My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 24

24

The weather changed too quickly. As the sky darkened, Ruan Zhi heard the thunderclap.

It was like an instinct carved into her bones, an irresistible hand of fate.

A single clap of thunder was enough to plunge her straight into the underworld. No matter how much she believed her heart had hardened, fear still gripped her.

Shameful fear.

There was a room in the courtyard behind the shop, and she hid inside, covering her ears.

She tried to isolate herself from the fear.

But someone was determined to shatter the fragile barrier she had built.

In her vision, those people were like demons from the underworld, baring their claws and fangs at her.

The thunder imprisoned her. She couldn’t move, her breathing growing increasingly rapid. Just as she was about to be torn to pieces by the demons, a pair of cool, strong arms lifted her up.

Ruan Zhi saw Gu Qingci.

That always obedient, seemingly timid person—who would even seek her support when meeting Xia Lingyan’s gaze—now wore an expression of fearless determination as she broke through the encirclement of demons with Ruan Zhi in her arms.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Don’t be afraid. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…” Ruan Zhi heard Gu Qingci’s voice, trembling with suppressed anger and tenderness. Cool, soft lips kissed her from her ear to her forehead, and the sweet scent of green plum enveloped her.

Gu Qingci’s eyes reddened as she held Ruan Zhi.

Compared to the last time she saw Ruan Zhi’s stress response to thunder, this time, Gu Qingci felt even more heartache—so much that it made her tremble.

The stress response to thunder was a scar left on Ruan Zhi’s spirit from past trauma.

No matter how cold and stern she usually appeared, this was her most vulnerable moment.

And now, she was being treated like some kind of monster.

It was like rubbing salt into the wound.

Gu Qingci wished she could go back and beat the instigators to a pulp.

But for now, she suppressed it all, focusing first on comforting Ruan Zhi.

The thunder continued to rumble intermittently.

Ruan Zhi’s body kept shaking.

After releasing her pheromones, Gu Qingci felt slightly better.

Realizing that she was wet and that Ruan Zhi would feel cold too, she thought about taking advantage of a lull in the thunder to ask the shopkeeper for a change of clothes. But the moment she loosened her hold, Ruan Zhi grabbed her sleeve.

Gu Qingci didn’t leave. Instead, she took off her soaked outer robe with one hand and draped it over a nearby chair. Wearing only her half-dried undergarments, she held Ruan Zhi close.

Since Ruan Zhi wasn’t releasing pheromones like last time, Gu Qingci didn’t bite her gland to mark her—Ruan Zhi’s gland had just been marked recently and was still red and swollen.

The two of them held each other quietly amid the sound of thunder and rain for a while.

Gradually, the thunder outside subsided.

The rain slowed, growing lighter.

Once the thunder stopped, Ruan Zhi slowly recovered.

Realizing she was being held by Gu Qingci, her expression stiffened for a moment.

“Let go.” Ruan Zhi said softly.

Gu Qingci released her and looked at her, gently brushing away the disheveled strands of hair from her face.

“I’m sorry. I’ll handle this properly. I won’t let her hurt you again.” Gu Qingci said, full of self-reproach.

Last time, Xue Sanniang had said she was going to the temple to pray for blessings. Since she hadn’t caused any trouble, Gu Qingci hadn’t paid her any attention. She had no idea what Xue Sanniang had been up to or who she had been in contact with to react so violently, treating Ruan Zhi like some kind of evil spirit. It was truly despicable.

“It’s not your fault. Ask the shopkeeper to find you a change of clothes.” Ruan Zhi said, lowering her eyes.

Gu Qingci looked at Ruan Zhi, her gaze softening further.

When she lost her temper, she was terrifying, but now that she had just recovered, she still remembered to worry about whether Gu Qingci was cold.

“Alright, I’ll go out then?” Gu Qingci said, reluctantly letting go of Ruan Zhi.

She couldn’t go outside wearing only her undergarments, so she put her wet outer robe back on before stepping out and closing the door behind her.

Once outside, Gu Qingci’s expression darkened.

She first went to the shopkeeper and asked him to prepare some food and clean clothes for Ruan Zhi. After retrieving them, she placed them on the table in the room.

Seeing that Ruan Zhi was no longer trembling but sitting quietly in a daze, Gu Qingci waited until the sky brightened and the rain stopped before heading straight to the room where Xue Sanniang was locked up.

Xue Sanniang was inside, wailing and cursing.

The moment Gu Qingci pushed the door open, Xue Sanniang’s voice abruptly cut off.

