My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 62

62

Gu Qingci stepped out of the private room and stood beside Ruan Zhi.

She hadn’t originally intended to disturb Ruan Zhi or disrupt the atmosphere, but ever since the incident with Chihuo, there had been bad bl00d between her and the Changning County Princess.

Coming here to buy clothes only highlighted the princess’s arrogance and conceit, and hearing her speak to Ruan Zhi in such a manner was deeply unpleasant.

“Madam, it’s time for you to rest.” Gu Qingci said first to Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi’s eyes lit up with a smile when she saw Gu Qingci, but noticing her displeased expression—Gu Qingci wasn’t even looking at her but had instead turned to face the two women.

“I am Gu Qingci, this year’s top military graduate. This clothing shop is run by my wife. Thank you all for your patronage. If there’s any inadequacy in our hospitality, I beg your forgiveness.” Gu Qingci introduced herself to the Changning County Princess and the noblewoman beside her, mainly addressing the surrounding crowd.

At the previous milk tea shop, the clientele had been diverse, and Ruan Zhi hadn’t needed to personally attend to customers. Moreover, during the sale of the “Top Scholar Tea” their identities had already been made clear.

Gu Qingci wasn’t sure if the same had been done for the clothing shop, so she took the initiative to clarify.

This status had been earned through her own efforts—there was no reason not to use it.

No matter what, she would protect Ruan Zhi as much as she could.

“So it’s Scholar Gu. Greetings, Scholar Gu.” The fourth-rank noblewoman, upon hearing Gu Qingci’s introduction, was pleasantly surprised and curtsied in respect.

“I noticed this young lady seems very particular about etiquette, constantly emphasizing propriety. Why does it seem lacking when it comes to me?” Gu Qingci glanced at the Changning County Princess and spoke coolly.

The Changning County Princess stiffened. She hadn’t expected Gu Qingci to appear, and now her demeanor made it clear she was standing up for Ruan Zhi.

A county princess is a noble title, ranking below princesses, commandery princesses, and commandery ladies—equivalent to the fourth rank. According to protocol, even when encountering officials of the same rank, she must show respect, let alone Gu Qingci, who outranked her by one grade.

“Hmm?” Gu Qingci glanced at the County Princess Changning, who was biting her lip in frustration, and her gaze sharpened as she looked at her.

“Greetings, Lord Gu.” The County Princess Changning reluctantly performed a curtsey.

She hadn’t expected that since their last encounter, Gu Qingci’s rank would have risen so high.

What luck—a mere military exam top graduate being granted the third rank!

The County Princess Changning seethed with indignation.

“Cao Hang has already gone to the northern frontier. Why hasn’t Lord Gu gone to the border to serve the court? Could it be that you’re indulging in comfort and pleasure?” the County Princess Changning asked after her greeting.

“Are you implying that serving as an imperial guard is not serving the court? That working in the palace is indulging in comfort and pleasure?” Gu Qingci retorted bluntly.

“…That’s not what I meant!” The County Princess Changning flushed red, unable to refute. She wouldn’t dare bear such a label.

A few guests nearby, familiar with the County Princess Changning’s willful nature, stifled laughter upon hearing Gu Qingci’s rebuttal.

Unable to vent her anger and unsure how to counter, the County Princess Changning huffed and stormed out.

“My apologies for disturbing everyone’s enjoyment. Please carry on.” Gu Qingci said with a cupped-hand salute to the crowd before leading Ruan Zhi back to their private room.

Once inside and the door closed, Gu Qingci embraced Ruan Zhi, her expression still slightly dark but her demeanor and gaze softening.

“Why bother arguing with her? Don’t let it upset you.” Ruan Zhi said softly, one hand gently patting Gu Qingci’s back while the other cupped her cheek.

Watching Gu Qingci’s actions earlier, Ruan Zhi could sense she was standing up for her, defending her.

From a business perspective, Ruan Zhi didn’t think much of it—she had endured countless humiliations in both past and present lives, and this was merely a minor incident.

But having someone treat her this way, someone who would get so angry and protective over how others treated her, deeply moved her.

