The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 36
The closer they got to Haizhou, the hotter the weather became, and gradually, the surroundings began to show a completely different style and customs compared to the Central Plains of the Great Zhou.
This supply island was no exception. The eaves along the road rose high, with sharp peaks pointing upwards, as if they were about to pierce the sky.
Flowers were everywhere, hanging in clusters, brightly blooming in front of every household, under the eaves, all in vibrant colors that almost dazzled the eyes. The streets were filled with the scent of flowers.
Wei Zhao looked around in amazement, unable to stop herself from glancing about.
Fa Yilian, who had hung her knife on her waist after a long time, placed one hand lightly on Wei Zhao’s waist and kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. They were still on the deck, waiting for everyone to disembark.
The crowd around them bustled with activity. Those who had been on the deck for a while couldn’t sit still any longer and hurriedly walked toward the shore, ignoring the captain’s reminders.
“Your Highness… Miss Lin, we’ve already arranged accommodation for you, please follow us,” Yu Cheng said, bowing slightly to Wei Zhao.
“There’s no need,” Wei Zhao replied. She looked toward the direction they had come from and saw Song Sisi slowly appearing, carrying a small bundle, her face filled with a hint of worry.
Since Wei Zhao had plans to use Song Sisi, she couldn’t let her go off alone. She instinctively glanced at Fa Yilian, but for some reason, when she thought about Fa Yilian supporting or carrying Song Sisi, a sense of annoyance rose in her heart.
Perhaps it was because Song Sisi also liked women. If she allowed her slave to get too close to another woman like that, wouldn’t it be like sending her own slave to be taken advantage of?
Wei Zhao thought to herself. After all, she wanted to protect Fa Yilian. The chastity of a slave was part of her responsibility. Furthermore, if she personally helped, it would show more sincerity.
Suppressing her original thoughts, Wei Zhao stepped forward with a warm smile and took Song Sisi’s bundle. “Is there a place for you to stay? Let’s go together.”
“There’s no need,” Song Sisi shook her head. “I sent a message before I left. Someone should be coming to pick me up soon.”
Wei Zhao understood that someone like Song Sisi, from the martial world, likely had her own secret way of sending messages. So she smiled and said, “In that case, I’ll wait with you. Once your family comes to pick you up, you can be at ease.”
Hearing Wei Zhao speak like this, Song Sisi, though reluctant, swallowed her words. She gave a slight smile and nodded at Wei Zhao, but her gaze swept over Fa Yilian, and her expression grew slightly sorrowful, a bit melancholic.
Wei Zhao, being who she was, noticed Song Sisi’s expression but pretended not to see it. She subtly shifted to block Song Sisi’s gaze from Fa Yilian.
Seeing this, Song Sisi turned her face away and couldn’t help but sigh, “Sister Lin truly knows how to care for others. I’ll look away.”
Wei Zhao: “…”
If you’re not talking, no one will mistake you for being mute.
They didn’t have to wait long before a young man dressed neatly came running from the pier. He looked around, and thankfully, most of the people had already left. He quickly spotted Song Sisi, and his eyes lit up as he waved his arm, “Little Junior Sister! I’ve come to pick you up!”
With that, the young man took a few quick steps, using the edge of the wooden board for leverage, twisting his body and landing lightly in front of them.
Such skill was truly impressive.
“Such excellent skills,” Wei Zhao couldn’t help but praise.
The young man glanced at Wei Zhao, surprised to see her standing so close to Song Sisi. She was also quite beautiful, and he raised an eyebrow, “You are…?”
“This is my new friend, Lin Xian,” Song Sisi said, introducing Wei Zhao. Wei Zhao nodded politely.
“Ah, I see. Lin Daoist, hello.” The young man quickly cupped his hands and greeted her, a hint of shyness in his expression. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “I’m Zhu Tao from the Songhe Sect. My little junior sister has been under your care. The Songhe Sect is very grateful.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Song Sisi and I hit it off right away. She’s pure and kind. I treat her like my little sister,” Wei Zhao replied with a warm smile.
Fa Yilian couldn’t help but glance at Wei Zhao, but she quickly turned her gaze away.
Upon hearing Wei Zhao’s words, Zhu Tao’s admiration for her increased, and he eagerly said, “Since that’s the case, let me take the lead. Does Lin Daoist have any family here? Any place to stay? The Songhe Sect can take care of everything.”
When Yu Cheng heard that Zhu Tao wanted to steal his chance to gain favor, he immediately became upset. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his tone became sarcastic, “Oh, how sweetly you speak. Everything is taken care of. It seems Miss Song’s family is quite wealthy. I wonder, is the Songhe Sect planning to compensate us for the damages caused by your slave’s betrayal, which caused serious harm to our ship?”
The moment these words were spoken, Song Sisi’s face turned as pale as a sheet, and Zhu Tao looked shocked and confused. He glanced around and then suddenly darkened his expression, turning to Song Sisi, “Little Junior Sister, where’s A Zong?”
