"No Wedding Unless Enemies and Lovers" 《不是冤家不拜堂》Chapter 98

 "It's me."

Hearing Ru Ge's voice was the same as before, it seems his injuries were not too serious, Ji Ling Xue let out a breath, "It's good that you're fine, I had thought you were taken by that perverted third prince, where did you go these last two days, why was there no news from you?" She had sent Xiao Si and the other beggars to look around for days.

Ru Ge said: "I'm fine...mistress doesn't need to worry about me."

Ji Ling Xue nodded, "It's good that you're fine!" Otherwise she would lack a bodyguard by her side, it was always a worry that someone might try to hurt her. "Go rest, I need to go out tomorrow, you need to guarantee my safety."

Ru Ge nodded, turning around he left, closing the window at the same time.

Ji Ling Xue pinched her chin staring blankly at the closed window, do experts like to come through windows? 

Ji Ling Xue sighed helplessly, turning she laid on the bed to sleep, just after she fell into a deep sleep, a figure in white entered from the window, also nimbly avoiding the traps set out by Ji Ling Xue he stood at her bed.

Xiao Yi Chen bent over staring at Ji Ling Xue's sleeping face, he had looked for clues in his study for half the day, when he came out it was already the middle of the night, he had wanted to come over to comfort Ji Ling Xue, afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep well, he didn't think this woman would be sleeping like the dead.

Xiao Yi Chen sat on the side of the bed, raising his hand to poke at her sleep acupuncture point, then did he light a lamp, lifting the quilt to examine Ji Ling Xue's wounds. She had clearly suffered so much pain and horror, but she never showed her weaknesses in front of him, always being so stubborn made his heart ache.

There were quite a few purple marks on her wrist from being tied up by thick rope, Xiao Yi Chen stroked the injury murmuring, "Xue Er, you were tied up for a long time right? That's why the marks have turned purple."

The sleeping Ji Ling Xue couldn't respond to him, Xiao Yi Chen shook his head, taken a purple gold cream from his chest to apply on Ji Ling Xue, he moved his inner strength to his fingers, so that his massages would be more effective in half the time.

After applying cream to the wound on her wrists, Xiao Yi Chen started inspecting other places, until he took off Xiao Yi Chen's sleeping socks, seeing the thickly wrapped bandages, Xiao Yi Chen's eyes turned cold, that Dayan third prince, wait until he finds him he will pay tenfold.

Gently he untied the bandages, Xiao Yi Chen saw the badly mangled soles of the feet, his eyes grieved.

The soles of the feet had been lacerated, when Mo Xiang had treated her wounds earlier she had cried and cursed, asking after the eighteenth generations of the third prince who had kidnapped Ji Ling Xue, Mo Xiang carefully picked out the stones embedded in the flesh, after cleaning it with medicinal liquid she got rid of the rotting flesh, the wound still didn't look great.

Ji Ling Xue however smiled reassuringly, "The wounds are on the sole of the feet, even if they scar they won't matter, don't be upset, if such a thing happens next time, I won't use my shoes as a marker."

Xiao Yi Chen came back with warm water, he carefully wiped off the medicine Mo Xiang had applied, putting on his own purple gold cream, he once again wrapped them up, this purple gold cream was an imperial item, there was only three jars in the palace, a good medicine for injuries, it can very quickly heal wounds and get rid of scarring, it's ingredients were rare, one of them is a medicinal herb which only bloomed every three years, thus it had limited production. 

After helping Ji Ling Xue wear her sleeping socks and covering her with the quilt, Xiao Yi Chen finished up his task, taking aware the gauze which had been used, that's when he left Ji Ling Xue's room.

The next day, when Mo Xiang was changing the bandages, seeing the almost healed wounds she praised Ji Ling Xue's regenerative abilities as being superior, yet she didn't know there was someone in the background helping Ji Ling Xue apply medication every night.

Xiao Yi Chen was very busy recently, busy finding the whereabouts of Dayan's third prince, as a result he very rarely went to Ji Ling Xue's house, Ji Ling Xue also didn't mind, she had several leisurely days.

