Su Qing's mouth twitched involuntarily upon hearing Bai Yuhe's words. She quickly shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I have no such intention. Besides, the Mother-Child River's water wouldn't affect me anyway..."
Bai Yuhe couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, alright! But why wouldn't it work? You haven't even tried!"
"At my current cultivation realm, how could the Mother-Child River's water possibly affect me?" Su Qing spread her hands.
Bai Yuhe pouted. "You still haven't tried it, have you?"
"Oh, don't get so hung up on this." Su Qing, at a loss for how to deal with her, could only helplessly change the subject. "In any case, I truly have no such plans. And this Marriage Lock definitely has other effects; it can't just have one. But as for what those specific effects are, you'll have to discover them yourself."
Bai Yuhe wasn't particularly concerned about whether the item had other effects. She simply nodded. "Alright, alright! I get it. No matter what special effects it has, as long as it's a gift from you, I'll cherish it!"
Su Qing nodded, content as long as she stopped mentioning the Mother-Child River.
Seeing this, Bai Yuhe's lips curved into a smile. "Let's put those matters aside for now. Since you're here, come and explore with me! Let's go have some fun in the city!"
"Recently, state affairs have been overwhelming; I've been exhausted for ages..."
"Today, I finally managed to delegate my duties and can get some proper rest. And with your timely arrival, we absolutely can't waste such a perfect opportunity! We must go out and explore."
"What's more, you only visit once in a blue moon; I can't let you languish idly in the imperial palace. It's far too dull in there."
"I can't let my Empress be bored~"
Su Qing rolled her eyes. She almost believed Bai Yuhe was doing it for her.
Su Qing pouted. "Isn't it more that you want to go out and explore?"
Bai Yuhe didn't refute in the slightest, simply nodding with a beaming smile. "Exactly! Even if you hadn't come, I was planning to go out anyway! It's just that with your arrival, I decided to bring you along. I know you've already seen every corner of the Women's Kingdom, but there's always something new to discover. Who knows, maybe today we'll stumble upon some fresh excitement?"
"So, let's go! Don't dither there."
Su Qing was utterly helpless with the girl. She nodded. "Alright! Then let's go out together. And for the record, I wasn't dithering!"
In truth, Su Qing wasn't opposed to going out. After all, exploring was always more interesting than staying confined to the imperial palace.
And when Bai Yuhe heard Su Qing say this, her smile widened even further...
Then she grabbed Su Qing's hand. "In that case, let's depart!"
Su Qing paused. "Leaving so soon?"
"Of course! A day only has twelve hours, and our playtime is even shorter. So, no time to waste, let's set off now!" Bai Yuhe said with a beaming smile.
Su Qing, resigned, nodded. "Alright, alright, we're off!"
"Let's go out on your cloud~" Bai Yuhe quickly said as Su Qing rose.
Su Qing blinked. "Why?"
"Naturally, I want to see the scenery!" Bai Yuhe draped herself over Su Qing. "So, hurry up!"
Su Qing glanced at her, said nothing more, simply nodded, formed a hand seal, and summoned the Somersault Cloud.
Then she pulled Bai Yuhe onto the Somersault Cloud with her...
And departed with Bai Yuhe.
Aloft on the cloud, Su Qing asked Bai Yuhe, "Speaking of which, have you been cultivating diligently lately?"
"Yes, of course I have, but my cultivation results haven't been ideal," Bai Yuhe replied with a beaming smile, not looking like she was lying in the slightest.
But Su Qing merely glanced at her. "Or is it that you haven't been cultivating diligently at all?"
Seeing that she was exposed, Bai Yuhe made no attempt to hide it, spreading her hands. "As the ruler of a nation, my daily duties are simply too numerous. Even after delegating much of the work to my subordinates, it's still incredibly difficult to carve out enough time for cultivation... So it's truly not me being lazy!"
