The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 61

Be reminded by Gu Qing, the details Xie Zhizhen had previously ignored finally clicked into place. No wonder the maidservants had looked so exceptionally happy today, as if celebrating some grand occasion.

The manor was bustling with life, adorned with numerous beautiful lanterns, and the sounds of laughter drifted in from the streets outside.

As Xie Zhizhen was recalling these subtle differences, she felt a cool, smooth sensation on her wrist. Looking down, she saw a translucent jade bracelet reflecting a faint green hue under the moonlight, clearly a piece of immense value.

Realizing this was a gift Gu Qing had prepared for her, Xie Zhizhen felt a wave of guilt. Gu Qing had prepared a Qixi gift and even arranged for Su Juan to dress her up, yet she had completely forgotten what day it was. Her face clouded with shame as she took Gu Qing’s hand.

“I am so sorry. I have been so busy these past few days that I forgot to prepare a gift for you.”

Gu Qing had already guessed as much but wanted to tease her. She put on a cold expression, feigning anger. “So, I do not get a gift today?” She pressed further, “Everyone else has a gift, but I don’t?”

Xie Zhizhen believed Gu Qing was truly upset. Comparing their efforts, this being their first Qixi after marriage, Gu Qing had gone to great lengths to dress her and provide such a costly gift, while she had prepared nothing. If positions were reversed, she would be angry too.

The more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt. She lowered her head, her voice losing its confidence. “I am sorry, I did not mean to.”

She then felt Gu Qing’s hand moving upward. Instinctively, Xie Zhizhen thought Gu Qing was going to strike her. She flinched, feeling a flash of fear mixed with sudden indignation.

Even if she had forgotten, it was wrong to hit her! Since childhood, not even her aunt had ever laid a hand on her. Besides, she had apologized! At most, she could just make up for it with another gift.

Wait! A gift!

Xie Zhizhen suddenly remembered the undergarment she had been sewing for Gu Qing. It was already finished, but because she had been so busy, she had forgotten to give it to her. This was the perfect opportunity.

She looked up and saw Gu Qing’s large hand nearly reaching her face. She quickly grabbed Gu Qing’s wrist. Gu Qing was startled; she had only intended to pinch Xie Zhizhen’s cheek and did not expect such a sudden rejection.

Xie Zhizhen glared at her with round eyes, dropped a quick “Wait for me here,” and ran back into the house, leaving Gu Qing standing confused under the tree.

Xie Zhizhen retrieved the undergarment from the wardrobe. She had worked on it for a long time, hiding it carefully so Gu Qing would not find it. Now was finally the time to give it to her.

However, remembering that Gu Qing had seemingly wanted to hit her just now made her feel quite resentful; she almost wanted to tear the garment apart instead of giving it away.

But she could not bear to ruin the fruit of her own hard labor. She returned to Gu Qing and handed it over. “Here. I sewed this myself.”

Gu Qing was genuinely surprised. She had fully expected to receive nothing and knew that Xie Zhizhen generally disliked needlework. Yet, Zhizhen had personally sewn an undergarment for her.

She unfolded the garment and saw the embroidered lotuses. A smile curved her lips. “Are these the lotuses you grow?”

Xie Zhizhen nodded. Gu Qing’s thumb brushed over the character “Qing” embroidered in the corner, and her heart softened. She tucked the garment away and leaned in to kiss Xie Zhizhen’s cheek, but was blocked by a hand.

Gu Qing: “???”

Xie Zhizhen’s eyes were wide and filled with displeasure. She huffed twice. “No kissing allowed.”

Gu Qing did not understand. “Why?”

Xie Zhizhen looked at her fiercely, tears beginning to well up in her eyes despite her best efforts to hold them back. Gu Qing panicked instantly. She had no idea what she had done wrong; why was Zhizhen suddenly crying?

With no handkerchief nearby, she wanted to use her sleeve, but remembering how delicate Xie Zhizhen’s skin was, she feared the fabric was too coarse. Out of options, she used the soft fabric of the undergarment to wipe the tears away.

“What is it? Did someone bully you? Tell me!”

Xie Zhizhen shot her a resentful look, making Gu Qing feel as though she truly had committed a grave error. But searching her mind, she could not think of anything she had done to hurt her.

“It was you! You should help me hit yourself!” Xie Zhizhen said angrily.

The thought of never being hit in her life, only for Gu Qing to try and hit her over a forgotten gift, made her more miserable the more she dwelt on it.

Gu Qing pleaded her innocence, taking Xie Zhizhen’s hand and placing it against her own chest. “You can hit me however you like, just stop crying. It hurts me to see you cry.” Her free hand continued to wipe the tears away.

