Chapter 29 Guan Xuan held the Princess, calling her “Baobao.”
It seemed that troublemakers had entered the Inn. Since last night at the hour of Xu, the annoying young lady in the luxurious Private Room had been heard crying and screaming. Though the Waiter was thoroughly fed up with such a troublesome guest, no one could bear to ignore such a situation. He shooed away the guests who had poked their heads out to eavesdrop, then went to consult with the Innkeeper about whether to report it to the authorities.
The Innkeeper remained silent, but the Innkeeper’s Wife beside him clicked her tongue while fiddling with the abacus and said, “Report what? If she were really in danger, she’d have cried for help long ago. Don’t meddle in other people’s business.”
“What if she’s being coerced?”
“Did you hear any man’s voice inside?”
Just as they were speaking, another high-pitched moan rang out. Everyone’s faces flushed red, and they busied themselves awkwardly. Could it be that this young lady was entertaining herself? No wonder she was so particular about cleanliness and so nitpicky about the things in the room. To be able to amuse herself like this was quite a skill.
Even more surprisingly, the commotion continued nonstop throughout the night, lasting almost until noon the next day, with the sound of the bed creaking still audible. The Innkeeper was heartbroken over his expensive antique Carved Bed—how could it withstand such abuse! By now, everyone was convinced there must be a man inside. However, this man’s stamina and self-control were extraordinary. Throughout the entire night, there wasn’t even a flirtatious word, let alone heavy panting—only the steady, rhythmic sound of slapping fluids.
The commotion was truly eye-catching. At noon, when the Inn was crowded with guests, anyone who entered could hear a few sounds, making it difficult to conduct business. The Innkeeper’s Wife personally went up to the third floor, intending to wake them up and remind them that the soundproofing wasn’t very good and that people upstairs and downstairs were gossiping. Just as she approached the door, she heard a “clatter” as the Door Bolt fell to the ground, and the door creaked open a crack. The Innkeeper’s Wife, startled, dodged to the side, but no one came out. In fact, the commotion was still ongoing.
The Innkeeper’s Wife blushed, her heart racing, suspecting that there might be more than one man hidden inside. Otherwise, how could this be possible? The girl was young, and her physical stamina was simply different—it was almost enviable. She stepped forward, unable to resist the urge to steal a glance. Just as she leaned in, the door slammed shut with a “bang.” A note appeared on the floor.
The note requested hot water and the same meal as the previous night.
In all the years of running the Inn, they had never encountered such a strange incident. The customs of the dynasty weren’t that liberal; strictly speaking, women weren’t allowed to stay alone in Inns. But no one would turn away money, so the Innkeeper had carelessly let her in. Now, it seemed she was likely a bold young lady from some family who had run away from home to secretly meet with her lovers.
The Waiter painstakingly carried two buckets of hot water and three buckets of cold water upstairs, eagerly knocking on the door. By now, the commotion inside had stopped, but it remained quiet, with no one speaking. The Waiter set down the buckets and smiled ingratiatingly at the closed door, saying, “I’ll go to the kitchen to hurry along your meal.”
Everyone occasionally glanced up at the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the men’s true appearances, but the door never opened. Though the door remained shut, the water somehow disappeared from in front of it at some point. Shortly after, the faint sound of water could be heard from inside.
The sunlight was blazing, and the room had good lighting, making the interior bright and clear. Guan Xuan gathered up the princess’s tangled and knotted hair, lifted her, and placed her into the water. The princess had long since fallen into a deep sleep. Since she hadn’t explicitly said to stop, he hadn’t ceased, making full use of these three hundred coins, not wasting a single moment.
Guan Xuan first washed the princess’s clothes, wrung them dry, and used his inner force to thoroughly dry them. Then, he hung them out on the windowsill to let them bask in the sun. Returning, he added water to the Copper Basin, set up the Tall Stand to hold the basin, and immersed the princess’s hair in it, washing it slowly.
The princess was asleep, the sun outside scorching, and cicadas chirping. Guan Xuan scooped water and poured it over the handful of soft, smooth black hair, his heart growing tranquil once more, touched by a secret sense of happiness. After washing her hair, he wrapped it and, using his inner force again, dried it halfway before letting it hang outside the bucket to air.
Guan Xuan fetched fresh water, adjusted it to a slightly cool temperature, washed a cloth, and holding the princess by the side of her neck, gently touched her face. The princess slept much more soundly than the previous night, her thin eyelids pale and tender, so delicate that faint red blood vessels were visible. Guan Xuan lightly stroked the vibrant pulse on her neck, and that faint happiness faded, replaced by a familiar sorrow that surged in his heart. How could the princess have ever suffered like this? How could she be allowed to suffer like this?
When would she be able to return to the capital as a victor? How could he help her? She must not flee—the princess could not keep running. The princess must win. He was her most important servant now, and he had to help her, to witness her triumphant return.
He wiped away the stray tear stains and saliva from her face, cleaned her sweaty earlobes and the flesh behind her ears, and then washed her body. Throughout the night, he had obediently satisfied her, and though he had deliberately controlled his pace and strength, the area below her tailbone was thoroughly flushed, red and swollen as if about to bruise. As he washed her, she trembled a few times. After finishing, he lifted her by the shoulders, draped her arms over his own shoulders and neck, and carried her out completely. The clothes were already dry. Holding her, Guan Xuan dried her body, quickly retrieved the clothesline, and took down all the garments.
