The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 55

Once Xie Zhizhen was certain that Consort Dowager Shu would not attempt suicide again, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, still worried about her aunt’s state of mind, she proposed staying in the palace for a few days.

Gu Qing, of course, had no objection. If necessary, she would simply stay in the palace for a few days herself.

Xie Zhizhen’s old quarters from before she moved out of the palace had been preserved, so Gu Qing naturally moved in with her as a matter of course. While there were robes of Gu Qing’s from two years ago in the wardrobe, they no longer fit; she had grown taller and more filled out since then. Eventually, she sent word to the Grand Princess’s Manor for a few sets of clothes.

Since Shaoyao was still at the manor, a palace maid was dispatched to explain the situation. Having served the household for a long time, Shaoyao picked out two appropriate and elegant sets suitable for palace wear and sent them over. Gu Qing inspected the clothes and found nothing to fault; Shaoyao’s work was always steady.

After a long day of drinking and dealing with the suicide attempt, Gu Qing was truly exhausted. Following a simple dinner, she climbed into bed early and pulled Xie Zhizhen into her arms. She held her tightly, feeling a lingering fear when she thought of the day’s events. She knew that Xie Zhizhen’s panic was likely even greater than her own. After all, the Consort Dowager was the woman who had raised her—her only remaining close elder besides the Emperor. In Zhizhen’s heart, her aunt’s weight likely far exceeded that of the biological mother she had never met.

The night was cool. The two lay embraced in an intimate posture, but Zhizhen’s brow was furrowed, and a fine cold sweat dampened her forehead. She seemed to be sleeping fitfully. Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open, her heart racing from a nightmare. She gasped for air, but when her gaze landed on Gu Qing sleeping peacefully beside her, she realized it had only been a bad dream. Her aunt was alive, and Gu Qing had not left her.

This realization allowed her heart to settle. Her breathing normalized, but sleep was now gone. She stayed there, watching Gu Qing with wide eyes. In sleep, Gu Qing looked gentler than usual, devoid of her battlefield edge. With her long, fanned eyelashes, delicate nose, and rosy lips, she looked almost like a child.

Xie Zhizhen reached out to touch Gu Qing’s cheek. The warmth of the skin contrasted sharply with her own cold hand, fully pulling her back into reality. Unable to sleep, she moved to get up, but the motion caused a sleepy Gu Qing to instinctively pat her shoulder and pull her closer in a protective embrace.

Tucked against her, looking up at Gu Qing’s jawline, Xie Zhizhen felt a profound sense of peace. As long as Gu Qing was there, there was nothing to fear. No matter what happened, Gu Qing would stand by her side. She didn’t know exactly what Uncle Pei had said to her aunt, but she was certain Gu Qing had coached him. Gu Qing always seemed to know things others didn’t. This mystery only made her more curious. Wrapped in that warmth, Xie Zhizhen closed her eyes, and her exhaustion finally returned.

When she woke again, it was morning. Gu Qing was gone, and the space beside her was cold. It seemed she had been up for some time. Xie Zhizhen threw on her clothes and walked outside, finding Gu Qing dressed in red martial attire. A black belt cinched her lean, powerful waist. She had her hair tied up, bathed in the pale gold light of the morning sun. Her high ponytail seemed to shimmer.

Seeing Gu Qing so full of life and sunshine, Xie Zhizhen’s lips curled upward. She walked up behind her and reached out to poke her waist, but before she could, a warm, calloused hand caught her own.

Gu Qing turned with a smile and pressed Zhizhen’s hand to her cheek. “Don’t play around.”

Xie Zhizhen pouted. “My back was to you. How did you know it was me?”

Gu Qing ruffled Zhizhen’s messy morning hair and pointed to her own ear. “I heard you, of course.”

Xie Zhizhen looked down at her feet. “I thought I was being quiet.”

Gu Qing chuckled, taking her hand to lead her to breakfast. “You were, but I am a General. If my hearing weren’t sharp, I wouldn’t have lasted long on the battlefield.”