“A Ci, has that witch bewitched you so much that you don’t even recognize your own mother? Now that you’re a scholar, you could divorce that witch and marry an official’s daughter. How could you be so foolish? Don’t let her deceive you any longer! Lady huan was perfectly fine, but you abandoned her and even kicked your own mother out. You became a scholar and didn’t even think to bring me back to enjoy my later years! It’s all that witch’s fault! The shaman I invited is famous around here—highly spiritual and effective. Let her take a look at you too. Once the evil is expelled, you’ll see clearly…” Xue Sanniang rambled as she looked at Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci glanced at Xue Sanniang, her gaze unconsciously turning cold. No matter how much she tried to empathize with ancient thinking, she couldn’t forgive Xue Sanniang.

Ignoring her for the moment, Gu Qingci crouched down to untie Lian Rui and the coachman.

Seeing that Gu Qingci wasn’t paying her any attention, Xue Sanniang glanced at the strangely dressed, exaggerated-looking shaman and gave her a meaningful look.

“Go take care of Madam.” Gu Qingci said to the two of them, ushering them out.

“Ruan Zhi is my wife. It’s because of her that I became a scholar. I should respect and protect her. With such a virtuous wife at home, instead of being happy, you keep urging me to take a concubine and divorce her to remarry? What kind of logic is that?” Gu Qingci said coldly to Xue Sanniang.

“What virtuous wife? She’s clearly a witch! Ever since you marked her, you’ve changed. You promised back then to take Lady huan as a concubine—why won’t you now? Lady huan is so gentle and filial. You’ve been corrupted by evil!” Xue Sanniang insisted.

“After I became a scholar, Xue Linhuan brought you back?” Gu Qingci asked, noticing how often Xue Sanniang mentioned Xue Linhuan.

“Of course! If it weren’t for Lady huan, I wouldn’t even have known you’d become a scholar. How could you treat Lady huan like that—tying her to a tree to scare her? She didn’t come down until nightfall and was almost assaulted!” Xue Sanniang said angrily.

Gu Qingci frowned. Just as she was about to say something, she sensed something amiss. The shaman Xue Sanniang had brought was secretly holding a talisman in her sleeve. Suddenly, she reached out to stick it on Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci allowed the talisman to land on her body. Then, she grabbed the shaman’s shoulder and slid her hand down the arm. With a faint click, the shaman let out a sharp cry, unable to reach for another talisman.

“W-what did you do to my arm?! I’m just a shaman—your mother paid me to come and expel evil! How could you treat me like this?!” the shaman howled in pain.

“Let me ask you—where is the evil spirit?” Gu Qingci peeled the talisman off herself and stared at the shaman.

“Th-this… there’s no evil spirit here. This old one was mistaken. This old one is blind! Please, spare me!” The shaman quickly changed her tune under Gu Qingci’s gaze.

People like her were experts at telling people what they wanted to hear.

They were masters at pretending to exorcise spirits.

“Oh? Is that so? I think there is one.” Gu Qingci said, reaching for the shaman’s other arm.

“There is! There is! Yes, there is—on her! On her!” The shaman’s eyes darted around, and her still-functioning arm pointed at Xue Sanniang.

Xue Sanniang had thought Gu Qingci was also infected and needed purification.

She had signaled the shaman to stick a talisman on Gu Qingci.

But to her surprise, the woman who had seemed so strong when tying up Ruan Zhi’s maid and coachman was now screaming after just a touch from Gu Qingci—and even pointed at her, claiming she was the one possessed.

“The evil spirit is on her, controlling her. She’s already gone mad, spouting nonsense everywhere.” the shaman added.

“You lying old hag! I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Xue Sanniang snapped.

“Mother, didn’t you say she’s highly spiritual and effective? It seems you’ve lost your mind—possessed by an evil spirit. Shaman, please help my mother expel the evil spirit from her body.” Gu Qingci sighed, shaking her head as she looked at the shaman.

The shaman, now with only one functioning arm, inwardly cursed but had no choice but to perform a one-handed ritual, muttering incantations.

Despite her injury, the shaman was still physically strong. She chased Xue Sanniang around the room, cornering her.

Xue Sanniang dodged, but the shaman pursued her, slapping talismans on her, waving burning talismans around her, and even splashing her with talisman-infused water, performing a full-body exorcism.

Xue Sanniang looked at Gu Qingci standing by the door. That unfamiliar, cold gaze and the same-yet-different face filled her with rising dread.

