The Princess Who Married The Crown Prince(GL) - Chapter 28

Su Ruofeng was also caught in Su Qiuqiu’s predicament. Earlier, Gong Luoyun had asked Su Ruofeng about Su Qiuqiu’s weaknesses, and Su Ruofeng had replied that Su Qiuqiu was only skilled in needlework. This led Gong Luoyun to deliberately target Su Qiuqiu during the palace banquet.

However, Lu Fangting unexpectedly intervened, helping Su Qiuqiu conceal her weakness. Instead of being humiliated, Su Qiuqiu even gained some attention.

Gong Luoyun had always disliked Su Qiuqiu, and her animosity extended to Su Ruofeng, Qiuqiu’s sister. No matter how strained their relationship, they remained sisters. Coupled with past grievances, Gong Luoyun felt no need to show respect. She relished verbally attacking them whenever she saw them, imagining it as a way to undermine Su Qiuqiu. Little did she know that Qiuqiu herself found these exchanges amusing.

As Gong Luoyun spoke, she expressed a desire to join the game. The Princess Consort invited her to sit beside her, and the drum-passing game resumed.

Su Qiuqiu remained aloof, sitting far from Gong Luoyun. Though Gong Luoyun longed to provoke her, she remembered the Empress’s warning and temporarily restrained herself from openly challenging Qiuqiu. Instead, she cast a few dagger-like glances in her direction.

Su Qiuqiu secretly rolled her eyes, trying to keep a low profile by shrinking into herself and waiting for the event to end.

“Sister Qingli, have some…” As the drum-passing game continued, Su Qiuqiu make herself busy with pastries, melon seeds, and snacks, occasionally offering some to Qingli. They sat together like ordinary spectators, enjoying the show and munching on treats.

“Thank you…” Lu Fangting murmured. She had initially braced herself for hunger, yet every time Su Qiuqiu had food, she shared it with her. Whatever Su Qiuqiu ate, Lu Fangting ate too. Su Qiuqiu truly showed no airs toward her maidservant.

Having witnessed Su Ruofeng’s treatment of Su Qiuqiu earlier, Lu Fangting felt not only anger toward Su Ruofeng but also pity for Su Qiuqiu. Growing up in such a household, she must have endured countless indignities. It was truly remarkable that she had developed such a resilient spirit.

“Huh?” Su Qiuqiu had just taken a bite of a pastry when a plum blossom hairpin landed in front of her. The drum-passing game had reached her, and the drumbeats had ceased.

“It’s the Crown Princess of Zhen’nan’s turn,” the Princess Consort announced from her elevated seat. “Will you compose a poem, paint a picture, or play a musical instrument? Today, whatever you choose must be related to plum blossoms. Failure to do so will result in a penalty…”