Xie Zhizhen sniffed. Seeing Gu Qing’s intense concern, her sense of grievance finally dissipated a little. She questioned, “Why were you going to hit me just now!”

Gu Qing: “???”

When had she ever tried to hit her? Was there a misunderstanding? She quickly defended herself. “How could I ever hit you! Zhizhen, you cannot wrong me like this.”

Seeing her deny it, Xie Zhizhen grew even angrier. She grabbed Gu Qing’s hand and mimicked the previous motion. “Your hand was right here! If you weren’t going to hit me, what else could you have been doing!”

Hmph, women really do change for the worse once they marry. Before the wedding, Gu Qing would never have hit her even if she forgot a holiday. Now that they were married, she had become a neglected little cabbage.

Gu Qing realized she had been misunderstood for merely wanting to pinch a cheek and felt caught between laughter and tears. “I only wanted to pinch your face.”

Xie Zhizhen froze. She realized she had misunderstood, but she kept a stern face. “I didn’t prepare a gift, and you just wanted to pinch my face?”

Gu Qing nodded. She pulled Xie Zhizhen’s waist, which had gained a bit of healthy weight lately, close to her. “You are my best gift. Why would I be angry over such a small thing, let alone hit you?”

Realizing she had truly misunderstood and made a scene crying, Xie Zhizhen felt embarrassed. She snatched the undergarment back to wipe her tears. Seeing the once-neat garment now somewhat wrinkled, she seized the chance to divert the blame.

“You’ve ruined the garment I gave you!”

Gu Qing folded the garment carefully and tucked it into her robes. Her lips curled into a slightly mischievous smile. “Now that it carries Zhizhen’s scent, it will be even more comfortable to wear.”

Xie Zhizhen’s face turned beet red. She never expected Gu Qing to say something so bold. Thinking that the garment she just used to wipe her tears would be worn by Gu Qing as an intimate inner layer, she regretted giving it and wanted to grab it back.

But a delicate little princess was no match for a General in height or strength. In the end, Xie Zhizhen could only glare at Gu Qing, unable to do a thing about it.

Gu Qing stroked Xie Zhizhen’s cheek. “Alright, my Eldest Princess. You don’t look as beautiful when you’re angry. We’re going out to play soon, so cheer up?”

Xie Zhizhen pursed her lips, her eyes fixed on Gu Qing’s chest. “Then, put the undergarment down first. Who goes out to play while carrying an undergarment?”

Gu Qing agreed, as Xie Zhizhen had a point.

The two left the Manor and walked onto the streets. Because of the Qixi Festival, the streets were bustling with pairs of men and women.

Gu Qing and Xie Zhizhen walked hand-in-hand to a stall. Xie Zhizhen spotted a beautiful fox mask and pointed it out. “I want that one!”

The stall owner saw their expensive attire and greeted them warmly. “The young lady has great taste! This fox mask is the most popular at my stall; this is the last one left!”

To his surprise, Xie Zhizhen looked unhappy. “Then wouldn’t many people be wearing fox masks?” She refused to wear the same mask as everyone else.

She looked at the others and saw a fierce-looking wolf mask. She asked, “Is this one popular?”

The owner looked troubled. “To be honest, the wolf mask wasn’t popular last year, so I only made a few this year. I haven’t sold a single one yet.”

Hearing this, Xie Zhizhen smiled. She took a silver ingot from Gu Qing’s purse and placed it on the stall. “I want two wolf masks. Put the rest away and do not sell them to anyone else today, alright?”

The owner’s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver. He nodded frantically; that ingot could buy his entire stall. Since her request was simply to stop selling wolf masks for the day, he grabbed the money before she could change her mind. “Rest assured, miss! I will not sell another wolf mask today!”

Xie Zhizhen smiled with satisfaction, handed one mask to Gu Qing, and put the other on her own face. Her innocent face paired with the ferocious wolf mask was quite a mismatch, and Gu Qing found it amusing but said nothing to save the girl’s pride.

The Fierce Wolf Duo continued their stroll hand-in-hand until Xie Zhizhen saw a familiar lantern riddle competition. This was a staple activity of the Geng Dynasty. Xie Zhizhen pulled Gu Qing over and saw the prize was a Cowherd and Weaver Girl lantern. It was a revolving lantern that spun without needing manual help, depicting the two lovers meeting on the Magpie Bridge in vivid detail.

Xie Zhizhen was captivated. Gu Qing let out a soft laugh and whispered in her ear, “Do you want it?”

Xie Zhizhen nodded repeatedly.

Gu Qing raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Xie Zhizhen’s gaze was entirely fixed on the lantern, she teased, “Try calling me ‘Husband’ once?”

Support