My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 51

51

The rouge shop was filled with a dazzling array of items—rouge, lip balm, fragrant creams, stone ink for eyebrows, and more. Gu Qingci bought many of them.

The variety of cosmetics from ancient times exceeded Gu Qingci’s expectations. Most of the materials used were natural and healthy, and the colors were quite beautiful.

It was a pity that Gu Qingci didn’t know how to apply makeup, so she only picked the ones she found pretty and pleasant-smelling.

“So you’ve finally thought of buying these for your wife? Consider yourself enlightened.” Wen Renyi teased Gu Qingci.

Remembering what she wanted to ask Wen Renyi, Gu Qingci packed her purchases, carried them back to the carriage, and nudged Wen Renyi with her elbow.

“Well, you were enlightened early. How come you still haven’t married? Don’t tell me you have many concubines?” Gu Qingci asked.

“No. Before taking a proper wife, I would never be intimate with any other woman, let alone take a concubine.” Wen Renyi replied immediately, her expression as serious as when she had explained those theoretical matters to Gu Qingci.

“Huh? Then where did you learn all those things you told me?” Gu Qingci was surprised.

“Everything I told you was based on my own research, as well as summaries from asking certain people.” Wen Renyi said.

“Who would even tell you about such things?” Gu Qingci grew even more astonished.

“Omega women are usually reserved. They’d rather endure hardship than speak of such matters to anyone. Naturally, I sought out people from brothels and male escort houses to ask. I inquired with many and summarized my findings.” Wen Renyi explained.

“Lady Wenren, you should continue studying medicine! You’re a research-oriented talent!” Gu Qingci exclaimed.

Wen Renyi treated these matters as research, approaching them with the same seriousness as medical studies.

This person was truly extraordinary!

“Ahem, there’s no need to praise me like that, Scholar Gu. I have no talent for medicine, and my research interests are unconventional. That’s precisely why my family sent me off to take the military exams. With your support, I’ll continue summarizing and researching in the future.” Wen Renyi said modestly, his expression finally shifting slightly.

“I’ll definitely support you!” Gu Qingci patted Wen Renyi on the shoulder.

“Actually, what I most want to research is how to help omega women survive their heat cycles. I want to develop a medicinal formula—something they can take orally or apply to their scent glands—to grant them freedom!” Wen Renyi shared enthusiastically with Gu Qingci.

“Lady Wenren, you truly are a friend of the fair ones! The hope of humanity! I support you. If you ever face any difficulties, you can always come to me.” Gu Qingci said.

Wen Renyi felt a bit embarrassed by Gu Qingci’s words, but her eyes also sparkled with excitement, leading her to chat a bit more with Gu Qingci.

This dream of hers had rarely received support. Even her own family thought it was too absurd.

Previously, she had admired Gu Qingci for her unconventional ways and deep respect for her wife, which had initially drawn her to Gu Qingci and eventually led to a close friendship. Now, their bond had grown even stronger.

She simply felt that having such a friend was wonderful!

“Lady Wenren, I forgot to ask you last time—are there any things to pay attention to when kissing? Any techniques or tips?” After chatting for a while, Gu Qingci lowered her voice and asked Wen Renyi.

“This… isn’t it just about biting back and forth? What techniques could there be? If anything, just don’t use too much force and hurt the other person. Scholar Gu, even I can’t match your strength now, and the fair ones are quite delicate. As for techniques… I’ll have to ask around later.” Wen Renyi pondered before answering. This topic fell outside her research expertise.

“Alright then. I’ll figure it out myself.” Gu Qingci said.

Wen Renyi was truly a theoretical giant but a practical dwarf—she even had to ask others about such things.

She’d better rely on her own experimentation.

Ahem, she wondered when the next opportunity would be.

After chatting for a while, they soon arrived at Gu Qingci’s residence.

Wen Renyi didn’t want to go in and disturb further, so after helping Gu Qingci carry her purchases to the door, she left.

Eager to see Ruan Zhi as soon as possible, Gu Qingci walked briskly inside, asking Min Yuan’er, who came to greet her, if Ruan Zhi had returned.

“Lord, Madam just returned. A distinguished guest came to see her and asked Madam to take her to the horse stable.” Min Yuan’er replied.

“What distinguished guest?” Gu Qingci frowned.

“She introduced herself as the County Princess of Changning. She said she wanted to see your foreign-bred horse.” the maid said.

Hearing the name, Gu Qingci immediately felt uneasy.

What a coincidence!

