VBNWDW - Chapter 127

Chapter 127

"Who do you think it was, Her Highness or the Little Daoist?"

Sunlight spilled into the courtyard, chasing away the morning mist. Li Shigui, her hair in a high ponytail and dressed in practical attire, leaned against a tree and glanced to her side.

Beside her, Ruan He looked weary, the skin under her eyes dark, yet she forced herself to stay alert and reply, "It must have been Her Highness."

Her tone was firm and unwavering. She believed the illustrated books she had previously found for Her Highness would surely give her the upper hand. How could the Little Daoist possibly have seized the initiative?

Li Shigui nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Her Highness started martial arts training when she was just a few years old, while the Little Daoist is so delicate she can barely lift a thing. There's no way she could have…"

But then her tone shifted, a hint of hesitation on her face. "However, when Her Highness came out of The Blissful Pavilion earlier, she seemed to be walking a bit awkwardly."

Ruan He shot her a look and retorted, "That's because Her Highness was carrying the Little Daoist."

Before dawn this morning, Zhong Jueyu and Luo Yueqing had risen and left The Blissful Pavilion while the streets were still cold and empty. Only the princess's personal guards, along with Ruan He and Li Shigui, were present. They had all seen Her Highness carry the Little Daoist out in her arms and step into the carriage.

Li Shigui stroked her chin, feeling that Ruan He had a point, yet something still felt off. She mumbled, "But the Little Daoist looked more tired."

Ruan He seemed to be at a loss for words, pausing for a moment before saying, "In that sort of activity, I believe the one on the receiving end is usually more tired."

It was not a topic for detailed discussion, and even with someone she had grown up with, she spoke vaguely.

Fortunately, Li Shigui understood. She pinched her chin again and said, "Is that so? I thought it was the other one. But we heard Her Highness's voice earlier…"

She was full of questions, raising one after another.

Ruan He rolled her eyes at her. "Didn't you see how the Little Daoist looked when she came out? Her wrists, her neck, they were all…"

She was a bit thin-skinned and too embarrassed to say it all. She recalled the scene from before—she wasn't sure if it was because the Little Daoist's skin was too fair and tender or if Her Highness had been too rough, but even though they had tried to cover them with robes, many marks were still visible.

Faced with such concrete evidence, Li Shigui was thoroughly convinced. She nodded emphatically and said, "It had to be our Highness."

Ruan He turned her head, feigning indifference, but a gratified smile touched her lips.

This was all thanks to her painstaking efforts in collecting those illustrated books…

The people inside the room couldn't hear the conversation. They didn't stir until noon. Fortunately, in Great Liang, the morning court was held only once every three days. Otherwise, they would have had to send someone to request leave, which might have made the emperor and the Crown Prince suspect Zhong Jueyu of having other intentions.

This time, it was the one sleeping on the inner side of the bed, held in an embrace, who woke first.

As her thick lashes fluttered, Luo Yueqing, her hair in disarray and covering half her face, recalled the scenes from last night before she even opened her eyes. The memories were likely too profound, for after the effects of the wine had completely worn off, only those images remained.

The woman nestled in the soft bedding, her pair of phoenix eyes misted over as if with the pink of peach blossoms, softening her innate pride and transforming it into the most tender, alluring charm.

She never once complained about the other's clumsy inexperience, her hands hooked around her neck as if to guide her.

Sometimes, when Luo Yueqing went too far, she would pinch the soft flesh on the back of her neck, like a mother cat carrying a kitten by its scruff, reminding her to stop.

Other times, when Luo Yueqing pleased her, she would trace the lines of her knuckles with fiery fingertips, as if in encouragement.

Occasionally, she would find the other too slow and would press down on her shoulders, urging her to go faster.

Even in her embarrassment, Luo Yueqing had to admit that the Grand Princess was an exceptional learner. Though neither of them had any experience, the other was still able to command and guide the situation perfectly.

As the memories continued, Luo Yueqing nearly pulled the covers over her head, wanting to blame it all on the wine.

Why did she suddenly start crying?

Fortunately, the Grand Princess wasn't annoyed. She had just smiled with a helpless and tolerant expression, saying, "Why are you even crying over this?"

Her breathing was unsteady, her gasps uncontrollable. It was a manner of speaking that completely violated the rules of etiquette, yet it somehow made one's heart itch and tingle.

And so, Luo Yueqing, her reason clouded by alcohol, was left with only her childish truth. She cried even harder, whimpering, "My wrist hurts."

Those three words became Luo Yueqing's most useful excuse and her get-out-of-jail-free card for the night. No matter what she did, as long as she said that, the culprit would be overcome with guilt. Thus, without Luo Yueqing even having to ask, Zhong Jueyu would present her with terms that were entirely in her favor.

And Luo Yueqing accepted them all, mainly because the sincerity offered was simply too difficult to refuse.

She covered her eyes with her hand, but the image from that moment was clearly imprinted in her mind.

She didn't regret the two thousand taels in the slightest. She only remembered how the crimson gauze made her skin look even more porcelain-white. The gold-threaded peony on it covered her right eye, its pattern intricate and splendid, perfectly accentuating the deep, bewitching contours of the Grand Princess's features, inexplicably reminding one of the Western beauties described by merchants.

The silk scarf draped over one shoulder, and the fine beads of sweat that had formed trickled down into the triangular hollow between her collarbone and neck, pooling there like a shallow pond that swayed and spilled with her every rise and fall.

Just then, a breeze blew in, causing the candlelight to flicker. Light and shadow were kneaded into fragments, and she was there, in that dappled light, like a deity who had fallen to the mortal realm.

