Female Consort (GL)

Li Qingwu instinctively wanted to pull off the bandage to take a closer look, but as her fingertips hovered over it, she remembered she needed to keep her identity hidden. She forcefully stopped herself.

Qiu Che's voice interrupted her drifting thoughts.

With a hint of amusement, Qiu Che asked, "Miss Yue, what exactly is your reason for sneaking into my courtyard in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"I deeply apologize…"

Li Qingwu spoke with embarrassment, "These days, I've been tied up with matters and couldn't make time. Also, the pastries I sent you weren't accepted… I began to wonder if they didn't suit your taste?"

As she spoke, she casually brushed off a blade of grass from her fingertip.

Though disheveled, Qiu Che found it odd that she still maintained a dignified composure, sitting properly without a hint of impropriety.

This, in a way, reminded Qiu Che of Li Qingwu's character.

Observing her demeanor with some amusement, Qiu Che shook her head and thoughtfully remarked, "Miss Yue seems quite concerned about whether the pastries were delivered."

"Ah?" Li Qingwu was momentarily startled but then pursed her lips and offered a faint smile.

Unfortunately, her expression was hidden under the veil, leaving it unseen.

She said, "Actually, I made the pastries myself. Since you accepted them the other day, I thought perhaps it meant you agreed to my request to be friends."

"However, for certain reasons, I can't leave my residence. I genuinely wanted to see you… so I had no choice but to resort to this—please forgive me."

As she spoke, she seemed slightly embarrassed, lowering her head as a faint blush crept to her ears.

Qiu Che couldn't see her expression, but from her tone, she could discern her emotions.

Hearing this, Qiu Che tugged at the corner of her lips, unsure whether to regret accepting that box of pastries or to regret not accepting the ones afterward.

After some thought, Qiu Che asked, "So, apart from this, is there anything else you wanted to say tonight?"

Li Qingwu pondered for a moment before earnestly shaking her head. "That's all."

…She scaled the wall in the dead of night just for this?

Qiu Che took a deep breath and said, "It's not that I refuse to take your pastries, but Miss Yue, you're simply too enthusiastic… Besides, sneaking over walls at night—if word gets out, it could harm your reputation."

Li Qingwu pursed her lips and asked expectantly, "But you wouldn't spread it, would you?"

Qiu Che fell silent. "…No."

Li Qingwu chuckled softly but said nothing.

Yet, Qiu Che immediately understood her unspoken meaning, feeling slightly helpless.

After a moment of silence between them, Li Qingwu tentatively asked, "So, does this mean we're friends now?"

Why is she so fixated on being friends?

Qiu Che found it a bit puzzling.

She nodded nonchalantly and then probed, "I suppose so… but then what?"

Li Qingwu hesitated before saying, "Since we're friends, could you visit my courtyard often in the future?"

Qiu Che raised an eyebrow.

Li Qingwu lowered her voice, "It's not what you think—I'm currently confined to my residence for certain reasons. If you could visit me, we'd be able to go out together."

At this, Qiu Che finally understood.

So, she intended to use Qiu Che as an excuse to go out?

No wonder she was willing to climb walls in the middle of the night—afraid to lose the only viable opportunity she could grasp.

After saying this, Li Qingwu folded her hands together, her gaze under the veil filled with hope as she looked at Qiu Che.

It wasn't a difficult request. Qiu Che thought it over briefly and nodded in agreement.

Li Qingwu's eyes lit up. Before she could say anything, Qiu Che added, "Wait here."

She then turned and entered her room.

Looking down at the slightly undone neckline of her clothes, Qiu Che frowned.

She didn't usually bother with binding her chest or applying makeup at night. The fake Adam's apple she used was lying under her pillow.

So, she had just been conversing with Li Qingwu like this?

Hopefully… she didn't notice.

Thankfully, the young lady was veiled; otherwise, it would be hard to say who'd feel more embarrassed.

Silently berating herself for her diminishing caution, Qiu Che quickly drew on her eyebrows and affixed the fake Adam's apple to her throat. A moment later, she emerged, fully dressed.

In her hand, she held a delicate, leaf-shaped wooden carving. She sat back down beside Li Qingwu without a change in expression.

The carving was barely half the length of a finger, painted in a vivid maple-leaf red, appearing lifelike.

Li Qingwu, unable to see clearly through her veil, momentarily paused at Qiu Che's tidy attire before lowering her gaze to the carving she was handed.

