MQSP - Chapter 68
Chapter 68
"Hiss…" Lin Yuqing let out a soft cry and shifted her position. That little brat's bites really hurt…
She raised a hand to rub the top of her thigh. It was truly painful. It hurt to walk, and it hurt even more to sit down! That girl must have used all her strength to bite her! It was excruciating!
"Hehe, want me to rub it for you~?" Gu Baiye placed the food on the table, then crouched down beside Lin Yuqing's chair. She reached out and felt under her leg; even through the pajama pants, she could feel two swollen lumps. She must have bitten really hard!
"Let me see. I'll put some medicine on it for you. We still have some from last time."
Seeing the little one's guilty expression, Lin Yuqing flicked her on the forehead. "You little brat, eat. We'll talk after dinner."
"I won't bite next time!"
Lin Yuqing shot her a helpless glance. This little rascal…
Just a moment ago, Lin Yuqing had lost control and become intimate with the girl again. Afterward—for the fourth time—the little one had demanded four marks. Lin Yuqing, resigned, could only comply. But as it turned out, the little brat was dead set on revenge, landing all four bites on the tender flesh where her thigh met her hip. The pain almost made her cry out in an unseemly way.
Lin Yuqing was also annoyed. She was clearly the one doing the work on the little one, yet afterward, she was the one who could barely get out of bed. What kind of mess was this!
"Auntie Lin, let's find some time to visit Flower Auntie. She must be so bored living all alone on the mountaintop."
"Besides, I wanted to ask her how to make a lounge chair. Flower Auntie built this wooden house herself, so she must know how to make one!"
"She built it?" Lin Yuqing was taken aback. "Then we must pay her a visit. We need to thank her properly."
Lin Yuqing glanced around, but it seemed they had no suitable gifts to offer. They couldn't just go empty-handed.
Seeing Lin Yuqing's expression, Gu Baiye guessed what she was thinking. "The few times I've seen Flower Auntie, her clothes were rather old and worn. Why don't we make her an outfit?"
"Do you know how?" Lin Yuqing expressed that such delicate work was beyond her.
"Not really, but when I was at Auntie Jiang's house, I saw her design sketches and I still remember the general idea. Even if it doesn't work out the first time, we'll get it right after a few tries!"
"Alright, then let's go down the mountain later to buy some fabric and sewing supplies."
"Okay!"
For the next two days, the little one's life revolved entirely around making clothes. She only knew the theory, but the practical application was a complete mess. Lin Yuqing knew even less about such things; it was a blessing she didn't get in the way and make things worse.
It had to be said, the girl seemed to have a natural talent for needlework, likely an inheritance of Bai Yilan's design genius. After a week, she had managed to create a decent-looking robe. She had seen the Flower Witch wearing loose, long robes before, so she copied the style.
She chose a navy-blue fabric and added some cotton padding inside. The weather was getting colder, so it would be warm to wear.
Lin Yuqing propped her chin on her hand, quietly watching the girl's focused expression as she sewed. "When are you going to make one for me?" she grumbled, dissatisfied.
Gu Baiye pursed her lips and smiled. How could she possibly leave her out? She had already picked out the fabric!
"It's not like you're short on clothes. And given how you've been angering me lately, there's none for you," she said, deliberately putting on a stern face.
"Hmm… I also need to make one for my aunt, and for Auntie Xue, and hmm, for Auntie Fang and Auntie Jiang too."
Lin Yuqing was fuming. Everyone gets one but me? Am I your real wife or not!
"Oh, right!" Gu Baiye suddenly exclaimed.
Lin Yuqing immediately looked at her with anticipation.
"I have to make one for Meow Meow too! That way it won't be cold when it's running around the yard this winter!"
"…"
Life was so hard. Her status was lower than a cat's.
The two of them prepared some fruit, and holding the clothes, they carefully made their way up the mountain.
"Is this it?" The mountain path was narrow and difficult to walk. Despite having been here for so long, this was the first time either of them had been to the summit.
In the distance, they saw smoke rising from a chimney.
"That's it. Look, there's smoke," Gu Baiye said, a little excited.
"Wow…" From far away, she spotted a small wooden house. Gu Baiye gasped softly and stopped in her tracks. In the yard in front of the house, a large patch of flower seedlings was planted. Flower Auntie was bent over, tending to each one with meticulous care and attention.
"Flower Auntie?" Gu Baiye called out, smiling and waving at the Flower Witch.
Hearing her voice, the Flower Witch turned her head to look, but her first instinct was to cover her face with her scarf.
Gu Baiye froze. If she hadn't been mistaken just now, Flower Auntie had burn scars on her face too!
She looked back at Auntie Lin and saw her frowning deeply, a look of confusion on her face.
The Flower Witch put down her work and, after making sure her face was securely covered, walked over. "You're here."
"Yes, Flower Auntie, I came to see you. This is Auntie Lin, the one I mentioned to you before." Gu Baiye took Lin Yuqing's arm and introduced her to the Flower Witch.
The Flower Witch nodded without looking up at her.
Lin Yuqing tilted her head, studying her for a moment. "Hello. Xiao Ye often mentions you." She extended her hand, intending to shake hands.