She had come to exorcise evil spirits from Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci—not herself!

After a long while, the shaman, sweating profusely from the pain in her arm, finally stopped.

“It… it should be done now.” the shaman said cautiously to Gu Qingci.

Seeing Xue Sanniang in such a sorry state, Gu Qingci didn’t force the shaman to continue.

“For my mother’s reputation, I don’t want anyone else to know about today’s events. If I hear even half a word about this outside, do you know what I’ll do?” Gu Qingci said, staring at the shaman.

“This old one understands. This old one swears not to breathe a word of it.” the shaman hurriedly promised.

Gu Qingci couldn’t kill her, so dislocating her arm was punishment enough. She reset the shaman’s arm and sent her away.

Now, only Gu Qingci and Xue Sanniang remained in the room.

Gu Qingci stared at Xue Sanniang.

“A Ci, I’m your mother! I’m your mother! You’ve been tainted by evil spirits—that witch has corrupted you! Give me back my A Ci!” Xue Sanniang grew fearful under Gu Qingci’s gaze. She wanted to step forward but didn’t dare.

“It seems Mother is still not well. Should I invite that highly spiritual shaman back for another exorcism?” Gu Qingci said.

“Y-you… how could you do this? The Great Heng Dynasty values filial piety above all! If word gets out that you treated me like this, you’ll lose your scholar status and be exiled!” Xue Sanniang retreated a step. The exorcism ritual had been torture when performed on her.

“If you’re not possessed and stop spouting nonsense, I’ll provide for you generously and support you in your old age. But if you insist on being delusional, I’ll have that shaman attend to you every day, performing exorcisms until you’re cured. Who would dare say I’m unfilial for purifying my own mother?” Gu Qingci smiled at Xue Sanniang.

Her suppressed anger was eroding her patience.

Xue Sanniang’s expression shifted from disbelief to fear as she stared at Gu Qingci.

“Think it over carefully, Mother.” Gu Qingci said before turning to leave, closing the door behind her.

Outside, Gu Qingci ran into Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi had already freshened up, restoring her usual cold, detached demeanor as if nothing could faze her.

“Why is that old woman still here?” Gu Qingci asked, noticing the shaman standing meekly beside Ruan Zhi.

“Come inside with me.” Ruan Zhi said to Gu Qingci before heading into the room. Gu Qingci followed.

“You’re still wet. Change first.” Ruan Zhi said, pointing to the dry clothes prepared for her.

“Thank you, Madam!” Gu Qingci grinned.

As Gu Qingci changed, Ruan Zhi turned to look out the window.

“That old woman has some skills—she’s been wandering around for years. To prevent her from spreading rumors, I made her sign a contract.”

Gu Qingci had punished the shaman and let her go after seeing how scared she was. But Ruan Zhi didn’t want her fear of thunder to become public knowledge, nor did she want today’s events to spread. So when the shaman emerged, Ruan Zhi intercepted her, using threats and incentives to make her agree. The shaman, already terrified by Gu Qingci, complied.

“That works. But she’s cunning—be careful when using her.” Gu Qingci said as she changed.

“Mm. As for Mother-in-law, I’ll handle her arrangements.” Ruan Zhi added.

Previously, Ruan Zhi had collected plenty of dirt on Gu Qingci to ruin her reputation. But now, she was considering Gu Qingci’s interests.

She had overheard part of Gu Qingci’s conversation with Xue Sanniang.

Arranging Xue Sanniang’s living situation was better left to her. If any unsavory rumors spread later, they would be tied to her arrangements, not Gu Qingci.

“Alright. I was careless before. I thought she’d behave after going to the temple to pray. I never imagined she’d blame all my changes on you.” Gu Qingci said. She hadn’t thought much of it, but now that Xue Sanniang had hurt Ruan Zhi, she could leave it to Ruan Zhi to handle. If Ruan Zhi wanted to vent her anger, so be it.

After what had just happened, Xue Sanniah was already much more subdued. Ruan Zhi wouldn’t have to expend much effort.

“I’ve asked the shopkeeper to summon two maids from home to attend to Mother-in-law. That shaman will stay too. Since she’s already back, it’s inappropriate for her to live outside. Let’s bring her back to live in Jifu Courtyard.” Ruan Zhi said.

Gu Qingci had no objections.

The shaman was clever. After scaring Xue Sanniang a bit more, she wouldn’t dare cause any more trouble.

Ruan Zhi didn’t leave the shop immediately.

She remembered something.

This sudden change in weather—if she recalled correctly—would continue unpredictably for the next few days before giving way to several days of heavy rain.

