Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 49

The matter had been explained clearly, so Gu Yun did not linger any longer. After saluting Emperor Yu, she left Ganming Hall.  

The setting sun cast long shadows, and layers of rosy clouds piled up at the edge of the sky, dyeing the entire horizon red.  

Rushing back to the Princess’s residence without rest, Gu Yun didn’t even take time to tidy herself before heading straight to the main courtyard.  

The closer she got to home, the more nervous she felt.  

She had been away from the capital for more than half a month. Xingxing must have already been a full month old.  

She didn’t know if Xingxing still remembered her, or if the Princess… was still willing to give her a chance.  

With a complicated mood, Gu Yun pushed open the doors of the main courtyard.  

“Prince Consort?!” Qin’er, who was guarding the door, was utterly surprised. She had thought the Prince Consort would be staying in the palace for a long time.  

Gu Yun stopped outside the room and asked in a low voice, “Is the Princess inside?”  

Qin’er looked at Gu Yun’s clothes, which were dusty and grimy. His hair was tied up, but it seemed like it hadn’t been washed for a long time. His thin face appeared to be covered in a layer of dust—he looked completely travel-worn, as if he hadn’t had time to freshen up.  

“The Princess took the little princess to visit the Fifth Princess’s residence. They will probably return after dinner.” She lowered her voice and carefully suggested, “Prince Consort, why not take a bath and change into clean clothes first?”  

Although Qin’er’s tone didn’t carry any disdain, Gu Yun still felt a little embarrassed when she glanced down at herself.  

Luckily, the Princess wasn’t here to see her in such a filthy state.  

Before long, hot water was prepared in the side room’s bathtub.  

Gu Yun accepted the clean clothes Qin’er had found for her and closed the door.  

Inside the steamy room, she quickly removed her clothing and let down her long hair.  

Soaking in the hot water, she finally felt like she had come back to life.  

When she was away, she had been extremely cautious. Even when bathing, she had only wiped herself down briefly. On her way back, she had traveled day and night, leaving no time to wash up at all.  

Now, immersed in the warm water, Gu Yun’s entire body relaxed.  

As the steam rose around her, she slowly closed her eyes, feeling drowsy from the comfort.

—

At dusk, Jiang Libai returned to the residence with little Xingxing.  

Xingxing had just fallen asleep, so she asked the wet nurse to take her away and soothe her to sleep.  

“Princess, the Consort has returned!” Qin’er, noticing that her princess seemed unaware of the news, eagerly informed her with joy.  

Hearing this, Jiang Libai froze for a moment, her heart beating rapidly. She then looked around but did not see that person’s figure. “Where is he?”  

Qin’er pointed to the side room. “The Consort just returned and is inside bathing and changing clothes.”  

The person she longed to see was so close. Jiang Libai suppressed the excitement in her heart, but the joy in her eyes was impossible to conceal.  

“Has the Consort had dinner?”  

Qin’er shook her head. “Not yet, but I have already instructed the kitchen to prepare a meal for him. Once he finishes bathing, he can eat.”  

“Have his change of clothes been prepared?” Jiang Libai wanted to see her immediately but felt she should restrain herself a little.  

Qin’er replied with a smile, “Everything is ready. I have already brought the Consort’s change of clothes.”  

Qin’er brought them?  

Jiang Libai thought for a moment, then stood up and went to check the clothes prepared for Gu Yun.  

“Princess, what are you looking for?” Qin’er followed behind her.  

Jiang Libai waved her hand. “You and Chunxi can leave. I don’t need you to serve me here.”  

Once the room was empty, she resumed searching.  

When she saw the familiar white chest binder, she took one out and tucked it into her sleeve.  

She knew it—Qin’er definitely hadn’t included a chest binder among the clothes she prepared for Gu Yun.  

With the binder in hand, she walked to the side room.  

Hearing the sound of water splashing inside, she cleared her throat and knocked on the door. “Gu Yun.”  

The sounds inside suddenly stopped, seemingly because her voice had been heard.  

“Princess?” Gu Yun turned her head slightly, somewhat surprised.  

The princess came to find her on her own?!  

“It’s me.” Jiang Libai’s face flushed red, but she endured her embarrassment and continued, “I brought you clothes.”  

Gu Yun was confused.  

Qin’er had already given her clothes to change into. Why was the princess now saying she had brought clothes?  

…Could it be that the princess couldn’t wait to see her and came up with this excuse?  

Thinking of this, the corners of Gu Yun’s lips curled up involuntarily.  

But she was still soaking in the water, completely unclothed… She glanced down, noting that the edge of the wooden tub should be enough to block the princess’s view.

Moreover, remembering that the princess would always close her eyes when she got shy, Gu Yun figured that the princess probably wouldn’t look in her direction.  

So, she spoke up and allowed the princess to enter.  

There was movement at the door, followed by soft footsteps.  

Through the screen divider, Gu Yun watched as the princess’s figure slowly approached.  

“My clothes are all placed over there. Princess, you can just leave them there.”  

That familiar, gentle voice, perhaps softened even more by the lingering steam, made Jiang Libai feel a tingling sensation all over her body.  

She glanced around, then took the chest binder from her sleeve and placed it atop the pile of clothing.  

“Just now, Qin’er said she was the one who brought you your clothes. I thought she might not have included a chest binder, so I brought one for you…”  

Hearing this, Gu Yun suddenly remembered the matter.  

So, the princess really had come just to bring her clothes.  

She wiped the water droplets from her face and said in a calm voice, “The princess is indeed thoughtful.”  

