Transmigrating Before The Crazy Beauty Scum A Loses Control - Chapter 98

The Crazy Maid X The Tsundere Princess (6)

After a simple breakfast, the marriage procession set off towards the next destination.

Zuo Baixuan, having finished her meal, sat quietly in the phoenix carriage.

Luan Yenan decided to walk alongside the carriage for a while, and Zuo Baixuan did not stop her; in fact, she seemed almost eager, nodding repeatedly.

Amused, Luan Yenan reached out without hesitation and pinched Zuo Baixuan’s fair, smooth cheek as a form of punishment.

Zuo Baixuan’s cheeks quickly flushed red, and she let out a soft, dissatisfied hum, pushing Luan Yenan away. Before the coachman and maid outside the curtain could notice, she hurriedly hid her happy smile.

After Luan Yenan left, Zuo Baixuan sat alone in the phoenix carriage, looking down at herself.

The spotless white gauze dress she wore had been changed into by her “Sister Nan” the night before.

She covered her face with her sleeve and giggled for a while.

She couldn’t tell where her luck came from. Everything from last night until now felt like a dream—she had confessed her feelings and received a response.

Leaning against the window frame, Zuo Baixuan listened to Luan Yenan’s voice as she chatted with the maid outside, feeling an unusual sense of peace.

No matter what Luan Yenan’s plans were or what bold actions she intended to take, Zuo Baixuan was willing to accompany her.

Being together like this, even for just a day or an hour, felt like a blessing.

Although her words had been interrupted earlier when she tried to express this to her “Sister Nan” she couldn’t blame herself for being pessimistic.

In her life, aside from the fortunate encounter with Luan Yenan, everything else seemed to take the most tragic path at every crossroads of fate.

She also wanted to defy fate, to stand side by side with Luan Yenan and walk towards a happy future.

Luan Yenan stepped down from the phoenix carriage and approached the accompanying maid. “Has anything happened today?”

“Prince Dan has been acting strangely. Yesterday, he kept trying to approach the carriage, but today he’s been staying obediently with his own guards.” the maid reported.

That was to be expected.

After being thoroughly frightened by Luan Yenan last night, Prince Dan, for the sake of his own dignity, wouldn’t dare to come near again. His guards also had no reason to approach.

“Yesterday, the coachman mentioned that we would reach Yizhou today.” Luan Yenan said.

The maid, however, gently shook her head.

Luan Yenan gazed at her for a moment before continuing, “This morning, the princess mentioned she wanted to bathe. Make sure everything is prepared.”

The maid bowed respectfully. “Understood.”

While they were still speaking, rhythmic orders began to echo from not too far away.

Soon after, the marching procession changed direction.

A soldier hurried over.

Luan Yenan turned to look at him. “What’s all this commotion about?”

The soldier’s squad leader had instructed him to deliver a message specifically to the princess, but hadn’t clarified whether it could be shared with the princess’s maid.

However, when the soldier looked up and met Luan Yenan’s gaze, he felt his resolve waver under her intense stare.

He was just a young boy of fourteen or fifteen, recently conscripted into the army. A single glance from Luan Yenan was enough to fluster him, and he hurriedly replied, “The scouts reported that rebel forces have gathered in Yicheng, making it unsafe. Therefore, the general has ordered a change of route towards Qingquan Prefecture. The general has already sent a carrier pigeon to Huo Lin, the governor of Qingquan Prefecture, requesting troops to escort us.”

Luan Yenan gave the young maid a meaningful look and, without responding further, leaped back onto the phoenix carriage.

The maid stepped forward and handed the young soldier a piece of dried rations. “You’ve worked hard. If there’s any more news, please make a few extra trips. The princess is quite concerned.”

The young soldier, seeing the exquisite pastry in his hand—something completely different from the coarse, poorly made biscuits they usually had—was overjoyed and eagerly agreed.

Luan Yenan pushed aside the curtain and entered the carriage.

Zuo Baixuan looked at her with a face full of worry, clearly having heard every word from outside. “Sister Nan, changing routes… could it be dangerous?”

Luan Yenan knew what Zuo Baixuan was worried about. She reached out and pulled the young girl into her arms. “Xuan’er, I didn’t want to tell you earlier not because I didn’t trust you, but because I was afraid you’d worry, just like now. But rest assured, everything is under control.”

Hearing this answer, Zuo Baixuan immediately understood Luan Yenan’s true identity.

