Chapter 61: Princess Carry

Inside the study, Gu Ci personally lit the oil lamp. Under the dim light, the flattering expression on the woman's face was laid bare.

Gu Ci: *What kind of trouble is she stirring up now?*

Gu Ci sat down in the seat furthest from Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao pouted and gave the man a resentful glare, then, holding a bowl in one hand, she struggled to drag a chair forward.

It was a bit heavy.

The chair made a piercing screech as it scraped across the floor.

Gu Ci sighed, stepped forward to lift the chair, and placed it opposite him.

Tang Zhao shuffled forward a bit more, only to realize after sitting down that the distance between them was ridiculously close.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Gu Ci turned his face slightly to avert his gaze.

Tang Zhao was very satisfied; what was the phrase—a heart-to-heart talk.

If their relationship weren't so far from being intimate, she would have wanted to pull him under the covers on the bed to talk.

After all, judging by the secret meeting on the island in the middle of the lake, the waters of the Prince's Mansion were incredibly deep; there might well be disloyal elements within the Bidan Courtyard.

If even a single word were leaked, it would hinder their subsequent work.

Seeing the woman's wandering gaze, Gu Ci asked warily, "What are you trying to do?"

Tang Zhao blurted out, "Go to bed with you!"

Gu Ci:...

Silence filled the room.

Standing guard outside the door, Chao Hui and Chao Yi silently stepped further away.

Clutching the oil bowl, Tang Zhao explained urgently, "No, I don't mean I want to sleep with you, I mean I want to go to the bed with you."

Gu Ci remained silent. *What's the difference?*

There was a huge difference! Tang Zhao looked at the man, who remained handsome even under the dim light. Perhaps because he had just been awakened, a trace of unprecedented laziness flickered across his face, making him look like a soul-capturing male fox.

Captivated by his beauty, Tang Zhao asked as if possessed, "How about we go to the bed to talk?"

Gu Ci slowly turned his head to look at her. Tang Zhao gave an awkward smile. "A suggestion, just a suggestion."

*Fine, if you don't want to.*

Gu Ci stood up, moved the chair back three steps to a safe distance, and sat down again.

Tang Zhao felt that his mind was being a bit dirty right now. At most, she just wanted to talk to a handsome man up close on a bed, but anyone with eyes could see what Gu Ci was thinking.

*Hmph, men.*

Suppressing the urge to kick her out, Gu Ci spoke with ninety percent anger and ten percent embarrassment, "What exactly is the purpose of your visit?"

Tang Zhao cleared her throat, tactfully skipping the previous topic. She extended her arms, presenting the bowl like a treasure, "Look!"

Gu Ci had noticed the object in Tang Zhao's hands from the start; she held it like a precious gem. Although he didn't understand what could be so valuable about a bowl of yellowish liquid, he didn't pry and had been politely avoiding looking at it.

It wasn't until Tang Zhao held the oil bowl right under his nose that he examined it seriously.

The porcelain bowl held half a bowl of yellowish liquid: semi-transparent, somewhat viscous, and emitting a slight scent of raw beans.

Tang Zhao pulled a silver spoon from her bosom.

Gu Ci paused, then took it. Holding the bowl with his left hand, he hesitantly scooped up a small spoonful with his right and tasted it. The bean scent was even stronger, and it was somewhat greasy.

"How is it?" Tang Zhao asked expectantly.

"It's nothing special," Gu Ci said coldly. Previously, she had brought him bean curd; though it seemed strange, the flavor had been good. Now, she had brought a bowl of this fishy, greasy liquid.

*Could she still be angry about the incident at the lake island?*

Tang Zhao grew anxious. "What do you mean 'nothing special'? Do you have any idea how many days I spent pressing this soybean oil and how many soybeans I wasted?"

*You martialist who only knows how to fight, how could you possibly understand the hardships and bitterness of us researchers!*

"Soybean oil? Soybeans?" Gu Ci keenly caught the keywords.

*Hmph.* Tang Zhao let out a cold snort through her nose.

Gu Ci brought the oil bowl to his nose and sniffed carefully. Beneath the heavy bean scent, there was a subtle hint of toasted sesame oil.

He scooped another spoonful to savor slowly. It was indeed oil; it wasn't as fragrant as lard, nor as heavy as lard.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Is this soybean oil truly edible?"

