The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 57

Xie Zhizhen tilted her head, seemingly sensing something. She smiled and asked, “Are you talking about Nannan?”

Gu Qing nodded somewhat stiffly, feeling a dull ache from the secret thoughts hidden in her heart.

It was rare to see Gu Qing acting this way, and Xie Zhizhen found it quite novel. Subconsciously, she wanted to tease her. Xie Zhizhen smiled, recalling how adorable Nannan had just been, and asked back, “Don’t you think Nannan looks especially cute, like a tiny little ball?”

Gu Qing instinctively wanted to reply, “Not as cute as you,” but seeing Xie Zhizhen’s warm smile, she did not want to spoil her mood. She simply gave a perfunctory nod. “Mm.”

Then, Xie Zhizhen described the feeling of holding that tiny, soft child in her arms.

Gu Qing parted her lips, instinctively wanting to ask if she wanted a child of her own, but in the end, she did not dare to ask. After all, what would happen if she did ask? If Zhizhen wanted one, what could she do? She could not provide that.

After a long while, once Xie Zhizhen finished describing her experience holding the child, Gu Qing finally spoke. “If you like Nannan, we can take her as a goddaughter. I believe Meng Jing would be willing.”

After all, Xie Zhizhen held the title of Eldest Princess; becoming her goddaughter would bring Nannan nothing but benefits. The more she spoke, the more Gu Qing felt this plan was feasible. She began trying to convince Xie Zhizhen of the advantages. “That way, you can visit Nannan whenever you like, or we could even invite Nannan and Meng Jing to the Eldest Princess’s Manor.”

Xie Zhizhen just watched Gu Qing quietly, the corners of her mouth curving upward with a playful glint in her eyes. Noticing her gaze, Gu Qing pursed her lips and grew nervous, fearing Xie Zhizhen might blame her because of the child issue. Her voice became a bit shaky. “Wh, what is it?”

Gu Qing swallowed hard, feeling uneasy under Xie Zhizhen’s gaze.

Xie Zhizhen shook her head and threw herself onto Gu Qing, wrapping her arms around her neck and pressing a kiss to her chin. “I just think you are very cute.”

Seeing Gu Qing so tense, Xie Zhizhen could not bear it anymore. She rubbed her cheek against Gu Qing’s and soothed her softly, “Nannan is indeed very cute, but I think you are even cuter than her.”

Gu Qing pursed her lips, neither disappointed nor satisfied with this answer.

Seeing this, Xie Zhizhen pressed further. “Do you know why I think Nannan is cute?”

Gu Qing replied honestly, “Because she is soft, white, tender, and seems very well-behaved.” These were the standard points of cuteness for any child.

Xie Zhizhen smiled, neither confirming nor denying what Gu Qing said. She stared into Gu Qing’s eyes and said seriously, “No. The cutest thing about Nannan is that she is not my child, so I do not have to take care of her.”

Amidst Gu Qing’s surprised look, Xie Zhizhen continued, “Meng Jing said Nannan is very good, but even a child as good as Nannan needs Meng Jing to coax her to sleep, right?”

Because she was someone else’s child, Xie Zhizhen did not have to worry about her care. She only had to pinch her cheeks, hold her for a bit, and play around.

“Gu Qing, you know me. I am still a child myself. How could I have the energy to look after another child?” Xie Zhizhen pouted, speaking coquettishly, “Besides, I know I am a delicate person. I have heard that giving birth is very painful, and I am afraid.”

Hearing her intentionally spoiled tone and seeing her aggrieved expression, Gu Qing found it a bit funny. She pinched Xie Zhizhen’s cheek with one hand while supporting her waist with the other. “I understand.”

Seeing that Gu Qing was finally comforted, Xie Zhizhen smiled and held out her arms, signaling Gu Qing to massage them. She complained, “Don’t look at how small Nannan is; holding her for a long time is exhausting. My arms are so sore. I don’t know how Meng Jing holds her for so long.”

Gu Qing followed her lead and massaged her arms. “That is likely what they call ‘motherly strength’.”

It had to be said that Gu Qing’s massage technique was quite good. Xie Zhizhen breathed a sigh of relief and narrowed her eyes in enjoyment. “I don’t want to be strong. It is too tiring.”

“Meng Jing doesn’t seem to think it is tiring.” Gu Qing recalled the way Meng Jing looked at Nannan; she had never seen such tenderness in her before.

Xie Zhizhen waved her hand. “Perhaps because I have never been a mother, I cannot experience her joy.”

Gu Qing stroked Xie Zhizhen’s hair, knowing she was just saying this to comfort her. “It is fine. Although we cannot have our own, we can still adopt her child as a goddaughter.”

She believed Zhizhen’s fear of childbirth. After all, they grew up together, and Zhizhen was indeed such a delicate person who could not endure that kind of suffering. However, not wanting to give birth did not mean she disliked children.

Xie Zhizhen grew a little annoyed. She grabbed Gu Qing’s hand to stop her from stroking her head. “Do you think I am lying to you? Children are cute if you look at them occasionally, but if one were actually buzzing around me every day, I would not like it at all.” It would be so annoying!