“Ahem… I’m not especially talented, but seeing the plum blossoms blooming so beautifully here in yourPrincess Consort’s courtyard, I’ve thought of a few lines I’d like to share. Please don’t laugh, Su Qiuqiu said, clearing her throat and feigning modesty. She had come prepared, having memorized countless famous plum blossom poems. Thank you, literature teachers! Thank you, esteemed authors, for granting me this opportunity to show off my literary prowess and leave my mark on history!
“Royal Sister-in-law, this is so boring. Why don’t we change and play cuju instead? We’re always doing poetry and calligraphy—can’t we make an exception today and get moving a little? I finally convinced Mother to let me out of the palace—I don’t want to spend it like this…” Before Qiuqiu could recite anything, Gong Luoyun cut in lazily.
She saw the confident look on Qiuqiu’s face and found it annoying. Worried Qiuqiu might steal the spotlight again like last time, she jumped in to change the game.
Pfft… Qiuqiu almost spat bl00d—her chance to shine was snatched away. This princess was seriously exhausting.
Cuju—Qiuqiu at least recognized the game. It was basically ancient football, quite popular in Great Chu, enjoyed by nobles and commoners alike.
But in the middle of winter? Dressed in layers? How could you run properly? If you dressed lighter, you’d freeze!
No matter how much Qiuqiu was complaining inside, once the princess spoke, the consort asked everyone’s opinion. Naturally, no one dared oppose her.
“Alright, since everyone’s interested, how about this: those chosen in the flower-passing game will form the team. The heir consort is already one, I’ll be another. Let’s do a few more rounds to gather ten players. Anyone who refuses will be punished~” Gong Luoyun smiled, glancing smugly at Qiuqiu.
Qiuqiu had become the first chosen player—she really felt like vomiting bl00d. If only she hadn’t come to this poetry gathering… total bad luck!
She had no idea what kind of punishment she’d face if she declined, but judging by the glint in Gong Luoyun’s eye, it was definitely nothing good. Might as well go play cuju. Run around, jump around—what’s the worst that could happen?
The game continued until they had ten people. Then they drew lots and split into two teams. Qiuqiu ended up with Mo Shulan and three others she didn’t know.
Gong Luoyun was on the opposing team. She wasn’t worried—she played in the palace often and even had a tutor. No one dared go all out against a princess, not even those on the opposing team. All she had to do was show that she was targeting Qiuqiu, and others would fall over themselves trying to curry favor by helping.
The prince’s residence had its own cuju team, with proper uniforms, equipment, and a field. The consort led the group to the field, and the ten selected players went to change clothes.
“Can you manage?” Qiuqiu was changing when Qingli followed to help her. She looked concerned—Qiuqiu’s small frame didn’t exactly scream “cuju warrior.”
“Never played. What are the rules? Score by kicking the ball in? What counts as a foul?” Qiuqiu asked. She treated “Qingli” like a friend and didn’t mind her dropping the formal maid speech.
“It’s too late to explain everything, so I’ll give you the basics. Five people per team—left and right sides. You’re on the left… Anyone wearing red is on your team…”
“The goal is to kick the ball into your own team’s fengliu eye without it hitting the ground—that counts as a point
“Be careful, the princess doesn’t like you…” Lu Fangting felt a bit speechless, briefly explained the rules to Qiuqiu, and gave her a final reminder.
“Sounds simple enough. No problem. If someone bumps into me, I’ll just take a dive…” Qiuqiu winked at Lu Fangting.
“Take a dive?” Lu Fangting was stunned but could roughly guess what she meant from the words.
“Yeah. Don’t worry… I want to stretch my muscles too…” Qiuqiu said,”
Hearing that, Lu Fangting was slightly reassured.
The royal family favored the color yellow, so Princess Gong Luoyun was in the yellow team uniform. Qiuqiu’s team wore red.
The team uniform was similar to a hufu, practical for sports—simpler and more form-fitting than what noble ladies usually wore. A belt cinched the waist; her hair was free of pins, tied into a simple bun with a red ribbon. Standing there, she looked spirited and dashing.
Lu Fangting looked at Qiuqiu and thought she looked quite nice. Although not exactly exuding a heroic air, she was charming and lively. But… her chest looked a bit… off.
“Jealous? Don’t worry. I’ll make you some br3ast-enlarging tonic later—yours will grow too…” Qiuqiu noticed Lu Fangting glancing at her chest and puffed hers out on purpose.
Qiuqiu’s usual clothing was loose, but in this sport uniform, her chest looked well-developed.
That was all thanks to the padding she had used in her bra. She wasn’t well-endowed, but still cared about appearances—flat as a board just wouldn’t do…
Lu Fangting was speechless. She was binding her chest today, so of course it looked small. But Qiuqiu’s sudden “growth” couldn’t be natural. Just last night, when Qiuqiu clung to her in bed, she had definitely only felt two little bumps…
