The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 35

No matter what Wei Zhao thought in her heart, time always moved forward.

Without A Zong to take care of her, Song Sisi’s health deteriorated. Wei Zhao didn’t want Fa Yilian to care for her, so she hired a young helper from the ship. The girl was recommended by Yu Cheng, quick with her hands, and not very talkative. However, when she helped Song Sisi out of the room once, Song Sisi stood by the door, listening to the people chatting. After a long while, she returned to her room and refused to go outside again.

This was what the young helper reported to Wei Zhao.

“Miss Song is weak. If she keeps lying in bed like this, it might not be good for her health,” the young helper said with a concerned expression.

Wei Zhao smiled. “She’s just a temporary guest. I never would have guessed that you, little girl, would be so attentive.”

The helper responded earnestly, “If I’m taking the master’s money, I should take responsibility for the master.”

Wei Zhao, who was used to dealing with slippery servants, felt a bit touched and decided to visit Song Sisi. When she saw her, Song Sisi seemed even weaker than before. She looked out the window and, upon seeing Wei Zhao, weakly called out, “Sister Lin,” her earlier liveliness now completely gone, as if she might pass away at any moment.

“Let go of the past, don’t think too much,” Wei Zhao tried to comfort her. After a pause, she added, “As long as you’re alive, there are endless possibilities.”

“Ah…” Song Sisi responded, then turned to look at Wei Zhao. After a long moment, she said, “I originally promised you, Sister Lin, that I would go to Haizhou with you. But now, it seems I can’t go with you.”

Wei Zhao hummed in response, her heart indifferent. To her, Song Sisi had no more value. The coldness of royal family members became apparent, but she still showed just the right amount of regret on her face. “So, what do you plan to do?”

“When we reach the next island, I’ll let my family know to come pick me up,” Song Sisi sighed.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Your family… sounds like they’ll be here quite quickly.”

Song Sisi looked up at Wei Zhao, and for the first time, Wei Zhao noticed that the seemingly simple young girl had a pair of deep eyes. But in an instant, Song Sisi lowered her head again, softly saying, “My family is from the martial world, with disciples spread all over the land. It’s just that I’ve been weak since childhood, so I couldn’t practice martial arts.”

“Martial world?” Wei Zhao laughed. “I’ve never seen one. I’ve only heard of it in stories.”

She quickly made up her mind. “Then when you get off the ship, we’ll go with you to make sure you reunite with your family safely.”

Song Sisi thanked her quietly. They chatted a bit more, and then Wei Zhao stood up to leave. But Song Sisi stopped her, saying, “Sister Lin, I… I want to talk to you. You’re the only one on this ship I can talk to.”

That was too bad for that little girl who cared so much for her.

Wei Zhao knew what Song Sisi wanted to say. She had seen many women in the capital like this, emotionally hurt and nostalgic. For a moment, Wei Zhao felt a bit impatient, but she quickly restrained herself, using the patience she had honed over the years to softly comfort her. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“Thank you, Sister Lin.”

Song Sisi wiped away her tears, and her expression became more lively as she started to talk about her past with A Zong.

“A Zong was a gift from my parents. She’s always been good to me since childhood. Whatever I asked, she would obey…”

Ah, as expected. Wei Zhao put on a quiet, attentive look, but in her mind, she was tuning out. For girls of this age, love was often the same—either it developed over time or happened at first sight.

They were moved by small things, deceived by their emotions, and then fell deeper into self-deception.

“…My family has many disciples. A Zong was specially chosen for me. She has excellent talent, unlike anyone else, but people became jealous of her, bullying her. I protected her, and she’s always stayed by my side, not speaking to anyone else. I’ve been so good to her, Sister Lin, why would she betray me? Is it because she doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for me?”

Song Sisi lowered her head, her hands fidgeting.

Wei Zhao noticed a faint blush on Song Sisi’s face as she spoke, and thought this was really a silly thing. If A Zong was a slave, asking her opinion was no different than giving her an order. Thinking this, Wei Zhao couldn’t help but compare it to herself. She valued Fa Yilian and relied on her as well.