"Sister Xiao Qing, you know me. If I wanted to be lazy, I'd never lie about it! I'd be openly and shamelessly lazy."
"Besides, I wasn't lying just now; I truly have been cultivating, and the results are indeed far from ideal."
Bai Yuhe truly hadn't lied...
She was quite earnest about her cultivation, but the results were indeed unsatisfactory.
It wasn't merely due to slow cultivation speed, but also the severe lack of time.
She could emulate those kings from history, wholeheartedly throwing herself into immortal cultivation, abandoning all state affairs, and letting the nation rot while its people suffered...
But she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She couldn't neglect state affairs, nor could she allow the nation to fall into decline.
This nation, in its current state, was built by her own blood and sweat... How could she possibly abandon it?
A day or two of occasional relaxation was perfectly fine.
But prolonged neglect was not an option.
Thus, she naturally couldn't imitate the foolish monarchs of history.
After listening to Bai Yuhe, Su Qing nodded helplessly. "Alright, alright, I understand! I wasn't accusing you of lying. I know what kind of person you are."
"I know you aspire to be an enlightened ruler, one whose name will be etched into the annals of history."
"So you certainly won't be a hands-off manager like me..."
"As for cultivation, just don't abandon it entirely. It's fine if it's slow, or if you do less, just don't stop. And regarding your lifespan... I will naturally find a solution."
Bai Yuhe's heart warmed at Su Qing's words...
She smiled and nodded. "I know, Sister Xiao Qing... Rather than this, let's go play! Also, Sister Xiao Qing, you've said all these things before; I remember them very clearly! No need to repeat yourself."
Su Qing gave a helpless smile, then nodded. "Fine, fine, you certainly give me plenty to worry about. Here, these pills are for you too."
As Su Qing spoke, she placed a bottle of pills into Bai Yuhe's hand...
"What's this?" Bai Yuhe stared at the pill bottle, momentarily stunned.
Su Qing said calmly, "They're just Youth-Preserving Pills."
At the name, Bai Yuhe's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but feel a pleasant surprise.
She had never seen such a pill before, but the name alone told her its purpose, so her surprise was natural.
After all, which woman wouldn't wish for eternal youth?
She was also deeply concerned that as time slowly passed, she would grow increasingly old, while Su Qing would remain as youthful as ever.
Thus, upon learning they were Youth-Preserving Pills, she became quite excited.
Bai Yuhe asked, "Sister Xiao Qing, why did you suddenly think of giving me something like this?"
Su Qing pouted. "Isn't it because someone cultivates too slowly? I was afraid that by the time you reached the Human Immortal realm, you'd already be an old woman, so I simply gave you some Youth-Preserving Pills. These pills can maintain your current appearance indefinitely... but this also means that once you become an immortal, you'll lose the chance to subtly refine your looks."
Bai Yuhe only half-understood Su Qing's words at first, but as a monarch, she wasn't foolish. She quickly grasped Su Qing's meaning.
Simply put, one could originally become even more beautiful after achieving immortality, but by using Youth-Preserving Pills to preserve her current appearance, that potential opportunity would be lost.
But did that truly matter?
It did not!
At her current cultivation speed, reaching that realm would take an unknown number of years.
Even if such an opportunity existed, by then she would already be an old woman. Even if she could subtly adjust her appearance, it wouldn't restore her to her current youthful state.
Thus, compared to the immense benefits, the drawbacks of these pills were utterly insignificant.
"It doesn't matter! I love my current appearance... As for what happens after achieving immortality, that's a concern for an immortal. I don't need to worry about it now."
Bai Yuhe clutched the pill bottle, put it away, and then said with a happy expression. "Thank you, Sister Xiao Qing~ For me, these are definitely more beneficial than harmful! I never thought Sister Xiao Qing could be so thoughtful."
This gift held even greater significance for Bai Yuhe than the previous Marriage Lock...
