Chapter 80: My Wife Is So Gentle, How Could She Be A Tigress?
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The day before, when the Princess had tempted her, Meng Chang'an did not think that what the Princess meant by going to the Lantern Festival together was for her to wear men's clothes and pretend to be her elder brother, so they could go out openly together.
Had she known this, she would not have been so blinded by her desires, allowing the Princess to toy with her and leave her feeling dizzy.
If she had not been so blinded by desire yesterday, she would not have compromised because of those little sweet temptations, and it would not have ended with her suffering and feeling so suffocated.
After all, when it came time to really do something, she could not bring herself to continue. In the end, it was because she was concerned about the Princess's injury, which had just barely scabbed over on her chest, that she stopped.
The Young Master was deeply regretful, but when she saw the Princess so focused as she carefully applied her makeup, she could not bring herself to go back on her decision. She could only let the Princess handle her as she wished.
Once the Princess had finished applying her makeup, put away her tools, and stood up, Meng Chang'an finally turned her gaze to the angled mirror on the dressing table.
In the mirror, her hair was already tied up in a white jade crown on top of her head, dressed in a standard men's outfit. After some adjustment by the Princess, she actually looked nine parts like He Changping.
If not for being extremely close, one would definitely not recognize her just from a distant glance.
Sure enough, the Princess' hands were still so skillful.
She raised her hand to touch her own brows and eyes. After carefully examining this familiar yet unfamiliar face in the mirror, the Young Master turned her head to look at the Princess, hesitating and asking, "If I go out dressed like this, what should Elder Brother do?"
What if they accidentally bumped into her Elder Brother on the road? How would that be?
Li Qiubai knew what the Young Master was concerned about. When she asked such a question, the Princess only gave a faint smile, then continued to step forward and personally helped the Young Master change clothes, softly explaining, "Today, he and Lin Xingyang went to handle matters for me. You just need to go with me without worry. With me by your side, what is there to fear?"
After thinking carefully, the Young Master felt that the Princess' words seemed to make some sense.
Indeed, when she had caused such a commotion in the palace back then, she had thought her life would be in danger, but the Princess had stood up for her. Now, she was just going out with the Princess for a walk, what was there to be afraid of?
Thinking of this, the Young Master finally felt a bit more at ease and obediently allowed the Princess to dress her.
It had been a long time since she had bound her chest, and now with it bound like this, the Young Master felt quite uncomfortable.
During the process of helping the Young Master dress, the Princess seemed to also notice her discomfort.
"It seems a bit bigger."
Li Qiubai's lips curved into a smile, and she directly reached out to touch the Young Master's chest binding, gently pressing and squeezing. After carefully feeling it, she confirmed, "It really is like that."
"Mm..."
Meng Chang'an's legs went soft, and she couldn't help but take a sharp breath. Only after the Princess mentioned it did she suddenly realize that it indeed felt like she had gained a bit more weight in the chest area.
To prevent the Princess from continuing to tease her, stirring up her emotions with no way to quell them, Meng Chang'an hurriedly grabbed the Princess' hand, her face flushing red as she stopped her, "Ahem, how about I do it myself?"
Only then did the Princess stop playing around. She moved the hand that had been resting on the Young Master's chest slightly upward, loosening the cloth a little and adjusting it to a position that felt more comfortable for the Young Master before finally stopping.
"I will do it. At worst, I just will not bother you anymore."
After that, although the Princess' hands became proper in their movements, the Young Master still felt that the smile at the corner of her lips seemed to carry some hidden meaning. Paired with the Princess' fingertips, which roamed over her body now and then, it made the Young Master feel increasingly embarrassed, her face growing redder the more she looked.
Under such torment, the Young Master really could not endure any longer.
After putting on her inner garment, before the Princess could help her put on the golden silk armor, Meng Chang'an quickly snatched the armor and forcefully stuffed it into the Princess' arms.
"If you want me to go out with you, then today, you must wear this armor yourself."
Li Qiubai was stunned for a moment before realizing why she was acting this way. She immediately grabbed the Young Master's waist sash, leaned in close, and asked with a smile, "What, are you worried about me? Are you afraid I will get hurt again?"
To the Princess, even the Young Master's roundabout way of showing concern with a tense face was enough to make her heart bloom with joy.
