Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 5

At Huai Tower Base, a military zone, Princess Nankang had a brief chat with the commander of the Xiao Cavalry stationed there, quickly grasping the necessary information.

As one of the three fortresses closest to the frontlines, Pengcheng County faced a northern great demon named Murong Shu, also known as the “Lord of Qinghe,” who primarily occupied the Qinghe County area. Previously, when the Great Emperor Ziwei waged her campaign to the west, this Qinghe Lord was also summoned to join. However, recent reliable intel confirmed that Murong Shu had returned to Qinghe County.

This suggested that the civil war among the northern demons had likely ended.

If they were to take the direct route to the capital, Luoyang, they would run a high risk of encountering the Great Emperor Ziwei. But if they could gather more intelligence on this great demon, including details about its abilities, then taking the Qinghe County route would undoubtedly be less risky.

To be cautious, they needed to confirm the situation with other bases as well. After making up her mind, the princess called Cheng Jinyang to ask about their current whereabouts.

“Oh, we’re resting at the hotel,” said Cheng Jinyang, who hadn’t yet changed into his pajamas. Turning around, he saw Miss Wang lying on the bed, leaning lazily against the pillows while watching TV.

“Are we heading out for dinner?” he asked, signaling to Miss Wang with his eyes. She replied leisurely:

“I’m not going. Just bring me something back later.”

“Anything specific you want?” Cheng Jinyang hoped she would say “whatever,” so he wouldn’t have to think too hard.

“Something tasty,” Wang Wanrou replied.

“Could you be a bit more specific?”

“Just make sure it’s not bland, overly oily, sour, salty, cloyingly sweet, too spicy, or made with stale ingredients.”

“…I’ll just pick something I like and bring it back for you.”

Cheng Jinyang stood up and explained over the phone to the princess, “Wanrou is feeling a bit tired today, so I’ll let her rest in the room. We’ll bring her dinner later.”

“Alright,” the princess said seriously. “Jinyang, even though we’re at the edge of civilized society, you still can’t just ruin someone’s reputation casually. If she ends up pregnant, it’ll be a real headache.”

“…No, Sister Xinnan, you’ve misunderstood. She’s just genuinely tired.”

“Don’t be too confident about that. There’s always a chance, even when you’re outside. Just buy some emergency contraception on your way back, to be safe.”

“I said it’s not like that!”

After leaving the hotel, Cheng Jinyang hurried downstairs to wait for the princess outside.

“Really nothing happened?” The first thing the princess asked when they met was whether he had done anything inappropriate.

“We went straight to rest after returning to the hotel,” Cheng Jinyang said helplessly. “Besides, Wanrou is at least the eldest daughter of the prestigious Taiyuan Wang family.”

“I have a feeling she doesn’t care much about the rules and etiquette of aristocratic families,” the princess mused. “Never mind that. Let’s go get some clay pot chicken.”

An hour later, Cheng Jinyang was sweating from the spicy food and complained to the princess about lunch with Wanrou. They had gone to a noodle shop that served mushroom noodles, but the dish lacked any hint of mushroom flavor—just a lot of oil and MSG.

“In a walled fortress like this, don’t go to cheap eateries,” the princess advised with a laugh. “Supplies are naturally scarce here, so cheap places cater to the poor. The quality of the ingredients is terrible, and they have to use lots of oil and MSG to compensate. It’s normal for someone from an aristocratic family to find it unpalatable.”

“If you go to a nicely decorated place and pay a high price for the food, it’ll generally taste similar to what you’d get in a city.”

“I see,” Cheng Jinyang nodded in realization, smiling. “I’ll bring some back for Wanrou later.”

“Does she have any dietary restrictions?” the princess asked.

“Not really. I’ve never seen her refuse to eat anything.”

“Is that so? What a pity.” The princess finished the last piece of flatbread soaked in the broth, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and stood up. “Which cheap noodle shop did you go to for lunch? Let’s buy her a portion from there.”

“…Sister Xinnan, listen. Wanrou might be proud, sharp-tongued, and dismissive of others. She’s quick to mock, ridicule, and belittle people, often leaving them in awkward situations. But deep down, she’s kind-hearted… There’s no need to bully her like that, is there?”

“If she’s really too tired to get up because of you, I wouldn’t mind bringing her dinner,” the princess sneered. “But if she’s just being lazy and staying at the hotel while making you run errands for her, what’s the meaning of that? Even being a pampered young lady should have its limits. If she wants to eat, she should come out herself. If she stays at the hotel, she’ll just have to eat whatever we bring her.”

“But…” Cheng Jinyang thought to himself, If I really listened to you and brought back the noodles we had at lunch, she’d probably kill me in her bed tonight.

“No buts,” the princess declared imperiously with a wave of her hand. “Do as I say.”

And so, Cheng Jinyang reluctantly pointed to a busy noodle shop—not the one they went to earlier—and let the princess buy Wang Wanrou a bowl of their signature mushroom three-delicacy noodles to take back.

This so-called mushroom three-delicacy noodles consisted of king oyster mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. The variously shaped white mushrooms were paired with white noodles in a pale, oily broth—an appearance that was utterly unappetizing.

On their way back, Cheng Jinyang noticed an ice cream shop and asked the princess which flavor she wanted.

“Just plain milk, with extra sugar sprinkles,” the princess replied.

He bought her one and got himself a four-flavor scoop—something Miss Wang had ordered before—with crushed nuts and dried figs. However, instead of eating it right away, he hurried toward the hotel with the ice cream in hand.

If I really face life-threatening danger later, this ice cream might just save my life!

“Aren’t you going to eat that? It’s melting,” the princess suddenly said.

“Oh, I’m eating,” Cheng Jinyang quickly scooped a bite, afraid the princess might say, If you’re not eating it, I will.

“You bought it for her, didn’t you?” The princess frowned. “Jinyang, I have to say, a man should have the dignity of a man. Always letting a woman dictate your actions—what kind of behavior is that?”

“Sister Xinnan, before we left, you told me to listen to everything you said…”

“That’s different!” Princess Nankang waved dismissively. “I am your princess. Our relationship is one of royalty and subject—though we’re close, I won’t dwell on that. But Jinyang, you’re at least of the fifth grade by default, with potential for third grade. You don’t need to be so deferential to the prestige of the Taiyuan Wang family. Today, I’m going to teach that arrogant Miss Wang a lesson!”

She snatched the ice cream from Cheng Jinyang’s hand and finished it in three bites, then stormed into the hotel with an air of righteous determination.

In the hotel room, Wang Wanrou was watching TV when the door was suddenly pushed open. The princess walked in, placed the bowl of noodles on the table, and smiled radiantly as she said:

“Wanrou, sorry to keep you waiting. You must be starving. Jinyang and I went out and got you some noodles—eat them while they’re hot.”