"Your Majesty… haven't you already…?" Dou'er couldn't finish her words and lowered her head nervously.
"You mean dead?" Li Jun said with a teasing smile.
"Oh my god, Dou'er when you were poisoned, it was me who saved you. And now you dare to curse me?" She leaned down until their noses almost touched, making Dou'er's face turn bright red.
Seeing her fall silent, Li Jun chuckled. "Forget it," she said lightly. "Let's get to business."
"Do we really have to talk like this?" Dou'er asked, her cheeks warming.
"So? You mean I should take off my clothes and we soak together?" Li Jun grinned. "I think that's a great idea." Without thinking there was anything strange about two women bathing together, she began to undress.
Dou'er panicked, waving her hands frantically. "Oh no! I mean—let's talk inside, please, Your Majesty, give me a moment to put on my clothes first!"
Li Jun raised a brow. "Oh… okay then." She stepped out of the bath and waited outside, calmly sipping her tea.
"Your Majesty," Dou'er said softly as she stepped out.
Li Jun tilted her head, eyes glinting with amusement. "Dou'er, why are you so shy now? I remember you used to be bold and straightforward, full of spirit. What happened? Did those two old poison masters do something terrible to you?"
Dou'er pressed her lips together, then shook her head. She couldn't believe Li Jun still had the nerve to ask that after barging in while she was bathing.
Empress might be a woman too, but it was still so embarrassing. And she knew that Li Jun liked Commander Shen, who was also a woman. Just thinking about it made Dou'er even more confused. What kind of person was Her Majesty, really?
"Umm… what does Your Majesty want from me?"
"First, give me the antidote, my friend's meridians were damaged after your master struck her. Second, help me return to the palace."
Dou'er froze, eyes wide with shock. The first demand might still be possible, she thought, but the second utterly impossible. "Your Majesty, do you know who sits on the throne now?" she asked. "It's Empress Nalan Yan."
"Nalan Yan?" Li Jun frowned. "Nalan again… so soon?" She let out a low sigh, her expression faintly puzzled. How could she possibly know what had happened, when she had just come out of seclusion? "Who is Nalan Yan?" she asked.
Dou'er blinked in disbelief. "It's your royal aunt—the Grand Eldest Princess, adopted sister of the Grand Emperor," she explained carefully. "The Nalan family has taken control of the palace."
"I don't care. You have to help me. If you refuse to take me to the palace, I won't give you the antidote."
Dou'er shook her head frantically. "Even if Your Majesty gives me the antidote, if the Grand Princess finds out, I'll still die!"
"I didn't come back to reclaim the throne. I just want to make sure my parents and Qing'er are safe. Is that so hard to do?"
"Please…" Li Jun looked at her with those big, glimmering, cat-like eyes, earnest and pitiful all at once. Her defenses crumbled in an instant.
A defeated sigh escaped her lips. "...Fine. But Your Majesty mustn't act on impulse. You have to do exactly as I say."
"Mm. Thank you, Dou'er." Li Jun smiled and reached out to gently pinch her chin.
"Then… can you give me the antidote now?" Dou'er asked hesitantly.
Li Jun cleared her throat, straightening a little, looking rather pleased with herself. "Ahem. So—about that." She leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "It's actually not poison."
Dou'er blinked. "...What?"
Li Jun whispered, "It's a longan seed. From the fruit I just ate."
Dou'er: "…"
"HUEEKK…. HUEKKK !!" Dou'er desperately tried to spit it out.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" This empress is insane! Who keeps the longan seed after eating it!? Who!?
---
Wang Wuyue glanced around the quiet bamboo house. She hadn't seen Li Jun all morning. Still, her pride kept her from asking Shishu directly.
Shishu, who had been watching her for some time, finally sighed."Who are you looking for? Li Jun's already gone." She shook her head helplessly; it was obvious that Wuyue cared about her.
"What did you say?" Wuyue's face drained of color as panic struck.
She grabbed her sword, but Shishu quickly blocked her way. "Remember your internal injury. You hate her anyway, so why worry now?"
"You know she can't fight and it's my duty to protect her! How could I face the Empress Dowager if something happens to her?" Her voice trembling with both anger and fear.
She burst out of the bamboo house, using her qinggong to leap across the forest path. Shishu ran after her, panting.
"Hey…wait! Do you even know where she went?"
Breathless, Wuyue stopped and leaned against a tree, her body trembling. "No…" she admitted, shaking her head weakly.
Shishu caught up, wiping the sweat from her brow. "If I'm not mistaken, she probably went to look for the pill," she said cautiously.