Luo Yueqing didn't know why, but her heart trembled inexplicably. An electric current flowed to her fingertips, and she couldn't help but curl them inward, pressing gently against the soft, warm place that enveloped them.

The person on top of her couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, sinking down, falling deeper.

But not only did Luo Yueqing not restrain herself, she grew bolder, pinching the other's waist and deliberately pressing down, like a mischievous child trying to reclaim control. Yet the Grand Princess did not stop her, indulging her every whim.

Footsteps sounded outside the room; a servant was coming to see if they were awake.

Luo Yueqing was pulled from her reverie. She opened her eyes only to find that the other person had been awake for some time, gazing down at her. She had no idea how long she had been watching.

"You're awake?" Zhong Jueyu said lazily, her slightly hoarse voice still laced with sleepiness. "What were you thinking about?"

The corners of her eyes crinkled with a smile, as if a spring breeze lingered there.

Luo Yueqing froze, flustered for a moment by the contents of her thoughts. "When did you wake up?" she asked nervously.

"Why? Were you planning to do something while I was asleep?" Zhong Jueyu teased, knowing full well what she meant.

Luo Yueqing blinked. Still hazy from just waking up and with her mind full of other things, she couldn't react quickly. She answered dazedly, "What could I… possibly do?"

The one who was deliberately teasing her laughed. "How would I know? Perhaps you thought you were still at The Blissful Pavilion and were about to go looking for that two-thousand-tael courtesan."

The other finally snapped back to reality and scolded, "Zhong Jinyan!"

Her anger had different levels. When slightly annoyed, she would raise her voice and call her Jinyan, or sarcastically call her Your Highness. A little angrier, and it was Zhong Jinyan. At her most furious, it was all three characters: Zhong Jueyu.

Zhong Jueyu, well aware of these distinctions, immediately suppressed her smile and coaxed, "Alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Her gaze fell on the other's neck. The scattered marks had not faded; in fact, they had deepened with time, especially the two bite marks, which were quite conspicuous.

It was only then that Zhong Jueyu realized she had a bit of a mischievous streak in her. At least in this moment, she felt no guilt, but rather a strange sense of pride, as if admiring a beautiful work of art she had created.

The other person followed her gaze downward and was reminded of the marks. A dull ache surfaced, making her hiss softly and grumble, "You big dog, Zhong."

Zhong Jueyu, who had inexplicably gained a new title, just smiled and asked, "Then what does that make you?"

Luo Yueqing was much cleverer this time. Her eyes darted around before she said, "A good student waiting for her teacher's instruction."

"Hm?" Zhong Jueyu waited for her to explain.

Luo Yueqing pointed to her own neck and said, "This. You haven't taught me this yet."

She had worked hard gnawing on her for half the night, but now, looking at her, not a single mark had remained.

"Then you must be a slow student," Zhong Jueyu commented.

"That's because you didn't teach me properly!" the other declared righteously.

Zhong Jueyu glanced at her and asked, "How else am I supposed to teach you?"

She couldn't learn it herself, and now she was blaming her?

Luo Yueqing suddenly paused, then smiled. "Teach me like you taught me the other things."

Her expression was so wicked it was impossible not to let one's mind wander.

Zhong Jueyu said, "And have you learned how to do all the other things I taught you?"

They spoke in riddles, yet each knew exactly what the other meant.

Luo Yueqing moved closer, wrapping an arm around the other's lower back. Her voice deepened as she replied, "I don't know if I've learned them or not. Would Senior Sister like to inspect my work on behalf of our Master?"

"If Senior Sister doesn't instruct me diligently, what will I do when Master returns, sees I've learned nothing, and scolds me?"

The form of address had changed again. Who knew how this person had come up with this idea, but she would probably go on and on with "Senior Sister, Senior Sister" just like before.

Perhaps because their relationship had become physical, Zhong Jueyu no longer cared about what happened before. She deliberately used another title to counter her. "Sister-in-law, what are you trying to do?" she said.

"Even as sisters-in-law, we should maintain some distance. There's no need to be so intimate."

"I want…" Luo Yueqing smiled, leaning up to press against the other's lips before finishing her sentence, "…to take liberties with Her Highness, the Grand Princess."

She had the brazen air of a scoundrel from who knows where.

The hand on her lower back slipped under the hem of her clothes and slid downward. Because they had just woken up, both were only wearing thin inner robes tied at the side with a thin sash. A slight tug was enough to loosen them, which was rather convenient for a certain someone's mischief.

Outside, the sunlight was perfect. The shadows of green leaves filtered through the lattice window and fell upon the stone floor.

A branch in a vase leaned sideways, its petals already falling, filling the room with an elegant fragrance.

Their hair, scattered across the pillows, intertwined, making it impossible to tell one from the other.

Zhong Jueyu didn't stop her, letting her practice the knowledge she had acquired.

From the corner of her lips, down to her neck.

Under the guidance of the Grand Princess, the Little Daoist finally managed to leave a thumb-sized mark. Though it wasn't very obvious, just a faint blemish, it was still progress.

This made her quite proud. She tilted her head up to look at Zhong Jueyu, as if seeking a reward.

The Grand Princess was not stingy, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

That person was satisfied and was about to continue when hurried footsteps sounded from outside, followed by a rapid knocking on the door. Both of them stopped at once, turning to look toward the door.

Before they could respond, Li Shigui's panicked voice rang out.

"Your Highness, the head of the Luo Family is here!"

"Ruan He has already taken them to the main hall. Your Highness, are you awake?"

The room fell silent for a moment, and then the two of them scrambled to get up.

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