The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 45

The war, which had lasted for three months, was finally over. Gu Qing clutched the safety talisman Xie Zhizhen had given her, feeling as though Xie Zhizhen were right by her side.

The fabric was already frayed at the edges. Because she had touched it so frequently during this time, it was becoming worn out. Gu Qing thought that once she returned, she would find a new “home” for her talisman. Although it was not the first time they had been apart for so long, this was their first separation since their marriage, and she missed her with an intense longing.

After reflecting for a long while, and while the other soldiers were cheering and celebrating, Gu Qing suddenly stood up.

Wang Yong, seeing Gu Qing’s movement from the side, was startled. “General, what are you doing?”

The other soldiers noticed Gu Qing’s abrupt action. Coupled with her stern expression, they thought something had gone wrong. They hastily set down their wine and grew quiet; the smiles on their faces faded.

In an instant, the once joyful atmosphere of singing and daily festivities turned grave. Just as everyone’s hearts were in their throats, Gu Qing suddenly spoke. “I am going back.”

Wang Yong: “???” The other officers: “???”

“General, aren’t we scheduled to depart tomorrow?” Li Zhongyi glanced at the visible exhaustion beneath the eyes of the other soldiers, feeling concerned. “The men have worked hard for three months. They truly need a good rest now. If we head back at this moment, I’m afraid their bodies might not be able to take it.”

Gu Qing’s face remained cold. “I am going back. I did not say you all had to come with me.”

Following that, Gu Qing arranged for Wang Yong and Li Zhongyi to lead the army back to the capital. She, however, whipped her horse to full speed, heading back to the capital ahead of schedule to see Xie Zhizhen.

She could wait no longer.

In the Grand Princess’s Manor, Xie Zhizhen had just finished bathing and was preparing to read some military texts before bed. Over these three months, she had nearly finished all the books Gu Qing had left in the study.

Perhaps because she had read so many, she began to find a certain interest in them over time. Now, reading military strategy before sleep had become her habit.

The night outside was pitch black; only the candlelight inside made the room seem as bright as day. After reading for a while, her eyes grew weary. Xie Zhizhen rubbed her eyes, set the book down, and blew out the candle before slowly drifting off to sleep.

Summer nights were still somewhat hot. Although ice was worth its weight in gold during this season, Xie Zhizhen had never lacked for it even when she was just a Princess, let alone now as the Grand Princess.

The ice by the bed was crystal clear. A block that large would not fully melt even if left out all night. Accompanied by the faint chill radiating from the ice, the summer was less unbearable.

Generally, when ice was placed, a maid would stand nearby and gently fan it to increase the cooling effect. However, Xie Zhizhen’s constitution was naturally on the cooler side; excessive cold did not suit her. Furthermore, she never liked being attended to while she slept, so she had not arranged for a maid to fan the ice.

This amount of ice might not have been enough for others, but it was perfectly sufficient for Xie Zhizhen. Yet, for some reason, by the middle of the night, she felt as if there were a furnace beside her. While it was comfortable, it was a bit too warm for summer.

Unable to help herself, Xie Zhizhen subconsciously kicked off the thin quilt. Just as she felt a bit cooler, the quilt returned to her body. The sweltering feeling made her irritable. She frowned and kicked the quilt away again, only to hear a sigh from behind her that sounded somewhat familiar.

While she was wondering whose voice that was, the quilt returned yet again. It was so hot she felt miserable. Forced awake by the heat, Xie Zhizhen opened her eyes and, in a fit of frustration, threw the quilt directly onto the floor.

It was only then she realized that the heat source next to her seemed to be a person.

Immediately, Xie Zhizhen broke out in a cold sweat. Her instinct was to scream, but she quickly covered her mouth, fearing her voice would alert the intruder beside her.

Her heart hammered against her chest as if it were about to leap out. Terrified, she did not dare move a muscle, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do.

Just as she was gripped by tension, the person beside her spoke. “Zhenzhen? Are you awake?”

Though they had not seen each other in a long time, that voice was etched into Xie Zhizhen’s mind. It was Gu Qing!

While Gu Qing waited for a response, Xie Zhizhen suddenly lunged forward and hugged her, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. “You scared me to death! I thought it was a thief!”

As she embraced her, Xie Zhizhen’s arms brushed against the wound on Gu Qing’s back. Gu Qing’s body stiffened, but having been apart for three months, she could not bring herself to push Xie Zhizhen away. She reached out and hugged her back. “I’m sorry. I saw you were asleep and did not want to disturb you.”

After the initial shock, Xie Zhizhen’s emotions gradually settled. She pulled back from the embrace and asked, “How are you back so soon? Weren’t you supposed to be another few days?”

Gu Qing supported her. Because it was so late and the room was dark, she could only barely make out Xie Zhizhen’s position thanks to her excellent night vision. She stroked Xie Zhizhen’s loose hair and said softly, “I missed you.”

It had been too long since she’d heard such sweet words from Gu Qing; Xie Zhizhen’s cheeks flushed slightly. She hurried to get off the bed to light the candle, but Gu Qing stopped her. “What is the rush?”

Xie Zhizhen replied, “I want to see you too.”

Only then did Gu Qing release Xie Zhizhen’s hand, giving it a reassuring pat. “I’ll do it.”

Glancing at the layout, which was almost exactly as it was when she left, Gu Qing quickly found the fire starter and lit the candle.