The Flower Witch lifted her hand slightly but didn't extend it. "Mm, come in and sit."
With that, she turned and led them into the house.
The room was warm, bright, and very clean. The simple wooden furniture all seemed to be handmade by her; it was exquisite, showing that the Flower Witch was a person of refined taste.
"Oh, right, Flower Auntie, I brought you a gift!" Gu Baiye quickly took the clothes she had made from Auntie Lin's hands.
"I made this myself. I don't really know how, so this is my first attempt. Please don't mind if it's not very good!" She held the clothes out to the Flower Witch with both hands.
The Flower Witch was visibly stunned. She hesitated for a long moment before raising her hands. Just as she was about to take the clothes, she paused again. "I… My hands are too dirty. Wait, wait a moment…" After speaking, she turned and went to a basin of water to wash her hands thoroughly.
Flower Auntie really valued her gift! What a thoughtful person. Gu Baiye glanced back at Auntie Lin and grinned, only to see her studying the Flower Witch with a very serious expression.
"What's wrong?" she whispered.
Lin Yuqing shook her head. This Flower Witch… she had definitely seen her somewhere before. Definitely!
Although her figure was stooped, her face was obscured, and even her voice was unrecognizable, there was an undeniable sense of familiarity about her.
The Flower Witch dried her hands, wiped her face, and walked over. She solemnly accepted the clothes, her scarred hands gently stroking the soft fabric. Though her face was covered, one could still sense her happiness and excitement.
Gu Baiye had been smiling, but seeing the Flower Witch's hands, she felt a pang of sympathy and unconsciously reached out to touch them.
"How did this happen?"
The Flower Witch silently withdrew her hand and shook her head, seemingly unwilling to speak of it, so Gu Baiye didn't press further.
"Are those Broad-Leaf Winter Orchids outside?" Gu Baiye asked curiously.
"You recognize them?"
"Yes, Broad-Leaf Winter Orchids. I've seen them before. They only bloom in winter, and the colder it gets, the more fragrant the flowers are, right?"
"Right." The Flower Witch nodded, her eyes fixed on Xiao Ye. It seemed she was smiling.
"Can I go take a look? I promise I won't touch anything!"
"Go ahead."
Gu Baiye excitedly left the wooden house and walked along the small path between the flowerbeds. She crouched down by the side of the path to examine them closely. The flowers here were planted in the ground, unlike at Auntie Jiang's house where they were in pots. They looked freer, with some branches and leaves stretching out sideways, yet it didn't look messy at all—it was as if they were playfully stretching.
Taking a deep breath, her nose filled with a fresh fragrance. Gu Baiye was starting to fall in love with this place.
Inside the house, both women's gazes fell upon the little one. Seeing her happy smile brought them a sense of deep satisfaction.
"Where is the Flower Witch from?" Lin Yuqing's gaze briefly swept over her.
"A local."
Lin Yuqing frowned. "We look about the same age, don't we?"
"I don't remember."
"Have you always lived alone? Are you married?"
"Yes."
"Yes, a daughter."
"What about her? Doesn't she live with you?"
"She… is with her lover."
"And you? Don't you miss her?"
"As long as she's happy, that's all that matters. There's no need for me to disturb her life."
Lin Yuqing stared at her intently. "What about your lover?"
The Flower Witch lowered her eyes. "She passed away."
"What was her name?"
"…"
As expected, there was no response.
"I'm sorry, please don't mind me. It's just that I have a friend whose lover also adored orchids, so she vowed to plant a sea of flowers for her. You remind me of her." As she spoke, Lin Yuqing carefully observed the Flower Witch's expression, but she only saw her turn her head slightly, avoiding her gaze.
"This is not a sea of flowers, and I am not your friend."
"I know. I'm sorry."
The Flower Witch seemed unwilling to talk to Lin Yuqing any longer. She stood up to leave the house, and a card slipped from her clothes. Lin Yuqing was quick and caught it for her, glancing at it in the process. It was the intimate photo of herself and Xiao Ye.
She looked at the Flower Witch, who was clearly a bit flustered.
Lin Yuqing patted it, dusting it off, and handed the photo to the Flower Witch. "Xiao Ye told me you really like this picture. Here."
"Th-thank you."
Lin Yuqing glanced at her hands. "Can you tell me how you were injured?"
The Flower Witch shook her head. "A mountain fire." Just those three words, with no further explanation.
Lin Yuqing nodded, the doubt in her heart growing heavier. She even had a bold guess. She suspected that although Gu Xinran had thrown herself into the river with Yilan back then, their bodies were never recovered. This might mean that Xinran didn't die but was living quietly somewhere under a new identity, just like the Flower Witch before her.
Lin Yuqing couldn't explain why she had such a thought. Perhaps it was the Flower Witch's guilty manner, her refusal to meet her gaze the entire time they spoke, that made her seem suspicious. But she just felt that this Flower Witch had similarities to Xinran. The feeling she got from her was, in fact, the feeling of Xinran herself.
Lin Yuqing suppressed the excitement in her heart. This matter still needed to be verified. She had to find out more about this Flower Witch.
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