She tugged at Luan Yenan’s collar, looking up in surprise, and whispered, “Sister Nan, you… you’re really with the rebels?”

Luan Yenan didn’t want to hide it anymore and spoke the truth. “We never call ourselves rebels. I am with the uprising army, and I have been for over a decade.”

Zuo Baixuan was stunned into silence for a moment.

If that was the case, it all made sense—Luan Yenan’s exceptional skills even before she was sent away at the age of ten by her mother to train in martial arts, and how she often sneaked out of the palace by climbing over walls as she grew older.

Seeing Zuo Baixuan lost in thought, Luan Yenan thought she might have misunderstood something and decided to explain first. “Your mother wasn’t harmed by the uprising army.”

Before the former imperial consort passed away, she had fallen ill after being ambushed by bandits during a visit to her family estate. Though she was treated for a long time, the attack had triggered an old ailment, and the imperial physicians were powerless to save her.

Emperor Li had sent people to investigate the bandits, and the reported conclusion was that they were rebels.

But Luan Yenan had stolen the hidden weapon used in the attack from the imperial physicians—its craftsmanship was far too intricate. The uprising army lacked the funds for such weaponry.

Back then, bound by her position, Luan Yenan had said nothing. Now, she only hoped Zuo Baixuan wouldn’t misunderstand.

Zuo Baixuan, however, shook her head lightly. “Mother… Mother and I never doubted you.”

Though her mother had never spoken about it, Zuo Baixuan had seen the grief in her eyes.

That had never been the work of rebels.

The so-called visit to her family estate had been nothing more than a heartless scheme by Emperor Li. He had orchestrated it to remove an obstacle from his path—so that he could indulge in his pleasures without the interference of a consort who held true power.

Now, Zuo Baixuan didn’t even want to call him “Imperial Father” anymore.

Zuo Baixuan hoped that at least now, with her mother gone and herself leaving the palace, she could regain her freedom.

Luan Yenan looked at the sorrow and determination in Zuo Baixuan’s eyes and couldn’t help but pull her into an embrace. “Xuan’er, your mother was very kind to me when she was alive and even entrusted you to me. I will definitely avenge her, and I will also take good care of you.”

Zuo Baixuan tightened her grip on Luan Yenan’s clothing. She lifted her head to look at her, her eyes still filled with disbelief.

She hadn’t expected that Luan Yenan’s plan wasn’t just to kill Prince Dan and escape with her far away—there was something much bigger in motion.

“You plan to take back the imperial palace?” Zuo Baixuan’s hands trembled slightly. She could already imagine the chaos when the rebel forces stormed the capital—the suffering of the common people, the fate of the palace maids, the nannies, and the eunuchs within the imperial harem.

She hated Emperor Li to the core, yet years of Confucian teachings shackled her. Even when her mother died, she had been told not to live in hatred. She couldn’t bring herself to face the idea of patricide, let alone the devastation that war would bring.

Fortunately, Luan Yenan cupped her face and shook her head. “My task is only to coordinate from the inside. I will lure Prince Dan toward the Southern Gao Kingdom border and assassinate him at the right moment. The rebel army will make it seem like an act of the Southern Gao Kingdom, forcing the Northern Gao Kingdom to retaliate against them. Once the balance between the three nations is broken, the rebel forces will seize the opportunity to attack the capital.”

A look of concern surfaced in Zuo Baixuan’s eyes.

She had a nagging feeling that things wouldn’t be as simple as Luan Yenan described.

Prince Dan’s personal guards were not mere decorations—assassination would not be easy. Moreover, if the rebel army wanted to frame the Southern Gao Kingdom, they would have to eliminate all witnesses. Every step Luan Yenan spoke of so casually sent chills down Zuo Baixuan’s spine.

But she chose to trust her. Right now, Luan Yenan was her only source of security, and she wanted to be the same for her—to be her unwavering support, standing by her decisions.

Luan Yenan noticed the worry in Zuo Baixuan’s eyes.

She, too, understood that what she was planning wasn’t easy, which was why she had been proceeding carefully, step by step.

The palace maids she had arranged to accompany the diplomatic marriage delegation seemed insignificant, but they were actually rebel operatives who had infiltrated the palace in advance. She had carefully chosen a few sharp-minded ones to follow along, ready to act when needed.

