Metamorphosis of an Ugly Girl – Part One

Understanding the necessity, Li Qin, without hesitation, leaned in to perform the life-saving act, feeling Qingqing’s cold lips move slightly under his warmth. He continued with the resuscitation until Qingqing coughed up water, her breathing becoming more regular. Despite the foul taste, Li Qin continued until she was revived, feeling her body gradually warm up. Li Qin was already a young man. At this moment, he was kissing Qing Qing’s soft lips, thinking of the roundness of her chest he had touched in the pond, and his body was gradually becoming unbearably hot, undergoing a strange transformation. While everyone was busy, the Fourth Prince, at some unknown time, walked in with lupus erythematosus. Seeing Li Qin’s actions, he thought he was taking liberties with Qing Qing, so without a word, he approached, pulled Li Qin away, and before anyone could react, he threw another punch, cursing, “You beast.” This punch was delivered with all his might, following the previous one, and Li Qin, who had just jumped into the pond, was already exhausted from carrying Qing Qing and running; he fainted directly. The Fourth Prince, seemingly not satisfied, was about to pounce forward to continue beating him, when the terrified servants finally reacted, pulling him back and pleading, “Fourth Master, no… please calm down…” Meanwhile, the imperial physician had to attend to both the Crown Prince and worry about Qing Qing. “What are you all panicking about?” A stern voice immediately calmed the chaotic scene; it was the Emperor. He then asked, “Who can tell me what’s going on here?” The servants were all scared, kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe. The Fourth Prince also knelt down, his voice choked with emotion, “Father, please punish my second brother.” The Emperor was even more surprised, seeing Qing Qing lying on the bed and Li Qin being supported by servants to lie on a couch by the window. Earlier, when a servant informed him that Qing Qing had fallen into the water, he was already shocked, and now seeing the usually tough Fourth Prince with tears in his eyes made him even more puzzled. He asked the Fourth Prince, “What exactly happened? Why are both the second son and Qing Qing in this state? And why should I punish the second son?” Ignoring the attempts by the servants to stop him, the Fourth Prince enunciated, “The second brother pushed Miss Lin into the pond.” “What?” The Emperor, seeing the Fourth Prince’s expression was not one of jest, asked, “Is there really such a thing?” The Fourth Prince continued, “I invited Miss Lin to dine in my palace, and during that time, the second brother came once. For some reason, he got angry and left without a word. Miss Lin, fearing she had offended him, chased after him.” He glossed over the fact that Qing Qing was crying on his shoulder, showing how much he cared for her reputation. He went on, “I went to check since Miss Lin hadn’t returned for a long time. How would I know… I saw the second brother and Qing Qing struggling by the lotus pond, and when I called out, he let go and pushed Miss Lin into the water.” The Emperor was astounded, though he didn’t believe Li Qin would push Qing Qing into the water, the Fourth Prince was not known for lying, and his current demeanor was certainly not feigned. In the winter, the pond was devoid of lotus leaves, so it wasn’t surprising for someone like Qing Qing, who didn’t know how to swim, to drown. “Did you see him let go or push her?” The Emperor, after pondering for a moment, sat down on a chair nearby, asking while assessing their injuries. The Fourth Prince said, “I dare not hide anything; at that moment, I only saw the second brother release her. But, I believe that the way the second brother was holding Miss Lin, it couldn’t have been an accidental slip.” Upon hearing this, the Emperor’s face suddenly darkened, and he snorted coldly, “You believe, not you saw? Is this something you ‘believe’?” Although the Fourth Prince felt the Emperor’s words made sense, he was still unconvinced, “Since the second brother had already dangled Miss Lin over the water, he must have intended to push her.” At this time, both Li Qin and Qing Qing were unconscious, and with the Fourth Prince’s insistent accusations, the Emperor was unsure how to judge, so he said, “We’ll wait for them to wake up and I’ll inquire further. If your second brother really intended to push Miss Lin into the water, he will not be lightly forgiven.” “Miss Lin is always timid and kind-hearted; she won’t tell the truth when she wakes up.” The Fourth Prince’s retort made the servants worry that he would offend the Emperor. The Emperor was furious, not at the Fourth Prince’s rudeness, but at the rift between the brothers. He also blamed himself for not educating them well due to his preoccupation with state affairs. He said, “I have my ways to make Qing Qing tell the truth.” Since the Emperor had spoken, the Fourth Prince had no choice but to stand aside and wait for them to wake up. The Emperor then instructed the eunuch beside him to inform that Miss Lin was being attended by physicians and not to worry. After everything was arranged, he personally inquired about Li Qin’s and Qing Qing’s conditions. “The Crown Prince has only caught a chill and was…,” the physician paused, glancing at the Fourth Prince, then continued, “and was hit by the Fourth Prince’s fists, causing a sudden surge of anger. However, there’s nothing seriously wrong with him; a few days of