After Being Marked by the Eldest Princess, I Got Pregnant with Her Child [Transmigration into a Novel] - Chapter 13

Amidst the swirling mist, a pair of slender, pale wrists rested lazily on the edge of the hot spring pool. The pale yellow glazed tiles shimmered faintly, their luster accentuated by the steam, exuding an air of languid charm.

Yan Chen leaned wearily against the side of the pool, her eyes closed, long lashes like crow feathers dotted with droplets of condensation that trembled before slipping down the corners of her eyes.

She opened her eyes, her gaze calm.

Lately, the turmoil in the Kingdom of Li had left her unsettled, and now the envoys from the Kingdom of Yue were pressing in with urgency.

She slid deeper into the water, letting the warmth envelop her, hoping it would clear her thoughts.

The pool was fed by an underground hot spring, its ceaseless currents of heat swirling around her. Her jet-black hair fanned out in the water, mingling with the crimson petals floating on the surface, sending ripples in gentle circles.

After some time, she emerged.

The fragrance in the chamber grew richer, the mist curling thickly around her. She reached for the wooden ladle but couldn’t find it after searching for a while.

Forget it, she couldn’t be bothered to call for a servant.

Yan Chen rubbed her temples, the exhaustion in her body easing. The warmth made her reluctant to leave, so she draped a thin gauze over herself and reclined in the center of the pool.

When she sensed something amiss, a pair of hands had already settled on her shoulders soft, skilled fingers kneading with practiced ease, stirring something restless in her usually tranquil heart.

“Song Shujiu.”

Yan Chen caught the wrist with an even grip, meeting a pair of innocent dark eyes through the haze.

Song Shujiu smiled sweetly at her, lips pursed. “How did you know it was me?”

And not one of the other maids.

Yan Chen looked at her as if she were an idiot and scoffed. “Do you know why Seventeen says I spoil you?”

In this vast princess’s estate, not just anyone could come and go as they pleased.

Her bathing quarters were especially forbidden. Aside from Song Shujiu , who dared to wander in without a care, who else would be so brazen?

Without her summons, anyone else who dared enter would surely fear punishment.

Held by Yan Chen’s hand, still warm from the water, Song Shujiu  felt a tingling current run through her body all the way to her toes. The Crabapple Spring was already too hot, and now her entire body felt as if she had plunged into boiling water.

Her bangs clung damply to her forehead, her almond-shaped eyes bright and fixed on the woman before her. A vein pulsed at Yan Chen’s temple, her grip unconsciously tightening.

Song Shujiu’s hand was bonelessly soft, yielding to the touch.

The fatigue had been thoroughly washed away by the spring. Now, with this bashful little flower so close, Yan Chen’s lips curled slightly, desire flashing in her eyes. With a tug on the wrist, she pulled Song Shujiu straight into the pool.

With a splash, Song Shujiu barely had time to gasp before she was submerged. Yan Chen wrapped an arm around her waist and swam to the center of the pool, petals swirling around them in the current, encircling them in a tight ring.

Song Shujiu’s face flushed crimson, her robes soaked through, clinging to the peaks of her chest. The look in Yan Chen’s eyes darkened further, her voice rough as she murmured, “Unnecessary.”

Song Shujiu’s heart pounded in her throat. The emotions in Yan Chen’s gaze were laid bare, she could feel the loosening of her waistband, and in the next moment, the pink sash floated to the surface, mingling with the petals. Underwater, a single hand guided her closer, pressing her against Yan Chen.

The stirring in her heart called out, just like the first time she saw Yan Chen. The roots of her ears began to swell again. Yan Chen felt a pang in her chest, she had marked Song Shujiu. Every move of the girl could be clearly sensed. Within the gland at her left ear, the pheromones of wisteria fragrance coiled and gathered. This girl still didn’t know how to hide or restrain herself. With just a light tug, she honestly spilled everything before Yan Chen.

Yan Chen’s finger probed into the crimson depths of her left ear, and the long-missed scent of poppy flowers poured in. The absurd thoughts rising in Song Shujiu’s mind didn’t lessen but grew even stronger. She felt with crystal clarity the way Yan Chen’s slender finger rolled behind her ear, her inner turmoil pushed to its peak by the teasing. Following her most primal instincts, Song Shujiu wrapped her arms around Yan Chen’s neck, drawing close with infatuation as she whispered, “I’ve realized, you look especially beautiful at times like this.”

Every time these strange thoughts surged in her heart, whenever she looked at Yan Chen, she felt she was the most dazzling existence in the world noble, elegant, with unparalleled beauty paired with her unique, cool temperament. No one could compare to her.

This was exactly how a princess should be in her heart.

Song Shujiu’s faint breath brushed against Yan Chen’s jaw, the scent of wisteria enveloping them. Yan Chen yielded to her desires, lowering her head to claim those fragrant lips.

The hot spring continuously fed water into the pool, everything around them in motion. Yan Chen turned, gripping her companion’s shoulders tightly, entwining with her in the water. Song Shujiu’s breathing grew rapid as she was pressed against the edge of the pool. Above her, the extravagant ceiling painting dazzled her eyes with its rainbow-colored glass tiles, yet she clung to the last shreds of her rationality, speaking with utter seriousness and foolishness: “Hey! You still haven’t answered my question from last time in the carriage.”

