CH 8

Chapter 8 – Poking Her Chest

Lu Qipei didn’t mean anything else. She just thought that if Qi Yang had seen something, then she would be able to confess her identity. That was what she thought when she tied her hair. If Her Highness already knew that she was a woman, she didn’t believe that Lu Qicheng would still be able to pretend to be her to reap benefits!

It was a pity that Qi Yang didn’t understand what Lu Qipei meant right now. Shen she heard the question from the person in front of her, she only felt that the temperature of her face that had calmed down earlier suddenly went ‘swooshh’ and was about to heat up again. Without time to think further, she pulled back the sleeve that Lu Qipei was holding and played stupid, saying, “See what? I didn’t see anything!”

It was a really clumsy way to say it, but Lu Qipei believed her. Because, she saw how Qi Yang was covering it up clumsily, how her cheeks turned rosy, and how she could not hide her panic.

This was really a clumsy statement, but Lu Qipei believed it. Because she saw Qi Yang’s clumsy concealment, saw her climb up her rosy cheeks, and saw her panic that she could not hide.

If she was facing someone of the same sex and saw what she just saw, why would she have such a look like a pubescent young girl!?

Lu Qipei accepted the “reality” with difficulty. She couldn’t really say whether she was more disappointed or secretly relieve. However, when she realized that she didn’t really want Qi Yang to know she was a woman, her heart became even more troubled.

Just when Lu Qipei was caught in a new round of worries, Qi Yang suddenly admitted, “Fine, fine, I saw it.”

Lu Qipei didn’t say anything. Due to her preconceptions, she felt that Qi Yang didn’t get the point. She struggled whether she should confess by herself or not, but suddenly she saw Qi Yang poke a finger at her chest. She didn’t poke hard, but the surprised Lu Qipei immediately stepped back and almost covered her chest again.

Then, Qi Yang said innocently, “I really saw it.” Her face was still blushing when she said this, but she was serious.

If you saw it, then you saw it. Do you really need to emphasize it again? You even poked me in the chest!

It was the first time in her life Lu Qipei felt so embarrassed. Her face was heating up even worse than Qi Yang’s. Even though she tried comforting herself again and again in her heart that as fellow women, it wasn’t a big deal for her to be seen by the princess, she still felt embarrassed for some reason.

After a long time, Lu Qipei took a deep breath and said solemnly, “Since Your Highness has seen it, I will not hide it from you. I’m a woman disguised as a man…” In the future, there was no need to say anything like Prince Consort.

However, before she could finish speaking, Qi Yang interrupted her. Just like before, she directly placed her hand on Lu Qipei’s lips and said, as if she was being willful, “That’s enough, I don’t want to hear the rest.”

Lu Qipei was stunned by her words. For a while, he could not understand what Qi Yang meant.

But Qi Yang seemed able to see through her. Ever since their reunion, she had guessed her unfinished sentences more than once. When Qi Yang was willing to listen, she would listen until Lu Qipei finished. When she wasn’t willing to listen, she would interrupt her. Just like right now, she did not want to listen to Lu Qipei saying things about separating and distancing herself – the Prince Consort that fell into her arms in their previous life, how could she let her run away again just like this!?

As if she had guessed Lu Qipei’s current doubts, Qi Yang suddenly leaned over and whispered in Lu Qipei’s ear, ”I said you’re my Prince Consort, so you’re my Prince Consort. You’re not allowed to refuse!” The words were gentle, but clearly domineering.

Lu Qipei had never seen such a Qi Yang before, but it was natural for a princess born in the royal family to be domineering. It’s just that Qi Yang never showed her domineering side in front of Lu Qipei, and always acted innocent and charming with her.

She was only surprised for a moment, then it turned into confusion. Lu Qipei emphasized, “Princess, you and I are both women!”

So what if they’re women? Qi Yang’s habitual longing for her had long turned into something like an addiction she could not give up, as if it had melted down to her marrows. If Qi Yang cared about Lu Qipei being a woman, she would not have given Lu Qicheng that poisoned wine in her previous life. She would just pretend not to know, and slowly let herself accept Lu Qicheng who had the same face as Lu Qipei. After all, he was a man. Wouldn’t he be a better match for her in the eyes of the world?

But Qi Yang was stubborn. Once she had given someone her recognition, let a lone a for a lifetime, she was willing to chase them down for three generations!

Qi Yang didn’t know how much attachment and melancholy was reflected in her eyes when she looked at Lu Qipei. Neither did Lu Qipei, because Qi Yang’s face was next to her ear right now, whispering softly, as if she was murmuring, “Who told you that my Prince Consort have to be a man?”

While saying that, Qi Yang touched Lu Qipei’s cheeks with cold hands, but this sentence cause Lu Qipei to be frozen in place!

