The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 67

A Zong took a step forward.

Song Sisi narrowed her eyes at her. That woman’s eyes always looked too cold and emotionless. Even when she didn’t mean to, she often came across as distant. If A Zong didn’t smile, that gaze—combined with her delicate features and jet-black hair—became even more striking.

And right now, A Zong was looking at Song Sisi with exactly that cold, detached expression.

“You regret it now?” Song Sisi sneered. “Even if you get down on your knees, I won’t say a word.”

A Zong pressed her lips together. “They’re important to me.”

That was all she said.

Song Sisi let out a scornful laugh. “What’s that got to do with me?”

“They really are important,” A Zong said, still looking at her. She had known Song Sisi since they were little. Even back then, Song Sisi had been a willful child. Kids don’t hide their cruelty, especially when that cruelty is encouraged. A Zong had always been the one to silently endure, because at times, she didn’t even know what the point of living was. Food was nice, martial arts were interesting—but Song Sisi kept her locked by her side, never letting her go.

No matter what Song Sisi did to her, none of it seemed to matter. Especially after A Zong learned to use inner force to resist. Physical pain no longer affected her. Later, when Song Sisi became obsessed with romantic games, A Zong continued to obey her. Because to her, none of it had meaning.

She had always treated Song Sisi with submission—like water, yielding to everything.

But now, someone else accepted her. And only then did A Zong realize why Song Sisi always acted so recklessly and unreasonably. Because being cared for—being loved—felt too good. That fleeting illusion of affection had first come from Song Sisi: dressing her up in pretty clothes, whispering sweet words, curling up gently in her arms.

A Zong had once wavered.

But a lie is still a lie. It will never become truth.

True respect and love, though—that’s what the heart truly longs for.

“They’re all good people—Fa Yilian, Judith, His Highness…” A Zong murmured.

“Judith…?” Song Sisi frowned. It was the first time she’d heard that name.

But before she could think further, a cold hand suddenly pressed against her throat. A Zong lowered her eyes and looked at her. “I’m sorry. But they matter to me. I have to know where they are.”

“You—”

Song Sisi’s eyes widened. She barely managed a gasp before pain and suffocation overwhelmed her. She stared at A Zong, who looked as calm and cold as ever. In that moment, she was like a finely carved ice doll—just like when Song Sisi had first met her.

A person made of ice—no matter how lifelike—can never have human feelings.

A Zong slowly tightened her grip, watching as Song Sisi’s face turned red, her tongue stuck out uncontrollably, her eyes rolled back. Then suddenly, A Zong let go. A rush of air filled Song Sisi’s lungs, and she burst into violent coughing, clutching her throat. Her health was already poor, so the coughing caused her even more pain than normal.

A Zong just watched.

“Tell me.”

“Heh… haha…” Song Sisi laughed weakly. It was a twisted, crazy laugh. “Go ahead, kill me if you dare.”

A Zong’s eyes darkened. She stayed silent for a moment before speaking again. “I won’t kill you. But if you don’t talk, I’ll kill everyone in this courtyard. Then I’ll set fire to the whole place and burn it to the ground. What will you do then, Miss? Your senior brothers are still locked up by the authorities. How will you survive?”

Song Sisi’s trembling shoulders suddenly stilled.

A Zong’s voice was icy, but steady and serious: “You know I can do it. In this estate, no one can stop me.”

“Senior Brother will never let you get away with this!” Song Sisi looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

“He will.” A Zong replied firmly. “I have His Highness behind me now. If the Songhe Sect wants to keep surviving, he’ll have to swallow this bitter pill himself.”

She had never felt so clear-headed. Every word she spoke, every move she made—it all came from her own will. She planned, threatened, pressured. And in the back of her mind, she even recalled everything she had seen while staying by Wei Zhao’s side.

Ah… His Highness had lost his cool because he cared too much. That’s how Song Sisi managed to manipulate him.

A Zong even had the spare energy to let her mind wander.

She looked at Song Sisi and said, “Now, the choice is yours, Miss. Speak, or end up on the streets. Pick one.”

The small courtyard remained quiet. The sky over Haizhou was different from other parts of Great Zhou—it was always bright and humid with the scent of the sea. The air felt bold and warm. Even the flowers poking over the courtyard wall looked vivid and alive, as if ready to take human form.

