“I won’t tell you.” After Wei Chi Li finished speaking, she lay back on the bed tiredly. As her stiffened body completely relaxed, the comfortable feeling of sleepiness surrounds them, and they fell asleep.
Early next morning, Wei Chi Li had finished freshening up and changed into a black robe to practice her sword in the courtyard. The placket of her robe was embroidered with water-like patterns with gold threads and so were the cuffs. Following the rhythm of her body, she drew arc after arc with her sword, which was very eye-catching under the sunlight.
The blade lifted the dust from the ground and in that instant, dust was flying all around in the entire courtyard, while Wei Chi Li was flipping and tossing in it. Dancing with a set of swordsmanship vividly and incisively, making her look heroic.
Liu Luo Yi who had just opened the door and walked out, stared at this scene in a daze.
Wei Chi Li turned around in mid-air, who had saw Liu Luo Yi, landed on the ground easily, then threw the sword aside and walked over with a smile: “Little Liu’er, it is still early, why don’t you rest a bit more?”
Liu Luo Yi shook her head, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, and carefully wiped the crystal-clear sweat on Wei Chi Li’s head.
Wei Chi Li lowered her head to look at her. The more she looked at her, the happier she felt. She took Liu Luo Yi’s hand and said: “Let’s go. I will take you around Er Gu. I have briefly looked around yesterday. The local customs here is completely different from Yan Country. There are plenty of fun things to try out. Let’s go and see it together?”
“Okay.” Liu Luo Yi also smiled. She obediently let Wei Chi Li pull herself and strode out of the courtyard with her.
There were maidservants wearing beautiful crowns standing at the door, and upon seeing them, they bent their knees and bowed respectfully: “2nd princess, Miss Liu.”
Liu Luo Yi was a little dumbfounded by their salutation. She smiled slightly and then secretly tugged the corner of Wei Chi Li’s clothes and asked very softly: “Why do they recognise me?”
Wei Chi Li leaned towards her ear and whispered: “I have told them to treat you like how they treat me.”
“But, you are a princess….” When Liu Luo Yi heard this, she was so anxious that she grabbed Wei Chi Li’s sleeves and shook her head.
“So, what if I am a princess, you will be my wife in the future. Treating you like this is just like the etiquette of treating a consort. It is an unalterable principle.” Wei Chi Li said, raising an eyebrow at her, making Liu Luo Yi blushed immediately.
“It, it is not that fast.” Liu Luo Yi began to stammer and hid behind Wei Chi Li, avoiding the maidservants from peeking.
Wei Chi Li looked at her with a smile and with an understanding look in her eyes. She no longer said anymore as she led her out of the palace. The Northern Territory King went to deal with political affairs early in the morning and so, she was happy to be free.
At the main gate, Wei Chi Die was riding a white horse, clutching the reins tightly and with a panic look, she screams: “An Ge, An Ge, An Ge, An Ge!”
On 1 side, A Ge covered her ears with one hand and blankly controlled the horse that looked very manic, and then reached out to help Wei Chi Die: “Princess, this horse has just been brought in from the outside and is extremely temperamental. You should get down first and let me train it for a while before you ride it.”
Wei Chi Die pouted and ignored her. An Ge had no choice but to pull the horse tightly for fear of making her fall.
Wei Chi Li walked over, touched the horse’s mane and said: “Didn’t you say you are going to have a walk around the city today? How come you have got on a horse and such a fierce one too?”
“I like it, what is it to you?” Wei Chi Li raised her eyes to look at Wei Chi Li, then flicked her hair, turned around and ignored her.
Wei Chi Li who was attacked for no reason blinked and asked An Ge with innocent eyes. An Ge shook her head lightly and then made her chopping head signal on her neck.
It means, do not provoke her today.
Wei Chi Li has already gotten used to Wei Chi Die’s temperament and so, she did not take it to heart, taking it that she was angered by someone. Then she pulled Liu Luo Yi and followed them into the main street.
