Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 55

Mujin felt as if her young lady’s face was glowing at that moment—elegant and warm, like a gentle spring breeze. She was momentarily stunned.

“My lady, when you smile like that, you look really beautiful.”

Gu Xiyan’s smile froze for a second upon hearing this, but she quickly returned to her usual expression. “You and your flattery again. But really, thank you this time, Ah Jin. If not for you, my parents would have suffered again.”

Mujin waved her hands repeatedly. “You’re being too polite with me. My life belongs to you—whatever I do is only natural.”

Gu Xiyan shook her head, her expression serious and solemn. “Don’t ever say that again. Your life is your own. If danger arises in the future, protect yourself first before thinking of protecting others, understand?”

Mujin nodded. “I understand. But, my lady, you’re not just ‘others’—you’re the person I want to protect.”

Gu Xiyan paused for a moment, then sighed and reached out to pat Mujin’s head.

For the past three days, Mujin had been on edge. Ye Qinming wouldn’t let her see Gu Xiyan, and now that Gu Xiyan was finally awake, she refused to leave her side. As she kept watch, she began recounting everything that had happened in the past few days—most of it revolving around Ye Qinming.

When Ye Qinming returned, she could already hear Mujin’s chattering from outside the door, so she stopped at the entrance.

Most of what Mujin was saying was about her. Gu Xiyan listened attentively, the corners of her lips occasionally curving into a smile. Though her gaze was unfocused, it was directed vaguely in Ye Qinming’s direction. Even in just her inner garments, she still carried an air of refinement. She seemed to be listening with great interest, so much so that, for the first time, she didn’t even notice Ye Qinming’s arrival.

After listening for a while, Ye Qinming realized Mujin’s storytelling was becoming more and more exaggerated. Seeing that Gu Xiyan still hadn’t noticed her, she finally straightened up and gave a deliberate cough.

Mujin seemed quite afraid of Ye Qinming. The moment she saw her, she immediately fell silent like a quail. A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Xiyan’s face, but it quickly turned into a smile. “You’re back?”

The words were so natural, so warm, that they gave Ye Qinming an illusion—that this was how things should be, as if she and Gu Xiyan had lived together like this for a long time.

“Mm. It was just a small matter, it’s already taken care of,” she replied before glancing sideways at Mujin. Mujin shivered under her gaze, pouting but still obediently leaving the room.

“Ah Jin is very afraid of you,” Gu Xiyan remarked with a light laugh, even though she couldn’t see what had just happened.

Ye Qinming muttered, “She’s lived for hundreds of years, yet she still clings to you like this. Ridiculous.”

Gu Xiyan naturally heard this and couldn’t help but chuckle. “She just has a childlike heart.”

Ye Qinming glanced at her but said nothing. Mujin reminded her a little of Ah Qi—just as clingy to Gu Xiyan, and just as devoted.

The room fell into a brief silence. After a moment, Gu Xiyan groped around the bed.

“What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiyan touched her clothes, looking slightly embarrassed. “My robe—I want to get up and walk around. I’ve been lying down for too long.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the rustling of Ye Qinming’s garments. A moment later, Ye Qinming seemed to have found the robe and walked up to her.

“Here.”

Gu Xiyan was taken aback and instinctively reached out to take the robe, but Ye Qinming avoided her hand and instead draped the robe over her shoulders herself.

“I… I can dress myself,” Gu Xiyan stammered, startled by the gesture. Even her ears turned red.

Ye Qinming had only meant to tease her, but she didn’t push it too far. After settling the robe on her, she stepped back.

However, instead of leaving, she leaned lazily against the table, watching Gu Xiyan with a relaxed expression. This made Gu Xiyan, who had been about to finish dressing, pause again.

“What is it now?” Ye Qinming asked with a playful smile.

Gu Xiyan pressed her lips together. Naturally, she could tell that Ye Qinming was teasing her on purpose. Suppressing the heat rising to her face, she smiled faintly and said, “Are you hoping to watch me change clothes?”

Ye Qinming had been leisurely sipping tea, but hearing the usually composed Gu Xiyan say something so bold caught her off guard. She choked on her tea and couldn’t help but cough.

When she finally stopped coughing, she caught a glimpse of Gu Xiyan rising slightly, only to sit back down calmly once she heard her recover. This mix of concern and composure made Ye Qinming both amused and exasperated.

“I always thought you were a gentle and proper young lady. Who knew that after a few years, you’ve become so sly?”

