Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 31.2

“I won’t hide.” Gong Yu gazed directly into Dai Ru Yan’s calm eyes and whispered, “Even if I can’t come, I’ll still miss Ayan.”

“Really?”

A faint light sparkled in Dai Ru Yan’s eyes as she asked.

“I’ll never lie to Ayan.”

“You always know just what to say to make me happy.” Dai Ru Yan chuckled softly and said, “It’s getting dark, you should head back now.”

Gong Yu rode her horse slowly away from the courtyard. When she glanced back, she noticed Dai Ru Yan still standing at the gate, watching her.

This was the first time Dai Ru Yan had seen Gong Yu off at the gate. Gong Yu felt her heart trembling intensely, so she waved her hand, barely making out Dai Ru Yan’s faint smile in the distance.

Although Dai Ru Yan might not truly like her, Gong Yu felt that Dai Ru Yan was still the kindest person to her. Yet, an inexplicable sadness weighed on her heart. If it wasn’t out of affection, why would Dai Ru Yan treat her so well?

Gripping the reins tightly, Gong Yu looked up at the setting sun, thinking that no matter the outcome, she needed to investigate what had happened during Dai Ru Yan’s childhood.

The clip-clop of horse hooves echoed as Dai Ru Yan, waiting by the gate, watched Gong Yu’s retreating figure with a hidden, bewildered gaze until it disappeared from sight.

A maid nearby spoke up, “Miss, the medicine is ready.”

“I know.”

Dai Ru Yan turned and stepped into the shaded courtyard, the subtle doubts in her eyes suddenly vanishing as if they had never been.

It was the third month of spring, a time of blooming beauty. Gong Yu, having just stepped out of a shop, sighed at how unexpectedly hot the weather had become.

Due to her increasing age and the need to remain inconspicuous, Gong Yu had to layer her clothing, fearing that any normal person would be driven mad by the heat.

As she emerged from the sedan chair and lifted the curtain, she saw a crowd gathered at the mansion’s gate, with the old steward bustling about busily.

Gong Yu quickly called out, “Don’t stop, keep moving forward.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Some ill wind seemed to have blown in recently, as matchmakers had been swarming her doorstep, giving Gong Yu a terrible headache.

“Where is Your Highness heading?” a servant outside the sedan asked.

“To the government office.”

“Yes.”

Arriving at the government office, Gong Yu fanned herself with a hand fan, squinting as she spotted Qin Hua in the distance.

The two met in a shaded spot, and Qin Hua shook his head, saying, “There’s nothing unusual about Jin Zhaowen’s body. He drowned, with no wounds and no signs of poisoning.”

Gong Yu tilted her head and asked, “With the weather causing the corpse to decay, why hasn’t it been buried yet?”

“The Dali Temple is also investigating the case, so they’re holding onto the body.”

“As for Your Highness’s request to look into the servants or maids in the Dai residence, there are no survivors so far.”

“What do you mean, no survivors?”

Qin Hua frowned and explained, “Any maid or servant who enters the Dai residence never comes out alive.”

“Do those maids or servants have family or close friends they kept in touch with?”

“The Dai residence only takes in orphans.”

The Dai residence was like a prison—no wonder Dai Ru Yan disliked it.

“Why is Your Highness investigating the Dai residence?” Qin Hua asked, puzzled.

Gong Yu replied, “I just want to understand Sister Dai’s preferences. It has nothing to do with this case.”

Qin Hua didn’t press further. The two walked together from the government office and arrived at the tavern where Jin Zhaowen had been drinking.

The tavern was quite grand, with a crowd of beggars gathered in the alley nearby. Inside, it was bustling with activity.

I remember last time the Fifth Prince dragged Gong Yu to drink, it was at this very tavern.

“The liquor here isn’t cheap,” Gong Yu remarked, flicking open his folding fan and waving it gently.

Qin Hua frowned deeply and said, “Indeed. Unless it’s truly momentous good news, Jin Zhaowen wouldn’t come here to drink.”

Gong Yu glanced around and added, “For instance, if he knew he would be on the list of successful candidates, perhaps even ranking first in the metropolitan examination.”

“The person who arranged to meet him here might have given him the answers or told him where to find them.”

“Your reasoning is sound, Your Highness,” Qin Hua said, turning slightly and pointing to the other side. “That night, Jin Zhaowen came alone, got drunk by himself, and walked in this direction—many waiters witnessed it.”

The two followed the street to the moat, where weeping willows brushed lightly against the water’s surface. At this hour, the riverbank was sparsely populated.

Coincidentally, a petite young girl was snooping around nearby, her movements furtive, which struck Gong Yu as odd.

Qin Hua stepped forward first and called out, “Little girl, what are you doing here?”

“None of your business!”

This girl really is fierce!

Gong Yu stood to the side, gazing at the lake, and said, “Recently, someone drowned here. I heard their body was bloated, and their face was horrifyingly disfigured.”

The girl snorted dismissively. Gong Yu flicked open his fan again and suddenly added, “Then, possessed by a vengeful ghost, he climbed out of the water. At that moment, someone on the shore happened to be grabbed by the ankle by that very ghost.”