The streets of Er Gu were as lively as on the day she came. Many commoners nodded to salute when they passed by and there were even some stall owners who would hand some little trinkets to Wei Chi Li. Soon, she was holding a whole bunch in her arms, like pastries and toys.
The style of the buildings on both sides was not as elegant as that of Yan Country but was filled with unique exotic colours. Wei Chi Li was dazzled by the decorations that were very bold and even several animal heads were hanging in front of the door.
At this time, Liu Luo Yi who was dressed in plain, yet elegant clothes became the focus on the street. Especially because she was standing next to Wei Chi Li and Wei Chi Die, it attracted people to discuss about it, making her feels a little uncomfortable and could not help but move closer to Wei Chi Li.
People were pointing at her, whispering as they guess her identity. Wei Chi Li frowned, coughed twice loudly, and then looked at the people who were discussing, and they quickly dispersed.
The ‘princess’ title was indeed very useful in the Northern Territory. Wei Chi Li nodded in satisfaction and then embraced Liu Luo Yi’s waist to signal her not to be nervous.
Liu Luo Yi smiled at her.
There were people doing acrobatic performances on the street. It was a middle-aged man with a little girl performing bowl-on-head acrobatics. Wei Chi Li gave those trinkets that she had received to An Ge and took Liu Luo Yi to watch the performance for a while. Only then did Liu Luo Yi became happy, and even applaud together with the people around her from time to time.
Wei Chi Li turned her head to look at her and realised that during this period, Liu Luo Yi has smiled more frequently. Looking at her, there was almost no trace of that cold woman from the beginning.
Her gaze has always been on Liu Luo Yi, and Liu Luo Yi has been looking at the little girl. This scene was seen by An Ge who was standing far away and thought that it was very beautiful.
She could not help but glanced at Wei Chi Die and saw that Wei Chi Die was looking down at her shoes, thinking about something, seemingly very moody. She sighed and lowered her head too.
“Princess….” Liu Luo Yi suddenly looked at Wei Chi Li, as she pinches the corner of her own clothes: “Can you lend me some silver, I, I forgot to bring some when I came out…”
Wei Chi Li chuckled then untied the money bag from her waist and put it on Liu Luo Yi’s hands and grinned: “what do you mean by lend? What is mine is yours. Here, it’s all for you.”
“No need, princess.” Liu Luo Yi wanted to reject, but Wei Chi Li reached out to stop her and whispered: “You wanted to give it to this child, right? Just treat it as we give it to her together, don’t be afraid.”
Liu Luo Yi hesitated for a moment, then took the money bag. While the girl was holding the tray, kneeling, and bowing one by one to thank those who donated, she took out 2 silver taels from the purse and placed them lightly on the tray. Then before the girl knelt to thank her, she quickly pulled Wei Chi Li and ran away.
The 2 ran far away till they could no longer see the performance booth, only then did they stop. They looked at each other and could not help but started laughing.
“Yesterday, princess said wanted to surprise me. Don’t tell me it is to bring me here to watch acrobatics performance?” Liu Luo Yi straightened up and asked with a smile. After all the running, her cheeks were reddish, making her looks a bit more energetic than usual.
“Of course not. Come with me.” Wei Chi Li made a mysterious expression. She pulled Liu Luo Yi and after circling around the streets several times, she stopped in a relatively quiet and wide alley. The alley was filled with calligraphy, paintings, antique shops, which exude a special scent of paper and ink.
Liu Luo Yi looked around curiously, still not sure what Wei Chi Li meant, but she likes this alley very much. There were many people by the roadside selling old booklets, paintings, and calligraphies. There were few customers, but it was leisure and comfortable.
Wei Chi Li stroke her chin and searched around, then snapped her fingers and said: “Ah, here it is.”
There was a carved door in front of her, that was not of the Northern Territory style, but holding a strong atmosphere belonging to that of the Central Plains. Upon pushing the door and walking in, there was a pleasant fragrance. The room was bright and elegantly decorated, with a huge wooden cabinet against the wall, which was filled with various books, calligraphies, and paintings. In front of the cabinet was a table with brushes, ink, papers and inkstone neatly placed on it, and all of which were extremely valuable.
