Chapter 96: Bite

In the evening, Pear Blossom rolled up a mat and a pillow from her room and was about to leave with a food box in hand.

Mrs. Xiong saw the large bundle she had rolled up and said, “What’s this? Planning to settle up there, even moving your bedding?”

Pear Blossom stamped her foot, “Mother—”

Mrs. Xiong waved her hand in concession, “Alright, alright, I won’t say anything, I’ll keep quiet.”

She was puzzled, too. She had always gotten along well with Dong Yun, and they’d always smiled when they met. She had always felt quite fond of her. But ever since she found out Dong Yun was close to her daughter, she couldn’t control her tongue. She kept trying to make sarcastic comments, whether there was a reason or not.

It must be the natural clash of magnetic fields between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Seeing her mother concede, Pear Blossom was not polite, saying, “Could you ask Father to make me another mat? Also, when you have time, please make me two more pillows.”

Though there was already a dry grass mat underneath in the cave, it made rustling noises when moved slightly, and every time they were intimate, the sound would be there. While it did add some flavor, Dong Yun found it noisy. So Pear Blossom took the mat from her room as well.

As for the pillows, they were naturally placed on the bedding.

The bedding was hard to clean, and more difficult to air out. Having pillows made it easier to clean them at any time.

Given the frequency of their activities, a pillow was a must.

When Mrs. Xiong heard the word “pillows,” her eyes immediately became full of meaning.

Pear Blossom didn’t feel embarrassed. After all, this was her own mother, so there was no need for her to feel shy. She raised her eyebrows and, with a lifted chin, carried her things up the mountain.

Once they reached the mountain, she handed the food box to Dong Yun and went to make the bed. The old mattress, which had already completed its purpose, was temporarily moved outside to air out.

Dong Yun was sitting at the stone table, slowly eating her meal. When Pear Blossom finished, she came out without raising her eyelids.

Pear Blossom noticed her face didn’t look right and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Dong Yun replied, “What do you mean what’s wrong?”

“You look unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy.”

Pear Blossom looked at her indifferent face, thinking carefully. She couldn’t recall doing anything that might have upset her.

Until bedtime, Dong Yun still had a stiff face, not smiling, lying with her back to Pear Blossom.

Pear Blossom couldn’t help it anymore. She reached from behind and hugged Dong Yun’s slim waist, saying, “Good sister, why aren’t you happy?”

Dong Yun forcefully removed her hand from her waist and said in a muffled voice, “I’m not unhappy. Let’s sleep.”

There was no way to sleep with a bad mood like this. Pear Blossom thought carefully. When they went down the mountain in the morning, everything was fine. But when they came back in the evening, something was off. During that time, who had Dong Yun met?

Only her parents and Daniu knew about the cave, and the only other person who knew was Murong Jin.

Her parents had been at home all day, and Daniu had no connection with Dong Yun, so he couldn’t have bothered her.

So there was only one person—Murong Jin!

What could Murong Jin have said to Dong Yun to make her so unhappy?

If it was something else that made Dong Yun furious, she generally wouldn’t take it out on Pear Blossom, as long as it didn’t concern her. She would just sit there coldly and ignore her.

But now, it wasn’t coldness. It was clear resentment.

And the resentment was directed at Pear Blossom!

Pear Blossom thought it over and immediately understood where the resentment was coming from.

Yuwen Xiu!

Murong Jin must have mentioned that Yuwen Xiu had come today, and they even played cards together in the afternoon. Yuwen Xiu had subtly suggested that Pear Blossom go to the Beijing. Although Pear Blossom didn’t agree, he had clearly harbored that thought.

Dong Yun had always disliked anyone getting involved with what was hers, and it was even more true when it came to Pear Blossom, who was grown up now.

Yuwen Xiu’s frequent closeness had made Dong Yun uncomfortable. Since he wasn’t around, she couldn’t do anything to him, so her resentment had fallen on Pear Blossom.

Realizing this, Pear Blossom couldn’t help but lightly bite her lip, feeling a tinge of sweetness in her heart—Dong Yun actually cared about her.

After the brief joy, Pear Blossom quickly thought of how to comfort her.

Ignoring Dong Yun’s resistance, she forced her hand between Dong Yun’s fingers, tightly hugging her waist, and whispered, “Good sister, why let someone unrelated make you angry? You’ll hurt your body.”

Dong Yun let out a cold snort when she heard this.

Pear Blossom knew immediately that Dong Yun was really angry about Yuwen Xiu. She tried to soothe her, “When I met him, I never looked him in the eye. If I saw him on the street now, I might not even recognize him.”

Pear Blossom had slight visual blindness, and Dong Yun knew about it.

Moreover, Pear Blossom rarely lied to comfort her, so when she said this, Dong Yun’s tense body softened considerably.

But just thinking about how Yuwen Xiu had carried Pear Blossom to the medical clinic that day still made her upset.

“I’d rather die than let Liu Youtie succeed, but he, taking advantage of my misfortune, managed to get what he wanted.”

