Chapter Twenty-Five: You Belong to Me Now

Since the incident with the Golden Dragon Tortoise, Yue Qianling seemed to have become a different person. I could clearly feel that I was no longer the object of her scorn and hostility; at the very least, she now included a share for me in the pastries she made. The wound on my hand had nearly healed as well, but the words Yue Leiting had spoken last time kept me tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. He did not appear to be joking, and in any case, he was not someone who made jokes—especially not about his precious daughter.

Yue Leiting wanted to match me with Yue Qianling, and just the thought of it made my scalp tingle. Even though Yue Qianling was no longer persecuting me with increased intensity, her past misdeeds were still vivid in my memory, and recalling them now still made me shudder.

The knocking outside the door was soft. I was certain it wasn’t Xiao Lianshan; he never bothered to knock. Apart from him, there was only one other person in the villa...

At this thought, I shot up from the bed, but moved too quickly in the small room and smacked my head hard on the doorframe, the pain sharp and searing.

Yue Qianling pushed the door open with a pout, standing at the doorway looking left and right, hesitating as if unsure whether to enter.

"Miss Yue... it's so late, is there something you need?" I asked, clutching my head and trying to sound composed.

She bit her lip, mustered her courage, and came in. The room was tiny, with no space for a chair, so after a moment’s thought, she simply sat on the edge of my bed.

"Um... how’s your hand?"

"Oh, I’m from the countryside—tough as leather, it’s nothing," I replied reflexively, inching back toward the wall. Nothing good had ever come from being alone with Yue Qianling, and now, with just the two of us in this cramped room in the dead of night, I was on edge. If I accidentally brushed against her and she started screaming, accusing me of impropriety, I’d never be able to clear my name.

"I saw today that the gauze on your hand was stained with blood. You haven’t changed your bandages in days, have you?" At some point, she’d produced a bottle of iodine and a roll of gauze. "Let me change your dressing."

Nervous, I hugged my hand to my chest and shook my head vigorously.

"Really, Miss Yue, it’s fine. I’ll have Lianshan do it for me in the morning."

"Lianshan is all thumbs—this requires a delicate touch." Not waiting for my agreement, she took my hand. "Besides, if it weren’t for you saving me, you wouldn’t be hurt. Just let me show my gratitude."

"Miss Yue—"

"Don’t keep calling me Miss Yue. Just call me Qianling, like Lianshan does."

Swallowing hard, I dared not utter a sound. I truly didn’t understand how a woman’s demeanor could change so swiftly, as if the past had never happened.

"Qianling... I’ve been meaning to explain something," I ventured, seeing how amicable she was today. "That day, I entered the bathroom not knowing you were inside—"

"Ouch!"

Her gentle motions suddenly became forceful, pressing directly on my wound. Her expression turned fierce in an instant—one moment the gentle breeze of spring, the next the biting chill of winter.

"Never bring that up again. You’d better keep it to yourself. If anyone else ever learns you saw me bathing, I’ll make sure you never know a moment’s peace for the rest of your life!"

I nodded furiously, more convinced than ever that I’d never understand women as long as I lived.

Yue Qianling’s hands were indeed deft, nothing like Xiao Lianshan’s clumsy ones; whenever he changed my bandages, the pain was excruciating. This time, apart from a faint itch around the wound, I felt no pain at all. When I looked down, I saw she’d tied a little bow in the gauze.

The room was small, the bed narrow. Even pressed against the wall, Yue Qianling was still very close; I could clearly hear her breathing, and her subtle fragrance filled the confined space. I tried hard not to let my imagination run wild, but couldn’t help blushing.

"How did you know the Golden Dragon Tortoise had a hidden mechanism inside?"

"It was crafted by the Eastern Depot in the Ming Dynasty. Since it was used to transmit secret messages, it would naturally be booby-trapped against anyone trying to open it," I answered, unsettled.

"So... the Fourteenth Ming Tomb really exists?" Qianling asked, her head bent in concentration as she wrapped my wound, oblivious to my embarrassment.

