The Princess Who Married The Crown Prince(GL) - Chapter 20

The Eldest Prince, Gong Xicheng, strolled leisurely, a smirk playing on his lips as if toying with his prey. He stepped into the artificial rockery, believing that with Lu Fangting’s weak health and the pace she’d shown earlier, she couldn’t have gone far. He expected to see a fleeing, disheveled Lu Fangting the moment he entered—but to his surprise, there was no sign of her.

“She runs fast…” Gong Xicheng chuckled, not minding taking his time to search for her.

Although Lu Fangting had not yet fully succumbed to the poison, she still had enough strength to quicken her pace once she entered the rockery maze. After making several turns, she passed a fake cave and threw her thick cloak into it, leaving part of it exposed to create a diversion. Removing the cloak revealed her slender and tall silhouette, adorned in a python-embroidered robe and a jade belt. However, her chest bulged slightly, and despite the chest wrap, it couldn’t fully hide her form. At this point, Lu Fangting could no longer care.

She doubled back and found a hidden cave within the rockery to conceal herself.

It wasn’t that Lu Fangting didn’t want to run further—but running had accelerated her bl00d flow, worsening the effects of the poison. She was already out of strength. For now, she could only manage one or two tricks.

Leaning against the uneven stone wall, Lu Fangting took out a pill wrapped in cloth from her inner pocket and swallowed it. A trace of confusion briefly passed through her usually cold, dark eyes. She quickly regained clarity and reached toward her boot, pulling out a slim, dark dagger. Its blade is thin and dimly colored, easily overlooked in the shadows.

She placed the dagger in her palm while her hand rested downward in a relaxed position.

Sweat soaked her clothes, and her pale skin was damp—her long eyelashes were dripping with water like she’d been pulled from a river. The cold wind turned the moisture in her hair into frost before it gradually melted.

Lu Fangting remained motionless, suppressing her breathing—like a small animal hiding from a predator, cautious and trembling, yet also like a hunter waiting for prey, with a glint of bloodlust in her eyes.

*****

Meanwhile, Su Qiuqiu, after finishing her business, looked around and didn’t see the little princess anymore. She sighed in relief and then went looking for Lu Fangting—only to realize she had lost her way.

Su Qiuqiu felt a bit guilty. She had just abandoned Lu Fangting. Did the little princess drag her off to endure torture? No, the princess couldn’t be that cruel to someone so ill. Lu Fangting, after all, was the heir of a noble family—more status than herself.

Despite Lu Fangting’s earlier flirtation, she had been quite helpful today—stepping in to ease an awkward situation. And that moment she played the zither… She played it elegantly and composedly, showcasing her beautiful hands. If she were a woman, I’d probably be in love. Too bad…

Worried something might have happened to Lu Fangting, Su Qiuqiu asked a few palace maids and eunuchs. One of the eunuchs said he’d seen Lu Fangting and the Eldest Prince heading off in a certain direction. Su Qiuqiu exhaled in relief. At least she wasn’t tortured by the princess. Then she turned and headed toward the lantern festival—where all the pretty young ladies were.

“Qiuqui…”

Just as she found a maid to lead her there, a familiar voice stopped her. It was the Third Prince.

He waved away the maid and gazed at Su Qiuqiu with affection pouring from his eyes.

“Greetings, Your Highness… and please, don’t call me Qiuqiu…” Su Qiuqiu’s hair stood on end at his gaze, silently cursing her luck.

“Qiuqiu, from the moment I first saw you, I was stunned. I’ve never forgotten you. You are the one who matches me best. I told myself that one day, I would marry you. I was sincere when I proposed before. If I didn’t already have a main wife, I’d have made you my princess consort,” the Third Prince said.

“Your Highness, please don’t say such things. I’ll be going…” Su Qiuqiu, sweating profusely, didn’t care whether he was sincere or not—she didn’t want to hear any of it.

“Qiuqiu, Lu Fangting doesn’t deserve you. You’re too beautiful to be wasted on a dying man. But don’t worry—I won’t overstep. I just want you to know I truly care about you. If one day you’re free of him, I will propose again. I’ll wait for you…” he said, blocking her way with deep emotion.

