X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the ServerThe Daming Palace served as both the Queen’s bedchamber and office, making it naturally inconvenient for them to enter directly at this moment.
Dai Fanghua rose gracefully and approached Lin Shishi, gently patting the young girl’s slender shoulder. Lin Shishi, her small face still flushed, looked up with hazy, adoring eyes.
Observing her, Dai Fanghua’s gaze softened. “Enjoy your time in Xinjing these next two days,” she said.
Next, Dai Fanghua turned to Song Qinghuan and suddenly winked her left eye. In that instant, the cunning and witty rogue queen from earlier seemed to return.
She lowered her voice, asking a question audible only to the two of them.
Her eyes then swept over the handbag Song Qinghuan carried.
Song Qinghuan paused, startled, before a wicked smile bloomed on her face. The young woman nodded vigorously, replying in an equally hushed tone, “Your Majesty can rest assured.”
Dai Fanghua smiled in satisfaction. She patted Song Qinghuan’s shoulder, said no more, and turned towards the door.
Merlin, who had been waiting outside the door, swiftly followed suit. One after the other, the two disappeared from view.
****
Seeing the Queen depart, Dai Chunling also pulled Dai Canglan to her feet.
“Since Her Majesty has returned, we won’t impose any further,” Dai Chunling said with a polite smile. She spoke gently to Lin Shishi, “Shishi, play to your heart’s content here. If anything comes up, call anytime.”
As she spoke, she took out her phone, composed a text message, and sent it to Lin Shishi. “I’ve sent you the Queen’s private number. There’s no need to worry about safety, at least not in this small corner of Xinjing City… Have a wonderful time!”
With that, Dai Chunling reached out and tugged on Dai Canglan’s arm, who was still lingering with reluctance.
Dai Canglan’s gaze was practically glued to Lin Shishi at that moment.
Dai Chunling immediately slapped her on the back of the head. “You brat, still staring! Let’s go!”
“Wuwu… just two more words with Shishi, please, just two!”
Dai Canglan attempted to struggle free.
“Talk about what? They’re a proper couple; what are you meddling for?”
Dai Chunling tightened her grip. “Hurry up! If you’re so capable, go find a pretty girl to date yourself! Stop always staring at your own sister!”
Dai Canglan let out a wail, being dragged out of the private room by Dai Chunling like a dead dog.
****
As the private room door softly closed, the chamber suddenly fell silent.
Lin Shishi and Song Qinghuan exchanged glances, simultaneously feeling a sense of tranquil relaxation and the intimacy unique to their own world.
All outsiders had departed; now, this space belonged entirely to them.
“Why… did everyone suddenly leave?”
Lin Shishi seemed not to have fully recovered from the impact of the string of teasing remarks from earlier. Cupping her still-flushed face, the young woman murmured softly.
Her large eyes, glistening with moisture, looked towards Song Qinghuan. Her long hair was slightly disheveled, adding a chaotic yet beautiful charm.
Song Qinghuan offered no reply.
She slowly rose, walked around the dining table, and approached Lin Shishi.
Song Qinghuan reached out, gently cupping Lin Shishi’s delicate chin, forcing her to tilt her head back and meet her gaze.
“Of course… my sweet little one,” Song Qinghuan said, her possessiveness undisguised. “They left, of course, to allow us to have even more… fun.”
Lin Shishi shuddered, provoked by Song Qinghuan’s gaze and tone. A shiver, a mix of fear, embarrassment, and secret anticipation, instantly spread through her limbs.
Lin Shishi shivered again. “Qing… Sister Huan, should we…”
“Hmm?” Song Qinghuan’s voice immediately deepened, her eyes sharp as knives. “You mispronounced it again.”
Lin Shishi bit her lower lip, soft as a freshly bloomed cherry. She looked up with her childlike face, her long hair falling softly over her shoulders, her eyes watery, and her voice soft and sweet: “But Master… can we not play cards today?”
“No.” Song Qinghuan’s lips curved into a smile, one with a hint of wickedness. “No—a mistake is a mistake, and there are rules for each one.”
Lin Shishi let out a soft whimper, like a kitten soaked by the rain.
****
Rain began to fall outside the window at some unknown point. The two returned from the restaurant to the room Dai Fanghua had booked for them.
Their five-star hotel suite was the epitome of luxury. Warm yellow light spilled from crystal chandeliers, and the marble floor gleamed with reflections. Outside the expansive floor-to-ceiling window, the city’s nightscape blurred into a hazy neon under the curtain of rain.
