Chapter 307: I Want to Become Empress

“I’m not tired.”

Long Qing’er was momentarily speechless but, thinking of her dignity as a senior sister, she continued onward. They walked for an entire day, and by nightfall, they still hadn’t encountered anything, nor had they reached the end of the wall.

“Senior Sister, I’m tired,” said Ye Wenxin, seeing that Long Qing’er was pushing herself so hard, reminding her of her best friend.

It wasn’t that her best friend had a similarly strong-willed personality; Long Qingyue was someone who always thought things through beforehand, to avoid many unnecessary troubles. If she were here now, they might already be deep inside the secret realm.

On the other hand, Long Qing’er was the type to act first and think later. So, Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but start using her not-so-brilliant brain, planning how they could enter the wall.

“Mm, if you’re tired, let’s rest for a bit. I have some Fasting Pills,” Long Qing’er said with relief. She spotted a hidden nook in the distance and led Ye Wenxin over. She ensured the surroundings were safe, setting an example as a senior sister.

Once she was sure there was no immediate danger around, Long Qing’er glanced at the wall, took a Fasting Pill, and couldn’t help but ask Ye Wenxin, “Junior Sister, am I stupid?”

But Ye Wenxin didn’t answer. Anxiously, Long Qing’er turned around, only to find Ye Wenxin eating a duck drumstick.

“Junior Sister, what are you…?”

“Ahem, I prepared this in advance. Senior Sister, would you like some?”

Ye Wenxin awkwardly laughed as she was caught red-handed, and pulled out a chicken drumstick, her expression showing some reluctance.

She had originally kept these drumsticks as her secret realm food supply, but it seemed there would be less for her now. Considering Long Qing’er had been quite kind to her, however, Ye Wenxin decided to offer it anyway, extending the chicken drumstick toward her senior sister.

Long Qing’er shook her head to refuse, but the aroma of the food behind her grew more tempting.

Ye Wenxin ate with great relish. She had initially planned to spend a month in the secret realm, lazily picking up whatever scraps she could find before leaving. She never expected to be caught by Long Qing’er and dropped to a random place with her, dashing her idyllic plans.

Realizing that Ye Wenxin lacked any fighting spirit, Long Qing’er stood in a thoughtful pose for a long time, shivering as a cool breeze blew by.

Feeling the chill, Long Qing’er instinctively pulled a fur cloak from her bag of holding. She was about to ask Ye Wenxin if she was cold, but noticed that Ye Wenxin was already nestled in a quilt.

Seeing Long Qing’er looking at her, Ye Wenxin offered an awkward smile, “Senior Sister, do you want to sleep together?”

Long Qing’er was completely dumbfounded. Here she was, nervous to death, while Ye Wenxin appeared as if she was on a leisurely vacation. Unsure of how to respond, Long Qing’er finally decided she had no clear plan and, after some thought, joined Ye Wenxin under the quilt, feeling the warmth it provided.

Feeling warm and comfy, Ye Wenxin wore a relaxed expression, only to realize Long Qing’er was watching her again.

“Senior Sister, I’m not Fairy Fengya. You don’t need to stare at me like that.”

“Sorry, I was just a bit surprised. A little over a year ago, I never imagined we’d be entering a secret realm together,” Long Qing’er replied with an awkward smile.

She hadn’t expected Ye Wenxin to even find a master, yet here she was. Ye Wenxin was now a well-known figure in the Azure Wings Sect, catching even Fairy Fengya’s attention.

Thinking back, ever since that mysterious mercenary defeated her at the Immortal Sect Grand Tournament, Long Qing’er’s pride seemed shattered. The faint smile on Long Qingyue’s face back then still sent chills down her spine.

She longed for her aunt’s approval, to defeat or even kill this perfect person, but it seemed that Long Qing’er was still far from reaching her aunt’s level.

The more she thought about it, the colder she felt. Reaching out, Long Qing’er wrapped her arms around Ye Wenxin’s neck.

“Senior Sister, don’t be so enthusiastic; we’re out in the wilds,” Ye Wenxin said awkwardly, feeling Long Qing’er’s face pressed closely against her, the warmth of her entire body radiating over.

Even though they were friends, this intimacy made Ye Wenxin worry that her own peach blossom luck might be affecting Long Qing’er. She checked nervously, but found that the peach blossom aura seemed to have no interest in Long Qing’er at all.

Although this relieved her, she still couldn’t understand how the peach blossom luck chose its targets.

“No, I just suddenly feel so cold,” Long Qing’er said, hugging tighter, clutching Ye Wenxin like she was holding onto a lifeline. In the darkness, she became increasingly anxious and uneasy.

No matter how tough she appeared, she was just an eighteen-year-old, a child still longing for love.

“Senior Sister…” Ye Wenxin struggled weakly, then heard Long Qing’er murmur, “Wenxin, I’m so cold, can you hold me tight?”

Ye Wenxin, feeling even more at a loss for words, could only embrace Long Qing’er harder. This seemed to encourage her, and Long Qing’er snuggled closer, seeking safety in Ye Wenxin’s arms.

“Wenxin, I want to become Empress,” Long Qing’er suddenly said out of nowhere, then felt Ye Wenxin’s hold loosen slightly, before quickly tightening again.

“It’s an admirable dream.” But if Long Qingyue was still around, this dream was destined to remain as just a dream. Ye Wenxin smiled bitterly; she was glad that Long Qing’er was lying in her arms, unable to see her pained expression.

The struggle for power among the imperial family, with kin turning against kin, had long been the norm. Long Qingyue was her best friend, and Ye Wenxin couldn’t abandon Long Qing’er either.

“Will you help me?”

“No.”

“That’s exactly the answer I expected from you.” Long Qing’er wasn’t surprised; she just nestled quietly in Ye Wenxin’s arms, her expression noticeably calmer.

Ye Wenxin understood she had passed this dangerous moment, and just as she sighed with relief, Long Qing’er continued, “You’re still not holding me tight enough.”

Ye Wenxin tightened her embrace, yet her eyes still showed a hint of resignation, glancing at a distant figure with a touch of embarrassment. Just a few seconds later, a teasing voice came from afar: “I told you Zhu-zhu was fine. Look how tightly these two are hugging.”

Long Qing’er quickly released her grip on Ye Wenxin and maintained a suitable distance as Jin Xiaoqin and Xuan Luofei approached them.

Long Qing’er disliked showing weakness in front of others. The reason she could be vulnerable with Ye Wenxin was because Ye Wenxin was not part of the imperial circle, and had no such interest.

If Ye Wenxin had answered that she would help, their relationship might have deteriorated instead.

With the other two’s sudden appearance, Ye Wenxin felt the atmosphere relax until she saw Xuan Luofei waving in the opposite direction from where they were. “Zhu-zhu, come over here.”