The Eldest Princess' Substitute Husband (Transmigration) - Chapter 30

“I wanted to kiss her.”

******

System: Punishment complete. Time-limited control effect lifted.

Song Jinsheng: …

As the system’s voice faded, in an instant, Song Jinsheng’s true self was exposed. Her gentle expression suddenly turned to one of shock and panic, and her lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to refute the words she had just spoken. Her expression was full of contradiction.

To prevent Wei Luoyi from noticing, Song Jinsheng had to let out a loud cough. She forced herself to bear the discomfort, and her eyes, though fixed on Wei Luoyi, couldn’t stop her lips from trembling, even though they had been slightly upturned just a moment ago.

Fortunately, Wei Luoyi didn’t pay much attention to the change in her expression. She pondered for a moment, then, without a word, moved aside slightly. She covered herself with the quilt, closed her eyes, and lay down.

This series of actions left Song Jinsheng dumbfounded. Wei Luoyi hadn’t said anything explicitly, so she didn’t dare to move on her own.

After standing in a daze for a while, she saw Wei Luoyi open her eyes and say slowly, “Why are you just standing there like an idiot instead of undressing and putting out the light? Do you want me to help you?”

“No, no…” Song Jinsheng immediately came back to her senses and scurried behind the screen. She let out a long sigh of relief before slowly starting to undress.

Not wanting to face reality, Song Jinsheng’s movements were slow as she untied her belt. Halfway through, she heard Wei Luoyi speak again. “Oh, your green robe was left in the bathing room. I’ve had someone take it to be washed and will return it to you later.”

Song Jinsheng’s mind was heavy, and she was absent-minded, so she just answered with a casual sound.

Then, as if by a strange impulse, she suddenly asked, “Was that robe dirty?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had said. Her eyes froze, and the movement of her hands stopped.

The awkwardness spread in the silent room.

“…No, it wasn’t dirty. It was just wet.” After a while, Wei Luoyi explained.

Wet, so the robe was used to wrap Wei Luoyi’s wet body. Of course, it was wet with her…

…water.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Song Jinsheng was caught off guard and choked on her own saliva. She had to cough several times to calm herself down before she quietly went to put out the lamp.

She carefully climbed onto the bed, grabbed a corner of the quilt, and covered herself. Then she turned her back to Wei Luoyi. The entire process was very quiet, almost silent.

The dark room was very still. The only sounds were the rustling of Wei Luoyi’s quilt and Song Jinsheng’s occasional light coughs and deep breaths. She didn’t know if it was because her throat was dry and itchy or for some other reason.

After a long time, even though neither of them moved, their eyes were still open.

Song Jinsheng was staring blankly at the gauze curtain in front of her, while Wei Luoyi was staring at her.

Wei Luoyi’s eyes were fixed on her back. After a long time, she said in a low voice, “This bed is big enough for three people, but it looks like you’ll fall off if you turn over… Are you that afraid of me?”

“No…” Song Jinsheng heard the hidden meaning in her words. She moved her body and inched closer, but she still kept her back to Wei Luoyi.

Wei Luoyi’s gaze was calm. She glanced at the large gap between them and then looked back at the person who was all curled up.

This time, she was the one who asked to share a bed, but now she’s hiding…

“Turn around.” Wei Luoyi was out of patience. She gave a direct order.

“Oh…” Song Jinsheng’s heart jumped. She turned around slowly, like a rusty machine, and faced Wei Luoyi. Even though it was too dark to see her face, she still avoided her gaze.

Wei Luoyi’s night vision was good. She saw her subtle unease and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“I’m asking you, were you upset when I made you stay in the side room that day?”

“No, that place was also very nice…” Song Jinsheng recalled that day. She was certainly unhappy for a moment, but how could she say that?

“Is that so? Was it not that you weren’t upset, or that you didn’t dare to be?” Wei Luoyi easily saw through her pretense.

Her eyes were fixed on her. She saw Song Jinsheng’s gaze flicker for a second when she heard the question, and she knew she had hit the nail on the head.

Then, there was another moment of silence.

If you looked closely, Song Jinsheng’s face was quite delicate. Although she had thick eyebrows, she had a pair of expressive phoenix eyes that looked even more gentle when half-closed. Her nose was straight, but the tip was slightly upturned, making her look a little playful. Her lips were thin but plump, perfect for applying lip rouge.

