Chapter 116: The Princess Is Beautiful

"..."

Now it was Guli who felt the sting of embarrassment.

Realizing she had completely misinterpreted his intentions, she felt a mixture of shame and vexation. Hearing Lie Chang'an’s words, she felt so mortified she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

"I... I... can't I just be tired of reading?"

Guli stood up, her anger born of embarrassment. "Besides, what is there to enjoy in these wretched military manuals? They’re just long-winded accounts of slaughter and warfare—I can't make heads or tails of them."

Hearing her contradictory outburst, Lie Chang'an felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. He curled his lips into a smile. "The Princess is quite right."

Guli could tell he was mocking her. Even if he spoke politely, she suspected he was looking down on her in his heart, likely thinking she was nowhere near as refined, scholarly, or well-read as Jie'an.

The more she thought about it, the more indignant she became. Yet, the truth remained: she truly neither understood nor enjoyed reading. Lacking the confidence to argue, she simply sat down to the side in a huff, turned her head away, and stewed in her own silent frustration.

Seeing her childish behavior, Lie Chang'an felt a surge of affection mixed with amusement. His heart softened, and he unconsciously lowered his voice. "If the Princess does not like to read, then don't. Why force yourself and suffer?"

*And who was all of this for, if not for you?*

Guli felt the bitterness of being unable to speak her mind. Seeing him looking so cheerful and detached made her even more furious.

She glared at him, her cheeks puffed out in indignation, and demanded with a pout, "Tell me, do you think I’m completely useless?"

"How could that be?"

Lie Chang'an found the very premise absurd. She was so wonderful, brimming with brilliance in every way—possessing the most exquisite beauty and a heart of pure kindness. She was the one who occupied his every thought; how could she be useless?

Yet, he dared not say those words aloud. Instead, he chose a different approach. "Princess, you are a golden branch and jade leaf, the most noble Princess of the Li Dynasty, showered with boundless favor. Your status, your position, your appearance, and your bearing are all peerless. Where could there ever be any talk of you being useless?"

Guli was pleased by his words and felt her spirits lift. Being a person who was easily mollified, she broke into a sweet, innocent smile.

She was dressed in a pink pomegranate-red skirt, layered with a plain velvet gauze jacket trimmed with a pale purple fox-fur collar, which set off her face, as vibrant and delicate as a spring flower.

The skirt was adorned with pink silk ribbons, and her beautiful hair was swept up with a dainty purple hairpin, tied with a matching pink ribbon that carried the faint, lingering scent of plum blossoms. As she lowered her head and smiled, the faint, rosy blush on her cheeks gave her a tender, petal-like charm. She looked like a butterfly dancing on the breeze, or perhaps a spirit of pure, crystalline snow.

Lie Chang'an was momentarily dazed.

Guli looked up and caught him staring at her, his eyes fixed and unblinking. She had never seen him lose his composure like this before. Sensing a bit of fun, she flashed a mischievous smile, leaned her face close to his, and teased, "Well? Is this Princess not beautiful?"

Lie Chang'an snapped back to reality, a touch of unease crossing his face, but he quickly nodded. "Yes, the Princess is very beautiful."

Firstly, this was the truth. Secondly, Lie Chang'an realized that he was finding it increasingly difficult to resist her influence over him. Just now, as she crouched and leaned in so close—her fair, rosy face mere inches away, her beautiful eyes shimmering with brilliance, and her red lips curved into that clever, spirited smile—he couldn't help but lean back slightly, trying to distance himself from the overwhelming visual impact of her presence.