows lowered slightly, but she neither made a sound nor moved. She simply stood there, holding Gu Qingyin, allowing her to vent.

Only when the taste of blood filled Gu Qingyin’s mouth did she finally release her bite. Yet, in the end, she couldn’t bear to let go completely—she gently licked the wound she had just inflicted.

Forget it. This time, she had been too impatient.

If her reckless questioning today ended up scaring Zhong Shujin away, that wouldn’t be good at all.

After composing herself, Gu Qingyin pulled away from Zhong Shujin’s embrace and spoke as if nothing had happened, “Once this medicine is ready, take it to Ziyan and the others.”

Zhong Shujin froze for a moment before nodding blankly.

After that, the two of them simply sat by the stove in silence, watching over the simmering medicine. Though their minds were filled with thoughts, neither of them dared to bring up anything about their feelings again.

Could love exist to between women? Could it be accepted?

Gu Qingyin didn’t dare to ask anymore.

Was it really just comradely affection?

Zhong Shujin didn’t dare to say it anymore.

More chapters will be uploaded tomorrow, good night y’all.<3

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