Chapter 95 "Girlfriend"
That evening, Yu Shuling spent several hours telling You Jingzhou countless stories related to her past life, in great detail.
Some details have faded like smoke in the river of memory, but she remembers clearly every major event: from her upbringing in the inner chambers, she was nurtured step by step, entered the Eastern Palace, married Xiao Mulin and became the Crown Princess, a position of unparalleled prestige in the eyes of outsiders, and fought against those other women. Later, when bandits broke out in Minzhou, she changed out of her red dress and personally went to the southeast coast to quell the bandits.
In the Eastern Palace, she fought with Xiao Mulin's women, striving to gain a man's favor to secure her position. Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, she became the incomparably noble Empress. Her achievements in suppressing bandits allowed her to remain on the Empress's throne even after falling out of favor. However, she had to outwit and outmaneuver Xiao Mulin, feigning affection and ultimately leading to the exile of her maternal clan. She was forced to suppress her feelings and feign deep affection before finally defeating him amidst bloodshed and bones.
Before she could even enjoy her wealth and luxury, she arrived in an era that did not belong to her.
You Jingzhou listened silently, offering little comment. He was more of a passive listener, merely absorbing Yu Shuling's lengthy narration. After what seemed like an eternity, the water in the cup was still half-full, now completely cooled, reflecting a thin, pale gold hue under the lamplight. It resembled the flowing rosy clouds of the Zhaoyang Palace in her past life, symbolizing the preciousness of every brick and tile—a prison from which she had spent half her life unable to escape.
Yu Shuling hadn't told anyone about her situation, not even her close teammates, because the fact that she had transmigrated into a book was bizarre enough. And she didn't want to repeat the tragic endings of the girls in the novel.
A moment later, You Jingzhou got up and poured her another glass of warm water. As he handed it to her, his dry, warm hand suddenly enveloped the back of her hand.
His hands were larger than hers, clearly masculine in size, with well-defined knuckles, long and handsome—hands perfectly suited for playing musical instruments. Yu Shuling's heartstrings fluttered slightly. She looked up and saw his dark, deep eyes.
You Jingzhou quickly squatted down to maintain eye level with the person sitting on the sofa, so that she wouldn't have to look at him so tiringly.
“Yu Shuling,” he called her by her full name, but his hand movements were gentle. He freed one hand and rubbed the top of her head, doing something he had always wanted to do but never had before. “In this life, you don’t have to make yourself so tired.”
He didn't bother asking her if she was tired, a pointless question.
Alone in the deep palace, watching her husband embrace other women, with barely any affection between them, her self-esteem being trampled on again and again—how much strength must she have gathered, what kind of pressure must she have endured, to suppress hatred in her heart and disguise herself as a flawless doll?
He was initially jealous because of the unapproachable atmosphere between Yu Shuling and Xiao Lin, but after hearing the rest, his heart felt like a sour lemon being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, squeezing out sour juice.
What Yu Shuling said was strange, but he didn't find it bizarre at all, nor did he question its authenticity. On the contrary, he felt so sad that he wanted to cry. You Jingzhou's eyes were a little moist. Suddenly, he lifted his long legs and flipped onto the sofa, pulling her tightly into his arms. Yu Shuling hadn't yet recovered from the atmosphere just now and was caught off guard, falling into the boy's warm embrace.
You Jingzhou's body was more muscular than it appeared; his broad chest easily encircled her, and he was quite strong. Yu Shuling didn't struggle too much, but in her twisting motion, she accidentally grabbed his sleeve and pulled it down, revealing a section of his forearm with well-defined, yet not exaggerated, muscles. His warm breath brushed against her face, rising and falling slightly. Yu Shuling's heart raced a little, and her voice grew even gentler:
Why are you hugging me so tightly?
"I'm afraid you'll disappear."
Where can I go?
"Go back to Dajingchao."
Yu Shuling was both amused and exasperated by him:
"I'm probably buried in the earth by now, do you expect me to stage a scene of death and resurrection?"
Hearing Yu Shuling's assurance and hearing her clearly state the fact that she died there, You Jingzhou felt a pang of sadness, yet couldn't help but feel a little bit of relief.
Yu Shuling gradually relaxed completely, leaning against the boy's broad embrace, and squeezed her slightly sore eyes.
You Jingzhou smelled a faint fragrance of shampoo. Looking down, he could see the eyelashes of the person in his arms trembling slightly from the soreness in their eyes. They were thick and light like a butterfly. The cunning and defensiveness of the past slowly receded like the tide. Even though he hadn't drunk any alcohol, You Jingzhou suddenly felt a little drunk.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his body stiffened involuntarily. Before the person in his arms could notice, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, avoiding the sudden awkwardness. Yu Shuling lay in his arms. When they reached the door, he gently kicked open the unlocked door. Once inside, You Jingzhou gently placed her on the bed and kissed her forehead.
