Chapter 73: Sisters
Qi Daolin was extremely furious. Her footsteps as she returned to her own courtyard were exceptionally heavy. The moment she entered, she smashed the tea cup offered by a servant, shattering it right at the feet of Qi Daoning, who had followed her in.
Qi Daolin sat down on the small couch and glared at Qi Daoning with deep displeasure: "Why did you follow me?"
Qi Daoning waved away the servant. The servant quickly and deftly cleared away the porcelain shards on the floor and quietly backed out, even closing the door for them as they left. With a brazen smile, Qi Daoning moved close to Qi Daolin and said, "I saw that Sister was angry, so I came especially to console you."
"Console? Just now, you didn't stand with me for even half a sentence. What are you consoling? Have you ever had me in your eyes?" Qi Daolin was still fuming. She also knew she was just venting her anger on Qi Daoning, but she truly had no one else to confide her bitterness to.
Qi Daoning held her hand and said sincerely, "In my eyes, naturally there is only Sister."
"Then why did you blindly echo Father and Brother just now? I don't believe you cannot see the perils involved." Qi Daolin pulled her hand back and glared at her.
Qi Daoning grabbed the hand she tried to pull away, bent down, and kissed the back of it. Looking up at Qi Daolin, their eyes met. Qi Daolin saw her affectionate gaze as Qi Daoning said, "Can't you see? Father's mind is already set. Saying more is useless. Why waste your breath?"
"...Are we supposed to just watch..." Qi Daolin's hands were freezing, her voice trembling.
Qi Daoning chuckled lightly and kissed her cheek: "Yes, this is a broken ship that is doomed to sink... Did you and I only realize this today?"
Qi Daolin pushed her away, frowning: "That is still no reason for you to linger in my place. Roll back to your own courtyard."
"Sister has such a cruel heart," Qi Daoning fell backward following her push, propping herself up on her elbows behind her, letting out another string of laughter that only irritated Qi Daolin.
"Get out!"
"I won't." Qi Daoning flipped back up, her eyes sharp and hands quick as she wrapped her arms around Qi Daolin's waist. Unable to break free, Qi Daolin cursed angrily: "Qi Daoning, I am in no mood to play around with you!"
Qi Daoning hugged her Sister from behind, burying her face into her back. "Sister, clean flowers cannot grow from filthy soil. Stop struggling. Why torment yourself thinking about all that?"
Qi Daolin's struggles ceased. She seemed to suddenly lose her strength, dropping her arms and allowing Qi Daoning to hold her.
Qi Daoning stood up, scooped her horizontally into her arms, and walked towards the inner room. Qi Daolin habitually reached out to loop her arms around her neck, catching the faint scent of incense on Qi Daoning. Unlike the floral and fruity fragrances favored by most young women, Qi Daoning smelled of sandalwood. She had once mocked Qi Daoning, saying she wasn't a Buddhist devotee, so why use that scent? What had Qi Daoning said back then?
I do not believe in deities or Buddhas, yet I also want to ask them if they can wash away the filth covering my body.
That year, Qi Daoning was eighteen.
Filth... who among them wasn't covered in sins?
Qi Daolin's heart softened. She tightly hugged Qi Daoning, burying her cheek into her neck. Qi Daoning laid her on the bed, crouched down to remove her shoes and socks, then stood up to unfasten her waistband, strip off her outer garments, and pull out her hairpins, letting her long hair cascade down. Her movements were gentle and patient. Only after taking good care of Qi Daolin did she turn to tidy herself up.
Qi Daolin sat on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest, watching her younger sister disrobe in front of her.
They were not born of the same mother. Qi Daolin was born of the legitimate main wife, while Qi Daoning's birth mother had merely been a lowly singer. Taken into the house by their father due to her beauty, she had a tragic fate, passing away shortly after giving birth to Qi Daoning, having barely enjoyed a few days of fortune. Qi Daoning heavily resembled her birth mother, possessing extreme beauty. But Qi Chengming had many children, and having lost her birth mother and lacking her father's favor, she often suffered bullying from her siblings. Qi Daolin was kind-hearted and couldn't stand seeing such things, so she lent her a helping hand. From then on, Qi Daoning stuck to her. When young, Qi Daoning was incredibly adorable, and Qi Daolin loved how soft and sweet she looked when she called her 'Sister.' She always kept her by her side, and the two sisters had an excellent relationship.
