The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 12

Gu Qing’s smirk froze; she hadn’t expected Xie Zhizhen to be so stubborn. “It’s better not to.”

Xie Zhizhen, who usually appeared gentle and delicate, could be incredibly headstrong when she set her mind to something. “I want to.”

She was adept at using little tricks like acting cute or playing the victim.

And every time Gu Qing faced those pitiful, teary eyes of hers, she found herself unable to refuse. Reluctantly, she released Xie Zhizhen’s hand and lay down on the small couch.

“Just don’t cry when you see it,” Gu Qing said. She wasn’t worried that Xie Zhizhen would be repulsed, she was more afraid she’d start weeping.

After all these years, she still had no defense against Xie Zhizhen’s tears.

Xie Zhizhen stubbornly retorted, “I won’t.”

She lifted the hem of Gu Qing’s robe, revealing a scar that slashed diagonally across her porcelain-like back. It was as if a flawless piece of mutton-fat jade had been cleaved in two. The wound, long healed, no longer looked bloody, but it was still unsettling.

Xie Zhizhen covered her mouth, staring at the scar, her mind conjuring images of how Gu Qing must have looked when she was injured.

A muffled sob escaped her lips. Gu Qing’s heart ached at the sound. She tugged her robe back down, not caring that the ointment hadn’t fully absorbed, and sat up to face Xie Zhizhen. “Don’t think of this as just a simple scar, it’s a mark of my achievements! A symbol of honor!”

Gu Qing wiped away Xie Zhizhen’s tears, unsure how else to comfort her.

“But I’d rather you were safe and unharmed,” Xie Zhizhen whispered, her beautiful eyes reflecting Gu Qing as if she were her entire world in that moment.

Gu Qing cupped her face, meeting her gaze earnestly. “Look at me, I’m perfectly fine now, aren’t I? That’s all in the past.”

Her gentle fingers brushed away the tears, but Xie Zhizhen, a princess raised in luxury, had skin so delicate that even the slightest pressure left faint red marks.

Xie Zhizhen placed her hands on Gu Qing’s shoulders, her lips trembling as if she were afraid of something unspoken. “Maybe, forget it. I don’t want you to take any more risks.”

The words seemed abrupt, but Gu Qing understood exactly what she meant.

“Zhizhen, I can indulge you in everything else but not this.” Now that she was certain of Xie Zhizhen’s feelings, she couldn’t possibly let her marry someone else. Her resolve was firm. “Trust me, alright?”

“If I can foresee what’s coming, I won’t go in completely unprepared.”

Xie Zhizhen opened her mouth to protest, but Gu Qing pressed a finger to her lips.

The calloused fingertip brushed against softness, and for a moment, Gu Qing didn’t want to pull away. But remembering how Xie Zhizhen had just washed her hands, she quickly withdrew. “Look at you, you’ve turned into a little tear-streaked mess.”

Knowing she was meeting Gu Qing’s military friends today, Xie Zhizhen had gone through the rare effort of dressing up properly. Though her crying hadn’t completely ruined her makeup, it had certainly left its mark.

The pleasure boat often hosted female guests, so the rooms were stocked with the season’s most fashionable cosmetics for touch-ups.

Gu Qing first had someone bring cool water, soaking and wringing out a cloth before pressing it gently against Xie Zhizhen’s eyes. After a while, once the redness had faded, she picked up the cosmetics on the table, ready to help her reapply her makeup.

But…

Gu Qing stared at the somewhat unfamiliar array of bottles and jars on the table. Two years ago, before she joined the military camp, she used to wear makeup. But having not touched these items for two years, she felt a little out of practice now.

Fortunately, it was just a touch-up, not a full reapplication. Relying on her sharp memory and keen intuition, she managed without any major mishaps.

Looking at her refreshed makeup, Gu Qing couldn’t immediately tell whether it looked good or not, it had been too long since she’d done this. Taking a deep breath, she asked nervously, “What do you think?”

“It looks great.”

With Xie Zhizhen’s approval, Gu Qing finally relaxed.

Xie Zhizhen, now with her makeup retouched, looked no different from when she had left. But when they returned to their seats, they found someone who shouldn’t have been there.

Gu Qing frowned at her younger sister, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time and who now seemed a little unfamiliar. “Gu Yin, what are you doing here?”

Then she noticed Xie Zhibai standing beside Gu Yin. Remembering what Xie Zhizhen had told her earlier, her eye twitched slightly as she finally understood what was going on though she wasn’t sure what excuse Gu Yin had used to come aboard.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wonder for long. Gu Yin explained, “Second Sister, are you hurt? It’s all my fault, I accidentally bumped into your boat, which made you hit the table.”

So it had been her who caused the collision earlier.

Gu Qing touched the bruise on her waist, recalling Xie Zhizhen’s reddened eyes. If not for Gu Yin’s meddling. But after all, Gu Yin was her cousin, the daughter of her second uncle, and a sister she had grown up with. Though her tone wasn’t exactly warm, she at least refrained from snapping at her.

“Be more careful next time.”

What was supposed to be a gathering where Gu Qing introduced her friends to Xie Zhizhen now felt a little awkward with the presence of an “outsider.” Fortunately, Gu Yin was naturally lively and unafraid of strangers, so she easily struck up conversations with the others.