“Forgive my rudeness…” Su Qiuqiu’s mouth twitched. She lifted her skirt and fled.

Though she was destined to be a widow, she never wished for anyone’s death. Hearing the Third Prince’s words made her extremely uncomfortable.

Confessing to another man’s wife, no matter the motive, was just disgusting. If it were her past life, she’d have slapped him already. But here, she didn’t want to offend such a powerful man—she’d just run and avoid him from now on.

The Third Prince watched her leave in panic while smiling slightly. He didn’t chase her because he believed there would be a perfect time for them to be together. Sooner or later, he’d “conquer” this beauty. Then he could humiliate Lu Fangting and maybe uncover some secrets of the Lu family. If he could leverage their lingering power, all the better…

“You silly woman, do you understand my intent? With so many beauties, I wouldn’t care about just one. But you should maintain a good relationship with that girl. “She’ll be useful…” he said as he turned and noticed Miss Su Ruofeng, the fifth daughter of the Marquis of An Ning, who appeared resentful. He smiled faintly, pulled her hand, and spoke softly.

Su Ruofeng’s face softened, her pride returning as she cast a scornful glance in Su Qiuqiu’s direction. “Yes, I understand,” she said.

******

Su Qiuqiu, still fleeing, suddenly heard a familiar, chilling voice that nearly made her legs give out.

“Where did this peasant woman come from? How dare you not bow to this princess? How improper! Someone, seize her and slap her twenty times!” A young but sharp and haughty voice rang out, followed by footsteps.

Ahead stood a luxuriously dressed little girl, looking like a beautiful porcelain doll with bright eyes, red lips, and a round face—almost like an anime character. But Su Qiuqiu was horrified. Isn’t that the one person I didn’t want to see—Princess Gong Luoyun?!

“Can I get any unluckier?!” Su Qiuqiu nearly wept. That princess was never reasonable and always violent. Seeing how aggressive she looked now, Su Qiuqiu panicked. Thankfully, she hadn’t been recognized yet. Run! she decided, immediately turning and sprinting away, forming a triangle with the princess and the Third Prince.

There was no way they’d get along if they met. Su Qiuqiu wasn’t about to get slapped.

“That girl is running over there! How dare you act like that in the palace? Stop this instant! Someone, catch her and slap her forty times!” Gong Luoyun shrieked behind her.

Su Qiuqiu silently cursed again and ran even faster. As long as she doesn’t recognize me, I still have a chance!

Gong Luoyun, frustrated after her encounter with Lu Fangting, was now lashing out at everyone she saw. The moment she spotted someone running, she snapped, not recognizing Su Qiuqiu but determined to vent her anger.

She heard footsteps following behind her. Su Qiuqiu, panicking, saw a rockery ahead and darted into it, weaving through twists and turns, hoping to hide.

She soon found a small cave just big enough to fit one person. Without thinking, she removed her hairpins and slipped inside—only to realize someone was already there!

She bumped right into them. The cave was too dark for her eyes to adjust, but she saw a shape and heard faint breathing.

Frozen, Su Qiuqiu reached out and covered the person’s mouth.

“Miss, don’t make a sound…” she whispered.

The person’s body stiffened but made no reply.

Pressed against them, Su Qiuqiu could feel the soft, warm body. The heavy breathing and scent of sweat mixed with a cool fragrance filled the space.

She could tell this person was a woman—her legs brushed over a flat area. No, ahem, definitely no male parts. Her lips were soft, her skin smooth in that uniquely feminine way, and her body had a slender, curvy silhouette. The chest was full and soft—and oddly squishy.

Based on her experience, this woman had an incredible figure…

Uh… why am I thinking such nonsense at a time like this?! Su Qiuqiu was mesmerized for a few seconds, pinched herself to come back to her senses, and focused on the sounds outside.

The footsteps grew louder, then gradually faded away, eventually disappearing completely. Su Qiuqiu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the person whose mouth and nose she had been covering. Her eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, saw only a pair of deep, dark eyes staring back at her. Those eyes were even darker than the dim surroundings, making her heart skip a beat. She let go of the hand covering the person’s mouth.

The moment she saw the person’s full face clearly, Su Qiuqiu almost screamed.

