Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 58

The two of them waited outside for a long time before Gu Xiyan finally emerged, her eyes red.

Ye Qinming and Mujin quickly stepped forward to meet her. Ye Qinming studied her and asked, “Is it settled?”

Gu Xiyan nodded. “Did I keep you waiting long?”

Ye Qinming lowered her head and took Gu Xiyan’s hand. “Not long. Have you made up your mind?”

Gu Xiyan was silent for a moment before lowering her head and softly responding, “Mm, I have.”

Seeing that she was still grieving, her mood somber, and that her forehead was swollen and faintly bleeding from kowtowing earlier, Ye Qinming felt a deep ache in her heart. She reached out and gently held Gu Xiyan’s head. Startled, Gu Xiyan instinctively shrank back, but Ye Qinming softly said, “Don’t move.”

A stream of spiritual energy flowed from Ye Qinming’s fingertips, healing the swelling until it faded away.

“Is your head made of iron? You hit it so hard,” Ye Qinming scolded, her tone sharp, yet unable to conceal the tenderness beneath her words.

Gu Xiyan pursed her lips and lowered her eyes with a faint smile, but thoughts of her parents quickly dimmed her expression again.

Seeing this, Ye Qinming’s gaze flickered as she deliberately frowned and pretended to complain, “Gu Xiyan, that girl by your side just accused me of taking advantage of you. What do you think I should do about it?”

Gu Xiyan was momentarily stunned. Meanwhile, Mujin stomped her foot and retorted, “Did I say anything wrong? Weren’t you just now all over my lady, touching her here and there?”

Hearing that, Ye Qinming burst into laughter and turned to Gu Xiyan. “That does sound about right. So, Gu Xiyan, if I’ve taken advantage of you, what will you do about it?”

Seeing her shameless demeanor, Mujin rolled her eyes furiously. How utterly brazen!

Gu Xiyan had initially blushed at Ye Qinming’s words, but upon realizing Ye Qinming was deliberately teasing her, she arched an eyebrow and smiled. Taking Ye Qinming’s hand in return, she responded warmly, “As the ancients say, ‘Courtesy demands reciprocity.’ I suppose I’ll just have to take advantage of you in return.”

Ye Qinming froze. Mujin was even more dumbfounded.

Seeing Ye Qinming momentarily stunned, Gu Xiyan’s smile deepened. She shook Ye Qinming’s hand playfully. “Just teasing you. Let’s go.”

Though she had no choice but to leave behind the two most important people in her life, at least Ye Qinming was still by her side at this moment. The road ahead was uncertain, and she might not be able to hold onto this person forever, but these days they shared—she would cherish them for a lifetime.

Ye Qinming snapped out of her daze and glanced sideways at Gu Xiyan, who was still smiling. The rapid beat of her heart finally, and embarrassingly, steadied.

Still, she couldn’t help but grumble inwardly—this person always seemed so composed and elegant, yet she could flirt too, it seemed.

Lowering her gaze, Ye Qinming looked at their intertwined hands and subtly tightened her grip. She could sense that Gu Xiyan still had burdens on her mind. She had a vague idea of what she was thinking.

A faint tightness settled in Ye Qinming’s chest. In a moment of impulse, she had wanted to bring Gu Xiyan back to the Demon Realm, but the thought of dragging such a bright, untainted person into that abyss filled her with growing unease.

The battle between the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm—she had no absolute confidence in victory. She had said she could protect her, but only a few days had passed, and she was already afraid that she might not be able to.

This wasn’t like her. As the ruler of the Demon Realm, even after suffering great calamities and a drastic loss of power, she had never feared anything before. But when it came to Gu Xiyan, she realized—she had been afraid many times. And every time, it was because of her.

Both of them were lost in thought. Though they walked hand in hand, they didn’t exchange another word.

To an outsider, the silence might have seemed awkward.

