A Time-Traveling Zombie Romance (GL) - Chapter 12

By the time we arrived home, the sun had already begun to set, slowly dipping behind the mountains, and the sky was gradually darkening. After a long chat, night fully descended. Lanterns were lit in every household in the capital, casting a warm glow. The street vendors hadn’t closed their stalls yet, and the number of people on the streets hadn’t decreased—in fact, it seemed to have increased. Some young nobles strolled along the streets, fans in hand, teasing and calling out to the passing young ladies, creating a lively and bustling scene.

The activity outside was mirrored inside as well. Zhang Ming instructed the maids to tidy up my and Yunxi’s rooms so that we could familiarize ourselves with our chambers.

I followed the maid to the East Wing. Despite the large size of the room, I was to occupy it alone. Upon entering, my eyes immediately fell on a round wooden table with a tea set arranged neatly atop it. A large painting hung on the wall, depicting the bustling streets of Yangzhou in Jiangnan when I was six years old, exquisite and lifelike, though the artist remained unknown. On the floor, the black stone tiles were polished smooth. Turning right, I found another room with a large rug in the center. To the left was a wooden couch that could seat two, with a low square table in the middle and a medium-sized incense burner releasing delicate trails of smoke. Across the couch were two tall vases. Past this central room was my bedroom: a bed big enough to fit five people, neatly stacked golden silk pillows and quilts, a wooden shoe rack on the floor beside it, and a dressing table next to the bed. Everything was fully furnished. By the time I had taken it all in, I was completely stunned. Even the house I had lived in back in Yangzhou during my childhood wasn’t this luxurious. At this point, I began to wonder if this room might actually be part of a palace.

“Is… this really my room?” I asked hesitantly, still in disbelief.

“Yes, Your Highness,” one of the four maids accompanying me said with a bow.

Feeling slightly dizzy, I sat down on the wooden couch in the central room. If this room existed today, it would likely be considered a museum.

“Elder sister, do you know where the bathroom is? I wish to bathe,” I asked the maid. The maid appeared extremely flustered upon hearing this, quickly kneeling before me, “Your Highness, you overwhelm this humble servant. A servant like me is too lowly to be addressed as ‘elder sister’ by Your Highness. Please, retract your previous words.” She kept kowtowing.

“Why are you kneeling, elder sister? Please rise,” I said, rushing forward to help her up, but she refused to comply.

“Your Highness, if you do not retract, I absolutely will not rise.”

“I… to me, all are equal; there is no distinction of noble or lowly. Why trouble yourself so?” I said helplessly, standing back and scratching my head.

The maid froze, clearly not expecting me to speak this way, then quickly kowtowed again, “No, Your Highness! The body of a noble is incomparable to a lowly servant like me. We are unworthy!”

I was speechless. The feudal mindset of the past was truly deep-rooted. I had no choice but to compromise. “Then what is your name?”

“I am Lou Lan, Your Highness.”

“Very well. I won’t call you ‘elder sister,’ now rise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Only after Lou Lan stood up did I notice a large red bump on her forehead. That… must hurt quite a bit.

“Lou Lan, where is the bath?” I asked.

“Your Highness, do you wish to bathe?”

“Yes,” I nodded.

“This servant will lead you. Please follow me, Your Highness.” Lou Lan exited the room and led me through the garden to a large, separate building. Inside, a tall screen obscured the view. Beyond it was a bath the size of a swimming pool, very spacious, with jade tiles on the floor—a truly luxurious setup.

“Your Highness, this is your private bathing room,” Lou Lan said.

“Ah? It’s this big!” I exclaimed.

Lou Lan smiled faintly, “Your Highness, I will fetch your clothing. Should you require anything, simply command us,” and she left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

“Wow… this is ridiculous,” I muttered, speechless. I quickly removed my shoes and clothing, hung my chest binder on the screen, and slowly approached the bath. The water temperature was perfect, with flower petals floating atop and thick white steam rising. Enveloped in the steam, my body became invisible. I stood in the water, staring at my flat chest, and sighed slightly. Years ago, to prevent others from realizing I was a woman, my master had devised ways to flatten my chest, even providing a secret pill when I was ten years old, which halted any further development. My chest may be flat, but otherwise, I was indistinguishable from a girl.

Just as I was lost in thought, there was a knock at the door. Panicked, I submerged myself in the water, leaving only my head above the surface. “Wh-who is it?” I called.

“Your Highness, it is Lou Lan,” came the voice from outside.

“Please… come in,” I said, still trembling.

The door opened, and Lou Lan entered with three other maids carrying bathing supplies.

“What… what are you doing?” I asked, confused.

“Your Highness, we are here to bathe you,” the maids said in unison.

“Ah?!!” Shocked, I jumped up, revealing my upper body. Naturally, the maids saw my muscular figure. Their faces turned red, and they lowered their heads.

Seeing this, I immediately crossed my arms over my chest and sat back down. “Please… put the items down and leave. I do not like anyone being present while I bathe. If I need anything, I will ask. No one is to enter without my permission.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the maids complied and left.

“Phew, luckily my chest is flat, otherwise…” I muttered to myself.

I picked up some soap and began washing. Before long, I finished, stood, and dried myself with a white towel. Then I put on the clothes Lou Lan had prepared.

The steward, Zhang Fu, had already arranged everything and was calling for people. Soon, he arrived at the bathhouse, saw Lou Lan standing guard, and approached. “Your Highness, are you bathing inside?” he asked.

