Flower Stealing Master

At this point, even though Song Qingshu didn’t want to face Wanyan Gebi alone, he had no other choice. However, upon second thought, facing a beautiful and delicate woman was at least better than looking at Wanyan Liang’s repulsive face. Still, he had to maintain a pretense of courtesy. After expressing his apologies, he bid farewell to Wanyan Liang.

Although Wanyan Liang wanted to admire Gebi a little longer, the couple had already stated their intention to leave, leaving him with no room to object. Watching Gebi’s graceful departing figure, he found himself increasingly dissatisfied with the concubines in his manor, considering them nothing more than vulgar and mediocre w0men. A sense of inexplicable irritation welled up within him.

The departing pair remained unaware of Wanyan Liang’s thoughts. However, as a woman, Wanyan Gebi had an innate sensitivity. Her brows furrowed slightly as she whispered to Song Qingshu, “I always feel that Hailing King looks at me in a strange way.”

Song Qingshu had learned from Tang Kuo Bian that Wanyan Liang had long coveted the beautiful woman before him. However, upon discovering that the two were cousins, he began to doubt Tang Kuo Bian’s judgment. No matter how lecherous Wanyan Liang was, committing such an act of !ncest would be too outrageous. Nevertheless, it was always better to be cautious. He needed to stay vigilant but saw no reason to alarm Gebi unnecessarily.

“Wanyan Liang may be lustful, but you are both a princess and his cousin. He knows the limits of propriety,” Song Qingshu reassured her in a gentle tone.

“I hope so.” Wanyan Gebi quickly shifted her focus back to her husband, lightly touching Song Qingshu’s chest with her fingers. “Wogula, does your injury still hurt?”

As her jade-like fingers brushed against him, Song Qingshu suddenly felt a bit uneasy. “N-no, it’s not a big issue. It’s just that the long journey has left me feeling rather exhausted.”

A trace of heartache appeared on Wanyan Gebi’s face. “Then you should rest for a while. I’ll wake you when we arrive home.”

Song Qingshu nodded. He knew that while his disguise might fool others, it would be easiest to expose himself in front of Wanyan Gebi, Tang Kuo Bian’s wife. Thus, he stuck to the principle of speaking less and interacting minimally, pretending to be too tired to keep his eyes open.

He had considered revealing the truth to her, but his primary goal on this trip was to rescue Song Yuanqiao and the others. He needed Tang Kuo Bian’s identity as a cover. If he told Gebi the truth, he couldn’t predict how she would react. If she immediately turned against Wanyan Liang, it would create a scenario that Song Qingshu wanted to avoid at all costs.

Song Qingshu reached for a cushion, intending to use it as a pillow while he passed the time in the carriage. However, before he could do so, Wanyan Gebi snatched it away. She playfully gave him a sidelong glance before patting her lap. “Rest your head here. I’ll give you a massage to help you relax.”

Song Qingshu was immediately put in an awkward position. He had enjoyed such intimate treatment before, but it had always been from his own women, such as Qingqing and Ah Jiu. This was the first time another man’s beloved wife was unknowingly offering such closeness.

‘The heavens know, the earth knows, and I know—so why pretend to be virtuous?’ he chastised himself internally, as he could clearly feel his heart beating faster.

After a brief hesitation, he rested his head on her lap. It was soft, yet astonishingly supple, sending a strange sensation through him. He quickly refocused his mind, suppressing his momentary distraction. Despite his years of mastering disguise techniques, bringing them to near perfection—even surpassing Ah Zi’s skills—such close contact still made him worry that he might expose a flaw.

Fortunately, during his time impersonating Kangxi, he had improved his mask’s design to prevent accidental detachment. Unless someone already suspected he was wearing a disguise, they would not easily detect it.

While he wrestled with his thoughts, Wanyan Gebi’s cool fingers gently massaged his temples. Perhaps wanting to help her husband rest better, she refrained from speaking further and instead hummed a soft, unfamiliar melody.

Although Song Qingshu didn’t understand the lyrics, her voice was as clear and melodious as flowing water, soothing and tranquil. Without realizing it, the tension in his body slowly melted away.

‘This brute Tang Kuo Bian actually has such a good wife…’

Having lost much of his internal strength, Song Qingshu had deliberately poisoned himself with Ouyang Feng’s deadly venom to gain Wanyan Liang’s trust. Constantly dealing with Wanyan Liang’s endless tests had left him utterly exhausted. Now, in a peaceful and comfortable environment, feeling the gentle swaying of the carriage and inhaling the faint fragrance of Gebi, he unknowingly drifted into slumber.

*****

“Keep your voice down. Don’t wake the master.”

Sensing movement around him, Song Qingshu jolted awake. Opening his eyes, he saw several servants attempting to carry him onto a soft sedan chair.

“We’ve arrived home. I saw you sleeping soundly and didn’t want to disturb you. I was just going to have them help you inside…” Wanyan Gebi looked at him apologetically, quickly explaining.

“They came just in time.” An idea formed in Song Qingshu’s mind. “I don’t know if I caught a chill when I stepped out earlier, but I feel dizzy now. Let them carry me back inside.”

Although he had gathered as much information as possible about Tang Kuo Bian’s household, he had never actually been inside. If he accidentally took a wrong turn, even the dullest woman would notice something amiss. The sedan chair would save him from unnecessary trouble.

Hearing that her husband felt dizzy, Wanyan Gebi’s expression turned anxious. She immediately instructed the servants to carry Song Qingshu carefully inside and sent a maid to fetch the imperial physician, who had been waiting in the manor. As the emperor’s most cherished sister, she had no difficulty summoning a physician or two.

Song Qingshu groaned inwardly, but gains always came with losses. Deceiving Tang Kuo Bian’s wife was far more critical than handling imperial physicians.

He silently thanked the fact that this era lacked X-rays, electrocardiograms, and blood tests. Otherwise, faking an illness would have been impossible. Although imperial physicians were highly skilled, their diagnostic methods remained limited to observation, listening, questioning, and pulse reading. Song Qingshu had already prepared his excuses, and manipulating his internal energy to alter his pulse was no challenge. As expected, he passed the test without issue.

In the end, the imperial physician concluded that while Tang Kuo Bian’s condition was not life-threatening, he would need extended bed rest. After seeing the physician off, Wanyan Gebi sat beside the bed, silently shedding tears. “Had I known this mission would be so dangerous, I would have begged my royal brother to send someone else.”

Song Qingshu hurriedly comforted her. Then, as if casually mentioning something, he added, “I encountered people from Song during this trip. It seems they have learned about the Laundry Courtyard…” 

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