good rest will do.” “What about Miss Lin?” The Fourth Prince, ignoring the Emperor’s look of reproach for injuring Li Qin, eagerly asked about Qing Qing’s condition. The physician said, “If she doesn’t develop a fever in the next few days, she should be fine.” Both the Fourth Prince and the Emperor felt slightly relieved, but then another issue came to mind, “And if she does get a fever?” The physician, not daring to hide anything, straightforwardly said, “If the fever persists without subsiding, I’m afraid… her life might be in danger.” Only then did they realize the gravity of the situation. The Emperor, already skeptical of the Crown Prince’s innocence, now blamed Li Qin for being involved in the matter out of concern for Qing Qing. The Fourth Prince was even more anxious, remembering that Qing Qing had been in the water for over half an hour before being rescued… Shortly after, Li Qin gradually regained consciousness. At that moment, the Empress arrived. The Emperor, who initially wanted to reprimand Li Qin, refrained when he saw the Empress, not wishing to worry her further, and simply kept a stern face. The Empress, not looking at Qing Qing, hurried to Li Qin, concernedly asking, “Second son, I’m relieved you’re alright.” Li Qin did not respond to her. The Emperor was slightly displeased, wondering which mother wouldn’t care for her child? The Empress continued, “Why don’t you take care of yourself, jumping into the water like that?” The Fourth Prince coldly remarked from the side, “He caused the trouble, should someone else clean up after him?” The Empress, unaware of the situation, was puzzled by the Fourth Prince’s rudeness and, seeing the Emperor silent, asked Li Qin for an explanation, “Second son, what trouble have you caused now?” Li Qin stammered, “I… I didn’t protect Miss Lin well…” His words were meant to blame himself for not protecting Qing Qing, but the Fourth Prince took it as an admission of pushing her, quickly saying to the Emperor, “Father, you see, the second brother has admitted it.” Hearing this, the Emperor assumed it was true and became uncontrollably angry, exclaiming, “Second son, you’ve gone too far this time.” Li Qin was puzzled by the Emperor’s rage, thinking it was because he hadn’t protected Qing Qing well, and bowed his head in silence. The Fourth Prince, sympathizing even more with Qing Qing, added, “Not only that, he actually… actually molested Miss Lin?” “What?” Both the Emperor and the Empress stood up in shock, staring angrily at Li Qin. The imperial physician stepped forward to explain: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince was merely extracting the water that was blocking Miss Lin’s chest, not behaving inappropriately. If not for the Crown Prince, Miss Lin might have already passed away by now.” Only then did everyone understand, sparing Li Qin from the accusation of improper conduct. After such a busy half-day, the physician stated that Qingqing would not wake up today and hoped she wouldn’t have a fever by tomorrow, indicating there would be no problem then. The Empress, upon hearing this, instructed Li Qin and the Fourth Prince to rest and recover from their injuries, then returned to the sleeping palace with the Emperor. “Your Majesty, Qingqing cannot stay,” the usually composed Empress suddenly remarked upon reaching her Anxi Palace. The Emperor did not speak, slowly sat down, sipped some calming tea, and then asked, “Why?” The Empress knelt down abruptly, tears in her eyes: “These two brothers have been injured for her; how can I bear it?” The Emperor said, “This cannot be blamed on Qingqing.” “Though not her fault, it started because of her.” Seeing the Emperor did not ask her to rise, she realized he was angry. Softening her tone, she said, “I heard that Qingqing is a demon.” “Empress—” The Emperor, enraged, stood up and knocked over a tea bowl, causing all the servants in the room to kneel in fear. Noticing the Empress’s surprised look, he softened his tone, sat back down, and said, “This is a folk rumor; I do not wish to hear it again.” The Empress had never seen the Emperor like this. Although she was elegant and noble, like many women since ancient times, she harbored some superstitions, which now made her more suspicious of the claim that Qingqing was a “demon.” She quickly thought, then solemnly kowtowed: “I do not care if Qingqing is a demon or not; the fact remains that within two days of her entering the palace, the second prince has already clashed with her twice. Though I am the Empress, my heart lies with my sons. Moreover, the second prince is the future ruler; I wish for no harm to come to him.” “Do not forget, Empress, I can depose him and appoint another prince,” the Emperor said, seeing the usually gentle Empress speaking so firmly, he felt she was covering for Li Qin, and his disappointment grew, especially since he believed Li Qin had admitted to pushing Qingqing into the water. The Empress then realized the gravity of the situation; the Emperor’s tone was grim, not jesting, and her face turned pale with fright. Yet she did not reflect on her own or Li Qin’s mistakes, only blaming Qingqing for bewitching the Emperor. Although she thought this, she quickly put on her usual smile and said, “I was wrong, please consider my words today as never spoken.” The Emperor, who had been momentarily angry, felt he had spoken too harshly seeing the Empress like this, and he helped her up with an apologetic look: “I will not take it to heart, Empress, do not blame yourself.”