The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 44

Wei Zhao didn’t know where Fa Yilian had slept or what had happened with A Zong. But when she woke up to the heat and scorching sun of the local area, she saw Fa Yilian opening the small window, propped up by a bamboo pole.

The cool morning breeze blew in from the outside, bringing the unique humidity and salty scent of the sea.

Wei Zhao wasn’t familiar with this scent, but maybe because Fa Yilian was someone Wei Zhao knew, or perhaps because Fa Yilian belonged to the sea that made Wei Zhao feel both uneasy and familiar, it brought a sense of closeness to her.

Unable to help herself, she shifted and rolled over, making a soft sound. “When did you come back?”

“Just at dawn,” Fa Yilian replied.

Wei Zhao murmured a reply. She didn’t see A Zong and was about to ask when she suddenly remembered that A Zong was now a free person—though not yet, but when the Grand Princess spoke, even if she wasn’t free, she would be.

Since she was free, she couldn’t do menial work anymore.

Wei Zhao turned over again. “It’s hot. Open the window wider.”

“The night’s coolness hasn’t worn off. It can’t be opened too much,” Fa Yilian quickly rejected Wei Zhao’s suggestion and walked toward her, lifting the thin mosquito net.

Wei Zhao squinted, not moving, and even deliberately twisted her body, exposing a small part of her slender white waist.

Fa Yilian’s gaze was drawn to it, and Wei Zhao secretly felt pleased. But the next moment, Fa Yilian firmly covered her waist.

Wei Zhao stared at Fa Yilian in shock. Her slave was looking up at the canopy, speaking with a serious tone. “It’s not good to let your waist get cold. You might get diarrhea.”

“You…!” Wei Zhao suddenly straightened up, her pride as the Grand Princess making her swallow her words. For a moment, her beautiful face twisted in anger.

But some things were better left unsaid. If she didn’t speak, it could all go unspoken, but once said, it couldn’t be undone.

Wei Zhao clenched her fists and slammed them on the bed, standing up.

Fa Yilian reached out to steady her, gently massaging her shoulder. “Don’t rush.”

Don’t rush? What did that mean? Did she look like she was acting impatient?

Wei Zhao took a deep breath.

She had chosen this slave… No, it was the Empress who had arranged her for me!

Wei Zhao continued to breathe deeply.

Yes, she was greedy for her beauty… If she had known, she would have just ordered her. Why bother asking her opinion? Now, she was rejected, and the delicious morsel she had brought to her mouth was gone.

Wei Zhao gritted her teeth in frustration.

“The manager, Jin, is waiting. Has A Xian figured out what to do?”

“What to do?” Wei Zhao snorted. “This is unfamiliar territory. What can we do?”

As she had said, within three days, the whole of Haizhou City knew that a super-rich young lady from the wealthy Duobao Pavilion had arrived.

“I heard that a foreign merchant presented a treasure the other day when they were sightseeing on the lake. The young lady was so pleased she gave a tenfold reward!”

“I hear many sea merchants have heard of it and are lining up to meet her.”

“The merchants from the sea, aren’t they all…”

“Shh! Are you trying to get us killed?”

The conversation in the teahouse abruptly quieted, and then spread again from all directions. Among the crowd, a woman with black hair wearing a conical hat, hiding her ice-blue eyes, made her way out.

A Zong walked quickly. Haizhou was different from the places she had been before. The local people were tough, and many carried weapons. There were also many foreign tribes in the streets, but no one paid any attention to her appearance.

A Zong felt both happy and a little disoriented.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of her. Instinctively, A Zong sidestepped, but then she heard a familiar voice.

“Little slave, what are you doing here, away from your master?”

A Zong looked up and saw a tall, lean woman in front of her. Stepping back, she pulled out a certificate from her chest. “I’m not a slave. I have proof.”

The certificate was something Wei Zhao had arranged for A Zong. The Grand Princess had given an order, and for such a small matter, how could it not be handled? In less than a day, the certificate and household registration had been delivered to A Zong. She was overjoyed and carried it with her wherever she went. She even secretly hoped that if anyone questioned her, she could just show them the proof… but with so many foreigners in Haizhou, no one cared about it. This was the first time she had to show her certificate.

The woman glanced at the certificate and then smiled. “Your name is A Zong? But you have black hair and blue eyes. Why would you have such a name?”

A Zong froze, staring at the woman. This had once been a question in her mind, but no one, not even Song Sisi, who gave her the name, had answered her. Fa Yilian thought it was no big deal, and Wei Zhao never cared. Among everyone A Zong knew, no one had ever asked her about this.

But now, a stranger was asking her about it.

