Yan Yue’s Mother

Yan Yue flipped through one video after another until Qin Qingyan came back with two ice creams. Only then did she turn off her phone and keep her gaze fixed on her.

Qin Qingyan sat down and handed her one. “There are a lot of people, so the flavor must be good.”

Yan Yue took a small bite. Under Qin Qingyan’s expectant gaze, she smiled. It really was good; it was just that Qin Qingyan’s expression was a little too amusing.

It hadn’t even been made by her, so why was she still waiting so eagerly for a reaction?

Qin Qingyan put on her sunglasses, using them in place of a mask. After every few bites, she would glance at Yan Yue, then grin to herself like an idiot.

At that moment, every second seemed to slow. They sat in a corner, taking in the park around them. They didn’t say much, yet it felt as if everything that needed saying had already been said.

“Qin Qingyan,” Yan Yue said, “when work eases up, how about we travel around the country for a while?”

Qin Qingyan didn’t react at first. Then pictures immediately flashed through her mind: the two of them traveling from place to place, taking photos together. Her heart surged with anticipation.

“Just the two of us?” Qin Qingyan asked.

“Mm, just us,” Yan Yue replied.

Qin Qingyan took the trash from her hand and barely held back her smile. “Up to you. I can leave anytime. Tomorrow would work too.”

Yan Yue laughed. “No need to rush that much. Let me finish handling the company first, then we’ll set off.”

Qin Qingyan pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Why do you suddenly want to travel?” she asked curiously.

Yan Yue didn’t answer right away. She leaned back against the chair and looked up at the clear blue sky, saying slowly, “I want to know you better. You’re very different when you’re with me than when you’re with other people. I want to see that side of Qin Qingyan.”

The breeze was soft and gentle, brushing at the strings of the heart.

Qin Qingyan felt light, like a cloud. No one knew how much weight those words carried for her. Even she herself only felt an instinctive joy she hadn’t expected after Yan Yue finished speaking.

She edged closer to Yan Yue until they were pressed tightly together, drawing strange looks from passersby.

“You’re going to spend more time with me?” Qin Qingyan asked.

“That works too. More time getting to know you; getting to know the complete Teacher Qin.”

Qin Qingyan raised her brows, her tone proud. “That’s right. I’m irresistible.” She seemed to want to say more, but the rest melted into the curve of her smile.

Yan Yue laughed and rested her head on Qin Qingyan’s shoulder, closing her eyes to listen to the voices around them, the rustle of leaves in the wind, and Qin Qingyan’s pounding heartbeat.

At that moment, she wished she wasn’t Yan Yue, only Qin Qingyan’s lover; as her lover, she could stay by her side without any other trivial matters getting in the way. That would be enough...

Ever since that previous encounter with Qin Qingyan in front of the media, Xu Changlan had unexpectedly gained something from it. She was certain she hadn’t seen wrong; the car Qin Qingyan had been driving that day was indeed Yan Yue’s.

Thinking back to the initials on the pendants hanging around their necks, they just happened to form each other’s names. She still remembered the matter of Yan Yue’s eighteenth birthday; no matter how tightly the Yan family tried to keep it sealed, a wall would always leak.

Zheng Chong was, after all, still one of their Xu Family people. Since he had slapped the Xu Family in the face, they naturally had to get some of it back.

Qin Qingyan had just taken on a period drama. It was only a guest role, with not many scenes; she could wrap up in the first few episodes.

On set, the director was giving the lead actors their notes, and before long, filming began.

Yan Yue hadn’t told Qin Qingyan she was coming. Su Yan had arranged for her to sit on the little folding stool Qin Qingyan usually used, and she watched from afar in silence. When Qin Qingyan was working, she was serious and meticulous, strict in her standards, and rarely smiled. Before, being busy with work, Yan Yue’s attention to her had mostly been at home. Seeing her from another angle like this, she actually felt a brief daze.

The six-year age gap seemed to fade at this moment.

The scene officially began. Qin Qingyan, dressed in magnificent robes, sat before a chessboard. A breeze lifted her jet-black hair; after a long while, she raised her hand and made the final move.

Then she stood, sweeping her sleeves lightly. In front of her stood countless soldiers with swords drawn; the subordinates she had once been proud of were now turning their blades toward her. She sighed, then smiled, and there was even a trace of relief in it.

The woman at the front stepped forward and placed that familiar sharp sword at her throat. “Elder Imperial Sister, I’ll send you off on your last journey.”

The Long Princess took a step forward; the blade drew a streak of blood across her neck. The woman hurriedly lowered the sword, opening and closing her mouth, unable to speak the words of concern.

“Besides swordsmanship, everything else of yours was taught by me. Military strategy and tricks—you really do use them well. As for winning or losing, I still won.”

“What do you mean?” the woman asked warily.

“I no longer have a single soldier under my command; I can’t stir up any waves. Besides, you’ve already decided not to let me leave alive today. There’s no need to be nervous.” The Long Princess smiled peacefully.

As if the sword before her were not cold steel, but nothing more than sheets of powerless paper.

She looked at the woman one last time, and in her eyes there was no cruelty or mockery left, only a kind of gentleness that had existed in childhood. That trace of softness tugged at the woman’s heart.

The Long Princess turned and walked toward the river pool, stopping after a few steps. “If you could push me to this point, it means I taught you well. If you beat me, then you won’t lose.”

Silence answered her from behind; no one spoke.

She asked again, “After I die, where will I be buried?”

“Northern Xinjiang!” someone behind her said, their voice unsteady.

