The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 81
Wei Zhao quietly returned to the city with Fa Yilian.
Perhaps someone had been watching the Jin family mansion and sent word back, or maybe not. Wei Zhao didn’t care. Her attention was completely consumed by the person beside her. Even when the Manager Jin and others came to ask questions, Wei Zhao quickly brushed them off. She hadn’t suffered much, but after spending time at sea, she still smelled of the salty seawater, sticky and uncomfortable.
The Manager Jin was considerate and had hot water prepared for her.
After they had washed up, the two of them lay in bed, satisfied and exhausted to the core. Yet, amid their fatigue, there was also a sense of excitement, as though they were overexerting their energy, leaving Wei Zhao feeling restless. She kept glancing at Fa Yilian, her fingers itching to touch her.
But Fa Yilian seemed somewhat distracted.
“Is General Lan Du not here?”
Fa Yilian asked.
Wei Zhao narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp as she looked at her slave, a sense of caution in her eyes. “Are you thinking about him?”
Fa Yilian was momentarily stunned, then quickly returned to her senses and smiled, leaning closer to Wei Zhao. She whispered, “No, I’m just jealous.”
The warm breath on her ear sent a shiver up Wei Zhao’s spine, and for a moment, she was lost in the words Fa Yilian had spoken. She stared at her and then said, “What do you have to be jealous about? I…” She paused, her eyes flickering before she chose to be honest. “You know better than anyone who’s around me and what they’re thinking.”
“Yes…” Fa Yilian sighed, then reached out to pull Wei Zhao close, nuzzling her cheek against Wei Zhao’s neck. “But those people always have ulterior motives. I don’t like it.”
Wei Zhao was both angry and amused. She pinched Fa Yilian’s cheek and lifted it, teasing, “So you’ve had bad intentions toward me from the start?”
Fa Yilian made a few noises, but Wei Zhao wasn’t going to let her off the hook. She had gone through a great deal to win Fa Yilian’s heart, and if just saying something sincere would result in a beating, Wei Zhao would have long turned into a bruised mess. All that mattered now was striking a balance in her heart.
Seeing that she couldn’t escape, Fa Yilian finally sighed, burying her face in Wei Zhao’s chest. “Yes, yes. It was you who made me fall in love. I thought of you day and night, tossing and turning, wanting you but unable to get you. It’s all you.”
Wei Zhao’s lips curled into a smile at her words. She lowered her eyes, her face tinged with a bit of pink, and lightly scolded, “You looked so serious before, with your thick brows and big eyes… Yet you had such wild thoughts in your heart?”
“I, I don’t have wild thoughts!” Fa Yilian suddenly raised her head, staring at Wei Zhao, and instinctively swallowed before getting even closer. “Wild thoughts… wild thoughts…”
Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow, her eyes clear and bright, like water shimmering in the light. She let her gaze drift over Fa Yilian’s eyes, now dimming, and leaned in closer, suddenly laughing softly. “What do you want to do?”
Fa Yilian moved closer eagerly, but Wei Zhao pulled away just a little. This give-and-take created a silent tension between them, an unspoken understanding. Wei Zhao’s smile deepened. “What, do you want to be wild?”
Fa Yilian bit her lip, her breath growing heavy with desire. “Can I?” she asked, staring at Wei Zhao’s lips like a wild animal eyeing its prey. Wei Zhao didn’t respond, remaining still, and so Fa Yilian, encouraged, leaned in even closer. “Can I?”
She moved cautiously, but once she reached a certain point, the beast inside her took over, ferocious yet gentle as she captured her prey.
Sweetness overwhelmed them both, and the moment was filled with deep sighs, as neither knew who was the hunter and who the prey. Wei Zhao wrapped her arms around Fa Yilian, and Fa Yilian held her close. The occasional brush of lips and breath only deepened their connection, the scent of sweetness surrounding them.
After some time, Fa Yilian reluctantly loosened her hold, resting her forehead on Wei Zhao’s shoulder and trying to calm her breathing. She could smell Wei Zhao’s scent, the one she had longed for, now within her reach. She felt like a youth’s first love had suddenly appeared in her arms, and she smiled contentedly. She looked up at Wei Zhao and gently touched her face. “I almost thought I was dreaming again.”
