Chapter 18: 18

Birthday Gift (Heartfelt)

 

“Can you do it or not?”

“I can,” the man replied with a strained voice.

“You’ve taken so much money from me, why does it feel like you’re still so slow?” The woman’s tone was disdainful.

“It’s because you haven’t let me sleep for days,” the man complained.

“Xu Jun, didn’t you say you were really good at this?” the woman asked in a lowered voice.

“I am really good at it. Let me try again, Qin Qin,” Xu Jun said defiantly.

“You’ve already tried so many times,” Ming Qing sounded a bit dissatisfied.

“I promise this is the last time. I’ll definitely make you satisfied,” Xu Jun said confidently.

“But I don’t have much time,” Ming Qing sounded a bit anxious. The sound of their breathing and things falling and banging around in the room could be heard.

“Wait! What are you doing? Don’t get so close to me!” Xu Jun exclaimed in panic, “Wait… don’t, wait…”

Upon hearing suspicious conversation coming from the room, Lin Yan’s face turned red and his heart raced as he listened in the hallway.

He burst into the room and shouted, frowning and distressed, “Under broad daylight, men and women should not be so intimate. What are you two doing? Junior Brother Xu, I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. Qin Qin, have you learned bad habits from your Senior Sister?”

Ming Qing and Xu Jun were startled, holding a few jars in their hands as they looked at Lin Yan at the door, with a puzzled expression on their faces.

Looking at the two neatly dressed people and the smell of gunpowder in the room, Lin Yan awkwardly touched his nose and said, “Oh, it was just a misunderstanding! You guys continue!”

“What did you misunderstand again?” Ming Qing, who was interrupted, was a bit unhappy, “And Senior Brother, you broke my door.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you,” Lin Yan said with a red face, trying to put the door back.

“We did it!” Xu Jun suddenly shouted, and the bamboo tube in his hand emitted bursts of flames, startling Lin Yan.

“Awesome! We made it!” Ming Qing jumped up happily, waving her hands and feet.

Taking a few jars from Xu Jun’s hand, Ming Qing ignored Lin Yan who was still fixing the door and swiftly left the Shadow Guard Camp using light techniques.

“What happened to Qin Qin? Why is she suddenly so happy?” Lin Yan asked curiously as he struggled to fit the door back in place.

“Maybe there’s someone she likes?” Xu Jun yawned widely and wiped his eyes. “She’s been working on something all month and made me promise to finish it today.”

“What exactly are you guys making? You’re being so secretive,” Lin Yan said, giving up on the door that was now completely broken. He watched as Xu Jun picked up a pen and paper.

Xu Jun quickly scribbled on the paper and muttered, “I need to write down the recipe so I can use it to woo my future wife.”

Meanwhile, Ming Qin hurriedly climbed up to the Hidden Moon Tower and, without hesitation, lifted Murong Yan off the bed and spun her around happily.

“Ah! Qin Qin!” Murong Yan nervously hugged Ming Qin’s neck, her voice surprised and helpless. “Put me down.”

Ming Qin paid no attention and used one hand to support her backside while pulling out a bamboo tube from her pocket with the other. She whispered mysteriously in Murong Yan’s ear, “I brought you something good today.”

The bamboo tube was thin but felt heavy, and had a piece of cotton thread embedded at the top.

Murong Yan was curious and leaned in closer to the person holding her, smiling. “What’s this mysterious thing you’re talking about?”

“I’ll show you in a moment.”

Just as Ming Qin was about to put Murong Yan down, she noticed several delicately carved wooden boxes in the corner that she had never seen before. They had been overturned, and beautiful jade jewelry spilled out onto the ground. Exquisite embroidered dresses and shawls were torn to shreds and tossed aside like garbage.

“What are these?” Ming Qin asked.

“Just some useless things.” Murong Yan said indifferently, showing no interest in the valuable treasures in the corner.

Ming Qin asked cautiously, “But aren’t those the birthday gifts sent to you?”

“Ah Qin knows it’s my birthday today?” Murong Yan sounded surprised, then smiled slightly. “Could it be that Ah Qin is preparing a gift for me in secret?”

The black-clothed guard suddenly put the woman down, feeling awkward and reluctant to speak.

“Ah Qin?” Murong Yan looked at her with concern, sensing her hesitation.

“I…” After a few days of enthusiasm, Ming Qin finally calmed down. She looked at the rare treasures in the corner, which she could never afford even with a lifetime of salary, and hesitated.

If she didn’t even appreciate these things, how could Murong Yan like her crude gift?

Thinking of this, she felt a little discouraged and took a few steps back. “I, I, I… I just remembered that my master has something to discuss with me, I have to go first.”

“Ah Qin!” Seeing her about to leave and trying to hide something with a clumsy lie, Murong Yan grabbed her clothes with a mix of anxiety and anger. “Ah Qin, what’s wrong with you?”

Ming Qin didn’t want to rudely pull her hand away, but just squeezed her fist in distress, unsure whether or not to tell the truth to Murong Yan.