Unfortunately, the person before her had skin that was sometimes far too thin. Before the Princess could ask any more knowingly obvious questions, the Young Master had already backed away in embarrassment and annoyance.
"If you get injured again, is it not me who will suffer for it? So how could this be called worry? This is clearly just taking precautions. You should hurry and put it on. I will handle the rest myself so we do not waste too much time and make Sister Lingyun and the others wait too long."
With that, the Young Master took the initiative to step aside, not giving the Princess any more chances to tease her. She quickly focused on putting on her outer robe by herself.
After taking the soft armor, the Princess did not stand on ceremony with the Young Master, nor did she continue teasing her. Instead, she openly removed her outer robe right in front of the Young Master and slowly changed, putting the soft armor over her inner garment.
Seeing this, the Young Master secretly let out a breath of relief.
Fortunately, the Princess did not strip herself completely. Otherwise, they probably would not have even made it out the door today…
By the time the two finished getting ready and stepped outside, Shu Yao and Shen Lingyun had already been waiting in the carriage for quite some time. Even the lonely Yuechu was now sitting beside them.
When Yuechu saw the Princess and the "Prince Consort" stepping out side by side, both dressed in the very outfits she had specially prepared for them that morning—two sets of brocade robes cut from the same bolt of silk—her eyes instantly lit up.
It seemed she had truly made the right choice. Seeing the Princess and the Young Master wearing them together was already a sight to behold, a perfect match.
Just as Yuechu was inwardly marveling at her own keen eye, the Princess had already taken the "Prince Consort’s" hand and walked together to the carriage. She smiled at Shen Lingyun, who was by the carriage railing and said, "You have waited long. Let us go."
Before Shen Lingyun could say anything, Shu Yao had already started teasing, "It seems we set our meeting time too early today. We should have pushed it back by the time of one incense stick. Otherwise, making you two rush like this and interrupting your chance to flirt and bicker, we would feel guilty."
Meng Chang’an’s face turned red. She immediately braced herself and refuted, "Ahem, what nonsense are you thinking? We were just a bit slow in getting ready. How does that count as flirting and bickering?"
"Am I imagining things?" Shu Yao smiled meaningfully, then casually raised her hand and pointed at the Young Master’s neck before continuing, "I say, Young Master, next time you lie, you should hide the marks on your body first. Otherwise, it is quite easy to get caught."
The moment Meng Chang’an heard Shu Yao’s blatant remark, she instinctively reached for her neck without thinking.
A moment later, the Young Master belatedly realized that something felt off.
Wait, no. This morning, she had not given the Princess any chance to leave marks on her. Could it be that Her Highness secretly did it while she was asleep last night?
Thinking of this, the Young Master couldn't help but glare at the Princess in embarrassment and annoyance.
The innocent Princess, who was dragged into this for no reason, had no choice but to accept the Young Master's glare. Helplessly, she held the Young Master's hand and smiled, then turned to glance sideways at Shu Yao.
The Princess' gaze was full of warning, but seeing this, Shu Yao only laughed even more joyfully.
Even Shen Lingyun, who was always indifferent, couldn't help but curl her lips slightly and chuckle, "You confessed without being pressed, fool."
Only after Shen Lingyun's reminder did Meng Chang’an realize that she had been played by Shu Yao.
Before the Young Master could fly into a rage and start a fight with Shu Yao on the spot, Li Qiubai had already squeezed her palm to calm her. Then, she pulled her hand and climbed onto the carriage first, leaving only one sentence for Shu Yao outside:
"For today, your punishment is to stay outside and drive the carriage. Do not come in later. If you dare to bully her like this again in the future, do not blame me for being rude to you."
Hearing this, Shu Yao was not only unbothered but even laughed more cheerfully.
"I know, I know. I was just teasing her a little. Look how mad you are. Are you really this protective of her? If you keep this up, I might get sour!"
Only then was the Princess slightly satisfied.
After a brief moment of playful banter, once Shen Lingyun and Yuechu also boarded the carriage, Shu Yao had already driven it away from Qingyang Gate, heading toward the bustling streets.
Since leaving the capital, Shu Yao had not returned to that cage for a long time, nor had she enjoyed the treatment of a noble-born, and it had also been a long time since she last met her imperial sister. An opportunity like today, where they could go out for an outing and have fun together, was truly rare.
