Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 75

Stopping and starting along the way, over a month passed in the blink of an eye.

It shouldn’t have taken this long, and Ling Yue couldn’t understand what the Eldest Princess was thinking. Every time they arrived in a city, she insisted on stopping for two days to look around.

Back then, she had clearly said the matter was urgent.

Fortunately, they had finally arrived. The air had grown much drier, and the sun overhead was scorching. Ling Yue unscrewed the water flask at her waist and took two large gulps before feeling somewhat relieved.

Feeling a sticky sensation on her face, Ling Yue grew concerned. They were currently wearing masks lightweight, waterproof, and breathable but if they sweated too much, it could become noticeable.

She found a shady spot to sit and pondered how to arrange a meeting with Wang Lan and the others. She had already informed the Eldest Princess about this beforehand, and the Eldest Princess had agreed.

Before long, a folding fan was tossed her way. Ling Yue caught it smoothly and looked up at Bai Yuqi, who had thrown it.

After all this time, Ling Yue had finally deciphered the other woman’s personality, as well as the timing and purpose of her arrival in Rong Dynasty.

Bai Yuqi hadn’t been in Rong Dynasty for long. She had arrived during a severe snow disaster, when everyone’s attention was focused on the heavy snowfall, leaving other matters overlooked.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Bai Yuqi entered Rong Dynasty and, with the help of the Linfeng Escort Agency, found a place to stay in the capital. She rarely went out, only assisting the Linfeng Escort Agency with shady dealings.

Linfeng Escort Agency had always aspired to become the largest escort agency in Rong City, and even the entire Rong Dynasty, but they were constantly overshadowed by the Zhuri Escort Agency.

Coincidentally, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue who was on good terms with Wang Fu had entrusted them with smuggling contraband out of the city. Upon learning that the Wen Clan Trading Company was shipping a batch of porcelain to the Northern Kingdom, they hatched a devious plan.

First, they bribed Xu Hu to hide the batch of gold among the trading company’s goods. Then, they set up an ambush in an area known for bandits, intending to kill everyone in the trading company’s caravan and have Bai Yuqi impersonate Fu Shuang.

A murder case would inevitably draw official investigation, at which point Bai Yuqi would pin all the blame on the Zhuri Escort Agency.

Ling Yue thought this plan was rather foolish. If the authorities investigated, the origin of the gold would surely be uncovered. If it implicated the high-ranking official, the Linfeng Escort Agency would be doomed.

By taking matters into their own hands and scheming against that official, the Linfeng Escort Agency would undoubtedly provoke him into dragging both them and Wang Fu down at any cost.

Moreover, if Bai Yuqi were captured and revealed even the slightest connection to the Northern Kingdom, the Linfeng Escort Agency and Wang Fu would be swept into another storm.

There was another point: many people knew that the young lady of the Wen Clan Trading Company was with Wang Lan. This could easily lead to suspicions that the Wen Clan Trading Company was colluding with the Linfeng Escort Agency in an elaborate act.

It all felt like a trapnot aimed at bringing down the Zhuri Escort Agency, but at destroying Wang Fu.

Ling Yue shared her various speculations with the Eldest Princess, never expecting the other woman to pinch her cheeks in response.

“You’re so clever, little sister.”

Ling Yue rubbed her cheeks. From her past life to this one, few people had ever treated her this way. Her mother used to do it, but she had left too soon.

Later, she became an undefeated general, respected by all, so naturally, no one dared to be so presumptuous.

Her cheeks didn’t hurt, and Ling Yue even felt a sense of nostalgia for the gesture, secretly wishing the Eldest Princess would do it again.

But saying that out loud would sound perverted. Ling Yue felt she was understanding herself less and less or perhaps it wasn’t that she didn’t understand, but that she knew and simply didn’t dare to admit it.

The princess couldn’t resist reaching out when she saw her rubbing her cheek. Noticing the reddened spot, her voice softened. “Does it hurt?”

Ling Yue shook her head. She was hardly one to fear pain. In her previous life, she had endured countless injuries, each more painful than this, and besides, it didn’t hurt at all.

But the other’s palm was slightly cold, and when it touched her cheek, Ling Yue couldn’t help but shiver, a reaction the princess misunderstood.

“Was my hand too rough?”

Ling Yue quickly explained, “No, it’s just that your hand is a bit cold.”

