After Being Marked by the Eldest Princess, I Got Pregnant with Her Child [Transmigration into a Novel] - Chapter 5

The mansion was silent and seemingly endless. The vast courtyard featured an exquisitely crafted pavilion beside a crystal-clear pond surrounded by water lilies, their fragrance soothing and the emerald hues stirring the heart.

Passing through the refined garden and winding corridors, they arrived at a charming little courtyard labeled “Elegant Fragrance Lodge.”

Surrounded by flower beds, the place was serene and tasteful, exuding an air of sophistication.

The steward smiled. “Miss Song, this is the residence Her Highness the Princess has arranged for you.”

Song Shujiu nodded. “It looks nice.”

Yan Chen’s taste was as distinctive as her personality. Despite having known each other for only a few days, the place she chose suited Song Shujiu’s preferences perfectly. This stand alone villa, if left undisturbed would be a delightful retreat.

“I’ll rest for a while. The maids can handle the unpacking later.”

The steward nodded, exchanged a few polite words, and left. Once alone, Song Shujiu stretched out on a nearby chair and sighed. “I’m exhausted.”

The bumpy carriage ride had taken them through several winding paths from the Prime Minister’s residence to Yan Chen’s estate. The rooms were already prepared, with only a few personal belongings left to arrange.

As a modern, self-sufficient worker, she could manage this much on her own.

Xiao Tao looked at her. “Miss, how many years will we be living here?”

“Who knows?”

“What if the Princess takes a liking to you and keeps you here as her companion? Would you still be able to marry?”

Song Shujiu pondered. Unlikely. Yan Chen seemed the type who kept her distance. As for why she had summoned her, who could say? Perhaps she had stumbled upon some unsavory secret and wanted to keep her close to silence her.

“Isn’t independence better? Why marry at all?”

As a woman of the new era, her mindset was liberated. Freedom was far more appealing.

After resting, the two tidied up the rooms. Xiao Tao stayed in a smaller side chamber, a few turns away.

Once everything was settled, Song Shujiu felt weary. She lay back on the daybed, gradually relaxing.

The door suddenly opened.

Without opening her eyes, she assumed it was Xiao Tao.

“You should rest too. We’ve had a long day.”

When no reply came, she turned slightly and opened her eyes only to find a shadow looming over her. The figure before her wore an opulent gown embroidered with butterflies and flowers, adorned with hairpins and tassels, exuding noble elegance.

Yan Chen’s striking face appeared above her.

“You’re here.”

Her voice was calm, betraying no emotion. She stood tall, her lavish robes cascading to the floor, an orange-red shawl trailing behind her, more radiant than any flower in the garden.

Her presence instantly brightened the modest lodge.

Under her gaze, Song Shujiu nodded reflexively and tried to sit up, but her body felt leaden, unresponsive despite her inner agitation.

Yan Chen leaned down, her slender fingers emerging from her sleeves to tilt Song Shujiu’s chin. The touch was icy, sending a shiver through her skin.

Song Shujiu instinctively flinched.

Yan Chen smirked coldly. “Now you’re afraid?”

“Weren’t you the one who clung to me before?”

Song Shujiu’s ears burned red. There was no way to argue, she couldn’t control that strange, scorching heat that had made her act improperly.

When she first arrived, Jiang Yafeng had warned her to serve Yan Chen with caution. This woman’s temper was unpredictable. Though she had taken a liking to Song Shujiu and brought her under her wing, she couldn’t afford to be careless or perfunctory.

Song Shujiu blinked, lips parting slightly. “It’s only because Your Highness is so approachable, your benevolent and kind radiance shining upon the earth. The brilliance was so overwhelming, I was drawn in without realizing it that’s why I forgot my manners.”

“Please punish me, Your Highness.”

Song Shujiu clicked her tongue inwardly. Flattery to this extent, would Yan Chen actually punish her?

Yan Chen suddenly smiled. Her delicate, cool features, set against pale skin, carried an innate air of noble arrogance. Song Shujiu found herself momentarily stunned.

“Since that’s the case, then I shall grant your wish.”

With that, Yan Chen took two steps forward.

Song Shujiu’s eyes widened in alarm. “Wait! You’re really going to punish me?”

She tried to rise, but the divan seemed to have cast a spell on her, she couldn’t move an inch. Yan Chen’s face drew closer, the faint scent of poppies enveloping her.

Nose to nose, Song Shujiu let out a soft whimper. Was she even allowed to breathe at this distance?

“Mmm!”

A pair of hands encircled her waist, pulling her upright. Yan Chen pressed forward with a hint of dominance, transferring the fragrance of her lips onto Song Shujiu, softer than jade blossoms, lingering like morning dew. Song Shujiu gasped repeatedly, her hands instinctively trying to fend off the maddening pleasure, only for Yan Chen to pin them above her head.

The poppy scent at her nose grew thicker. Song Shujiu nearly fainted as their tongues tangled, the surge of wetness spilling over. Yan Chen seemed to understand her too well. Up close, all she could see were the hairpins and ornaments adorning Yan Chen’s head cold metal hairpins swaying, brushing against her cheek.

“Kunniang.”

Just as the fire reached its peak, Yan Chen suddenly lifted her head. Dark pupils locked onto her, lips curling slightly as a deep, mesmerizing voice murmured.

Song Shujiu didn’t understand, her eyes filled with confusion.

Within her slightly naive gaze, Yan Chen raised a hand and lightly touched her left ear. The cool fingertips sparked an unexpected wave of heat.

“Ah—!”

With a startled cry, Song Shujiu’s eyes flew open, her heart pounding violently. Half-covering her chest, she instinctively touched her left ear, where Yan Chen had caressed her. This woman was just too indecent.