“Madam, didn’t I say before? Train others to handle the shop affairs—you don’t need to attend to everything personally. Bowing with every customer you greet—isn’t that exhausting?” Gu Qingci murmured.

Although she herself didn’t have strong self-esteem when it came to performing formal courtesies, seeing Ruan Zhi bowing to others and being looked down upon or humiliated made her furious.

She would rather Ruan Zhi not earn this kind of money.

“This tailor shop is different from others. The fabrics inside are all of the highest quality, and the embroiderers they hire are also excellent, so the only customers who come here are noble ladies and young misses from the capital. This is a chance to build connections with them. If we only let the shopkeeper handle the reception, it won’t work.” Ruan Zhi said softly.

Such high-end tailor shops mostly catered to ladies, and as a lady herself, Ruan Zhi could receive l them while also seizing the opportunity to network.

This was also part of Ruan Zhi’s strategy to expand her influence.

By gaining a deeper understanding of this social circle, she could extract useful information from their conversations, perhaps even acting as an intermediary to relay messages. If leveraged skillfully, it might achieve unexpected results.

This was based on some of Ruan Zhi’s past experiences.

After interacting with several noble ladies, Ruan Zhi also realized just how popular Gu Qingci was among the younger generation of ladies.

If she hadn’t left to avoid them for a few days, their home’s doorstep might have been worn out from all the visitors.

If Gu Qingci’s official wife weren’t an ordinary commoner but someone of higher status, those people wouldn’t have dared to consider sending their own candidates to Gu Qingci’s side as secondary wives or the like.

Only by strengthening her own power could she protect those around her—including Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci didn’t fully grasp Ruan Zhi’s specific thoughts, but hearing her explanation, she paused, understanding that Ruan Zhi had her own plans and objectives.

Simply making money wasn’t Ruan Zhi’s ultimate goal.

If that were the case, Ruan Zhi would mostly be encountering noble ladies, having to bow to every person she met—and situations like today’s would be unavoidable.

Ruan Zhi was no ordinary lady, and Gu Qingci had no intention of restricting or constraining her.

So, another layer of worry settled in her heart.

If Ruan Zhi could be granted the title of a Mingfu (imperially bestowed noblewoman), things would naturally go more smoothly, and she wouldn’t encounter situations like today’s.

“Alright, don’t be angry anymore.” Ruan Zhi said, pinching Gu Qingci’s cheek.

“Kiss me, and I won’t be angry.” Gu Qingci leaned closer to Ruan Zhi and said.

“…” Ruan Zhi looked at Gu Qingci, who had closed her eyes waiting for a kiss, and paused for a moment. Her heart softened slightly as she leaned up and kissed her.

It seemed like everything could be resolved with a kiss.

After being kissed by Ruan Zhi, Gu Qingci’s mood instantly soared. She pulled Ruan Zhi into her arms and kissed her back passionately.

Ruan Zhi indulged Gu Qingci once again, allowing her to embrace and kiss her in the private room until she nearly lost control, her pheromones almost spilling out.

The next day, after finishing work, Gu Qingci didn’t return home directly. Instead, she went to find Wen Renyi first.

“The title of Mingfu isn’t something granted just for holding an official position. In our dynasty, officials who have achieved merit may receive imperial rewards, which can extend to the women in their families.” Wen Renyi explained after hearing Gu Qingci’s question.

“Achieved merit? What kind of merit is required to receive such an imperial reward?” Gu Qingci asked.

“Well… that depends on His Majesty’s judgment. For example, making contributions in flood control or solving major cases would count. As a military officer, the simplest and most straightforward way is to request deployment to the border to defend against foreign enemies. Winning a battle would naturally count as merit.” Wen Renyi said.

“…” Gu Qingci rubbed her forehead.

Requesting deployment to fight in a war might be straightforward, but it was also the most time-consuming.

The border was so far away, and the conditions were harsh—hardly in line with her principles.

Moreover, going alone would be unbearable without Ruan Zhi, and leaving Ruan Zhi alone in the capital would also worry her. But if she took Ruan Zhi with her, aside from whether Ruan Zhi would even agree, she didn’t want her to suffer alongside her.

“Don’t you have anything else that’s closer and more suitable for me?” Gu Qingci frowned and asked.