The princess had never paid attention to such matters before. Aside from Qing Niao, she never had physical contact with anyone, until Ling Yue came along.

Due to the toxins in her body, her temperature was lower than most people’s. She hadn’t cared before, but now she worried it might make Ling Yue uncomfortable, so she withdrew her hand.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Ling Yue’s eyes, but the princess didn’t notice.

She began to explain the matter at hand. “Wang Fu doesn’t have any close officials. She and that official from the Ministry of Revenue aren’t even on personal terms.”

Ling Yue’s mind was still on the princess’s withdrawn hand, so she listened half-heartedly.

Seeing this, the princess waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Come back to earth~”

The trick worked. Ling Yue snapped out of it and, realizing her lapse, straightened her posture and said, “Sorry.”

Ling Yue’s distraction dampened the princess’s enthusiasm to continue. Curious about what had captured her attention, she leaned in closer, so close that Ling Yue kept retreating until there was nowhere left to go.

When her right arm pressed against the carriage wall, Ling Yue’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up to see the princess wearing a teasing smile. “What were you thinking about just now?”

Ling Yue felt too embarrassed to say, but she recalled how much the princess disliked lies. Though she had lied before, she still hesitated.

She thought for a long time, then fixed her gaze on the princess’s smiling face.

In this life, this face was always smiling, entirely different from the one in her memories of the past. Back then, the princess had looked at her the same way.

At the time, Ling Yue had found it intimidating and deliberately avoided her gaze. But now, upon reflection, she realized those eyes had been filled with sorrow.

Memories of her past and present lives intertwined, and in a daze, Ling Yue saw the princess from her previous life, tears falling from eyes veiled in sadness.

The tears were silent, but they stirred a chaotic breath in Ling Yue. She hastily reached out to touch the other’s cheek, only to find the princess before her had changed.

This version was younger than the one in her vision clearly the princess of this life.

And her hand was resting on the other’s face.

The gesture was highly improper. Ling Yue quickly withdrew her hand and apologized again.

Such humble, polite behavior wasn’t what the princess wanted. She grabbed Ling Yue’s hand and pressed it back against her own cheek.

Ling Yue tried to pull away, but it was futile. She could only let her palm rest against the other’s face.

“You still haven’t answered my question. What were you thinking about?”

Seeing the princess’s earnest expression, Ling Yue felt she had no choice but to give a reason. After a moment’s thought, she sighed. “Please let go, sister.”

The princess had no intention of releasing her, but seeing Ling Yue’s discomfort, she reluctantly relented, though she was clearly displeased.

She let go with a darkened expression, but before her hand could fully withdraw, Ling Yue caught it. Then, she watched as Ling Yue guided her hand, pressing her palm against Ling Yue’s own cheek.

So she even forgot her anger, her eyes filled with confusion: “What is it?”

Ling Yue looked straight into the princess’s eyes and said very seriously, “I’ve been thinking about this would it be very presumptuous?”

At this moment, Ling Yue had become quite bold, and the princess couldn’t react immediately. However, Ling Yue’s palm and face were both warm, not evoking any resistance.

Feeling that Ling Yue wasn’t lying, the princess was somewhat surprised, surprised that Ling Yue would be so honest about such matters.

The princess was pleased, yet she felt her own hand was a bit cold. “Isn’t it cold?”

“It’ll warm up once I hold it.”

The princess smiled, pushing court matters far from her mind. She gently withdrew her hand and sat down beside Ling Yue.

Now, only the two of them were inside the carriage. They were resting here, while Bai Yuqi had gone to the forest to fetch water, and Qing Niao had taken Yunli into the city to stroll and buy some supplies for the journey.

Thinking of those melancholic eyes, Ling Yue’s heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly. How could one person endure so much suffering? How much effort would it take to crawl out of the mire?

Could this life be just a little sweeter?

Ling Yue’s throat tightened with emotion. “Sister.”

The princess tilted her head and smiled at her, but noticing the other’s unusual mood, she gently coaxed like a child: “What’s wrong? Who bullied you? It’s okay to tell your sister~”

The last sentence was no jest, the princess meant it seriously.

But in this life, who would dare bully Ling Yue? Not to mention that Ling Yue herself wasn’t easy to bully, anyone thinking of harming her would have to consider the princess’s standing first.

Ling Yue was amused by her tone, but as she laughed, she couldn’t help feeling down again. “No one bullied me.”

