My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 67

67

Ruan Zhi knew that the term “sister” held a special significance for her.

Gu Qingci’s soft, breathy voice called out “sister” over and over, sweet and tender, nearly causing Ruan Zhi to lose herself.

By the time she regained some clarity, she was already lying down.

The room was filled with a mingled scent of faintly bitter tea and the aroma of green plum and mint wine.

In such an atmosphere, it was easy to become intoxicated.

Layer by layer, the intricate garments—from the outermost to the innermost—had come undone.

Gu Qingci leaned over.

Her dark eyes were tinged with red, the corners flushed with an emotion Ruan Zhi had never seen before.

Ruan Zhi took a deep breath and tried to pull Gu Qingci back.

But at this moment, Gu Qingci was like a runaway horse—impossible to rein in.

Usually, Ruan Zhi wore old-fashioned undergarments, but today, she had donned a European-style corset designed by Gu Qingci.

The laces at the back were pulled tight, cinching her waist to an extreme slenderness, the curve of her waistline rising into a breathtaking arc.

Before Gu Qingci’s eyes lay undulating expanses of snow-white skin.

She sank into the valleys between them.

Her mind burned with feverish desire.

Fortunately, these past few days had been spent roughing it, eating simple meals, and yesterday’s reunion had been too rushed for indulging in rich, heavy fare.

The intricate ribbon was tugged open.

What had been restrained leaped free.

Ruan Zhi was forced to tilt her neck back.

A docile and helpless prey, she could not escape the fate of being bitten.

In just a moment, Ruan Zhi’s body began to tremble, her breathing as rapid as if she had run several kilometers.

“Gu Qingci!” Ruan Zhi pulled at Gu Qingci’s head, calling her name in a voice laced with tremors and a hint of sobbing, sounding utterly terrified.

Gu Qingci had just savored a delicious treat, her hunger slightly sated but craving more.

Hearing Ruan Zhi’s voice, she regained some clarity. Sensing Ruan Zhi’s trembling, Gu Qingci lifted her head to look at her.

That familiar expression, just like before.

Gu Qingci didn’t know what Ruan Zhi was thinking, but her heart ached at the sight.

She couldn’t bear to go any further.

Gu Qingci moved upward, pressing gentle kisses to Ruan Zhi’s cheeks to soothe her.

“Sister, what are you afraid of? I won’t hurt you…” Gu Qingci whispered.

“…” Ruan Zhi struggled to articulate the turmoil in her heart.

“Sister, tell me, please?” Gu Qingci held her tighter.

The physical pressure made Ruan Zhi feel suffocated, her trembling only intensifying.

Gu Qingci quickly propped herself up on her elbows.

Watching Ruan Zhi’s expression, Gu Qingci felt both heartache and a tinge of disappointment.

Her heart ached for Ruan Zhi’s current state—was it still tied to the shadows of her past? The disappointment stemmed from not understanding what Ruan Zhi feared. Was it her?

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I won’t touch you anymore…” Gu Qingci hurriedly said, reaching to adjust Ruan Zhi’s clothes.

Her wrist was caught by Ruan Zhi.

“I… I’m afraid of losing control… You don’t have to mind me.” Ruan Zhi said, her lips trembling as she spoke, then closed her eyes.

She didn’t want to see Gu Qingci look like this.

But some things were beyond her control.

That feeling of being pushed to the edge of a cliff, on the verge of falling, utterly powerless—it suffocated her, making her tremble uncontrollably with fear.

Like the sensation of hearing thunder.

Gu Qingci didn’t fully grasp what Ruan Zhi meant by “afraid of losing control” but hearing her say so washed away the earlier disappointment in her heart.

Only deeper heartache remained.

“Sister, how could I ignore how you feel when you’re like this?”

Gu Qingci kissed Ruan Zhi lightly, then whispered.

As her words fell, Ruan Zhi felt her waist being grasped, and then her whole body was flipped over.

Their positions reversed.

“Sister, if you’re afraid of losing control, I’m not. Let me lose control first.”

Gu Qingci spoke.

Ruan Zhi’s eyes widened slightly as she was pulled over by Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci didn’t hide any of her emotions in front of Ruan Zhi.

The bedroom illustrations she had seen—though she had little practical experience—were all memorized after just one glance.

She taught Ruan Zhi.

Originally, it was supposed to be her who would get close to Ruan Zhi like this.

But now, the roles were reversed.

However, the force of interaction is mutual.

A different form of intimacy was still intimacy, and the sensations were quite similar.

Gu Qingci suddenly realized something. Out of consideration for Ruan Zhi’s feelings, she had switched positions, but now it seemed even more…

Wasn’t this the advanced mode where she lay back and let Ruan Zhi take the lead?

Starting off with such a high-level mode—wasn’t this too intense?

If Ruan Zhi couldn’t relax for now, then she could be the one to lie back instead.

She thought it was lying down for love, but in reality…

With Ruan Zhi fully conscious and not being dominated or controlled by Gu Qingci, she was utterly captivated by Gu Qingci’s reactions.

Her scholarly nature shone through.

Gu Qingci truly lost control.

