The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 51

Knowing Xie Zhizhen was coming, Meng Jing had been waiting in the manor since early morning. From a distance, she spotted the two of them walking hand in hand, their faces radiating smiles.

Seeing her old friend living so happily, Meng Jing’s heart, which had been exhausted by a scoundrel, finally felt a spark of life again. She hurried forward to greet them.

When she saw Meng Jing, Xie Zhizhen felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity. This was not just because they hadn’t met in two years, but also because of Meng Jing’s state. Perhaps the divorce had drained her spirit; although she was only seventeen, she looked inexplicably older than her peers.

Her hair was styled in a Chanyun Jinxiang bun, held steadily by a swaying step-shake hairpin. The light green floral hairpins she wore complemented her mist-water floral skirt perfectly, but even this vibrant outfit could not hide the weariness beneath her eyes.

Xie Zhizhen felt concerned but did not know how to bring it up. “How have you been lately?”

Meng Jing smiled, momentarily regaining a bit of her old self. “I am alright. How are you and Gu Qing?”

Xie Zhizhen glanced at Gu Qing beside her. Almost subconsciously, the corners of her mouth curled upward. The look they exchanged was full of shared happiness.

Relieved to see them this way, Meng Jing sat down and gestured for the maids to serve tea. “Actually, I happened to return to the capital on the day you were married and saw the procession. However, I was in such a rush to finalize my divorce that I missed the ceremony. I hope you do not mind.”

She picked up her tea, thinking of the grandeur of that wedding day, truly happy for them.

Xie Zhizhen did not know the specifics of what Meng Jing had gone through, but she guessed it wasn’t anything good. If Meng Jing didn’t want to speak of it, Xie Zhizhen wouldn’t pry. She simply shook her head. “We are best friends. Do you think Gu Qing and I would get angry with you over such a small thing?”

Gu Qing chimed in with agreement, her hand beneath the table playfully squeezing Xie Zhizhen’s soft hand.

Meeting again after a long time, there was no awkwardness. Instead, they chatted happily. Meng Jing looked at Xie Zhizhen, who was a year older than her yet remained so youthful and energetic, and let out an envious sigh. “It is so good to see the two of you like this.”

“We feel very good as well,” Xie Zhizhen replied. She glanced toward the flower-viewing banquet not far away, where young scholars and girls in the prime of their youth were laughing and playing. “Are you really planning to find someone else to marry so soon?”

Meng Jing paused, following Xie Zhizhen’s gaze toward the noisy world on the other side. She sighed. “Two years ago, I thought I was right, but facts proved me wrong. Now, perhaps following my family’s arrangements is for the best.”

Just as she was sighing, a figure suddenly emerged from behind a pillar. Taking advantage of Meng Jing’s inattention, the person patted her shoulder. Meng Jing jumped in fright, turning to see Lin Daidai’s smiling face.

Seeing her familiar rival, Meng Jing instinctively dropped her melancholy act and snapped irritably, “Lin Daidai! What are you doing?!”

Lin Daidai, who usually tried to get along with everyone, had somehow ended up as enemies with Meng Jing. Xie Zhizhen never understood why. Lin Daidai, usually gentle and generous, acted like a rowdy child whenever she faced Meng Jing, always wanting to tease her.

Watching the two of them bicker, Xie Zhizhen caught Gu Qing’s eye and received the same silent message in return. They hadn’t noticed it before, but seeing the two of them so lively together made it obvious.

Satisfied that Meng Jing was doing well, Xie Zhizhen did not stay long.

Meng Jing was reluctant to see her leave. As she watched Xie Zhizhen and Gu Qing walk away, Lin Daidai suddenly spoke with unusual seriousness. “Are you really going to marry those people?”

Her gaze fell on the so-called scholars.

Meng Jing looked at them, and the heart that had just been enlivened by the bickering sank back into silence. “I am just following my family’s arrangements.”

She knew those men weren’t necessarily reliable or outstanding. As a divorced woman, the people attending her flower-viewing party were those she once would have looked down upon. The irony was that the people she once dismissed were now her “best options.”

Lin Daidai looked down at Meng Jing, her eyes filled with a complex emotion. “Is the family’s arrangement always right?”

Meng Jing lowered her head, looking at the small stones beneath her feet. “I don’t know,” she murmured.

“Do you also think Lin Daidai likes Jingjing?” Xie Zhizhen asked, swinging Gu Qing’s hand back and forth.

Gu Qing nodded. “I just don’t know what Meng Jing thinks.”

Xie Zhizhen’s happy face slumped again. Gu Qing reached out and poked the corner of her mouth, forcing her to smile. “Don’t think too much about it. If it is fate, they will be together. I have prepared a gift for you; want to see it when we get back?”

At the mention of a gift, Xie Zhizhen’s eyes lit up. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “What gift?”

Gu Qing acted mysteriously, pulling her hand back and tucking it behind her. “I am not telling you.”

Xie Zhizhen pouted, clearly unhappy. She spent the entire trip back pestering her. “It is a gift for me; why can’t I know what it is?”

“You cannot.”

“I will find out as soon as we get home anyway. Why not just tell me now?”

“You will find out when we get home, so why be in such a rush?” Gu Qing countered.