“Really?”

The princess clearly didn’t believe it. She thought human hearts were hard to guard against. Even with her protecting Ling Yue, there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t harbor ill intentions.

She didn’t want Ling Yue to suffer any harm not even the slightest bit.

This girl is so naive, what if she gets deceived?

Damn this dangerous world!

Ling Yue had no idea the princess was thinking so much. She just looked into the other’s eyes and said, “Really.”

Though still somewhat doubtful, it was best that no one had bullied her.

The princess couldn’t resist pinching Ling Yue’s cheek again, though she regretted that there was a layer of skin in the way.

Ling Yue caught the mischievous hand on her face. “Sister, do you dream? What do you see in your dreams?”

The princess hadn’t expected her to ask this suddenly. What was in her dreams?

She wasn’t sure if it was what one might call reality, because her dreams seemed like the dreams of someone in the dream.

She dreamed of a great fire, standing amidst the flames, turning to ashes amid the greedy crackling of the blaze.

She didn’t dare say, because that should have been Ling Yue’s way of death, so she couldn’t.

So she smiled and asked in return, “And you? What do you dream of?”

Ling Yue was silent for a moment. “I dream of you.”

The princess was taken aback. She knew about Ling Yue’s nightmares and thought she would mention someone like Lu Weiying, but she hadn’t expected this answer.

Suddenly feeling distressed, the princess didn’t want to be Ling Yue’s nightmare.

“What am I like in your dreams?”

It took courage to ask this question. The princess suddenly feared the answer but didn’t want to avoid it.

Birds sang in the forest, and the sunlight outside the carriage window was so bright it was almost dazzling.

Ling Yue thought again of those eyes, cold as moonlight, and couldn’t help closing her own eyes as she whispered, “The sister in my dreams is always sorrowful.”

“She has suffered too much, and fate has always been unfair to her. A smile seems like a luxury to her, and I hate it.”

The Eldest Princess couldn’t help but tense up. “Do you hate her?”

Ling Yue shook her head. “I hate the fate that made her suffer so much.”

The Eldest Princess was taken aback, but Ling Yue continued.

“And I hate those who didn’t understand her back then.” After a pause, Ling Yue added, “Including myself.”

The Eldest Princess didn’t know what to say.

She didn’t know much at the moment, but she clearly understood the pain of being deceived, poisoned, and burned.

The Eldest Princess sighed and said softly, “Silly girl.”

“Sister, I hope you can be happy.”

The topic seemed a bit heavy, so the Eldest Princess replied confidently, “Of course.”

A moment later, Qing Niao’s voice came from outside. “Tsk! I already said I’m not buying it, it’s way too expensive!”

Yunli retorted indignantly, “No, it’s not! It’s just that Mother is stingy! Stingy!”

Their voices grew closer. Qing Niao was scolding Yunli for spending recklessly as she lifted the carriage curtain. But when she saw the intimate scene between the two inside, she silently let the curtain fall back into place.

Though she lowered her voice, the two inside the carriage, with their strong internal energy, could hear her clearly.

They heard Qing Niao mutter regretfully, “I should’ve just bought a carriage!”

Yunli asked, confused, “Why?”

Qing Niao rapped Yunli on the head and said sternly, “Why do you have so many questions, kid?”

“I’m ten! I’m not a kid anymore!”

“Tsk! What’s there to be proud of? I’m thirty-two!”

Ling Yue found it amusing and shook her head helplessly.

Seeing that her emotions had settled, the Eldest Princess felt somewhat grateful to the pair outside.

Remembering that Ling Yue must have been busy in her past life, perhaps often neglecting herself, and now they were heading to the Northern Kingdom, the Eldest Princess suddenly said, “Do you know about the Northern Kingdom’s Horse Racing Festival?”

Ling Yue had heard of it but had never seen it herself. “I’ve only heard about it.”

“Perfect timing, then. Come with me to see it.”

Sweat began to bead on her skin again. Ling Yue looked at the fan in her hand and returned to reality, snapping it open with a crisp sound and fanning herself a few times.

The breeze carried away the heat. Ling Yue’s gaze drifted past the soldiers and settled on the Northern Kingdom’s territory.

A promise made a month ago.

She wondered if the Eldest Princess still remembered.

With these thoughts, Ling Yue couldn’t help but feel restless, fanning herself even faster.

She was somewhat looking forward to it.

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