Chapter 83: Little Book

In response to the princess’ question, the servants all looked at each other in bewilderment, clearly unaware of the whereabouts of the missing person.

Fortunately, the butler was quick-witted and immediately said, “Princess, please rest assured. I will send someone to look for them right away. It’s so damp and cold outside, you should return to your room and rest. I will have a physician come as well.”

Xia Tong realized that Gu Qin’s habits were contagious. She was only pregnant, not seriously ill, yet she felt as though just walking a few steps was a significant event in their eyes.

She didn’t say anything else and allowed Fang Yu to support her back to her room. Although her legs weren’t seriously injured, she still felt as if something had struck her, leaving them numb. That maid had looked somewhat familiar; she bore a resemblance to Princess Changyang. However, the princess didn’t know martial arts, so perhaps she had mistaken her identity.

Not long after, the butler brought the maid in, but this time Xia Tong thought she looked less like the princess. Maybe she was just being overly sensitive—after all, having a rival constantly lurking around wasn’t pleasant.

She didn’t know when Gu Qin had left in the afternoon, but Xifeng remained behind to keep an eye on her. Bored, Xia Tong asked Fang Yu and the others to tidy up the room and clear some space outside in the courtyard, perfect for planting flowers in the spring.

Outside, the light rain fell gently as she leaned against the soft couch, watching the maids whisper and laugh while moving some flowers and plants. For a moment, she considered going out to the courtyard, but the imposing figure standing outside quickly squashed that thought. He would undoubtedly say the ground was slippery and unsuitable for the princess to walk on.

“Xifeng.”

She suddenly called out to the upright figure in the corridor. He turned around and saw the princess looking at him with a mischievous expression.

“Come in, I have something to ask you,” Xia Tong said with a smile, waving him in.

Xifeng paused, instinctively sensing that it wasn’t going to be good news, but he had long held the belief that one should never offend the princess.

“Master…”

Fang Yu, who had been sorting through Xia Tong’s wardrobe, suddenly approached with a blush, clutching a book in her hands, clearly hesitant to speak.

Xia Tong’s expression changed immediately as she snatched the book from Fang Yu, and when she noticed someone entering the room, she hurriedly stuffed the book under the couch.

She hadn’t expected the princess to have such books. Fang Yu grew increasingly embarrassed and exited the room while holding some clothes that Xia Tong rarely wore. When she saw Xifeng at the door, her face turned even redder.

Xifeng paused in his steps, curious about what was going on, but remembering that the princess had something to discuss, he quickly walked over. Xia Tong casually asked, “Tell me the truth—does the prince have a lot of hidden income that can’t be seen?”

Xifeng was taken aback.

Xia Tong just wanted to understand how wealthy Gu Qin truly was. In these times, even his father wasn’t clean, so she didn’t believe Gu Qin could be so honest.

“I don’t know where to start with this. The matter is very complicated and cannot be explained in a few words.” Xifeng said with his head lowered and his expression unchanged.

Leaning back against the soft couch, Xia Tong nibbled on a pastry, lazily glancing at him. “If you don’t want to say, then don’t. I can ask the prince myself tonight.”

Xifeng’s expression changed slightly, feeling a deep frustration but ultimately yielding to the princess’s authority. He reluctantly conceded, “Master should have a detailed ledger. If the princess wants to know the specific details, you can ask the master for it.”

After hearing that, Xia Tong’s eyebrows moved slightly, and she couldn’t help but glance at Xifeng. It seemed that Gu Qin really trusted Xifeng, to the point that he knew such confidential matters. However, Xia Tong had merely asked out of curiosity. She had no intention of looking at such things, lest that person call her a spy all day.

Gu Qin returned only at the hour of Xu^[1]The “Hour of Xu” (戌时, Xū shí) in traditional Chinese timekeeping corresponds to the time between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The Chinese system divides the day into 12 double-hour periods, … Continue reading, when the palace banquet had only just begun. Xia Tong had not expected him to come back so soon. She was playing chess with Fang Yu, who was completely outmatched and had no chance to turn the tables. In front of others, Xia Tong was very confident in her chess skills.