As much as Shu Yao reminisced, she also cherished it deeply.
Within the borders of Yuzhou, there were many people of the Jianghu. Under their influence, even ordinary folk inevitably adopted some of their free-spirited ways. Thus, the customs in Yuzhou had always been quite open.
Because of this, the Lantern Festival was originally intended as an occasion for unmarried men and women to interact, invite one another, and go out to play.
It could also be considered a specially prepared opportunity for young men and women to "seek their fate."
If any men and women happened to find mutual attraction at the Lantern Festival, they could use the lanterns as a medium to express their feelings for one another on the spot.
The reason why Li Qiubai specifically invited Shen Lingyun and Shu Yao to visit the Lantern Festival today was, firstly, to create an opportunity for them to honestly express their feelings to each other.
Secondly, she herself wanted to experience the Lantern Festival with the Young Master, to feel the festive atmosphere, and to make up for the regrets of her childhood.
After all, the Young Master in her childhood was not like today, so indifferent to the Lantern Festival. Back then, when little Chang'an mentioned the lively scenes of the festival, her eyes were full of longing.
Back then, the only thing that disappointed little Chang'an was that at the lantern festival, everyone around her was in pairs, while she was the only one alone. Even though she was the treasured gem in the hands of everyone in the sect, even though she was just a child who did not yet understand love, when she spoke of her experiences at the Lantern Festival, Li Qiubai could still easily see a trace of innocent loneliness in her eyes, along with an undeniable longing.
Unfortunately, back then, Li Qiubai never had the chance to experience the feeling of walking hand in hand with the Young Master at the Lantern Festival before they were forced to separate until now.
Fortunately, after all these years, she finally had the chance to make up for that childhood regret.
Thinking of this, the Princess could not help but tighten her grip on the hand of the person beside her.
“What is it?”
At that moment, Young Master Meng, who was picking out masks at a small stall, felt the unusual grip on her hand. She immediately stopped selecting and turned back, shaking the mask in her right hand at the Princess with a smile. “What is it? Does Your Hi— ahem, does my wife perhaps like this mask?”
After saying that, the Young Master found the mask increasingly pleasing to the eye. Without waiting for the Princess to respond, she pulled out a few copper coins and handed them to the vendor, flashing a mischievous smile. “Perfect, I think this suits my wife’s temperament quite well.”
That one call of "wife" made the Princess overjoyed. So much so that, for a moment, she failed to notice what kind of "temperament" the mask in the Young Master's hand actually had.
When the Princess finally snapped out of her daze and saw the mask clearly, she raised an eyebrow and pointed at the tiger-shaped design on it. With a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, she asked, “Oh? So according to my husband, are you implying that your wife is a tigress?”
The stall owner had just accepted the Young Master's money when they heard Li Qiubai's question. Instantly, they cast a sympathetic glance at the Young Master.
“My wife is so gentle, how could she be a tigress?”
The words “my wife” were spoken by the Young Master with great enthusiasm.
When Young Master Meng was in a good mood, even her brows and eyes carried a smile. And right now, that was exactly the case.
Seizing the mask, the Young Master personally placed it over the Princess' face. Seeing that the Princess showed no sign of refusal, she then reached around the sides of her face, securing the straps of the mask against the strands of hair at the back of her head. After carefully tying a knot to keep it in place, the Young Master finally withdrew her hands, resting them on the Princess' shoulders.
Her cheek, however, still lingered near the Princess' ear. She even boldly leaned in closer than before and whispered with a grin, “Our dear wife is clearly a smiling tiger.”
With that, before the Princess could grow flustered with anger, the Young Master quickly took a step back, grabbing another fox-shaped mask from the stall. Holding it up in front of herself, she playfully teased before the Princess could explode.
"Look, this mask of mine, is it not very well-matched with yours?"
"A fox borrowing a tiger's might," truly is very well-matched.
It was rare to see the Young Master this happy, so the Princess could not help but curve her lips as well. Yet she still feigned anger, raising her hand to pinch the tip of the Young Master's nose that was exposed outside the mask, chiding, "A fox is cunning, it is nothing like you at all. At most, you are just a little kitten that scratches at one's heart."
The stall owner at the side had long been used to seeing men and women coming and going. Now, looking at the two before the stall, he immediately guessed their household roles.