Hearing this, Gu Xiyan lowered her gaze, as if recalling something. “For you, it’s only been a few days, so it’s no wonder you wouldn’t expect it.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. No matter how she put it, her tone sounded like a mix of grievance and complaint—too abrupt and revealing.

The sudden silence from Ye Qinming deepened Gu Xiyan’s remorse. Just as she was about to say something to smooth things over, Ye Qinming spoke first: “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.”

In her heart, Ye Qinming had always told herself she owed Gu Xiyan nothing. She never thought it was a mistake to return to the Demon Realm. But after learning about the dangers Gu Xiyan had faced these past few days—thinking of how she had found her, covered in blood and barely clinging to life—Ye Qinming felt a pang of guilt and, for the first time, a trace of regret.

Now, it was Gu Xiyan’s turn to be stunned. She shook her head solemnly and said, “We were nothing more than strangers when we first met. After that, you were the one who protected me and helped me time and again. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me—I owe you far more than you owe me.”

Ye Qinming furrowed her brows slightly, unsure how to respond. Meanwhile, Gu Xiyan had already stood up and begun putting on her outer robe. Ye Qinming’s gaze followed her movements, and it wasn’t until Gu Xiyan’s fingers fastened the last tie that she realized—she had been staring the entire time, completely absorbed as Gu Xiyan finished dressing.

Being watched so intently made Gu Xiyan feel uneasy. Only when Ye Qinming finally snapped out of her daze did she quietly exhale and ask the question that had been weighing on her mind.

“Qinming, you finally returned to the Demon Realm—why have you come back to the human world? You mentioned you had a great enemy to confront, which must mean the Immortal Realm. Are your injuries fully healed?” Although her tone remained calm, the concern between her brows was hard to conceal.

Ye Qinming’s eyes softened with a hint of a smile. “It’s nothing. As I said before, I’m only here to deal with the demon clan members who escaped from the Demon Realm. I won’t stay long—it’s no big deal.”

Hearing this, Gu Xiyan seemed momentarily lost in thought. She lowered her voice and asked, “That’s good… When will you return?”

She could guess that the human world wasn’t safe for Ye Qinming. As the Demon Emperor, with her deep-seated grudge against the Immortal Realm, her escape from the Abyssal Prison of Demons would undoubtedly alarm the Heavenly Emperor. If they discovered her presence here, they would surely do everything in their power to capture her again.

With her powers still weakened, staying in the human world was a grave risk. The sooner she left, the safer she would be. But after only just reuniting with her, if Ye Qinming left again—this time, there might never be another meeting.

The smile on Ye Qinming’s face faded. After a moment of silence, she said, “I can’t stay long. There are still many matters in the Demon Realm that need my attention.”

Gu Xiyan forced a faint smile. “Once the barrier sealing the Demon Realm is restored, no one from the Demon Realm will be able to enter the human world again, right?” And that means you won’t come back either, will you?

She couldn’t bring herself to say the last part aloud. She had no right to ask such a question—no reason to hold her back. And she knew Ye Qinming would never abandon her obsession with vengeance.

“Yes.” Ye Qinming answered, her gaze fixed on Gu Xiyan’s face, trying to decipher what she was thinking. 

But Gu Xiyan’s expression remained as calm as ever. She simply smiled and said, “That’s good. At least it will keep people from worrying, and it will prevent further conflict between humans and demons.”

An inexplicable restlessness stirred within Ye Qinming. She had thought that by securing a future for Gu Xiyan and returning to the Demon Realm without hesitation, their paths would never cross again, and she could bury those feelings deep inside.

But when she sensed Gu Xiyan was in danger, she had acted impulsively—against her better judgment—and rushed to her side. Seeing her again had reignited emotions she thought she had buried, and now they burned more fiercely than ever.

“Do you understand?” Ye Qinming’s voice was low, her eyes locked onto Gu Xiyan’s expression. “Once I leave this time, I won’t ever come back.”

Gu Xiyan lifted her head and turned toward her, a hint of surprise flickering through her eyes. After a brief silence, she lowered her gaze and smiled softly. “I know. So what?” Ye Qinming’s breath caught slightly, and before she could respond, Gu Xiyan spoke again. “Before you left, you asked me if I liked you. I didn’t answer, did I?”

Caught off guard, Ye Qinming’s eyes widened in shock. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at Gu Xiyan, not even daring to blink.

She heard Gu Xiyan’s calm voice continue, “Yes, I like you. As absurd as it sounds, I tried to hide it, but you still saw through me.”