But Fa Yilian, with such loyalty, protecting her with her life—was that just because of her slave status, and not her own will?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Wei Zhao couldn’t help but scorn herself for thinking so much. Her slave was no pushover. Hadn’t she even rejected the suggestion of becoming her concubine? Thinking about it, Wei Zhao felt a bit jealous of this young girl in front of her.

She realized that, even though Song Sisi didn’t intend it, many of her words had affected her, making her waver. So, Wei Zhao quickly interrupted, offered a few casual words of comfort, and left.

As she walked out the door, she saw Fa Yilian waiting quietly outside. The other woman still had that same expression, showing no sign of being a slave. Wei Zhao recalled how Fa Yilian had refused her in the past and then agreed, running off. Suddenly, she found herself appreciating the fact that Fa Yilian had refused her.

Matters of love were the most boring and troublesome things in the world. Wasn’t it all just about desire and pleasure?

Why should she demand true feelings when the body could satisfy her needs?

Fa Yilian had no idea what her master was thinking. She was smiling, her belt swaying in the wind, creating a crisp, heroic arc that made her appear much more gallant. Behind her, the lake stretched wide, glowing blue under the sunlight and clear sky, with seagulls soaring and calling loudly.

“We should be near land,” Fa Yilian said, glancing back. Wei Zhao couldn’t see her face but could hear a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “When we were at sea, seeing seagulls meant land was near.”

Wei Zhao, listening, couldn’t help but glance at the seagulls soaring and hunting. She stepped forward, suppressing the frustration rising in her chest. “If you like the sea, when we get to Haizhou, I can take you to see it.”

Fa Yilian turned to look at Wei Zhao. Her eyes were curving with a smile, and there was no sign of dissatisfaction. “There are many good foods at sea, but you might not like them.”

Wei Zhao gave a dry response, feeling a bit displeased with this Fa Yilian. The dependable Fa Yilian she used to know seemed different now. Was this person really the one she had lived with for over ten years?

They fell into a brief silence, and Wei Zhao found herself in a rare situation. She didn’t know what to say. If she followed Fa Yilian’s lead, she could learn more about her and understand her better, gaining more control over her. But emotions often clashed with logic. She pressed her lips together, pushing down her desire to be soft, even feeling a bit of discomfort in her stomach.

“I’m feeling a bit unwell,” Wei Zhao finally admitted.

Fa Yilian immediately turned to support her back to her room, but Wei Zhao waved her hand. She glanced at the scenery outside and then turned her face. “I can go back by myself.”

Fa Yilian didn’t move. She stood there with a puzzled look on her face, watching Wei Zhao’s back, then looked at the swaying lake, murmuring, “…Did you eat too much?”

This small exchange didn’t last long. Wei Zhao allowed herself this fleeting moment of bad temper but wouldn’t indulge in it forever. Rationality had always been her survival rule.

She soon returned to her usual self, maintaining her composure in the face of Fa Yilian’s questioning gaze.

And the supply island was about to arrive.

The place was different from what Wei Zhao had imagined. She had thought it would be a fishing village, but instead, it was busy and bustling. Wei Zhao stood on the deck, watching several slaves, their bodies covered in blue tattoos, carrying long ropes and helping large ships approach the dock. They shouted in unison, and as the merchant ships dropped anchor, they brought wooden planks, using small boats to form a bridge to the ship’s bow.

At some point, Captain Wang also came near, keeping his distance but watching the slaves, recalling the humiliation he had experienced earlier. He couldn’t help but spit, “These damned animals, they’re everywhere.”

“Is this common?” Wei Zhao asked.

“Places that use labor like this are more common. These boatmen were usually poor families who couldn’t afford food, and their turnover is fast,” Yu Cheng replied.

Wei Zhao nodded. She scanned the slaves, noticing several women without clothes.

But she didn’t comment on it. As a princess, she knew this wasn’t something she should speak up about. Still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy as she looked at Fa Yilian. Fa Yilian didn’t immediately notice Wei Zhao’s gaze, her expression unchanged as she stared ahead.

But… Wei Zhao thought, Fa Yilian must still care about it.

On the other hand, Wei Zhao also felt that her slave had no reason to worry about these things. She had already shown her value to Wei Zhao, and Wei Zhao would never let her suffer the same fate as those people.