Seeing this, the stall owner quickly found a cat-shaped mask and handed it to Li Qiubai, taking the chance to flatter, "Young Master and Madam are truly affectionate, making others envious. Coincidentally, we have a little kitten mask here as well, please have a look, Madam."
The kitten carved on the mask looked just like the Young Master's usual fierce yet harmless scratching demeanor, making the Princess like it more the longer she looked at it.
"Then I will buy this one."
After the Princess finished speaking, she picked out a few more masks from the stall, intending to share them with Shen Lingyun and the others for fun. Then, she took a few taels of loose silver from the Young Master’s money pouch and handed them to the vendor. “Wrap these up for us. You can keep the change.”
It was just a few copper coins' worth of trinkets. Even if the vendor sold them all day, he would not earn a few taels of silver. Now that he had received such a reward, he was overjoyed and immediately clasped his hands together in gratitude. “Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Madam! May the Young Master and Madame be blessed with children soon, grow old together, and stay united forever!”
“Then I will take your good wishes.”
The Princess felt delighted upon hearing this. After taking the packaged masks from the vendor, she once again held the Young Master’s hand and continued walking forward with her.
“Madam is truly generous.”
After leaving the mask stall, Meng Chang’an could not help but tease, “If this continues, and every vendor flatters Madam with a few words, and Madam rewards them each time, then even if ‘your husband’ goes bankrupt today, it would still not be enough to keep up with Madam’s generosity.”
The Princess smiled brightly and simply said, “What? ‘Husband,’ could it be that you fear This Princess' wealth is not enough for these rewards?”
Meng Chang’an was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “How would I dare?”
That was true. Under the heavens, all land belonged to the emperor. Even if the Princess wished to reward everyone in this entire city, it would still be more than enough for her to squander as she pleased.
In that instant, Meng Chang’an suddenly recalled their wedding night. Back then, the Princess had been the same. The Senior maid and palace maids who had come from the palace had merely offered a few casual congratulations, yet the Princess had already rewarded them generously.
At first, the Young Master had thought that the nobles in the palace simply conducted themselves in this manner, giving out rewards as if they were nothing. But now, upon careful reflection, she suddenly realized that back then, perhaps the Princess had been just like she was now—feeling happy upon hearing those words, which led her to reward others so freely.
Thinking of this, the Young Master leaned close to the Princess’ ear and asked with a smile, “It was the same on our wedding night. A few words of praise from others, and they would receive Your Highness’ reward. Could it be that back then, Your Highness also felt overjoyed upon hearing them, and that was why?”
Who would have thought that this silly girl would have such a moment of enlightenment?
“Yes.” The Princess' lips curved as she turned her head to gaze into the Young Master’s eyes, answering openly, “When one feels happy, it is only right to give rewards. What is wrong with that?”
The Young Master found herself sinking into the Princess' eyes, even the words she spoke carried an unintentional softness.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“I just want to know, if I were to congratulate Your Highness now, would it be too late? Would there still be a reward for me?”
Li Qiubai could not help but smile, hooking the Young Master’s fingertip as she hinted, “Then I must first hear the Young Master’s congratulatory words. If I am satisfied, the reward will not be too late.”
The Young Master thought carefully before earnestly saying, “I do not ask for much, only that the Princess may have peace and joy, and a lifetime free of worries.”
That half-joke and half-truth remark made the Princess pause for a moment.
After Meng Chang'an spoke, she noticed that the Princess had not yet come to her senses. She quickly pinched the Princess' hand and jokingly asked, “Is Your Highness satisfied? Do I still have a reward?”
Only then did the Princess snap out of it and respond, “Of course, there is.”
With that, the Princess raised the mask she had just bought from the small stall and held it between the two of them.
“These, all of them are a reward for you. Are they enough?”
Upon hearing this, the Young Master instantly sulked. With a look of disgust, she reluctantly stretched out her hand and muttered, “Using things I bought with my own money to reward me, how could Your Highness be so shameless?”
Li Qiubai smiled but did not reply. Just as the Young Master’s hands were about to touch the edge of the paper wrapping, the Princess suddenly moved the object out of reach. Seizing the moment while the Young Master was dazed, she quickly stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on her lips.
Author's Note:
I feel like my body has been hollowed out...