The County Princess of Changning, whom she had offended, had actually come to her home.

To see the foreign-bred horse?

Was she here to cause trouble?

That was the woman even Wen Renyi found troublesome and wanted to avoid!

Gu Qingci handed her purchases to the maid and sprinted toward the backyard stable.

“You beast! It’s an honor for this County Princess to touch you. Stay still!”

As soon as she reached the backyard, Gu Qingci heard a haughty, delicate voice and saw a red-clad woman brandishing a soft whip at Chi Huo, who was snorting angrily and resisting.

Chi Huo’s temper had already improved a lot after interacting with Gu Qingci.

It just ignored everyone else.

This woman was going too far—wasn’t she just asking for death?!

Had her brain been kicked by a donkey?!

“County Princess Changning, Chi Huo hasn’t been trained yet. Please be careful!” A voice called out, sounding rather anxious—it was Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi didn’t step forward, as she was shielded behind Lian Rui, with a tall, burly man blocking the way in front of them.

By the time Gu Qingci ran over, her anger was already boiling over.

“Shut up! A mere merchant’s daughter has no right to speak in front of me!”

County Princess Changning snapped furiously, lashing her whip onto Chi Huo’s body. Chi Huo neighed in warning, but the woman still insisted on courting death. Chi Huo reared up on its hind legs, startling the princess and causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. As Chi Huo’s hooves came down again, they were about to trample right over County Princess Changning.

“Chi Huo, don’t step on her!” Gu Qingci was terrified. She truly disliked that woman, but she didn’t want her dead. Moreover, if Chi Huo really trampled her, given the current laws and the other party’s status, they would be the ones to suffer.

Chi Huo let out a sharp whinny, as if it had heard Gu Qingci’s words. Its hooves landed on either side of County Princess Changning’s head, narrowly missing her.

The princess’s guards quickly pulled her out from under the horse’s hooves.

County Princess Changning was left pale with fright.

“Kill this horse! Everyone in this residence is to be convicted and exiled!” she shrieked hysterically.

“I’d like to see how County Princess Changning plans to rewrite the laws of the Daheng Dynasty and take over the duties of the Capital Prefecture!” Gu Qingci strode forward, her voice ringing with fury.

County Princess Changning turned to see who had spoken—it was none other than Gu Qingci, an old acquaintance.

“Well, well, if it isn’t you! Married to a merchant’s daughter, and now you’ve got such nerve? Driven out of Yanjing by me, yet you dare to return—you’ve got guts.” County Princess Changning sneered.

Gu Qingci found the princess’s words utterly repulsive. She stepped forward first, releasing a bit of pheromones near Chi Huo while gently patting it to soothe it.

Under her calming touch, Chi Huo nuzzled its big head against Gu Qingci affectionately.

Gu Qingci checked where the whip had struck Chi Huo—aside from some ruffled fur on the surface, there was no real injury.

County Princess Changning didn’t have much strength, but that single whip strike had enraged Chi Huo. Thankfully, it wasn’t hurt.

Gu Qingci stroked Chihuo’s back and gently pulled the horse away, bringing it over to Ruan Zhi’s side. Ruan Zhi shook her head at Gu Qingci, indicating that she was unharmed.

Gu Qingci approached, but the burly man blocking Ruan Zhi glared at her angrily, refusing to let her pass.

Ignoring his hostile gaze, Gu Qingci walked straight forward. When the man raised his arm to stop her, she seized the opportunity—placing her hand on his shoulder and yanking downward while simultaneously kicking the back of his knee.

The man dropped to one knee, clutching his arm in pain and howling.

Gu Qingci stepped in front of Ruan Zhi, shielding her, then turned a cold gaze toward the arrogant noblewoman before her.

“What kind of question is that, County Princess? Why wouldn’t I dare to return? Or do you think Yanjing belongs to your family?” Gu Qingci replied coolly.

The Changning County Princess watched in surprise as Gu Qingci effortlessly calmed the fierce horse that had seemed so unruly just moments ago—the animal now nuzzled against her affectionately. A flicker of envy crossed the noblewoman’s eyes.

Then, seeing how easily Gu Qingci subdued her guard, her astonishment grew.

But Gu Qingci’s words quickly reignited her fury.

“How dare you spout such nonsense!” The County Princess gritted her teeth, raising her whip again—only for Gu Qingci to snatch it mid-air.

“Your Highness keeps threatening punishment. Fine, let’s go to the Capital Magistrate and argue whether you even have that authority.” Gu Qingci challenged, staring her down.

