The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 6

Although Wei Zhao was a princess, she seemed surprisingly good at biting. But when she tasted a bit of bl00d under her teeth, she quickly stopped, uneasily pulling back. Not only did she stop, but she even licked the wound with a hint of guilt.

Like a kitten showing submission.

“Master,” came the slave’s voice, a little hoarse.

Wei Zhao responded with a soft “Mm?” She paused, then seemed to realize something. “You haven’t had any water, have you? Are you thirsty now?”

The slave didn’t reply.

After a while, she finally said, “No.”

But there was a dull tone to her voice, as if she wasn’t happy.

Wei Zhao was already used to how strange the slave could be. It wasn’t exactly that she was moody—well, she didn’t dare to be outright temperamental—but she certainly wasn’t easy to deal with and didn’t seem afraid of Wei Zhao at all. That always left Wei Zhao feeling frustrated. She didn’t dare push too far. Even if she was annoyed, she had enough sense to know that, right now, the slave was her only hope—her only support.

Wei Zhao sighed to herself. That meant she had to keep the slave in line with kindness, win her over, make her grateful and loyal. Ideally, the girl would be moved to tears and willingly submit to her.

But how could it be that easy?

Just thinking about their earlier brief exchange left Wei Zhao feeling powerless.

The slave only wanted her to say her name?

No way.

Then what did the slave want? As the imperial princess, if freedom, power, and money couldn’t move her… what else did Wei Zhao have to offer?

Wei Zhao leaned most of her weight against the slave’s back. She lay there as the girl ran, her view bouncing with each step.

Green stretched endlessly before her eyes. Sometimes the slave would take a turn, but the sound of rushing water never left Wei Zhao’s ears. She realized the river was growing wider—maybe it would soon turn into a large river. And as long as the water kept flowing, it would eventually lead them to a town. Then they’d be rescued.

Wei Zhao rarely saw scenery like this. It was only early spring, yet everything here was already so green and full of life. That wasn’t how it was in the capital. In the capital, early spring was still bleak. Willow buds would quietly sprout just a hint of green. Only by March would the riverside willows suddenly flush green, bringing crowds of tourists and fully melting the ice. Around that time, merchant ships would begin sailing up the Grand Canal, bringing grains and goods from all over. Traders from the western regions, traveling the entire Silk Road, would also arrive then, making the capital dazzling and vibrant…

Wei Zhao rubbed her eyes and looked ahead at the towering cliff.

Although calling it a “cliff” wasn’t quite right—thick greenery had climbed over the surface, turning the rocks into loose soil. It looked more like a small mountain, stretching endlessly. And on the other side of that mountain, something seemed to flash past. A sharp noise followed.

Wei Zhao sat up straight at once and smacked the girl’s back urgently. “Over there! I saw someone!”

“That’s not a person. That’s a monkey,” the slave said after glancing over. She frowned. “Monkeys are petty and crafty. We’d better stay away from them.”

With that, the slave ran even faster.

Wei Zhao turned her head, watching the shadows swing between the trees—leaping and darting with sharp cries. Agile figures flitted through the forest like the mountain spirits or demons from ancient tales, yet somehow looked free and unbound.

“How amazing…” Wei Zhao’s eyes sparkled. Even when they paused to rest, she couldn’t stop talking about it. She gestured excitedly at the slave. “I’ve only read about them in books. I can’t believe I actually saw real ones! So this is what they look like!”

The slave sat to the side, catching her breath. She had good stamina, but still—it was exhausting carrying someone while running. She rested quietly under a tree, listening to Wei Zhao chatter on.

The princess’s nonstop talking was noisy, but in the overly quiet, deserted forest, it brought a rare sense of life.

When Wei Zhao finally stopped rambling, she didn’t hear any sarcastic remarks or polite replies. She turned her head and saw the slave’s long legs stretched out and crossed, arms folded, head nodding slightly.

“So she… fell asleep…”

As a princess, no matter what Wei Zhao said—even if it was nonsense—there were always people eager to flatter her. Who didn’t like compliments? Wei Zhao loved them. When she was in a good mood, she’d even reward people—sometimes with gifts from the emperor, sometimes just a little trinket. She didn’t mind spending lavishly.

That meant she was surrounded by people eager to flatter her.

It had been a long time since she’d felt this kind of silence.

Wei Zhao felt a bit of unfamiliar disappointment.

She walked over. The slave was clearly exhausted—her footsteps didn’t even wake her. Wei Zhao looked at the sweat on the girl’s cheek, remembered how she had stood guard all night, remembered all the running. She sighed. “Fine, I’ll forgive your rudeness…”

Once they got back, she still needed to teach her the proper rules.

Wei Zhao squatted beside her. There was a moss-covered rock beneath her—she couldn’t just sit anywhere like the slave did. So she chose to squat. Her toes shifted inside her shoes, feeling the warmth and softness beneath her feet. Her eyes couldn’t help drifting toward the slave’s tattered clothes. That outfit had been through a lot—used as a shoe pad, a blanket, sometimes even a cushion.

And it was all they had.

If they couldn’t find a way out of this forest soon—if it took ten days or half a month—what would they use then?

Wei Zhao started to feel anxious again. She bit her thumb.

She still had the responsibility her brother had entrusted to her… and those people lying in ambush…

Wei Zhao couldn’t help leaning closer to the slave. She felt like she was surrounded by danger—wolves in the dark—and that fear made her restless. Being close to the slave, the only person with her now, calmed her down a little.

That’s when she heard a rustling sound. Then barking—dog-like, but not quite—from somewhere in the forest. Birds were startled, flapping their wings in panic.

Dogs? Or some wild animal she didn’t recognize?

Why would there be dogs in a place like this?

Wei Zhao instinctively reached out to nudge the slave, just as the girl suddenly clamped a hand over her mouth. Startled, Wei Zhao looked up—and the slave raised a finger to her lips, whispering close to her ear, “Don’t move. Something’s wrong with that sound.”

Wei Zhao’s body instantly froze.

The unfamiliar sensation of being held by someone, the breath brushing her ear, and the meaning of those words—all of it made her feel deeply uncomfortable, and afraid. But strangely, the slave’s embrace, the warmth of her body, the scent Wei Zhao had started to recognize—it all came through their pressed-together clothes and brought her a strange sense of comfort.

Wei Zhao didn’t like that confusing feeling.

But right now, she had no choice.

The slave kept one hand over her mouth and the other around her shoulders. She hunched down and silently led Wei Zhao into a patch of tall grass.

There were a lot of these kinds of grasses in the forest. The slave usually stayed away from them.

“They block your view. You don’t know what’s hiding inside. It’s dangerous,” she had once told Wei Zhao.

But now, she was going straight into danger—which meant she saw whatever was ahead as even more dangerous.

Wei Zhao was too scared to make a sound. Her whole body was stiff. She felt the slave hold her close as they sank into the grass. The long blades brushed her face and stung painfully. Wei Zhao wasn’t used to pain—her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Then she felt someone gently pat her on the head.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

The slave gave her a small smile.

Wei Zhao blinked. She opened her mouth, wanting to call her back. But then she thought—wasn’t it a slave’s job to check for danger and protect her master?

So she stayed silent. Her fingers instinctively grabbed onto the girl’s worn-out sleeve, wrapping tightly around the fabric until her hand hurt.

The slave paused, then leaned in and whispered, “I’ll be quick.”

And so, Wei Zhao let go.