The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 79

After class, Gu Qing learned of Xie Zhenzhi’s whereabouts from Meng Jing. She raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what had happened, and walked toward the study.

No one knew what Xie Zhenzhi and Gu Qing discussed. The study was located in a relatively secluded spot, so no one heard any commotion. However, when Gu Qing stepped out, her expression was visibly grim. Her face was cold, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if the words “Leave Me Alone” were written across her forehead.

At that moment, Rosanna and Attila arrived. The siblings had never been good at reading the room. Seeing Gu Qing, they waved excitedly and blocked her path. Rosanna, having moved on from her previous infatuation, had sparkling, exotic eyes. She asked excitedly, “General Gu, have you made up with the Princess Royal?”

Gu Qing, clearly in a foul mood, faced their interference with a cold indifference. “No,” she replied curtly, her voice dripping with impatience.

Rosanna attributed this to a lovers’ quarrel and didn’t mind. Instead, she peeked around cautiously and pulled a small red pouch from her robes with a mysterious air.

“Take this. Use it on the Princess, and she certainly won’t fight with you anymore,” Rosanna said, stuffing the pouch into Gu Qing’s arms before she could respond. She then pulled Attila away, smiling confidently. “Remember to use it!”

Gu Qing frowned and curiously opened the pouch. Inside was a delicate little bell tied to a red string, along with a small slip of paper that looked like instructions. Her mind immediately formed a guess, and her lip twitched.

These siblings… certainly play some colorful games.

“Gu Qing? What happened between you and the Princess? I heard that in a fit of rage, she left the academy and returned to the manor,” Yuan Shu said, appearing by Gu Qing’s side. Suddenly, she covered her mouth, looking apologetic. “Is it because I told Her Highness about the book? I, I didn’t mean to.”

Gu Qing glared at her, dissatisfied with her meddling. “Since when do matters between Zhenzhi and me require your commentary?”

In the two years she had spent in the ancient world, Yuan Shu had been placed on a pedestal by the people of the Yu Dynasty. Being snapped at so harshly by Gu Qing made her face stiffen, but remembering her objective, she forced a smile.

“This matter is my fault. I thought the Princess already knew.” Yuan Shu fiddled with her beads, her fingertips turning white. “As your compatriot, I owe you an apology. How about this? I’ll treat you to a drink.”

Gu Qing looked reluctant, but seeing Yuan Shu’s smile, she decided not to completely disregard her face since they came from the same place.

The two went to Wangxiang Pavilion, where Yuan Shu booked a private room. Once they were in the crowded public areas, Yuan Shu resumed her “transcendent master” persona. After the wine and food were served, she specifically told the waiter not to come up unless called. Only then did she tear off her mask and pour a cup of wine for Gu Qing.

Knowing today’s trouble was her fault, Yuan Shu didn’t immediately bring up Xie Zhenzhi. Instead, she spoke of many things from the modern world with a sense of nostalgia. Speaking of the world where she had lived for over twenty years, a hint of longing appeared on Gu Qing’s face. She took a sip of wine. “I wonder how my parents are doing?”

Although her family had a habit of exercising due to their cultural heritage, and her parents’ physical condition was better than most university students who stayed in bed all day, they were, after all, getting older. Gu Qing was worried.

Yuan Shu sighed. Seeing that Gu Qing’s cheeks were flushed with a slight drunken hue and that she was speaking somewhat unclearly, she spoke tentatively. “If there were a chance to return to the modern world, would you be willing?”

At these words, even Gu Qing froze. The alcohol numbed her brain, making her reaction slow. After a long pause, she spoke blankly, “Return to… the modern world?”

Yuan Shu pulled a small notebook from her sleeve and handed it to Gu Qing. It was small, barely the size of a palm, with a blue cover that was visibly old and fraying. Perhaps afraid of damaging it, Yuan Shu turned the pages carefully. She glanced around, leaned in, and whispered, “I found this by searching through the entire Imperial Library of the Yu Dynasty. Perhaps we really have a chance to leave this godforsaken place and go back to the modern era.”

Gu Qing hesitated, looking conflicted. Her slender hand brushed over the worn notebook, her fingertips rubbing the rough paper. “But… Zhenzhi still needs me.”

“We are married,” Gu Qing added.

Yuan Shu looked at Gu Qing with an expression of “hating that the iron won’t become steel,” nearly wanting to hit her with a mallet to wake her up. “She’s just a woman! Once you’re back in the modern world, you’ll have air conditioning, phones, and women. Whatever the ancient world has, doesn’t the modern world have it too?”

“She is my wife,” Gu Qing simply repeated.

Yuan Shu frowned. She had anticipated that Gu Qing wouldn’t be easy to persuade; otherwise, Gu Qing wouldn’t have run off to the military camp to fight for two years alone. She tucked the notebook back into her sleeve, clearly valuing it highly. Returning to her seat, she took a sip of wine and sighed in satisfaction. Although it wasn’t premium wine, having been a monk for so long, she rarely had the chance to drink. These few sips were extremely comforting.