“Northern Xinjiang, a bitterly cold place... you know I’ve always feared the cold. Fine. You’re soft-hearted; having the resolve to do this is the right thing.” The Long Princess forced out the words.

As soon as she finished speaking, she could no longer bear it and spat out a mouthful of black blood that had been accumulating for a long time. Her body lurched; she instinctively raised a hand to reach for someone nearby to steady her, but there was no one at her side. Her personal maid, who had followed her for more than ten years, had died under a barrage of arrows that morning. Iron hooves had trampled over what remained, leaving only pulp.

She had almost forgotten...

The medicine took effect quickly. She could no longer think clearly and collapsed. In the blur before everything went dark, the one running toward her was that woman.

Qin Qingyan’s acting was delicate and precise. Only when the director called cut did everyone come back to themselves.

Yan Yue watched as Qin Qingyan discussed something with several other actors, her expression serious as she nodded from time to time and responded to them. This kind of Qin Qingyan was indeed rare to see; she was completely different from the Qin Qingyan who acted spoiled and clingy with her at home.

The Long Princess’s scenes were few, and they had all been filmed.

After changing back into her own clothes, Qin Qingyan learned from Su Yan that Yan Yue had come to the set. Once she found her, she hurried over to her with unmistakable joy.

They held hands and left together.

“Didn’t you say you’d wait for me in the car? Why did you come inside?” Qin Qingyan asked.

“I wanted to see what you look like when you’re acting,” Yan Yue replied.

Qin Qingyan smiled, very satisfied. Being seen by the person she loved at her best, of course she would be proud beyond words.

“Did they really bury her in Northern Xinjiang in the end?” Yan Yue asked.

“No. No matter how much they hated her, in her heart she still recognized the Long Princess as her older sister,” Qin Qingyan said.

“She sacrificed herself to raise a female emperor; did the female emperor finally learn the truth?”

“No.”

“No?” Yan Yue was surprised.

Qin Qingyan gave that same gentle smile the Long Princess had worn. “As an older sister, how could she bear to let her younger sister live her whole life carrying guilt?”

Yan Yue nodded in understanding. She made up her mind then and there to go home and watch more television, especially anything starring Qin Qingyan.

She looked back toward Qin Qingyan, and Qin Qingyan happened to turn her head too, smiling at her as they walked off slowly arm in arm.

Inside a black car behind them, Song Shuxiao, Yan Yue’s mother, took in the whole scene, watching as they laughed and played and walked away in perfect happiness. She lowered the window. It was hard to say what she felt. As a mother, she always wanted Yan Yue to be happy.

She let out a sigh; in the rearview mirror, she could no longer see their figures.

The next day, when Qin Qingyan returned from work on set, Song Shuxiao confirmed that Yan Yue wasn’t around and appeared in front of her at just the right moment.

Looking at the elegantly dressed, extraordinary woman before her, Qin Qingyan guessed her identity. In the end, she was certain she had never seen her before. Before she could ask, the woman smiled slightly. “I’m Yan Yue’s mother.”

The restaurant’s dishes had already been ordered, and the server withdrew politely.

Qin Qingyan felt a little stiff, even if the other woman probably couldn’t tell.

Song Shuxiao took a slow sip of warm water. Her posture was graceful, as if she were tasting tea. Setting the cup down, she said, “These past few days, I’ve been asking around about you. I’ve also looked at the arguments online. Objectively speaking, you’re okay.”

Qin Qingyan didn’t speak right away; she wasn’t sure what the woman meant.

“When Yue was eighteen, she said she liked girls. We tried our best to stop her. Our relationship turned cold starting that day. Only now has it eased a little; every year during the holidays, she’s at least willing to come back once or twice.” Song Shuxiao said, watching Qin Qingyan’s reaction.

She continued, “Since childhood, Yue has carried a heavy burden. We were extremely strict with her too, but we didn’t care for her enough. So even though we’re family, we’re not especially close.”

Qin Qingyan thought about it. It was true; Yan Yue rarely mentioned her family in front of her, except for a little interaction with Yan Huan.

She didn’t interrupt Song Shuxiao. She set aside the reason for this meeting for now; what she wanted more was to hear about Yan Yue’s past.

“A few days ago, I saw her with you. The smile on her face was enough to make even me, as her mother, envious. If someone can bring Yue happiness, whether that person is a man or a woman doesn’t matter. As long as she’s happy,” Song Shuxiao said.

Qin Qingyan finally asked, “Then why did you want to see me?”

The other woman didn’t answer. She opened her bag, took out a photo, and pushed it across the table.

Qin Qingyan picked it up. It was a photo of her and Yan Yue embracing.

Song Shuxiao gave her a meaningful look, then handed over another one.

Qin Qingyan took it in confusion, and then her expression turned awkward. In the photo, though they were still far away, it was clear they were kissing.

Kissing was perfectly normal for a loving couple. But having that scene placed in front of a future mother-in-law was, to say the least, a little embarrassing; even awkward.

“These photos were sent to me by email on purpose. You and Yue should be more careful around the people near you,” Song Shuxiao said with a smile. “I’m very happy that Yue can have happiness, but I’m just as afraid she’ll trust the wrong person.” Her words stopped there, but her meaning was clear enough.

“Don’t worry. I know myself. I won’t do anything to hurt her. That’s my promise to her, and to myself,” Qin Qingyan said seriously.

Song Shuxiao smiled gently. “Since you’re her girlfriend, next time Yue comes back to the Yan family, you should come too.”

Qin Qingyan relaxed and agreed with a smile.