Additionally, her hidden guards were all long-trained confidants, fully prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

The only unexpected variable in all of this was Zuo Baixuan—whether it was the way she had stumbled into her heart as a child or how she had torn down her emotional walls just yesterday.

Luan Yenan should be grateful. Ever since she could remember, when she was on the verge of starvation and taken in by her master, when she trained alongside countless martial siblings, she had always felt alone, standing solitary between heaven and earth. She had thought that was simply the way life was.

Until she was injured and assigned a mission to infiltrate the palace—where she met Zuo Baixuan.

She was her unexpected twist of fate, and she would be her lifelong journey.

A faint smile curved Luan Yenan’s lips as she lowered her head and kissed Zuo Baixuan.

Her tongue carried a gentleness and warmth, trying to reassure her and offer her a sense of security.

Outside the phoenix carriage, the noise continued, but inside, only their increasingly heavy breaths filled the space.

Zuo Baixuan, dizzy with emotion, tugged at Luan Yenan’s clothing, but in a last moment of clarity, she grabbed the hand that was beginning to cause trouble at her waist. “Sister Nan, how can you be like this? It’s still broad daylight.”

“Well then, let’s wait until tonight.” Luan Yenan whispered beside her ear.

Zuo Baixuan’s face flushed crimson. She hastily adjusted her disheveled clothing, only to realize that at some point, her collar had been pulled loose. Not that Luan Yenan was in any better condition.

“W-Who said tonight is fine?”

“Was last night uncomfortable?” Luan Yenan asked seriously, as if pondering whether she had lacked skill.

“Sister Nan, if you keep this up, I won’t talk to you anymore!” Zuo Baixuan quickly covered Luan Yenan’s mouth with her hand, forbidding her from speaking any further.

Even though Zuo Baixuan didn’t verbally admit anything, Luan Yenan could already see the answer in her expression.

…

The diplomatic marriage convoy altered its route. They were still some distance away from Qingquan Prefecture, and after several days of travel, they finally arrived at a small village on the outskirts, called Qing County.

The soldiers dispatched by Governor Huo Lin came to meet them.

After several days of exhausting travel, Zuo Baixuan fell asleep in the carriage before nightfall. Luan Yenan dismounted.

A soldier from the governor’s forces saluted her. “May I ask how to address this lady officer?”

“I am a close attendant to the princess, surnamed Luan, serving as a Chief Palace Attendant.” Luan Yenan replied.

The soldier performed a formal greeting. “Chief Palace Attendant Luan, we have arrived at Qing County, but the accommodations here are poor, and we cannot house everyone. Prince Dan’s group has been limited to ten people within the county. How would you like to arrange for the princess?”

Luan Yenan glanced at the sky—clear and cloudless. “Only allowing ten people is too dangerous. I heard that Qing County has a unique feature…”

…

The sound of rushing water echoed.

Zuo Baixuan rubbed her sleepy eyes as she woke in Luan Yenan’s embrace, listening to the noises outside the carriage with curiosity. “Is it raining?”

Luan Yenan smiled and took her hand. “Princess, you woke up at just the right moment.”

Still drowsy, Zuo Baixuan let herself be led out of the carriage.

She found their phoenix carriage parked on a bed of pebbles.

Even the five horses had been unhitched and led away. The surroundings were dark, devoid of people—only the continuous sound of flowing water filled the air.

Zuo Baixuan narrowed her eyes as she stepped out, and under the moonlight, she saw a magnificent waterfall.

Mist swirled around them, and the flowing water seemed to fall straight from an ethereal paradise.

Luan Yenan held onto Zuo Baixuan’s hand and led her toward the pool beneath the waterfall.

Zuo Baixuan hesitated, tugging at Luan Yenan’s sleeve. “If we go any further, my skirt and socks will get wet.”

“I prepared a change of clothes in the carriage.” Luan Yenan turned back, still holding her hand, her eyes bright under the moonlight. “The past few days have been rough, and we’ve only been able to wipe down. Didn’t the princess keep saying she wanted a proper bath?”

“I was talking about a hot bath.” Zuo Baixuan eyed the waterfall suspiciously.

Luan Yenan didn’t force her, simply letting go and stepping toward the pool on her own.

“Hey! Sister Nan!” Zuo Baixuan reached out to pull her back but failed.

“Does the princess know what this place is?”

“Well, we should have reached Qingquan Prefecture by now. Why are we here instead?”

