My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 3

03

“Sorry for biting you too hard—let me blow on it for you!” Seeing Ruan Zhi froze, Gu Qingci continued, puckering her lips to blow gently.

A warm stream of air brushed over the spot where Ruan Zhi had been bitten, and this time, it was Ruan Zhi who inhaled sharply.

That breath was as light as a feather against her sensitive scent gland.

Her skin tingled faintly.

“Shut up!” Ruan Zhi raised her voice in command, and Gu Qingci immediately clamped her mouth shut.

“Gu Qingci, I don’t care who you are. Remember what you said—from now on, you’ll obey me. This is just a temporary mark. Don’t get any ideas or do anything unnecessary.” Ruan Zhi said coldly, suppressing her unsteady breathing.

Was Gu Qingci fond of her pheromones because she was a different person now?

Or was she just putting on an act to save her own life?

“Sis—no, Madam, I understand. It’s my first time marking someone, so I don’t have much experience. Next time you need it, I’ll learn from my mistakes and do better.” Gu Qingci’s expression shifted slightly before she flashed an innocent smile, her little canine teeth making her look sweet and youthful.

“Don’t call me ‘sister’ again. Address me as ‘Madam’ like everyone else.” Ruan Zhi averted her gaze and added.

One “sister” after another—it was as if she was trying to bewitch her. Ruan Zhi felt that being called “sister” by Gu Qingci was making it hard for her to stay harsh.

She almost let her guard down.

Right now, she didn’t know enough about this person or what her deal was. Since they’d only done a temporary mark, she didn’t want to get too close.

Unless—until she was certain she fully understood and had complete control over the person in front of her.

“Alright, as Madam wishes!” Gu Qingci blinked in surprise but immediately agreed.

The boss had spoken, so naturally, she’d do whatever made the boss comfortable.

Calling her “sister” or not didn’t matter much to her anyway.

“Fetch some hot water. I want to wash up again.” Ruan Zhi relaxed her body, withdrawing her hand from Gu Qingci’s neck as she spoke.

The moment her neck was released, Gu Qingci felt as if a leash had been taken off—she was suddenly free.

Whew, my life’s been spared… for now.

Gu Qingci hurried out, practically skipping as she went to fetch hot water.

As she stepped outside, she carried with her a mingled scent of pheromones.

The maids on night duty were all betas, insensitive to pheromones, but Ruan Zhi’s wet nurse, Nanny Qin, who was still waiting outside the door, was an omega. She could smell it—and she was shocked.

Suppressing her confusion and surprise, Nanny Qin and the night-shift maids prepared hot water for Gu Qingci, who carried it in herself without letting Nanny Qin or the maids follow.

Gu Qingci noticed that although this body was thin, it was surprisingly strong—carrying a bucket of water didn’t feel like much effort.

She cleaned Ruan Zhi with practiced ease, her movements gentle and meticulous.

“Here’s ten taels of silver—payment for your trouble. Even in a male brothel, this would be considered a high price.” Once the cleaning was done, Ruan Zhi produced a silver note from somewhere.

Gu Qingci blinked.

Wait, she’s paying me for biting her? This beautiful sister is too kind!

“Si—no, Madam, it was no trouble at all.” Though she said this, her hands moved quickly to take the silver note, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Ruan Zhi studied Gu Qingci deeply. How could this person not feel the slightest bit humiliated? She’s even smiling?

The original Gu Qingci had always been pretentious and obsessed with saving face—how could she tolerate being insulted like this?

Was she really that desperate for money?

Would she immediately spend it on that young lady she’d been eyeing for so long?

“Madam, you should rest. I’ll go dump the water and come back.” Gu Qingci tucked the silver note into her robes and spoke to Ruan Zhi.

“No need. Return to Mojin Pavilion. Have Lian Rui and Nanny Qin come in.” Ruan Zhi replied coldly.

Gu Qingci examined Ruan Zhi’s expression—she looked exhausted.

Fine, if the boss doesn’t want me around, I’ll go back to my own courtyard to sleep.

“Understood. Call for me if you need anything, Madam.” Gu Qingci agreed, then carried the dirty water out.

Ruan Zhi watched as Gu Qingci left, moving smoothly without the slightest discomfort, then closed her eyes and lay down.

“Nanny Qin, Madam wants you and Lian Rui to go in. Her legs are injured—remember to apply ice every two hours and rub in the medicated wine. Take good care of her.” Gu Qingci relayed to Nanny Qin outside.

Nanny Qin quickly agreed, surprised that Gu Qingci would show such concern for Ruan Zhi.

Once she finished speaking, Gu Qingci leisurely walked away. Nanny Qin didn’t ask further and went to fetch the others.

As Ruan Zhi rested with her eyes closed, Nanny Qin arrived with Lian Rui.

Nanny Qin was Ruan Zhi’s wet nurse and had always been loyal to her.

As for Lian Rui, she was the most devoted of the maids Ruan Zhi had brought with her. The others—some had climbed into “Gu Qingci’s” bed, while others had betrayed their lady for personal gain. Ruan Zhi would replace them all gradually.

It would be even better if she could find those capable assistants from her past life sooner.

“Ah Zhi, the lord finally agreed to mark you—bless the Bodhisattva. But why did she leave again? What are we to do now?” Nanny Qin entered, clasped her hands in prayer, her eyes filled with joy but also worry.

Had Gu Qingci only temporarily marked Ruan Zhi and left without staying the night because she still disliked her?

“Nanny, don’t overthink it. Lian Rui, have the night-shift maids fetch some ointment for Nanny Qin’s forehead. Then go see what’s being said at Mojin Pavilion—don’t let anyone notice.” Ruan Zhi didn’t explain further to Nanny Qin. Noticing the bruise on her forehead, she instructed Lian Rui.

Lian Rui, ever taciturn, immediately complied and left.

“Ah Zhi, this injury is nothing. Did you give the lord a lot of silver this time? Why is she acting so strangely?” Once Lian Rui was gone, Nanny Qin leaned in and whispered.

She was afraid Ruan Zhi had given away all her savings to Gu Qingci—what would they do then?

“Not much—just ten taels. Nanny, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Have you been coughing lately? Did you finish the medicine from before?” Ruan Zhi’s tone softened as she spoke to Nanny Qin.

Nanny Qin looked skeptical. Ten taels was enough to change her this much?

While Ruan Zhi and Nanny Qin talked, Gu Qingci had already left.

The lingering taste of tea on her tongue kept Gu Qingci distracted as she walked. The aftertaste was potent—the more she savored it, the richer it became. Lost in thought, she stumbled and was caught by someone.

“My lord, mind the steps.” A soft, timid voice spoke up.

Gu Qingci snapped out of it and saw a young maid holding a lantern.

The girl looked very young, around fourteen or fifteen—not yet of age.

Embarrassed by her clumsiness, Gu Qingci rubbed her nose to hide it.

“Thank you. Lead the way.” Gu Qingci cleared her throat.

The little maid blushed and walked ahead to guide her.

“Little sist—ahem, Dongxue, do you know how much a bun costs outside?” Gu Qingci thought of the silver note in her robes and wanted to gauge the current prices. Recalling the maid’s name, she asked.

“My lord, plain buns cost one copper each, and meat buns cost two.” The maid answered timidly.

Gu Qingci pressed a hand to her chest at the answer.

One copper was roughly equivalent to one yuan in the pre-apocalyptic world!

Ten taels of silver was like ten thousand yuan!

One bite for ten thousand—what job paid that well?!

Ruan Zhi was definitely a rich woman—no doubt about it!

“Oh, Dongxue, do you know what a male brothel is?” Gu Qingci remembered the term Ruan Zhi had used earlier. At the time, she hadn’t paid it much mind.

But now that she thought about it, if workers at a male brothel could earn ten thousand per bite, they were definitely high earners.

“A… male brothel?” The maid, Dongxue, widened her eyes at the question, her face flushing.

“Is it something you can’t talk about?” Gu Qingci grew even more curious.

“Male brothels are… places that keep alphas… Stewardess Zhang says they’re… not respectable.” Dongxue stammered.

Gu Qingci froze, finally understanding.

Ruan Zhi had been treating her like a “male escort.”

The current Ruan Zhi was a blackened, domineering CEO.

Given her history with the original Gu Qingci, the fact that she hadn’t killed her outright and was even paying for her services—what a benevolent CEO, she could cry.

Truly the female lead.

Gu Qingci pondered this as she walked, asking the maid a few more questions along the way.

The little maid was newly purchased and didn’t even receive a monthly wage—only room and board.

Older servants like stewardess Zhang only earned eight hundred coppers a month.

The Gu family was indeed quite poor.

Earlier, Gu Qingci had noticed that among the crowd of maids and matrons, only this little maid and the departed stewardess Zhang belonged to her.

Ruan Zhi’s residence was called Xiuyi Garden, complete with its own garden, pavilions, and water features. After walking a good distance, they passed through a gate, and just a few steps later, Gu Qingci saw a plaque reading “Mojin Pavilion.” Stepping inside, she found it small and cramped—nowhere near as spacious as Xiuyi Garden. There wasn’t even a garden, just a tiny central courtyard where it felt like too many people would bump into each other.

Gu Qingci suddenly remembered—this side gate led to Mojin Pavilion, which was the actual Gu family residence.

As for Xiuyi Garden, it was Ruan Zhi’s dowry property. Before the marriage, her mother,who doted on her, had bought the estate next to the Gu family at a high price and renovated it for Ruan Zhi to live in.

From the looks of it, the garden in Xiuyi Garden alone was bigger than Mojin Pavilion.

“My lord, you’re finally back.” Just as Gu Qingci was about to enter her room, the stewardess Zhang she’d seen earlier emerged from another room, sounding anxious.

Gu Qingci glanced at the woman, who looked to be in her forties or fifties, with sharp, calculating features that made her instantly dislike her.

However, dealing with this person would require putting on a show for Ruan Zhi—and she’d need to ask for Ruan Zhi’s opinion first.

It was too late at night to handle it now.

“My lord, what are your plans? I couldn’t ask earlier in Xiuyi Garden. How dare that merchant’s daughter make you bow and scrape like this? You’ve always been so devoted to Young lady huan—are you really willing to humble yourself in Xiuyi Garden for her sake…?” Stewardess Zhang sidled up to Gu Qingci, her face practically contorting with every word.

Young lady huan was the omega the original Gu Qingci had been fond of—the one she’d wanted to take as a concubine in grand style.

Most of the money the original Gu Qingci had taken from Ruan Zhi had been spent on her.

“Stewardess Zhang, tomorrow, summon a servant broker and bring plenty of people.” Gu Qingci cut off Stewardess Zhang’s rambling.

“…Of course, of course. Did you manage to get money from her? Young lady huan only has one maid—she could really use another as part of her dowry.” Stewardess Zhang paused, then beamed.

“I’m tired. Prepare some hot water—I want to bathe.” Gu Qingci didn’t want to engage further and walked inside.

Stewardess Zhang agreed but didn’t do it herself, ordering the little maid Dongxue to heat the water instead.

Gu Qingci entered her room and looked around. Compared to Ruan Zhi’s luxurious canopy bed, her own room was like a shabby rental—furniture old and worn, the bedding rough and simple, everything reeking of poverty.

Gu Qingci was speechless.

She tried recalling the Gu family’s circumstances.

The Gu family had once been prestigious, even marrying a princess.

Technically, Gu Qingci’s bloodline was distantly related to the current emperor.

But the Gu descendants had grown worse with each generation. Their noble rank had diminished over time, and their estate had shrunk accordingly. Gu Qingci’s father had been a gambler, pawning off anything of value and accelerating their decline. By Gu Qingci’s generation, their rank was the lowest ninth grade—just a title with no salary.

Even so, the original Gu Qingci had clung to that shred of nobility, looking down on Ruan Zhi for her lowly merchant background.

Gu Qingci shook her head, gaining a clearer understanding of the Gu family’s poverty—and an even clearer picture of Ruan Zhi’s status as a wealthy woman.