"It's definitely fine for cooking," Tang Zhao said sincerely. "And if you want to drink it raw, that's not impossible either."

"Let's go!" Gu Ci stood up, the soybean oil in the bowl remaining undisturbed.

"What for?"

"To the kitchen," Gu Ci said, looking down at the oil in the bowl. "To stir-fry a few dishes."

Tang Zhao pointed to the sky outside. "Do you believe that the moment we light a fire here, even the watchdog in the Prince's Mansion will know by tomorrow morning?"

They weren't in Luoyang right now. Besides them, there were Consort Han and the couples Gu Yang and Gu Bai in the mansion; there were too many eyes and ears.

Gu Ci frowned. He was impatient to test this soybean oil. If it could truly replace animal fat, then...

Gu Ci looked at the woman sitting in the chair with her legs crossed.

Tang Zhao looked at him arrogantly, her face practically screaming: *Beg me! If you beg me, I'll help you.*

Gu Ci pursed his lips, turned to find a porcelain bottle on the shelf, carefully poured the oil into it, capped it, and tucked it into his bosom. Then, he walked up to Tang Zhao, leaned down, and swept her up in a princess carry to exit the room.

Caught off guard by the princess carry, Tang Zhao: "?"

Tang Zhao lowered her voice and said, "Gu Ci, put me down!" This was far too insecure!

Gu Ci turned a deaf ear. With a glance, he signaled Chao Hui and Chao Yi not to follow, and carried Tang Zhao out through the side door.

By the back lake, Dong Mei, who had been waiting, widened her eyes in shock. She stared blankly as the son-in-law carried the young lady, crossing from the opposite side of the lake to her eyes in an instant.

Tang Zhao had spent the whole journey hitting Gu Ci and was now exhausted, sitting with her arms crossed in a sulk.

Seeing Dong Mei, Gu Ci knew his guess was correct; this woman indeed had a backup plan. "Where to?"

Tang Zhao was as angry as a pufferfish and ignored him.

In both of her lives, she had never been princess-carried; she felt she had lost all her dignity.

Gu Ci looked at Dong Mei. Dong Mei didn't react in time and instinctively said, "The tofu workshop."

Gu Ci nodded. He changed from carrying her to draping an arm around her, took the cloak from the maid to wrap her up tightly, then pulled her close to his chest and vanished into the night with a single leap.

Dong Mei froze for a moment before realizing the young lady had been snatched away by the son-in-law, and hurriedly chased after them.

In the tofu workshop, Xia Mo was busy preparing ingredients in the kitchen, while Qiu Yu stood by the door looking out.

Suddenly, a figure flashed by. Qiu Yu was startled, but upon closer inspection, it was the son-in-law.

Qiu Yu breathed a sigh of relief; the son-in-law had indeed come. Then she realized: *Wait, where are the young lady and Dong Mei?*

Gu Ci set the person in his arms down, peeling her out from under the cloak and outer layers like peeling a banana.

There was no helping it; winter was approaching, and the nights were freezing. Since he moved so fast, the person in his arms had been shivering incessantly.

He had no choice but to stop halfway to take off his own outer garment to wrap her in another layer.

While Tang Zhao breathed in the fresh air urgently, she didn't forget to glare fiercely at Gu Ci.

*Holding me so tight, he almost smothered me to death!*

Gu Ci coughed lightly and turned his gaze elsewhere.

Qiu Yu hurried to help the young lady into the kitchen. Xia Mo moved a small wooden stool by the stove, poured hot water, and provided a hand warmer, attending to every detail.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Gu Ci pulled up a small stool and sat beside Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao handed him the hot water.

Gu Ci was stunned.

"Take it!" The man was only wearing thin clothes; he would be even colder than her.

*Serves him right.*

It took a while before Gu Ci took it. He lowered his head and took a large gulp; the heat spread through his body, dispelling the late autumn chill.

In a corner a hundred meters away from the Prince Xuan Mansion, Chun Feng was tending to a charcoal brazier, waiting anxiously inside a warmly heated carriage.

*Why hasn't the young lady arrived yet?*

Zhao Zhao: *A wise man thinks a thousand times, but a fool's sudden inspiration is better.*

Foolish Gu Ci:...

(End of Chapter)