“Sister…” Gu Qingci called out to Ruan Zhi, her voice trembling, tears welling up in her eyes from sheer physical overwhelm.

Ruan Zhi felt deeply needed, and the intense emotions in her heart were stirred. She kissed Gu Qingci softly to soothe her.

Alphas were always extremely dominant by nature, with an innate possessiveness.

During the times she had been marked by Gu Qingci, Ruan Zhi had long since experienced that suffocating sense of being utterly suppressed, as if hunted.

However, at this moment, Gu Qingci suppressed her alpha instincts.

She showed “vulnerability” in front of her.

With her strength, she could have easily overwhelmed her, yet she used that same power to lead her in conquering her own defenses.

Ruan Zhi’s eyes grew slightly warm.

Gu Qingci was a treasure bestowed upon her by the heavens.

Gu Qingci returned to reality from her dreamlike daze, her lips curling upward, her joy nearly overflowing.

“Sister, I love you so much! You’re so wonderful, so amazing, wuwu…” Gu Qingci nuzzled against Ruan Zhi’s neck, unreserved in her affection and praise.

Ruan Zhi’s skin had long been tinted with a layer of pink.

Now, hearing Gu Qingci’s words, the blush deepened.

“Don’t say anymore.” Ruan Zhi covered Gu Qingci’s lips.

Gu Qingci’s dark eyes sparkled as she gazed at Ruan Zhi, her smile growing brighter.

Though passive, she had taken a significant step forward. She felt much closer to Ruan Zhi now.

Ruan Zhi had become so natural at initiating hugs and kisses…

Gu Qingci’s expression made Ruan Zhi wish she could cover her eyes as well.

“We’re sweaty. Let’s go wash up. It’s getting late, and I think I heard noises outside earlier.” Ruan Zhi said, maintaining her usual cool tone and demeanor.

“Okay!” Gu Qingci replied cheerfully.

Both of them had worked up a sweat, so washing up took a little longer.

By the time they finished and stepped out, they saw Lian Rui waiting for them.

“Madam, dinner is ready. The old lady sent someone earlier to call you and the master to eat, but later said it wasn’t necessary—they would dine alone today. The earlier meal had gone cold, so it was reheated. Shall we serve it now?” Lian Rui asked, her cheeks slightly flushed as she looked at Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci.

Ruan Zhi felt that her mother’s side must have guessed something, making her even more embarrassed.

When the two of them had gone in earlier, the sky hadn’t even darkened yet.

They hadn’t eaten dinner.

Since Ruan Zhi’s parents arrived, she had been having meals with them every day, but today they had missed it.

“Set it up, I’m so hungry.” Gu Qingci said to Lian Rui when she noticed Ruan Zhi wasn’t speaking.

Lian Rui went to the kitchen, while Ruan Zhi shot a reproachful glance at Gu Qingci.

“Sister, it wasn’t me, don’t blame me.” Gu Qingci leaned in and said.

“…” Ruan Zhi reached out and pinched Gu Qingci’s cheek with her slender fingers.

There was nothing this person wouldn’t say out loud.

Though she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Even though she had been conscious and didn’t want to lose control, at that time, she had been completely unaware of the outside world, with no sense of time—she hadn’t even heard what Lian Rui had reported from outside.

It really had been absurd.

That evening, Ruan Zhi and Gu Qingci ate in their own courtyard.

After dinner, they needed to walk off the food and wouldn’t be sleeping so soon. Ruan Zhi wanted to review the account books, so Gu Qingci hovered around her.

The entire evening, Ruan Zhi felt as though Gu Qingci was like a little dog wagging its tail, so overjoyed she didn’t know how to express it.

Ruan Zhi finally understood that Gu Qingci had none of the so-called “dignity” that some alphas in this world were prone to.

Sometimes, she could be as sweet and soft as an omega.

Endearing.

She could bend or stretch as needed.

“Can you speak normally? Does it feel comfortable to keep changing your voice like this?” That night, as Gu Qingci was being clingy, Ruan Zhi covered her mouth and asked.

It’s so sweet it’s unbearable.

Her voice was completely different from how Gu Qingci spoke to outsiders.

It was like two different people.

“No, when I’m with you, my voice naturally becomes like this. With others, I’m just putting on a front. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any authority. Do you not like me speaking this way?” Gu Qingci pressed closer as she spoke.

“Say whatever you like.” Ruan Zhi moved her hand away.

It wasn’t that she disliked it—it was just too much to handle…

After some affectionate moments in the evening, Ruan Zhi fell asleep almost as quickly as Gu Qingci.

The next day, Gu Qingci still had to get up early for duty.

The grumpiness from waking up too soon was easily washed away by just recalling a few moments from the day before.

Life was truly wonderful.

On the other side, Ruan Zhi woke up in the morning feeling different from usual.

She was in an exceptionally good mood—especially when she thought of Gu Qingci.

Ruan Zhi had her own channels for outside news and often interacted with noblewomen.

As soon as she stepped out that morning, she learned that rumors about Gu Qingci had already spread through high society.

The day before, Ruan Zhi had already guessed that Gu Qingci had sacrificed part of her own rewards to secure a noble title for her.

