After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Si Jinghua, who had expected her to be cold and sarcastic, paused.

“Truly?“

Wen Chenqing replied with eyes lowered and a submissive air: “Naturally, it is true.“

The chill on Si Jinghua’s face softened slightly: “Then raise your head and look at me.“

She felt it was better for Wen Chenqing to retain her old habit of looking into people’s eyes when speaking.

Wen Chenqing looked at her, her expression entirely peaceful. She even asked calmly, “Your Highness, could you send someone to the academy to request leave on my behalf?“

Requesting a leave of absence without a definite end date is better than having my enrollment outright revoked, Wen Chenqing thought.

Si Jinghua stroked her face and said softly, “Since you are being obedient, I will naturally grant your wish.“

“Fuqu, send someone to the academy to request leave for Second Miss Wen.“

“Yes.” Fuqu didn’t ask how long the leave should be. Gauging the Princess’s intent, she figured the longer the leave, the better.

“Wait.” Si Jinghua suddenly called out to the departing Fuqu, then turned to ask the person beside her with intimate tenderness: “A-Qing, how long a leave do you wish to take?“

Hearing the testing nature of the question, Wen Chenqing suppressed the revulsion in her heart and spoke gently: “I leave it to Your Highness to decide. However long Your Highness wishes to request for me, I shall accept.“

“When you say this, is there resentment hidden in your heart?“

Those hook-like phoenix eyes tried to bore into her own, as if wanting to reach all the way to her heart to see that bright red organ.

“None. Whatever it is, I accept it.“

Wen Chenqing allowed her scrutiny, appearing very candid.

How could a rational person harbor expectations for a rotten individual? Without expectation, there is no disappointment; without disappointment, how can there be resentment? Wasting emotions on an unworthy person is physically draining, and Wen Chenqing would not abandon her well-being for someone who didn’t deserve it.

Finding no flaws in her demeanor, Si Jinghua assumed she had finally come to her senses.

She curled her lips: “From now on, do not refer to yourself as ‘this commoner’ anymore.“

Wen Chenqing followed suit smoothly: “Yes, I will remember.“

Si Jinghua’s smile deepened. Keeping her eyes fixed on her without shifting an inch, she said, “Alright, Fuqu, go send someone for the leave.“

Ultimately, she did not specify exactly how many days the leave would be.

Wen Chenqing was not surprised.

Averting her eyes from the person she found eyesore, Wen Chenqing looked at the books that had been delivered. A few of them appeared to be rare, sole-surviving copies.

“You love reading. Since there is nothing else to do, you can read these to pass the time.“

Seeing her interest, Si Jinghua extended a fair hand and handed her a volume. “What other styles do you like? I will have people bring them to you.“

“These are enough. Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness.“

“It is no trouble at all.” Si Jinghua’s voice was warm. She looked refined and elegant, every bit the noble lady—pity she was a “bad seed.” Once her true face was exposed, her words always felt repulsive. “Since you are being so good, I am naturally not a person of bad temperament. I must satisfy your wishes to some extent.“

Wen Chenqing treated her words like hot air.

Unfortunately, her acting skills weren’t as seamless as the Princess’s, so she could only lower her head to flip through the book to hide the expression on her face.

Seeing her reading seriously, the two shared a rare moment of apparent warmth.

Before yesterday, such interactions were as natural as drinking water; she had never thought this atmosphere was precious. But after a night of confrontation, Si Jinghua found herself somewhat greedy for this moment.

She leaned her body against Wen Chenqing, toying with her idle hand, pretending not to notice her momentary stiffening.

Aside from the movement of turning pages, Wen Chenqing remained motionless, allowing the other to harass her by touching her hand or earlobe.

Gradually, sensing Wen Chenqing’s lack of attention, Si Jinghua became dissatisfied again. She thought of the Wen Chenqing from last night and intended to probe her.

But for some reason, when the words reached her lips, she hesitated.

She could only say gloomily, “I am right here beside you, A-Qing. Why are you so engrossed in your book?“

Hearing this ghost-like plaintive remark, Wen Chenqing subtly suppressed the irritation in her heart.

“I have always been like this. Did Your Highness not know?“

Si Jinghua naturally knew. It was just that when they interacted like this before, Wen Chenqing would respond to her and be affectionate during their breaks. Now, it was different.

Moreover… she seemed to crave Wen Chenqing’s attention more than before.

If Wen Chenqing knew the thoughts in her head, she would only offer a cold evaluation: “People are truly pathetic.” They don’t cherish what they have, only to force it when it’s lost.

But even without hearing Si Jinghua’s inner thoughts, Wen Chenqing could guess why she was dissatisfied. She feigned ignorance and said intentionally, “But these books were bestowed by Your Highness. I listen to Your Highness in everything.“

“Forget it.“

Si Jinghua stood up abruptly, suppressing a surge of inexplicable irritability. She suddenly felt that Wen Chenqing’s influence on her was becoming too great. She wanted to give her the cold shoulder for a bit; after all, she was already being sensible and obedient.

“I gave them to you so you would read them. Why would I be so overbearing?” She softened her tone. “But while reading, do not forget to take care of your body. I remember you have always been one to mind your health. Even in a new place, do not be negligent. Do you hear me?“

“Yes.“

After watching her leave and seeing the doors shut out the last bit of the outside world, Wen Chenqing dropped her performed calmness. Her eyes turned cold as she looked at the books on the desk.

The stomach is an organ closely linked to emotions. Even if she had mentally prepared herself to “look on the bright side” and take it slow, Si Jinghua still affected her mood. She had never realized that being around one person could be so exhausting—every second felt like a year.

