Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 28.2

Gong Yu felt that the situation was clearly turning unfavorable based on Dai Ru Yan’s words and quickly said, “I don’t want any concubines. If I were to marry, you alone would be enough.”

“Since ancient times, nobles and royalty have always had multiple wives and concubines. Even if I marry you, you’ll still need to take a few concubines.”

“Do I have to take them even if I don’t want to?” Gong Yu’s heart was on the verge of collapse.

Dai Ru Yan smiled faintly and nodded. “Continuing the family line is also a duty of the royal descendants.”

“I don’t want to.”

Gong Yu silently pulled the thin blanket over her face, determined to feign death.

The conversation between the two came to a halt. Unable to see Dai Ru Yan’s movements, Gong Yu quietly lowered the blanket.

Dai Ru Yan picked up a book from the side and began reading, seemingly letting go of the previous topic.

Gong Yu shifted slightly and reached out to touch the sachet Dai Ru Yan was wearing, bringing it close to her nose to smell. “The peach blossoms still smell quite fragrant,” she remarked.

Her gaze fell upon the jade pendant. Though Gong Yu had thought about it several times, Dai Ru Yan seemed to treasure the pendant dearly, so Gong Yu hadn’t brought it up in a long while.

Setting down the sachet, Gong Yu reached for the jade pendant, only to find it surprisingly warm.

Holding it in her hand, she felt its smooth and delicate texture. The color was clear and translucent—truly a fine piece of jade. After playing with it for a while, Gong Yu lost interest and set it down.

“Done playing?” Dai Ru Yan asked.

Gong Yu’s lower body was on the other side of the low table, while her upper body rested against Dai Ru Yan. Naturally, none of her small movements escaped Dai Ru Yan’s notice.

Of course, Gong Yu hadn’t intended to hide anything, but being called out like this still made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

“It’s not fun,” Gong Yu said, rubbing her eyes. “Since there’s nothing to do and you’re only reading and ignoring me, I’ll head back now.”

“Are you really leaving?” Dai Ru Yan looked down at Gong Yu.

“Yes, it’s still early. I’ll ride over to visit my royal brothers, or at the very least, I can go freeload some food and drinks at the Grand Tutor’s place.” Gong Yu, feeling mischievous, began making things up.

Dai Ru Yan set down the book, cupped Gong Yu’s face gently with both hands, and asked softly, “Are you angry?”

Gong Yu shook her head. “No.”

“But you just said you’d spend the whole day here with me.”

“I only said I had nothing to do all day today,” Gong Yu argued.

Dai Ru Yan pursed her lips slightly, her thumb stroking Gong Yu’s cheek as she whispered, “Little Jiu isn’t being good today.”

The tone of complaint was so adorable it nearly melted Gong Yu’s heart.

Suppressing a laugh, Gong Yu put on a serious face and said, “Ayan, acting cute is against the rules.”

“But you’re always reading, and I feel like I’m disturbing you when I’m here.”

“Then I won’t read anymore. I’ll just look at Little Jiu, alright?” Dai Ru Yan smiled lightly, gently pinching Gong Yu’s cheek as if coaxing a child.

Yet Gong Yu was utterly defenseless against Dai Ru Yan’s charm. Her face flushed red, and she was on the verge of a nosebleed.

Gong Yu quickly closed her eyes and replied, “You… I’m not a child. Just read if you want to.”

“Then will Little Jiu stay with me all day today?”

Dai Ru Yan’s voice was usually somewhat cool and detached, but hearing her speak so sweetly now made Gong Yu feel as though she might suffocate if she stayed too long.

“I… I promise,” Gong Yu stammered in embarrassment.

However, Dai Ru Yan was simply too quiet while reading, and the heated daybed was exceptionally warm, so Gong Yu dozed off for a while.

When she woke again, the world outside the window was still a blanket of white. Dai Ru Yan hadn’t moved an inch, still absorbed in her book.

Her stomach rumbled loudly. Gong Yu patted her belly and murmured, “As expected, those little pastries weren’t enough to fill me up.”

Sitting up, she stretched lazily. Aside from a slight blink of her eyes, Dai Ru Yan remained completely still.

“Ayan, I’m hungry,” Gong Yu said, leaning closer.

Only then did Dai Ru Yan close her book and reply, “Then let’s have someone set up the small hot pot.”

“Great!”

The small hot pot was essentially a miniature version of a traditional hot pot. Once the maids had arranged everything, Gong Yu sat beside it, adding slices of meat. Dai Ru Yan only ate fish slices when it came to meat and preferred vegetables.