But Ye Qinming could no longer process anything else—those words, “Yes, I like you,” echoed endlessly in her ears.

Even though she had vaguely sensed it before, hearing Gu Xiyan admit it herself filled the Demon Emperor—who had lived for thousands of years—with an overwhelming, inexplicable joy that left her completely flustered.

Gu Xiyan couldn’t see, so no one else witnessed the mighty Demon Emperor blushing fiercely, her eyes burning with a rare innocence. This feeling… it was even better than when she conquered a city in the Demon Realm or subdued the realm’s most fearsome beast.

The silence stretched on, and Gu Xiyan’s heart sank, heavy and aching. Still, she kept her composure, her expression calm. “You are the Demon Emperor—you have your duties. I’m just a mortal, bound to return to dust someday. This brief lifetime means nothing to someone like you, so there’s no need for you to concern yourself.” She paused, her voice lowering. “I’ll keep my feelings to myself. I won’t trouble you.”

Ye Qinming, watching her quietly adjust the belt at her waist, finally moved closer. Her gaze softened, shimmering like water. “You say you’ll keep your feelings to yourself. But if I return to the Demon Realm… how long will you keep liking me?”

Gu Xiyan’s hand froze mid-motion. After a moment, she lifted her head and said softly, “As long as I live, I’ll like you.”

Ye Qinming’s pupils contracted slightly. She stared at Gu Xiyan in a daze as her mind went blank. Then, as if caught in a whirlwind, distant memories flashed through her mind—so fast she couldn’t grasp a single fragment. Yet, one phrase echoed clearly, piercing through the chaos and time itself.

“As long as I live, I’ll like you.”

Who said that? She struggled to hold onto the voice, but nothing surfaced—only the sound remained, gentle and firm, like Gu Xiyan herself. On the surface, calm and composed, but beneath it… an unfathomable depth of feeling.

A sharp pain lanced through her temple, making Ye Qinming groan and clutch her head. Alarmed, Gu Xiyan reached out in search of her. “Qinming, what’s wrong?”

Her hand brushed against Ye Qinming’s cheek—and suddenly froze. Her lips parted slightly in shock, but her surprise quickly turned into panic.

She felt it. Warm, wet tears. And more were falling. Ye Qinming… was crying.

An inexplicable ache seized her chest, and her throat tightened with a dry bitterness.

She had no idea what could make someone as proud as Ye Qinming cry—but instead of pointing it out, she quietly withdrew her hand and softly touched Ye Qinming’s. “Where does it hurt?” Her voice was gentle, tactfully avoiding any mention of the tears.

Ye Qinming, drawn back to reality by the touch, looked at the blurred figure of Gu Xiyan. She wore a simple white robe with a bamboo pattern—her features were indistinct through the haze of tears, but her silhouette remained as soft and graceful as ever.

The ache in Ye Qinming’s chest was almost unbearable. Blinking back her tears, she hastily pulled away, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Her voice was thick and hoarse as she muttered, “It’s nothing…” But the moment she heard how soft and shaky her voice had become, she immediately clamped her mouth shut and, after a beat, added stiffly, “I just caught a chill. My head’s been hurting for a while.”

“Mm, probably from overusing your spiritual power without resting,” Gu Xiyan said, as if she truly hadn’t noticed her tears. With gentle concern, she reached out and lightly massaged Ye Qinming’s temple. “Does it still hurt?”

Despite her quiet worries, Gu Xiyan felt an inexplicable warmth fill her heart. She had just laid bare her most startling feelings—but Ye Qinming hadn’t pushed her away, hadn’t mocked her. Instead, she allowed herself to be cared for, sitting there obediently while Gu Xiyan soothed her pain. And that… that was enough.

Ye Qinming, with her head resting under Gu Xiyan’s touch, gradually felt her turbulent emotions settle. She watched the woman before her—so gentle, so unyieldingly kind. Sometimes, that softness had infuriated her. But now… now, it made her heart race uncontrollably.

Overwhelmed by the surge of emotions—by the lingering echo of her words and the warmth of her touch—Ye Qinming suddenly leaned forward. Without hesitation, she captured those soft, worried lips with her own.

The kiss was quick, but deliberate.

“…It feels better now,” she murmured, barely managing three words before sealing her lips against Gu Xiyan’s again.

Gu Xiyan froze. Her hand, which had been stroking Ye Qinming’s hair, trembled in the air. Her eyes widened in shock, her normally composed expression utterly shattered.

Ye Qinming… had kissed her.

And after hearing her confession—she had kissed her.