In their youth, they read the same books alongside their siblings, studied the writings of the sages, and learned both civil and martial arts. Qi Daolin was the best student among them. She had fully believed she would grow up to become a general or a minister, bringing glory to the family. But at age eighteen, all her beliefs were ground into dust. That year, her father believed she had the makings of a great talent and laid out the family's internal affairs before her. She had been eager to grow up quickly and share her parents' burdens, but what did she see? Elite private armies, hoarded weaponry, illegally opened mines, trade caravans dealing privately with barbarians... All of this had started with her great-grandfather. At first, it was just for small profits, but later, the underground business grew larger and larger. By the time it reached her father's hands, a massive ambition suddenly sprouted one day. Qi Daolin had studied the laws of Zhou; all of this was enough to warrant the execution of the entire Qi clan, and she alone was powerless to stop it.
She used to think her family consisted of a strict father and loving mother holding earnest expectations, of brotherly devotion and sisterly affection. Suddenly, from that day onward, she read madness in her father's eyes, selfishness in her mother's eyes, and wild ambition in her brother's eyes. The world had become completely unrecognizable. The spine forged by poetry, books, rites, and music was thoroughly broken, bleeding, aching until it went numb.
She almost couldn't go on living. A severe illness left her bedridden, lingering in a daze all day long. It was Qi Daoning who took care of her without ever taking off her clothes to rest. Lying weakly on the bed watching Qi Daoning busy herself inside and out, tears suddenly fell. In her dreams, she heard her parents' voices. Her father said it was a pity, he had originally favored A'lin to be the heir. Her mother said her fortune was thin, her destiny perhaps not noble enough, so they should consider A'chong instead. She also heard her Second Brother's voice. Her Second Brother mocked her, calling her foolish and naive, wondering how such a family had raised someone like her. He said it would be better if she died of illness and found early release; the Qi family would have to rely on him anyway.
So... so it was because she wasn't clever enough?
Then she heard Qi Daoning's voice. What was she saying?
She was calling out 'Sister' over and over again.
Sister, Sister, Sister... Please... get well soon... don't leave me alone...
Sister, Sister... survive, okay?
Sister... don't be afraid. I am with you, I will always accompany you... You are not alone...
Sister, don't be afraid. What you cannot do, A'ning will do for you...
Sister, Sister, Sister...
It was Qi Daoning's continuous calls that brought her back to this world.
Only after she woke up did she learn that Qi Daoning, for her sake, had gone to beg her Second Brother for the reason. Her Second Brother had viciously ridiculed her. Then she went to beg their father. Seeing that she was also reasonably talented, her father informed her early; being three years younger, Daoning originally wouldn't have needed to know so soon.
"It is all my fault. What use is there for a child like you to know these things? It only adds to your troubles." Qi Daolin felt extremely distressed about this. She herself was too weak and unable to withstand the blow, yet she dragged Daoning down into the mud with her.
Daoning smiled: "To be with Sister, A'ning gladly endures it."
Life had to go on after all. Qi Daolin could only shift her stance and begin helping her father and brothers manage the family estate. At first, it was just household management, but gradually, she was tasked with things she couldn't bear to do. She was extremely pained. Seizing people's fields, extorting wealth from the common folk, and even making examples of people by killing them—this was completely contrary to what she had been taught since childhood. Ultimately, she was an innocent person, and as a result, suffered significantly. Her father was not one to listen to advice; his word had always been law, and he could not stand his children disobeying him. When she refused to do it, he would repeatedly scold, beat, and coerce her. Qi Daolin was a piece of unpolished jade that could be carved into the shape he desired, but if she turned out to be just a stubborn rock, abandoning her would be no great loss either. Her mother advised her twice, telling her to be more obedient, and seeing that she still couldn't think it through, stopped caring. She was not only the matriarch of the Qi family but also the representative of the Wu family. She had countless affairs to manage and possessed neither the time nor the patience to indulge a young girl's sentimental ideals.
