Chapter 43

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Chapter 43: Title

Qian Yue lit a cigarette and handed it to her. Lian Rong brought it to the tip of her nose, closed her eyes, and slowly spoke, “Where is Gu Meisheng?”

Qian Yue paused, “Isn’t the crown princess with the prince?”

Lian Rong exhaled smoke lightly, “I just came back from the palace, and I thought Wuyang would bring her back.”

Qian Yue glanced at her, “Do you want Qian Yue to go pick up the crown princess?”

“No, she will come back naturally when she’s done having fun,” Lian Rong replied casually.

Though Qian Yue felt confused, she didn’t dare to ask further. She rarely saw Lian Rong like this; it seemed she wasn’t in a good mood, likely related to that person in the palace. Whenever she acted this way, it was usually because of him.

Gu Hengbo returned two days later. Because she was thinking of Madam Dou, she didn’t stay long at Lian Rong’s courtyard house, chatting aimlessly with Wuyang along the way.

Wuyang appeared cold and distant, her demeanor pushing people away. Yet, once they warmed up to each other, she was just a child who could easily blush. In front of Lian Rong, she acted quite serious, but with Gu Hengbo, within a few sentences, they became familiar, completely losing her ladylike image.

At the door, Wuyang stopped and said earnestly, “If the prince asks, the crown princess needs to tell the truth.”

Gu Hengbo was taken aback, “About what?”

Wuyang glanced at her, “Say it was you who insisted on staying there for a few more days.”

Gu Hengbo’s mouth twitched, “You ungrateful wolf, I even made you so many delicious things, and you’re that afraid of her?”

Wuyang shook her head, “The crown princess has never seen the prince lose his temper.”

Gu Hengbo’s curiosity was piqued, and she asked eagerly, “Is that true? Did he really go on a killing spree?”

Wuyang’s expression shifted as if she’d remembered something. Although it was rumored, the loss of more than a hundred lives was a fact. She smiled faintly, “Crown princess, let’s go inside.”

Gu Hengbo didn’t press for more information, nodded, and walked in.

Qian Yue had been waiting from a distance; she greeted Gu Hengbo with a smile while glancing at Wuyang, who merely nodded back with a neutral expression.

Qian Yue smiled at her and said to Gu Hengbo, “The prince just left, and the crown princess must be tired from the journey. I have prepared hot water for you to wash up and rest.”

Gu Hengbo looked at her, then at Wuyang, and suddenly said, “With both of you serving me, I feel at ease.” With that, she ignored the two and climbed into the soft sedan chair that Qian Yue had prepared.

As the sedan chair moved further away, Qian Yue turned to Wuyang and asked, “Did anything happen between the master and the crown princess in the courtyard house?”

Wuyang looked at her, “You already know, so why are you asking me?”

Qian Yue clicked her tongue, “Just tell me about it.”

“Lights were on, doors were open, and the curtains were drawn until morning,” Wuyang replied coolly, showing none of the shyness she had before.

Wuyang didn’t want to think about everything that happened that night; she stood outside, listening to the strange noises all night long until dawn. When the noise finally stopped, it was heavy with mist. If she hadn’t had a good disposition, her clothes would have been completely soaked. Just as she was about to turn, she saw her master walking out of the room, draped in an outer robe. Though she hadn’t slept a wink, she was glowing with vitality, looking as youthful as a girl in her teens, radiating a special kind of light.

Seeing Wuyang lost in thought, Qian Yue chuckled at her previous words, “Don’t tell me your master made you wait outside for the whole night.”

Wuyang shot her a glance, “If I hadn’t waited all night, would you know the details?”

Qian Yue laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance, resting her arm on Wuyang’s shoulder, “We really owe our little Wuyang for her troubles. How about tonight you don’t go back and stay with me instead? I can comfort you!”

Wuyang raised an eyebrow and pulled Qian Yue’s arm away, “After serving the master for so many years without issues, you’ve started to change your tastes.”

Qian Yue stopped laughing and gave her a playful glare, “I was just teasing; I’m not like the prince. He likes handsome men. By the way, when you went back, did Jingzhi mention me?”