Gu Qing carefully observed Xie Zhizhen’s expression. Once certain she was not just being kind, she finally relaxed and pinched her soft cheek. “I know, I know.”

Xie Zhizhen feigned anger, her little mouth pouting toward the sky. “Hmph, who told you not to believe me?”

“I didn’t. I was just afraid you were forcing yourself for my sake.”

“No one can make this Princess force herself, not even you.”

Gu Qing smiled and did not deny it. “Yes, no one can.” Her little princess, whom she held in the palm of her hand, should never be wronged by anyone, including herself.

Just then, Meng Jing arrived after coaxing the child to sleep. She apologized, “Sorry for making you wait so long.”

The two of them, having just resolved their conflict, naturally said nothing. However, Gu Qing’s attitude toward Meng Jing became much friendlier. Later, Meng Jing even whispered to Xie Zhizhen that it felt as if Gu Qing had become a different person in the short time she was gone. Xie Zhizhen simply smiled and said nothing.

Since they had nothing else to do, Gu Qing and Xie Zhizhen took a slow walk back to the Eldest Princess’s Manor. They walked hand in hand, both wearing similar smiles. Seeing a tanghulu stand by the road, Xie Zhizhen’s eyes lit up. She pointed at the candied haws and asked Gu Qing to buy her some.

Gu Qing ruffled Xie Zhizhen’s hair. “Wait here for me. Don’t wander off. I will buy it for you.”

Xie Zhizhen was a bit displeased and huffed, “I am not a child anymore. I won’t get lost.”

Watching Gu Qing’s receding back, Xie Zhizhen stood to the side. Although she had just snapped at Gu Qing, she really would not wander off. It was not because she was afraid of getting lost, but because she was afraid Gu Qing might accidentally get herself lost!

While waiting, Xie Zhizhen thought she heard a commotion behind her. Curiously, she turned around and saw a man wearing gaudy, colorful clothes with a collar that opened from his collarbone all the way down to his navel. He was running, followed by several burly men chasing him.

The man’s hair was loose and messy from running, covering most of his face, but Xie Zhizhen felt he looked familiar. She searched her memory but could not immediately place where she had seen him.

Soon, the man was caught. It was expected, as he looked quite weak compared to the strong men chasing him, especially since he was outnumbered. Once caught, the burly men began to beat him.

Everyone nearby was watching the drama. Xie Zhizhen curiously asked a woman standing next to her, “Ma’am, do you know who those people are?”

The older woman was enjoying the show. Seeing Xie Zhizhen ask, she replied enthusiastically, “It is normal for a young girl like you not to know. Those big men are from Huanyi House. That weak man must be a newcomer there.”

Xie Zhizhen did not quite understand. “He is just a worker, why are they chasing him?”

The woman glanced at Xie Zhizhen and smiled. “You look like a daughter from a good family, so it is natural you wouldn’t know. This is no ordinary work. They call men like him ‘gigolos’.”

Xie Zhizhen understood immediately. She looked at the man being beaten; his collar was pulled open, revealing a skeletal frame covered in countless bruises. Perhaps to ensure he could still be sold for a good price, they did not leave any permanent scars like whip marks on him.

Seeing him in such a pitiful state, Xie Zhizhen could not help but feel a spark of pity. The man seemed to sense her gaze and looked up. The wind blew his long black hair aside, allowing Xie Zhizhen to see the face hidden beneath. He had sharp brows and bright eyes; though his face was gaunt, his handsome features were still visible.

It was Lin Chenzhi!

Xie Zhizhen was shocked. She never expected to see the long-missing Lin Chenzhi here. Clearly, Lin Chenzhi saw her too.

As if finally seeing a lifeline, his weak body suddenly erupted with strength. He pushed away the men beating him and scrambled to Xie Zhizhen’s feet. His bulging eyes stared fixedly at her, looking quite terrifying.

The older woman nearby was still watching and noticed Lin Chenzhi’s gaze. She looked at Xie Zhizhen with a strange expression. “Little girl, do you know this man?” She was puzzled; in her mind, if a woman entered a brothel, she was likely sold by her family, but if it was a man, he was either there voluntarily or had offended someone he shouldn’t have.

Before Xie Zhizhen could say anything, Lin Chenzhi lunged forward but was quickly restrained by the burly men again. Xie Zhizhen stood frozen, unsure of how to feel. In her memory, Lin Chenzhi was always a refined gentleman, even when he forced her to look at erotic paintings. Seeing him now in such a state left her speechless.

Terrified of being dragged back to that hellhole, Lin Chenzhi screamed, “Zhizhen! It is me! I am Lin Chenzhi! Do you remember!”

The burly men had worked at Huanyi House for years and could tell at a glance that Xie Zhizhen’s clothes were not those of a commoner. Although they had their orders, they did not dare offend a noble. They stopped beating Lin Chenzhi and asked cautiously, “Miss, do you know him?”

Before Xie Zhizhen could speak, Gu Qing returned with the tanghulu. She put her arm around Xie Zhizhen’s shoulder and replied, “We don’t know him.”

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