More than once, Qi Daolin thought it would be better to just give up, admit her incompetence, and throw her life away. If she closed her eyes, she wouldn't have to sink into such suffering. But Qi Daoning convinced her to stay, time and time again. To spare her from the torment of her conscience, her younger sister went and did the things she refused to do.
Qi Daolin couldn't believe it: "Are you crazy? Human lives are at stake! Have all the books you've read gone to the dogs?!"
"Sister, don't be naive," Qi Daoning looked at her Sister, her eyes filled with pity. "They are just like a rabbit. Father wants you to harden your heart and sacrifice it. You refuse, so Father forces you to kill it with your own hands. Those people don't matter in Father's eyes. If it can make you ruthless, Father would be more than happy.
"Sister, it is your hesitation that has caused their families to be ruined."
Qi Daolin covered her face and slumped onto the small couch, looking helpless and pathetic. She did not see her younger sister looking down at her from above, her eyes filled with absolute determination to obtain her.
"Sister, don't force yourself anymore. If you can't do it, just continue being your saintly bodhisattva. I will do the dirty and bloody work for you. Anyway, I don't care."
"A'ning, people are not chess pieces. Don't speak so frivolously. How can you possibly bear the weight of it?"
"Sister, we are both chess pieces. Where do we have the luxury to fight for others' chance to be human?"
"..."
After that, Qi Daolin tacitly allowed Qi Daoning to follow her around. She still held different opinions from her father and brothers, but she learned to wrap them under the guise of the "greater good" for the family. As for the wicked deeds she couldn't escape, regardless of whether she wanted to or not, Qi Daoning did them for her.
As time passed, Qi Daolin's guilt toward Qi Daoning deepened. It deepened so much that the first time Qi Daoning revealed feelings that exceeded sisterhood, Qi Daolin did not immediately push her away.
That year, Qi Daoning was twenty, and Qi Daolin was twenty-three. Their father arranged a marriage for her, welcoming a handsome young man into the family. While she was trying on her new bridal clothes before the wedding, Qi Daoning embraced her. Qi Daoning was already taller than her, pulling her entirely into her arms with such force it almost crushed her. She struggled and pushed Qi Daoning away, only to see Qi Daoning's eyes filled with lust. She had seen that kind of desire in her father's eyes, in her brother's eyes, and even in her mother's eyes. She suddenly lost focus. She thought she truly wasn't clever enough; it turned out their entire family was exactly the same. The only difference was that the craving in her parents' and brother's eyes looked toward ethereal, intangible things, while Qi Daoning's craving was directed at her.
That gaze was filled with possession and violation, so naked it almost stripped Qi Daolin bare.
"A'ning... you..."
"Sister... can't you feel it?" Qi Daoning grabbed her hand, guiding it to her own chest. Beneath the palm was the powerful beating of her heart. "Can't you feel my love for you?"
"A'ning, we are sisters..." Qi Daolin spoke with difficulty.
"Haha, sisters. Being sisters means half of our blood is identical. You and I are meant to be perfectly compatible, far surpassing ordinary people." Qi Daoning began to giggle, stepping closer and closer to Qi Daolin.
"You're crazy!" Qi Daolin suddenly felt the regret of not having read enough books; she couldn't even find the words to insult her in that moment.
"I am crazy. I've been crazy for a long time. When you were sick, when you were in pain, when I was doing things for you, when my hands were stained with blood, when Father scolded or praised... Hasn't Sister gone crazy yet?"
Qi Daoning precisely struck Qi Daolin's fatal weakness. She was a hypocrite, unable to part with her merciful heart on one hand, while tacitly allowing her younger sister to perform those deeds on the other. What right did she have to say such things? Who was cleaner than the other?
