The Same as the Past

"What ideas? Well, the same as before, of course." Su Qing looked at Bai Yuhe with a glint of a smile in her eyes.

Hearing this, Bai Yuhe rubbed the rim of her teacup with her finger and asked with a smile, "Don't you want to try something new?"

"If there is something new, I'd certainly like to try it," Su Qing replied with a chuckle.

Su Qing didn't have any particular requirements for such matters...

Her only requirement was that they both enjoyed themselves to the fullest. That was enough.

Of course, it wasn't just about her own pleasure; both of them had to be satisfied.

"Very well~ tonight, we shall try it then!" Bai Yuhe said playfully. "I certainly won't let you down, my Empress~"

Su Qing nodded, expressing her trust in Bai Yuhe's words.

Beside them, the maid holding Bai Yuhe's daughter, Bai Ningxiang, remained silent. What could she say? She didn't dare say anything at all. She could only pretend to be deaf, trying her best to minimize her presence.

After Su Qing and Bai Yuhe finished their conversation...

Bai Yuhe turned to the maid and said, "Alright, give the girl to me."

By now, the little girl was full and content. She wasn't crying or making a fuss; she had long since fallen asleep.

Hearing the command, the maid hurriedly and carefully handed the child over to Bai Yuhe.

Bai Yuhe held the baby, looking down at the delicate, doll-like infant. Her heart didn't feel much of a ripple. She simply reached out to pinch the little one's cheek before handing her to Su Qing.

"Here, have a play with her," Bai Yuhe said.

Su Qing was stunned for a moment, her lips twitching involuntarily. "What do you mean 'have a play'? Is your child a toy to you?"

"Children are born to be played with," Bai Yuhe said flatly.

Su Qing was speechless but took the little thing anyway.

The little girl was adorable; she would surely grow up to be exceptionally beautiful.

"I truly don't know what to do with you. This little girl is already asleep. If we keep passing her around, we'll wake her up. If she starts crying, it'll be a headache. Better put her back so she can sleep properly!"

Su Qing, of course, wasn't going to treat the child like a toy.

She was the type who couldn't stand a child's crying.

Even though she did like children, it didn't stop her from hating it when they wailed.

Thus, Su Qing, who had just taken Bai Ningxiang, immediately handed her back to the maid...

In the span of less than a cup of tea, the little thing had made a full circle through the hands of Su Qing, Bai Yuhe, and the maid.

The maid's expression was slightly stiff as she took Bai Ningxiang back.

Unfortunately, she was just a maid. No matter how much she wanted to complain, she had to keep it to herself.

If she spoke up and let these two know her thoughts, she would likely face a fate of certain death.

Therefore, no matter how much she had to say, she could only stand aside in silence.

After handing the child back, Su Qing spoke again. "Let's go for a stroll elsewhere. As for the child, let her have a good sleep."

Bai Yuhe had no objections. She nodded slightly and said, "Fine, let's go then."

She then turned to the maid and said coldly, "Do as the Empress says."

The maid hurried to nod. "Yes, Your Majesty."

With the arrangements made, Su Qing left with Bai Yuhe.

Only the maid remained, holding Bai Ningxiang and silently watching the two walk away.

Only when they had completely vanished from sight did she look down at the baby in her arms.

She sighed softly. "Little Princess, though you are royalty, you are as pitiable as I am. Neither of your mothers dotes on you..."

She felt sorry for Bai Ningxiang, but there was nothing she could do.

As for why Bai Yuhe wasn't close to her biological daughter...

The maid had her own suspicions.

It was nothing more than the common ailment of imperial families.

Even if this was a child Bai Yuhe had birthed herself.

Furthermore, this was a child born from the Mother-Child River!

The maid sighed again. Seeing the child show signs of waking, she hurriedly continued to soothe the little one back to sleep...

She couldn't let the child wake up.

If she woke, it would be another headache for her.

At the very least... it was better if she didn't wake up now.

On the other side.

Su Qing and Bai Yuhe were strolling through the vast Imperial Garden.

They admired the exquisite scenery around them...

