Category: My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty

Chapter 34: A Sense of Security

Surrounded by the bright, clean, and warm room, inhaling Jiang Xue’s pleasant fragrance, Xiao Luohan felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

Here, there was nothing to worry about.

No need to worry about lacking supplies, no need to worry about the daily peace being disrupted, no need to marry a man she hated, no need to endure the hardships of displacement…

—Freedom.

This word surfaced in her mind. Although she didn’t fully understand its meaning, just thinking about it made her heart yearn for it.

The ox bone comb gently glided through her fur. Xiao Luohan, initially lying on the quilt, soon snuggled into Jiang Xue’s arms, closing her eyes and resting her head on her soft pajamas.

The words Jiang Xue had spoken earlier echoed in her mind from time to time:

—”If you really wanted to use me, you would have clung to me like a lifeline!”

Xiao Luohan had only told part of the truth in her explanation for turning into a cat.

Besides repaying kindness, she… did want to try “clinging” to Jiang Xue.

And the result was as she expected, just as Jiang Xue had said. As long as she showed a little vulnerability, even if the reason was flimsy, Jiang Xue would extend a hand without hesitation.

But after confirming this, she was even more reluctant to do so.

She couldn’t explain why, but she preferred to hold Jiang Xue’s outstretched hand without any reservations, rather than out of manipulation.

Just like now, quietly leaning against Jiang Xue was enough. This was all she needed.

“Your Highness, are you used to the sanitary pads?” the young woman’s voice suddenly came from above. “I gave you so many brands so you could try them and see which one is the most comfortable. Remember to tell me after you’ve tried them!”

“Okay,” Xiao Luohan nodded.

“Are you feeling any discomfort from the ibuprofen? In your words, it’s ‘cold in nature’ and can upset your stomach, so it’s generally only recommended for the first two or three days when the flow is heaviest,” Jiang Xue continued. “If you feel any stomach discomfort, stop taking it immediately. I feel like period pain is easier to deal with than stomach pain. Stomach pain requires medicine and dietary restrictions for many days. It’s so troublesome…”

“Yes, I’ll remember that,” Xiao Luohan replied.

“By the way, besides braised beef and clear soup, ‘Old Cat Noodle Shop’ has other flavors too. I’ll show you the menu next time, and you can choose,” Jiang Xue continued.

For some reason, Xiao Luohan felt that she seemed “bursting with things to say,” wanting to take this opportunity to talk more.

Actually, these things were often mentioned in the booklet. Ever since their initial exchange about food, Jiang Xue would occasionally tell her about different dishes.

She was willing to listen, but she didn’t know how to respond with more words like Jiang Xue did.

She didn’t know what to say, or if what she wanted to say was interesting enough. Through the booklet, she couldn’t sense Jiang Xue’s immediate emotions, but now, Jiang Xue was right beside her, every move within her sight.

Xiao Luohan snuggled deeper into Jiang Xue’s arms.

The cat form was good. Jiang Xue couldn’t see her emotions and wouldn’t worry or be anxious. She would just happily chat with her, and she would just listen and respond.

But just as she thought this, the comb in Jiang Xue’s hand stopped, and then she was lifted up.

“Your Highness, we agreed, right?” Jiang Xue held her up to eye level. “I want to hear your story this weekend.”

Not expecting her to suddenly bring this up, Xiao Luohan stared at her blankly, her paws curled up, her fluffy tail twitching nervously.

“Your Highness?”

Snapping back to reality, Xiao Luohan instinctively lowered her gaze. “Okay.”

Jiang Xue had actually planned to have a long chat with the Third Princess before going to bed.

But the Third Princess was even more introverted than she had imagined. They were alone together in an undisturbed environment, free to talk about anything, yet the Third Princess was even quieter than she had been in the school building.

If the Third Princess was happy like this, she didn’t mind at all. She just liked to talk, whether or not she had an audience didn’t really matter.

But judging by the Third Princess’s reaction, she clearly wanted to say something but chose to remain silent in the end.

Separated by the diary and time and space, Jiang Xue couldn’t “coax” her, but now it was different. Now was precious face-to-face time!

“But I’ve changed my mind, Your Highness.” She decided to use her “benefactor” status. “As part of your repayment, I want to hear about you.”

“Anything is fine. As long as you tell me, I’ll listen. Even if it’s made up, I’ll believe it.”

“If you don’t even want to make up a story to appease me, then I’ll… uh…”

She looked around, then grabbed a candy-shaped pillow. “Kitty~~ Let Mommy kiss you~! Mwah! Smooch, smooch, smooch!”

Imitating the exaggerated cat-loving behavior of some online personalities, she acted until her face was flushed with embarrassment, then added, “Your Highness, you wouldn’t want to be treated like this, would you?”

Xiao Luohan almost burst out laughing. Fortunately, she was usually quiet and managed to restrain herself.

But Jiang Xue’s teasing dispelled much of her previous nervousness and unease, and she felt she could finally say something.

“Okay,” she nodded. “Let me think.”

She had to think about how to start recounting the past ten-plus years of her life, and who to start with.

But after much thought, the people she cared about most were still the two closest to her in this life.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve known that although I’m the Third Princess of Beiliao, I’ll have to live in the cold palace for the rest of my life,” she began slowly after careful consideration.