“Good sister, I have nothing to do with him, please don’t be mad at me…”

“I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself for not being by your side when you fainted!” She had been held by Yuwen Xiu, and it wasn’t her fault. She had been unconscious and immobile. What could Yuwen Xiu do if he didn’t carry her to the doctor?

But still, Dong Yun felt a tightness in her chest.

It was only then that Pear Blossom realized that Murong Jin had reported the previous matter. That guy couldn’t stand seeing her and her sister so close, always trying to find ways to make her uncomfortable.

Just as she was about to explain, she suddenly remembered the system task and thought for a moment before saying, “Sister, I heard from Master and Mistress that Yuwen Xiu is the Crown Prince. He always has a eunuch with him, but when I fell off the horse, he knew it was improper for men and women to touch each other, yet he didn’t let the eunuch carry me. He insisted on carrying me himself.”

Dong Yun was startled and immediately sat up.

She hadn’t thought of this before, but after hearing the girl’s words, her anger flared.

Pear Blossom, seeing her fury, hugged her waist from behind, resting her head on her shoulder, and in a pitiful tone said, “Sister, I really hate that person!”

Dong Yun heard her voice by her ear, and the hands that were intertwined with hers tightened unconsciously.

She had initially thought that the girl, being careless, hadn’t taken the matter to heart, and felt depressed that Yuwen Xiu had taken advantage of the situation. But now, seeing how much the girl was hurt by it, her original frustration instantly turned to heartache. She turned around and pulled Pear Blossom into her arms tightly.

“From now on, I won’t let him off easy!” Dong Yun comforted her.

Even though they had been on good terms when they were younger, Yuwen Xiu’s father had usurped the throne, forced her mother to commit suicide by banging her head against a pillar, and took their kingdom. Now, this son dared to provoke her—how could she let him go?

The feud between them was already irreconcilable.

Pear Blossom felt the sudden surge of hostility from the woman and sensed something unfamiliar—there was a decisiveness and forcefulness in the atmosphere, unlike her usual self.

Even though only a dim oil lamp burned on the wall, she could not clearly see her face, but in that moment, as the other person’s strong aura spread unconsciously, a feeling of submission arose within her.

“Sister, I have a feeling that he won’t leave today without being unsatisfied. He will definitely come again tomorrow morning, and may even reveal his identity as the Crown Prince and force me to go with him to the Beijing. If he uses force, and I refuse, it will be considered disobedience.”

“He dares!” Dong Yun’s eyebrows shot up.

Pear Blossom held her hand and said, “I won’t go with him. Even if it comes to a fight, I’m not afraid of him. Does he really want to cause a big commotion over a little country girl like me?”

Dong Yun’s anger flared even more. She leaned in to kiss her lips.

In matters of the boudoir, Dong Yun was rarely forceful, mostly lying down and letting things happen, but this time, she was aggressive. Pear Blossom, instead of being impatient like usual, felt a subtle longing.

Having her sister love her seemed pretty great.

Dong Yun, jealous and furious at the thought of the girl being taken by her disfavored cousin, kissed her fiercely, feeling her presence.

She pulled her closer, wanting to meld her into her body.

The more she thought, the angrier she became. She kissed her harder, forgetting how to be gentle, her long fingers roamed unrestrained, pinching the girl’s delicate body.

Pear Blossom’s legs tightened instinctively, clutching her clothes and letting out a soft moan.

Dong Yun was startled by the sound, realizing how rough she had been. She quickly pulled away from the kiss.

“Sorry, I lost control for a moment. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Pear Blossom shook her head. Seeing the woman’s face so close, she no longer held back, breathing heavily, she whispered, “Sister, I feel a little uncomfortable… you… you want me, don’t you?”

Dong Yun’s heart skipped a beat.

The anger inside her faded in an instant. A trace of pity flashed in her eyes as she pulled Pear Blossom back into her arms, kissing the corner of her lips and softly saying, “I’ve been a bit emotional today. It’s not right to treat you like this…”

Hearing her refusal, Pear Blossom immediately felt wronged. “Sister, don’t you like me?”

Dong Yun, hearing her voice filled with nasality, quickly reached out to touch the girl’s eyes and said, “Good Pear Blossom, my nails are a bit long right now. I don’t want to hurt you—but…”

Dong Yun spoke as she leaned over to untie the girl’s clothes.

Her lips parted slightly as she leaned in closer.

Pear Blossom, whose tears had been lingering, quickly suppressed them, taking a sharp breath and instinctively hugging Dong Yun’s head.

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The next morning, before dawn, Pear Blossom came down from the mountain.

She needed to help the Zeng family with rice planting, and with Murong Qingshan’s group having taken up a day, time was running out.

As expected, just as she entered her house, she saw the little eunuch who accompanied Yuwen Xiu hurrying over.

Pear Blossom wondered how Dong Yun would react if she knew about this.

The eunuch sent everyone else away and directly reported the Crown Prince’s name, asking if Pear Blossom was willing to go back to the Beijing with him. If she agreed, she would live a life of wealth and honor.

The implication was that, if she agreed, she could even become the Crown Princess.

Pear Blossom, of course, rejected him directly.

