The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 66

The children’s voices also drew Meng Jing’s gaze. Xie Zhizhen hurriedly pushed Gu Qing away and wiped her mouth, offering a flat denial. “No, no, there was just a leaf stuck in my hair, and Gu Qing was helping me pick it off.”

Young children, naturally, understood little and believed whatever Xie Zhizhen said. However, the look Meng Jing directed at Gu Qing was unmistakably suggestive.

She truly hadn’t expected that Gu Qing, who looked every bit the upright gentleman, would be so bold and unrestrained in public. It was quite a surprise.

Meeting Meng Jing’s eyes, Xie Zhizhen felt utterly mortified. Yet, Gu Qing, the culprit, didn’t seem to mind at all.

Meng Jing paused for a long while before arranging for the children to head inside to begin their literacy lessons. Before turning away, she hesitated and said, “I know you are newlyweds, but… it’s better to exercise some restraint in front of the children.”

Xie Zhizhen… Xie Zhizhen simply wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into!!!

This was far too embarrassing!

Zhou Xianyun’s gaze fell upon the small wound on Xie Zhizhen’s lip, and her expression looked strangely hurt, which only made Gu Qing feel more annoyed.

If I had known, I would have left Zhou Xianyun in that godforsaken place. Bringing her back to the capital has only resulted in her staring at Zhizhen all day.

Xie Zhizhen shot Gu Qing a glare, no longer wishing to acknowledge her, and walked into the house to begin the lesson.

Zhou Xianyun clenched her fists tightly, forcing a smile. “The General and the Princess share such a deep bond. Though, the Princess seems a bit angry.”

Gu Qing had noticed that without being told, but she had to remain firm in front of her rival. She wiped away the last trace of Xie Zhizhen’s scent from her lips. “Zhizhen is shy by nature; she truly needs more practice.”

Zhou Xianyun’s fingertips turned pale. The scene from moments ago kept replaying in her mind. Though she had known they had been married for three or four months—and had likely done far more intimate things—it was human nature to pretend something didn’t exist as long as it wasn’t seen.

Now that the intimacy between Xie Zhizhen and Gu Qing had been displayed so openly before her, Zhou Xianyun was inevitably angry. But what did her anger matter? She was just… an outsider.

After a full day of teaching, the children finally recognized a few characters, though most still couldn’t write them.

After confirming with Gu Qing that the ten children had basic supplies like brushes, ink, and paper at their lodgings, Xie Zhizhen assigned them homework: writing the basic strokes ten times each. As for the other three children, she told them they could take supplies from the school if they lacked them at home.

When the two returned to the Eldest Princess’s Manor, Xie Zhizhen was still angry. She wouldn’t even look at Gu Qing while getting out of the carriage.

Gu Qing knew she was in the wrong and maintained a very apologetic attitude. “Zhizhen, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have kissed you in front of others. I simply lost myself in the moment.”

Su Juan and several maidservants were still behind them. Hearing this, Su Juan immediately led the others to slow their pace, ensuring they stayed at a distance where they couldn’t overhear their masters’ voices. After all, when masters bickered, their bedroom talk was not for their ears! While neither the Princess nor the Prince Consort were harsh with the servants, dignity was a serious matter. It would be awkward for everyone if the masters remembered this later.

Up ahead, Xie Zhizhen turned and glared at Gu Qing. Her round eyes looked adorably fierce. Her lip rouge had been completely “eaten” away by Gu Qing, revealing the natural color of her lips. She glanced back at the following maids, and Su Juan immediately led the group to slow down even more.

Xie Zhizhen didn’t say a word, but Gu Qing knew from her silence that she had made another mistake. Great. She hadn’t even finished coaxing her for the morning’s incident, and now she had added another grievance: saying such things in front of the servants.

Gu Qing gave her own mouth a light slap. How could she forget Zhizhen’s temperament? This was ancient times, not the modern era. By modern standards, it was just a display of affection, but here, it was far too progressive.

She turned back and dismissed the servants, ensuring she had created a proper space for “peace negotiations” before speaking again. “This is my first time being married; there are bound to be things I overlook. I swear, this is the last time!”

Xie Zhizhen stopped suddenly. Gu Qing thought she was finally being forgiven, only to see Zhizhen turn toward her with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“In your world… did you have a girlfriend?”

Xie Zhizhen had learned the word “girlfriend” from Gu Qing, and she understood the implications behind terms like “couples’ outfits.” Gu Qing had told her that in her era, dating, kissing, and even sharing a bed weren’t rare. The thought that the heart-pounding things Gu Qing had done with her might have been done with others made a rare wave of nausea surge in Xie Zhizhen’s stomach. Thinking of Gu Qing’s expert movements in bed, her sweet memories were suddenly shrouded in shadow.

Gu Qing denied it instantly. “Of course not! I was a total single dog!”

Other things could be joked about, but not this. Otherwise, she really would be kicked out. Gu Qing hurried to prove her innocence. “How could I have anyone else? You are the first person I’ve ever liked, and the only one. In my entire life, the most I’ve ever held was my mother’s hand. No one else!”