With clothes in hand and the princess cradled in his arms, she remained unconscious. Guan Xuan walked toward the inner side of the bed. When the princess slept, she was like a Baobao. Guan Xuan didn’t know what emotions or psychological motives drove the princess to call him Baobao. He guessed it might be because she thought he was particularly obedient at certain moments. But when he thought of her as a Baobao, it was truly because she seemed like a pitiable, adorable child. Like now, she really, really did.
Guan Xuan lifted the soaked mattress and blankets, spread a towel, and sat her down. She was utterly limp, without a shred of strength, so he had to support her head and body to lay her down safely. Kneeling by the bed, Guan Xuan slipped the Undergarment Top over her arms, carefully tying the straps. One piece after another, he dressed her top and bottom, even smoothing out every wrinkle in the folds of her Silk Skirt.
In the room was a Dressing Table with a comb on it. Guan Xuan had earlier rinsed it several times with hot water and left it on the balcony to dry. Once dried, he brought it back, gently lifted the dressed princess into his arms, held her against his chest, and clumsily began to comb her hair.
Fearing to harm even a single precious strand of the Princess’s hair, Guan Xuan dared not use force. When encountering tangles, he carefully separated them with his fingers, smoothing them out one by one. By the time all the knots were untangled, it would likely be past noon. He wondered if the Princess would feel she had gained something upon waking or if she would resent him for taking a small advantage. As Guan Xuan pinned up the Princess’s hair, this thought brought a faint, gentle smile to his heart.
The waiter had already arrived at the door with the meal. Guan Xuan used the wind to push open the door bolt. Trembling, the waiter stood outside, seeing no one in sight and growing truly afraid of this room, thinking perhaps a ghost had taken lodging here. Though frightened, the consequences of being impudent would be worse, so the waiter mustered his courage and entered, placing the tray on the table. Before backing away to leave, he couldn’t resist glancing toward the bed, where the plain-patterned screen cast the silhouette of a handsome youth embracing a long-haired girl.
Guan Xuan patted the Princess’s shoulder, trying to wake her for the meal. When she wouldn’t stir, he couldn’t bear to force her. He waited a while and patted her again, and after a long time, she finally showed a slight reaction—only turning her face to nestle against the side of his neck and continue sleeping. The Princess’s soft, feathery breaths brushed against his skin, light and ticklish. Guan Xuan thought the Princess was so adorable; being her parents or her most trusted maidservants must bring such happiness.
If she wouldn’t wake, then so be it. He could prepare better meals for her—more delicious and more nourishing. Not wanting to waste what had already been ordered, Guan Xuan ate the food himself, pried a gold bead from his Sleeve Blade and left it on the table, then picked up the Princess and walked out of the room.
The crowd was still gossiping, speculating about how many men were hidden in the private room. Suddenly, someone’s voice cut off mid-sentence. Following their gaze, they looked up to see a youth in a black robe descending the stairs, holding a girl in scarlet clothing in his arms. Her clothes were clean and neat, her head resting on his shoulder, her face completely hidden. Though her face couldn’t be seen, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Guan Xuan carried the Princess, his “Baobao,” past their lingering stares.
Zhao Rongzhang was awakened by hunger. When she lifted her head, she saw the surroundings swaying and, looking down, confirmed she was lying on Little Mute’s back. Still groggy from sleep, she didn’t understand how they were already on the move again and hummed softly while rubbing her eyes.
Guan Xuan stopped walking, wanting to stroke the Princess’s hair or pat her back to comfort her, but he no longer felt he had the right, so his hand didn’t reach out. He found a shaded, open area, set her down, knelt beside her, and produced two deep bamboo tubes about a fist wide that he had been carrying. Opening one tube revealed it was filled to the brim with roasted mutton. The other tube was even more abundant, containing not only brown rice and green vegetable leaves but also a large poultry leg. Taking the chopsticks, the Princess eagerly stuffed food from the bamboo tube into her mouth, eating somewhat hurriedly as if famished. Guan Xuan regretted not waking her to eat before they left, letting her go hungry for so long.
He kept walking westward, having already crossed two mountains, and soon it would be dark again. The Princess ate her meal, complaining about why he insisted on leaving—why not just stay another night? After all, she hadn’t done what she wanted to do yet. In truth, her constant urging last night was just to keep him from dawdling. Who knew he’d be so dense, unable to read between the lines? Not only did he keep going at it, leaving her swollen and sore now, but he also made her spend another night in the wilderness.
Guan Xuan watched as the Princess ate, grains of rice sticking to her cheeks while she continued to grumble. In his heart, he thought of her as a Baobao, feeling sorrow and worry for her. He asked if she’d like him to carry her as they walked. He had scouted ahead—another hour’s walk would bring them to a larger town, where the accommodations were cleaner, the food more plentiful, and she could better stretch her limbs and make plans for what lay ahead.
Zhao Rongzhang chewed on the meat, lifting her eyes from the meal to glance at this Little Mute. The Little Mute wasn’t wearing his Face Covering, and the small mole beside his nose was like a Flaw in White Jade. His expression didn’t reveal much, but if you stared closely, you could almost see a hint of weariness at the corners of his eyes and brows. The Little Mute had spent over a night detoxifying her and then walked such a long distance—he must be a little tired.
Zhao Rongzhang, her mouth full of rice, continued eating with her head down, impatiently saying, “I’m not walking anymore. I’m exhausted, exhausted. Let’s just sleep here.”