“County Mistress, hold on—I need to visit the lavatory. Be careful…” Lu Fangting said as she was about to leave. Everyone had already changed, and she wanted to find the sachet belonging to Princess Gong Luoyun. Earlier, when they were drawing lots, she had caught the scent—it was that smell.
It seemed like a brief whiff was okay, but prolonged exposure was bad. So Lu Fangting had brought some oil paper to block the scent.
“Go ahead, no problem…” Qiuqiu waved her off nonchalantly.
Qiuqiu came out in her uniform. The others watched from the raised platform as the ten participants entered the field.
The captain of the palace’s cuju team served as referee and explained the rules briefly.
“Today, no need to mind rank or status. Let loose and have fun. If you get hurt, bumped, or fall, don’t go crying about it. Once you’re on the field, play properly…” Princess Gong Luoyun, dressed in yellow with a headband to match, said excitedly.
Qiuqiu heard this and caught the underlying message—she was setting things up in advance to excuse whatever she planned to do.
Qiuqiu wasn’t unbreakable steel—she knew when to bend. She wouldn’t pick a fight with Gong Luoyun. After all, it wasn’t the princess’s fault she was born into a privileged household. Qiuqiu decided she’d not only fake a fall but fake-cry too—really milk the “bullied victim” look. Let her have her fun for now…
She had a great plan in mind, but once the game began, she couldn’t control her temper. Gong Luoyun clearly had training. Her kicks were sharp, and several hit Qiuqiu directly. One even nearly struck her face—though weakened, it still stung her cheek.
Whenever Qiuqiu got the ball, she was swarmed. Gong Luoyun would rush in, kick her legs, and try to trip her.
Qiuqiu started fake-falling and already looked quite pitiful, but Gong Luoyun didn’t let up.
“This is too much!” Qiuqiu lost her temper. When Gong Luoyun went to trip her again, Qiuqiu faked a fall—but this time landed right on Gong Luoyun, sending them both rolling.
“Ah! Qiuqiu, how dare you… Get off me!” Gong Luoyun cried out in pain.
“Forgive me, Your Highness… I’ll get up right away…” Qiuqiu replied, half rising—only to “fall” again onto Gong Luoyun, pressing right into her chest. She noted the impressive softness—nobility and their fine diet certainly made a difference.
“Ugh… Qiuqiu!” Gong Luoyun gasped at the pressure on her sensitive spot. Her face flushed, she tried to kick Qiuqiu off but couldn’t move and grew furious—clawing at Qiuqiu wildly, messing up her hair and clothes.
Qiuqiu struggled to get up but ended up yanking Gong Luoyun’s sash loose and unraveling her hair.
“Qiuqiu, I’ll wipe out your whole clan!” Gong Luoyun was livid. Scratching Qiuqiu was satisfying, but being trapped beneath her hurt like hell. Now she was disheveled and humiliated.
The crowd had expected Qiuqiu to get up quickly. Seeing the two of them fighting, with Qiuqiu clearly at a disadvantage, they didn’t know whether to intervene.
Finally, the princess consort spoke up, ordering people to separate them. Only then did Qiuqiu rise. Gong Luoyun was helped to her feet, adjusted her clothes, glared at Qiuqiu silently, and then kicked the ball directly into Qiuqiu’s chest.
Qiuqiu staggered backward and collapsed, clutching her chest, crying out in pain, curled up, with bl00d at the corner of her mouth.
Lu Fangting, just returning to the platform, rushed down.
“County Princess?!” Lu Fangting caught Qiuqiu, alarmed. Qiuqiu gave her a secret wink and subtly tugged her arm. Lu Fangting understood but still looked worried.
“Your Highness, forgive my boldness—but if you resent the Zhen’nan Prince’s household and wish to wipe out the Lu clan, must you humiliate his future wife like this? I shall report today’s events to the prince so that he may come and apologize to you in person,” Lu Fangting said respectfully but firmly, then carried Qiuqiu away without looking back.
Gong Luoyun wanted to speak but choked on her words, biting her lip in fury.
Lu Fangting draped a cloak over Qiuqiu and headed out, ignoring the princess consort’s offer to send for a doctor.
“How’s your body?” In the Zhen’nan Prince’s carriage, Lu Fangting settled Qiuqiu and asked.
“It does hurt, but not as badly as I made it look… I bit my lip—ouch… Self-harm really takes courage… Damn, she kicked my chest flat…” Qiuqiu stopped moaning, sat up, frowning and rubbing her chest.
Lu Fangting turned her gaze away from Qiuqiu’s movement.
“I’m kidding—it’s fake. Still springy. If it were real, that kick would’ve flattened my little buns into pancakes…” Qiuqiu laughed.
Lu Fangting was speechless. She had to admit—Qiuqiu was bold, faking all that in front of everyone. Hopefully, no one noticed anything suspicious.
“What’s that smell?” Lu Fangting hadn’t noticed earlier, but once Qiuqiu loosened her cloak, the scent hit her.
“Oh… that thing… probably the princess’s. She threw it at me while we were fighting—it ended up inside my clothes…” Qiuqiu had also smelled it. She reached into her collar and pulled out a sachet.
Lu Fangting held her breath. She had looked all over for it earlier but couldn’t find it. Turns out Qiuqiu had accidentally ended up having it.