The topic shifted from Gu Qing to life in the military camp, with Gu Yin occasionally asking Xie Zhibai a few questions.

Gu Qing had worried Xie Zhizhen might find this boring, but when she saw the earnest look in her eyes as if she simply wanted to learn more about everything related to her heart warmed.

She had thought about secretly holding Xie Zhizhen’s hand under the table, but remembering how she had scrubbed her hands earlier, Gu Qing hesitated. She decided it was better to figure out what was going on first.

Happy moments always passed too quickly. As usual, Gu Qing escorted Xie Zhizhen back to the princess’s residence. This time, however, she didn’t try anything mischievous in the carriage just occasionally stealing a few small, playful touches.

Though Xie Zhizhen also longed for intimacy with Gu Qing, the nausea that came with it was unbearable. So when she noticed Gu Qing behaving more restrained, she relaxed a little and didn’t dwell on it.

After seeing Xie Zhizhen home, Gu Qing went straight to find Xie Zhibai.

Because of her close relationship with Xie Zhizhen, she had often visited Xie Zhibai’s place as a child.

The steward, Eunuch Deng, was an old acquaintance of hers.

The moment he saw Gu Qing, he hurriedly ushered her into Xie Zhibai’s study to wait.

When Xie Zhibai heard that Gu Qing had come to see him, his eyes lit up. He quickly returned to the study, straightening his collar before entering. But the moment he stepped inside, he noticed Gu Qing’s grim expression. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately asked, “What’s the matter?”

Gu Qing pondered for a moment before replying, “I want to know what exactly happened to Zhenzhen these past two years.”

Xie Zhibai raised an eyebrow, surprised that Gu Qing would ask about this. He bent his long legs and casually took a seat on a chair, pouring himself a cup of tea. “Haven’t you already found out?” Given his understanding of Gu Qing, he didn’t believe she would fail to investigate what her sister had been through during those years.

Gu Qing sighed. “I did look into it, but none of it explains Zhenzhen’s strange behavior.”

At the mention of Xie Zhizhen’s odd actions, Xie Zhibai seemed to recall something. He lowered his gaze, his usual playful expression fading. “What was strange about it?”

Gu Qing listed a few examples, such as how Xie Zhizhen would meticulously scrub her hands on the boat, or how sometimes when Gu Qing held her, she could clearly feel her body stiffen. “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I always felt like Zhenzhen was resisting me.”

As Gu Qing described these details, Xie Zhibai’s expression grew increasingly grave.

It seemed the situation wasn’t as simple as what their investigations had uncovered. If nothing had happened back then, Xie Zhibai would have already retorted by now.

“It appears there was indeed something that happened back then that I didn’t uncover in my investigation.”

Xie Zhibai nodded, deciding not to hide it from her. “Actually, I’m not entirely clear about the matter either. All I know is that at the time, Lin Chenzhi was persistently pursuing my sister, but she kept refusing him under the pretext of wanting to stay by our father’s side.”

“Then, for some reason, rumors suddenly spread that my sister still hadn’t given up on you. Even ordinary commoners heard whispers of it.”

“For our father, this was a scandal. After all, a princess of the court openly favoring a woman was an outright defiance of societal norms. At that point, the Minister of Rites suddenly proposed arranging a marriage for my sister, arguing it would silence the public.”

“Father agreed it was reasonable. After court adjourned, I personally saw the Imperial Preceptor go to the study to speak with Father. Since they dismissed all the maids and eunuchs, I don’t know what they discussed. All I know is that the next day, Father issued an edict betrothing my sister to Lin Chenzhi. But my sister vehemently opposed it, even resorting to a hunger strike to defy Father.”

“After that, Father used the excuse of having my sister get closer to her future in-laws to make her stay at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence for three months. Only a handful of people knew about this; publicly, it was announced that Princess Roujia was unwell and recuperating in her own palace.”

“As for what my sister experienced during those three months at the Imperial Preceptor’s residence, no one knows. All I can say is that afterward, she seemed like a completely different person rarely going out, no longer smiling as much, obediently eating her meals, and never again protesting the betrothal. She only insisted on waiting a year before agreeing to the marriage.”

“Father, seeing she no longer resisted, consented.”

As Gu Qing listened, her fists clenched tightly, her fingertips turning white from the pressure. Suppressed fury simmered in her eyes. “I want to meet Lin Chenzhi.”

Some things could only be learned from him.

Xie Zhibai nodded without objection.

The prison guards saluted immediately upon seeing Xie Zhibai and let them in without question.

Watching the two figures disappear down the corridor, one guard scratched his head. “Why are so many people visiting Young Master Lin today?”

Hearing this, Gu Qing paused mid-step and turned back. “Who else came to see him today?”

The jailer was startled to see Gu Qing returning halfway and stammered, “Princess, Princess Roujia left just an incense stick’s time ago.”

“What did they say?”

“I was standing a bit far away, but as Princess Roujia was leaving, I faintly heard Young Master Lin say something about a person who shouldn’t be touched and how long he could hold on.” After speaking, the jailer glanced at Gu Qing’s darkened expression and grew worried that he might have overheard something he shouldn’t have. He immediately regretted speaking up.

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