But standing off to the side, Mujin could only feel that the two of them were so close—so tightly bound together—that there was simply no space for anyone else to step in.

***

After returning to their residence, Ye Qinming asked Mujin to prepare some food and stayed with Gu Xiyan in the courtyard.

As she watched the sun sinking westward, Ye Qinming furrowed her brows slightly, an indescribable feeling stirring in her heart.

Gu Xiyan picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea, speaking gently, “You’ve been quiet ever since we left. Is something on your mind?”

Ye Qinming raised her eyes to look at her, took a sip of tea, and did not answer the question. Instead, she smiled and said, “Tea always tastes better when you brew it.”

Gu Xiyan paused for a moment before chuckling. “In the Demon Realm, would anyone else even dare to make tea for you?” She still remembered the first time she made tea for Ye Qinming—at the time, she didn’t seem to like it much. Thinking about it now, it was indeed a little strange for her to brew tea for Ye Qinming, a tea spirit herself.

Ye Qinming huffed arrogantly, “If you dare to brew tea for me, why wouldn’t they?”

Gu Xiyan lowered her voice and laughed, her delicate features curving into a soft and elegant smile. Seeing her like this, Ye Qinming couldn’t help but smile as well. Just moments ago, she had been feeling restless and irritated, but after a short conversation with Gu Xiyan and seeing her smile, she suddenly felt much lighter.

Gu Xiyan could feel Ye Qinming’s gaze fixed on her, its warmth apparent even though she couldn’t see it. A faint sense of longing and disappointment welled up in her heart—she truly wished she could see Ye Qinming.

Truthfully, she knew Ye Qinming treated her well, and she genuinely liked Ye Qinming—more than she had even expected. But as for whether Ye Qinming truly liked her, she had always felt uneasy about it. After all, she couldn’t understand why someone as powerful as Ye Qinming, a Demon Emperor who could traverse the heavens and the earth, would like someone as unfortunate and blind as herself.

They say the eyes reveal a person’s true emotions. She wished she could see Ye Qinming’s eyes, to know if she was truly in them, to see what kind of expression Ye Qinming wore as she looked at her now.

Lost in thought, Gu Xiyan unknowingly appeared dazed. Ye Qinming, having been watching her the whole time, immediately noticed and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“You,” Gu Xiyan replied instinctively. Realizing what she had just said, she was briefly stunned, but quickly composed herself and added softly, “I was just thinking… if only I could see you.”

The smile on Ye Qinming’s face slowly froze, a flicker of sorrow passing through her eyes. After a moment, she forced a grin and deliberately teased, “What, are you afraid I’m too ugly and you’ve been shortchanged?”

“You know that’s not it,” Gu Xiyan said helplessly. Then, she continued, “No matter what you look like, as long as you’re Ye Qinming, I will like you. It’s just that sometimes I feel a little regretful… I still don’t know what the person I love looks like. Is it as beautiful as I imagine?”

She spoke with utmost sincerity, her dimples appearing as she smiled gently, seemingly unaware that she was uttering such sweet words.

Ye Qinming felt a pang of bittersweet emotion—both aching and sweet at the same time. She pursed her lips and said, “You’ve said that before. How are you so good at coaxing people?”

Gu Xiyan pressed her lips together. “I’m not coaxing you. It’s the truth. You are wonderful… and beautiful.”

Looking at her earnest expression, Ye Qinming took Gu Xiyan’s hand and kneaded it gently in her palm. The usual playfulness and arrogance in her brows faded, replaced by a rare tenderness that she showed only to Gu Xiyan.

She lifted Gu Xiyan’s hand and lightly placed it against her own face. “You say your other senses are especially sharp… Then, can you tell what I look like this way?”

It wasn’t just Gu Xiyan—Ye Qinming also wished she could be reflected in Gu Xiyan’s eyes. Not as an empty, fleeting image, but as something truly seen and held within them. She wanted to occupy her heart and fill her gaze completely.