” Ming Qin,” Murong Yan said in a deep voice, “if you want to lie to me, you must do so flawlessly.”

She allowed Ming Qin to lie to her.

Yes, she allowed it.

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Just like she allowed Ming Qin to do anything to her.

But she couldn’t stand the feeling of Ming Qin hiding something from her, as if a sweet dream was mixed with an annoying thorn, causing her heart to churn with restlessness and discomfort.

“I did prepare a gift, but…” Ming Qin was afraid of seeing the woman’s disdain in her eyes, bowed her head and said, “but this gift is worthless. It was made by me and my senior brother. Compared to those precious gifts over there, it’s not worth anything…”

Murong Yan suddenly grabbed Ming Qin and forced her to look at her, forcefully interrupting her speech.

She didn’t care whether the prince had given her a horse or a donkey, those things only made her feel disgusted when they were just placed there.

“Give me your gift,” the woman looked up, her voice softened, and she said gently, “I don’t care if the gift is expensive. I just want you.”

Ming Qin looked at the warmth in the woman’s eyes and compromised, “Okay.”

Even though it was spring, the wind was still a little chilly, so she wrapped the blanket around Murong Yan and opened a crack in all the windows.

“My junior brother, junior brother Xu Jun, is very good at making some mechanical toys. He previously made a little bird that can fly in the sky, and one time he accidentally tinkered with a new type of hidden weapon and almost burned down the camp.” Ming Qin pulled out a wet handkerchief and explained as she went.

“During the New Year, I couldn’t take you to the city wall to see the fireworks. I thought it was a shame, so I wanted to make something for you…” She twisted the handkerchief dry and wrapped it around the end of a bamboo tube.

“For this little thing, my junior brother and I tinkered for almost half a month! He even said he needed ‘research funding’ and opened his lion’s mouth several times.” Thinking of the now flat purse, Ming Qin wrinkled her nose.

“You see, today is your birthday, a day worth celebrating with the entire capital lit up with lanterns and rejoicing. But unfortunately, I don’t have that much ability, so I can only congratulate you in this small room.” She rambled on, lighting the fuse with the fire stove, and then deftly blew out the oil lamp. “…Unfortunately, I can’t light up the whole capital for you, I can only congratulate you in this small room.”

Ming Qin handed the bamboo tube wrapped in a wet cloth to Murong Yan and hugged her, her slightly larger and calloused hand holding the delicate hand holding the bamboo tube.

“Yan Yan.” Ming Qin rarely called her softly.

In the darkness, Murong Yan looked up at the bright eyes.

“I hope you will be happy forever and have today every year.”

The warm smile in front of her suddenly illuminated by a brilliant light, causing Murong Yan to turn her head towards the source, but she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

The front end of the bamboo tube in her hand was emitting a gorgeous array of colorful lights, like real fireworks, illuminating the previously dark room.

As if truly inviting a million lights to celebrate for her, the bright and dazzling light was piercing to the eyes, yet she couldn’t bear to look away.

The colorful and radiant light kept flickering in front of her, making her heart tremble with a silent shock.

A sour feeling rose in her chest, causing her fingertips to tremble and almost lose grip on the bamboo tube.

Just as she was about to let go, she was enveloped tightly by Ming Qin’s palm.

“It’s not hot,” Ming Qin whispered gently in her ear. “Don’t be afraid.”

It’s hot.

Murong Yan choked up inside.

The temperature of their skin touching and the heat in her chest were both so hot that she felt like crying.

She thought she had already been frozen solid by the cold, like the eternal winter in the far north where no grass could grow.

The person next to her had recklessly barged into this forbidden area, bringing with them a burning warmth that set her heart alight.

As the dazzling fireworks lit up the surroundings, the warmth in her heart had already melted away her defenses.

The sparklers in her hand began to fade, their bright and flickering lights gradually dimming. Ming Qin took the empty bamboo tube from her and asked, “Do you like it? Shall we light some more?”

Murong Yan hugged Ming Qin’s slender and toned waist with both hands, his chin resting on her slightly lowered shoulder as she said hoarsely, “I like it. I really do.”

She really did like it.

At this moment, Murong Yan’s mind was clearer than ever before. She was acutely aware of every inch of her body screaming out how much she loved Ming Qin. She loved this person who was celebrating her birth with her in this tiny room.

She hadn’t planned for any of this.

She had only wanted to pass the time.

She had only wanted to use her as a comfort for her loneliness.

She had only wanted to use her as a tool to ease her pain.

She had only wanted to possess her as her own.

She had been calculating everything, but she had never thought that she would gradually sink into an unconscious state, as if she was trapped in quicksand.

Now, looking up, she knew there was no cure.

Murong Yan felt a mixture of amusement and sadness. She couldn’t believe that she, who had been so dead inside, could feel such almost uncontrollable emotions. She tightened her arms around Ming Qin and pressed her body against hers.

“Ming Qin.”

“Hmm?” Ming Qin paused her movements.

“Thank you.”

Thank you for letting me feel that my birth was a fortunate thing, something I had long forgotten.

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