Wuyang flicked away nonexistent dust from her clothes and glanced at her, “Guard Jing is very busy; whether he thinks of you, I don’t know, but Guard Qin seems to miss you a lot.”

Qian Yue sighed, "Forget it, I serve my master, not them. That dead man, Jingzhi, will regret it when I return."

"Did Qingfeng not come with the crown princess?" Wuyang asked.

"Not at the moment. It seems my master has no plans to let her come back for now," Qian Yue said, putting away her joke and speaking seriously.

Gu Hengbo picked a picture book from the shelf and lay on the soft couch, getting lost in it. Suddenly, someone yanked it away from her. She exclaimed, "Hey!" and saw Lian Rong flipping through the book with her brows furrowed.

"Is this very interesting?"

Gu Hengbo nodded, "It’s okay," not understanding much else.

Lian Rong looked down at her from above. "Why did you come back so late? Do you really not want to see me?"

"No, it’s just that you left suddenly that day, and I thought you must have something to do, so I stayed a few extra days at the courtyard house. It was nice there," Gu Hengbo replied as if it were obvious. She had practiced this in her mind several times.

Lian Rong tossed the picture book onto the table and sat down on a chair. "It was nice, wasn’t it? So nice that you didn’t want to return, and there were good memories there."

Gu Hengbo blushed and fiddled with her clothes, "That’s not what I meant. Don’t say that." This was something Wuyang had taught her to say so Lian Rong wouldn’t doubt her words. She didn’t expect Lian Rong would bring it up again. It made her a bit awkward.

Lian Rong rested her arm on the armrest, propped her head up, and said, "Come here."

"Ah?" Gu Hengbo was taken aback and looked at her.

Without saying another word, Lian Rong pulled her up from the soft couch and held her close. "This king wants you right now."

Gu Hengbo sat on her lap, thinking, "Is she really this direct? Can she not control herself during the daytime?"

Before Gu Hengbo could respond, Lian Rong carried her toward the big bed.

As soon as Gu Hengbo touched the edge of the bed, Lian Rong pushed her down. Gu Hengbo widened her eyes and without thinking about anything else, kicked at Lian Rong. That night, she had no choice but to submit because she was poisoned and confused. Now, she was fully aware and would rather be killed than get into bed with someone she had no feelings for.

Lian Rong felt a pain in her abdomen. This woman really treated her like a man. Although her kick didn’t hit below, it landed firmly on Lian Rong’s lower stomach. Seeing the guarded look in Gu Hengbo’s eyes made her inexplicably angry, and her grip tightened. She forcefully pinned Gu Hengbo’s rebellious arm above her head and spoke coldly, "Try moving again."

Gu Hengbo was frightened into silence, staring at her blankly. Not hearing a response, Lian Rong tore open her clothes, thrust her hand inside without gentleness, and her cool lips moved across Gu Hengbo’s neck as if to release her anger.

Gu Hengbo was stunned by her actions. Memories of humiliation in that dark room flooded her mind, and fear enveloped her. She couldn’t stop trembling, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

Lian Rong noticed something was wrong with her. She lifted her head and saw Gu Hengbo’s eyes closed, tears streaming down her cheeks, her once rosy lips now pale from being bitten.

Lian Rong froze. This wasn’t the first time she had seen Gu Hengbo cry. She remembered when she had rescued her outside the royal city; Gu Hengbo had cried helplessly then too. At that moment, she hadn’t cared about appearances and had cried out loud because she was the one saving her. But now?

"Meisheng," Lian Rong softened her tone, speaking gently to her.

Gu Hengbo kept her eyes shut and did not respond positively to Lian Rong’s sudden kindness.

Lian Rong, feeling helpless, got up and half-held her in her arms. "Ah Heng, I’m sorry."

Gu Hengbo opened her eyes, looking at her with tear-filled eyes, feeling wronged. "You crazy person." Without waiting for Lian Rong to react, she swung her tightly clenched fist at her. "I’ll fight you!"