After Becoming the Cannon Fodder Live-in Spouse A (GL) - Chapter 28: Twenty-Eighth Day

Chapter 28: Twenty-Eighth Day

Ye Fuguang had already started to feel restless.

Through the thin fabric, her palm could already touch the warmth of Shen Jinglan’s lower back, even sensing the strength hidden in her supple skin. Now, she was completely enveloped in the overflowing scent of Shen Jinglan’s fragrance. Although she hadn’t entered the water, it felt as if she were immersed in a pool covered with camellia petals.

Mist rose around them, and the warmth brought an indescribable heat surging up.

At that moment, she heard Prince Qi’s voice again:

“What did you call me?”

The little side consort’s deer-like eyes, which had been clouded with mist, suddenly cleared a bit. Her relaxed body tensed again, thinking her address was wrong. Her soft, pale pink lips moved slightly, like a mimosa in the wild shrinking back when brushed by the wind, instinctively reverting to the previous address:

“…My Lord?”

Shen Jinglan fell silent.

At this moment, she seemed split into two parts. One part was overwhelmed by an intensifying headache, stirring an inexplicable irritability in her. In the past, only on the battlefield, stained with countless shades of bl00d, would she occasionally lose her reason like this, wanting to tear apart everything in front of her.

The other part, softened by the warm, fragrant jade in her arms, melted into tenderness, wanting to wrap her little consort in it, hiding her in a golden cage only she could touch.

Her brows furrowed, and she endured and endured, then suddenly said, “Change it back.”

Ye Fuguang: ?

The little side consort was stunned, as if the heat of the bathhouse had muddled her mind. She reacted slowly, after a long pause, and softly called again, “Wife…?”

Before the last syllable fully fell, the person holding her, as if unable to endure something, suddenly tilted her chin to the side. Then, the scent of camellias grew even stronger, flooding Ye Fuguang’s senses overwhelmingly.

She thought she was suffocating because of the suddenly intense fragrance. At this moment, the water surrounding her seemed to drain away, and she was pushed into a sea of camellia petals. The dazzling, grand red engulfed her, as if it would stain every inch of her skin with its scent.

But in her dizzy state—

Because they were so close, the scene her eyes tried to focus on became blurry. Only the rising heat and the pressure on her waist made her suddenly realize that her breathlessness wasn’t due to Shen Jinglan’s fragrance, but because…

Shen Jinglan was kissing her.

She wasn’t good at breathing.

Ye Fuguang blinked blankly, an untimely thought popping into her mind: This was her first kiss. What about Shen Jinglan?

She seemed so fierce, like she was very experienced.

…

The little consort’s wandering thoughts made Shen Jinglan very dissatisfied.

Even though Ye Fuguang let out struggling whimpers, like a small animal with its tender neck caught, it was far from enough.

It wasn’t enough to suppress Shen Jinglan’s urge to tear everything apart—

Her hand, resting on Ye Fuguang’s waist, moved to cradle the back of her neck. Though she had been bedridden for a long time, the calluses from years of wielding weapons remained. When her palm touched that fair skin, a gentle stroke caused a faint pink to spread.

Until she touched Ye Fuguang’s pheromone gland.

Lazier than its owner, often idle, and barely reacting to the provocative camellia scent of a Dikun, the Qianyuan pheromone gland finally stirred, as if suddenly remembering its dominant role. Just before Ye Fuguang was about to drown in the sea of camellias, fine snowflakes began to fall.

In the scarlet that made Shen Jinglan restless, cold ice crystals finally descended.

But it was only a thin layer, like a light snow in winter, merely frosting the edges of the petals.

For the current Prince Qi, this bit of coolness was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

But the little consort in her arms was already flushed, looking as if she might faint into her embrace. Shen Jinglan closed her eyes, pulled back slightly, and asked coldly:

“Is your pheromone gland incomplete?”

As if the person who had just kissed her so urgently wasn’t her.

