After Accidentally Marking the Cold and Elegant Eldest Princess - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Turbulent Thoughts

The inner chamber was silent.

Yan Yunti did not take the initiative to draw closer. She lay on her side with her eyes closed, her breathing gradually becoming steady and long as if she had already fallen asleep.

Yuan Jingxue couldn’t hear the slightest movement behind her. Although desire stirred within her, she could not withstand her physical exhaustion. Her focus began to scatter, and just as she was drifting into a daze of sleep, she felt a source of heat press against her.

By the time she reacted, Yan Yunti’s front was already flush against her back. The girl’s left leg hooked forward effortlessly, squeezing between her thighs, while her left hand rested on her waist, drawing her completely into a full embrace.

Exhausted, Yuan Jingxue forced her consciousness to clear. Feeling Yan Yunti’s thigh pressed against a certain sensitive spot, she knitted her brows. She pushed against Yan Yunti’s left knee, trying to shove the leg away. “Stop it.”

Both her strength and her voice were weak, lacking any real force.

Yan Yunti didn’t actually intend to cause trouble; she was simply seizing the opportunity. Once she had the person in her arms, she didn’t want to let go. She let out a few vague, low hums from her throat, sounding like the unconscious actions of someone in a deep sleep.

What wrong can a sleeping person do? None at all.

After humming, she pulled the woman even tighter. Yuan Jingxue truly couldn’t push her away, and the other person ignored her calls. Overwhelmed by drowsiness, she eventually gave up. After all, nothing was happening; it was just a simple embrace for sleep.

This time, there were no strange dreams of “warm jade” turning into a person. However, just as she was about to wake, she suddenly dreamt of an unspeakable scene—in the dream, the sun was brilliant, and she sat in a gazebo playing the zither. Yet, the melody under her fingertips was chaotic and out of tune. Her face and neck were flushed crimson, because she was sitting with her legs apart on Yan Yunti’s left thigh, while Yan Yunti embraced her from behind, reaching around to her front.

Her closed eyes sensed the bright light, and the sensation of being held at her front became vivid. Yuan Jingxue snapped her eyes open to find Yan Yunti’s hand sliding under the hem of her nightgown, while hot breath fanned across her nape. Yuan Jingxue reached out to pin the mischievous hand down, calling her name with a slightly heavy tone: “Yan Yunti.”

Yan Yunti was already in that state between waking and dreaming. Awakened by this sharp rebuke, her five fingers instinctively curled. Realizing what was happening, she retracted her hand instantly. As she pulled her left leg back, she accidentally bumped against the woman, feeling the person in her arms shudder. She gave a light cough and sat up. “Your Highness should sleep a bit longer. I will go tell them to prepare for washing and breakfast.”

She immediately got out of bed to dress, not daring to stay a moment longer. She had been too tired last night, but she wasn’t tired now; if she didn’t leave, it wasn’t just a matter of being scolded—she feared something might actually happen.

Yuan Jingxue lay on her side, listening to the retreating footsteps and pursing her lips tightly. In her view, this early morning groping was clearly the Qianyuan’s “repayment”—making her endure the same restlessness. She did not have Yan Yunti’s temperament; naturally, she suppressed whatever she could.

When Yan Yunti returned from outside, Yuan Jingxue had already dressed in an extremely pale, light pink gown, which made the Eldest Princess look much gentler. Bawei followed behind to assist Yuan Jingxue with her toilette.

Yan Yunti had already freshened up in the side hall. Now wearing her veil, she sat to the side, opening a jar of fragrant balm to rub into her hands while watching Bawei style Yuan Jingxue’s hair. She offered a reminder: “Style it simply. It’s best to tie all the hair up so it’s lighter.”

Otherwise, having hair plastered to one’s face while learning to swim would be too uncomfortable.

Bawei’s hand paused in the middle of styling. She looked at the Princess through the bronze mirror and, receiving a nod of approval, loosened the hair and re-styled it into a simple, light arrangement secured with a plain jade hairpin.