“With a splash, guess what happened?”

“You! What nonsense are you spouting about ghosts?”

Gong Yu waved his fan and chuckled. “I heard someone saw that the person was standing right where you are now and was dragged straight down into the water.”

Although the girl wasn’t afraid of criminals, it seemed she was terrified of ghosts. Seeing her face turn pale, Gong Yu decided not to tease her further.

Qin Hua took a bamboo pole and probed the water, testing the depth nearby. When he pulled the pole out, it was tangled with a lot of aquatic weeds.

The girl watched curiously and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Not telling you,” Gong Yu replied with a laugh as he walked toward Qin Hua.

“Hey! Why are you so mean?” the girl complained, chasing after him.

Qin Hua measured the depth with his hands, his brow still furrowed. “The water here is indeed deep enough to drown someone.”

Gong Yu picked up another bamboo pole and poked it into the water, seemingly bored. “If a drunk person can still walk, it means they should at least struggle and cry out before drowning. But the old man said he just fell straight in, sinking like a stone without any resistance.”

“That doesn’t add up!”

“Maybe the person who fell in couldn’t climb back out?” the girl suggested curiously.

Qin Hua stared at the water and said, “It’s possible they inhaled too much water and couldn’t call for help. Besides, this area is a noisy market—the old man’s hearing might not be sharp enough to hear anything.”

Suddenly, Gong Yu felt as if the pole was stuck. He tugged harder but still couldn’t free it, sending a chill down his spine.

Was a ghost holding it?

“Hey, why did you stop moving it?”

Gong Yu smiled and said, “Here, you try.”

The girl took the pole from Gong Yu and pulled at it, her expression quickly turning uneasy.

“Hey… could a ghost be holding onto it?”

“No way, I could move it just a moment ago.”

“You… come over here!”

Gong Yu dodged to the side, laughing, “No way, maybe the ghost just wants to chat with you.”

Unexpectedly, the young girl’s eyes reddened at his words. Gong Yu had no choice but to reach out and take the bamboo pole, calling out, “Sir, it seems like this bamboo pole has caught on something.”

Qin Hua took the pole and exerted considerable effort, his face flushing red before he managed to pull up a large, tangled mass wrapped around the bamboo.

“What is this?” Gong Yu moved closer, but his robe was already tightly gripped by the young girl.

Helpless, Gong Yu tilted his head and asked, “Why are you tugging at my clothes?”

“I’m scared…”

“Then why did you come here? Don’t tell me you don’t know something happened around here?”

The girl stubbornly replied, “I wanted to investigate too.”

“Then let go of my clothes, alright?”

“No.”

Sigh…

Gong Yu had no choice but to say, “Don’t be afraid, we’re also here to investigate.”

To his surprise, the girl eyed him suspiciously and said, “But you don’t look like someone who investigates cases.”

“Then what do I look like?”

“You look like a pretty boy. Your hands are even paler than mine.”

Qin Hua, standing nearby, suddenly laughed. Gong Yu sighed, feeling embarrassed, “Miss, if you keep holding onto me like this, aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to marry?”

The girl finally snapped back to reality, her face flushing bright red as she quickly let go and muttered, “I’d never marry a pretty boy.”

Gong Yu took a deep breath, reminding himself to keep his distance from this girl.

Qin Hua unwrapped the bundle of tangled weeds and fabric, only to find a stone inside.

“It was the waterweed on this stone that got tangled around the bamboo pole, which is why it was so hard to pull up,” Qin Hua explained to himself.

Gong Yu examined the stone and couldn’t help but wonder, “What kind of waterweed has such strong force?”

“I’ve never seen it before either,” Qin Hua chuckled, brushing it off. The sun was blazing overhead, and Gong Yu, unable to bear the heat, suggested they head back.

The young girl suddenly spoke up, “Hey, aren’t you two investigating?”

“Didn’t you just call me a pretty boy?” Gong Yu retorted, still holding the bamboo pole.

“So, you’re really not going to investigate anymore?”

“I’m not telling you.” With that, Gong Yu ignored the girl and walked away.

Qin Hua wiped the sweat from his face and said, “It’s possible Jin Zhaowen really did drown after getting drunk.”

But Gong Yu suddenly stopped and asked, “Sir, are you suggesting that Jin Zhaowen struggled in the water and got entangled in the waterweed, leading to his death?”

“Yes, that seems the most likely scenario at the moment.”

“My condolences, sir. But I suspect the person Jin Zhaowen was meeting must be connected to the exam leak case. So, at least until the truth about the leak is uncovered, we should investigate the people Jin Zhaowen had contact with before his death.”

“Agreed,” Qin Hua replied calmly.

As evening approached, Gong Yu bathed and changed into fresh robes, deliberately selecting a new outfit. At dusk, he took a sedan chair to the Second Princess’s residence.

Stepping out of the sedan, Gong Yu followed a servant into the estate and saw that the garden was already filled with many guests.

Lanterns were placed throughout the pavilion, both for illumination and to ward off mosquitoes.

