“I admit it, I really am a weak…”
Qin Yu’s face flushed bright red, but her gaze was sincere.
“Admitting it is the first step!” Luo Shangyu read the genuine sincerity in Qin Yu’s eyes, released her hold, stood up, bent over, and extended her right hand.
Qin Yu grabbed the right hand Luo Shangyu offered and rose to her feet.
Qin Yu patted off the dust that had stuck to her clothes from the ground.
Her pure white sports short-sleeve shirt was soaked through with sweat from the earlier fight, faintly revealing her fair and tender skin beneath.
She glanced around; no one was nearby.
The way Luo Shangyu had subdued her had not been witnessed by outsiders.
‘Good, not that embarrassing after all,’ Qin Yu thought to herself.
***
In a corner out of Qin Yu’s sight, a figure slipped away from the Wuyan Arena—it was a guard in charge of the arena.
“This is huge gossip! I actually saw it!” The guard excitedly ran to his companion, recounting every detail of the fight between Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu.
He even repeated their entire conversation verbatim to his comrade.
***
Qin Yu returned to the Eastern Palace, looking at her sweat and dust-stained clothes, planning to take a bath.
“Want me to help scrub your back?” Luo Shangyu saw through Qin Yu’s thoughts.
“I… I’d like that!” Qin Yu somewhat missed having someone scrub her in her previous life, but at the same time, she felt a bit shy.
In her previous life, Qin Yu had been a male, and big guys don’t mind awkwardness—they’re straightforward.
But now, Qin Yu is a girl!
‘Luo Shangyu is also a girl, so it shouldn’t be a problem…’ Qin Yu silently encouraged herself and felt a bit more at ease.
The bathing hall in the Eastern Palace was very spacious, covering hundreds of square meters.
At the center was a large pool filled with steaming underground spring water.
This underground spring water passed through magic ore veins, carrying faint magic power that could dispel fatigue, replenish spirit, and soothe the mind—a rare treasure.
Qin Yu walked to the edge of the pool, removed her bathrobe, and slowly stepped down the sloping edge into the water.
The warm spring water instantly enveloped her, filling her with warmth.
The exhaustion from the fight just now washed away completely with the flow of the water.
Luo Shangyu stood behind Qin Yu, also enjoying this luxurious magical spring water.
This bathhouse was used exclusively by the royal family—not only because of its lavish decorations, but because the spring water was extremely rare and precious.
A small bottle of it on the market could sell for dozens of gold coins.
The water here was specially drawn from underground, reserved only for the royal family and the feudal lords.
Since Luo Shangyu was the Prince of Zhenping, she barely qualified to enjoy it.
After soaking for a while in the warm spring, Qin Yu walked to the pool’s edge and pressed a button.
Immediately, bubbles began to rise from the mouths of dragon statues carved into the pool’s walls, drifting down into the water.
This was Fantasy Realm’s bath gel, made from the Empire’s rare spices and animal fats, not only cleansing the body but also giving off a strange and enchanting fragrance.
After rinsing off the sweat, it was time to start scrubbing.
Qin Yu stepped out of the pool and sat on a small stool, waiting for the back scrub.
Luo Shangyu picked up a scrubbing towel prepared in the bathhouse, wrapped it twice around her hand, and began scrubbing from Qin Yu’s shoulders.
“Ah! It hurts, it hurts!” Qin Yu cried out.
“I’ll go a bit easier,” Luo Shangyu said, unusually refraining from teasing Qin Yu.
Qin Yu found it strange; Luo Shangyu hadn’t been applying much force before, and in her past life experience, scrubbing didn’t usually hurt this much.
Could it be because of the gender swap?
Maybe so!
Qin Yu felt there were so many mysteries about being a girl waiting to be explored.
Feeling the coarse scrubbing towel against her back, Qin Yu’s skin felt as if it were burning with pain.
But alongside the pain came a genuine, deep-seated pleasure.
Pain and pleasure intertwined—this was Qin Yu’s inner thought.
“This side’s done,” Luo Shangyu patted Qin Yu’s shoulder, signaling her to turn around.
“Uh… the front’s not necessary…” Qin Yu refused, “I don’t think I need a scrub on the front! My stomach is soft, scrubbing there doesn’t seem right…”
“Then let me scrub your legs!” Luo Shangyu pointed at a nearby lounge chair, inviting Qin Yu to lie down.
“No need…” Qin Yu had only been a girl for fourteen years and still felt a bit reserved.
“Alright then!” Luo Shangyu shrugged and stepped back into the pool, preparing to soak a little longer.
“Hey? Don’t you want me to scrub you?”
“Me? No need.” Luo Shangyu’s face flushed faintly, a rare moment of shyness showing.
“Come on, try it! It feels really good!” Qin Yu took a couple of steps forward and grabbed Luo Shangyu’s hand.
“No, really don’t need it,” Luo Shangyu’s hand trembled slightly as she tried to pull away.
“Are you afraid it will hurt?” Qin Yu’s words struck a soft spot in Luo Shangyu.
“N-No, not at all!” Luo Shangyu took two steps back and shook off Qin Yu’s hand.
“Oh my, who would’ve thought the invincible Seventh-Tier Quasi-God Luo Shangyu is afraid of a simple back scrub!” Qin Yu stepped closer, wearing a teasing smile as she stared at Luo Shangyu.
“Ahem! I never said that! I was just worried you’d get tired!” Luo Shangyu defended herself seriously.