When the door was pushed open and she saw who had come in, she couldn’t help but be surprised. “Why are you back so early today?”

Those generals were all burly men who loved to drink, usually staying late at palace banquets. Since they were all quite close to Gu Qin, how could they let him leave so easily?

Brushing off the raindrops on his clothes, the man furrowed his brows and glanced at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you almost fell today?”

Xia Tong: “…”

Fang Yu bowed slightly and retreated. Xia Tong pouted, still holding a chess piece in her hand. “It’s nothing serious, there’s nothing to say about it.”

“I probably can’t take you to Jiangnan at the end of the month.”

As he spoke, he walked to the inner room to change clothes. He had moved his belongings here since he stayed here every day. Upon hearing this, Xia Tong immediately shouted in dissatisfaction, “How can you say that and not keep your word?”

Thinking about staying in the residence for ten months made Xia Tong feel like she would go crazy. She might end up with depression before the child is even born.

Gu Qin came out in a long white brocade robe, replying nonchalantly, “Some unexpected events happened.”

Xia Tong choked slightly, her gaze fixated on the man across from her. He usually wore dark-colored clothing, so she was a bit unaccustomed to his current appearance, though it was indeed gentler than before. This man must be trying to seduce her with his looks. It was truly excessive.

“Unexpected events happen all the time. I don’t want to stay in the residence all the time.” The more Xia Tong spoke, the unhappier she became, and she walked off the soft couch toward the inner room.

Even though she knew Gu Qin had important matters to attend to, she was still unhappy. After taking off her outer robe and snuggling into bed, she was prepared to wait for the man to come to comfort her, but there was no sound from outside. Reluctantly, she got up and walked to the outer room. When she lifted the curtain to peek outside, she saw the man standing before the soft couch, holding a small book.

Xia Tong’s face instantly turned pale, and she rushed over. “Don’t look!”

The man raised his hand to avoid her snatching it, but as he looked at her flushed face, he couldn’t help but cast a meaningful glance at her. “You actually read such filthy things.”

Xia Tong used all her strength to try to grab the book but felt both embarrassed and angry. She had forgotten to take it out after hiding it under the soft couch. This was not just any ordinary book, it was a little book her mother had given her when she got married, full of pictures!

“Don’t misunderstand, this isn’t mine. I’ve never read it!”

She anxiously explained while blinking her innocent eyes, hoping he would return the book to her, her ears completely flushed.

Dressed in a thin white nightgown, her figure slender, Gu Qin glanced at her and suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, leaning down to look at her intently. “It’s my fault for not paying attention to your feelings usually.”

“Don’t say that!” Xia Tong quickly raised her hand to cover his mouth, her little face turning completely red. “I said I didn’t look at it, so I didn’t look at it. You don’t need to care about my feelings. I don’t have any feelings!”

She had never felt so embarrassed before, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. But the next moment, she was lifted into his arms, forced to hold onto his neck, her face filled with panic. “What… what are you going to do?”

He gently placed her on the bed, leaning over and locking his burning gaze onto her eyes. “Didn’t you ask me to come back early to sleep with you?”

To return early, he had even pretended to be drunk to leave the banquet.

As their eyes met, feeling the restless hand at her waist, Xia Tong felt utterly flustered. “I… I didn’t mean that kind of sleep!”

“Then how do you want to sleep?” His gaze was deep and dark, his large hand lingering over her long-lost smooth skin. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I calculated that you’ve already been pregnant for three months. Don’t worry, I’ll be very careful.”

In that instant, the candlelight in the room flickered out. Xia Tong’s face was flushed with indignation. He always claimed to be gentle, yet it proved that not a single word from him could be trusted.

“Well… could you return that book to me?”

In the dark, she bit her lip and pitifully said, “As long as you give me back the book, I’ll do anything you want.”

A faint fragrance surrounded her, and the man loosened the strings of her undergarment, biting down gently on her soft neck, his voice husky. “No.”

**

Author’s Note: I originally planned to write about the plot, but before I knew it, I really wanted to write about the prince causing trouble. ≥﹏≤