Finally, the agreed ten days with Ji Yu Qing arrived Ji Ling Xue woke up very early taking Mo Xiang with her to find Ji Yu Qing, afraid the other person would have forgotten and not follow through.

Ji Yu Qing was woken by the knocking on the door, these last two days her relationship with Xiao Yi Chen could be said to have become more affable, Xiao Yi Chen also frequently came to find her.

The story of why Xiao Yi Chen had been staying in Ji Yu Qing's courtyard for the last few days began the day Ji Ling Xue returned to the residence. 

When Ji Ling Xue returned to her own room she called Mo Xiang over, ignoring Xiao Yi Chen who was deeply concerned and wanted to make things right, Xiao Yi Chen was rather annoyed with being snubbed, he thought of Ji Yu Qing, they were sisters, Xiao Yi Chen wanted to ask Ji Yu Qing what Ji Ling Xue liked.

Ji Yu Qing also longed for Xiao Yi Chen to come, he talked to her for an entire night, even though they talked about her and JI Ling Xue's interactions, able to keep Xiao Yi Chen here she no longer felt jealous.

Zi Ye was the one who opened the door, seeing it was Ji Ling Xue knocking she immediately greeted her, "Princess, what is the matter, imperial concubine Qing is still sleeping."

Ji Ling Xue raised her eyes to sky: "Go call your mistress awake, tell her this princess is taking her to pray for a child at the Guanyin temple, if she doesn't go, this princess will go alone."

Zi Ye nodded, returning to the room she repeated what Ji Ling Xue said exactly to Ji Yu Qing, Ji Yu Qing had a habit of waking up late, but with Ji Ling Xue making a racket she couldn't sleep, after washing and changing clothes, she specifically wore a bright red skirt, vowing to outdo Ji Ling Xue.

After seeing Ji Ling Xue dressed in men's clothing, Ji Yu Qing curled her lips saying: "Why is older sister wearing men's clothing?" She couldn't help admit Ji Ling Xue still looked very pretty in men's clothes.

Ji Ling Xue smiled: "Men's clothes are more convenient."

Ji Yu Qing declined to comment and shrugged her shoulders, raising her head to look at the sky: "It's not early, we ought to set out."

Ji Ling Xue nodded, a plain simple carriage stopped in front of the residence, Ji Yu Qing frowned in distain, "Older sister, you are the princess, how can you sit in such a plain carriage, this doesn't suit your status?"

Ji Ling Xue said: "It's better to be more low-profiled when travelling, otherwise if something happens it would be prince's honour that's effected." This was her hinting at Ji Yu Qing not acting in a modest manner, always showing off in extravagance wherever she went, afraid no one would know who she was.

Ji Yu Qing covered her mouth saying: "Older sister be at ease, I know propriety, I don't catch attention like older sister, I won't be kidnapped into the depths of the mountains."

Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, thinking of the kidnapping she again cursed the perverted third prince of Dayan in her heart, that's when she felt a bit better.

The carriage passed through the west city gate onto the official road, Ji Ling Xue lifted the curtain to appreciate the scenery, from afar she could see the imperial calligraphy "Qingfengyashe" of her own restaurant, the four words especially eye-catching.

Ji Ling Xue coughed: "Stop the carriage."

Ji Yu Qing pushed aside the curtain looking outside she asked, "Have we arrived so soon?"

Ji Ling Xue smiled her eyes curved, "We haven't arrived yet, in the haste of leaving this morning I'm a little hungry, let's go to that restaurant to have breakfast before we continue."

Ji Yu Qing's eyes followed the direction Ji Ling Xue's finger was pointing at she couldn't help frown, "When did a restaurant appear here?"

Ji Ling Xue had already gotten off the carriage ordering the driver to lead the horse around for a walk, Ji Yu Qing had to come down to follow after Ji Ling Xue.

Today was the grand opening of Qingfengyashe, Ji Ling Xue intentionally brought someone along to support her own business, this was called keep the goods within the family!