“She… she…” Song Sisi’s face went ashen, her lips trembling as she couldn’t speak for a while.
Seeing the girl’s pitiful appearance, Wei Zhao sighed softly, placing a hand on Song Sisi’s arm and gently patting her back.
Suddenly, Wei Zhao felt her hand lighten. It was Fa Yilian, silently taking the bundle from her. At this point, Wei Zhao no longer had the energy to focus on Fa Yilian. Perhaps because of Wei Zhao’s gesture, Song Sisi seemed deeply touched. She grabbed Wei Zhao’s arm, tears streaming down her face, her grip tightening, causing Wei Zhao pain.
Wei Zhao, being delicate, was particularly sensitive to pain. Her face turned pale, but she forced herself to endure it, telling herself that she could not let her efforts go to waste. Meanwhile, Fa Yilian stepped forward, gently supporting Song Sisi and freeing Wei Zhao from her grip. She looked down at Song Sisi, frowning slightly, “Take a deep breath. You can’t let your emotions overwhelm you right now.”
Zhu Tao, seeing this, immediately jumped to attention and said, “What this lady said is right. Little Junior Sister, if anyone has bullied you, we’ll make sure to seek justice for you. Don’t suffer in silence.”
With that, he turned to Yu Cheng and spoke politely, “If it’s about the Songhe Sect, we will compensate for it and make sure you’re satisfied.”
Yu Cheng snorted coldly, clearly seeing that the Song family was rich and powerful, and reluctantly held back his anger.
Wei Zhao, seeing the situation, whispered, “That’s right. There’s nothing more fortunate than having family and friends around.”
Zhu Tao, filled with gratitude, glanced at Wei Zhao and nodded, saying, “Exactly! Our Senior Brother is on his way here. He’s so strong, he can defeat anyone. Even the Emperor, if you ask him, he’d do it!”
Wei Zhao looked at him meaningfully.
Yu Cheng, on the other hand, felt uneasy, though he tried to mask it with a smile.
Zhu Tao didn’t understand the tension, feeling a chill on his back. As a martial artist, he was especially sensitive to hostility. He glanced around but didn’t sense any malice, so he scratched his head, confused.
Finally, Song Sisi let out a loud cry and burst into tears, throwing herself into Zhu Tao’s arms. Her face looked utterly pitiful and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
“Senior Brother, A Zong… A Zong doesn’t want me anymore!!” Song Sisi cried, sobbing. “Please find her, bring her back for me.”
Zhu Tao, a man of integrity, immediately raised his hands and didn’t dare to embrace her. He had always seen Song Sisi as a younger sister, but hearing her words filled him with anger. He shouted, “Little Junior Sister, don’t suffer like this. If A Zong has wronged you, I’ll… I’ll make sure she pays! Even if I can’t do it, Senior Brother can!”
“I don’t want her dead,” Song Sisi whispered, her voice trembling.
“Well, then we won’t let her die,” Zhu Tao stammered. “We’ll go and bring her back.”
“Dead? Bring back?” A calm male voice suddenly interrupted.
The group turned toward the voice, and they saw a man in his twenties standing there, his clothing similar to Zhu Tao’s. It was clear he was from the same sect, but he was much more composed. This must be the Senior Brother Zhu Tao had mentioned.
Sure enough, Zhu Tao froze when he saw him and quickly called out, “Senior Brother.” He didn’t dare to speak again. Song Sisi also looked up, weakly calling out, “Senior Brother.”
The Senior Brother walked up to Song Sisi, quickly assessing her condition. Seeing she was unharmed, he relaxed slightly and sternly said, “Little Junior Sister, do you know how worried the whole Songhe Sect has been? Master and Mistress have been so anxious, they couldn’t even eat or sleep.”
“Sorry… Sorry,” Song Sisi quickly apologized, as though she had done this many times before.
The Senior Brother, though still stern, let her off with a light reprimand. “Then come back with us. You’ve been traveling for so long, you must rest and recover.”
“Hey, Senior Brother!” Zhu Tao hurriedly jumped to his Senior Brother’s side and whispered something in his ear. The Senior Brother’s expression shifted slightly when he heard it, and then he turned to Wei Zhao and the others, his demeanor becoming much gentler. He cupped his hands and said, “Previously, Song Qing didn’t recognize her benefactor. Please forgive her. If you’ve helped my little Junior Sister, you’re a noble guest of the Songhe Sect. I’ll be holding a banquet tonight. I hope you’ll all come and join us.”
Seeing the Senior Brother’s graciousness, Wei Zhao finally relaxed. She had feared that the martial world might be dismissive of formalities, making communication difficult. But it seemed that the martial world, too, had its own rules of politeness and reciprocity. As long as that was the case, her plans to “buy” people or use the Songhe Sect to her advantage would most likely succeed.