After Being Marked by the Eldest Princess, I Got Pregnant with Her Child [Transmigration into a Novel] - Chapter 2

Inside the sleeping chambers, the ceiling beams were made of rare sandalwood, and crystal lamps glowed with soft light. A broad golden nanmu bed stood draped with a veil of shimmering silk gauze. As the breeze moved, the delicate fabric swayed gently. The scent of incense lingered in the air, curling upward in thin strands. Candlelight illuminated the space as brightly as day.

When Song Shujiu opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was pure luxury. The carved furniture, the polished bronze incense burner shaped like a phoenix, the wisp of smoke drifting upward from the ornate censer, all of it told her she was somewhere extravagant. The bedding beneath her was soft and cool, and the floor tiles were paved with golden bricks. A six-panel screen painted with blooming flowers stood beside a beaded curtain, each detail shouting elegance and high status.

She rubbed her temples. Her head still felt heavy from drinking. The scent of wine lingered on her sleeves. She frowned. There was another fragrance too.

It was the faint, seductive scent of poppies. It wasn’t just on her sleeves. It clung to her clothes and her skin, wrapping around her like a whisper that refused to leave.

Last night, she had been drunk, stumbling around when a stunning woman had appeared before her.

Bit by bit, Song Shujiu began to remember what happened.

The memories rushed back like waves crashing in her mind. Flashes of touch, sound, and heat pieced together into a vivid picture. Her face turned red, and her teeth clenched as she let out a mental scream.

She threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. Her clothes had been changed. This wasn’t the dress she had worn to the banquet last night.

What exactly had she done?

She turned to look at the bed. Images from the night before hit her like a tidal wave. Her ears burned. She reached up and touched one.

It was sore.

The skin behind her left earlobe, which had felt like it was about to tear open last night, now only tingled with a dull pain, as if something had been injected to soothe the discomfort.

She took a step forward, then froze. There was another kind of soreness blooming through her body. The lingering emptiness from being filled and then emptied was unmistakable. She felt as though her very soul had drifted away during those hours of intimacy.

She had spent the night with a stranger. In the quiet moonlight, surrounded by candle shadows, she had moved with that woman like flowers and butterflies in a wild, endless dance. Even her bones ached from it.

She tried to remember if this was ever mentioned in the novel.

No. In the book she had read, Phoenix Favor, the scene after the banquet simply had the young lady returning home safely. There was no mention of this unexpected reward.

What kind of story had she fallen into?

The red wooden door creaked open.

Her thoughts scattered as someone walked in. A pair of pale hands reached out and lifted the beaded curtain. The woman was dressed in a crimson gown embroidered with gold phoenixes. Her robe was detailed with subtle cloud patterns. A wide belt at her waist was set with jewels, and the hem of her gown fluttered lightly as she walked with elegance and grace.

Song Shujiu recognized her instantly. Her face was slightly made up, her lips painted, her brows traced with fine strokes. But that was unmistakably the same woman from last night. Her entire body ached again just at the sight.

There was only one person in the novel who wore such brilliant and lavish clothing. The new emperor’s older sister, Princess Royal Yan Chen of the Kingdom of Zhao.

The truth hit her like a thunderbolt.

She had slept with the highest-ranking woman in the empire.

And worse, she had pulled her into her arms and refused to let go.

This was too much. She didn’t even want to show her face again.

Song Shujiu froze in place, too embarrassed to move. Should she pretend she didn’t remember anything? She could just deny it completely.

“Miss Song,” Yan Chen said softly, her voice calm and teasing. “Were you satisfied last night?”

Song Shujiu jumped. Her full name had been spoken. In just one night, not only had this woman completely overwhelmed her, she had even found out her real identity.

She was absolutely not someone to mess with.

“Um, haha…” Shujiu scratched her head and then her cheek. After a long pause, she finally muttered, “It was fine.”

The moment she said it, she regretted it. That did not sound right at all.

“Oh?” Yan Chen raised an eyebrow and looked intrigued. She took a step closer. “Last night, you clung to my hand so tightly I almost dislocated it.”

She remembered Shujiu’s tearful face, begging her not to leave, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. She raised her right arm and waved it gently. That was when Song Shujiu noticed that her other hand was wrapped in thick bandages.

“You’re hurt?” she asked in shock.

She vaguely recalled seeing bl00d in the sedan last night, but she had been too drunk to process it. Now, seeing that pale, delicate hand tightly wrapped in gauze, her eyes widened in disbelief.

She had done this to an injured person?

That made her feel worse than an animal.

“It was nothing serious,” Yan Chen said with a light smile. “But since you were so eager to bite, I had to call the imperial physician.”

What kind of wild words were those?

Song Shujiu tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside she was crumbling. She had grabbed and bit her. That image alone made her want to disappear.

She had worked in the modern world for years and had never imagined she could be so indecent.

Too easy to tease.