When Gu Xiyan’s fingertips brushed against her skin, they encountered a softness smoother than the finest Floating Cloud Satin from the Gu family, making her instinctively stiffen and shrink back slightly.

Her heartbeat quickened, pounding steadily in her chest. She nodded, her movements reverent as she traced Ye Qinming’s face with her fingers. She moved carefully from the side of her face, gliding over the smooth curve of her jaw, the fullness of her cheeks, and the delicate brow bone that was easy to find due to her slender frame. Bit by bit, she explored, not daring to rush, unwilling to miss a single detail, her touch slow and meticulous.

Both her hands moved across Ye Qinming’s face, their distance no more than a breath apart. Though Gu Xiyan’s fingertips were cool and soft, they seemed to sear Ye Qinming’s skin with a lingering warmth. Something about the way she touched her—so reverent, as if she were handling the most precious treasure—set Ye Qinming’s heart adrift. A flush crept over her face, heat pooling in her chest.

She wanted to tell her to hurry up—this was torturous—but when she saw Gu Xiyan’s expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. So she held her breath, allowing her to continue.

Gu Xiyan couldn’t quite put into words what she was feeling. As her fingers moved, Ye Qinming’s features took shape in her mind, becoming more and more vivid. Her face, her brows, those deep, affectionate peach blossom eyes, the elegant bridge of her nose—everything was exactly as she had imagined. No, even more beautiful than she had imagined.

Yes, many saw Ye Qinming as domineering and formidable, sharp-edged in her presence. But only Gu Xiyan knew how gentle she could be. Now, as she traced her features, she realized Ye Qinming’s face was neither strikingly seductive nor aggressive. Instead, it held a soft purity—an unexpected contradiction that had existed in Gu Xiyan’s mind long before she had the chance to confirm it.

As if, deep down, she had always known. This was how her Qinming should look. Yes—her Qinming.

“Xiyan,” Ye Qinming’s voice held a tinge of worry. Gu Xiyan had been tracing her face over and over, murmuring her name unconsciously, as if enchanted.

Gu Xiyan snapped out of her daze and halted her movements. A faint frown creased her delicate brows. Why did it hurt—why did her heart ache so much when she was so happy? It hurt so much she almost wanted to cry.

Ye Qinming raised a brow. “What’s wrong? Are you disappointed? Did I scare you?”

“How could I be?” Gu Xiyan murmured, shaking her head. “You look almost exactly as I imagined. No… even better than I imagined.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, like a lover’s murmur—soft and intimate, carrying an unconscious allure. Especially now, with her hand still resting against Ye Qinming’s face.

Ye Qinming swallowed involuntarily, her gaze settling on Gu Xiyan’s face, growing darker with intensity. She suddenly felt the urge to—

But before she could act, Gu Xiyan’s fingertips, which had been lingering at the corner of her eye, slowly traced downward—until they landed on her lips.

Her fingers had been cool before, but now they carried a burning heat. They trembled slightly before pressing against Ye Qinming’s lips, as if dipping into clouds—soft, fleeting, yet unmistakably real.

Ye Qinming’s eyes widened instinctively. But before she could react, Gu Xiyan’s gentle, beautiful face inched closer, filling her vision.

Her warmth enveloped Ye Qinming, the faint scent of her presence lingering in the air. Her lips descended—but a barrier remained between them, separated only by the slender fingers resting against Ye Qinming’s mouth.

They didn’t quite touch, yet it was enough to set Ye Qinming’s entire body aflame. Her heart pounded violently, her pulse racing as if it were about to break free from her chest. She was actually… nervous to this extent.

Ye Qinming swallowed again, her throat dry, an unbearable itch growing within her. She was intoxicated by Gu Xiyan’s tenderness, yet at the same time, she couldn’t accept this teasing distance.

Finally, unable to resist, her lips moved slightly.