“Today, your horse frightened me, your household disrespected me, you failed to bow to me, and you struck my guard—all crimes of insolence!” the County Princess snapped.

“You barged into my home and caused a scene—why should I bow to you? Moreover, I am a military imperial examinee, exempt from bowing to officials. Who are you to demand such courtesy? As for your guard, he blocked my path and struck first—I merely taught him a lesson.” Gu Qingci retorted sharply.

“What did you say? You’re a military examinee? You?” The County Princess let out a disbelieving laugh, as if hearing a joke.

Gu Qingci held her identification token in front of the noblewoman’s face.

“Changning County Princess, you were the one who acted rudely first. Either leave now, or let’s settle this at the Capital Magistrate’s office. I won’t waste any more words here!” Gu Qingci put away her token, her tone unyielding.

“…” The County Princess was stunned.

The same person who had once groveled at her feet had actually passed the military exams?

The woman before her—her demeanor, her bearing—was nothing like the person she remembered.

For all her bluster and tyranny, she was ultimately a bully who feared the strong. Dragging this matter to the authorities would only bring trouble to both sides.

She had thought she was merely dealing with a merchant family who had bought the prized foreign-bred horse she coveted. But the owner turned out to be Gu Qingci—Ruan Zhi’s wife—and worse, a military examinee!

Looking at her skills in taming the horse and dealing with her own guards just now, she felt that Gu Qingci could even pass the imperial examination.

She was much harder to deal with than a mere merchant.

Moreover, based on what Gu Qingci had just said, if they really took this to the authorities, she might even be charged with the crime of disrespect.

How could this person be so infuriating!

“I won’t argue with you today. Just a military provincial graduate, don’t think you’re so special.” The County Princess of Changning frowned as she spoke, then turned and left with the support of her attendants.

She would come back after the results were posted, when Gu Qingci failed to pass the metropolitan exam.

Afraid that the County Princess might stir up more trouble, Gu Qingci sent Chihuo back to the stable and personally escorted the County Princess of Changning out, closing the gate behind her before returning inside.

“Madam, I was late today. I’m sorry you had to go through such a fright.” Gu Qingci said as she hurried back to find Ruan Zhi.

“I’m fine. This County Princess of Changning has a special status. Her father is General Zhenbei, and she’s his only daughter, so he dotes on her excessively.” Ruan Zhi shook her head, still unsure why this person had suddenly appeared.

A higher status could crush others, let alone someone of noble birth like her.

“If I were more capable, Madam wouldn’t have to suffer such humiliation.” Gu Qingci clenched her left fist.

She didn’t think there was anything wrong with being a merchant, but the other party repeatedly referred to Ruan Zhi as a “merchant’s daughter” clearly looking down on her.

Her attitude toward Ruan Zhi was also condescending and imperious.

If she could pass the exam and rank among the top three, she could be directly appointed as an official and then change Ruan Zhi’s household registration!

“You’re already very capable. What happened today meant nothing to me.” Ruan Zhi didn’t mind much.

She could also fight for her own status.

Once she became a royal merchant, even some high-ranking officials and nobles would come to curry favor with her.

Ruan Zhi spoke lightly, but Gu Qingci still felt upset. She hugged Ruan Zhi in the inner room, resting her head on Ruan Zhi’s shoulder.

“Madam, tomorrow I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay with you.”

Gu Qingci said softly.

Ruan Zhi thought about how Gu Qingci had been tense and imposing earlier, contrasting with her current clingy demeanor, and found it somewhat amusing.

“You can’t follow me every day, can you? Don’t you have your own things to do? Today was an exception. She probably won’t come a second time.” Ruan Zhi said.

“What if it’s someone else? Today, Master Min wasn’t here, and this happened. I won’t go out again until Master Min returns.” Gu Qingci insisted.

Ruan Zhi couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so she agreed.

After all, Gu Qingci just wanted to stick close to Ruan Zhi.

Gu Qingci held Ruan Zhi and talked for a while about the day’s events, also mentioning her past conflicts with the County Princess of Changning.

Now that Ruan Zhi fully trusted Gu Qingci, she naturally wouldn’t attribute the actions of the past Gu Qingci to the present one.

After chatting for a while, the displeasure caused by the County Princess’s visit earlier dissipated.

After dinner, Gu Qingci showed Ruan Zhi the various things she had bought.