"According to legend, yes. Now, with the discovery of the Luoxuan Divine Plan and the Golden Dragon Tortoise, it seems even more likely—almost a certainty."

"If it does exist, there must be countless treasures inside?"

"Absolutely. Each Ming emperor sent gold, silver, and jewels there—the one who finds the treasure will have enough wealth to rival a nation," I affirmed.

"And if you do find it, what will you do with it?"

"Well... that’s up to Brother Ting. The treasure belongs to him, and what he does with it is his business. I have no interest in the contents," I replied with a smile.

Qianling suddenly looked up and regarded my flushed face with curiosity.

"Why is your face so red?"

"It’s... nothing, just too warm in here," I stammered, flustered and distracted.

"Warm? I don’t feel it." She looked at me seriously, then her expression grew thoughtful. "My father says you’re the only one who can find the Fourteenth Ming Tomb?"

"Heh, Brother Ting exaggerates. I’m just lending a hand," I said, averting my gaze from her clear eyes.

"My father never flatters anyone. If he says you can, then you can. Though I still don’t know what your abilities are, seeing how much he values you, you must be more than a mere charlatan."

I laughed awkwardly, feeling even hotter.

"Really, it’s not as impressive as he says. I’ve just been lucky."

"He says you’re skilled in feng shui, fortune-telling, and all kinds of esoteric arts, but I don’t care about those unscientific things," she said as she focused on my wound. "But he also said you can appraise antiques at a glance, instantly telling real from fake."

"Antique appraisal is all about a sharp eye. I might be a little good at it, but Brother Ting is just being generous."

"Still pretending? The Han Dynasty bronze tally that Hao brought back from Yuzhou—you identified it in an instant. That’s a rare national second-class artifact. My father has already sold it to someone in Taiwan. That’s smuggling cultural relics—by helping him, you’re abetting a crime. It’s outright treason," she said righteously after finishing the dressing.

"Heh, from the way you talk, are you planning to turn your father in?"

"I won’t concern myself with the past, but now that I’m back, I won’t let him go astray. He wants you to find the Fourteenth Ming Tomb, right?"

I nodded.

"If you really find it, everything inside is a national relic and must be handed over to the state. To keep it would be illegal. Do you know the punishment for trafficking in national second-class or higher cultural relics?"

I shook my head, smiling uncertainly.

She made a finger gun and pointed it at me.

"How many heads do you think you have to spare?"

I couldn’t help but laugh, interrupting her.

"Wait, are you here to change my bandages or something else? What do you really want?"

"From today on, you’re my informant!"

"Informant?" I found it more and more amusing.

She remained dead serious. "You must report any news about the Fourteenth Ming Tomb to me first, ensuring it isn’t damaged, and that scientific archaeological methods are used for excavation—so it can become the world’s recognized Ninth Wonder. Of course, if it really exists."

"And how do you plan to explain that to your father?" I asked with a smile.

"That’s not your concern. Just listen to me," she answered confidently.

"But... why should I listen to you?" I asked, huddled in the corner, hugging my knees and laughing.

She smiled faintly, then suddenly fixed me with a blank, unyielding stare.

"Because you owe me! You peeked at me twice. Did you think you’d get away with it for nothing?"

"Heaven knows I didn’t!"

"I don’t care, you saw everything, didn’t you? I won’t hold it against you now, but you can’t get off scot-free. It’s settled—from now on, you’re mine!"

Without waiting for my response, Yue Qianling picked up the iodine and gauze and swept out of the room. I was left bewildered, unable to fathom how a simple bandage change had made me hers.

Xiao Lianshan appeared at the doorway like a ghost, grinning broadly.

"Well, well, did I miss the good part? You’ve pledged yourself already, brother—impressive!" He burst out laughing.

I grabbed my pillow and hurled it at him, then collapsed onto the bed, finally realizing that my nightmare was only just beginning.