Half of Minshan County would be flooded.

Most houses would be submerged in water.

The water wouldn’t be deep, only knee-high, but without preparation, food and supplies would be ruined, and many would fall ill.

It was during that time that Ruan Zhi had developed a high fever, and her scent gland had been destroyed.

Now that she knew, Ruan Zhi wanted to make arrangements in advance to mitigate the damage.

She gave the shopkeeper some instructions, but other matters required her to return home, so she and Gu Qingci headed back together.

As for Xue Sanniang, she was left in the care of the two maids who had arrived.

By the time they returned, it was already late. They ate dinner first.

During the meal, Gu Qingci sensed that Ruan Zhi was still preoccupied and unhappy.

After what had happened, who could be in a good mood?

After dinner, while drinking tea to aid digestion, Gu Qingci remembered the gift she had prepared for Ruan Zhi and immediately fetched it.

“What is this?” Ruan Zhi asked as Gu Qingci proudly presented a strange object.

It was rectangular and made of jade. The top row had translucent white jade beads, grouped in twos, while the bottom row had five beads each, tinged with a bluish-green hue.

“Madam, this is called an abacus! It’s similar to counting rods. Each bead in the top row represents five, and each in the bottom row represents one…” Gu Qingci explained.

Qin Ruofang had mentioned that Ruan Zhi liked counting rods, so Gu Qingci had thought of the abacus.

This world didn’t even have such a miraculous tool.

“Isn’t this much more convenient for calculations than counting rods?” Gu Qingci asked eagerly after her explanation, her eyes shining.

Improving calculation efficiency would mean more profits—and more dividends for her.

Gu Qingci fantasized happily, watching Ruan Zhi’s fingers move over the abacus beads.

Slender jade fingers against jade beads—what a lovely sight.

For a moment, Gu Qingci was entranced.

“It is.” Ruan Zhi admitted, surprised by such a clever invention.

“They’re usually made of wood. But Mother said you liked jade, and she gave me a fine piece, so I had it crafted at the Jin Yu Fang. I made the parts and assembled them myself. No one else knows about it yet. We could make wooden ones for the shopkeepers and some to sell. Wouldn’t that be a great business?” Gu Qingci shook her head and got back on topic.

“Mm, it would.” Ruan Zhi agreed.

Coming from Ruan Zhi, “it would” was high praise.

“Can I get a twenty percent cut from the abacus business?” Gu Qingci asked bluntly. She had no qualms about discussing profits.

“Fine.” Ruan Zhi said, lifting her eyes to glance at Gu Qingci.

“Madam, may I stay at Xiuyi Garden tonight?” Gu Qingci asked, meeting her gaze with a smile.

Ruan Zhi paused, then nodded.

Watching Gu Qingci’s grinning face with its little canine teeth, Ruan Zhi was reminded of those alphas who gave gifts to please their omegas—all because they wanted intimacy.

She wondered if Gu Qingci’s rut had passed.

Ruan Zhi lowered her head and fiddled with the abacus for a while, figuring out some tricks and growing more adept.

But there were still matters to arrange, so she set the abacus aside and summoned Madam Zhao to prepare for the impending storm.

Gu Qingci took a bath and happily settled onto the daybed.

By the time Ruan Zhi returned, Gu Qingci was already asleep.

She had conscientiously taken the daybed.

How… considerate.

Ruan Zhi sat down, sleepless. She played with the abacus for a while, but when her head began to ache, she lay down to rest.

Yet the thunder from earlier seemed to still echo in her ears, leaving her uneasy.

The weather would likely remain unstable for some time.

She didn’t know if thunder would strike again in the middle of the night.

Wrapping herself in the blankets might help.

But the weather was growing warmer, and she soon broke into a sweat.

Ruan Zhi pushed the blankets aside and reached for the abacus.

As she moved the beads, the room suddenly brightened.

Ruan Zhi knew this was the precursor to thunder. She dropped the abacus and grabbed for the blankets.

But before she could wrap herself up, a pair of arms encircled her, pressing a warm body against hers.

It was Gu Qingci.

A second ago, when the room lit up, Ruan Zhi had seen Gu Qingci fast asleep. Yet the moment thunder struck, she had rushed over so quickly!

Gu Qingci’s eyes were still closed as she found Ruan Zhi by scent and pulled her close.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m here.” Gu Qingci murmured by Ruan Zhi’s ear, releasing her pheromones.

Ruan Zhi’s ears turned red.