"The flowers I brought are being raised well... It seems the people in the Imperial Garden have put in the effort," Su Qing said, looking at a patch of light purple blossoms.

Hearing this, Bai Yuhe gave a light smile and then asked a seemingly unrelated question, "Tell me... should I cultivate to become an immortal in the future?"

Su Qing was a bit dazed by the sudden question.

However, after a moment of contemplation, she replied, "If you're asking what I wish for, I naturally hope you will cultivate. That way, we can be together for much longer. However, I cannot make the decision for you... Ultimately, the choice lies in your hands."

Su Qing naturally wanted Bai Yuhe to cultivate.

After all, cultivation brought longevity.

She didn't want to one day have to watch Bai Yuhe leave this world.

Such a thing would be far too painful for her.

Yes, she had seen many partings and experienced much life and death.

But to expect her to remain calm in the face of her own wife's death was clearly impossible...

Therefore, she naturally hoped Bai Yuhe would cultivate and live longer...

At the very least... until after the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth arrived.

Bai Yuhe fell silent for a while after hearing Su Qing's words.

She seemed to realize her question was a bit heavy.

She then said with a smile, "Well, since you want me to cultivate, then once I've finished raising and teaching Bai Ningxiang... I'll go and cultivate with you."

Su Qing didn't rush to respond.

She just looked at Bai Yuhe.

She knew Bai Yuhe wasn't finished.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, Bai Yuhe continued, "However, if Bai Ningxiang isn't enough to uphold the Women's Kingdom, then I'll have to train the next heir."

Su Qing had heard this from Bai Yuhe several times before...

But Bai Yuhe always felt the need to mention it.

Su Qing shook her head helplessly and said, "Don't worry, I'm in no rush... I will wait until you've raised a descendant capable of upholding the Women's Kingdom before we talk about those things again."

Su Qing understood Bai Yuhe's thoughts.

She also knew Bai Yuhe's feelings for this country.

So, Su Qing wouldn't force Bai Yuhe to abandon her kingdom and leave with her...

Doing so would only breed resentment, so it was better to wait.

In Bai Yuhe's eyes, the status of this country was still higher...

However, Su Qing didn't hold any dissatisfaction toward her for it.

She was the King of this country.

It was only right!

If even the King didn't love the country,

Then the country...

Was destined for ruin.

"Thank you."

Bai Yuhe smiled and said:

"Let's go, let's go! Let's go for a stroll in the city. I've long since grown tired of this Imperial Garden... The city is much more interesting! After a round in the city, the time should be about right. Once we've bathed, we can get down to business!"

Bai Yuhe seemed to change her mood in an instant, becoming much more energetic...

Su Qing looked at her with a smile in her eyes, then nodded and left with her.

The city market wasn't far from here...

However, at this hour, walking to the market would be a bit troublesome and would involve quite a few hassles...

So it was easier to just fly there.

Anyway, the people of this country already knew of her existence and that she could use magic.

There was no need for concealment.

Once in the city.

Bai Yuhe pulled Su Qing along, browsing here and there. She even managed to pick up a few yuri-themed picture books... After all, this was the Women's Kingdom; stories of romance between women were the norm. While books about men and women existed, they were uncommon.

After all, who could find a man in this Women's Kingdom? Even if there were any... they had long since died and been turned into scented sachets...

The city was very interesting.

Even though it wasn't her first time strolling through these streets, Bai Yuhe's interest remained exceptionally high.

She pulled Su Qing to many places.

It was a good thing Su Qing had an immortal body; otherwise, after being dragged around for so long, her legs would have been terribly sore.

Time flowed by like shifting sand.

Night quietly descended, and the stars once again adorned the sky.

By this time,

It was naturally time for the two to return.

After all, there was business to attend to at night!

Returning to the palace,

The two went to bathe...

However, while bathing, they brought two books with them.

Specifically, the yuri-themed picture books they had found during the day...

They figured they could read them while washing up...

But the more they looked, the more restless they became.

Before long, wanton sounds began to drift from the bath...

Fortunately, Su Qing promptly cast a spell to isolate the sound, preventing the waiting maids outside from hearing and saving them from an embarrassing situation.

After a long while,

The battle in the bath finally ended.