Steam rose from the pot. The chicken drumsticks Gong Yu had put in were taking too long to cook, so she focused on the thinly sliced meat for now, leaving the vegetables aside for the moment.

As for the fruit wine in the silver flask nearby, Dai Ru Yan showed no intention of drinking it, so Gong Yu didn’t bring it up either.

Dai Ru Yan ate slowly, so Gong Yu would set aside the cooked fish slices on a small plate for her.

The hall was already warm, and after eating, Gong Yu began to sweat. Glancing at the silver flask, she asked, “Ayan, can I have some fruit wine?”

Her tone couldn’t have been more obedient.

Unexpectedly, Dai Ru Yan replied, “Of course. This fruit wine was prepared for you.”

“I noticed you hadn’t touched it, so I thought you might have lost interest in fruit wine.”

Ah…

If I’d known, why did I foolishly ask?

Regardless, Gong Yu poured herself a small cup of the fruit wine and took a sip. She found it very sweet, not at all like alcohol but more like a mixed beverage.

No wonder it was mostly women who drank it. But given its sweetness, Dai Ru Yan probably didn’t care for it much, as she didn’t seem to like sweet things.

Gong Yu had only had two cups when Dai Ru Yan suddenly spoke up, “No more.”

“This fruit wine isn’t intoxicating. A few more cups should be fine,” Gong Yu said, clutching her cup, clearly reluctant to put it down.

“Who said it isn’t intoxicating?” Dai Ru Yan reached over and took the cup from her. Then, she took a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Gong Yu’s forehead, whispering, “Your face is already flushed.”

“Maybe it’s just too hot in here,” Gong Yu replied, though she did feel increasingly warm.

Dai Ru Yan stood up and took Gong Yu’s hand. Puzzled, Gong Yu asked, “Ayan, where are we going?”

“Let’s take a walk outside.”

Huh?

As soon as they stepped out, although the wind and snow had stopped, the temperature difference was stark. Gong Yu felt as if she had been thrown from a scorching desert into an icehouse.

At first, it felt refreshing. Gong Yu held Dai Ru Yan’s hand tightly, her gaze fixed on her without wavering.

“Are you cold?” Dai Ru Yan turned to ask.

Gong Yu shook her head. “No, it feels nice right now.”

“You… For those who aren’t used to drinking, it’s best not to have more than three cups of fruit wine. Otherwise, you’ll get a headache if you get drunk,” Dai Ru Yan said softly, holding Gong Yu’s warm hand as they strolled aimlessly along the corridor.

All around them, nothing but white met the eye. Gong Yu smiled and said, “So, this wine usually doesn’t make people drunk, but when it does, it hits hard, right?”

“Mm.”

“Ayan, where are we going?”

“Where do you want to go?” Dai Ru Yan turned to look at her.

Gong Yu stopped and thought for a moment before saying, “I want to go to the heavens.”

“And the ocean floor.”

Dai Ru Yan paused slightly and asked softly, “Xiao Jiu, are you drunk?”

“I’m not drunk.” Gong Yu smiled, the white mist from her heavy breaths quickly dissipating.

“I want to go wherever Ayan is, no matter where that might be.” Gong Yu’s heart pounded like a drum, partly afraid that Dai Ru Yan would notice, and partly hoping she would.

Dai Ru Yan stopped and reached out to steady Gong Yu, replying, “Then wouldn’t that mean we couldn’t go anywhere?”

“Why?” It was clear Dai Ru Yan hadn’t noticed at all. Gong Yu suppressed her disappointment and asked.

“Silly, of course we’ll always be together.” Dai Ru Yan gently embraced Gong Yu and whispered.

Was this a response?

Overjoyed, Gong Yu asked with a smile, “Really?”

Dai Ru Yan’s fingertips brushed Gong Yu’s wind-chilled, reddened cheeks, her eyes reflecting Gong Yu’s dazzling smile as she said, “After all, we’re two grasshoppers tied to the same string, aren’t we?”

As if plummeting from a great height, Gong Yu froze, staring blankly at Dai Ru Yan.

That phrase was something Gong Yu had once said jokingly. She never expected Dai Ru Yan to remember it so clearly.

But this response was clearly not what Gong Yu had hoped for.

Gong Yu tried to steady her emotions, but she couldn’t help feeling the sting of the sudden letdown. She lowered her head slightly and randomly changed the subject: “If Ayan leaves the capital, I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

“Maybe I won’t leave the capital after all.” Dai Ru Yan suddenly said this.

“Ayan, why the sudden change of heart?” Gong Yu remembered asking this question before, but back then, Dai Ru Yan had only said she wanted to escape the capital without mentioning any specific destination.

Why had she suddenly decided not to leave?