“Thank you for your consideration!” Qin Yu satisfied her mischievous impulse and stopped teasing Luo Shangyu, turning to the pool to wash away the grime left by the scrubbing.
Basking in the warm spring water, Qin Yu thought about Luo Shangyu’s panicked expression earlier, feeling she had turned the tables and bullied Luo Shangyu a little.
Thinking of this, Qin Yu burst into a hearty laugh.
Luo Shangyu, soaking in the water as well, heard Qin Yu’s laughter and muttered curiously, “Why are you so happy?”
***
When Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu stepped out of the bathhouse, a maid hurried over, handing over a letter.
Qin Yu opened it and found a request for an audience from Zhong Chang Gong.
The maid reported that Zhong Chang Gong was already waiting outside.
“Let him in!” Qin Yu ordered the maids to receive the guest.
By the time Qin Yu sat in her main seat, Zhong Chang Gong had already been waiting in the main hall for quite some time.
Upon seeing Qin Yu, Zhong Chang Gong hastily rose and bowed, “Crown Princess, sorry for my abrupt visit and for disturbing you!”
Qin Yu waved her hand, signaling Zhong Chang Gong to sit down, “I have nothing pressing today; I was just bathing earlier.”
‘No wonder!’ Zhong Chang Gong thought.
Ever since Qin Yu entered the hall, a faint, subtle fragrance filled the air.
It was not the scent of spices but the unique natural scent of a young girl.
Zhong Chang Gong didn’t sit immediately but bowed again, “Crown Princess, may you be well!”
Then he turned to Luo Shangyu, “Prince of Zhenping, may you be well!”
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu returned the greetings in turn, and Zhong Chang Gong finally sat down.
The three sat on either side of Qin Yu’s desk.
The desk belonged exclusively to the Crown Princess, immense in size—nearly three meters wide and over four meters long—showing off the stature of the Crown Princess of the Chengji Empire.
Luo Shangyu and Qin Yu sat side by side at the main seat, while Zhong Chang Gong sat opposite on a guest chair temporarily set up.
The desk was usually cluttered with documents and books, but for this meeting, the maids had cleared everything and arranged tea sets.
The tea water was just about to boil, and the maids waited to brew the tea once the water was hot.
Through the rising steam from the teapot, Qin Yu carefully observed Zhong Chang Gong.
Zhong Chang Gong had black hair—not short for a boy, but definitely short by female standards.
His complexion was rosy, skin delicate and smooth.
At first glance, Qin Yu would definitely mistake him for a girl.
“Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?” Zhong Chang Gong anxiously wiped his cheek.
“Uh… it’s just that I’m seeing you up close for the first time and wanted to appreciate your features properly,” Qin Yu hurriedly explained.
Zhong Chang Gong’s appearance made Qin Yu quite curious: slightly shorter than Luo Shangyu, slender build, with delicate, almost feminine features.
‘Could this be because he’s a eunuch?’ Qin Yu pondered silently.
‘He must be one of the ‘little Southern Liang’ then.’
By Qin Yu’s standards from her previous life, Zhong Chang Gong was indeed a “little Southern Liang.”
Since he was a eunuch who had undergone special procedures, his male hormones were almost nonexistent, so his appearance was very feminine—so much so that if left on the street, no one would recognize his gender.
It was clearly Zhong Chang Gong’s first time meeting someone of Qin Yu’s high status face-to-face, and he was very nervous.
In the cool late autumn, large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
At that moment, the maids brewed the tea and placed cups before each person.
“Don’t be so nervous. Have some tea first!” Qin Yu said to Zhong Chang Gong.
“All right.” Zhong Chang Gong lifted his tea cup, tilted his head back, and drank the steaming hot tea.
The tea was green tea from the mountainous southern region of the Chengji Empire, bitter and rich, with a faint aftertaste.
The bitterness calmed Zhong Chang Gong’s nerves considerably.
Luo Shangyu sipped her tea lightly, waiting for Zhong Chang Gong to speak.
Zhong Chang Gong put down his cup, “Thank you both for leading the troops on my behalf a few days ago! Had I gone myself, I’d probably be a pile of bones by now!”
After Qin Yu’s account the day before, Zhong Chang Gong realized that without magic, he would have been killed hundreds of times over if he had gone to battle himself.
“It was nothing.”
“To you, it may be nothing, but to me, it’s a tremendous kindness!” Zhong Chang Gong directly knelt to the ground, “Thank you both for saving my life! I am unworthy, but I swear to die protecting you! Please accept me—I am ready to face fire and blades for you!”
After speaking, Zhong Chang Gong prepared to kowtow.
“No need for such formalities!” Qin Yu quickly stopped him, “Get back to your seat! That’s an order!”
Zhong Chang Gong returned to his seat.
“Please accept me so I may repay you for saving my life!” Zhong Chang Gong looked at Qin Yu earnestly, his dark eyes full of hope.
Qin Yu had already planned to recruit Zhong Chang Gong under her command, and now that he had volunteered, how could she refuse?
She agreed straightforwardly, “If you do not abandon me, I will give you a position of great importance!”
“Thank you, Your Highness, for accepting me!” Zhong Chang Gong’s tone was full of excitement.
Zhong Chang Gong was a loyal man of honor.
Qin Yu had saved his life, and he would repay her with his very life.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay for lunch? It’ll be good for us to get to know each other better,” Qin Yu glanced at the time and suggested.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness!” Zhong Chang Gong gladly accepted.