The eunuch had come full of confidence, thinking that once he mentioned the Crown Prince’s name, this rural girl would eagerly follow him, but he never expected this outcome.

He even considered knocking Pear Blossom unconscious and taking her, but she wasn’t just any ordinary country girl. She was a disciple of the Murong family and had connections to the Nanzhen Fusi. Doing such a thing could lead to problems if it was reported to the Emperor, and it could ruin the Crown Prince’s reputation.

Moreover, the girl in front of him knew martial arts. Recently, he had been watching her spar with Murong Jin at the escort agency. Even though he had guards with him, it wouldn’t be easy to subdue her.

She was just a country girl, rough and barbaric, not a noblewoman. In fact, the young eunuch didn’t have a good impression of Pear Blossom and didn’t want her to get too close to the crown prince. Her refusal was just what he wanted. There was no need for him to put in so much effort just to satisfy the crown prince’s temporary itch.

After receiving Pear Blossom’s response, he quickly left with his people.

At this moment, Pioneer No. 9 popped up and said, “The host’s current task is to be the crown prince’s partner. Since Yuwen Xiu is still the crown prince, if the host chooses to go back to the Beijing with him, this would be the fastest way to complete the task.”

Pear Blossom said, “I adjusted my goal precisely to avoid going back to the Beijing with him. You know this already.”

Pioneer No. 9 replied, “I know, but when the fastest path appears, as the system, it’s necessary to remind the host. Whether or not to accept it is up to the host.”

Pear Blossom was somewhat satisfied with the new system’s attitude, which was both responsible and non-interfering with her choices. Then she remembered that she still had some attribute points to allocate and asked, “Nine, what’s my current attribute status?”

Pioneer No. 9 replied, “The host’s current attributes are: Wisdom 61, Physical Strength 43, Reputation 49, Pleasure Seeking 11, total 164. There are still 40 points to be allocated. Of these, 30 points are compensation for the series of accidents caused by the previous system’s mistakes. The remaining 10 points are rewards from the battle with the bandits at Zhenfu Division and Baihu Villa. Please allocate the points.”

Pear Blossom’s fingers gently slid over the virtual interface, and the attribute points were quickly allocated.

Nine’s voice sounded again: “Host, your current attributes are: Wisdom 76, Physical Strength 58, Reputation 49, Pleasure Seeking 21, total 204. You haven’t used the previous lottery yet, and now that your total attribute points exceed 200, you can perform another lottery. You currently have two lottery chances. Do you want to draw now?”

Pear Blossom thought for a moment and said, “Draw once now, and leave the other for later.”

In case her luck was bad today, she didn’t want to waste both chances.

“Okay, please proceed with the draw.”

Pear Blossom tapped the lottery button, but after waiting for a long time, nothing dropped. Just as she was about to ask what was going on, Nine said, “Congratulations, host, you’ve won the ‘Encyclopedia of Major Inventions in the World.’ It contains over 500 invention introductions. Due to the large content, it is stored in electronic form, and you can retrieve it at any time.”

Pear Blossom hurriedly asked, “What is an encyclopedia?”

Nine responded, “An encyclopedia is a collection of knowledge from all subjects, such as astronomy, geography, nature, literature, etc. This book, as the name suggests, includes information on inventions in all subjects. For example, if the host wants to make a brick or craft a weapon, you can obtain related information and methods from me.”

Pear Blossom was overjoyed, “Really? Does that mean I can learn to make all sorts of weapons?”

“That’s theoretically possible, but making these things requires raw materials, tools, and power. Once these three things are prepared, you can start manufacturing.”

“What kind of power?”

“Power includes manpower, hydraulic power, electricity, steam power, etc. Given the current limitations of the era, I suggest the host choose some simple tools that are easy to obtain.”

“Can I make top-quality rouge for my sister?” Pear Blossom asked eagerly.

“Of course. The raw materials for rouge are mainly flower pollen and pigment plants, which can be found on the mountain. You only need to heat and brew them, so it’s feasible with the current conditions.”

Pear Blossom excitedly replied, “That’s great! But I have to help the Zeng family plant rice first. I’ll come back and study with you when I have time.”

She held onto the stone wall with one hand, while the other pressed against the girl’s shoulder. She hummed for a while, sounding like she was crying, but not quite.

Pear Blossom was no longer someone who understood nothing. After going through several experiences, she could now distinguish from Dong Yun’s voice whether the other person was happy or liked something, adjusting herself to be either heavier or lighter.

“You… you’re terrible, must you cause trouble so early in the morning?” Dong Yun gasped, scolding.

They had stayed up until midnight the previous night, after all.

Of course, she didn’t exactly dislike it.

“Today we’re picking up Fubao. When you two meet, she’ll probably cling to you and never let go. How will I have any chance to get close to you…”

Pear Blossom said, feeling even more like time was running out, so she increased the pressure of her lips.

Under the constant pressure from the other person, Dong Yun finally couldn’t hold out any longer. She suddenly exerted force with her hand, almost cracking the stone that protruded from the wall, and something leaked out…