“Heh.”

A low, amused chuckle sounded by her ear. Song Shujiu looked up to find someone standing beside her, when had Yan Chen arrived?

Yan Chen stood leisurely, her gaze holding an unreadable glint.

Glancing around, everything was exactly as it had been when she first entered. She was lying on the divan had she fallen asleep?

Yan Chen’s robes were perfectly undisturbed, yet her memories were chaotic and urgent. Had it all been a dream?

A celestial encounter with the woman before her?

Realizing this, her ears burned again. To confirm it had been a dream, Song Shujiu asked belatedly, “When did you get here?”

The girl’s eyes were hazy, her clear pupils reflecting Yan Chen’s image. Hands clasped behind her back, Yan Chen arched a brow at the faint blush creeping across Song Shujiu’s face.

“When do you wish I had come?”

Song Shujiu’s heart thudded loudly. Yan Chen wore the same clothes as in the dream, only her draped shawl now white, her makeup still exuding an untouchable nobility. Sensing the deliberate teasing in her tone, Song Shujiu tried to steady her breathing she couldn’t let anyone glimpse that scandalous dream.

“I…”

“Don’t know.”

Song Shujiu blinked, deciding to answer honestly. Her intuition told her that lying to Yan Chen required finesse.

Half-truths would do.

She couldn’t possibly have noticed anything.

“You’re quite honest,” Yan Chen remarked, watching as Song Shujiu’s left and right index fingers subtly tangled together.

Understanding dawned.

“You were dreaming just now.”

It wasn’t a question more like a statement. Alarm bells rang in Song Shujiu’s mind. Had she accidentally muttered something incriminating in her sleep?

Realizing this, she kept her expression neutral, though internally, her thoughts were in chaos. “Uh, yes.”

Her mind raced, how could she spin this?

“Oh? Then tell me, what were you dreaming about that made you laugh like that?”

Yan Chen finished speaking and settled into a nearby chair.

What?

She had laughed?

Oh god.

She had been dreaming of Yan Chen tangled limbs, heated embraces, endless passion and she had been laughing while doing so?

A shiver ran down her spine.

Meeting those teasing eyes, Song Shujiu’s mind worked at lightning speed. “I laughed because I was thinking about how lucky I am. So many people fight tooth and nail to get into the system, and here I am, waltzing in without even taking the exams. Haha…”

In her modern life, she had suffered the harsh realities of job hunting, failing several times to secure an iron rice bowl.

Who knew transmigrating into a book would land her a cushy position straight away?

Fate worked in mysterious ways.

“What?”

Yan Chen frowned. The system? No exams?

After a moment, she shifted her posture, resting one elbow on the table to prop up her chin while the other hand draped over her crossed legs. The hem of her luxurious robe traced a graceful arc on the floor.

“So you want to be an official?”

“Huh?”

The casual remark startled Song Shujiu. When had she ever said she wanted to be an official?

Her brain wasn’t cut out for politics, she couldn’t handle that kind of responsibility. She was better off as a freeloader, lazing around and waiting for death.

“No matter. Ambition is a good thing.”

Yan Chen nodded. “Start as an attendant-reader. We’ll see about promotions based on performance.”

Song Shujiu was dumbfounded. This unexpected windfall was too much for her to accept.

“Actually, I—”

Didn’t want to come here in the first place.

“Achoo!”

She sneezed at the perfect moment. Earlier, she had been lying on the couch without a blanket, the window half-open. The draft must have gotten to her.

Covering her mouth, she sneezed twice more. As she bent forward, her face collided with an arm, her nose and lips brushing against Yan Chen’s silken sleeve.

Yan Chen patted her back. “If the Chancellor finds out her precious daughter fell ill on her first day here, she’ll probably come demanding answers.”

“She won’t! Achoo!”

Song Shujiu’s voice was thick with congestion. She waved a hand, holding her breath. Her mother and stepmother would never come looking for her.

They’d sooner nail her to the Princess’s residence permanently.

Her sneezing fit worsened, and her foot slipped on her skirt. Staggering, she lost her balance and yanked Yan Chen down with her, all her weight pressing against the other woman.

Her cheek rubbed against Yan Chen’s chest, fabric and skin sliding together until it met something soft.

Yan Chen’s brow furrowed as her right arm wrapped around Song Shujiu’s waist, her back pressed against the tea table.

Song Shujiu clung to her like a boneless crab, her heart nearly stopping at the sensation. When she realized what she was touching, she stopped breathing altogether.

“Comfortable?”

A cool voice sounded from above. Song Shujiu snapped back to reality and saw Yan Chen’s frost-like expression, his eyes glinting with an intense, breathtaking yet chilling depth.

Her hair stood on end as she quickly stood up, looking at him with rare embarrassment. “Ah, my bad, my bad.”

Song Shujiu’s gaze suddenly caught sight of his left hand, a thin streak of crimson staining her vision.

“You’re injured?” she exclaimed, immediately stepping forward to cradle his hand for inspection. “Is this from before?”

The first time she’d met Yan Chen, he’d already been wounded.

Was it this serious?

“It was already healing,” Yan Chen said calmly.

“Now, thanks to you, it won’t be getting better anytime soon.”

His expression remained composed, but the bl00d beneath the bandage had soaked through his sleeve.

“Should I call for a physician?” Song Shujiu’s mind buzzed at the sight of the bl00d.

“By the time you fetch one, this prince might have already bled out.”

Yan Chen seemed particularly averse to her summoning physicians as if this minor matter warranted one.

Song Shujiu hesitated under his steady gaze until Yan Chen spoke again: “Fetch the medicine kit from the cabinet.”