“Unless someone rebels, or an assassin appears in the palace and you just happen to catch them.” Wen Renyi thought for a moment and said.

“…” Gu Qingci was speechless—the odds of that were too slim.

“Do you want to earn a noble title for your wife?” Wen Renyi looked at Gu Qingci’s troubled expression and asked in surprise.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Gu Qingci replied.

“As expected of Lord Gu!” Wen Renyi laughed.

Just a few days ago, Gu Qingci had been content with the status quo, “unambitious” perfectly fine with being an imperial guard for life.

Now, she was fretting over how to earn merits.

And the reason? To secure a noble title for her wife.

“Lord Gu, with this determination, opportunities will come. Since His Majesty appointed you as a third-rank military officer, you won’t be idle for too long.” Wen Renyi comforted Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci didn’t say much more to Wen Renyi and left to pick up Ruan Zhi from work.

Back at the residence after dinner, Gu Qingci took out the parts she had previously asked craftsmen to make at the estate and began assembling them.

They were components for a crossbow.

The design of the crossbow was still something Gu Qingci was figuring out.

Once assembled, the parts formed only the simplest structure, capable of storing kinetic energy in advance but limited to firing a single bolt.

To achieve rapid-fire, she still needed to work on the mechanism.

This thing was a weapon—if it could fire continuously, it would undoubtedly be a formidable tool.

At this stage, it was just a small gadget.

If she could develop a rapid-fire version and present it, it might count as a merit.

But that would require more time for research and testing.

Gu Qingci wanted to use this more as a means of self-defense rather than turning it into a military weapon.

“What are you pondering?” Ruan Zhi, having finished her own tasks, noticed Gu Qingci spacing out and walked over to ask.

“Let me show you a little gadget.” Gu Qingci said, smiling at Ruan Zhi. She pulled her close, gave her a kiss, and then showed her the small assembled crossbow.

“What is this?” Ruan Zhi asked.

“It’s a crossbow. Press here and try aiming at the front.” Gu Qingci explained, guiding Ruan Zhi to press the trigger.

Ruan Zhi pressed it, and with a snap, a small iron nail-like projectile shot out and embedded itself into the cabinet door, sinking about a finger’s width deep.

Ruan Zhi was startled. She had only used a tiny amount of force, yet the iron nail had stuck firmly into the cabinet door.

“Right now, it can only fire one at a time. There are three inside. Pull this string back and lock it, and it’s ready to fire again. It’s like pre-tensioning the string…” Gu Qingci explained to Ruan Zhi.

“This is just a small prototype, not perfect yet. Once I come up with a better design, I’ll have a craftsman make one for you.” Gu Qingci said, finding Ruan Zhi’s expression of surprise adorable as she frowned and strained to pull the string.

Ruan Zhi wasn’t very strong, but the crossbow was lightweight. Though she had to exert her full strength to pull the string back, her hand ended up with red marks from the effort.

“Let me handle it.” Gu Qingci said, taking Ruan Zhi’s hand and kissing the red marks.

Ruan Zhi’s fingers tingled from the kiss, and she reflexively pulled them back.

“This one is already quite good—small and handy. If you don’t need it, you can leave it for me.” Ruan Zhi said, looking at Gu Qingci.

For someone with low combat skills like her, this gadget was very practical. Even if it could only fire one bolt at a time, with good timing, it could still play a crucial role.

Since Ruan Zhi said so, Gu Qingci naturally gave it to her.

That night, after washing up, Gu Qingci held Ruan Zhi close, showering her with affection.

Thinking of what Wen Renyi said, Emperor Changping wouldn’t let her stay idle for long.

Gu Qingci had a rather uneasy premonition.

The thought of separation made Gu Qingci reluctant to part.

They had gotten too carried away in their intimacy.

Ruan Zhi’s collar had come undone.

Her fair skin was flushed red from being caressed.

In the end, Gu Qingci couldn’t resist and tasted it.

Soft, tender, sweet.

Ruan Zhi was suddenly pushed to the edge of a cliff by Gu Qingci.

Her body instinctively struggled.

