The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 62

Although the two had been married for several months, their ways of addressing each other had remained the same as before. Now that Gu Qing suddenly asked her to call her “Wife-Lord,” Xie Zhizhen’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

She felt it was a bit embarrassing to say such a thing out in public, but that lantern was truly beautiful. Noticing Xie Zhizhen’s hesitation, Gu Qing leaned in close to her ear and whispered softly, “We have been married for so long; it is time we changed how we address one another.”

That seemed to make a bit of sense. Seeing a glimmer of hope in convincing Xie Zhizhen, Gu Qing struck while the iron was hot, playing the pity card. “I see other wives calling their spouses ‘Husband.’ Others have it, but I don’t.”

Xie Zhizhen could never resist Gu Qing when she acted aggrieved. She pursed her lips and glanced around at the people nearby. Ensuring no one was watching them, she leaned toward Gu Qing’s ear. Grabbing Gu Qing’s sleeve with one hand, she spoke in a delicate, soft, and captivating voice, “Wife, Wife-Lord, I want that one.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xie Zhizhen felt her face grow hot. Fortunately, she was wearing a mask, which managed to hide most of her blush. Gu Qing planted a kiss on Xie Zhizhen’s cheek. Xie Zhizhen hurriedly covered her face and yanked hard on Gu Qing’s sleeve. She was somewhat annoyed, but since they were surrounded by people, she could only hiss in a low, angry whisper, “Gu Qing!”

“I’m here,” Gu Qing said, stroking Xie Zhizhen’s head. Her gentle eyes reflected Xie Zhizhen’s indignant face. “Rest assured, whatever you want, your Wife-Lord will get it for you.”

The two looked up at the lantern riddles. The first question was: “Body as black as ink, loves to play in the mud, often spits bubbles, and can observe the weather.” It was a riddle for an animal. Gu Qing answered, “Loach.”

The stall owner smiled and nodded. The riddles were simple at the beginning, so he wasn’t worried. He continued with the second riddle: “Two wings that find it hard to fly, serving as both clothing and a room; would rather be swept into the sea by a flood than let the sun dry out the house.” Gu Qing continued her answer, “Clam.”

As she answered more and more riddles, the owner finally grew a bit flustered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Soon they reached the final riddle. The owner cautioned, “Miss, if you stop now, you may choose any lantern from my stall. But if you continue and fail to answer, you will get neither the Cowherd and Weaver Girl nor any other lantern on this stall.”

Gu Qing nodded, signaling for the owner to proceed. When the final riddle appeared, whispers immediately broke out among the crowd. The previous riddles had some difficulty but were not overly taxing; this one, however, showed a sudden spike in complexity. Xie Zhizhen looked at the question. She could have answered the previous ones herself, but this one was noticeably harder. Sure enough, even Gu Qing fell into deep thought for a while.

The owner reminded them, “Time is almost up. If you two ladies still have no answer.” Gu Qing glanced at the lanterns above and suddenly had an epiphany. Her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to speak the answer, Xie Zhizhen spoke first. “It is a magpie, isn’t it?”

The owner’s rising smile froze. He hadn’t expected these two young ladies to actually solve it. He felt a bit dejected, but thinking of the next challenge, he comforted himself. They were just two girls; guessing a few riddles was one thing, but the next stage was the real difficulty. He handed a bow and arrow to the two of them. “According to the rules of this competition, since you guessed the riddle, there is one final test. Hit that lantern a hundred paces away, and you shall be successful.”

Xie Zhizhen looked at Gu Qing nervously; this was the reason she needed Gu Qing’s help. If it were a simple riddle, she would have had no trouble, but she was completely hopeless at archery and had to rely on Gu Qing. Gu Qing calmly took the bow and arrow. A mere hundred paces might have been difficult for her two years ago, but for someone who had spent two years in the military camps, it was a simple matter.

Among the onlookers, those who understood archery could tell from Gu Qing’s stance that she was no amateur. Sure enough, as soon as Gu Qing’s slender fingers released the string, the arrow flew with a “whoosh” toward the distant lantern. Though it was night, the streets were brightly lit for the Qixi Festival, and the crowd could clearly see the arrow streaking toward its target.

Then came a “thud” as the arrow struck the exquisite lotus lantern. Instantly, a round of applause erupted. The owner handed the Cowherd and Weaver Girl lantern to Gu Qing, full of praise. “You are truly a heroine among women. I have set up this stall for many years, and I have not seen someone as skilled as you in a long time.”

Gu Qing smiled slightly, feigning modesty. “You flatter me.” She took the lantern and handed it to Xie Zhizhen. Having finally obtained the lantern she wanted, Xie Zhizhen’s eyes were filled with joy. With one hand held by Gu Qing and the other carrying the beautiful lantern, she continued to wander through the festivities.

Since both her hands were occupied, Gu Qing had to feed her the candied haws. Every time she took a bite, Xie Zhizhen felt a sense of immense happiness, unconsciously narrowing her eyes in delight. While she was enjoying being fed by Gu Qing, a familiar voice called out from behind. “Princess!”