“Madam, it’s been dry these past few days. You can rotate between these lotions and oils. See which one works best, and I’ll buy it again next time.” Gu Qingci took them out and presented them to Ruan Zhi like treasures.

Ruan Zhi didn’t expect Gu Qingci to buy so much.

She had practically purchased every type of lipstick available in the shop.

Ruan Zhi wanted to say that her lips weren’t dry, but when she met Gu Qingci’s gaze, she felt there was some ulterior motive behind it.

Oh well, might as well indulge the little pup’s curiosity and try on different lipsticks for her to see.

Over the next few days, Gu Qingci accompanied Ruan Zhi whenever she went out.

Originally, she had planned to make a name for herself alongside Wen Renyi, but now she was too worried about Ruan Zhi to leave her side. That would have to wait.

During these days, Ruan Zhi wore different colored lipsticks each time, making Gu Qingci’s heart itch with desire.

Unfortunately, Ruan Zhi was still wary and wouldn’t let her kiss her, refusing to take things further.

Gu Qingci could only take it slow.

A few days later, County Princess Changning visited the teahouse Ruan Zhi owned, initially intending to pick a fight.

She ordered a cup of milk tea from the shop, took a sip planning to complain about how awful it was, but then couldn’t stop drinking.

She ended up buying several servings before storming off in a huff.

County Princess Changning wore her emotions on her sleeve, so she wasn’t particularly intimidating.

What Gu Qingci feared more were hidden adversaries stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

During these days by Ruan Zhi’s side, she wasn’t just watching over her—she was also observing their surroundings.

For now, she hadn’t noticed anyone suspicious.

When Min Guiyi returned with the goods, his presence would provide an extra layer of protection for Ruan Zhi, allowing Gu Qingci to finally free up some time to attend social gatherings. There were only two days left before the results would be publicly announced.

Though Gu Qingci hadn’t gone out in the past few days, Wen Renyi had been actively socializing on her behalf, helping to spread her reputation.

However, most of it was just word of mouth without any concrete achievements.

Apart from Wen Renyi and the few candidates who had seen Gu Qingci during the exams, others only knew of her by hearsay.

This kind of reputation was somewhat flimsy.

“It’s a shame you couldn’t join us these past few days. But it’s not too bad—the one who’s been making the biggest splash recently is that hotheaded guy. As long as you defeat him, you’ll instantly become the next big sensation.” Wen Renyi told Gu Qingci on the day she finally attended the gathering.

“Who?” Gu Qingci asked, scanning the crowd.

“That blockhead over there. His name is Cao Hang, the adopted son of General Cao. He’s incredibly strong and a formidable fighter! If you end up facing him, you must be careful. General Cao is neutral in factional politics, so it’s best not to make an enemy of this guy. If you can befriend him, even better.” Wen Renyi explained, pointing the man out to Ruan Zhi.

Gu Qingci spotted a man in his twenties who did indeed seem rather blockheaded, his eyes wide like copper bells.

Before she could even challenge him to a contest, he locked eyes with her and strode over.

“You’re Gu Qingci? I’m Cao Hang. I’ve been hearing about you from others these past few days. I even went back and practiced shooting arrows with my feet. Care to have a match? Let’s make it more precise.” Cao Hang said, sizing up Gu Qingci directly.

“Sure.” Gu Qingci replied with a smile.

She hadn’t expected this guy to challenge her using her own method.

The gathering Wen Renyi had invited her to was a martial meet-and-greet, held at a training ground, so the contest area was quickly set up. Many of the attending martial artists gathered to watch.

The target was a porcelain bottle suspended a hundred paces away—twenty in total, with ten assigned to Gu Qingci and Cao Hang each.

The goal was to see who could shoot down more bottles using ten arrows.

Cao Hang was exceptionally talented and brimming with confidence.

He had practiced before facing Gu Qingci.

The contest began.

Gu Qingci let Cao Hang go first.

Cao Hang didn’t hold back.

Using the foot-drawn bow method, he managed to shoot down four bottles—an impressive feat.

Many people couldn’t even stabilize a bow with their feet, let alone hit a thin string.

When it was Gu Qingci’s turn, she became even more cautious.

If she was going to show off, she might as well go all out.

Thwack, thwack, thwack—a few arrows flew out, and all ten porcelain bottles fell.

Even Cao Hang, who had been unconvinced by her earlier, now had to admit defeat.

Martial artists were straightforward like that—whoever had the highest skill earned their respect.