“This, this is….” Liu Luo Yi took 2 steps forward, gently stroking those valuable brushes.
“And there is this, which I don’t really understand. Anyway, I have made Xin Ran buy whatever that was expensive. It has been hard on her to manage everything in such a short period.” Wei Chi Li scratched her head, walked to a Qin and reached out to flick the strings.
The music sounded. It was profound and far.
Liu Luo Yi looked around the room without saying a word, her eyes were slightly red. Wei Chi Li walked to her side cautiously and scratched her own head.
“En…. I was thinking that because I may not be with you every day and was afraid that you will be bored alone in the palace and since you are unfamiliar with this place, I decided to find a place for you. It’s quiet here, and is surrounded by stores selling books and paintings, so you can read books, paint or play the qin when you are free….”
Liu Luo Yi pounced on her before she could finish speaking. Liu Luo Yi stuffed herself into her embrace, hugging her waist and not letting go.
Only then did Wei Chi Li heaved a sigh of relief, hugged her back and giggled.
Liu Luo Yi raised her head and smiled very weakly, but tears filled her eyes. She placed her head on Wei Chi Li’s chest again and said softly: “Princess, I had a dream a few days ago.”
“What?” Wei Chi Li asked.
“I dreamt of a very strange scene. Princess is not this gentle like now, but a little, scary.” She said, seemingly to have some lingering fears.
Wei Chi Li’s heart jolted, understanding why Liu Luo Yi seemed to be a lot colder in the past few days. So, it was because she dreamt of those things, and it must be the kind of scene that happened before she transmigrated over.
Feeling a little heartache for Liu Luo Yi, she hugged her tighter and patted her back lightly.
“Little Liu’er, do you want to know how I go here?” Wei Chi Li asked softly.
Liu Luo Yi nodded.
“I fell off the cliff and regained a new life here. When I first came here, I thought it was just a game, a dream, and thought that this world was not real.”
“I used to wonder why I had to encounter all these, but I have understood it now. I didn’t believe in fate, but now I feel that it is probably destined.”
“I am also afraid of leaving you, very afraid.”
Wei Chi Li’s voice was very gentle, but it did not suppress her emotions at all. Hearing this, Liu Luo Yi’s eyes were red as she stammered: “Princess….”
At this moment, there was a loud noise from inside startling Wei Chi Li, making her almost jump up.
She rolled her eyes unbearably, strode towards the door and opened it, then saw Xin Ran standing there in a daze while holding a half-broken vase in her hands.
Wei Chi Li slapped her own forehead abruptly, smiling weakly: “Have you been here all night?”
Xin Ran was in so much panic that she does not know where to put the broken vase and throw it aside, causing another loud crash as she minced her words: “Princess, I have spent a whole night here, and couldn’t help but fall asleep this morning. I, I didn’t mean it.”
Wei Chi Li knows that she had a miscalculation. She thought that Xin Ran had left long ago and did not notice it. It must be because she hid her breath as she was afraid of disturbing them and she herself has placed all her attention on Liu Luo Yi, hence did not notice her.
“What have you heard?” Wei Chi Li walked closer.
Xin Ran stepped back in fright. She hugged herself and looked at Wei Chi Li with a weak expression, and then knelt down abruptly, not daring to say a word.
When Wei Chi Li saw her like this, she could not bear to scare her anymore. She simply patted her on the shoulder and sighed: “What do you think of me?”
“Princess is very nice.” Xin Ran said carefully.
“Then how do I treat you?”
“Princess is very considerate towards Xin Ran.” Xin Ran said, her eyes widened suddenly, her hands covering her chest, with a terrified expression and even her eyes were a little red.
“Princess, Miss Liu is sincere to you. You shouldn’t think about others anymore. Besides, besides, I still want to marry a general in the future…” She choked.
HeftyChonk Translation 