Wen Chenqing rubbed her temples, picked up the book she was halfway through, and sat by the window (which she was permitted to open), letting her thoughts sink into the sea of knowledge.

When she saw Yinxing again, Wen Chenqing noticed she looked different. She frowned slightly.

“Were you bullied?“

Yinxing shook her head slightly: “I wasn’t. I was just… sent to learn some rules.“

“…” Wen Chenqing asked in a heavy voice, “Did you offend the Eldest Princess?“

Yinxing stole a glance at her expression and said quietly, “The Princess summoned me. I only begged her to release Miss.“

It was obvious that was impossible.

Wen Chenqing gestured for her to come closer, took her hand, and said gently, “Yinxing, didn’t I tell you? You must never get into a conflict with them for my sake. Only if you are well can I be at peace.“

Yinxing’s nose reddened: “My heart aches for Miss.“

Wen Chenqing smiled: “What is there to ache for? I don’t have to do anything, I have food, drink, and books to read. Yinxing, be better to yourself. When you have nothing to do, rest and read some stories.“

After carefully instructing Yinxing to remember her words, Wen Chenqing waited for her to leave before trying to make some noise in the room to summon someone.

As expected, someone silently opened the window and appeared, staring at her without a word. Wen Chenqing handed a letter to this person, who was likely a hidden guard.

“Please deliver this to Her Highness.“

The hidden guard took the letter and vanished from the window as gracefully as a shadow, without making a sound.

On the other side.

Seeing the hidden guard she had left specifically at Chun Guang Pavilion, Si Jinghua was somewhat surprised. She took the letter handed over respectfully. Upon opening it, the familiar handwriting met her eyes.

The subtle joy that had just risen vanished instantly after reading the few lines of the letter. It was a plea for mercy for that servant who had been insolent.

Recalling the events in the courtyard, Si Jinghua couldn’t help but think with dissatisfaction: that maid only had such audacity because she was spoiled by a soft-hearted mistress like Wen Chenqing. Why was she so forgiving toward others, yet so cold to her? She had only lied to her, that’s all.

But—

Holding the letter, she could picture how Wen Chenqing had sat there with a calm expression to write this plea. Si Jinghua wielded her brush expressionless, suppressing the displeasure in her heart. She wasn’t even spending day and night with Wen Chenqing right now; why should Yinxing?

“Shadow Three, send it back to her.”

The masked guard bowed respectfully.

Receiving the reply, Wen Chenqing opened it to see several lines of flamboyant, sweeping characters.

—Excused from learning rules, fine. But let there be no next time.

However, below the request for Yinxing to move in and live with her, two large characters were scrawled.

—Denied.

Wen Chenqing crumpled the letter and threw it into the waste bin, showing no sign of disappointment. She hadn’t expected the second request to be granted anyway. She had merely used the “Door-in-the-face” technique: she made two requests, knowing Si Jinghua would deny the second, which made her more likely to consider the first to spare Yinxing the suffering of “learning rules.”

With no annoying people to disturb her, she continued practicing her calligraphy.

For several days, Wen Chenqing did not see the person she didn’t want to see. She was confined to the room, only rarely allowed out into the small courtyard for fresh air. Her life gradually reached a different kind of regular rhythm.

Wen Chenqing felt like she was in prison, though prisoners usually had to work, whereas she was served hand and foot. She tried to find humor in her misery, thinking that happiness is sometimes a matter of comparison. One must look on the bright side.

The only person she saw every day was Yinxing, and they could only chat during meals. The rest of the time, Wen Chenqing was alone. To prevent her linguistic skills from deteriorating and to keep from going mad in the silence, she made a point of practicing talking to herself every day.

One afternoon, a light rain was drizzling outside. While Chun Guang Pavilion was silent and peaceful, a massive wave was rising in the capital.

News broke that the Fourth Prince had suddenly coughed up blood this morning. The Emperor, out of love for his son, immediately ordered the Imperial Physicians to treat him. The capital was abuzz with gossip. The Fourth Prince had been sickly as a child, but hadn’t he recovered over the years? Why the sudden coughing of blood?

Instantly, various conspiracies began to circulate in the minds of many. After all, the Emperor was getting old, and his health wasn’t great…

In the Heng Prince’s Mansion, Imperial Physicians flocked in like a stream. Si Jingyu was leaning against the couch in his sleeping robes, his face pale as the head of the Imperial Medical Academy took his pulse.

“Physician Wang, have you discovered what illness I am suffering from?”

The previous physicians had all claimed it was due to exhaustion, but Si Jingyu didn’t believe it at all. Although he had recently used the excuse of health to ask the Emperor for the Hundred-Year Black Ginseng, there had been nothing wrong with his body. Even if he had spent some extra effort plotting with the Minister of War recently, it could hardly be called “exhaustion.”

His instinct told him someone was harming him.

Physician Wang said, “Your Highness, this is caused by a high fever from a cold. The ‘heat evil’ has moved inward, damaging the lung vessels, which is why you are coughing blood.”

Hearing the same diagnosis from Physician Wang as the previous two, Si Jingyu narrowed his long eyes. Even the most skilled Physician Wang said so—was he truly ill?

He coughed twice, dark undercurrents swirling in his phoenix eyes. He said, “Then prescribe the medicine.”

“Yes.”

Wen Chenqing was oblivious to the storms in the capital. She had suffered from some insomnia over the past few days, but today she finally felt sleepy early and went to bed.

However, in the state between dreaming and waking, a voice tinged with the faint scent of wine suddenly whispered in her ear:

“Do you truly not miss me at all?”

The words were laced with an unmistakable sense of grievance and indignation.

Wen Chenqing, having been shaken awake from a deep sleep by an uncultured person: “…”