"good evening."
After saying that, she watched as You Jingzhou fled the room as if he were running away, making sure to close the door behind him.
Yu Shuling wasn't entirely naive or inexperienced; after all, she was in her early twenties, and the gentle, intimate touch of the person she liked made her breathing somewhat erratic. Adult matters usually develop naturally, and she thought inviting You Jingzhou over for the night was already a very direct hint, but she hadn't expected…
Was I too hasty and reckless, or were his conditions simply not right?
Yu Shuling was wide awake. She got out of bed and was about to go to the bathroom to wash her face when she heard a very faint noise as she approached the door. She tiptoed closer, pressed her ear to the door, and vaguely caught a suppressed, low breathing sound, the kind that only occurs when aroused, mixed with very slight, ambiguous water sounds, which made her imagination run wild.
Despite her boldness, Yu Shuling couldn't help but blush in the narrow space separated by only a wall.
It silently overturned the possibility that had just flashed through its mind.
In retrospect, although the two had long since confessed their feelings, she had only recently taken the initiative to show her affection and accept him. If they were to rush things, it would inevitably seem like they were trying to rush things. Just like in the past in the Great Jing Dynasty, although the social customs were relatively open and men and women could have appropriate and proper contact before marriage, most respectable men would also be polite and respectful to their fiancées before their wedding night.
Yu Shuling's mood improved again. She took a quick shower and, half an hour later, changed into a new set of pajamas and went back to bed, falling asleep immediately.
She slept until late morning, and when she woke up, You Jingzhou had already left, leaving her a note that even read "Visiting this afternoon." After washing up, she found neatly arranged steamed eggs, a steamed bun, and a small shumai in the kitchen, all in small portions, just enough for her to eat by herself.
There were still eggshells in the trash can, and the kitchen counter was wiped clean and tidy, with no signs of having been used.
Yu Shuling enjoyed the meal without any qualms, finding that You Jingzhou's cooking skills were quite good. The steamed eggs were delicious, simply seasoned with vinegar and sesame oil, and sprinkled with a little chopped green onion. After finishing the steamed eggs, she also tried the steamed buns and shumai, both of which were among her favorites.
She had no plans for the day, so she took a day off and stayed home watching TV dramas. She watched a few that didn't quite suit her taste, but finally found one she wanted to watch around noon and became completely engrossed in it.
The protagonist witnessed his father's murder and his brothers' falling out. Standing at a crossroads in his life, with no end in sight, he knelt at the entrance of the burned-down mansion, gazing at the ruins, and burst into tears.
The actors' performances were excellent, perfectly portraying the utter despair of being driven to the brink of despair after the loss of their family. As the familiar voice from the OST played, Yu Shuling recognized You Jingzhou's voice the moment he opened his mouth.
This person has a lot of OSTs.
However, it must be admitted that You Jingzhou's voice is well-suited to both traditional Chinese ballads and energetic songs. He can genuinely hit the high notes, and his ballads are emotionally resonant and immersive. Yu Shuling, having stopped watching the TV series, inexplicably opened the internet search bar and entered You Jingzhou's name to search for his information. Beneath his impressive resume, he remained the most enduring gossip in the entertainment industry:
#You Jingzhou's Ideal Type#
#You Jingzhou's rumored girlfriend#
#Who is You Jingzhou's official girlfriend?#
Since entering the entertainment industry, Yu Shuling had never seen You Jingzhou involved in any scandals, or perhaps they weren't very big-name rumors. But seeing the first related entry, she couldn't resist clicking on it and watching his old interviews with great interest. Until there was a knock at the door, she opened it, and a familiar handsome face came into view.
It was cold outside, so You Jingzhou wore a scarf. The deep blue and light white colors made his skin look even whiter. The boy had delicate features, with strong three-dimensionality in his eyebrows and eyes. His tall figure didn't have a hint of femininity; instead, it was deep and charming.
He took off his coat and hung it on the hook by the door, as if he had done this many times before. He then took the scarf from the part that was still warm from his body and wrapped it around Yu Shuling's neck, pulling her towards the sofa. Then, You Jingzhou saw her phone screen, which was still lit up, displaying his name clearly.
You Jingzhou gave a light "Hmm?" at the end of his voice, his tone relaxed and showing no displeasure.
"Are you checking up on me?"
“There are too many rumors online, and those people just love to make things up, so—” He lowered his head and put his arm around the waist of the person in his arms again. Yu Shuling’s waist was not too slender, but had thin muscles, symbolizing the unique strength of women, which made her irresistible. “Do you have any questions that you want me, the person in question, to answer personally for you, girlfriend?”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com