Once this was finished, Yan Yunti was still rubbing her hands. When Yuan Jingxue rose, she noticed how meticulously the girl was applying the balm—the backs, palms, fingertips, and sides of her fingers were not missed. The application made those hands appear even fairer and more slender, emitting a faint, clean scent.

When Yan Yunti looked up and caught her gaze, she raised her treated hands and waved them for Yuan Jingxue to see. “What does Your Highness think?”

The Qianyuan’s hands were naturally beautiful—slender yet powerful. However, due to years of sword practice, there were calluses on the pads of her fingers and the webs of her thumbs, making them feel somewhat coarse.

“I never knew you cared for your hands so much,” Yuan Jingxue said, her voice not unkind. With others present in the hall, they had to act as old friends, so her attitude couldn’t be too distant.

Yan Yunti rose with her eyes crinkled into crescents. She brought the back of her hand to her nose for a light sniff and said with a smile, “Your Highness doesn’t know, this balm not only protects the hands but is harmless to the body, and the scent lasts quite long. Does Your Highness like this fragrance?”

As she spoke, her five fingers glided through the air like she was plucking water, sending the scent toward her. Yuan Jingxue watched her, catching the double meaning in “harmless to the body.” She felt the Qianyuan was being indecent, spending her whole day focusing on such things. She averted her gaze, her tone cooling. “I don’t like it.”

“Alright then.” Yan Yunti retracted her hand with a “disappointed” tone, lowering her head to suppress a smile. “Teasing” the Eldest Princess in front of outsiders truly held a unique charm.

Breakfast did not require the servants’ attendance. After they ate and rested for about fifteen minutes, they headed to the hot spring in the rear hall.

Having promised not to get into the water if possible, Yan Yunti had already thought of a way to teach. She removed her outer garment and pushed two square embroidered stools together. She lay prone across the stools, with her upper torso and lower body partially suspended to demonstrate the movements.

“I’ll demonstrate for Your Highness a few times and explain the key points.” Having said that, Yan Yunti began moving her arms and legs, explaining the standard form as she paddled.

Yuan Jingxue stood by and watched. Yan Yunti was demonstrating very seriously, but because she was so earnest, performing these movements on dry land looked somewhat ridiculous.

The usually brilliant Princess suddenly became “dull.” One moment she didn’t understand the hand movements, the next she couldn’t follow the legs. Yan Yunti slowed down her explanations repeatedly. After several rounds, she realized what was happening, stood up, and looked at the Princess, her phoenix eyes narrowing. “Is Your Highness truly confused? Or are you playing with me?”

Yuan Jingxue remained composed. “You were the one who insisted on teaching me. Why are you so lacking in patience?”

“Hmph.” Yan Yunti let out two undisguised huffs and pointed at the stools. “Rest assured, Your Highness, I am the most patient person. I will definitely teach you how to swim today. Please, after you.”

Yuan Jingxue knit her brows. Such a posture was truly ungraceful, but if they went into the water, Yan Yunti’s shoulder injury… ultimately, it was for her sake. She would endure it.

Yuan Jingxue removed her outer gown and lay on the stools. Yan Yunti crouched beside her to adjust her posture. “Keep your body flatter. Good. Follow my lead, move hands and feet together… the hands are fine, the legs should be like this.” As she spoke, Yan Yunti gripped Yuan Jingxue’s right calf, pushing her leg out to kick and then pulling it back. She did nothing else; her hand stayed on the calf without any straying friction, her entire focus on adjusting the movement.

Yuan Jingxue, however, could not be so focused. Not to mention the physical exertion of the movements, the heat of the palm on her calf was impossible to ignore. The desire stirred from last night and this morning had yet to be soothed; her thoughts became turbulent, making it impossible to keep her form standard.

By the time Yan Yunti helped her sit up, her breathing was rapid, a layer of fine sweat had broken out on her forehead, and her entire face was covered in a light flush. Yan Yunti was stunned for a moment and quickly looked away. She took Yuan Jingxue’s legs and placed them across her own knees.

