She should not be thinking about Ping'an right now; instead, she needed to think about herself and how she could survive the next three days in the Princess's Mansion.
Perhaps Yuwenzhang had promised to come for her after three days, but who could say if he would actually keep his word? Moreover, he was the Crown Prince, burdened with affairs of state and worries for the Emperor; he was busy with a thousand tasks each day—how could he possibly spare a thought for her?
Xie Zhixue dared not continue that train of thought; the more she pondered, the more desperate she felt. A fine layer of sweat had broken out on her skin, sticky and uncomfortable. Even as a breeze drifted by, she felt no relief; instead, she could feel the beads of sweat sliding down her skin, creating an itchy, irritating sensation. Yet she dared not move. She could only follow behind Princess Zhaoyang, walking at a steady, moderate pace—not too far, not too close—terrified of provoking her anger.
Chapter 38