Qingming Palace.
Princess Xinyue sat on the bed, staring blankly at the porcelain bottle in her hand, her left hand resting on the wooden box.
"Is Chu Chen confessing to this princess? Or is this his response to something I said?"
"If that's the case, what should this princess say the next time she sees him?"
"'Have you eaten? Do the clothes you gave me look good on me?'"
"'Or something else?'"
Princess Xinyue's heart pounded, her face flushed, her mind filled with thoughts of her next meeting with Chu Chen.
But no matter how much she thought, how much she simulated in her mind, it all felt inappropriate.
In the end, Princess Xinyue decided not to think about it anymore.
She lay back on the bed, looking at the mosquito net. "How to act next time can wait for next time. I should leave some anticipation for myself."
Though she thought this, Chu Chen's figure involuntarily reappeared in her mind.
The first time she saw him, his humble and cautious demeanor.
His boldness in offering suggestions to her, who was usually capricious and willful.
His fawning and flattering appearance when facing her mother, the Empress.
His confident persuasion of the Empress, cleverly using her mother's money to build a hot air balloon to please her.
The scene on the hot air balloon, neither in the sky nor on the ground, with no one around, hundreds of meters in the air, with only her and him alone, his helpless expression.
His shrewd merchant-like demeanor when he won over the astute and calculating Shao Lili.
And his stern and murderous look when training soldiers, and the reassuring sense of security he provided by managing her personal guards so efficiently that she didn't have to worry.
At that time, it seemed that Chu Chen was not like a eunuch, but like a real man.
It wasn't until the new recruit competition that this princess realized that, without her even noticing, Chu Chen had entered her heart and occupied a place within it.
Besides playing and her mother and family, there was also a little "Xiao Chenzi" in her heart.
The splendor of the competition, the unexpected outcome.
His fierce appearance as he galloped with her on the road in the Eastern Frontier, scolding those who were exhausted.
In the Eastern Frontier, his strategic planning, his flawless calculations, his heroic turn of events.
And... the warm and gentle comfort, the first time she felt the warmth of Chu Chen's embrace.
When the assassin attacked, his fearlessness in the face of danger, his mighty power in saving Shao Lili, and his escape with her, desperately protecting her.
Falling into the lake...
"Oh dear, didn't I decide not to think about this scoundrel? How did I end up thinking about him again without realizing it!"
Princess Xinyue suddenly startled awake and sat up abruptly in bed, her mind still lingering on the last embarrassing scene.
"This damned fellow, what method did he use to leave such a deep impression in this princess's mind?"
Princess Xinyue shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to clear all the embarrassing images from her mind.
After a moment, she picked up the porcelain bottle. "No more thinking, no more thinking. I should find something to do. Sleeping in broad daylight is too strange."
Princess Xinyue opened the stopper and took out the Marrow Cleansing Pill.
"The pill is translucent and bright, like a pastry? Can such a thing truly improve one's cultivation aptitude?"
Princess Xinyue held it up to the light, looking at it curiously.
"I'll know once I eat it. Chu Chen wouldn't lie to me anyway."
She popped the Marrow Cleansing Pill into her mouth. It was soft but didn't dissolve.
With a gentle bite, it had the crisp texture of a biscuit.
After chewing and swallowing a few bites, a wave of heat spread from her abdomen.
"It's working so quickly?"
Princess Xinyue was astonished.
"Uh~ What should I do next? Chu Chen didn't seem to say!"
"Huh? Why does my body feel a little sticky, like I'm sweating?"
While trying to recall what to do, Princess Xinyue felt a slight abnormality in her body.
Suspiciously, she pulled up her sleeve and touched her skin underneath. She took it out and looked closely.
There was not only sweat but also a trace of dirt.
"I bathe every day, how can there be such a thing? How disgusting!"
Princess Xinyue looked disgusted and quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands clean.
But at this moment, the medicinal effect was becoming even more potent.
Her entire body felt like it was in a sauna, her body temperature continuously rising until it reached 39 degrees Celsius before stopping.
Despite the feverish temperature, there was no discomfort other than increased sweating.
"Is this the medicine taking effect? Should I wait a while longer? Or should I call someone to bathe this princess?"
Princess Xinyue thought with a dilemma.
The sweat sticking to her clothes made her unhappy, but she didn't want to let down the divine pill Chu Chen had given her.
"No, this princess must endure for a while. I'll bathe after the reaction subsides."
Princess Xinyue endured the sticky discomfort and patiently waited.
She waited for a quarter of an hour.
"It seems to be over? That's great, it was so uncomfortable."
"No, I need to bathe quickly!"
"Right, I'll take these clothes with me. They're perfect for changing into."
Princess Xinyue hurriedly grabbed the wooden box and called out at the door, "Someone, bring hot water for this princess! This princess wants to bathe!"
"Yes!"
The palace maids guarding the door, though puzzled, quickly brought a wooden tub and poured hot water into it.
They intended to assist the princess with her bath as usual, but Princess Xinyue waved them away impatiently. "You don't need to serve me. You can all leave."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After the palace maids left, Princess Xinyue quickly stripped off her clothes, revealing not pristine white skin.
Instead, a layer of dark, mud-like substance covered her skin.
"It's so dirty? It's become like this!"
"This Chu Chen fellow, he didn't explain beforehand. He must be secretly laughing at this princess right now."
"I'll settle the score with him later! Hmph."
Princess Xinyue climbed into the tub and, in just a short while, cleaned off most of the dirt from her body.
Looking at the dark water in the tub, she had no choice but to have someone change the water and continue washing.
The second time was much better, and it wasn't until the third time that the water ran clear. Princess Xinyue finally felt relieved.
"It's clean now. All that annoying stuff is gone."
Princess Xinyue gently stroked her skin, which had been softened by the hot water and her own scrubbing, and enjoyed the comfortable soak.
After about fifteen minutes, she reluctantly got out.
"Huh? My skin seems to have become smoother and more beautiful?"
Just as she was about to change into the new clothes Chu Chen had given her, Princess Xinyue suddenly noticed the change in her skin and was overjoyed.
"I haven't seen any effect on improving my aptitude yet, but I didn't expect it to have a beautifying effect!"
Princess Xinyue happily changed into the complete set of "Rainbow Cloud Robes" and then went to the bronze mirror to look at herself.
She was instantly captivated by her reflection in the mirror.
"So beautiful, like a celestial maiden, is this really me?"
Princess Xinyue gazed at herself, mesmerized for a moment, her mood becoming even more joyful.