She had asked Yan Chen if she liked her.

Yan Chen set fire to her neck with her touch, gritting her teeth at the girl’s stupidity. “I don’t,” she bit out before sinking her teeth into the delicate collarbone, sending tingles of numbness and itchiness through Song Shujiu. Her mind went blank, why had she even bothered asking?

If Yan Chen didn’t like her, who else could force her into this position?

How foolish. She truly was an idiot.

Yan Chen gathered the water-soaked petals, layering them in deeper. Song Shujiu frowned, clutching Yan Chen’s body tightly as she shivered. Noticing this, Yan Chen asked, “Can’t take it?”

She had only given half the handful, yet Song Shujiu felt stretched to the point of splitting. She wanted to say something but didn’t know how. This was the first time she’d been treated like this, yet she found herself swept up in a storm of urgency unlike anything she’d ever known. She wanted to say she couldn’t handle it, but she feared Yan Chen might actually stop.

Her true desire was for Yan Chen to give her more. To that end, her delicate features grew even more alluring under the dim light. Yan Chen’s curvaceous figure exuded an indescribable allure and Song Shujiu as if entranced, nodded faintly before shaking her head, her large eyes glistening pitifully.

Yan Chen paused, then seemed to understand this silly girl couldn’t even express her shyness openly. She pushed in the remaining petals all at once.

In the Crabapple Blossom Hot Spring, thick mist blurred their vision. Time stood still, leaving only the endless flow of water.

Beside them, a six-panel purple cloud screen stood, its delicate silk embroidered with a pair of phoenixes soaring amidst resplendent cloud patterns.

Ten li outside the imperial city, a long procession advanced slowly along a narrow path. Inside the ornate palanquin at the center, a woman clad in black robes reclined lazily, her eyes closed.

A guard approached and bowed outside the carriage, reporting, “State Preceptor, there’s a resting place ahead. We’ll reach Zhao Kingdom’s borders in another day.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Mingyou slowly opened her eyes. A white veil covered most of her face, and her aloof, indifferent gaze had remained as still as a deep pool throughout the journey. But at the mention of Zhao Kingdom, her dark purple pupils flickered momentarily. She shifted her posture, resting her head on one hand, and said calmly, “Understood.”

After nearly a month of travel, had she finally reached Zhao Kingdom?

She straightened up and lifted the carriage curtain. The sky was half-dark, with lush lantern lights visible ahead and faint traces of human activity. This was the city’s outskirts. It was said that in recent years, Zhao Kingdom’s people had lived in peace and prosperity, with stable lives and harmonious cities.

Beneath her veil, Xie Mingyou’s lips curled upward, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain.

Let’s see how long their peace can last.

“Mmm.”

Song Shujiu lowered her head, her body and mind brimming with pleasure. Yan Chen truly knew how to pamper her with such varied techniques that she could barely keep up. Now she rested on the soft couch while Yan Chen, clad in loose red gauze with a casual sash around her waist, stood before the dressing table, slowly pinning up her long black hair.

Seeing this, Song Shujiu’s heart stirred, and she immediately approached, saying, “Let me do it for you.”

Yan Chen’s hair was incredibly smooth, especially after being soaked in water and air-dried. Under the lamplight, it shimmered like black jade. Gathering a strand in her palm, it felt as fine as smoke, as fragrant as stars in the night, utterly intoxicating.

Almost greedily, Song Shujiu used a comb to carefully gather and pin it up strand by strand.

Finally, she secured it with a golden hairpin in the middle, forming a high bun. In the bronze mirror, it accentuated Yan Chen’s slender neck. Not long ago, in the hot spring, she had clung to Yan Chen’s neck as they reached the peak of pleasure together. Now, with everything slowed down, Song Shujiu’s heart still raced with excitement.

From the jewelry box, she selected a pair of gold-filigree lantern earrings adorned with emeralds red paired with the finest jade, perfectly complementing Yan Chen’s breathtaking beauty.

Yan Chen watched her in the mirror. The calm left after their pheromones had clashed was disrupted by this sudden intrusion into her life. Her unchanging heart now found joy in the fervent gaze of the woman before her.

Everything was quietly changing.

Song Shujiu wore a white gauze robe, and in the mirror, the pair, one in red, one in white stared at each other. Finally, Song Shujiu blinked and said, “I’m sleepy.”

Though Yan Chen had done most of the work, Song Shujiu had expended too much energy, and exhaustion was creeping in relentlessly. She would have loved to exchange lingering glances with Yan Chen before the mirror until dawn, but her body wouldn’t allow it.

Yan Chen stood and led her to the bed. This was the first time she would share a bed with this girl while fully conscious. She pulled up the quilt and said, “We have things to do tomorrow. Don’t oversleep.”

As for herself, she still had other matters to attend to. Her spies had already located the main testing site for the missing women. She couldn’t sleep.

There was no need to drag this one into danger with her.

Let her rest well.

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