A woman in black stepped outside. She looked up at the blue sky, and even her icy blue eyes seemed to soften under the sun. Slowly, she smiled. The last trace of chill around her melted away under the golden sunlight.

“How nice,”

She whispered.

A breeze blew through, and her figure disappeared with it. The alley returned to its usual quiet state.

Judith sneezed loudly, scaring off a seagull resting on the side of the boat.

“Caught a cold?” She rubbed her nose and pulled her thick wool blanket tighter around her. Her clothes were dry, but she still felt soaked and cold, as if she’d been soaking in the ocean too long—like she was just a step away from becoming part of it.

Thinking back, she still felt cold. Judith hugged herself and moved closer to the sun.

“In Great Zhou, there’s a saying,” Fa Yilian’s voice sounded beside her, soft and weak. “When you sneeze, it means someone’s thinking about you.”

“Oh.” Judith didn’t react much. In fact, she said, “Well, then there must be tons of people thinking about me.”

“…Why would they think of you and not me?” Fa Yilian muttered.

Judith instantly picked up the teasing tone and grinned. “Aha! You’re jealous. You’re thinking about someone, but they’re not thinking about you, right?”

Fa Yilian didn’t reply at first. Then she snapped, “If you don’t know how to talk, just shut up!”

“Aiya~” Judith wasn’t about to let such a great opportunity go. Her energy came rushing back, and she wiggled closer, nudging Fa Yilian with her shoulder. “Jealous, aren’t you? Envious? I’ve got people missing me~”

“Shut up!” Fa Yilian lunged at her, and the two of them started rolling around, roughhousing playfully.

Cough cough cough…

A coughing sound came from the side. They turned to see a young man in a fisherman’s outfit. He quickly looked away, his face red. “Ladies, this is a public place… please, have some decency.”

Fa Yilian kicked Judith and got up. She straightened her clothes and stood quietly to the side. Judith pouted, glancing at the man before turning her face away, flopping down under the sun like a lazy pancake.

“Where are you headed?” the man asked. He had heard the commotion and now looked at Fa Yilian.

They had only just been pulled from the sea and still looked a mess. Even though they’d changed into dry clothes, Fa Yilian’s tall frame didn’t fit the available women’s garments, so she wore men’s clothing. Her red hair was loose, her feet bare—she looked like some wild wanderer.

They had been attacked not long ago. Though they fought hard and managed to damage the enemy, both ships were wrecked. A giant wave flipped everything over, and they ended up in the sea. Fa Yilian somehow found a floating plank and clung to it, pulling Judith aboard. The two of them drifted for two days, surviving on raw fish. Whenever Judith paddled toward what looked like another person, it turned out to be a corpse—or an enemy.

Over time, she lost hope. She really thought she and Fa Yilian would die out there.

“Do you hate me?” Fa Yilian asked during one of those hopeless moments. “If you hadn’t come to find me, you’d still have your ship, your crew, everything your parents left you…”

Slap!

Judith smacked Fa Yilian hard across the face. “What kind of stupid thing is that to say? Do you think I’m that kind of person? Are you insulting me? My ship’s gone—I’ll build another. The people I lost—I’ll avenge them! I chose this path. What does it have to do with you?”

Grabbing her by the collar, Judith shouted, “If you want to die, fine! I’ll let you! And then I’ll crawl back, use your family’s money and ships, and kidnap the woman you like—make her my slave for the rest of her life!”

“You…” Fa Yilian stared at her, wide-eyed.

“I mean it!!” Judith yelled. “If you die, I swear I’ll do it!!”

After that, Fa Yilian never brought it up again. They drifted on, day after day, their bodies feeling like they were rotting in the sea. And then—just when they were about to give up—a fishing boat appeared.

The moment they saw it, Fa Yilian grabbed Judith’s hand. She turned to look at her—not by bl00d, but someone who shared her skin, her hair, her soul. Her lips were dry and cracked, her skin crusted with salt, but her eyes shone brightly.

“We’ll come back. With ships and money.”

“You…” Judith blinked in shock. “You’ve made up your mind?”

“There’s nothing to figure out. It’s something we have to do,” Fa Yilian said calmly. “As long as those people exist, none of us will ever be safe.”

“And me—I swore long ago to be A Xian’s sword and shield.”