Neither of them showed any signs of fatigue; on the contrary, they seemed more spirited than ever...

So they agreed to continue the battle back in the bedchamber.

Before long,

They changed their clothes and returned to the sleeping quarters...

And once they were back,

The grand battle broke out instantly.

Just like that, the two fought all night.

Neither was willing to yield to the other.

However, Bai Yuhe was ultimately a mortal; her physical stamina could not compare to Su Qing's.

Therefore, no matter how much Bai Yuhe refused to admit defeat, she eventually collapsed.

But even though Bai Yuhe had collapsed, her mouth had not...

She was still putting out a fierce effort...

Of course, this meant she was being stubborn.

Unfortunately, no matter how stubborn she was, she was still a mortal. After staying up past the middle of the night, she couldn't hold out any longer. Combined with her previous exertions, she unknowingly fell asleep.

After Bai Yuhe fell asleep,

Su Qing wiped herself down and then sat cross-legged beside her, watching the sleeping Bai Yuhe...

She recalled some of the things that had happened during the day.

She sighed softly, then light glowed in her hand as she brushed it over Bai Yuhe, using her profound magic power to help regulate her body...

"You... truly are stubborn," Su Qing said with a helpless smile, talking to herself.

Time shifted.

The next morning.

Su Qing hadn't slept all night. She had long since dressed and taken a turn around the door...

Bai Yuhe, perhaps due to overexertion, slept for a long time without waking.

It wasn't until near noon that Bai Yuhe yawned and climbed out of bed, her clothes in disarray.

Noticing Bai Yuhe had awakened, Su Qing turned to look at her and said with a smile, "Still being stubborn?"

"Stubborn? What do you mean stubborn!" Bai Yuhe pouted and asked.

"What do you think?" Su Qing countered.

Bai Yuhe pretended not to understand and rolled her eyes. "What am I supposed to say? I don't get it~ but isn't being 'firm' a good thing? I'm not just firm in my words; I'm quite flexible too!"

Su Qing was speechless. "Talking dirty first thing in the morning? That's so like you..."

"This is my domain. I can say whatever I want. Is there anyone who can stop me? Besides, I'm not being stubborn!" Bai Yuhe said to Su Qing with a yawn.

Clearly, even now, Bai Yuhe was unwilling to admit her defeat...

Su Qing smiled helplessly, finding herself unable to do anything about her. She simply decided to let her have her way... It wasn't a big deal anyway.

At worst, she would just make her lose another round next time.

Or perhaps make her mouth 'soft' as well.

"Fine, fine, you're not being stubborn. Your mouth is the softest; it's the softest when we kiss." Su Qing threw up her hands.

Seeing this, Bai Yuhe rolled her eyes and then asked, "How many days do you plan to stay? Though given your usual habits, I imagine it won't be long. Or are you leaving today?"

"Of course I'm not leaving today! If I were, I would have set out already," Su Qing shook her head and said. "I'll leave tomorrow! I'll stay with you for one more day today."

Though Su Qing was curious about the matter of the black water, it truly wasn't something that required extreme haste...

Anyway, Taishang Laojun was usually the most idle person; she could surely find him if she went to the Heavenly Court.

So she could go whenever she wanted...

There was no need to rush.

Hearing Su Qing's words, Bai Yuhe nodded slightly and said, "Mhm, leaving tomorrow is fine... However, there's no need for another battle today. Seeing how tired you were after last night, I'll let you have a good rest today... lest you become even weaker in the future."

Su Qing laughed at this and didn't bother to retort. Instead, she followed her lead and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty... Rest assured, Your Majesty, once I return, I will certainly cultivate diligently to ensure I am even more formidable than last night, so that Your Majesty can enjoy the battle even more."

Bai Yuhe rolled her eyes; she could tell Su Qing was teasing her on purpose... she knew Su Qing all too well.

Therefore, she shook her head without hesitation and said, "Hmph, do you think you can scare me?"

"I wasn't trying to scare you..." Su Qing couldn't help but laugh at Bai Yuhe's words. "It's just that you feel that way. As for me, I'm being perfectly sincere~"