Gu Xiyan instantly felt the warmth and dampness against her fingertips—a fleeting sensation, yet one that sent a shuddering tremor through her taut, trembling heartstrings.

She withdrew her fingers, leaving only the barest space between them. Their breaths, both unsteady, mingled in the air, brushing against each other’s skin.

Ye Qinming felt like this little blind girl was going to drive her crazy with how much she was teasing her. The self-control she had always prided herself on was crumbling to dust—she couldn’t hold back anymore.

Just as she was about to lean in, her vision was suddenly blocked by a pair of hands. The blurred image of Gu Xiyan disappeared, and with her sight taken away, her other senses sharpened in response.

Then, Gu Xiyan kissed her.

The moment their lips touched, Ye Qinming instinctively responded, pulling her in. The two of them quickly fell into an intoxicating embrace, completely immersed in each other, unwilling to part.

They had kissed countless times before—sometimes unintentionally, sometimes deliberately; sometimes clear-headed, sometimes in a daze; sometimes fleeting, sometimes lingering. But this time was different. This was the first time that both of them had completely lost themselves in the moment, so perfectly in sync, so utterly captivated—body and soul, surrendering completely.

Gu Xiyan kept one hand over Ye Qinming’s eyes while the other wrapped around her waist. They remained locked in a deep kiss for a long time, until Gu Xiyan started to falter. Only then did they finally part, their breaths ragged and heavy in the lingering silence.

Ye Qinming, with her naturally better stamina, recovered first. But she still seemed reluctant to let go, licking her lips slightly as her gaze fell on Gu Xiyan’s flushed lips.

This… How was this little blind girl so good at this?

She had always been the one to take the initiative, but today, for the first time, Gu Xiyan had kissed her of her own accord. And the taste? It was truly unforgettable.

Perhaps she had been staring too blatantly, because when Gu Xiyan finally came back to her senses, the tips of her ears were still burning red. She brushed her fingers lightly over her lips—a gesture so undeniably intimate that Ye Qinming’s gaze flickered downward before she quickly shifted the topic.

“Why did you cover my eyes?”

She tried to sound serious, but given what had just happened, there was no weight to her words. Instead, they carried an unmistakable hint of playfulness, almost like a spoiled complaint.

Gu Xiyan paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. Reaching out, she gently touched Ye Qinming’s face again and said, “I can’t see you. If I didn’t cover your eyes, wouldn’t that be unfair to me?”

Ye Qinming huffed, refusing to back down. “Didn’t you already get a good feel of me just now?”

Maybe being with the person you love naturally makes you childish—because even these meaningless little exchanges felt inexplicably sweet.

Gu Xiyan didn’t argue. Instead, she simply took Ye Qinming’s hand in hers and hummed softly in response. The unexpected tenderness in her voice made Ye Qinming’s heart soften.

Then, Gu Xiyan smiled and continued, “From now on, I won’t just remember your voice and your scent—I’ll remember your face too.”

The words hit Ye Qinming squarely in the heart. She couldn’t speak for a long time, her nose suddenly stinging with emotion. When she finally did manage to say something, her voice carried a slight tremble:

“Gu Xiyan, you need to stop talking. You look so proper and composed, but you’re lethal when you speak.”

It took Gu Xiyan a moment to realize what she meant, and then she chuckled softly. 

She had always been gentle by nature, her voice naturally soothing. But now, laughing because of the person she loved, her voice became even softer, even sweeter.

Hearing it, Ye Qinming felt her heart itch unbearably, both tender and weak. She couldn’t take it anymore—she reached out and clapped a hand over Gu Xiyan’s mouth, grumbling, “And no laughing either.”

Gu Xiyan blinked at her, her unfocused eyes carrying an innocent charm that was impossible to describe. Ye Qinming cursed silently to herself before leaning in and kissing her again.

Gu Xiyan held onto her, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She could feel it now—Ye Qinming truly, truly loved her.