Ye Fuguang blinked, her hands resting on Shen Jinglan’s shoulders, answering uncertainly, “P-probably?”

She did know the original host had some defects in this area. After all, when Prince Qi was gravely ill and bedridden, she had forced herself to release enough pheromones by cutting her neck to calm her down.

⑥

But…

Did this world’s intimacy have to involve pheromones too?

Did this setting have to be so particular?

—

Shen Jinglan took a slow, deep breath. She hadn’t expected Shen Jingming to pick such a slightly defective side consort for her.

Though she didn’t know the source of her irritability, Ye Fuguang’s pheromones seemed to suppress that emotion. But with the little side consort’s incomplete gland, she couldn’t treat her like a medicine to be used freely, cutting her neck to force a snowfall whenever needed.

Moreover—

Shen Jinglan had heard of rare ailments among royal Dikun, many of whom relied on Qianyuan pheromones for relief. But it was like opium—once addicted, the craving only grew.

Besides, the little side consort before her wasn’t like the powerful Qianyuan in those stories, whose pheromones were like an ocean. Her little deer’s pheromones were, at best, a small pond.

It was a level that made one reluctant to drain it dry.

Thinking of this, Shen Jinglan lowered her eyes, suppressing her destructive urge with willpower. Enduring the headache, she closed her eyes and said two words, “Get out.”

If Ye Fuguang stayed any longer, she feared she might lose control and hurt her.

As the words fell, she saw shock and innocence in those clear eyes.

And a hint of sadness.

But Shen Jinglan couldn’t explain that she hadn’t intended for her to serve in the first place. Besides, this abnormality was likely related to the poison from Yancheng. For now, she needed to figure out her condition quickly. So, while the little consort was stunned, she stood there calmly.

After a long pause, Ye Fuguang, like a puppy picked up and then abandoned again, walked dejectedly around the screen and out of the bathhouse.

…

“What does the consort command?”

Seeing Ye Fuguang emerge, Yinping and Quhua, unaware she had been “returned,” instinctively recalled her past energy, when she could exhaust herself all night with the gravely ill Prince Qi. They asked reflexively, thinking she needed something they hadn’t prepared.

Ye Fuguang: “…Nothing.”

She sat listlessly on the edge of the stone steps by the door, not even bothering to adjust her clothes. Holding her face, bathed in moonlight, she thought she really seemed like an unsellable product.

But were pheromones really that important?!

Wasn’t comfort the most important thing?

Why didn’t they give her a chance to prove herself?

Even a small spark was still a spark!

Sobbing, a cannon fodder was indeed a cannon fodder. In the story of the main characters, not only could she not be a proper Qianyuan, but she was also despised by the dazzling side characters, stuck with a setting like “sexual dysfunction.” It was too tragic.

Ye Fuguang felt sorrow well up, unaware of how her pitiful, seemingly used-and-discarded appearance looked to the passing servants.

Yinping and Quhua exchanged a glance, as if both saw the other shaking their head.

As expected.

They thought, when the prince was still unconscious, she let this side consort do as she pleased. Now that the prince was awake, there was no way she’d let the consort act recklessly!

—

Until Shen Jinglan finished bathing and the headache subsided slightly, she noticed the lonely figure on the stone steps, her long shadow cast on the tea tree beside her.

She thought of the time the maids spent patiently drying her long hair and the time she spent alone enduring the pain’s retreat. Looking at Ye Fuguang’s back, she suddenly felt—

In this little deer’s world, there was only her.

Especially when the girl heard her footsteps and turned to look at her, Shen Jinglan instinctively thought of how this Qianyuan, who should have been pampered by her family, was sent to serve a noble like her, with her tarnished reputation. Didn’t she ever feel resentful?

“My Lord.”

The little consort stood before her, still somewhat sullen but instinctively looking at her. After a pause, she asked tentatively, “Shall we return to Plum Garden?”