The remaining rationality in Gu Qingci made her look up at Ruan Zhi, whose eyes were filled with confusion and unease, a layer of mist shimmering in her gaze.

Gu Qingci sobered up a little and lowered her head to kiss Ruan Zhi’s lips, soothing her.

“Don’t you like me kissing you like this? What are you afraid of?” Gu Qingci asked softly.

“I… don’t know…” Ruan Zhi couldn’t quite describe the feeling.

“I like it very much. Madam, won’t you kiss me too?” Seeing the usually sharp and wise Ruan Zhi look so bewildered, Gu Qingci whispered.

Ruan Zhi’s eyes widened slightly.

“Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair, right?” Gu Qingci said.

Gu Qingci didn’t know how to make Ruan Zhi sync with her feelings, so she thought of having Ruan Zhi do the same things she did.

Ruan Zhi didn’t understand the logic behind Gu Qingci’s idea of fairness.

But her suggestion was like opening a door to a new world.

It was incredibly enticing.

Ruan Zhi slowly leaned in and kissed Gu Qingci.

The next day, Gu Qingci woke up with her lips still curled in a smile. After washing up, she kissed Ruan Zhi before leaving for her duties at the palace.

During the mindless morning training, Gu Qingci spent half the time reminiscing about the previous night. Finally managing to snap out of it, she began pondering other ways to calculate her merits.

That day, just after finishing the morning training and before heading out for patrol, a young eunuch came to summon Gu Qingci, saying Emperor Changping wanted to see her.

Gu Qingci didn’t know what Emperor Changping wanted, but since the big boss had summoned her, she naturally had to go immediately.

Upon entering the hall where Emperor Changping was, Gu Qingci sensed something was off.

Everyone present seemed unusually solemn.

Emperor Changping, seated on the high throne, looked unwell.

After paying her respects, Gu Qingci stood to the side, waiting for the emperor to speak.

Emperor Changping’s face was pale, and he was slightly short of breath. Without speaking, he gestured to the eunuch beside him, who understood his meaning.

“Top Scholar Gu, the Jinling Prefecture prepared a birthday gift for His Majesty, but it was hijacked by a group of bandits on the way. Everyone in the escort party was killed. The bandits are skilled in horseback archery, never missing their shots. Many more died when troops were sent to suppress them.” the eunuch explained to Gu Qingci.

“…” Gu Qingci was shocked upon hearing this.

Those bandits had a death wish—daring to rob the emperor’s birthday gift?!

“Gu Qingci, I appoint you as a concurrent General of the Household to lead troops with General Zhennan to suppress the bandits. Do you dare accept?” Emperor Changping spoke up.

“Your subject accepts the command! The audacity of these criminals is utterly outrageous! Your subject will surely recover Your Majesty’s birthday gift and bring the bandits to justice!” Gu Qingci immediately bowed and declared resolutely.

Hesitating even a second would have been disloyal.

Just when she was worrying about where to earn merits, wouldn’t retrieving the birthday gift count as a merit?

“Good!” Emperor Changping said, coughing a few times.

“Your Majesty, there are only eight days left until Your Majesty’s birthday. The birthday gift must naturally be presented on the day itself—any later would render it meaningless. Top Scholar Gu is immensely talented and surely won’t disappoint Your Majesty, right?” A voice chimed in, sounding rather sly to Gu Qingci.

“If you can suppress the bandits and recover the birthday gift within eight days, I will reward you handsomely! Gu Qingci, are you confident?” Emperor Changping asked.

“…Your subject will strive not to disappoint Your Majesty’s high expectations!” Gu Qingci could only brace herself and agree for now.

Eight days, and still no idea what the situation is.

Gu Qingci suspects someone is pushing her from behind, but she doesn’t know who recommended her.

A rookie top scholar, and she’s given a time-limited rescue mission?

No idea where it is, what the place is like, or the specific circumstances.

Whatever the case, it’s an opportunity.

Eight days—go all out, and a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle.

The emperor said a few more words, giving Gu Qingci an hour to prepare. In an hour, she was to gather at the south gate with the General of the Southern Garrison and set off.

The matter was urgent and rushed. Gu Qingci hurriedly left the palace to find Ruan Zhi first.