The bedroom door was pushed open, and Qin Ling strode in hurriedly. “Qin Yu, I… have… come…”
Qin Ling saw Luo Shangyu pressed down on Qin Yu’s body, currently…
“I won’t disturb you, I’m leaving!” Qin Ling stepped back, pulled the door open, and prepared to leave Qin Yu’s bedroom.
Luo Shangyu: ∑(O_O；)
Qin Yu: ∑(O_O；)
Completely doomed!
‘Now my dignity is truly shattered in front of Father. My image is ruined!’ Qin Yu wailed in her heart, gently pushing Luo Shangyu, trying to sit up straight.
“It’s not… what you think…!” Qin Yu shouted.
“Oh?” Qin Ling’s foot was already outside the room, but upon hearing this, he pulled it back and closed the door.
Luo Shangyu’s mind went blank hearing Qin Ling’s voice—she was the one bullying his daughter!
Feeling Qin Yu’s movement, Luo Shangyu clumsily climbed off Qin Yu’s body and obediently sat at the edge of the bed.
Qin Yu climbed up, tidied her already messy sleepwear, and sat beside Luo Shangyu on the bed’s edge.
Both placed their hands on their knees, heads lowered, staring at the floor without daring to speak.
The soft mattress slightly sank under their weight, pressing them close together.
Qin Ling pulled over a stool and sat opposite them.
A long silence.
Qin Yu finally broke the silence first: “Hamood, hamood! Hamood, habibi!”
Luo Shangyu replied: “Gugu gaga! Gugu gaga!”
Qin Ling: “…” (ー_ー)!!
This time, Qin Ling broke the silence: “Next time you two do this kind of thing, you’d better lock the door.”
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu exchanged a quick glance, then whispered, “Father, it’s not what you think…”
“Hm? Not what I think?”
“Yeah. We were just playing!”
“Playing?” Qin Ling was shocked.
“When two people play together, do they get that close and intimate?”
“Uh…”
“No need to hide it!” Qin Ling said earnestly.
“You’re almost at that age, these things are natural—there’s nothing shameful about it!”
“Eh eh eh?” Qin Yu didn’t understand the situation.
“What does that mean?”
“Your old man’s been through it too. Don’t keep hiding it. I already know the relationship between you two!”
“Our… relationship?” Qin Yu looked at Qin Ling in confusion, then glanced at Luo Shangyu, who sat silently with her head lowered.
“Yes! All the palace staff are gossiping about your romance, even saying Luo Shangyu is the future Crown Princess!”
“Romance!?” Qin Yu exclaimed.
Luo Shangyu lowered her head even further, her long golden hair hiding her blushing face, steam practically rising off her head.
“That’s not true!” Qin Ling began counting on his fingers the gossip about the two to prove their romance.
After using both hands, Qin Yu finally couldn’t hold back.
“Stop, stop! Where do you get all this gossip?!”
“Hehe!” Qin Ling smiled mysteriously and pulled out a small booklet from his pocket, densely filled with records of Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu’s scandals.
“This is the Scandal Record Book compiled by palace staff. It’s basically in everyone’s hands in the palace!”
“…”
“Daughter!” Qin Ling said earnestly, “I know how you feel about Luo Shangyu. I fully support you liking girls. Don’t have any psychological burdens—just love boldly!”
“My relationship with Luo Shangyu is just friends, not lovers!” Qin Yu shouted.
Luo Shangyu stayed silent with her head lowered.
“You say something!” Qin Yu urged.
“Ah? Oh, Your Majesty, we really are just friends!” Luo Shangyu looked up, her cheeks red with shyness.
“Really? You’re stuck together all day, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Slept together?”
“…”
Silence—not a denial, but tacit agreement.
“Bathed together?”
“That was just watching…” Qin Yu whispered, trying to defend.
“I didn’t mean to! It was Qin Yu’s idea!” Luo Shangyu covered her face in defense.
Qin Ling looked at Qin Yu with admiration.
No wonder she’s his daughter—so proactive!
“Look, look, it’s come to this! Which friends get that close? Play-fighting maybe, but pressing the other down?”
Qin Yu realized she’d been led astray by her father’s questioning.
No, she had to reverse the situation!
Not continue this topic.
“Father, is there something you came here for today?” Qin Yu interrupted.
“There is, there is!” Qin Ling remembered his purpose.
“But I still suggest you confess your feelings to Luo Shangyu soon!”
Qin Yu: (“▔□▔)
‘As expected of Dad, still stuck on this!’
Luo Shangyu: (/”≡ _ ≡)
“Alright, back to the main point!” Qin Ling began the topic.
“You defeated the rebels with a small force this time, very well done—truly worthy of the Chengji Empire’s royal family!”
At this, Qin Ling’s eyes were full of pride.
“You also showed incredible strength.” Qin Ling looked at Luo Shangyu.