This person had thin lips with slightly drooping corners, giving a cold and solemn impression. A tall, straight nose; long, phoenix-shaped eyes that lifted at the outer corners with hooked inner corners—black and white distinct, like starlight reflected in a still pool.

This exquisitely beautiful androgynous face—wasn’t this her husband?!

Su Qiuqiu felt like she must be hallucinating. How could someone look so much like him? Her widened eyes stung slightly as she rubbed them and looked again. At that moment, a firework exploded in the sky, briefly lighting up everything. It was just an instant, but it made the face in front of her even clearer.

The person’s face was flushed, large beads of sweat rolling down their forehead, the corners of their eyes moist. Just the slight parting of their lips to breathe conveyed a heart-stopping allure.

What was different from her husband was… this face was red, the lips were vivid like begonia blossoms, and the features were softer—like her husband’s twin sister!

But they have the same hairpin, white jade hair ornament, and deep blue robe with embroidered pythons. Who else could it be?

Su Qiuqiu’s mind was filled with confusion. She was stunned!

Her husband didn’t have that thing… Was he a eunuch?! No, no… her husband had a chest… He was a woman?!

Heaven must be joking with her!

“Lu Fangting?” Su Qiuqiu called softly to confirm.

Lu Fangting didn’t speak, but the hand holding the dagger twitched slightly.

The atmosphere became tense and cold.

Lu Fangting had been hiding here because this place was secluded enough that even Prince Gong Xicheng hadn’t noticed it when he passed by earlier.

Even after he left, Lu Fangting didn’t relax. Her body was growing more and more uncomfortable. She experienced a sense of weakness, as if a searing pain penetrated her bones from within. Her entire body burned and sweated, alternating between the heat of a blazing fire and the chill of an icy pit. Her consciousness began to blur.

Sweat dissolved the makeup on her face, revealing her natural complexion.

When Su Qiuqiu entered, Lu Fangting had already noticed—though she didn’t know who it was. In her mind, she had made up her mind: no matter who it was, if they got close, she would use the dagger in her hand to kill them.

What Lu Fangting never expected… was that the person who came in was Su Qiuqiu—her lawfully wedded little wife!

They were so close. The moment she called her “young lady,” it was clear her secret had been discovered.

This secret… was serious. It was a matter of life and death. No matter who it was—if they found out—they had to die. Only the dead could be trusted to keep such a secret.

Lu Fangting already had killing intent toward Su Qiuqiu. Her hand moved slightly, but she didn’t act—there was still a trace of hesitation.

Su Qiuqiu had no idea what Lu Fangting was thinking. Her mind had gone from chaotic buzzing to extreme excitement and then calmed down. By now, she no longer doubted anything.

Her dear husband… was a woman!

From the wedding until now, every time she saw Lu Fangting, it was either in bed or with thick clothes on—she hadn’t even seen her neck. No need to touch it—she could already guess it was smooth and delicate, without an Adam’s apple.

Only a woman wouldbe unconcerned about such matters. Only a woman would have no “chambermaids.” Only a woman could look this stunning…

“Are you having an attack? Why are you hiding here? I was being chased by the princess and hid in this place…” Su Qiuqiu whispered softly in Lu Fangting’s ear. Now that she had calmed down, her heart ached. She took out her handkerchief to wipe Lu Fangting’s sweat. Something was obviously wrong with her—drenched in sweat without wiping it off, her body had gone from burning hot to icy cold, and she was even trembling slightly.

Su Qiuqiu didn’t know what illness Lu Fangting had. She could only guess because of her condition.

She didn’t know where Lu Fangting’s cloak had gone, so she wrapped them both in her own thick cloak for warmth.

Su Qiuqiu’s soft, warm body pressed against Lu Fangting, causing a flicker of relaxation in Lu Fangting’s body—just a flicker.

“Move quickly! Princess Luoyon and Prince Xicheng ordered it—there’s an assassin hiding in this cave. We’re going to smoke them out with fireworks! Watch all entrances! Be quick about it!” Suddenly, a sharp eunuch’s voice drifted over. Just as Su Qiuqiu was waiting for Lu Fangting to speak, she nearly jumped in fright when she heard this.