After circling around, Gong Yu finally spotted Dai Ru Yan, though he could no longer mingle among the female guests as he once had.

Several screens separated the men’s and women’s areas. On the men’s side, the atmosphere was already lively with drinking. In the past, when Gong Yu was younger, he could abstain without issue.

But now, he had to learn to drink a few cups. Fortunately, the wine was not too strong.

As the surroundings grew dark, the wine continued to flow. The pavilions, stone gazebos, and small streams in the garden were arranged in a compact yet harmonious layout, while someone nearby was playing music and narrating a play.

Gong Yu downed several cups, pretending to be thoroughly drunk, and seized the excuse of needing to relieve herself to escape the situation.

Following the long corridor, Gong Yu searched for Dai Ru Yan’s figure, but Dai Ru Yan always seemed to be just out of reach. Gong Yu wanted to call out to her quietly, but it wasn’t practical.

Just as Gong Yu was scratching her head in frustration, someone suddenly tapped her lightly on the back, startling her so much she nearly cried out.

“What are you doing here, pretty boy?” the young girl asked, leaning in close.

Gong Yu let out a sigh of relief and retorted, “Why should I tell you?”

The girl glanced in the direction Gong Yu had been looking and said, “Oh, so you were spying on them.”

“Guess if I should call out to them or not?”

“Don’t!”

Gong Yu covered the girl’s mouth and whispered, “I just sneaked over here. Don’t make a sound.”

The girl rolled her eyes quite rudely and pointed at Gong Yu’s hand, signaling her to let go.

But if she let go, there was no guarantee the girl wouldn’t turn on her. So Gong Yu put on a fierce expression and said, “If you dare make a sound, I’ll kiss you right in front of them. Aren’t you scared?”

The girl nodded, then shook her head, leaving Gong Yu utterly confused.

Just as Gong Yu was about to speak again, someone suddenly called out, “Who’s there behind the rock garden?”

“Could it be a secret rendezvous?”

At this, everyone burst into laughter, clearly waiting for some drama to unfold.

Gong Yu thought to herself, This is bad. Unexpectedly, the girl suddenly stomped hard on Gong Yu’s foot and shouted angrily, “You pervert!”

Then she slapped Gong Yu resoundingly across the face before running out of the rock garden, her face flushed, leaving Gong Yu alone, crouched among the rocks, too pained to make a sound.

If she made any noise now, it would be like “the mute tasting bitter herbs”—unable to voice her suffering.

“Sisters, don’t stare. It might just be a lovers’ quarrel,” Second Princess Gong Ling said with a laugh, taking a sip of wine.

This elicited more laughter from the crowd, and everyone returned to their seats. Gong Yu, her face stinging, limped and clutched her cheek as she tried to sneak out from the other side of the rock garden.

Unfortunately, her new robe was covered in dust from squeezing through the crevices of the rocks. As she brushed off the gravel and sand from her clothes, a voice suddenly came from behind: “Little Nine.”

Gong Yu turned her head and saw that, at some point, Dai Ru Yan had circled around from the banquet to the rock garden.

Her cheek was already burning from the slap, and now she had been caught red-handed. It was utterly humiliating.

Tonight, Dai Ru Yan was dressed in crimson…

Her crimson dress and makeup were exceptionally lavish, quite different from her usual style.

“I didn’t do anything to that young girl,” Gong Yu blurted out as her first words.

Dai Ru Yan slowly approached, gazing at the bowing Gong Yu as she softly said, “I know.”

Gong Yu nervously looked at her own robe stained with ashes and whispered, “Ayan looks especially beautiful today.”

“Does your cheek still hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Gong Yu quickly shook her head in response.

Dai Ru Yan came closer, looking at Gong Yu and said, “You say it doesn’t hurt, but your face is swollen now.”

The warm palm gently pressed against Gong Yu’s burning cheek, making her feel even hotter. She didn’t dare meet Dai Ru Yan’s gaze.

“Ayan, aren’t you angry?” Gong Yu blinked and asked.

“Angry?” Dai Ru Yan chuckled lightly, “Angry that you foolishly stood there and let that young girl slap your face?”

Gong Yu didn’t expect Dai Ru Yan to actually laugh. Feeling wronged, she said, “Ayan is making fun of me. I just wanted to secretly catch a few glimpses of you.”

“Be good, don’t be upset.”

Dai Ru Yan gently held Gong Yu’s face, her gaze fixed as she said, “Let me see if it’s badly swollen.”

“What if I get disfigured from being hit?”

Gong Yu leaned closer to ask.

“It’s nothing serious, though that young girl did hit quite hard.” Dai Ru Yan placed one hand on Gong Yu’s shoulder, leaning her whole body closer as her fingertips carefully traced Gong Yu’s face.

“Exactly, I just scared her with a few words, I didn’t do anything else.”

“Does Little Jiu want to do something else to that young girl?” Dai Ru Yan slightly raised an eyebrow, looking at Gong Yu with a scrutinizing gaze.

Uh…

Seems like I said something wrong again.