Yan Chen watched the flush creeping up Shujiu’s ears. She could tell the girl was trying hard to act calm, but it only made her want to tease her more. Her mood lifted instantly.

Last night had been truly enjoyable.

Her hand might still feel sore, but that soft and fragrant body, along with the light scent of wisteria, left a strong impression.

The Prime Minister’s daughter was a rare kind of omega. Delicate, pure, and breathtaking.

Yan Chen’s eyes suddenly sharpened. Someone like Shujiu, once tasted, was hard to forget. If another alpha encountered her during her next heat, that thought alone was enough to stir irritation deep in her chest.

Her gaze grew cold.

“Now that you’ve recovered, you should go home. Think about what you’ll tell your mother, who has been looking for you all night.”

Shujiu had not yet figured out how to handle the awkward relationship between them. But at the mention of her mother, her heart dropped. She had come to the palace with Song Lan. She had left without telling anyone. What could she possibly say?

Yan Chen did not make it difficult. She simply ordered her guards to escort Shujiu to the gates.

Back at the Prime Minister’s residence

“Jiu’er, you scared me to death,” Song Lan cried as she rushed over. “You didn’t come back all night. I was so worried I thought you had been abducted.”

She was a tall, elegant woman, dressed in graceful clothes with her hair carefully pinned up. Her accessories were refined and tasteful. Her voice, however, was anything but formal.

Shujiu blinked. The novel hadn’t said much about Jiang Yafeng. She hadn’t expected her mother to be like this. Somehow, that made her feel a little more at ease. She liked this straightforwardness.

Now the hard part. How was she supposed to explain her absence?

In ancient times, noble young ladies who spent the night outside without explanation could easily be ruined by gossip. Her reputation would be destroyed.

How could she explain herself?

“Mother, I—”

Before she could finish, her mother interrupted.

“I already know. On your way out, you ran into the Princess Royal. She liked you and invited you to her residence for the evening. That’s why you didn’t come back.”

What?

Shujiu was stunned.

She really had spent the night with Yan Chen, but how had it become something so honorable?

The Princess Royal liked her?

If her mother ever found out she had clung to her like a lifeline, would she still sound this pleased?

“Oh, the Princess Royal is known for her unpredictable moods. She’s difficult to approach. I can’t believe our Jiu’er managed to win her over. What a blessing.”

Shujiu interrupted, “Mother, how do you know I—”

“You hadn’t even stepped through the gate when one of the Princess Royal’s guards came to inform us. Only then did I stop worrying.”

Yan Chen. Of course.

She had told her to go home and explain everything, yet quietly arranged for her to be protected and her reputation saved. She had even taken care of the Prime Minister’s household face.

She really was something else.

Shujiu had been worried the whole way back, palms sweating, heart pounding, only to find it had all been taken care of behind the scenes.

That woman was truly infuriating.

As she recalled that elegant face and those pale slender fingers that had wrapped around her like silk the night before, she suddenly shivered.

Was there something wrong with her? Why was she still thinking about a woman like this?

“Mother, the Princess and I talked about literature. We played chess. I’m feeling a little tired now.”

“So she was testing your talents. Our Jiu’er has nothing to worry about.”

Jiang Yafeng smiled warmly and waved to the maids.

“Come, help the young lady inside to rest.”

“I’ll have them draw a bath for you. You must be exhausted.”

She had been in high spirits ever since she learned that her daughter had caught the attention of the Princess Royal, the second-most powerful person in the entire kingdom.

Everyone in the Kingdom of Zhao had heard the name of Yan Chen. Despite her youth, she held real power, with influence that reached across the entire court.

As the emperor’s older sister, her status alone was enough to leave even the Prime Minister’s household feeling both honored and uneasy.

Inside the bathhouse, Xiao Tao, her personal maid, poured in more hot water and laid out a change of clothes and a comb. Song Shujiu soaked in the tub, letting her body sink into the warmth. Suddenly, a sharp jolt of sensation shot through her. She shrank slightly in the water, remembering that sinful hand of Yan Chen. No matter how hard she tried to block it out, the memory of that night crept into her thoughts again, making her entire body ache.

If she had known earlier how poorly the original host handled alcohol, she would have found a way to skip the palace banquet altogether.

Now she had accidentally provoked someone at the very top. What a disaster.

Half a month passed.

Song Shujiu returned from the city market with Xiao Tao, carrying bags in both hands. The streets under the imperial city bustled with life. Teahouses, taverns, workshops, and pawnshops filled the roads. The air rang with laughter, shouting, clanging pots, and the rhythmic sound of dough being pounded in bakery stalls. The scent of smoke and steam hung in the air, thick and lively.

In a jewelry shop, she had bought some trinkets, hairpins, and a few powders and rouge. Although her family lacked none of these, there was something satisfying about picking them out herself.

As soon as she stepped through the main gate, she sensed something was wrong.

The mansion felt too quiet. When she entered the main hall, she saw her mother and birth mother sitting together, politely entertaining a stranger dressed in official court robes.