“Was it because your maternal family fell from grace?” Jiang Xue asked softly.

“I don’t know.” Xiao Luohan shook her head. “I once asked my mother, but she said that it wasn’t something I should know. My lifespan is limited, so I should just focus on my own life.”

Jiang Xue thought for a moment and commented carefully, “Your mother’s words have some truth to them. She didn’t know how long you could hold on, so she hoped you would have more good memories. There was no need for you to bear the hardships of her generation.”

“Yes, I know. My elder sister also told me that.” Xiao Luohan leaned closer to Jiang Xue’s palm. “But as I get older, I sometimes think that since my life is short, I should understand some things, so I don’t have to take them to the grave.”

“I understand. There’s a saying here too, ‘If I can hear the Dao in the morning, I can die in the evening,’” Jiang Xue said.

She heard Xiao Luohan chuckle softly. “So, before coming here, I also wanted to understand some things.”

“What things? Can I help?”

“My mother is far away now. Since she wanted to keep it from me for my whole life, I will respect her wishes.” Xiao Luohan said, “I… still care a lot about my elder sister’s death.”

Jiang Xue’s heart skipped a beat.

This wasn’t the first time Xiao Luohan had mentioned her elder sister’s death, but she still didn’t know how much weight this matter held in Xiao Luohan’s heart.

Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she focused all her attention on listening.

“I never saw my elder sister’s body. I only heard about her death and the manner of her death from others.”

Xiao Luohan’s tone was calm and even, but Jiang Xue’s sharp ears caught the tremor in her voice. “She was a renowned general of Beiliao. Not seeing her body… she must have been taken by the enemy.”

Jiang Xue shuddered, her mind in a whirl, but her hand didn’t stop, stroking the Ragdoll cat’s back repeatedly, both to calm herself and to comfort the Third Princess.

Even for men, there were cases of their bodies being taken by the enemy after death and subjected to indignities, including but not limited to whipping and dismemberment, let alone women.

She suppressed her imagination, pursed her lips, and simply asked, “If you’re willing, I should be able to go to your side in a dream. Tell me, what do you want me to do?”

“The red fox,” Xiao Luohan answered without hesitation, as if she had rehearsed this countless times in her mind. “If you see that red fox again, please… ask it on my behalf, what is its relationship with Xiao Linghan, the Broken Plum Blossom Princess of Beiliao.”

Jiang Xue was startled and blurted out, “You think the red fox is your elder sister?!”

“…I don’t know.” Xiao Luohan lowered her head again. “But… if the red fox really is my elder sister, why would she appear on Daying soil? And why would she have the ability to guide you?”

“I’ve heard of a type of ghost called a ‘earthbound spirit.’ The souls of the deceased with unresolved grievances are trapped in a specific location. If their obsession doesn’t dissipate, they can’t enter reincarnation and can’t move on.”

“I want to know what happened to my elder sister in the end, why she lingers on Daying soil, and for what reason.”

Jiang Xue noticed that the Ragdoll cat’s body was trembling violently.

She thought that these words must have been buried in the Third Princess’s heart for a long time, unable to be spoken to anyone, not daring to be spoken.

No one could give her an answer, and no one could help her.

Unable to respond, she hugged the Ragdoll cat tightly.

“I’m listening, Xiao Luohan!” she whispered into the Ragdoll cat’s ear. “I’ve memorized everything you said. As long as I have the chance to enter a dream, I’ll investigate for you!”

Even without the red fox’s guidance, she could, based on her historical knowledge, gradually find the place where Daying handled military affairs. If all else failed, she would go find that dog of a Crown Prince.

She could do many things in the dream. She was reliable.

This scene had played out countless times in Xiao Luohan’s mind.

Just as she had expected, Jiang Xue agreed to help. Not only did she agree, but she also made a promise.

She had hesitated to speak because she was afraid of troubling Jiang Xue.

But she now realized that she didn’t understand Jiang Xue, didn’t know that true friends weren’t afraid of being troubled.

Just like… Xie Xitong, who clearly knew that she wasn’t a real cat, still kept it from Jiang Xue, even happily accompanying her to search for teachers and ask around, wasting time, without revealing the truth until Jiang Xue got into the car.

This was something she wouldn’t have dared to imagine.

The only person she could truly call a friend, from childhood until now, was her elder sister. But her elder sister had a noble status and was always busy. She had never dared to “trouble” her, and naturally couldn’t trouble her.

Xiao Luohan vaguely felt something sprout in her heart, gently pushing against the courage she had buried within herself.

And Jiang Xue’s repeated assurances, together with that sprout, worked together, little by little, trying to pry open her mouth, allowing her to express more of her inner thoughts.

She buried her face in Jiang Xue’s soft pajamas, greedily absorbing the sense of security.

A pleasant fragrance surrounded her, filling her nostrils, a faint, girlish scent.

Perhaps because the heater was on in the room, Xiao Luohan felt a little dizzy, but she quickly forced herself to wake up, calmly reminding herself of a fact—

Jiang Xue had agreed, which meant she owed her another favor, the biggest one yet.

How could she possibly repay this kindness, preventing it from snowballing, growing larger with each repayment?