The more mysterious Gu Qing acted, the more curious Xie Zhizhen became. She shook Gu Qing’s arm, resting her snow-white cheek on Gu Qing’s shoulder and blinking her watery eyes. “Tell me, tell me, please!”

Finally, Gu Qing gave in to the acting and offered a hint. “I made it with my own hands. It belongs to the category of… ornaments.”

Along the way, Xie Zhizhen guessed every piece of jewelry she was wearing that day, but none were correct. This only made her more curious and restless.

Xie Zhizhen had never felt the journey home was so long. She kept lifting the curtain to see where they were. Gu Qing picked up a pastry to feed her, and Xie Zhizhen stuffed her mouth full like a squirrel while still watching the road.

When they finally arrived at the manor, Gu Qing told Xie Zhizhen to go to the room while she went to the study to get the gift. But Xie Zhizhen couldn’t wait and followed her right into the study.

Following Gu Qing’s instructions, Xie Zhizhen closed her eyes, waiting expectantly. After a moment, she felt a cool touch on her skin, then heard Gu Qing’s voice in her ear. “Open your eyes.”

Upon opening them, she saw a silver chain adorned with a bell the size of a red bean. The design was simple, but the details were handled with great care, showing Gu Qing’s dedication. Xie Zhizhen picked it up, and a crisp, pleasant sound rang from the bell.

She placed the chain back in Gu Qing’s hand and extended her wrist, tilting her eyes to signal Gu Qing to put it on her. She also wanted to ask why her guess of a “bracelet” on the carriage was wrong.

In the next moment, Gu Qing’s actions gave her the answer.

Gu Qing did not put the chain on Xie Zhizhen’s wrist. Instead, she knelt on one knee and lifted Xie Zhizhen’s right foot to remove her shoe and sock. The exquisite, fair foot rested on Gu Qing’s knee. Gu Qing lowered her head, a strand of dark hair falling over her shoulder, as she focused intently on fastening the anklet.

The silver chain settled around the slender ankle. When Gu Qing lightly flicked the small bell, it produced a crisp chime.

Gu Qing looked up with a smile. “How is it?”

It was an anklet. Xie Zhizhen had never worn one, which was why she couldn’t guess it. She lifted her foot, and with her movement, the bell rang clearly. The sound was subtle, audible only in the quiet of the room.

The corners of her lips turned up. “I love it.”

Just as she was about to put her shoes back on, Gu Qing removed the other shoe and sock as well. She lifted Xie Zhizhen onto the desk, kicked the footwear aside, and then went to wash her hands.

Xie Zhizhen didn’t understand what Gu Qing was doing. She sat quietly on the desk, her feet dangling and sending out bursts of ringing. Once Gu Qing finished washing, she dried her fingers with a cotton cloth, ensuring they were completely dry before approaching.

Gu Qing’s hands supported Xie Zhizhen’s waist, while Xie Zhizhen’s hands instinctively found their place around Gu Qing’s neck. She looked at Gu Qing with clean, innocent eyes. “What is it?”

Gu Qing tilted her chin up and pressed her lips against Xie Zhizhen’s.

In the past, Xie Zhizhen didn’t like wearing makeup because she was lazy. But since being with Gu Qing, although she still avoided powder, she had fallen in love with lip glaze. These glazes were made from pure natural materials. Gu Qing licked them away carefully before pulling back with a smile. “Today, Zhenzhen is lotus-flavored.”

Xie Zhizhen nodded, but she didn’t have her usual playful spirit. Looking at the surrounding bookshelves, ceramics, and the official documents on the desk, she realized this was Gu Qing’s workspace. Yet here they were, flirting.

Feeling a bit out of place, she kicked Gu Qing’s thigh. “Hurry up and bring my shoes back.”

The bells rang out again. Gu Qing raised an eyebrow, teasing her on purpose. “I won’t.”

Before Xie Zhizhen could say anything else, Gu Qing blocked her mouth with another kiss. Amidst heavy breathing and shared intimacy, Xie Zhizhen felt a stir of passion. Her arches stiffened, the bells rang again, and her hand swept across the desk, sending documents scattering to the floor.

Xie Zhizhen suddenly pulled away from the kiss. She tapped Gu Qing’s shoulder, pointing out that the papers had fallen.

Gu Qing did release her, but not to pick up the papers. Instead, she swept her hand across the desk, pushing the remaining documents and books to the floor. The desk was suddenly much clearer. She laid Xie Zhizhen flat on the desk. The cool surface of the wood seeped through her thin outer robe, but since it was summer, the temperature was not uncomfortable.

Gu Qing’s eyes tilted upward like a thousand-year-old fox spirit, captivating and soul-stirring. Her voice was low and husky. “You should get used to the study.”

It wouldn’t do if she couldn’t even handle a kiss in the study. In the past, their intimacy was limited to the bedroom or the swing outside, all private places. But this was the study, a serious place for business. How could they act like this here?

Xie Zhizhen felt some resistance to the setting, but as Gu Qing’s kisses soothed her, her tension faded. She comforted herself: it was just the two of them, so it didn’t matter.

In the next moment, the voice of a soldier came from the door.

“Your Highness, Prince Consort, Su Juan requests an audience.”

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