After a breakfast of sweet almond porridge—prepared by “Little Chef Fang,” the apprentice of Pei Fang—they visited the Consort Dowager. Gu Yin, Xie Zhibai, and Meng Jing were already there.

The Consort Dowager, now stable but frail, was talking to Meng Jing about her recent divorce and her daughter, “Nannan.” Seeing Meng Jing’s maternal devotion, the Emperor himself unexpectedly offered his help if she ever needed it, leaving Gu Yin and the Consort Dowager surprised by his warmth.

Xie Zhizhen joined the conversation, laughing as she heard how well-behaved Meng Jing’s baby was compared to her own rowdy childhood. Gu Qing, however, watched Zhizhen’s interest in the baby with a tightening lip—an expression that sat somewhere between pensive and slightly disgruntled.

Eventually, the room cleared, leaving only Xie Zhibai and his mother. It was then that the Consort Dowager made a shocking request: she wanted to leave the palace and return to the side of her sister’s remains at the Grand Tutor’s estate.

Xie Zhibai was devastated, feeling like a mere tool once again. “Am I even your son?” he shouted. But the Consort Dowager, softened by her brush with death, finally showed him a moment of true maternal affection. She confessed she knew he hated carrots—despite her forcing them on him for years to ensure he wasn’t a picky eater—and encouraged him to find the love she couldn’t give him in Gu Yin. In the end, out of a mix of love and the fear of losing her again, the Emperor agreed to let her go under the guise that she had “passed away” in the palace.

A few days later, confirmed that the Consort Dowager was at peace, Xie Zhizhen and Gu Qing returned to the Grand Princess’s Manor.

“It seems a truly happy marriage is a rare thing,” Xie Zhizhen sighed, reflecting on Meng Jing’s struggle and her aunt’s tragic past.

Gu Qing took her hand, interlacing their fingers. “Fortunately, we are happy, and we will stay that way.”

“But,” Gu Qing added with a mischievous glint in her eye, “our happiness is still missing one last thing.”

She swept Xie Zhizhen up and carried her to the bed. Zhizhen, no longer fearful and wanting to cherish what they had, nodded her consent. Gu Qing didn’t pounce like a hungry wolf, though. Instead, she kissed Zhizhen’s nose and whispered, “Wait, I need to wash my hands first.”

Xie Zhizhen watched as Gu Qing meticulously scrubbed her hands in a copper basin. She admired the strength in Gu Qing’s fingers and the elegant lines of her wrists. She didn’t fully understand the “mechanics” of what was to come, but she felt a sense of anticipation.

When Gu Qing returned to the bed, the atmosphere shifted. The tenderness turned into a burning intensity.

“Gu—Gu Qing, I’m scared. Maybe we should stop,” Xie Zhizhen stammered at one point, overwhelmed by the sensation.

Gu Qing looked at her, tilting her head to reveal a small scratch on her neck where Zhizhen had caught her earlier. She looked piteous. “The Princess is so heartless, turning her back on me after all my hard work? I’ve even been left with battle scars from serving you.”

Usually, such an act would make Zhizhen soften, but now, exhausted and seeing Gu Qing looking like an energized spirit who had just “consumed her essence,” Zhizhen grew annoyed. In a fit of pique, she leaned forward and bit Gu Qing’s shoulder.

She didn’t let go until the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. When she pulled back and saw the distinct teeth marks and the beads of blood on Gu Qing’s skin, regret instantly flooded her.

She reached out to touch the wound she had caused. “Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

Gu Qing didn’t pull away. Instead, she let out a low, vibrant laugh that sent shivers down Zhizhen’s spine. She leaned into the touch and whispered against her ear, “Compared to the three months I spent missing you… this doesn’t hurt at all.”

She then captured Zhizhen’s lips again, turning the sting of the bite into a spark that reignited the flame between them, ensuring that this time, their happiness would be truly complete.

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