Shen Jinglan subconsciously pressed her still-aching forehead and said after a moment, “No need. Qingfrost Courtyard has been repaired. I’ll rest there tonight.”

But the cinnabar walls in that room were still there!

Ye Fuguang reflexively wanted to protest, but thinking of her earlier discussion with Xue Congde, she hesitated, then said in a tone close to tears, “Does My Lord think my service was poor?”

Not exactly.

Shen Jinglan thought, with such a cute little consort, who needed to learn how to serve? Whether Qianyuan, Zhongjun, or Dikun, seeing her like this, wouldn’t they all lose control?

Because of this, her head ached even more.

After a pause, Shen Jinglan almost sighed, “Fine, I’ll rest in Plum Garden tonight.”

Her words made it seem as if she was reluctantly accommodating her Qianyuan’s poor skills, unable to say it outright and having to coax her with “It’s not bad, it’s okay.” This made Ye Fuguang feel even more guilty, while Yinping and Quhua lowered their heads further to avoid showing any impolite disdain toward the consort.

Thinking of the past nights of endless tossing and the flashy bed incidents, Yinping and Quhua thought in unison:

A poor student with too many fancy tools!

…

Because of Shen Jinglan’s earlier rejection, Ye Fuguang slept obediently in the corner of the bed that night, like a wronged little wife. Though they shared a bed, the distance was greater than when Prince Qi was unconscious.

But it didn’t help—

The next morning, Ye Fuguang saw a table full of breakfast, divided like the Chu River and Han Border. Half was Shen Jinglan’s light, stomach-nourishing food, while the other half was pushed in front of her by Yu Qing.

They were: pan-fried lamb chops, crispy squab, steamed oysters, cold seaweed salad, yam cakes, donkey meat pancakes, and five-grain sesame paste…

Yu Qing said respectfully, “These were specially prepared for you, Consort.”

Ye Fuguang held a soup spoon handed by Ruyi, with five-grain sesame paste as her main dish and a donkey meat pancake on a plate. Looking at the hot and cold dishes, all meant to nourish yin and boost yang, she covered her face with one hand and let out a “Wuu.”

The entire Prince Qi’s mansion knew she was inadequate!

Shen Jinglan, sitting nearby, unaware of the dishes’ purpose, was served by Yinping and Quhua. Hearing this, she glanced at her with a strange look, “Don’t you like what the kitchen prepared?”

Hearing Yu Qing’s words, she thought the half-table was all Ye Fuguang’s favorites.

“No…” The little consort lowered her head, sipping the sesame paste dejectedly, mumbling, “I like it.”

Seeing the girl eating so earnestly with her head down, Shen Jinglan glanced at the servants around them but said nothing more.

After they finished eating, the carriage for their outing was already prepared.

—

Since receiving that letter from Prince Qi’s mansion yesterday, the Minister of the Dali Temple had been restless. First, because it came from Prince Qi’s mansion. Second, because the letter was blunt, summarized in two short sentences:

I, Prince Qi.

There’s a prisoner named Ye Yuge who offended the Emperor. Is she in your city prison or the Imperial Guard’s prison?

Seeing this letter, he was nearly in tears, wondering what this was about. Back when everyone wanted to climb Prince Qi’s high branch, she never accepted his olive branch. Now, after the Yancheng incident and Prince Qi’s defeat, her influence in the court had been demoted or exiled within six months. Now that Prince Qi had recovered from her illness, the first letter from her mansion was to him. What would the court officials think of him?

What would the Emperor think? And the two prime ministers and two advisors close to the Emperor?

Would they think he was Prince Qi’s confidant, a fish that slipped through the earlier purge?

He was so anxious he immediately sent a respectful reply to Prince Qi’s mansion, practically shouting that the person wasn’t in his prison and urging Prince Qi to visit the Imperial Guard’s prison instead!

It was the Imperial Guard prison’s turn to tremble!