Wei Luoyi stared at her, thinking to herself what she would look like with makeup on, and then, uncontrollably, she raised her hand and stroked her face.

Mmm… so soft… and a little warm.

“Your Highness…”

Wei Luoyi’s hand was very cold, but Song Jinsheng didn’t pull away. She just let her stroke her face, her body unconsciously tensing up. She stared at her in a daze, her eyes filled with surprise but also a deeper meaning that she herself couldn’t comprehend.

“Wan’er and I haven’t seen each other in a long time. It was a rare chance to be together, so I naturally wanted to indulge her a little…” Wei Luoyi ignored Song Jinsheng’s soft call. Her thumb gently stroked Song Jinsheng’s cheek, speaking softly as if she were talking to a child. “But if you had said you didn’t want to that day, perhaps…”

Wei Luoyi stopped mid-sentence, and her hand stopped stroking her face. But she didn’t finish her thought. Instead, she said, “And also, your thoughts… can’t be hidden from me. Don’t think you can easily fool me…”

At these words, Song Jinsheng’s brows furrowed. She suddenly felt as if the walls she had built around her heart were slowly crumbling. Someone was climbing over them and looking inside… She wanted to run, but every time this happened, she found that Wei Luoyi was always holding her back.

“Do you understand?” Wei Luoyi asked again.

“Mmm…” Song Jinsheng was already lost in her thoughts and answered softly.

Such a good girl.

Wei Luoyi slowly curled her lips in satisfaction. Why had I never noticed before that Song Jinsheng’s obedient and compliant demeanor was so endearing?

Thinking this, her hand on Song Jinsheng’s face slowly slid down. When it inadvertently landed on the corner of her lips, Song Jinsheng’s hand suddenly grabbed hers.

“Your Highness.” Song Jinsheng instantly sobered up. She frowned at her, her eyes filled with a complicated look.

But Wei Luoyi didn’t think much of it. Song Jinsheng’s grip on her hand was a little too tight, which made her frown in confusion as she looked at her.

Under her gaze, Song Jinsheng slowly let go of her hand. Her whole body seemed to be filled with exhaustion. She tiredly lowered her gaze. After a long, helpless sigh in her heart, she said in a low voice, “I’m tired. If Your Highness has anything to say, let’s talk about it during the day… Your Highness should also get some rest.”

With that, she didn’t look at the person beside her again. She turned around and rested her head on her arm, looking genuinely exhausted as she closed her eyes.

She didn’t care if the person behind her was still looking at her or if she had also turned her back to her… She didn’t want to think about it anymore. All she wanted was to fall asleep quickly and get this night over with…

But the moment she closed her eyes, she couldn’t help but remember the instant Wei Luoyi’s fingertip brushed against the corner of her lips. The flutter in her heart at that moment and the crazy idea that suddenly popped into her head made Song Jinsheng feel both horrified and absurd.

I wanted to kiss her.

She had been staring at Wei Luoyi’s slightly parted lips and for a moment, she had wondered what it would feel like to kiss them, how soft they would be…

Was she crazy?

Song Jinsheng opened her eyes. She stared deeply at the faint light coming from the window. The moonlight was weak and couldn’t illuminate the melancholy and bewilderment on her face.

At this point, there was no need to deceive herself. Perhaps it was because of this that she felt a sudden rush of strange and complicated emotions whenever she was with Wei Luoyi.

Song Jinsheng grew up in an orphanage. The headmistress and the caregivers were all women. Even her school was an all-girls’ school. Most of the people she had been in contact with her entire life were women.

So, she had long accepted the fact that she didn’t like men and was only attracted to women.

But who was Wei Luoyi?

And who was she?

Wei Luoyi was the most favored princess of the Southern Chi Kingdom, and she was a consort dressed in men’s clothes. She was a woman who was risking the crime of deceiving the emperor every day to be by her side. Not only that, but she was also an orphan of the previous dynasty, and the original owner carried the burden of national hatred…

Most importantly, she was a modern person who had transmigrated. She and Wei Luoyi shouldn’t even exist in the same time and space.

Why would she have such a thought about Wei Luoyi? Shouldn’t she be trying to get away as fast as she could?

Maybe she really was crazy.

Song Jinsheng gave a self-deprecating bitter smile.

If she really had to give a reason, maybe it was because she had gotten too caught up in her own act?

