The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 11

As she spoke, she was about to reach out, but Gu Qing quickly stopped her. The two locked eyes for a long moment. Faced with Xie Zhizhen’s reddened eyes and gaze full of concern, Gu Qing finally relented. “Fine, I’ll let you see.”

Layer by layer, her garments fell away, leaving only a thin red undergarment. Gu Qing turned her back slightly, lifting the hem of the undergarment to reveal her slender yet strong waist. Against her fair, delicate skin, a stark bruise stood out, looking rather alarming.

Xie Zhizhen picked up the ointment from the table, scooping a bit onto her fingertip before gently applying it. The faint scent of herbs wafted through the air, and Gu Qing’s body stiffened slightly.

Noticing this, Xie Zhizhen immediately paused, her voice laced with worry. “Did I hurt you?”

“It’s nothing.”

Alone in the room, with Gu Qing clad only in her undergarment and her beloved applying medicine to such a sensitive area, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

Though Gu Qing insisted she was fine, Xie Zhizhen took it as an attempt to spare her concern. Her touch grew even lighter, careful not to cause any pain, while her other hand’s nails unconsciously rubbed against her thumb, as if restraining something.

The bruise wasn’t large, but by the time the ointment was fully applied, Gu Qing felt as though an entire year had passed, finally letting out a relieved sigh.

As Xie Zhizhen moved to put away the ointment, she saw Gu Qing about to adjust her clothes and quickly stopped her. “Let the ointment absorb first. Don’t rush to cover up.”

And so, Gu Qing had no choice but to lie quietly on the couch, waiting for the medicine to take effect.

Xie Zhizhen washed her hands at the basin nearby, scrubbing them over and over until the discomfort in her heart seemed to wash away with the water.

Though Gu Qing couldn’t see her actions, her sharp hearing painted a clear picture of Xie Zhizhen’s movements. After a while, Xie Zhizhen sat beside her and murmured, “While protecting me, you should take care of yourself too. Otherwise, I’ll worry so much.”

Gu Qing’s gaze darkened as she noticed Xie Zhizhen’s slightly reddened fingertips from the vigorous washing. “It won’t happen again.”

As they waited, Xie Zhizhen recalled Wang Yong’s earlier words, her eyes lowering. “You must have suffered a lot in the military camp, all because you wanted to be with me.”

Gu Qing couldn’t bear to hear her talk like this. She quickly sat up, grasping Xie Zhizhen’s hands tightly, her dark eyes clear and sincere. “It’d be a lie to say life in the camp wasn’t hard at all, but I don’t regret a single moment of it.”

With a soft laugh, her eyes sparkled with light and longing. “Remember when we were kids? You asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said I wanted to be a general, charging into battle, how dashing that sounded.”

“But without you, I might never have found the resolve to chase that dream.”

“Besides, being a general isn’t so bad. I’ve met so many good brothers in the camp, learned so much from them.”

Nodding to herself, Gu Qing felt she’d made a compelling case. “So you see, you haven’t brought any hardship into my life. Instead, you helped me fulfill my childhood dream.”

Xie Zhizhen, who had been feeling down, couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “You always have such twisted logic to convince me.”

Gu Qing tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed intently on Xie Zhizhen. “How can this be called twisted logic? Besides doing anything for someone you like is happiness itself.”

These words came straight from Gu Qing’s heart.

“On the path of growth, putting in effort and sweat for the people and things you love is inherently meaningful.”

Xie Zhizhen found herself thoroughly convinced by her. “Perhaps what you say is right.”

Seeing that Xie Zhizhen had finally regained her smile, Gu Qing let out a sigh of relief and lay back down on the small couch.

Because of this movement, her undergarment rubbed against the couch and slid up slightly, revealing more of her skin. Xie Zhizhen’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse.

It was the mark of a scar after healing.

The smile that had just returned quickly faded, her lips stiffening into a line that made her look somewhat intimidating.

At this moment, Gu Qing was still unaware. Seeing Xie Zhizhen’s expression, she thought something had happened and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Zhizhen didn’t respond. Silently, she stood up and walked over, her delicate fingers resting on the hem of Gu Qing’s undergarment. Realizing what was happening, Gu Qing quickly grabbed her hand. “Don’t!”

But Xie Zhizhen was never one to be easily dissuaded. She pressed her lips together. “Let me see.”

Yet, what lay beneath was not a pretty sight.

Gu Qing forced a smile. “What, does the princess wish to force herself upon this subject here and now?”

She had thought Xie Zhizhen would blush and give up, but having already glimpsed the scar, Xie Zhizhen was not so easily fooled. With a cold expression, she said, “Even if this princess were to force herself upon you, what could General Gu do about it?”

Without waiting for Gu Qing’s reply, she reached out to lift the undergarment. Gu Qing instinctively tried to evade, but the small couch offered little room to hide.

Left with no choice, Gu Qing seized Xie Zhizhen, pulling her into her arms and restraining her hands. With a helpless tone, she said, “You already know, so why insist on seeing?”

“If I hadn’t seen it just now, would you have tried to reassure me again that it’s nothing?” Xie Zhizhen’s eyes welled up with tears at the thought of the scar she had glimpsed. The more Gu Qing refused to let her see, the more it proved how horrifying the scars beneath the undergarment must be.

When they were children, they had bathed together. Back then, Gu Qing’s back had been flawless no scars, no blemishes, like a piece of pristine white jade. Now, it was likely.

Though she hadn’t seen the scars fully, she could imagine how painful they must have been. Even a small cut from a blade hurt terribly, let alone the countless wounds from the battlefield where swords and arrows knew no mercy.

Gu Qing chuckled, feigning nonchalance. “So, princess, you must take responsibility for this subject. Otherwise, with this scarred body, no one else would want me.”

“If you won’t let me see, how can I decide whether to take you or not?”

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