So, when Prince Qi’s carriage arrived the next day and the curtain was lifted, they saw many black-armored guards standing ready. As Shen Jinglan stepped down, she even saw two familiar faces kneeling halfway.

Yan Weijun, Bai Yu.

Both were Qianyuan who had once served under her. They were previously deputy commanders and inspectors of the Imperial Guard, but now their leader insignias were gone.

Shen Jinglan pursed her lips, seeing them kneel in her path, saying, “Greetings, My Lord.”

Just this sentence and scene made Shen Jinglan understand the attitude of the Imperial Guard’s three commanders. A mocking smile appeared in her eyes as she stood in casual clothes under the sunlight, looking at them.

Shen Jinglan wasn’t ignorant. The Imperial Guard prison was nominally the military prison but was actually the Emperor’s private prison. Most prisoners there were easy to enter but hard to leave. Depending on their confinement level, some could be visited by family, others not.

Yu Qing had sent someone to inquire yesterday, and Ye Yuge wasn’t in the no-visitation category.

Yet today, when the mansion’s carriage arrived, none of the three commanders showed up, unwilling to be associated with her. They even sent her former subordinates to make it clear: “My Lord, your status is special. It’s inconvenient for us to host you, so please leave.”

It was beyond overbearing.

Shen Jinglan let out a soft laugh.

…

Ye Fuguang, holding her skirt, slowly stepped down from the carriage. As she neared Shen Jinglan, she heard that laugh. The sunlight stung her eyes, making it hard to see Prince Qi’s face clearly, and she instinctively called out:

“…My Lord?”

Shen Jinglan responded slowly, seeing her round, slightly chubby face framed by her pink and white dress, with a butterfly hairpin trembling lightly, looking cute and lively. She raised her hand to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, “Go.”

Ye Fuguang: “?”

Her face reddened. Because she was always aware of her relationship with Prince Qi, such intimate gestures in public gave her a thrilling sense of “coming out openly.”

Then, suppressing her shyness, she asked, “Aren’t you coming with me, My Lord?”

She looked like a child worried about the dangers of the outside world without a guardian.

Shen Jinglan had never seen a clingier Qianyuan.

But when her gaze fell on the two kneeling figures, she said, “I see some old acquaintances. I’ll catch up with them.”

After a pause, she added, “Go. The carriage will wait here for you.”

So Ye Fuguang, with Ruyi carrying a luxurious Taiqing Tower meal box, walked reluctantly, turning back every few steps, toward a prison she’d never approached in either of her lives.

Before the prison’s cold shadow enveloped her, she saw Prince Qi dismiss the two kneeling figures. From a distance, two children, a boy and a girl, about fifteen or sixteen, ran toward them.

They rushed to Shen Jinglan, fearlessly sizing her up, then suddenly knelt.

Too far away, Ye Fuguang couldn’t make out the tall figure’s expression. She only felt that Shen Jinglan’s silver attire today softened her usual fierceness, like a lonely white camellia blooming quietly at night, as if it might fall from the branch at any moment.

—

“Consort.”

Ruyi’s soft call brought Ye Fuguang back, noticing a staircase descending in front of her, nearly tripping.

Ruyi steadied her with one hand, and under the lead of a prison guard, they walked a path requiring a torch for light. Whether the prison was in a low-lying part of Yong’an City or for some other reason, the steps were wet, mixed with a pungent smell from ahead.

The guard, acting officially, didn’t give her special treatment for being from Prince Qi’s mansion. Seeing her expression change, he said, “There are often tortured prisoners here, but they’re on the lower levels. Consort, you have only one incense stick’s time. After visiting, return here. Don’t wander, or if you see something you shouldn’t, we’ll all be in trouble.”

Ruyi nodded, slipping him a small bag of silver, “The Imperial Guard prison isn’t some tourist spot. Our consort has no such idle curiosity. Rest assured.”

The guard smiled, adding, “The path is slippery. Be careful, noble lady.”