“Within Qingquan Prefecture lies a county called Qing County. It is said that the early settlers named it Qingquan because of the abundance of fresh springs. Later, they discovered a peculiar place where water seemed to float in the air, and so they named it Qingdi—‘Light Land.’ But in reality, the water isn’t floating; the mist is simply too thick, creating an illusion.”

As Luan Yenan spoke, she stepped into the water.

At this time of late autumn, plunging straight into a pool like this—no matter how strong Sister Nan was, she was bound to catch a cold!

Zuo Baixuan hurried forward, trying to pull her back, but suddenly froze as warmth seeped up from beneath her feet.

Luan Yenan crouched down in the pool and smiled. “Xuan’er, are you scared? This is a hot spring. True to its name, the water rising from underground is hot, while the water falling from above is cool. It makes for a perfect natural bath.”

Zuo Baixuan blinked. Luan Yenan stood up and reached out a hand to her.

But Zuo Baixuan’s gaze was fixed on her instead.

Sister Nan was completely drenched.

Neither of them had worn cloaks when they left the carriage, only light gauzy dresses, which now clung to Luan Yenan’s body, translucent under the water.

Taking advantage of Zuo Baixuan’s dazed state, Luan Yenan suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into the pool.

“Xuan’er, what are you staring at?” Luan Yenan’s expression was teasing.

Zuo Baixuan’s face turned bright red, but she retorted stubbornly, “You always stare at me and bully me. What’s wrong with me taking a look this time?”

“No problem at all.” Luan Yenan stood openly before her, then pulled her fully into the water.

The warmth enveloped her instantly, contrasting sharply with the lingering coolness on her skin.

“Sister Nan, stop it.” Zuo Baixuan, startled by the sudden immersion, tried to escape.

But the moment she stood up, she found herself in the same predicament—completely soaked, her dress clinging to her, and the autumn breeze sending a chill through her.

Only the warmth of Luan Yenan’s hand against her skin remained, burning hot.

That hand mischievously traced over her body, following the contours of her muscles. “Xuan’er, it’s not good to be dirty, you know.”

“Sister Nan is bullying me again!” Zuo Baixuan shrieked as Luan Yenan pulled her back into the water, pressing her beneath the surface.

The roaring waterfall drowned out any sound.

Half-submerged in the hot spring, Zuo Baixuan glared at Luan Yenan, puffing her cheeks in protest. “Sister Nan, you’ve been taking care of me all this time. Why don’t I serve you for a change?”

“Alright, let’s see who’s better at it.” Luan Yenan chuckled and spun her around in the water.

The little rabbit tried to fight back.

But in an instant, the little white rabbit was caught in the fox’s grasp.

Zuo Baixuan let out a startled cry, biting her lip.

But Luan Yenan had struck from behind, smoothly sinking her teeth into the delicate skin of her neck.

“Sister… you’re cheating. This… this isn’t bathing at all.” Zuo Baixuan whimpered, floating weakly in the water, her strength slipping away as she leaned against Luan Yenan for support.

Luan Yenan’s tongue glided over the pulse at Zuo Baixuan’s throat, feeling the rapid heartbeat beneath her lips. Her hands grew even more diligent in their ‘cleaning.’

“How is this not a bath?” Luan Yenan murmured.

Zuo Baixuan felt the hot spring’s warmth seeping into her, heating her body to a feverish temperature. At the same time, a cool, wandering touch traced over her skin.

Like a panicked fish, it darted under her clothes, searching for an escape.

But was it really looking for an exit?

Not at all.

The water splashed wildly around them.

Luan Yenan swayed with the rhythm of the rippling pool, taking Zuo Baixuan with her.

Half-floating in the water, Zuo Baixuan still held onto a shred of clarity, her voice soft and coaxing, “Sister Nan, stop fooling around. What if someone comes?”

“Yes… what then?” Luan Yenan echoed, but the way Zuo Baixuan tightened around her fingers gave her the answer.

The little rabbit was nervous.

But the surroundings had already been cleared. Anyone attempting to barge in would first be stopped by Qingquan Prefecture’s soldiers outside. If they made it past them, the hidden guards would take care of them.

Yet the little rabbit didn’t know this. And that was precisely what made this game all the more thrilling.

Trapped in the fox’s den, tangled in harmless thorns that pricked just enough to blur the line between pain and pleasure, the little rabbit had nowhere to run.

Wrapped in a cocoon of unescapable tenderness.