The fine rain fell densely, tapping softly against the window.
A banana plant stretched out onto the corridor, its broad leaves swirling in the wind, striking the tree trunk again and again.
The sound wasn’t heavy, yet each tap seemed to strike at the heart.
A bird’s cry suddenly cut through the night sky outside the window—clear, yet fleeting.
Lin Shishi lay sprawled on the soft, large bed, her face buried in a down pillow.
Song Qinghuan, meanwhile, sat quietly reading a book. It was a book about how to deal with ‘unruly little darlings.’
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Shishi mumbled softly, “Hmph… always bullying me… but I’m a princess, you know…”
“A princess?” Song Qinghuan scoffed, reaching out to pinch her chin. “What about a princess? Planning a rebellion? Resisting me?”
“I’m not…” Lin Shishi hurried to explain, her voice too soft to convey strength. “I just said… I’m a princess, you know…”
“Talking back,” Song Qinghuan released her chin, uttering the two words lightly. “Double the punishment!”
‘Ow…’
Song Qinghuan smirked. “Now do you know your place?”
Lin Shishi gasped. “Just… Master’s little pet… a princess… doesn’t exist.”
“Good girl.” Song Qinghuan smiled, though the warmth didn’t reach her eyes.
“Well, Princess, go fetch a basin of water for your Master—I want to wash my feet.”
Lin Shishi pushed herself up, her body feeling weak.
Song Qinghuan had already prepared a pink apron for her, the straps cinched around her waist.
The young woman whimpered. Wearing the apron, she shuffled to the bathroom, filled half a basin with warm water, and then carried it to Song Qinghuan’s feet.
As the basin was set down, the water rippled gently.
“Princess… don’t you know how to serve?”
Song Qinghuan looked down at her, her toe lightly tapping the water’s surface. “Be more patient.”
Lin Shishi bit her lip. She looked up, her eyes misty, brimming with grievance.
She reached out, gently cupping Song Qinghuan’s feet.
The warmth of the water seeped through her skin, and Song Qinghuan sighed contentedly.
“That’s more like it.” She suddenly lifted her wet foot, rubbing its back against Lin Shishi’s cheek. Water droplets clung to Lin Shishi’s eyelashes, but she closed her eyes without flinching.
“How amusing,” Song Qinghuan chuckled softly. “A dignified princess of a nation, kneeling here to wash my feet… Hahahaha!”
After a long moment, Song Qinghuan slowly withdrew her feet.
“Alright,” she stretched out her legs. “Help me dry them.”
Lin Shishi quickly turned to get a towel, but Song Qinghuan grabbed her by the apron strings. “Wait, get a clean towel…”
The young woman mumbled, “This one is already clean.”
“Rebelling, are we? I said the cleanest one…”
The young woman remained silent.
The young woman glanced out the window; the rain had intensified.
Amidst the wind and rain, high above, dark clouds surged, like a colossal velvet cloth wiping away countless raindrops. The distant mountains were blurred, and rain struck the rocks, then was swept over by layers of leaves—those leaves, soft yet persistent, brushed the stone surface again and again, wiping away the accumulated rain.
It was a long while before Song Qinghuan was satisfied.
“Go brush your teeth—”
“Go wash your face—”
“Go wash your tiny feet clean—”
“Drink a little less water, so you don’t have to keep getting up in the middle of the night…”
“Good girl…”
Song Qinghuan meticulously issued instructions, as if tending to a small child. And the little princess, wearing her apron, executed each command precisely.
Their cooperation was flawless.
Night deepened. Song Qinghuan watched the exhausted young woman fall into a deep sleep, unable to resist kissing her shoulder.
Then, she put down her book, turned off the light, and embraced the young woman, falling asleep together.
Morning.
Song Qinghuan was full of energy, already bathed and dressed, elegantly sipping coffee by the window. She didn’t notice Lin Shishi, who was soft as a puddle of melted panna cotta, or like a ragdoll cat—curled into a ball, or sprawled out flat.
After finishing her coffee, Song Qinghuan turned to look at the soft lump on the bed. She walked over and tried to pick her up, but it took considerable effort—Lin Shishi was utterly limp, unable to even lift her arms.
“Princess, if you keep playing dead, I’ll have to punish you.”
You’ve got to see this next! Not Me, The Fans will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : Not Me, The Fans