Though the title was not unique to her, Xie Zhizhen instinctively felt the person was calling for her. She turned to see Zhou Xianyun dressed in black martial attire, her hair tied in a high ponytail, looking clean and sharp. In this outfit, she seemed out of place amidst the festive surroundings.

“Miss Zhou?” Xie Zhizhen was surprised to encounter her here after not seeing her for several days. Seeing that Xie Zhizhen still remembered her, Zhou Xianyun’s eyes clearly brightened. She smiled and said, “The Princess actually still remembers me.”

Gu Qing’s expression was the exact opposite of Zhou Xianyun’s excitement. Recalling her previous suspicions, she found everything about Zhou Xianyun irritating. She had already arranged for plenty of work to be sent her way; how was she still able to show up today?

Zhou Xianyun was visibly excited to see Xie Zhizhen. Suppressing her racing heart, she began to talk about the academy. “Classes start tomorrow. How are the Princess’s preparations faring?”

At the mention of the academy, Xie Zhizhen gained a bit of energy. “Everything is ready. Have you been very busy lately, Miss Zhou?” She had invited Zhou Xianyun to the Manor several times to discuss matters, but had always been refused.

“The magistrate’s office has been extremely busy these past few days.” At this mention, Zhou Xianyun became visibly deflated. She shot a glance at Gu Qing and clenched her fists secretly. Though she had no evidence, her intuition told her Gu Qing was behind it. With that glance, she finally noticed the perfectly matched outfits Xie Zhizhen and Gu Qing were wearing—the same color scheme and almost identical hidden patterns, clearly identifying them as a couple.

But she still didn’t want to give up and began chatting with Xie Zhizhen about teaching the students. Seeing that Zhou Xianyun had no intention of ending the conversation and that Xie Zhizhen was completely ignoring her in favor of school talk, Gu Qing held her hand to her lips and coughed twice.

Only then did Xie Zhizhen remember that today was the Qixi Festival and she was here to spend it with Gu Qing. Zhou Xianyun saw Xie Zhizhen’s attention return to Gu Qing, and her face stiffened. “It is my fault. I got so caught up in the conversation that I forgot the General was here.” Her gaze toward Gu Qing carried a hint of provocation. “I wonder how the Princess and the General found the time to come out today?”

With that look, Gu Qing could finally confirm it: Zhou Xianyun definitely liked Xie Zhizhen! A smile curled her lips as she reached out to wrap her arm around Xie Zhizhen’s soft waist. In a tone meant to assert her claim, she said, “Today is the Qixi Festival. I am spending the holiday with the Princess. What, does Constable Zhou not know that?”

The smile on Zhou Xianyun’s face froze. She truly hadn’t known. In the past, she had never cared for these holidays. Living alone, she had no one to spend them with, nor did she need to accompany anyone else. Gu Qing guessed as much, and her smile became even more arrogant. “Ah, it makes sense. Constable Zhou is used to being alone, so naturally, you wouldn’t be familiar with holidays meant only for those in love.”

She emphasized the words “those in love” very heavily. Xie Zhizhen felt the atmosphere between them was strange. She tugged on Gu Qing’s sleeve and smiled at Zhou Xianyun. “Miss Zhou, we shall discuss the school another day. Let us leave it at that for today.”

After all, it was the Qixi Festival, and she had already neglected Gu Qing for several days. It really wouldn’t do to keep neglecting her like this. Zhou Xianyun wanted to say more but could find no suitable reason to disturb a married couple on the Qixi Festival. While Xie Zhizhen wasn’t looking, she glared at Gu Qing, as if declaring war.

After Zhou Xianyun left, the two had wandered enough and finally returned to the Manor. As soon as they entered the room, Xie Zhizhen, exhausted from the night’s walking, suddenly heard a “thud.” Gu Qing used her foot to hook the door shut and pinned Xie Zhizhen against it. Su Juan, who had been following, saw the situation and silently withdrew.

The General was simply too impatient. Xie Zhizhen’s hands were pinned at her sides. Before she could even ask, Gu Qing had already kissed her. Gu Qing was somewhat urgent; the dress worth a thousand pieces of gold was tossed haphazardly onto the floor. Realizing what Gu Qing intended, and remembering the heart-pounding sensation of the previous time, Xie Zhizhen did not stop her.

After all, it wasn’t their first time. She wrapped her arms around Gu Qing’s neck, breathing deeply while Gu Qing removed her inner garments. Her hot, moist breath fell against Gu Qing’s ear. “Go, go to the bed.”

Being behind the door was a bit uncomfortable; she felt her back would turn red from the pressure. Receiving Xie Zhizhen’s permission, Gu Qing swept her up and placed her on the soft bed. The mattress dipped slightly under her movement. Against the red bedding, Xie Zhizhen’s ink-black hair splayed out, making her skin appear even more flawlessly white. On her shoulder, visible now that the dress was gone, were the marks from the last time that had not yet fully faded.

Gu Qing looked at the naked Xie Zhizhen, but suddenly pulled away. Under her confused gaze, Gu Qing washed her hands. Xie Zhizhen was no longer the innocent girl she once was; she knew the meaning behind washing one’s hands. She swallowed, feeling nervous.

So, tonight, were they going to finish what they hadn’t quite completed last time?

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