Dai Ru Yan reached out and tightened the cloak around Gong Yu, smiling as she said, “Maybe it wasn’t such a sudden change.”

“I don’t really understand.” Gong Yu admitted honestly.

“It’s alright if you don’t understand.” Dai Ru Yan lightly tapped Gong Yu’s frost-reddened cheek, her expression serious as she said, “After all, your string is in my hands. No one can harm you.”

“You can understand that, right, Xiao Jiu?”

Gong Yu suddenly felt that Dai Ru Yan, compared to before, carried a certain authority beneath her gentle demeanor. Her offhand remarks always seemed to captivate Gong Yu unintentionally.

“Stop daydreaming. If we don’t head back soon, your chicken legs will be overcooked.” Dai Ru Yan took Gong Yu’s hand and led her forward.

The wind and snow made their progress much slower. Earlier, Gong Yu had felt somewhat warm, but now she was gradually growing cold.

Dai Ru Yan’s plain, simple clothing looked thin, but her hands were warm. Gong Yu sometimes felt very close to Dai Ru Yan, and at other times, she felt terribly distant.

This sense of ambiguous closeness seemed to tether Gong Yu’s heart, just as Dai Ru Yan had said—like a string, with the other end held firmly in Dai Ru Yan’s hand.

Gong Yu quickened her pace to keep up with Dai Ru Yan, calming her emotions as she asked, “Ayan, you still haven’t told me why you suddenly don’t want to leave the capital?”

Dai Ru Yan seemed to be in high spirits. She clasped Gong Yu’s hand tightly, turned her head, and replied, “Does Xiao Jiu want to know?”

“Yes, I want to know.”

“But I won’t tell you.” Dai Ru Yan looked at Gong Yu with eyes full of laughter, teasingly.

Gong Yu felt her heart being tugged along by Dai Ru Yan, beating fiercely, and she couldn’t help but follow her steps, pressing further:

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because this is my secret.”

Dai Ru Yan gazed intently at Gong Yu, her fingers lightly entwining with Gong Yu’s as they wound through various corridors, almost as if they were playing a game.

The maids who had been following them had fallen far behind. Gong Yu trailed after Dai Ru Yan, sometimes breaking into a light jog, sometimes walking briskly through the complex, interwoven hallways and passages.

Gong Yu, who had been feeling lost, suddenly realized that these maze-like corridors might very well be Dai Ru Yan’s playground.

Because of the jogging, the cold air rushed into her nostrils, making Gong Yu somewhat uncomfortable, yet her body still couldn’t resist following Dai Ru Yan as they wove through the halls.

They didn’t stop until they entered the chamber. Dai Ru Yan led Gong Yu back to the low couch, where the small pot on the stove was still bubbling and boiling.

Gong Yu held the bowl of fish soup Dai Ru Yan had served her, taking small sips. Dai Ru Yan loved eating fish.

Even when it came to fish slices, Dai Ru Yan ate slowly, but Gong Yu loved watching her, and once she started, she could watch for a long time.

As the sky outside gradually darkened, Gong Yu was already quite full. Dai Ru Yan, sipping her fish soup, asked, “Are you full?”

“Yes.”

In truth, Gong Yu felt she was stuffed to the brim, yet Dai Ru Yan had only eaten one bowl of fish soup all afternoon.

The maids quietly entered to light the candlesticks and then cleared away the scattered bowls and plates. Gong Yu held the little rabbit in her hands, sitting properly to the side.

Dai Ru Yan was still reading that book, though it seemed she was nearly finished.

Only after the maids had left did Gong Yu inch closer, quite naturally leaning against Dai Ru Yan.

Seeing that Dai Ru Yan still hadn’t reacted, Gong Yu deliberately tilted her head to block Dai Ru Yan’s view of the book.

She was then gently pulled into Dai Ru Yan’s embrace, and a voice sounded by her ear: “Be good, don’t fidget.”

Having succeeded in her little scheme, Gong Yu nestled contentedly in Dai Ru Yan’s arms. The little rabbit in her hands felt soft and plump, very comfortable to hold.

“I can’t understand this book of yours,” Gong Yu said, glancing at it with confusion.

“It’s ancient text, and it’s not even written in the script commonly used in Gong Country. It’s normal that you can’t understand it.”

“Then what’s written in it?”

Dai Ru Yan turned another page and said, “Mostly war strategies and some records of court events.”

“Then isn’t this book quite boring?”

“For Xiao Jiu, it probably is boring.”

Gong Yu reached out to rub the little rabbit’s face. Perhaps because the rabbit was too chubby, its face could be stretched quite far. Gong Yu couldn’t help but…