"Damn!" Wuyue coughed up a mouthful of blood, fury flashing in her eyes. That little brat… she's really stupid! Her limbs went limp, her face pale after exerting her qinggong.
Shishu quickly caught her before she could collapse. "Don't worry… she rode my donkey. And that old donkey only walks roads it knows. I think it's heading toward Luo City."
"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Wuyue snapped, frustration bubbling in her voice. Wherever Li Jun was headed, it would be dangerous. Ignoring her worsening condition, she set off toward Luo City without hesitation, Shishu had no choice but to follow.
---
The little brat everyone was worrying about was, in fact, relaxing comfortably with Dou'er. The girl had dressed Li Jun up as a young eunuch, complete with plain robes and a cap.
Li Jun looked at her reflection in the mirror and couldn't help grinning. "I look so cute! Thank you, Dou'er!" she said, pulling the girl into a hug.
Dou'er quickly pushed her away. "Your Majesty, you're a little eunuch now—there's a difference between men and women…" she muttered shyly.
Hearing that, Li Jun burst out laughing. "So even you can get embarrassed, huh, Dou'er?"
Dou'er rolled her eyes. "Your Majesty sure knows how to tease people."
She looked at Dou'er, the girl was like a flower about to bloom; in a few years, she would surely grow into a beauty.
Taking Dou'er's hand, she tugged her toward the street. "Tomorrow we'll head back to the palace, so let's enjoy a walk today," she said with a grin, leading the girl into the bustling market.
They laughed and ran through the busy streets, stopping now and then to admire trinkets and sample snacks. From a distance, Wang Wuyue who had pushed herself to the limit to reach Luo City finally spotted them.
Her chest tightened when she saw Li Jun holding another girl's hand. Damn it… she cursed inwardly. Not even two days, and she's already flirting with someone else? Truly deserves to die!
Shishu followed her gaze, then looked back at Li Jun. The air around Wuyue practically reeked of jealousy and murder. She sighed to herself.
Who would've thought the little brat would be having fun with another girl… while Wuyue had been so worried about her?
Li Jun, who had been admiring a jade pendant, suddenly turned and froze when she spotted them. "Dou'er, wait here, I'll be right back…" she murmured, her cheerful expression faltering as she carefully set the pendant down.
She ran toward them, waving her hand. "Wuyue! Shishu! Why are you two here?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
Shishu crossed her arms with a smirk. "You're really something, little brat… Wuyue was so—"
"Ahem." Wuyue cut her off sharply, shooting her a warning glare.
"I'm sorry for leaving without saying anything," Li Jun said quickly. "You two should hide. The Poisonous Twins are here. Tonight, Dou'er will get the antidote."
She explained everything in brief, and after hearing her plan, Wuyue and Shishu agreed to stay at the inn across the street.
"Empress Shang Wen is really impressive," Shishu muttered with a grin. "In such a short time, she actually managed to charm that girl."
"What's so impressive about that?" Wuyue snapped. "She's nothing but a shameless rogue. She already has Qing'er, yet she's still out here teasing another woman."
"Qing'er?! Your disciple?" Shishu burst out laughing. "That brat's got some real guts. She's already won over her disciple, still has feelings for her master, and now she's holding hands with another girl. A man being a philanderer is normal but a woman like that? I've only ever seen one and that's Li Jun."
Wang Wuyue, clearly done with her nonsense, closed her eyes and began to meditate.
---
That night, Dou'er told Li Jun to stay in her room and not go anywhere. After making sure the empress wouldn't follow, she went to knock on the Poison Twins' door.
The two masters opened it and immediately bowed. "Young Lady, do you have any orders?"
"I need the antidote for the bone-weakening poison,"
The twins exchanged a quick glance, doubt flickering in their eyes. The only one poisoned recently was Wang Wuyue, they thought.
"Young Lady, what do you need it for? If someone is hurt, we can examine them for you."
"You both know I've been practicing the Poison Palm technique you taught me," Dou'er replied smoothly. "It's just for precaution."
The Poison Twins hesitated, then reluctantly handed her a small porcelain vial. Their eyes still held a trace of suspicion.
"Empress Shang Wen is dead," Dou'er said coldly. "You can report back to my father. As for Nalan Yan, I'll take care of her myself."
"But, Young Lady..."
"No buts." Her tone was sharp enough to cut.
The twins bowed low, not daring to speak again. As they watched her walk away, unease settled in their hearts. They knew their Young Lady was hiding someone. She had only been in Luo City for two days and didn't know anyone here.
Who is the mysterious man? Was he her secret lover?