The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 34

Fu Qingyin could no longer recall what the Empress had said afterward. In a daze, she walked out of the Empress’s palace and saw Wen Ying crouching under the corridor, gazing at Wen Yuan kneeling in the distance.

The sight snapped Fu Qingyin back to reality. Steadying herself, she strode over to Wen Ying and lightly pinched her little ear not hard, just enough to signal her presence.

Wen Ying winced and stood up, rubbing her ear. When she looked at Fu Qingyin, her eyes welled up with tears, like a wronged little rabbit.

“Why did you pinch my ear?” Wen Ying grumbled, half-annoyed and half-embarrassed. One moment, she had been lost in thought watching Wen Yuan in the distance, and the next, Fu Qingyin had startled her with the pinch.

But there was nothing she could do. Like someone swallowing a silent grievance, Wen Ying muttered under her breath as she trailed behind Fu Qingyin without another word.

The weather was truly lovely today. Wen Ying quickly forgot about the little ear-pinching incident and, in tacit understanding, didn’t ask why the Empress had summoned Fu Qingyin earlier.

The two walked slowly along the long palace path, but this time

“We’ve all heard that Princess Wenying is leaving the palace today to establish her own residence. I happened to see the carriage on the road earlier, so I took my waist token and came straight into the palace to fetch you.”

As Jiang Zhiyi spoke, she extended a hand from the carriage pale and delicate, clearly the hand of someone who had spent years sheltered in the inner chambers, soft and unblemished.

Fu Qingyin subtly stepped in front of Wenying, her smile not quite reaching her eyes as she took Jiang Zhiyi’s hand and gave it a firm, covert squeeze. “How thoughtful of you, Miss Jiang. Let’s go out together.”

Jiang Zhiyi frowned slightly, but seeing Wenying below saying nothing, she could only nod and allow Fu Qingyin to board first. Then she watched as Fu Qingyin tenderly helped Wenying into the carriage with an affectionate touch.

Though Jiang Zhiyi didn’t understand why, she managed to maintain a polite smile on her face. For some reason, watching the two of them gave her a strangely sweet feeling.

They moved with the familiarity of a long-married couple, yet the usually alluring Fu Qingyin seemed almost childlike in Wenying’s presence.

This contrast left Jiang Zhiyi utterly bewildered. Fortunately, the carriage from the Jiang family’s ministry was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate all three of them, with room to spare.

The small table inside the carriage held teacups that didn’t spill despite the rocking motion. Before departing, Wenying lifted the curtain to take one last look at Yun Chu and Ninglu Palace.

Perhaps Wenying didn’t yet know she would soon return under a different identity, but for now, she carried an indescribable emotion with her.

Yun Chu stood watching until their carriage disappeared from sight before turning back. Inside the carriage, Wenying didn’t withdraw her gaze from the window until Yun Chu was no longer visible.

–

The journey out of the palace was as uplifting as ever, making even an hour pass as swiftly as the burning of a single stick of incense. Wenying had just leaned against Fu Qingyin, intending to nap, when she heard the driver outside call the horses to a halt.

After a long, jostling ride, the carriage finally came to a stop. Wenying eagerly stepped down onto the small wooden stool, only to be met with the sight of an astonishingly beautiful mansion. She froze in disbelief this couldn’t possibly have been arranged by Emperor Wen, yet why did the residence before her exude such opulence?

Even the plaque above the gate was adorned with gold trim, as if freshly inlaid.

Fu Qingyin was the next to descend from the carriage. She wasn’t particularly impressed by the mansion’s grandeur, but she was far more intent on holding Wenying’s hand tightly.

Wenying stiffened slightly at the gesture, turning a puzzled gaze toward Fu Qingyin. Before she could ask what Fu Qingyin was doing, the latter shamelessly replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “My hands are cold. Warm them for me, A-Ying.”

Feeling the warmth of Fu Qingyin’s palm, Wenying couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Yet, there was no refusing such a request. So, she dutifully warmed Fu Qingyin’s hand while taking in the unexpectedly lavish mansion before them.

Jiang Zhiyi was the last to step forward. After smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt, she spoke unhurriedly: “Originally, the residence His Majesty bestowed upon you, Princess, was of this size, but it wasn’t as new or luxurious as it is now. That’s because my father was in charge of the matter. He found out beforehand which residence it would be and told me, so I gathered contributions from many noble ladies to renovate it for you.”

After explaining properly, Jiang Zhiyi playfully blinked and leaned closer to Wen Ying: “No other princess has received such treatment, you’re the only one. Don’t tell anyone.”

This version of Jiang Zhiyi seemed to be her true self. Wen Ying listened carefully, deeply moved. Suddenly, she recalled another time when Jiang Zhiyi had said something similar, that girls shouldn’t feel constrained, that chubby little girls weren’t any less beautiful.

And in the same way, girls didn’t have to be quiet and demure to be considered proper. Wen Ying couldn’t help but glance at Fu Qingyin. Unknowingly, she had already been influenced by many of Fu Qingyin’s beliefs.

Before Wen Ying could respond, Jiang Zhiyi suddenly clapped her hands. From inside, many noble ladies emerged faces Wen Ying had seen at the Spring Banquet, never expecting to meet them again today.

“Congratulations, Princess Wen Ying, for escaping your hardships!”

“Princess, Princess! These are pastries unique to the city outside the palace. I had my maid queue up early this morning to buy them!”

“Look at mine, a round fan I started making two days ago to celebrate your new home!”

They all chattered excitedly, crowding around her without any of the restraint they had shown in the palace. Even Jiang Zhiyi seemed to have shed her usual pretense, revealing her true self.

Fu Qingyin stood firmly by Wen Ying’s side, gripping her hand tightly. She knew Wen Ying would be both happy and nervous, so she silently lent her strength, reassuring her with the warmth of her palm.

Summoning her courage, Wen Ying thanked each of them with a smile, her dimples showing as she accepted their gifts. Her maids helped carry some of the presents, and soon, someone suggested they go inside to see the residence.

The grand doors of the estate swung open, the words “Princess Manor” gleaming above. As the guest of honor, Wen Ying stepped inside and saw a lotus pond right in the center of the courtyard.

“We all pooled resources to have this built. It wasn’t here before, but we heard from Aunt Yun Chu that you love lotuses but never dared visit the imperial gardens,” Jiang Zhiyi explained.

Fu Qingyin made a mental note little Wen Ying loved lotuses.

To Wen Ying’s surprise, a few lotus blossoms were already blooming in the pond. She learned that they had diverted hot spring water to nurture them, allowing the flowers to bloom so early.

“Don’t just look at the pond there’s more inside! We’ve all brought out our most treasured paintings and porcelain vases from our chambers. It’s practically a trove of jewels now!” one of the young ladies called out.

Eagerly, they pulled Wen Ying toward the main house. When the doors opened, she was met with an array of exquisite treasures delicate jewelry, fine porcelain, and countless scrolls of poetry and paintings, all cherished possessions of noble young women.

The four treasures of the study were all there, and Wen Ying’s eyes lit up. The first thing that came to her mind wasn’t the opportunity to transcribe storybooks, but Fu Qingyin’s hands how they could once again grasp a brush and dance with ink.

That day, after watching Fu Qingyin write, Wen Ying had etched that posture deep in her heart. It was truly captivating.

“Sister, these are for you,” Wen Ying whispered into Fu Qingyin’s ear, her warm breath making the latter’s neck tingle with sensitivity.

This little Wen Ying unaware of how effortlessly she could stir hearts.

Support The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess