That evening, under Su Rong’s teasing laughter, Zhou Gu fiercely roughhoused her. He stopped just shy of the final step, but the rest, he did mercilessly.
Blushing, Su Rong’s entire body was pink, drenched in sweat. Her powder face flushed, breathless, she finally clung to Zhou Gu’s arm and begged for mercy in a small voice. "Zhou... Zhou Gu, Brother Zhou, I was wrong. I won’t make fun of you again."
Zhou Gu was tightly strung, almost drowning in her sweet sweat and soft whispers. He barely resisted, with the last shred of sanity in his mind pulling him back from the precipice. His body was on the brink of bursting. He took a deep breath, another breath, before closing his eyes and covering Su Rong’s mouth with his hand. "Shut up," he warned hoarsely.
Su Rong obediently kept quiet, her lips firmly closed.
Who would have thought that because of a mere joke she made at his expense during their return journey, he would retaliate by pinning her to the bed for punishment once they got back?
He was too much for her to handle when he got really serious.
If one were to bring the lamp from the corner of the room under the bed canopy and cast its light on her, she wouldn’t need to look to know she was probably covered in marks.
Zhou Gu forced himself to calm down with his eyes closed. It took a while, but he still couldn’t do it. Su Rong’s intoxicating scent kept creeping into his nostrils, making it impossible for him to even hold his breath. He had no choice but to get up swiftly, leave the bed, and walk out.
Su Rong watched him, eyes wide, yet didn’t dare to say a word or cry out to him. She couldn’t help but wonder whether this was a punishment for her or for him. In the end, it seemed he was the one who suffered.
She lay still for a while, listening to the fading steps indicating he hadn’t gone far. Presumably, he was bathing somewhere in Feng Hall. She slowly lifted the blanket to air her sweaty body.
She too wanted to take a bath but reconsidered. If she started bustling about again, she might not get any sleep at all. After all, tomorrow was her first time attending the morning court.
In the cool, early spring chill, she lifted the blanket to air herself a little. Her sweat quickly evaporated. She pulled the blanket back over herself, closed her eyes, yawned, and turned over to sleep.
A half hour later, Zhou Gu returned, cool to the touch. He saw that Su Rong was sleeping blissfully under the canopy, her breathing steady and rhythmic. No sooner had he left than she had fallen asleep. This made him both annoyed and amused.
Though he’d always known her to be rather carefree, this habit of hers was also quite vexing.
Feeling weary, he got back into bed, careful to avoid getting too close to her. He pulled one corner of the blanket over himself, barely covering his body, and closed his eyes.
The next day, half an hour before the morning court, Zhou Gu woke up on time. He nudged Su Rong, "Wake up, today we have to attend the morning court."
Su Rong opened her eyes and reached out to wrap her arm around Zhou Gu’s neck. She rubbed her head against him, like a cat.
Zhou Gu had long since gotten over his anger from the previous night. He snuggled against her, then planted a kiss on her cheek, "Get up. You need to dress properly today to showcase the grandeur of a princess."
Grinning, Su Rong sat up. "Is there a need to showcase the grandeur of a princess? Even if I went to court wearing a sack, with the merit of having pushed back Dawei, none of the court officials would dare underestimate me, right?"
"I suppose so." Zhou Gu found himself more worried about their upcoming court appearance than Su Rong, which left him speechless.
Su Rong noticed his nervousness and looked at him with amusement, "What are you nervous about? As a child in Daliang, you weren’t afraid to stir up trouble in the study or in front of the emperor. You spent over a decade studying alongside the Crown Prince, and even stood your ground in front of Grand Tutor Qin. Even though you were nervous when around Uncle Xie, never have I seen you so wracked with nerves."
Zhou Gu sighed, "Today you will be named Princess."
"Yes. And what of it?" Su Rong didn’t understand why the change in title - from being called a princess to being named Princess and heir apparent of Nanchu - made any difference at all. Since she was the only heir, nobody could compete with her for the throne. Whether she was called princess or Princess, she was still her. The powers vested in her as a princess and as Princess were essentially the same. Upon her arrival in Nanchu, she hadn’t yet been named Princess, yet everyone had still obeyed her commands.
Zhou Gu added, "Today is also our royal wedding, and I’m to be named your Prince Consort."
Su Rong blinked, "And?"
Zhou Gu stared at her, "Such an important event naturally makes me nervous. This directly affects my standing; it is not some unknown thing, but something declared to the world."
Su Rong understood then. She wanted to laugh but feared it would upset him again. She reached out to hug him, saying soothingly, "Okay, okay, you’re amazing, Lord Thursday. Let’s hurry up and go to court together. I’ll hold your hand."
Zhou Gu swatted her hand away, grumbling, "Who holds hands in court? Hurry up, don’t dawdle any longer. Have some breakfast first, it will give you energy."
With that, he got out of bed first. He picked out his official robes and was quickly dressed in his fourth-rank crimson robe, looking absolutely handsome.
Su Rong couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. "My fiancé is so handsome."
Zhou Gu blushed, "Just hurry up."
"Okay." Su Rong nodded and reached for the dowager’s robe that the Imperial Clothing Bureau had rushed to finish overnight. The garment was complicated, and she frowned, a little perplexed. "How do I wear this?"
Zhou Gu, who was about to walk out, turned back to look at the garment in her hand, "I’ll help you."
Su Rong blushed, "You helping me? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"
The last time he tried to help her, he nearly undressed her and had her nearly drowned.
Zhou Gu snatched the garment from her hands, looking solemn. "Today’s events are grand. How can I not help? What are you thinking?"
Feeling ashamed, Su Rong relented, "Yes, yes, Lord Thursday. I was wrong."
Zhou Gu pinched her ear in annoyance, "Lady, hurry up! Stop chatting."
Immediately, Su Rong obediently sat down, extending her arm to cooperate with Zhou Gu. She noticed how he dressed her neatly, layer upon layer, without a single mistake. He seemed very adept, which took her by surprise. "How are you so good at this?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Zhou Gu glanced at her, "I studied it yesterday at the Ministry of Rites, for both your bridal gown and my wedding suit, the details aren’t much different."
Understanding dawned on Su Rong. "I see. Your effort was not in vain."
With her cooperation, Zhou Gu quickly helped her get dressed. Just then, Wet Nurse Zhao called from outside the door, "Princess, are you awake? Shall I come in and help you get dressed?"
Smiling, Su Rong replied, "Mother Zhao, come in and help me comb my hair."
Upon hearing this, Wet Nurse Zhao immediately entered. When she saw Zhou Gu, she didn’t seem surprised. After all, it was no secret that Lord Thursday had spent the night at the palace a few nights ago, alternating between Feng Hall and Huang Hall.
Seeing that Wet Nurse Zhao was there, Zhou Gu left to groom himself in the reception hall. Having been self-sufficient since young, he didn’t need anyone to help him and thus was ready quickly. He then went to the drawing room to wait for Su Rong so they could have breakfast together.
Wet Nurse Zhao quickly readied Su Rong, praising her, "Princess, you look gorgeous."
Su Rong admired herself in the mirror and left to join Zhou Gu for breakfast.
Upon seeing her, Zhou Gu muttered something under his breath. Su Rong didn’t catch what he said, but Yuewan, who was setting the table, heard it clearly. Lord Thursday had said, "She’s dressed in the Princess’s court attire, but shows no power. Why does she have to be so beautiful?"
Yuewan: "...."
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