“That’s none of your business,” A Zong said, then stepped back, ready to leave, but the woman stopped her.

A Zong’s eyes narrowed, and she instinctively took a step back.

“Where’s that girl you were with the other day? Isn’t she with you?” the woman asked. She was older than A Zong and spoke slowly. Seeing A Zong eyeing her warily, she smiled. “You came out here alone to gather information. Why is no one with you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” A Zong said bluntly, her muscles tensing in her legs, ready to run.

But the woman’s next words froze her in place. “What about the girl named Fa Yilian?”

A Zong’s body jerked. Fearing she might say something wrong, she quickly turned and disappeared, running out of sight. Nevertheless, Judith, the woman, was no fool and had already guessed the truth. She glanced at the splendid Duobao Pavilion in the distance and sighed. “I’ll need to find another opportunity to visit.”

A Zong felt cold sweat running down her back. She ran quickly, darting across rooftops, leaping from one to the next. Haizhou wasn’t too big, and a few jumps later, she had returned to the Duobao Pavilion, where she crouched on the roof, lost in thought.

Earlier, when Wei Zhao had been dressing at the banquet, A Zong had seen the look of displeasure on her face when the woman mentioned Fa Yilian’s name. Wei Zhao had quickly hidden it, but she had warned A Zong not to speak out. But now…

A Zong couldn’t help but think. Was that the Fa Yilian she knew? Fa Yilian was from a foreign tribe, and so was the woman. But the world was so big—if that woman really was Fa Yilian’s older sister…

Sister…

A Zong thought of that word, and sighed deeply. “How nice,” she murmured.

To have an older sister, and parents, and loved ones.

How nice.

“What’s so nice? You’re back, but you don’t even come inside,” a voice called. A Zong looked down, and when she met Fa Yilian’s green eyes, she couldn’t help but shudder.

Fa Yilian squinted. “Who did you meet?”

“I… I didn’t meet anyone,” A Zong quickly looked away, hopping down. She shouted, “I have something to report to the princess!”

Fa Yilian watched her run like the wind into Wei Zhao’s room, and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Then, she clenched her teeth. “What are you hiding from me?”

A Zong, escaping like a frightened rabbit, quickly found Wei Zhao and hurriedly spilled the beans about the encounter in the teahouse. Wei Zhao was drawing at the time. She paused her brush as she listened to A Zong, then placed it aside and smiled. “What do you think of those sea merchants? Who are they, and why is no one willing to speak openly?”

A Zong shook her head, confused.

For most of her life, she had been a slave, obedient and docile. There were few times when she had to make decisions for herself, and this was one of those moments.

Wei Zhao gave her a long look but didn’t say anything further. A Zong, being a slave, had learned to read people’s faces. She couldn’t show dissatisfaction or disappointment—it would only make this sensitive girl even more sensitive.

“Well then, let’s take a walk to the dock,” Wei Zhao said. Most of the time, she issued orders, but wasn’t the one to act on them. After a brief pause, she helplessly added, “You could ask Fa Yilian. She’s very familiar with these matters and would probably know.”

A Zong nodded. Wei Zhao, seeing that she was about to leave, gently asked, “Is there anything else?”

The implication was clear: if there was nothing else, leave.

A Zong furrowed her brow. “I… I met a woman who knew Fa Yilian.”

Wei Zhao was taken aback for a moment before quickly recovering. She instinctively corrected A Zong. “She doesn’t know Fa Yilian. It’s just a coincidence that they share the same name.”

A Zong didn’t understand and gave a confused “oh,” brushing aside the meaningless correction. “What should I do? Is she Fa Yilian’s older sister? Will she take Fa Yilian away? Fa Yilian isn’t… isn’t a slave, right?”

Wei Zhao ground her teeth. “I said it’s just a coincidence that they have the same name.” She reminisced about the clever people back at the Grand Princess’s residence. Though the flattery sometimes became tiresome, at least they wouldn’t be this evasive.

A Zong nodded again, whispering, “What should I do?”

Wei Zhao pinched the bridge of her nose. There was no way to guard against someone forever. She couldn’t keep Fa Yilian by her side forever. With that clever mind of hers, Fa Yilian had probably figured it out by now, but had been holding back.

Was she really afraid that a slave might run away?

Wei Zhao snorted inwardly, then, with a touch of regret, thought, Yes, I am afraid.

Fa Yilian was too useful, and the way she looked at her gave Wei Zhao a secret thrill. A person like that, if she really left, Wei Zhao wouldn’t allow it.

It would always need to be dealt with.

Wei Zhao thought, by any means necessary.

But she hadn’t expected that the woman named Judith would come so quickly.