Because with these, a heavy weight in her heart could finally be lifted. How could it not be profoundly important?
Su Qing pouted. If these weren't more beneficial than harmful to you, would I have given them to you? There's no way I'd give you something with obvious drawbacks!
Still, despite Su Qing's internal grumbling, her expression remained unchanged.
"Are my thoughtful moments truly so rare?" Su Qing reached out and gave her a helpless pinch. "However, even with Youth-Preserving Pills, you still need to cultivate diligently! If you have no cultivation at all, many things will become troublesome later on."
"Don't worry! Sister Xiao Qing doesn't need to tell me; I'll cultivate seriously." Bai Yuhe smiled. "Also, let go of me quickly! I am your Queen, and as my Empress, how can you pinch my face like that?"
Su Qing was momentarily speechless...
It was only at times like these that the girl could drop her queenly airs.
However, even in such moments, she could be a bit cheeky.
Su Qing pouted, pinched her cheek twice more, and then finally released her.
"Alright, are you done looking at the scenery?" Su Qing changed the subject. "If so, I'm going to descend now."
Only then did Bai Yuhe speak. "Sister Xiao Qing, don't be in such a hurry; let me look a little longer!"
Su Qing nodded, accompanying her to stay in the sky for a while longer, listening to her ramble about all sorts of random things.
After a long while, Bai Yuhe finally had her fill of the scenery...
Only then did she finally decide to descend.
Su Qing naturally accompanied her to stroll through the city.
Bai Yuhe was an avid shopper; even Su Qing couldn't quite match her enthusiasm...
After all, she had clearly explored these streets countless times, yet she never grew tired of it.
She always claimed that frequent visits always revealed something new!
Su Qing found it hard to argue with that logic.
She simply spent the entire day enjoying herself with Bai Yuhe.
Time flew by quickly.
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
And by this hour.
It was time for Bai Yuhe to return...
While staying out overnight wasn't an issue, it was better to return to avoid a frantic search party.
However, before heading back, they still needed to have dinner.
Dinner wasn't a lavish feast, just a meal at a casual roadside eatery.
After their meal, Su Qing and Bai Yuhe returned to the imperial palace...
Inside the imperial bedchamber.
Bai Yuhe and Su Qing sat on the floor, gazing at the distant twinkling stars...
Suddenly, Bai Yuhe spoke. "Sister Xiao Qing, it's been a long time since I've witnessed the true extent of your power!"
Su Qing paused, then chuckled. "What's wrong? Do you wish to experience it firsthand?"
"Of course I do!" Bai Yuhe smiled. "But if Sister Xiao Qing isn't willing to let me, then never mind~"
Su Qing shook her head. "Why wouldn't I let you? As long as you don't lay down your arms and surrender halfway through."
"You mustn't underestimate me!" Bai Yuhe's fighting spirit soared, and she couldn't help but exclaim.
Then she eagerly pounced on Su Qing, tackling her onto the floor...
Su Qing looked at her, then her hands began to 'play with pearls'.
Once everything began.
Tonight was destined to be filled with fragrant sweat.
Time flowed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, it was already morning.
The morning sun was gentle.
Su Qing stretched on the bed, then pulled the still-sleeping figure out of bed...
"It's already morning?" Bai Yuhe yawned, asking.
Su Qing's mouth twitched. "Yes! The sun's already high! Why are you still trying to sleep in?"
"Wasn't it because I was exhausted from experiencing Sister Xiao Qing's Natural Daoist Arts last night?" Bai Yuhe yawned again. "Never mind, I'll just sleep a little longer!"
Su Qing sighed helplessly. "I'm leaving now! I need to head back today. Aren't you going to see me off?"
At these words, even though Bai Yuhe was utterly exhausted, she still reluctantly climbed out of bed.
"Of course I have to see my Empress off! I can't let my Empress return alone."
Su Qing, speechless, pinched her cheek, helping her clear her head.
Rate on N.U.