By her attire, the visitor was clearly someone from the palace.

The woman sipped her tea calmly, but the moment she saw Song Shujiu, she stood up and smiled.

“It seems the person the Prime Minister sent went to the wrong place with the young lady.”

Song Lan noticed her arrival and waved her over.

“Jiu’er, come here.”

Shujiu immediately felt something was off. This person had come for her.

But why would someone from the palace be looking for her?

She entered the hall and bowed politely.

Song Lan said gently, “Come greet Eunuch Hua.”

In the palace, the head eunuchs often served directly under the emperor. Their status could surpass that of many ministers. No wonder both her mothers were personally receiving her.

“Song Shujiu greets the respected eunuch.”

Hua Ling nodded with a smile, clearly satisfied. She raised her hand slowly.

“By the emperor’s decree, Miss Song, please receive the imperial edict.”

Shujiu was confused but knelt down without question.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, His Majesty declares: The daughter of the Prime Minister is elegant and wise, virtuous and talented…”

She only half listened to the praises at the beginning. Then the actual content of the decree landed like a hammer.

After the edict was read, her mind went blank.

The emperor had issued an order appointing her as a personal reading companion in Princess Yan Chen’s residence.

Over the past two weeks, her feelings toward Yan Chen had slowly faded. She thought the situation had been settled. But now, out of nowhere, she was being summoned again.

She had no scholarly background. What if she misspoke in front of Yan Chen and offended her?

Misery settled over her like a fog.

Could she refuse?

Wasn’t it better to stay at home, eat well, and live a peaceful life in the Prime Minister’s mansion, rather than going back to that daunting woman?

“I humbly accept the edict,” she said weakly.

The moment she stepped forward and took it with trembling fingers, her vision swayed.

“Jiu’er… A-Jiu…”

A cry rose from the side as the room fell into chaos.

Song Shujiu collapsed backward in a dramatic faint.

“Miss… Miss!”

Xiao Tao knelt at her side, whispering in her ear. Song Shujiu’s face was pale, her lips dry, and her eyes dull. Her voice came out in a soft whisper.

“What happened to me?”

“You scared us half to death,” her mother cried. “Jiu’er, were you just too happy and overwhelmed?”

What?

Shujiu stared, horrified, as Jiang Yafeng approached, her red lips moving as she prepared to speak more nonsense.

“If you were so eager to become the Princess’s personal reader, you could have at least waited until after the ceremony to faint. Passing out from excitement while accepting the imperial decree is not exactly elegant.”

Oh no.

Her face turned even whiter.

She had only fainted because she was trying to avoid going back to Yan Chen. The situation was urgent, and she had no time to stage something more convincing, like being hit by something or drinking illness-inducing tea.

She had miscalculated.

Now her mother thought she had fainted out of sheer joy.

She wanted to cry bl00d.

“Mother…”

“You don’t need to explain,” Jiang Yafeng interrupted kindly. “Princess Yan Chen is famously aloof. There are more people who want to serve in her residence than stars in the sky. The fact that she chose you is a blessing. Your excitement is completely understandable.”

“It’s nothing serious,” she added with a wave of her hand. “Eunuch Hua has already returned to report. The decree has been officially accepted.”

“No, wait, Mother,” Shujiu said, trying to argue. “When I fainted, I hadn’t fully accepted it.”

She was sure of that. She had only barely touched the scroll before collapsing.

“Your mother and I thought you were too overwhelmed with emotion, so we accepted it on your behalf. It was issued to our household anyway.”

Song Lan walked in with a gentle smile, her expression calm and gracious.

Even she didn’t expect the Princess Royal, someone so distant and hard to approach, to take notice of Jiu’er.

A reading companion was just a starting point. The Princess’s estate was vast, with thousands of servants and retainers. Being appointed meant recognition and the possibility of future advancement.

“She was testing your knowledge that day,” Song Lan said warmly. “It seems she intends to cultivate your talent. Once you’re in her residence, work hard. It may lead to a promising future in government service.”

Shujiu looked to her left, then to her right.

Her mother and birth mother stood side by side, their eyes shining with pride, their faces glowing with hope. They truly believed their daughter was about to take flight and reach great heights.

The scene was so harmonious.

But they had no idea what had really happened that night.

Or what kind of person Yan Chen truly was.

Why had she first let her leave, only to summon her again after such a long silence?

“I don’t think I’m fully recovered yet,” Shujiu said with a weak cough.

“A physician already examined you,” Jiang Yafeng replied with a gentle smile. “It’s just a mild chill. Take your medicine and rest for a few days. Once your energy returns, you can go.”

“But what if it takes a long time to recover?” Shujiu asked hopefully.

“In that case,” Song Lan said after a thoughtful pause, “we can ask the Princess to bring you in early. She has the best doctors in her estate. You’ll be healed in no time.”

Shujiu instantly deflated.

She had been wrong. Neither of her mothers were easy to deal with.