Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 53

The chirping of birds outside the window drifted into the room. Half-asleep, Jiang Libai slowly woke up.  

With her eyes half-open, the first thing she saw was porcelain-white skin, partially hidden by a few strands of hair, so delicate that no pores could be seen.  

She blinked. Once her consciousness cleared, she realized that she was lying entirely in Gu Yun’s arms, her head pressed tightly against the hollow of Gu Yun’s shoulder.  

Judging from the situation, Gu Yun was probably still asleep.  

Jiang Libai quietly lifted her head and looked at the still-sleeping woman. Perhaps because Gu Yun had recently returned from a trip to the border, her complexion was slightly tanned compared to before.  

But no matter how much Jiang Libai looked at her, it never felt like enough.  

A high nose bridge, soft and moist lips—when she slept with her eyes closed, she looked less indifferent than usual, carrying instead a gentle allure that made it hard to look away.  

Jiang Libai bit her lip and slowly leaned in.  

She reached out a finger and played with Gu Yun’s long eyelashes for a moment. Seeing that she still hadn’t woken up, Jiang Libai grew bolder, lightly tracing down her nose and stopping at the soft pink corner of her lips.  

The warm touch made her heart itch. Unable to resist, she leaned down and silently captured those light pink lips.  

She closed her eyes and tentatively extended the tip of her tongue—  

Only to find that she could slip inside with ease.  

Startled, she immediately opened her eyes and met Gu Yun’s still-drowsy gaze.  

She pinched Gu Yun’s cheek and mumbled indistinctly, “Why… are you only waking up now?”  

Their tongues brushed, carrying a faint sweetness.  

In an instant, Gu Yun was fully awake.  

Hearing the Seventh Princess’s words, she wrapped an arm around Jiang Libai’s waist, flipped her over, and took control.  

Though they had already exhausted themselves last night, Gu Yun didn’t feel the least bit tired.  

In fact, she wanted to continue.  

Fortunately, Chunxi hadn’t knocked on the door yet, and Xingxing was likely still asleep without any fuss. So Jiang Libai didn’t push Gu Yun away.  

At that moment, sunlight streamed through the window. With teary eyes, Jiang Libai followed Gu Yun’s gaze and instantly blushed.  

The previous night had been dark, with only faint moonlight seeping in, making it difficult for them to see each other clearly.  

But now, the sun was high in the sky, and the summer sunlight was dazzling, illuminating the entire room.  

Because of this, Jiang Libai could clearly see Gu Yun’s slightly furrowed brows as her gaze swept across her.  

She immediately felt shy. Whimpering softly, she struggled to lift a hand and covered Gu Yun’s eyes.  

With her vision blocked, Gu Yun pressed her lips together and spoke in a fragmented voice, “…Why are you covering my eyes?”  

As soon as she finished speaking, perhaps as a little punishment for the mischievous Seventh Princess, she propped herself up on the bed, veins subtly appearing on the backs of her hands, and applied more strength.  

Jiang Libai wanted to reply, but no words came out—only a soft whimper.  

A long while later, Jiang Libai wiped the corners of her teary eyes and couldn’t help but plead for mercy.  

“…It’s almost noon… I’m hungry…”  

Her eyes shimmered with a misty wetness, making her look utterly pitiful.  

Gu Yun let out a low chuckle, leaned down, and kissed her swollen cherry lips. Her voice was hushed as she murmured, “Who was it that kissed me first the moment they woke up this morning?”  

Perhaps it was the subtle change in the woman’s usually calm voice, but Jiang Libai suddenly felt that Gu Yun resembled a big bad wolf, while she was the little lamb about to be devoured.  

The thought flashed through her mind and was instantly dismissed.  

Jiang Libai clung to Gu Yun, lightly biting her lip, and whined, “Wuu wuu wuu… you’ve changed… you weren’t like this before…”  

“Oh? How was I before?” Gu Yun’s voice carried unmistakable amusement.  

Jiang Libai’s teary eyes glistened as she bit down on her lip, refusing to speak.  

Because at this moment, her nerves were stretched to the breaking point—just a little more, and they would snap completely.

—

It was almost noon.  

Chunxi, who was waiting outside the room, stood under the corridor and looked up at the sky.  