“Truly deserving of the Elven Royalty.”
“Here, I think it’s necessary to promote your rank.” Saying this, Qin Ling handed over an imperial edict.
“You are now the Commander of the Feathered Forest Guards, in charge of the left and right Imperial Guards. You don’t need to do much—just hold the title.”
“Yes!” Luo Shangyu had just experienced the earlier incident and didn’t dare say more.
“Ah!” Qin Ling sighed deeply.
“I’ve failed in my duties as a father! I missed your growing up. In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown from a baby to this. I missed so many moments of your life.”
At this, Qin Ling’s eyes welled up with tears.
This illness dragged Qin Ling back from his fantasies to reality.
He felt he’d missed so much.
“Father…” Qin Yu was at a loss for words.
Qin Ling’s attitude toward Qin Yu had always been complicated.
Since Qin Yu was born, Qin Ling rarely cared for her, spending more time with Grand Tutor Yin.
This made their relationship distant, and Qin Yu wasn’t particularly dependent on him.
But Qin Ling was still Qin Yu’s father!
Her mother died soon after giving birth, leaving Qin Yu with little memory of her.
Besides that scheming uncle, Qin Ling was Qin Yu’s only family.
In her past life, Qin Yu was emotionally sensitive, with unique emotional experiences, deeply reliant on family and friends.
Seeing her father’s remorse moved her greatly.
Though unsure if his remorse was sincere, she was deeply touched.
“I really regret not cherishing your growth…”
“Father…” Qin Yu stood up and embraced Qin Ling, feeling the long-missed warmth.
“!” Qin Ling let Qin Yu’s frail body fall into his arms.
“When was the last time? Your fourteenth birthday? Or…” Qin Ling tried desperately to recall the last time he hugged Qin Yu but couldn’t remember.
Feeling Qin Yu’s warmth—it was his own flesh and blood!
For a moment, tears overflowed from his eyes, streaming down his pale, illness-weakened face.
Qin Yu nestled in Qin Ling’s broad chest, feeling the rare love of a father.
After a long while, they separated.
Qin Ling wiped his tears, unable to speak for a long time.
“Ah!” Qin Ling sighed again, finally speaking.
“What I can do now is to ensure you succeed smoothly.”
Saying this, Qin Ling patted Luo Shangyu’s shoulder.
“I’ve been through it all; I see your feelings for each other. I hope you’ll stay by Qin Yu’s side and take good care of her. It’s clear Qin Yu really likes you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Luo Shangyu answered firmly.
“Why still call me Your Majesty?” Qin Ling feigned anger.
“Uh…” Luo Shangyu knew what Qin Ling wanted her to say but was a bit embarrassed.
Yet she saw the hopeful look in Qin Ling’s eyes.
“Dad…”
“Eh!” Qin Ling agreed readily, smiling.
“From now on, Qin Yu is yours!”
“Ah?” Qin Yu was shocked.
“Don’t think I don’t know you’re the passive one!” Qin Ling glared at Qin Yu.
“You’re basically marrying Luo Shangyu!”
Qin Yu was speechless.
Was it really that obvious she was the passive partner?
“Let me tell you, Qin Yu when she was little…” Qin Ling began sharing Qin Yu’s ‘dark past’ with Luo Shangyu.
But these ‘dark histories’ were recently pieced together from stories by Qin Yu’s maidservants and palace staff.
***
Xu Feng’s Residence.
Xu Feng slipped a secret letter into the messenger dragon’s communication tube.
Messenger dragons are the best carriers of messages, but rarely seen.
They’re a subspecies of the Dragon Clan, possessing the speed and high intelligence of dragons, allowing rapid and safe delivery.
Watching the messenger dragon’s departing figure, Xu Feng silently thought, ‘So, Qin Yu, you think you’re invincible just because you’re the Crown Princess? I’ll tell you, the gun is far more effective than your Crown Princess status! Dare to strip me of my rank? Just wait to die!’
***
Night deepened; Qin Ling prepared to leave.
Qin Yu lay on the bed, carefully recalling everything that happened tonight.
Luo Shangyu lay down beside Qin Yu, lights out.
“What is our relationship?” Qin Yu asked in the dark.
“Friends?”
“The best of friends.”
Qin Yu felt Luo Shangyu gently wrap around her soft lower belly.
“Being lovers isn’t impossible either…” Qin Yu murmured.
“Becoming lovers suddenly would be too abrupt, right?” Luo Shangyu held Qin Yu tightly with both hands.
Qin Yu said nothing, only feeling the pressure from her lower belly.
‘Being lovers isn’t so bad; being Luo Shangyu’s passive is quite a pleasure,’ Qin Yu thought quietly.
Reliving the feeling of Luo Shangyu pressing her down earlier, sensing the gentle binding at her abdomen, Qin Yu drifted into sleep.