Yuan Jingxue frowned. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll give Your Highness a massage, then we’ll practice in the water.” Yan Yunti gripped the woman’s calves and thighs, kneading with moderate pressure. Catching sight of the deepening flush on Yuan Jingxue’s face, she couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness’s stamina is truly lacking. Yesterday you were trembling after standing in the water for just a bit, and today you’re breathless after only a short practice. Even if you learn to swim, how long could you stay afloat?”

The pressure on her legs varied, and Yuan Jingxue endured it silently, not wanting to show any sign of weakness. Hearing this, she countered, “And what does Miss Yan think should be done?”

“Naturally, more practice.” Yan Yunti had felt this way for a while; she had physically perceived that Yuan Jingxue’s stamina was poor—she had a fragile quality, as if she would break if pushed once or twice too many. “There are twelve watches in a day. No matter how busy you are, you should spare half an hour to an hour for physical exercises. Otherwise, if your body can’t handle it, how long can you hold on?”

It was unclear what “how long can you hold on” referred to.

Yuan Jingxue knew she was right. She brushed Yan Yunti’s hands away and moved her legs. “Then let us practice in the water and see how well Miss Yan teaches.”

“I’ll accompany you.” Yan Yunti rose and followed, removing her shoes and stepping into the water on the second step. The water there was shallow, not reaching the shoulders.

The first step of swimming was, of course, learning to float. Since Yuan Jingxue wasn’t afraid of water, this step was much easier.

“Since you are a beginner, you can hold onto the pool wall with both hands to let your body float, then practice the leg movements.” Yan Yunti stood by her side, just as she had on land, seriously adjusting her posture.

The heat of the spring combined with the heat of the Qianyuan’s palms made Yuan Jingxue’s cheeks burn even hotter. Even holding her breath underwater offered no relief. The thoughts in her body surged up layer by layer, like spring water hitting the pool wall—just when she thought they would recede, they crashed back even more violently.

Fortunately, the leg movements were finally mastered. Yuan Jingxue rested her arms on the pool wall, her back to Yan Yunti as she gasped for air.

Yan Yunti couldn’t see her suppressed, enduring expression. The thin, wet inner robe revealed the strings of the woman’s undergarment tied at the neck; the pale pink color was exceptionally prominent at this moment. Yan Yunti couldn’t help but think of the pale pink dress Yuan Jingxue had taken off—how would she look wearing only that?

Yan Yunti immediately shook her head to dispel the erotic thoughts. She stepped forward and asked, “Does Your Highness want to rest on shore for a bit, or try to swim?”

The Qianyuan’s breath hovered by her ear. Yuan Jingxue turned her face away and took several deep breaths. Once she regained her composure, she said, “I will try once.”

Yan Yunti: “Very well. Swim horizontally along the pool wall. Don’t be afraid; I’ll stand on the first step and follow you the whole way.”

Yuan Jingxue put all her focus into swimming. She learned quickly. Aside from some initial difficulty with breathing and nearly submerging a few times—only to be caught and pulled to safety by Yan Yunti’s steady hands—she learned to stand calmly in the water, and her swimming became smoother.

Yan Yunti stood on the steps, watching her swim further away. Fearing she would run out of stamina, she paddled through the water to follow.

Halfway through the deeper water, Yan Yunti’s nose twitched. A very faint, delicate floral fragrance was spreading across the surface of the hot spring.

Seeing the person ahead slowing down, Yan Yunti quickened her pace. The moment she gripped her hand, she felt a chill. She pulled the woman directly into her embrace, her gaze landing on the lotus-like face drenched with water. “Your Highness, your scent…”

Yuan Jingxue used the other’s strength to stay afloat, gasping for air. Her gaze was somewhat blurred as she looked at her. Her bodily instincts drove her to press almost completely against the Qianyuan. As her reason wavered, she finally realized one thing—her Rain and Dew period had arrived.