She hesitated for a moment—should she knock on the door and wake up the Princess and the Consort?  

Qin’er stood beside her under the corridor. Seeing that there was still no movement inside the room, she leaned in and whispered, “Sister Chunxi, it’s almost noon. Why haven’t the Princess and the Consort gotten up yet?”  

Chunxi glanced at her and saw the gossip-filled curiosity in her eyes. She raised her hand and patted Qin’er on the head. “Don’t gossip about the masters behind their backs.”  

Qin’er was still young, but after collecting countless storybooks for the Seventh Princess over the years, her mind was filled with all sorts of peculiar thoughts.  

Chunxi knew she had a penchant for indulging in such topics, but she absolutely couldn’t let her apply that interest to their masters.  

Qin’er also understood that Chunxi was looking out for her. She rubbed the spot where she had been patted and grinned. “Alright, alright, I won’t ask anymore.”  

Inside the room, Jiang Libai, whose eyes were red from crying, finally had a moment to catch her breath. She leaned against Gu Yun’s shoulder, weakly raising her hand to pound lightly on her shoulder. “I… I have no strength left…”  

The girl’s soft breaths brushed against Gu Yun’s cheek. Gu Yun took her small hand and kissed it gently. “Then how about I help you freshen up?”  

Jiang Libai was too lazy to reply, letting out a low “Mhm.”  

Gu Yun carefully placed her down, covered her with the blanket, and then dressed herself. After stepping out of the inner room and opening the door, she instructed Chunxi to bring some hot water.  

Before long, the hot water was delivered to the room.  

Chunxi watched as the door closed again, glanced up at the sky helplessly, and wondered if the Consort would request more hot water later.  

—

Inside the room.  

“…I’ll do it myself.” Jiang Libai took the towel that Gu Yun had wrung out, her face flushed as she shooed her away to go comb her hair first.  

Once she had slowly cleaned herself up, she looked at the countless marks on her body. Quickly, she grabbed the dress at the foot of the bed and put it on.  

After making sure all the marks were properly covered, she carefully checked herself again. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did she support her waist and walk over to the dressing table.  

Gu Yun had just finished tying her hair when she saw, through the bronze mirror, the shaky figure of the Seventh Princess walking toward her. She immediately stood up and helped her sit down.  

Jiang Libai shot her a glare and pulled her hand out of Gu Yun’s grasp. “Go call Chunxi in.”  

Chunxi had always been the one to style her hair—she wasn’t skilled at doing it herself.  

Gu Yun also didn’t know how to arrange a woman’s hairstyle. Nodding in agreement, she walked out and gestured to Chunxi, whose expression was somewhat unreadable. “The Princess is calling for you.”  

Chunxi discreetly glanced at the Consort, who looked completely refreshed and in excellent spirits. She silently responded with a “Yes,” then lowered her head and stepped into the inner room.

As soon as she entered, she saw the Seventh Princess sitting in front of the dressing table, looking lethargic. When her eyes landed on a suspicious red mark on the princess’s fair neck, she blinked and immediately felt a bit awkward.  

Without saying a word, she stepped behind Jiang Libai and picked up a comb, just like usual, beginning to brush her long hair.  

Jiang Libai glanced around in the bronze mirror, feeling that Chunxi seemed a little strange today.  

“Style my hair in a married woman’s bun,” Jiang Libai casually instructed when she noticed Chunxi was about to arrange her hair in a style meant for an unmarried girl.  

Chunxi froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Alright.” It seemed that the relationship between the princess and the consort was getting better and better. Now, the princess no longer resisted the idea of being married to the consort!  

However… Chunxi glanced at the back of Jiang Libai’s neck and thought that while their relationship was growing stronger, it was also becoming troublesome. If that mark wasn’t dealt with, the princess would surely draw attention from others…  

Jiang Libai noticed the strange expression on Chunxi’s face and was a little confused. “What’s wrong with you today? You seem odd.”  

Since the Seventh Princess had asked, Chunxi couldn’t hide it from her.  

After finishing the married woman’s bun, she picked up a bronze mirror and adjusted the angle so that the princess could clearly see the back of her neck.  

“Princess, if you are going out today, it would be best to wear a silk scarf to cover this.”  

Jiang Libai saw the bite mark on her neck through the mirror and instantly blushed.  