“I once heard an envoy from a foreign land say that they believe everything in the world is a dream made by the gods. When the dream ends, everything perishes, and a new dream begins.” Wei Zhao closed her eyes and responded. She wasn’t unfamiliar with being close to Fa Yilian, but this time felt different. There was a vitality, the kind Wei Zhao had long envied, now burning through Fa Yilian and into her own soul.
“…I feel like I’m an old monster sucking the life out of a young girl.” Wei Zhao suddenly said, hugging Fa Yilian. Fa Yilian shifted slightly, but Wei Zhao held her in place, a bit displeased. “Don’t move, listen to me.”
And so, Fa Yilian remained still.
Wei Zhao chuckled softly, her arms tightening around Fa Yilian. “My mother and I, we both…” She paused for a moment before continuing with a light sigh, “We envy you.”
“So she envies me, and then she hits me?” Fa Yilian’s voice was filled with disbelief, yet there was a hint of a playful pout, as though she were teasing.
Wei Zhao hesitated before lowering her head and gently kissing Fa Yilian’s forehead. The teasing girl let out a silly laugh. “Alright, alright. Even though I got hit, I still have you.”
It had never occurred to Wei Zhao that the person in her arms could be so silly and so easy to please.
She laughed softly and held Fa Yilian closer, feeling an overwhelming sense of warmth between them.
“Tomorrow…” Wei Zhao murmured, a bit awkwardly, as she cleared her throat. “I’ll have someone remove your slave status.”
Fa Yilian’s arms tightened around Wei Zhao, and she suddenly sat up, staring at her in surprise. She studied Wei Zhao’s expression, trying to discern her thoughts. Her gaze was so bold, it was unlike anything she had ever seen, even from her mother, who always adhered to royal decorum.
Wei Zhao frowned slightly. The things they had gone through together made her feel a strange sense of responsibility: “Why are you looking at me like that? It’s rude. Once you’re free, you can’t look at others like this.”
“I don’t look at others. I only look at you.”
Her words came out as a promise, as if they were spoken in the heat of the moment, like a love-struck fool babbling sweet nonsense. But despite knowing this, Wei Zhao couldn’t stop herself from smiling sweetly in response.
She was a little dizzy, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She gently stroked Fa Yilian’s hair and spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Though she was Fa Yilian’s master, she always felt pampered and adored in her presence, as though she were the younger one, being spoiled. This was the first time Wei Zhao had spoken in such a calm, steady tone, saying what was on her mind.
“You can’t stay by my side as a slave forever… Or do you want to be my concubine?”
Fa Yilian blinked slowly. She realized something had changed in Wei Zhao. Wei Zhao had once said she would give her heart, and now, everything she said and did seemed to be pointing in that direction. If she became Wei Zhao’s concubine, she would be a slave by her side forever, the one Wei Zhao could relax around, loved and cherished.
But if she wanted Wei Zhao’s heart, that meant they would need to stand side by side. They would be partners, friends, confidants, and lovers. Wei Zhao would no longer be one-sided.
Fa Yilian had seen many sides of Wei Zhao, but those had all been for others. She had always hidden her true self, acting weak and unreasonable. But now, Wei Zhao was showing her the real version of herself.
“A Xian…” Fa Yilian whispered, her head lowered, her eyes glinting. Wei Zhao stared into those eyes—the ones she loved most, always full of life and defiance. But the owner of those eyes, the wild beast once crushed in the dust, had now been tamed and was offering her the reins.
Wei Zhao couldn’t help but raise her hand, her fingers brushing against Fa Yilian’s neck. Fa Yilian lowered her head obediently. Wei Zhao could feel the vitality beneath her fingers, as if she were holding the other person’s life in her hands.
The sense of control was intoxicating for someone like her, born to rule.
She always became addicted to such people. What about the future? Well, that would be left to time. Wei Zhao smiled softly, holding Fa Yilian close again. Why worry about the future? Just as Fa Yilian had placed her reins in her hands, Wei Zhao was offering Fa Yilian the freedom of choice and a brilliant future.
They would complete each other in the end.