“But she’s fighting with you over such a small matter today,” Yuan Shu glanced at Gu Qing, attempting to brainwash her. “You give up the chance to go home for her, staying in this dump, and she’s arguing with you over nothing. Is it worth it?”

Gu Qing lowered her head. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth that no one noticed. When she looked up again, her eyes flashed with confusion as she looked blankly at Yuan Shu. “She’s just angry that I lied to her.”

Yuan Shu knew Gu Qing was a tough nut to crack, but facing it directly still made her irritable. She rubbed her temples. “You didn’t lie to her; you were just keeping it from her. Besides, you did it for her own good. If you told her that her eighteen years of life were just a story written by someone else, how devastating would that be?”

Gu Qing’s head hung low.

Yuan Shu pressed on. “Think about how much you’ve sacrificed for her, and now she won’t even listen to an explanation before starting a row. Is such a person worth it?”

Gu Qing didn’t speak. She just drank cup after cup until the wine on the table was gone. Yuan Shu was startled, afraid Gu Qing would drink herself into trouble, and quickly stopped her. “Enough, don’t drink anymore. You’ll hurt yourself.” She sighed again. “Decide for yourself. I’ll be staying in the Geng Dynasty for a while longer. If you ever change your mind, come find me. There is still a chance to go home.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “home.”

Gu Qing dazed for a moment but said nothing. She allowed Yuan Shu to help her back to the Princess Royal’s Manor, where they were stopped at the entrance by Su Juan.

“Consort, the Princess said you are not allowed to enter the manor.”

Yuan Shu looked at Gu Qing and then at Su Juan. “Does Her Highness intend to block this old monk as well?”

Su Juan looked at the Buddha-like face of Yuan Shu. Her hand trembled, unsure whether she should continue to block them. Taking advantage of the gap, Yuan Shu helped Gu Qing inside.

The manor didn’t have many servants. Noticing no one was nearby, Yuan Shu whispered, “Is this the ‘home’ you’d give up your real home for?”

Gu Qing seemed to snap. She pushed Yuan Shu away, swaying slightly from the alcohol. “Get out!”

Seeing her lose her composure with anger in her eyes, Yuan Shu smiled, though she maintained a facade of concern. “Fine, I won’t say more. Get some rest.”

Returning to their wedding chamber, the room remained exactly as it was. Gu Qing slammed the door shut with a loud bang, making her anger easily felt by anyone outside. This was followed by the crashing sound of things being smashed.

Everyone outside thought the two masters were having a violent row. However, inside the room, the two were not at each other’s throats at all.

Gu Qing wrapped her arms around Xie Zhenzhi’s slender waist and whispered in her ear, “Yuan Shu definitely has a problem.”

As she spoke, she placed Xie Zhenzhi on the table, clearing the items away with a sweep of her arm.

Xie Zhenzhi wrapped her arms around Gu Qing’s neck, her face full of confusion. “What did she say to you?”

Indeed, Xie Zhenzhi and Gu Qing had realized long ago that Yuan Shu was strange. Her unexplained hostility toward Xie Zhenzhi was suspicious. It wasn’t as if she liked Gu Qing too. Gu Qing wasn’t narcissistic enough to think she was a universal heartthrob; Attila and Rosanna were exceptions with their own reasons, but she had only just met Yuan Shu.

Specifically, in front of Xie Zhenzhi, Yuan Shu had repeatedly and deliberately mentioned modern things, using specific modern terminology. Gu Qing had noticed the oddity then, but at the time, she simply thought Yuan Shu was excited to see a compatriot.

However, after class, Gu Qing went to the study and heard from Xie Zhenzhi what Yuan Shu had said. Her sense of foreboding grew. Before she could speak, Xie Zhenzhi said, “I think that Yuan Shu is a bit strange.”

To find out what Yuan Shu was really after, Gu Qing and Xie Zhenzhi intentionally faked a fight to play into her hands and see what they could catch.

Thinking back to her conversation at Wangxiang Pavilion, Gu Qing reached out to untie Xie Zhenzhi’s sash, her voice dropping low. “She said she has a way to take me back to the modern world.”

Xie Zhenzhi’s heart tightened. She gripped Gu Qing’s shoulders, her clear eyes trembling with nervousness.

Gu Qing understood. She pressed a gentle kiss to Xie Zhenzhi’s eyelid and whispered tenderly, “Don’t worry. No matter what, I will never leave you alone. But I think Yuan Shu has other motives. We need to keep up the act for a few more days.”

That was the plan, but…

Xie Zhenzhi looked at her outer robes discarded on the floor. “But why are you taking off my clothes?”

Gu Qing pulled the little bell Rosanna had given her from her sleeve. It made a crisp ting-ling sound. “To act, we have to go all the way. It’s the perfect time to try out this ‘Mian Bell’ Rosanna gave me.”

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