"Sister, we've already done things that offend heaven and reason. What does incest even matter?" Qi Daoning's voice lowered, carrying endless lingering affection and temptation. "We are entangled in sin, why fear adding a little more? For every day we live, I will give you a day of extreme, soul-melting bliss. If one day we die, I will walk the path to the eighteenth level of hell with you."
Forced to step back, the back of Qi Daolin's knees hit the bed, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto it. Qi Daoning followed her down, pressing her into a corner.
She looked into Qi Daolin's eyes and said, "Sister, I have no other desires in this life. I only want you." She leaned in to kiss Qi Daolin's lips. She did not use force to restrain Qi Daolin; as long as Qi Daolin wanted to, she could push her away at any moment. But Qi Daolin didn't. She tremblingly closed her eyes.
Qi Daoning covered her, her movements extremely gentle, as if treating a peerless treasure. The bridal clothes were red as fire, but the lips and tongues were even more scorching. Two similar flesh and blood bodies melted together, soft forms intertwining and clinging to each other. Qi Daoning was patient to the extreme, carefully considering Qi Daolin's feelings. Pleasure severed the string named reason in Qi Daolin's mind. So be it. They were destined to fall into the Avici hell anyway; if A'ning wanted to, a moment of greedy pleasure wouldn't hurt. Ultimately, she was the one who owed her. She reached out and hugged Qi Daoning. That was her younger sister. She closed her eyes, unable to see Qi Daoning's face that resembled hers, just like how she had repeatedly closed her eyes and ears to those wicked deeds. If she couldn't see it, it didn't exist, and there would be no overwhelming despair pressing her to the point of suffocation. If... if only they weren't sisters... No, if they weren't sisters, how could they have this inextricable present? They were twin lotus flowers blooming from the same mud pond. Two flowers blooming above, while beneath the water they were tightly connected, intertwined with each other. Neither could leave the other, neither could escape the other. Born together, die together.
In the midst of ultimate pleasure, Qi Daolin felt her soul seemingly detach from her body, floating in the air with unprecedented ease. She should have been drowning in it, losing all sense of reason, yet strangely, she found she actually had the leisure to think of random things.
Qi Daoning seemed to notice her mind wandering and bit down lightly on her nipple. Qi Daolin felt the pain, let out a soft groan, and hugged Qi Daoning even tighter.
It was a physical structure identical to hers—soft, smooth, delicate, and plump. She had never noticed it before, but in this darkness, when genuinely touching the other, she found the sensation so wonderful. Her hands involuntarily roamed and caressed Qi Daoning's back. It felt as if something had filled the void in her heart. Satisfaction, an immense satisfaction. She only wanted to hold on like this forever, without needing a tomorrow, without needing to look at the path ahead. Just this moment, right now...
Hearing the person beneath her desperately trying to hold back yet involuntarily letting out alluring gasps, Qi Daoning buried her face into her neck, hiding her momentary thrill and joy. She had endured for years for this very day, plotting step by step, luring Qi Daolin into her trap.
She is my naive Sister after all... So naive she hardly seems like a member of the Qi family. How did this rotting mud pond of the Qi family raise someone like you?
Did you know? Your younger sister has been lusting after you since she was fifteen. What do other people have to do with me? Playing with those people is no different from playing with a group of ants. I don't understand why Sister couldn't bring herself to do it, but it doesn't matter. The softer Sister's heart is, the more I can occupy a place in it. Whatever Sister wants, A'ning will surely achieve it for you.
And A'ning only wants you to look at her, only wants you to love her.
Author's Notes
That's right, after teacher-student and sisters-in-law, I have started writing sisters again == I am currently entirely in a "I'm already writing on po18, what can't I write" state of mind, dying of laughter.
Did anyone guess it? No one played the guessing game with me, sigh.
Qi Daoning is entirely dark inside. Qi Daolin has ability and brains, but lacks boldness and is relatively weak.
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