Xie Zhizhen looked into Gu Qing’s dark eyes, and the nausea gradually faded. She gave a reluctant nod, but then paused.

“What does single dog mean? Were you not human in your world?”

Gu Qing pressed a hand to her forehead and began the vocabulary lesson again. “It’s a slang term to describe someone without a partner, someone who is always alone and lonely.”

Xie Zhizhen wanted to ask why being alone meant being called a dog, but since she was still technically “mad” at Gu Qing, she swallowed the question.

Having finally gotten Zhizhen to speak, only for her to fall silent again, Gu Qing grabbed Xie Zhizhen’s sleeve. Mimicking Zhizhen’s own coquettish way of acting, she shook the sleeve and said pitifully, “Good Zhizhen, forgive me. I won’t do it again.”

All along the path, Xie Zhizhen’s ears were filled with Gu Qing’s pleas for mercy. Servants who saw the Prince Consort coaxing the Princess from afar lowered their heads and took detours, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.

Once back in their room, Xie Zhizhen couldn’t take Gu Qing’s constant begging anymore. She pursed her lips and said seriously, “I feel you have been very strange lately, especially when you are with Miss Zhou.”

As her spouse, she had noticed Gu Qing’s odd behavior long ago. She hadn’t cared much before, but now Gu Qing was taking it too far!

Gu Qing was surprised. “I didn’t think you would notice.”

Xie Zhizhen’s delicate brows furrowed. So there was something between them. “Wasn’t Miss Zhou the one you brought back to the capital? Is there a problem with her?”

Well, Gu Qing thought, I clearly overestimated Zhizhen’s insight. She sighed. She didn’t really want to tell Zhizhen, but if she didn’t, Zhizhen probably wouldn’t speak to her again.

“I did bring her back. But who would have thought that after I let her continue being a constable here, she would start coveting my treasure?”

Xie Zhizhen was startled. “Coveting your treasure?” She hadn’t seen that side of Zhou Xianyun at all. But… “What treasure do you even have?”

She knew Gu Qing’s assets perfectly well. Her only “treasures” were those few worn-out weapons. What was there to covet?

Gu Qing looked down at Xie Zhizhen with a tender gaze. She wanted to pinch those cheeks—they had gained a bit of weight and surely felt wonderful—but remembered Zhizhen was still upset. Instead, Gu Qing’s hand moved to the hairpin in Xie Zhizhen’s hair. Her fingertips brushed the cold, elegant ornament. With her movement, the beaded tassels swayed back and forth.

“Isn’t my most important treasure right here?”

Xie Zhizhen looked around, thinking there was something she had missed. It took a moment for her to realize that Gu Qing’s “treasure” was her! She pointed at herself, asking uncertainly, “The treasure you mean… is me?”

Gu Qing nodded with a smile.

Xie Zhizhen became even more confused. She asked tentatively, “So you mean… Miss Zhou likes me?”

She hadn’t thought in that direction before, but now that it was mentioned, she recalled Zhou Xianyun’s strange words during the Qixi Festival. And the fact that she could never seem to invite Zhou Xianyun before school started was clearly Gu Qing’s doing as well.

She burst into a laugh. “So you were just jealous!” This was an answer she hadn’t expected. Along with her laughter, the crisp sound of the bells on her feet jingled in perfect harmony.

Seeing her laugh, Gu Qing knew she was no longer angry. Gu Qing sat down beside her, draping an arm over her shoulder and leaning her cheek against her, still feeling a bit piqued.

“What, am I not allowed to be jealous?!” She exerted a bit of strength in her waist and playfully nipped at a rounded earlobe to show her protest.

“But I don’t like her,” Xie Zhizhen said, puzzled. “And besides, we are already married.”

Xie Zhizhen’s words made Gu Qing feel much better, but she still felt a surge of irritation remembering Zhou Xianyun’s claims. “She said she doesn’t seek the position of Prince Consort; she’s even willing to be your male favorite.”

It was rare to see Gu Qing being so sarcastic, and Xie Zhizhen actually found it a bit cute. A playful mood struck her, and she lifted Gu Qing’s chin, looking down into her eyes.

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Since ancient times, it hasn’t been rare for an Eldest Princess to keep favorites. What does the Prince Consort think?”

Gu Qing let out a frustrated laugh and pinned Xie Zhizhen down onto the bed, her hands restraining her. A mischievous smile curled her lips. “This humble servant feels that the Princess is already a bit overwhelmed by me alone. How could she possibly handle a favorite as well?”

Seeing that familiar smile, Xie Zhizhen panicked, realizing she had played too much. She opened her mouth to plead for mercy, but Gu Qing gave her no chance to speak.

After a long day at the academy, Xie Zhizhen was already exhausted. The bells on her fair feet rang out in a rhythm that did not cease for a long time. Her throat was already a bit hoarse from teaching all day, and now, thanks to Gu Qing’s “playfulness,” it grew even more strained.

Gu Qing toyed with a lock of ink-black hair, her husky voice sounding magnetic. “In my humble opinion, given the Princess’s stamina, she wouldn’t be able to handle being served by two people at once.”

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