"What's this?" she asked softly.

"A bird whistle," Qiu Che replied.

"A bird whistle?" Li Qingwu repeated in confusion.

This item resembled a leaf far more than a whistle.

"I don't know when you'll want to go out, and since you're being closely monitored, it's inconvenient to communicate. Luckily, our rooms aren't far apart." Qiu Che gestured to the item in her hand. "Keep this. If you need help, blow the whistle. If I'm in my room, I'll knock on your door within a quarter of an hour."

Li Qingwu tilted her wrist slightly and noticed a small hole at the base of the carving—a whistle opening.

"Wouldn't blowing a whistle draw too much attention?" she asked, puzzled.

The guards in her courtyard weren't amateurs.

Not to mention her two handmaids, Ying Chun and Ying Yue, who were experienced attendants of the imperial household. Any whistle sound would instantly arouse suspicion.

Qiu Che smiled. "Try it, and you'll know."

Li Qingwu studied the small item for a moment before cautiously bringing it to her lips.

The first sound mimicked the call of a cuckoo.

The second, the chirp of a magpie.

The third, a chorus of cicadas.

Each sound was distinct and different from the last.

Satisfied, Li Qingwu stopped.

She examined the whistle in her hand and marveled, "A bird whistle… so that's how it works! Where did you find such a treasure? If something like this existed among the common folk, it should have already become famous."

"It's not a treasure, just a little trinket I made myself," Qiu Che said casually. "If you like, I have plenty more."

Li Qingwu instinctively tightened her grip on the whistle.

Hearing the latter part of Qiu Che's response, her eyes brightened beneath the veil as she asked excitedly, "Really?"

Qiu Che nodded.

But Li Qingwu's grip loosened, then tightened again. After a long pause, she sighed, "Never mind. This one already carries enough of your effort. It's more than enough."

Qiu Che could tell Li Qingwu thought she was downplaying its value, afraid it was a burden she wasn't willing to part with, so she politely declined further generosity.

This young lady is rather considerate, Qiu Che mused.

Although she understood, she didn't bother explaining that these whistles took her little time to make.

After all, they weren't that close yet.

No need to explain too much.

Before leaving, Li Qingwu hesitated and said, "I'm sorry for disturbing you for so long tonight. But… Young Master Qiu, you agreed to help me so readily—don't you want to ask who I am or why I'm under such strict watch?"

Qiu Che stood by her side, taller by almost a head, tilting her gaze toward her.

Qiu Che casually joked, "If I asked, would you really tell me?"

Li Qingwu hesitated for a moment, then replied, "How do you know I wouldn't?"

Qiu Che was momentarily at a loss.

She couldn't tell if Li Qingwu was being sincere or just playing along with her jest.

Her gaze swept briefly over Li Qingwu's finely tailored attire before she calmly said, "There are some things that aren't for me to know."

Nor were they things she wanted to know.

In short, she wasn't interested.

Li Qingwu clearly didn't understand.

She tilted her head slightly, causing her veil to sway. "Then why are you helping me?"

Qiu Che tilted her head slightly, as if lost in thought.

After a moment, she replied, "Just think of it as me having a compassionate heart, unable to bear seeing someone in trouble."

Li Qingwu: "?"

After their casual conversation, Li Qingwu was finally ready to leave.

She had only taken a few steps when she suddenly shuffled back.

Qiu Che, who hadn't yet turned to leave, raised an eyebrow. "?"

Li Qingwu whispered, "Young Master Qiu, I just remembered—I climbed over the wall to get here."

Qiu Che blinked. "Oh, so?"

Li Qingwu looked troubled. "When I came out, I used sleeping incense to put the guards to sleep. By now, they've likely woken up. I really can't sneak back into my room under their noses."

Qiu Che latched onto a key detail. "What kind of incense did you use?"

"..."

Li Qingwu answered reluctantly, "Fracture Grass."

This was the most common sedative in the southern Yi regions.

The southern Yi were skilled in poisons and had once dominated the world with their venomous arts. Decades ago, they were defeated by the late emperor and driven back to their southern stronghold, where they had since kept a low profile.

But the southern Yi were so far from the Great Xia. Why would a noblewoman from the imperial palace of Xia possess such a thing?

Even if she wasn't Li Qingwu, she clearly harbored many secrets.

Qiu Che cast her a long, deep look before nodding and extending a sleeve.