Ye Fuguang, admiring the guard’s quick change of face, followed Ruyi inside. Compared to the dark staircase, this prison level had some light from wall skylights. But in spring, with frequent rain, there was little warmth. The cold wind brought only dampness.

In a patch of green that seemed capable of growing mushrooms, she recognized Ye Yuge.

Her robe was darker than at the Ye Family, like a serene distant mountain. Sitting in the corner, Ye Fuguang recalled the novel’s description of her:

“Facing such complex ailments, she remained calm, often making Shen Jingming wonder if her composure was genuine or feigned. Such talent, if willing to serve in court, he would surely value her greatly.”

Then Ye Fuguang snapped back to reality—

Such talent, appearing before you so early, only to end up in prison. Dog of a male lead, you’re good at making empty promises.

As she grumbled inwardly, the person on the straw-covered stone bed glanced at her.

“Ye, Fu, Guang.” She slowly spoke her name, one word at a time.

…

The aroma of the food spread boldly, drawing the gazes of nearby prisoners.

Ye Yuge didn’t care. Approaching the bars, she meant to check on her condition, but her eyes caught the mung bean soup beside the nourishing dishes in the Taiqing Tower box, and she laughed softly, “Why do you love mung beans so much?”

When they discussed Prince Qi’s illness before, she suggested mung beans for detoxification.

Now, visiting her, she brought mung beans again.

“They detoxify and dispel dampness.” Ye Fuguang had Jixiang order this convenient prison-visit meal from Taiqing Tower that morning. The shopkeeper, knowing nobles tread carefully around the Emperor, had even asked which prison it was for, choosing winter melon and clam soup for the meal.

Ye Fuguang genuinely thought the dampness here could cause rheumatism or joint issues if one stayed too long. She pushed the light winter melon soup toward her, “If you don’t like mung bean soup, this works too.”

Ye Yuge ignored the lavish dishes, picking up the mung bean soup and sipping it lightly, “It’s quite sweet.”

Setting down the bowl, she asked casually, “Didn’t sleep last night?”

The little weakling had faint dark circles under her eyes.

Ye Fuguang touched near her eyes, assuming it was a doctor’s reflex to observe. She nodded but didn’t pursue the topic, instead looking at Ye Yuge’s relaxed demeanor and asking, puzzled, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you?”

Ye Yuge looked at her calmly, “What do you want to ask me?”

“Of course, why are you here!”

“…”

The words silenced the person on the other side of the bars for a moment.

Ye Yuge recalled the day she faced the Emperor. Both knew why she was there. After writing a prescription for Prince Qi’s condition, the Emperor suddenly asked if she’d join the Imperial Medical Academy.

She paused, thinking of her studies at home, lowered her eyes, and cautiously expressed her ambition—not in medicine, but in the world. Medicine could save one person, but as an official, she could protect countless people.

The Emperor said nothing, but Fuyao beside him scolded her for her boldness, ignoring the Emperor’s grace. How could Prince Qi’s noble status compare to commoners?

Before she could react, she was seized by armed guards and brought here—

A few days later, Ye Rong, promoted to head of the Imperial Medical Academy, visited with dishes from Yong’an City’s finest restaurant. His words circled eighteen times, asking if a family recipe could be exchanged for a certain herb. His words were cryptic, incomprehensible to others, but a scholar in the next cell recorded their conversation.

Ye Yuge understood then.

She would never leave this place.

The Emperor wanted her father to treat Prince Qi outside while keeping her here, ensuring her father remained a compliant puppet, following his orders. Any hesitation, and he could consult her here.

Perhaps from the moment Ye Rong was chosen, or when he decided to marry Ye Fuguang into Prince Qi’s mansion, their family’s fate was tied to Prince Qi.

—

Ye Yuge came back to herself, looking at the clueless little weakling still inquiring about this. Stared at by her earnest gaze, she slowly said, “It has nothing to do with you. Stop asking.”