Mo Xiang had already informed Xiao Si and the others to pretend not to know Ji Ling Xue, Xiao Si very politely welcomed Ji Ling Xue and Ji Yu Qing to a private room.

Xiao Si said: "What do the guests want to eat, today is the grand opening of the restaurant, if these two guests leave a poem, there will be twenty percent discount, there would even be a little gift."

Ji Yu Qing hurriedly nodded her head, she was a talented woman, a poem was nothing, immediately telling Xiao Si to bring over the four treasures of the study, with a rustle she wrote a poem, "At sunset the tired mountains are distant, the sky is cold and the white house is destitute, the woodcutter's family hears the bark of a dog, wind, snow and the night gather around the people."

Ji Yu Qing picked up the piece of paper she had just written on blowing the ink dry, provokingly she looked at Ji Ling Xue saying: "Does older sister also want to compose a poem?"

Ji Ling Xue smiled, "I won't write one." It wouldn't be good to steal Ji Yu Qing's limelight, Ji Ling Xue added in her heart.

Xiao Si took the paper from Ji Yu Qing's hand giving a few praises he then turned around leaving the room, soon after he carried a menu into the room, letting Ji Yu Qing order some dishes.

Ji Yu Qing felt Ji Ling Xue was taking advantage of her, if she couldn't compose a poem, she would be paying the bill at it's original price, thus she picked the dishes she liked, not asking for Ji Ling Xue's opinion at all.

Just before she finished ordering, Ji Ling Xue left clutching at her stomach, Ji Yu Qing muttered: "Lazy people have to poo a lot!"

What she didn't know was, Ji Ling Xue had gone to the kitchen to cook, she had of course hired kitchen staff in her restaurant, she had given some of her own recipes to the cook to look at. This chef was a forty years old auntie, Mo Xiang had selected her carefully.

The chef was very quick in learning, Ji Ling Xue only had to cook once for her to remember it, only today's business was lacking, causing the chef and Xiao Si and the others to break out in sweat.

Ji Ling Xue gave a slight smile of reassurance: "Don't worry, in less than ten days, business will come to us, you just keep going as it is."

Mo Xiang said: "Mistress, imperial concubine Qing only ordered dishes for herself, what should be done if she doesn't take the initiative to pay?"

Ji Ling Xue laughed, "That is very simple, you can ask for it at prince Chen's residence, I can be a witness."

Mo Xiang covered her mouth and smiled, princess was really two-faced, even acting against her own younger sister.

Ji Ling Xue said: "Siblings also need to settle a debt, my own business can't suffer losses."

In the private room, plates of delicious food arrived at the table,  Ji Yu Qing drooled looking at them, the food was ordered for her, she didn't wait for Ji Ling Xue to come back, picking up her chopsticks she began to eat.

Zi Ye stood at Ji Yu Qing's side helping her get more food, she usually didn't speak much, but she couldn't help say: "Imperial concubine Qing, this doesn't seem too good!"

Ji Yu Qing coldly snorted: "What isn't good, she is my older sister, we're a family, there's no need to be concerned about this."

Zi Ye, "...."

When Ji Yu Qing had drank the last mouthful of soup, she took the handkerchief Zi Ye handed to her and gracefully wiped her lips, Ji Ling Xue pushed open the door and entered.

A cold smiled hung on the edges of Ji Yu Qing's lips, glancing at the empty bowls and plates on the table, with a guilty expression, she spread out her hands, "Older sister has come back too late, what could I do? I waited for older sister for along time, I could only eat first, older sister are you still hungry, why don't we order some more dishes, I can wait for older sister...only it's not early anymore, it's already late morning, if we eat like this we wouldn't reach the marriage temple by sunset."

Ji Ling Xue didn't look unhappy at all, smiling she said: "It's good younger sister has eaten, what's more you ordered the dishes you like, younger sister has such a good appetite, I'm also very happy, you can go pay the bill downstairs, I'll wait for you in the carriage." Having spoken she turned walking downstairs with Mo Xiang.