Now that the clothes had been delivered, the princess should be leaving, right?  

Gu Yun looked at the hazy silhouette beyond the screen, feeling a strong urge to see her right away.  

But… she wasn’t wearing anything at the moment, and that made her feel a little embarrassed.  

Just as Gu Yun was wondering whether the princess was about to leave, she saw that shadow slowly moving closer.  

Then, a fluffy little head peeked out from behind the screen, a pair of eyes shining with shyness.  

Gu Yun: “???”  

The moment Jiang Libai looked over, Gu Yun instinctively raised her hand to cover her chest.  

Jiang Li Bai was momentarily stunned by this reaction.  

Then, she glared at her. “It’s not like I haven’t seen that place before. What are you covering it for?”  

Gu Yun thought about it and realized she was right. They had already been intimate before, and everything that should have been seen had already been seen…  

Thinking of this, her face turned red, but she still put her hand down.  

“Princess, is there something you wanted to say to me?”  

The woman’s skin, enveloped in steam, glowed with a soft cherry pink. The delicate hollow of her collarbone cradled a small pool of water, and droplets rolled down her slender neck, creating ripples as they fell.  

Jiang Li Bai gazed at the familiar sight, bit her lip, feeling both shy and curious, and took another step forward.  

“What? You’ve been gone for over half a month, you didn’t even attend Xingxing’s full-moon celebration, and now that you’re back, I can’t even come see you?”  

Perhaps because these were her true feelings, Jiang Libai’s voice carried a trace of grievance.  

Of course, that was if one ignored the faint excitement and curiosity on her face…  

At this moment, Gu Yun seemed to understand something.  

The Seventh Princess… probably wanted to look at her body, right?!  

She quickly sat up straight, squeezing her legs together tightly.  

“Princess… You can already see me from where you are.”  

By now, Jiang Libai had reached the edge of the wooden tub. She looked down at the woman with her wet, flowing hair, her misty eyes and cherry-red lips drawing her in. She swallowed discreetly.  

“You’re rejecting my approach so much… Do you not want me to give you a chance anymore?”  

There was no threat in her voice, only a soft, affectionate tone.  

As she spoke, she reached out, gently brushing aside the damp strands of hair clinging to Gu Yun’s cheeks, revealing her fair, pink-tinted swan-like neck.  

Her gaze lingered there. “Qin’er said you probably haven’t bathed in a long time.”  

“Do you want me to…” She coughed lightly. “Graciously help you wash?”  

As she finished speaking, her eyes flickered downward for a moment.  

But Gu Yun’s hand was in the way, so she didn’t see anything.  

Seeing that Gu Yun remained silent, she reached out and tapped her delicate, perfect collarbone, letting out a small huff in the manner of a royal princess. “Speak. Do you want me to help you?”  

Gu Yun pursed her lips. Right now, she felt like a fish lying on the chopping block, while the Seventh Princess was the chef preparing to wield the knife…  

Those round, glistening eyes were clearly filled with both shyness and anticipation…  

“Princess, I can actually wash myself.” The water was getting cold, yet her body was heating up.  

Under the princess’s scorching gaze, she felt extremely self-conscious.  

“It’s rare for me to want to serve you, and you don’t even appreciate it?!” Jiang Li Bai twisted her fingers, accusingly.  

Even though she knew the princess’s grievance was just an act, Gu Yun still couldn’t bear to see her frown.  

She let out a soft sigh and relented. “Alright then, as long as the princess doesn’t find it troublesome.”  

Hearing this, Jiang Li Bai pressed her lips together, but the corners of her mouth refused to stay down.  

She reached out, took the towel draped over the edge of the tub, and slowly placed it on Gu Yun’s shoulder.  

“Hey, the water is getting cold. You should finish washing quickly.” The moment Jiang Libai touched the water, she realized that Gu Yun had probably been soaking for quite some time.  

Afraid she might catch a cold, she quickened her movements.  

After scrubbing Gu Yun’s snow-white back, Jiang Libai moved to her side. Seeing that Gu Yun’s hands were still covering herself, she cleared her throat and said, “Raise your arms. I’m going to wash them for you.”  

At this, Gu Yun’s face instantly turned bright red.  

She looked up at the princess, wanting to ask if they could just skip washing her arms.  

But Jiang Libai had already ignored the shyness in her eyes, grabbing her arm and methodically scrubbing with the towel.  

Then, her gaze drifted… and landed on that place.  

In the next instant—  

“Plop—” The towel slipped from her hand into the water.  

Water splashed up, soaking Jiang Libai’s clothes and blurring her vision.  

But when she saw clearly—  

Her heart pounded like a rabbit in her chest.  

So… Gu Yun really was different from her…  

Her face flushed scarlet. She blinked rapidly and wiped the water droplets from her face.  

Gu Yun saw that she seemed completely stunned and sighed softly. Then, despite her embarrassment, she stood up straight in the tub.  

She reached out, gently taking the princess’s small hand, and said softly, “Didn’t the princess say she wanted to serve me while I bathe? Now that I’m done, why don’t you help me dry off?”  

Since the princess had already seen everything, she might as well use this chance to let her slowly get used to it.  

Jiang Libai caught the faint, clean fragrance of her body, and her breathing suddenly became rapid.  

She didn’t dare look any lower, blindly nodding. “O-Okay…”  

Gu Yun stepped out of the tub, her body glistening with water droplets under the candlelight. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, and her narrow, misty eyes carried a seductive charm, adding a touch of softness to her usual sharp features.

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