His voice was clear and firm. I had just finished bathing and was fully dressed when I opened the door to see Zhang Fu.

“Is there something you need?” I asked.

“I pay respects to Your Highness,” Zhang Fu said, pausing briefly at my presence, then bowing, “The evening banquet is ready. The Prince requests your attendance.”

“Oh, very well. I will go immediately,” I said, clasping my fists in respect and heading toward the back hall, with the four maids following closely.

A lingering natural fragrance and a stunned Zhang Fu were left behind.

Following Lou Lan’s directions, I located the back hall in the prince’s residence. When I entered, I saw a large room with a table large enough to seat over ten people. The table was covered with chicken, duck, fish, and multiple vegetable dishes, along with two large bowls of soup—over ten plates in total. Zhang Ming, Xiaoyun, Siqing, Yunxi, and others were already seated, waiting for me. Several maids and servants stood around, making it a lively scene.

Upon seeing me, everyone was astonished. Only Yunxi smiled at me; the others were completely stunned.

I touched my face in confusion, “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face? Why are you all staring at me like that?”

“Hehe, Senior Brother, I believe everyone is stunned by your handsome appearance,” Yunxi said with a soft smile.

“Hehe,” I laughed awkwardly a few times and sat in the empty seat between Yunxi and Siqing. Everyone slowly came out of their daze. Zhang Ming laughed heartily, “Qi’er’s beauty rivals even Pan An!”

“Yes, Your Highness. With Qi’er’s appearance, all the daughters in the capital would break into our residence just to catch a glimpse,” Xiaoyun said.

“Hehe, Father and Mother overpraise me. I am not this handsome,” I said, blushing and feeling awkward.

Laughter filled the room. Siqing, however, remained staring at me, thinking to herself how handsome her brother was, and how well he suited white clothing.

Soon, the meal began. Seeing my thin frame, Father and Mother kept adding meat and vegetables to my plate. I laughed and shared them with Yunxi and Siqing, claiming that growing girls should eat well. Yunxi accepted with a smile, but Siqing blushed as she lowered her head. I wondered—could one blush even while eating?

During the meal, Xiaoyun asked, “Miss Yun, has Qi’er caused you trouble while climbing the mountain these years? She was very mischievous as a child.”

“Madam, over the years, Senior Brother has been very well-behaved. Qi’er brought liveliness to our mountain life,” Yunxi replied, her gaze at me warm and gentle.

Seeing Yunxi’s virtues, Xiaoyun thought of adopting her as a goddaughter. She smiled at Yunxi, “Miss Yun, since you are so well-loved by us, why not become our goddaughter?”

Zhang Ming’s eyes lit up, nodding quickly. “Yes, yes, Miss Yun, become our goddaughter.”

I chimed in, “Yes, Senior Sister. Since you have no parents, this gives you a family and support.”

Yunxi, touched by the sincerity, immediately knelt and bowed to Zhang Ming, “Xi’er pays respects to Godfather and Godmother.”

“Very well, my child, no need to kneel. Today is indeed a double celebration,” Xiaoyun said, helping Yunxi up and holding her hands with a smile.

“Hehe,”

“Miss Yun,” Siqing’s sweet voice called.

“Hehe, little sister Qing,” Yunxi replied.

Seeing this joyful family scene, I couldn’t help but feel warmth. I had thought, as an orphan, I would never experience the feeling of a home. And yet…

Seeing everyone’s happy smiles, my heart warmed, and I laughed with them.

After dinner, I went to the West Wing, finding Yunxi reading in her room. I asked, “Senior Sister, do you have any medicinal ointment for promoting bl00d circulation and healing bruises?”

Yunxi smiled but looked puzzled upon hearing this, “Senior Brother, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“No, not me. It’s a maid in my room,” I explained.

“Oh, then please wait. I’ll fetch a bottle from my bag,” she said, heading into her bedroom.

After a while, she returned with a bottle. I thanked her and headed out.

Yunxi asked, “Senior Brother, won’t you stay and chat for a bit?”

“No, Senior Sister. I need to review some corpse clan techniques and organize the rules,” I replied.

“I see… very well,” Yunxi said, slightly disappointed.

“Alright, Senior Sister, rest well. I’m off,” I said.

Back in my room, I saw Lou Lan tidying up. I handed her the ointment. “Lou Lan, your forehead is swollen. Here, apply this—it promotes bl00d circulation and reduces bruising.”

Lou Lan froze, then knelt. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, attempting another kowtow, which I quickly stopped.

“Hehe, if you kowtow like that, your forehead won’t heal for a hundred years,” I joked.

Lou Lan looked up at my smiling face and was momentarily dazed.

I moved to help her up, but she bowed her head. “Your Highness, men and women must maintain proper boundaries.”

I shrugged. “Then get up on your own.”

“Yes.”

“All right, if there’s nothing else, you may leave. I want to read a bit,” I said.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Lou Lan left.

I sat cross-legged on the wooden couch, closed my eyes, hands resting on my knees, and slowly practiced the three layers of power left by the ancient Corpse King. My canines lengthened and sharpened, and black energy emanated from my body.

Since becoming the Corpse Emperor, I clearly felt the inexhaustible power within me, and my inner strength had increased significantly. Being the Corpse Emperor has its advantages and disadvantages!

About two hours later, I loosened my clothes and went to sleep, knowing that tomorrow my father would bring me to court to meet the emperor. I needed to rise early.