Cao Hang knew he couldn’t hit every shot with perfect accuracy, so his admiration for Gu Qingci grew by several degrees.

After the archery contest, Cao Hang sparred with Gu Qingci.

Since Gu Qingci’s arm was still in a splint, Cao Hang didn’t want to take advantage of her and tied one of his own arms as well.

The two fought one-armed.

Though Gu Qingci’s strength was inferior to Cao Hang’s, her technique surpassed his, and in the end, she still won.

Cao Hang’s impression of Gu Qingci improved even more.

When it was time to take their seats, Cao Hang sat beside Gu Qingci and Wen Renyi.

Cao Hang asked Gu Qingci about her training methods, and Gu Qingci didn’t hold back.

Sensing that Cao Hang was a straightforward person, she was also inclined to befriend him.

This further improved Cao Hang’s opinion of her.

After a few cups of wine, Cao Hang grumbled about how difficult the policy essays were to write, striking a chord with Gu Qingci.

“In terms of martial skill alone, I could’ve taken the military exams long ago. But my literary exams are terrible—my foster father wouldn’t let me go, afraid I’d embarrass him. Those policy essays require over two thousand characters—it’s downright terrifying. My hand aches after writing just a few words, and my brain turns to mush…” Cao Hang complained to Gu Qingci.

“Brother Cao, you speak the truth! Armchair strategizing, no matter how eloquently put, what’s the point? And you have to memorize so much… I hate memorizing the most.” Gu Qingci chimed in.

“Exactly! I hate it too! It’s a military exam—why test us on literature?” Cao Hang said, as if he had found a kindred spirit in Gu Qingci.

Wen Renyi had been worried that Cao Hang’s rough temperament might clash with Gu Qingci, but who would’ve thought…

This must be the shared language of academic underachievers.

Who else would dare complain like this?

After just one gathering, Gu Qingci and Cao Hang became good friends.

Over the next two days, Gu Qingci and Wen Renyi’s duo became a trio with the addition of Cao Hang.

On the day the results were posted, early in the morning, Gu Qingci, Wen Renyi, and Cao Hang went together to check the list of successful military jinshi candidates on the red announcement board.

Compared to the civil exams, the military exams had far fewer candidates, but the area around the red board was still packed shoulder-to-shoulder.

When Gu Qingci and the others finally squeezed in and scanned the list from top to bottom—

Gu Qingci didn’t find her name.

Wen Renyi didn’t find hers either.

Wen Renyi had failed the practical martial segment, so it was normal not to see her name.

Cao Hang, however, spotted his own name—ranked ninetieth out of a total of one hundred successful candidates, placing him near the bottom.

Cao Hang knew his literary performance had been poor, so ranking ninetieth was likely due to that dragging him down.

But not seeing Gu Qingci’s name left him utterly baffled.

Cao Hang and Wen Renyi helped Gu Qingci scan the list again from start to finish.

Still, Gu Qingci’s name was nowhere to be found.

“How is it possible that Scholar Gu’s name isn’t on the list?! He should’ve made it!” Cao Hang fumed.

Gu Qingci’s face didn’t look too good. Wen Renyi had previously warned Gu Qingci, but Gu Qingci hadn’t expected to actually fail the exam.

In the face of power, perhaps true ability really counts for nothing?

Naturally, Gu Qingci couldn’t accept such an outcome.

The Third Prince was the most likely suspect.

Whether openly or covertly, Gu Qingci was determined to vent her frustration.

However, her not passing the imperial examination was a minor issue—what angered her most was that Ruan Zhi would also have to wait longer to change her household registration.

“There must be something wrong with this. Scholar Gu, what did you write in your policy essay? Write it down for me, and I’ll go find someone to argue on your behalf.” Wen Renyi said, looking at Gu Qingci’s grim expression, and pulled her out of the crowd.

“Yes, there must be a problem. How could I possibly be ranked ninetieth?! There’s examiner fraud! Though my adoptive father isn’t here, I can seek out senior generals in the court and petition the Emperor!” Cao Hang added.

“Thank you.” Gu Qingci said, touched by her friends’ support.

When the two offered to help, Gu Qingci didn’t refuse. Cao Hang went to file a complaint, while Gu Qingci returned to transcribe her policy essay for Wen Renyi.

After Wen Renyi left, Ruan Zhi hurried back.

Ruan Zhi had left after Gu Qingci, as she had also gone to check the results.

She sent a servant to squeeze through the crowd and double-check, confirming that Gu Qingci hadn’t passed before rushing back immediately.