The flickering candlelight reflected on Gu Qing’s face. Her already thin cheeks seemed even leaner, making her heart-shaped face more prominent. Her heroic brows still carried the dust of the road, and her black eyes reflected the light as if they were glowing. Perhaps due to fighting outdoors, her skin had tanned slightly.

Looking at her, Xie Zhizhen felt a pang of heartache. “You promised me before you left that you would not lose weight. Why are you so much thinner?”

Gu Qing turned her head, seeing Xie Zhizhen sitting on the bed in her plain inner robes, her beautiful eyes full of distress. She chuckled softly. “I have not lost that much. It’s likely just exhaustion from traveling these past few days.”

Xie Zhizhen did not believe such an obvious lie. However, she asked, “Are you injured?”

The war had lasted three months, far longer than Xie Zhizhen had anticipated. She was worried Gu Qing might have been hurt during that time.

Gu Qing’s gaze flickered. Fortunately, only one candle was lit and the room was still quite dim, so Xie Zhizhen did not notice the abnormality.

“No, of course not. How could I be injured?”

That was, of course, a lie. On the battlefield, especially in what was Gu Qing’s most prolonged conflict in two years, it was inevitable to sustain some minor injuries. But since they were in the past, she felt there was no need to let Xie Zhizhen know.

Knowing Gu Qing’s history of lying, how could Xie Zhizhen believe her so easily? She got off the bed, walked to Gu Qing’s side, and pulled her toward the bed to lie down. “I want to see for myself.”

Thinking that Xie Zhizhen would be sad if she saw it, Gu Qing tried to stall. “It is so late. How about we talk about it tomorrow?”

Seeing Gu Qing’s repeated excuses, Xie Zhizhen, who had not thought much of it initially, frowned, sensing something was wrong. She lit several more candles, instantly illuminating the room as if it were day.

Xie Zhizhen’s expression was serious. “Will you do it yourself, or shall I?”

Gu Qing inexplicably felt that Xie Zhizhen looked like a domineering CEO, while she was like a little pampered wife lying on the bed.

But she also knew that when Xie Zhizhen got stubborn, she was truly stubborn. Looking at her now, if Gu Qing did not let her see, she would not be getting any sleep tonight.

Gu Qing could only tell the truth. “Actually, I did sustain a small injury. It is really just a minor one.”

Xie Zhizhen’s eyes immediately reddened, looking as if she were about to cry. “I do not believe you. I want to see for myself.”

Gu Qing took off her inner robe and turned around. Her waist was wrapped in white bandages, with faint traces of blood seeping through. Fearing Xie Zhizhen’s worry, Gu Qing quickly said, “Don’t worry, the wound is not serious. The blade just nicked the skin. It will be fine after a few days of rest.”

Xie Zhizhen kept a cold face, not softening her expression. “What else?”

“Nothing else, just this.”

The other wounds had already scabbed over, and Gu Qing bet that Xie Zhizhen would not be able to tell the difference between new and old scars. She felt emboldened.

“I want to see.” Xie Zhizhen did not trust her; she would only be at peace once she saw with her own eyes.

Gu Qing arched an eyebrow and reached out to unfasten her undergarment. Xie Zhizhen hastily pressed her hand down and glared at her. “What are you doing?”

Gu Qing looked down at their touching skin. Seeing that Xie Zhizhen did not have a negative reaction, her heart stirred. It seemed that during her absence, Zhizhen’s condition had improved. A smile touched the corners of her lips. “Didn’t you want to look? If I do not take the clothes off, how can you see clearly?”

She had expected Xie Zhizhen’s personality would make her shrink back, but to her surprise, Xie Zhizhen looked conflicted for a long while before saying, “Then, then take them off.”

The undergarments and trousers were removed, revealing fair skin that had not been tanned by the sun. Because her back was toward Xie Zhizhen, Xie Zhizhen could only see the scarred back. Her skin was as white as snow and fine in texture. If not for the several already-scabbed scars and the wrapped white cloth, who would have thought this was the beautiful back of a general?

The white cloth wrapped around her waist made Gu Qing’s waist appear even more slender. It was willowy yet not fragile. Even from just a silhouette, Xie Zhizhen could see the strength in Gu Qing’s waist.

It reminded her of the sensation three months ago when she touched Gu Qing’s lower abdomen. It was firm, but if poked, it had a slightly soft feeling. This was a completely different texture from ordinary soft flesh.

As her gaze followed the white cloth downward, Xie Zhizhen could even see Gu Qing’s snowy-white, firm buttocks. A line followed the peach-like curves down toward the hidden areas, but because Gu Qing was sitting on the bed, Xie Zhizhen could not see anything more.

For some reason, Xie Zhizhen actually felt a hint of regret. Realizing what she was thinking, she quickly cut off her thoughts, threw the inner robe onto Gu Qing, and turned away, not daring to look another second.

The surroundings were deathly quiet; it was so quiet that Xie Zhizhen could hear the rustling sound of Gu Qing dressing. For some reason, she suddenly thought of the erotic paintings she had seen in Gu Qing’s room a while back.

They did not depict a man and a woman, but rather women entwined with women.

Initially, Xie Zhizhen had only felt disgusted. Looking at the figures in the paintings, her mind had flashed to scenes she’d witnessed at the National Preceptor’s Manor. But today, for some reason, her mind was filled with the image of Gu Qing unclothed, including her graceful figure, her strong waist and abdomen, and her long, slender fingers.

She felt a stirring of desire.

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