She bit her lip, then gritted her teeth and ordered Chunxi to fetch a silk scarf.  

Once Chunxi left, Jiang Libai held up the bronze mirror, touching the mark on her neck. Her expression darkened as she gritted her teeth and called Gu Yun in.  

“Look at what you’ve done!”  

Gu Yun’s gaze fell on the spot Jiang Libai was touching. When she saw the bite mark she had left, she immediately lowered her head and admitted her mistake. “It was my fault… I… I shouldn’t have bitten there…”  

When an Alpha was in a state of emotional arousal, their instincts would drive them to sink their fangs into an Omega’s gland at the back of the neck and inject their pheromones.  

It was an innate instinct.  

Gu Yun had repeatedly reminded herself that the Seventh Princess was not an Omega and that she mustn’t bite her at the back of the neck. However, when emotions ran high, she would sometimes lose control and unconsciously lean toward her neck…

She admitted her mistake quickly and with a very good attitude. Jiang Libai didn’t press the issue further, only letting out a soft hum. “From now on, you’re not allowed to leave marks on my neck. Do you hear me?!”  

The tall woman lowered her eyes and obediently responded with a “yes.”  

The usually cold and noble Gu Yun rarely showed such a docile expression. Jiang Libai raised an eyebrow, then beckoned her over. “Come here.”  

Gu Yun stepped closer. “What is it?”  

Jiang Libai reached out and pinched her face, which had gained a little more flesh, then grinned. “Just now, you looked kind of cute.”  

“So I wanted to pinch you.”  

Gu Yun’s eyes darted around.  

She had a strange feeling—like she was being treated as a pet by the Seventh Princess.  

…That must be a misunderstanding, right?  

Jiang Libai had no idea what was going through her mind. Just as she was about to pull her down for a kiss, Chunxi walked out with a silk scarf, bursting the soft, pink bubble between them.  

Jiang Libai quickly let go of Gu Yun’s neck, cleared her throat seriously, and took the scarf from Chunxi.  

Noticing that the color matched perfectly with her outfit for the day, she handed the scarf to Gu Yun. “Tie it for me.”  

Gu Yun didn’t dare disobey. She gently tied the scarf around Jiang Libai’s neck, completely covering the mark.  

Chunxi, standing to the side, didn’t even dare to lift her head. She listened silently to the sounds in front of the dressing table, and after estimating that enough time had passed, she reported the news that had been delivered to the residence that morning.  

“Princess, this morning, the Fifth Princess sent word that she received several casks of fine Eastern pearls yesterday and wants to invite you to admire them with her today.”  

Upon hearing this, Jiang Libai glanced at the sky through the half-opened window and replied in a calm voice, “Then I’ll go after lunch.”  

A few days ago, her Fifth Sister had moved out of the palace and into her own residence. Her mansion wasn’t far from Jiang Libai’s, just two streets away. Taking a carriage there would take about half an hour.  

So going after lunch wouldn’t be too late.  

Having received confirmation, Chunxi withdrew to make the necessary arrangements.  

Gu Yun helped Jiang Libai up and looked at her hair, which was now fully pinned up. She felt something was different.  

Then, she suddenly remembered—back in ancient times, a woman’s hairstyle changed after marriage.  

Once married, a woman would wear her hair completely tied up.  

After their wedding, Jiang Libai had never once styled her hair in a married woman’s bun.  

Seeing Gu Yun staring at her hair, Jiang Libai felt a little self-conscious. Still, she lifted her chin slightly and cast her a sidelong glance. “Why are you staring at me like that?”  

“It’s just a different hairstyle. Why do you look so surprised?”  

Listening to her proud and aloof tone, Gu Yun’s lips curved slightly. “It looks beautiful.”  

Jiang Libai was affected by her obvious joy, and her brows arched with amusement. “Look at you, acting like a fool!”  

Then, she tiptoed closer to Gu Yun and whispered, “Even though we are both women, now that we’re married, you’re my wife, and I am yours. We can’t behave as carelessly as before.”  

The Seventh Princess was so close that Gu Yun naturally wrapped an arm around her waist and, with a smile in her voice, responded, “Yes, whatever my wife says is right.”

For this novel one Kofi is two extra chapters.     Ko-fi link: ko-fi.com/mitake55760