Playing the role of a consort, she was now genuinely starting to think of herself as one…

Or perhaps, it was because they had seen each other so often recently that she was having this kind of delusion…

Is that it?

It must be…

She didn’t know how much time had passed. Song Jinsheng’s body was stiff and uncomfortable, but she refused to turn to face the person behind her.

That night, her mind was in a complete mess. She was in a daze, half asleep, half dreaming. It felt as if a rock was weighing down on her heart, giving her no peace. It only intensified her desire to go back…

*******

After returning to the estate, Song Jinsheng intentionally started to avoid Wei Luoyi.

They rarely saw each other at the estate anyway. If Wei Luoyi didn’t light the lamp, Song Jinsheng didn’t have to share a room with her. What’s more, since she started deliberately avoiding her, every time she wanted to go somewhere, she would ask Guzi if Wei Luoyi was there. If she was, she would change her destination. If they happened to run into each other, Song Jinsheng would pretend not to see her and quickly walk away.

She thought her steps were fast enough, but little did she know that someone would stand in place, watching her back for a long time…

One day, Song Jinsheng analyzed it and decided that the reason she had these thoughts about Wei Luoyi was because of three words:

Too much free time!

If she didn’t have nothing to do, why would she suddenly start paying attention to Wei Luoyi?

So, she decided to start a business. Starting a business was the right path. Fortunately, Guzi had already found a location and a shop for her. All she had to do was give the order.

But it was her first time starting a business, so Song Jinsheng felt it was not a good idea to do it alone. She needed to have more people involved, so finding a partner was a must.

And the perfect candidate for this partner was only one person.

******

One afternoon, in a tea house.

Song Jinsheng had written a letter to Su Ran the day before, asking her to meet her at the tea house.

When she told her that she was planning to open a bubble tea shop in the capital, Su Ran’s eyes widened. After all, she had only seen this kind of thing in mindless short dramas. But if this idea was actually put into practice, it seemed too unreliable. This wasn’t acting, after all.

Song Jinsheng naturally saw her hesitation. She spent a lot of effort explaining everything until her throat was dry. She even agreed to waive Su Ran’s partnership fee, only asking her to help with the management and that the profits would be split later. Only then did Su Ran nod, write a contract, and sign it.

“Ah… I’m so thirsty. Miss Su, thank you for joining us. My shop will definitely not disappoint you.” Song Jinsheng put away the contract paper, exhausted. She poured a large cup of tea and drank it.

Su Ran didn’t pay attention to her flattering words. She looked at the sun outside and suddenly realized that they had been sitting there for a long time. She couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, why aren’t you in a hurry to go back today? Aren’t you afraid your princess will come out and catch you?”

She still remembered what Song Jinsheng had said last time.

At her words, Song Jinsheng’s secret was exposed. Her eyes shifted to the side, and her expression was a little unnatural. She poured another cup of tea, sipping it while saying, “No hurry… Why did you suddenly bring that up…”

“Why? You said it yourself before. That you had to keep a distance from me, or it would be hard to explain if you got caught…”

Su Ran teased her, but when she saw Song Jinsheng was silent, she sensed that something was off. She looked at her and asked casually, “What’s wrong? Did the Princess stop caring about you?”

“You look like… something’s up today?”

“Nothing. You’re overthinking it.” Song Jinsheng leaned on the table, squinting at the window, her mind wandering.

“Explaining is concealing, and concealing means something’s wrong.” Su Ran picked up a new cup, filled it with tea, and placed it in front of Song Jinsheng. “Tell me. What’s going on between you and the Princess? Let me help you with your troubles.”

Song Jinsheng was still tiredly leaning on the table. She picked up the teacup Su Ran offered but didn’t drink. She just played with it in front of her eyes. She raised an eyebrow and said, “No need… You wouldn’t understand even if I told you…”

You might even think I’m crazy.

At her words, Su Ran became even more curious. She leaned forward and said with a light laugh, “Why wouldn’t I understand? Could it be… that you… you’ve fallen for…”

Before she could finish, Song Jinsheng was so shocked that she looked up at her.

No… Is she a fortune teller? How could she have guessed that?

******

[Author’s Note]

Let me analyze their feelings. Little Song has a budding affection, but it’s not quite love yet. The Princess has a good feeling about her, but she’s not aware of it. She treats Little Song more like a beloved pet, with a greater desire for control than affection. Can anyone understand that? (

It will slowly change later on~

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