The skies were dark, and twilight rose from all directions. Just as Lu Qipei in the palace was being shocked by Qi Yang’s words, it had not been peaceful for the Lu family outside the palace either.

Lu Qipei and her brother were not originally from the capital, their ancestors came from Jiangnan. Their parents died when they were young, but fortunately they left enough resources and connections. Over the years, the two were taken care of by their family’s loyal servants. They lived meticulously and studied under famous teachers, and now they could be said to have achieved some success.

This time, the two came to the capital for the sake of the Spring Exam. They stayed at the house they borrowed from a distant uncle… well, at least that’s what it looked like on the surface. Lu Qipei never doubted these things in her previous life, but after her rebirth, she thought about it carefully and felt that this statement was full of flaws. Because even though she hadn’t seen that so called uncle that often, she remembered that he would always subconsciously act humble with them.

An elder being humble was already strange, but even more, this uncle was still an official. He was a lower fifth rank official from the Ministry of Rites. Although his official position was not high, he was still someone respected. Why would he bow to two juniors from the younger generation?

Lu Qipei had too many doubts to solve for the time being. Before, she wholeheartedly begged to leave and didn’t intend to explore these things further.

But now, she suddenly ran away just when the Spring Exam was approaching. The whole Lu family was chaotic, sending people out in groups, even surpassing the strength that the Lu family were supposed to have. But there was no other way. With the Young Lord not in the capital right now, there was no way they could just watch as the Spring Exam pass them by.

If they missed it, they would have to wait another three years. No one was willing to let that happen!

This was the source of everyone’s headache – the brother and sister pair met “mountain bandits” on the way to the capital, and Lu Qicheng was injured protecting Lu Qipei. He couldn’t hold a brush due to his injuries, but if you missed this year’s Spring Exam, you would have to wait another three years. Lu Qipei felt grateful and apologetic, that’s why she agreed to take the test in his place and gave her best. Then Lu Qicheng left the capital to recuperate under the pretext that he was afraid of being seen by others.

In the previous life, Lu Qicheng was gone for more than half a year, and in that time, Lu Qipei lived with his identity and had a marriage set with Qi Yang. As for where Lu Qicheng had gone in the past six months, Lu Qipei wasn’t really clear on it.

Now, she didn’t if her calculating brother would be able to come back in time to participate in the Spring Exam!

As a result, the Lu family was in chaos. Unfortunately, no matter how they searched, it’s not like they could search Princess Qi Yang in the Royal Palace. Of course, it was Lu Qipei’s good luck. If she hadn’t met Qi Yang, she might not have been able to escape the increasingly rigorous search.

Right now, Ah Yu was kneeling, trembling on the ground on the side courtyard of the Lu residence. “Young, Young Master has always been studying seriously these days and very concerned about the Spring Exam. She even went to Huguo temple to relax her mind, how could she have run away at this time!?” She seemed confident and continued, “The Young Master has always been concerned about the Young Lord, and would not make a mistake on the Young Lord’s matters. She must have been kidnapped!”

Ah Yu said this full of confidence, and most of the people who heard it also agreed with her. Because Lu Qipei had behaved so well before, no one thought that she would have a change of heart on the last second and ruin Lu Qicheng’s matter – the psychological attack had been a great move, and Lu Qicheng didn’t take that knife for nothing.

When the housekeeper Qibo heard this, he could not help but show some hesitation on his stiff and serious face, then felt a headache coming. He stared at Ah Yu for a moment, then turned to ask the people around him, “Has the news been sent to the Young Lord? And Old Chen, what did he say about this?”

Old Chen was the coachman who drove Lu Qipei before. Of course, he was not just a simple coachman. His kungfu was great, and not only could he protect Lu Qipei’s safety during her travels, he could also monitor her. But Lu Qipei was very careful this time. She was on guard against everyone around her, so she avoided everyone during her escape, including Old Chen who had been careless.

The person on the other side replied, ‘We have sent the news, but the Young Lord might not be able to return in time. As for Uncle Chen, he has admitted his mistake, saying that he was negligent back then. Besides, there’s no other traces on the Young Master’s room, like he had not been kidnapped…”

Qibo also found it very strange. It didn’t seem like Lu Qipei would run away, but if it had been a kidnapping, who would have had anything against her? They couldn’t have been more low-key while in the capital. Especially Lu Qipei, she hadn’t even left outside the gates for more than a few times!

After thinking for a long time, he still came to the conclusion that finding Lu Qipei first was still the most important thing. Qibo waved his hand and said, “Send more people to find her again!”

Author notes:

Lu Qipei (pulling flower petals): The princess was born liking women. The princess was born caring only about the face. The little princess is so innocent she doesn’t understand the difference between men and women…

Qi Yang (grabbing the flowers): No, you are the only one that this princess likes!

Lu Qipei (blushing, flustered, at a loss): ……