Then, lowering her eyes, her tone grew colder, “Do you still remember my earlier words and want to save me?”

Ye Fuguang was used to her quick temper changes and sharp tongue.

She nodded firmly, “Hmm, I do.”

She said, “But I don’t know how. You’re always smarter than me. If you can think of a way, tell me. As long as I can do it, I’ll definitely do it.”

“…”

Ye Yuge was left speechless by her honesty.

She wasn’t used to this little weakling, who used to clash with her, now showing such dependence. This person, who once distrusted her completely, had her treat a poison once and now acted as if poisoned in the brain, relying on her for everything.

As expected.

She thought, she should’ve been harsher with the needle back then.

“Take care of yourself,” she said coldly. “Lose sleep for a few more months, and you’ll be gone before me. Don’t expect me to mourn you in this prison.”

Ye Fuguang: “…”

Her expression shifted from blank to puzzled, then to earnest curiosity, “With your medical skills, haven’t you thought of treating yourself?”

Ye Yuge sneered, “I’m perfectly healthy.”

“No, you’re not,” Ye Fuguang nodded, observing her for a moment, concluding firmly, “Your mouth is too venomous. Want me to stick a couple of needles in it for you?”

…

The sisters’ bickering drew the attention of nearby prisoners, who were used to the cold beauty’s cell receiving lavish meals daily and were growing impatient.

They thought this beauty was talking too long today.

Talking was fine, but not eating? Letting those delicacies go cold was a waste. Sharp-eyed prisoners recognized Taiqing Tower’s logo, knowing the cold beauty had little appetite, so these could be shared. They already saw the food as theirs.

Just as the bold ones were about to ask, Ye Yuge’s tone shifted, asking, “Why the insomnia? Fallen out of favor?”

Since Prince Qi was awake, though Ye Yuge hadn’t met her, her reputation was well-known. With Ye Fuguang’s naive, frivolous, self-centered nature and inability to please others, she probably suffered plenty.

Ye Fuguang: “?”

She looked like she wanted to defend herself, but staring at Ye Yuge’s cold doctor face, after a few seconds, her expression filled with a reluctant “you asked for it.”

She hesitated, thinking since Ye Yuge was a doctor and she had an issue, she shouldn’t hide it. So she said directly, “You know, my pheromone gland has been underdeveloped since childhood. Without pheromones, it’s inconvenient. Is there a prescription to fix it? Or something I can eat to help?”

After all, Shen Jinglan seemed to really need that scent.

Maybe… like a mood-setting fragrance for sleep?

To Ye Fuguang, asking about her gland here was like asking a doctor how to bandage a limb injury—no shame involved.

But to the other prisoners, it was different!

Gasps echoed around them.

Though the side consort’s clothes and hairpin covered her neck, their gazes seemed to pierce through the ornate silk and embroidery, staring straight at the gland beneath her skin.

No one cared about the food anymore. In the face of such explosive gossip, everyone craned their necks behind the bars, wanting to see what this Qianyuan, who paid to visit a doctor for impotence, looked like. Some even imagined the gloomy nightlife of Prince Qi’s mansion.

Undoubtedly, from today, for the next month or even half a year, the hottest gossip in the Imperial Guard prison would be:

#Shocking! Prince Qi’s side consort pays to consult a divine doctor for impotence remedies!#

#Digging into Prince Qi’s unsatisfying side consort#

Ye Fuguang was oblivious, but Ye Yuge clearly sensed the shift in those gazes—

For a moment, she wanted to tell them to get lost, but the culprit of this gossip still looked at her with trusting, innocent eyes.

The little weakling, who used to throw tantrums whenever this was mentioned or when family urged her to see a doctor, now openly asked for help.

Ye Yuge’s eyes darkened, a thousand words surging, but they condensed into a gritted curse: “Ye Fuguang!”

“You’re really not treating me like a stranger now!”