Li Qingwu, puzzled but instinctively compliant, placed her hand in Qiu Che's. "…Huh?"

Qiu Che said, "Didn't you want to return?"

Li Qingwu replied, "Yes… ah!"

Before she could finish, Qiu Che flipped her wrist, grabbing Li Qingwu's arm and lifting her whole body off the ground. Her other hand circled Li Qingwu's waist as they shot up into the air.

Startled, Li Qingwu clutched at Qiu Che's sleeve and even steadied her conical hat. "W-What is this—"

"Apologies," Qiu Che said without much sincerity. "But if I'm to get you back, this is the only way."

Li Qingwu: "…Alright, okay."

Qiu Che smiled faintly.

This reaction wasn't what she had anticipated.

She's unexpectedly… obedient?

The scene felt oddly familiar, but Qiu Che chose not to dwell on it.

Smuggling someone past the sharp eyes of the imperial palace guards was no easy feat.

However, Qiu Che, proficient in both literature and martial arts and nearly a general in her previous life, managed to safely deliver Li Qingwu back without incident.

Ying Chun, who had been standing guard, only felt a cool breeze sweep by. When she looked around, the night was as still as ever.

Once inside, Qiu Che kept her gaze respectfully averted, careful not to look at anything inappropriate. She placed Li Qingwu gently on the bed and silently stepped back.

Li Qingwu wrung her hands nervously, wanting to thank her but afraid of making noise. Awkwardly, she resorted to gesturing instead.

Qiu Che's eyes briefly swept over her conical hat. Using inner energy to transmit her voice, she said, "No need to thank me. Just…"

She added meaningfully, "Not every man is as kind-hearted as I am. Next time, young lady, avoid letting strange men into your room so easily."

After all, she was only pretending to be a man.

A real man in this situation might not leave without taking advantage.

Li Qingwu froze.

But Qiu Che had already turned and leapt out the rear window. Her slender figure disappeared gracefully into the night.

Li Qingwu sat in silence for a while. She removed her conical hat, not bothering to tidy her disheveled hair, and lowered her gaze to the bird whistle she had been clutching all evening.

After a long time, she held it tightly, her thoughts hazy.

She thought, That's not true.

Qiu Che wasn't a stranger.

And besides, she had never let anyone into her room so easily before.

Only Qiu Che was an exception.

The next morning, Ying Chun took a break, and Ying Yue replaced her to attend to the princess.

While brushing her hair, Ying Yue noticed the long, silky strands were tangled. "Your Highness, has it been a while since your hair was properly managed? Why is it so knotted?"

Li Qingwu coughed guiltily.

"Maybe… I slept poorly."

Ying Yue didn't suspect a thing.

Having been disturbed late at night, Qiu Che slept until late morning the next day.

When the midday bell rang, the sound of an oriole's clear song echoed nearby.

Qiu Che opened her door to find Yu Yan practicing martial arts in the courtyard with a wooden sword she had recently chosen from Qiu Che's collection. Her moves already carried some flair.

Meanwhile, Yu Ming sat on the side peeling peanuts sent by a nearby temple, chatting quietly.

When they saw Qiu Che emerge, Yu Ming quickly greeted her. "Young Master, you're awake?"

While traveling, calling her "Master" was inconvenient, so they addressed her as "Young Master."

Qiu Che nodded. "I'm heading out."

Yu Ming paused, puzzled. "Where to, Young Master?"

"To keep an appointment."

Yu Ming and Yu Yan: "…?"

What happened overnight that they weren't aware of?

Fifteen minutes later, Qiu Che arrived at her appointment and knocked on the door.

"I'm heading to the ceremonial hall to offer prayers today. I was hoping Miss Yue could accompany me."

Li Qingwu's two maids exchanged confused glances, each seeing the same question in the other's eyes:

Didn't this Young Master Qiu reject their princess's pastries just yesterday?

Why was he now showing up uninvited?

But since the guest had arrived, they couldn't refuse without risking the exposure of Li Qingwu's true identity.

Li Qingwu, of course, had no intention of refusing.

And so, the two maids had no choice but to allow her to walk alongside Qiu Che, following at a discreet distance.

Qiu Che glanced at the vigilant maids trailing them and whispered, "I thought you wouldn't use the whistle today."

Li Qingwu smiled slightly and replied softly, "I was afraid of disturbing your rest, so I waited until noon to blow it."