She’d picked the right thigh to hug—she’d have to keep at it.

Glancing around the room, she noticed the bedding had been used by the original Gu Qingci, which disgusted her. She opened the wardrobe and found clean replacements, so she stripped the bed and remade it with fresh linens.

Compared to the soft satin bedding in Ruan Zhi’s room, this was no contest—the fabric’s texture made Gu Qingci frown.

Even the small couch next to the rich sister’s canopy bed would be better than this.

Gu Qingci grumbled internally.

Though she’d already made her identity and stance clear earlier, it wasn’t enough—she needed to become a devoted little sister.

That huge canopy bed—just let me sleep on the small couch beside it!

Gu Qingci mused idly as she tidied up. Soon, the little maid Dongxue arrived with hot water. Gu Qingci quickly took it from her, noticing how thin and frail the girl was, struggling with the weight. She went out to fetch the second bucket herself.

Dongxue blinked in surprise—the lord seemed different now.

Better.

Unlike Ruan Zhi’s room, which had a dedicated washroom, Gu Qingci had to clean up right in her bedroom.

In the apocalypse, water had been scarce for years—taking a bath had been a luxury, let alone a hot one.

This body, including the clothes on it, belonged to the original Gu Qingci. Gu Qingci had only brought her consciousness—she wanted to thoroughly clean this borrowed shell.

Curious about the physiology of an alpha—specifically, the parts that could impregnate an omega—Gu Qingci checked carefully to ensure there were no unexpected additions.

Nope, everything’s the same as before.

She sighed in relief.

At the same time, she wondered—how could alphas impregnate omegas with the same equipment?

Unable to figure it out, she stopped thinking about it.

As she washed, the water stung the marks on her neck where Ruan Zhi had choked her.

Gu Qingci recalled Ruan Zhi’s murderous glare, paired with those claw-like marks—like an angry cat lashing out.

Well, this cat was truly fierce.

The bath took half an hour. By the time she finished, Gu Qingci was exhausted, yawning repeatedly. She changed into clean sleepwear and lay down on the hard bed, rolling over. One moment, she was savoring the taste of phoenix snow, and the next, she was asleep.

Meanwhile, Ruan Zhi was still awake.

The torment of her heat cycle had already made sleep difficult. Now, with the temporary mark, as Gu Qingci left, some of the relief faded, replaced by a growing discomfort.

Maybe she’d let Gu Qingci leave too soon.

After experiencing the rush of high-concentration pheromones during the bite, every slight decrease in the surrounding scent made Ruan Zhi feel worse.

At first, she’d been sleepy, but as the discomfort grew, she became more alert.

Just a temporary mark, and the effect was this strong?

Omegas who’d been permanently marked became bound to their alphas for life, losing all freedom.

Ruan Zhi didn’t regret letting Gu Qingci mark her temporarily. Alphas looked down on omegas, but omegas could treat alphas as playthings.

She only saw Gu Qingci as a temporary remedy—a paid service.

Once she secured an exit strategy and divorced, as long as she had money, wouldn’t she be able to find another alpha for temporary marks?

There was no need to suffer like in her past life.

“Madam, I went to check. The lord returned and met with Stewardess Zhang, telling her to summon a servant broker tomorrow. Stewardess Zhang said it was because that young lady huan still lacks a maid…” As Ruan Zhi pondered, her maid Lian Rui’s voice sounded outside.

Ruan Zhi’s eyes cooled.

Ten taels could buy two maids.

No matter who Gu Qingci was, she was still an alpha.

“The lord bathed and then turned off the lights. I didn’t see any movement, so I came back. Do you have any other orders, Madam?” The maid continued.

“Come in and fetch the ledger from the chest.” Ruan Zhi instructed.

Her insomnia hadn’t improved with the temporary mark. She didn’t want to waste any more time trying to sleep.

Hearing that Gu Qingci was already asleep only annoyed Ruan Zhi further. She could sleep just fine.

Maybe she shouldn’t have let her leave so easily—should’ve made her keep watch on the couch in the canopy bed!