But today, she heard from the wives of officials who attended the morning court session that Gu Qingci had refused all rewards on the spot, insisting on using them to secure a noble title for Ruan Zhi.

Not only that, but she was also to be appointed as the Left Commander of the Imperial Guards.

That position held half the military authority over the Imperial Guards—an extremely important role.

It was equivalent to being the leader of the emperor’s personal guard. If someone with ill intentions held that position, staging a coup would be all too easy.

Those who held it were among the emperor’s most trusted confidants.

The cost of securing this noble title for her was even greater than she had imagined.

Though the noble title didn’t fundamentally change her business, she could immediately sense that people treated her with more respect.

When Ruan Zhi tried to add a few more products to the official store that day, even the eunuch in charge handled it with unusual smoothness.

Back when Ruan Zhi had told Gu Qingci that the strength she could borrow from those around her was also her own strength—she hadn’t been wrong.

Unexpectedly, there would come a day when she would rely on Gu Qingci’s help.

In the afternoon, after Gu Qingci finished work, she picked up Ruan Zhi and took her home.

The dancers and musicians had been given ample time. When Gu Qingci approached them again, they had already made their decision—they would join the dance and music troupe.

The next day, Ruan Zhi arranged for them to move into the troupe’s quarters, where a dedicated manager would oversee their daily lives and training.

Gu Qingci appointed Gongsun Jiuniang as the “lead performer” to guide the group in their rehearsals.

In her free time, Gu Qingci planned performances for them, creating musical dramas with narrative elements, incorporating classic stories like The Butterfly Lovers and Hua Mulan, as well as adapting lyrics from later-era songs to better suit the tastes of the current period.

Among the musicians, one had an exceptional ear for music. Just by listening to Gu Qingci hum a tune, she could play and sing it. Hearing modern songs performed on the pipa or guzheng, paired with the musician’s delicate voice, carried a unique charm.

Knowing Ruan Zhi had a jealous streak, Gu Qingci always invited her along whenever she met with the performers, taking her to watch dances and listen to songs together.

Gradually, Ruan Zhi began to appreciate the artistry in it.

Naturally, Gu Qingci and Ruan Zhi still spent plenty of time being affectionate.

After their first intimate moment, Gu Qingci always found excuses to snuggle up to Ruan Zhi.

Life was truly delightful.

A few days later, on the emperor’s birthday, a banquet was held in the palace, and both Gu Qingci and Ruan Zhi were invited.

Given their status, none of the noblewomen in the palace dared to slight Ruan Zhi—some even went out of their way to flatter her.

Ruan Zhi’s business among the nobility flourished once again.

Even the dance and music troupe found a new market.

Despite the high prices, the newly arranged performances had no shortage of patrons.

Gu Qingci had finally found the long-awaited entertainment she desired, along with a way to earn silver—but most importantly, her relationship with Ruan Zhi had reached a new level.

Every day, my mood is quite good.

However, this blissful life didn’t last long. After being summoned by Emperor Changping, Gu Qingci’s spirits plummeted.

“Minister Gu, I’ve wronged you by not appointing you as the Left Commander of the Imperial Guards.” Emperor Changping said upon seeing Gu Qingci.

“No, no wrong at all!” Gu Qingci immediately replied with unwavering determination.

Emperor Changping observed Gu Qingci’s resolute expression, noting that there wasn’t the slightest hint of complaint or any attempt to seek compensation. His impression of Gu Qingci rose even higher.

Such selfless and unambitious officials were rare these days.

Especially when compared to the recent scramble for the position of Left Commander.

Thud. Emperor Changping seemed to make up his mind, stamping a document with the imperial seal.

“Minister Gu, with your talents, it would be a waste for you to remain just a guard. Yesterday, I gave it some thought—there are currently no suitable vacancies for you, so I’ve decided to create one! I plan to select a hundred men to form the Flying Dragon Guard, all equipped with horses and trained daily in archery and riding. You will be their instructor, appointed as General of the Flying Dragon. If the training proves successful, I will assign you more men.”

Emperor Changping spoke at length, pausing slightly to catch his breath after finishing.

Gu Qingci nearly spat bl00d upon hearing this.

Thank you so much!

How could she refuse?!

She had just received favors from him.

If she refused to help train a few soldiers, it would make her seem ungrateful.

More importantly—could she even defy an imperial decree?

“No need to be so moved, Minister. I have high expectations for this unit. The men must be capable of standing against ten opponents each. Even if they don’t possess your level of skill, having a fraction of it would suffice. They will be stationed at the Imperial Hunting Park, training for ten days with one day of rest. Once they’ve made some progress, they can assist in suppressing bandits and training troops in nearby counties.”

Emperor Changping happily finalized the decision.

Gu Qingci accepted the imperial decree and left after expressing her gratitude, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile. Not at all.

The Imperial Hunting Park mentioned by Emperor Changping was located in the outskirts of the capital, covering a vast area.

The Imperial Guards tasked with protecting the royal city were stationed there, and royal hunts were often held there as well.

Most crucially, it was a two-hour horse ride from her and Ruan Zhi’s home!

A round trip would take over four hours—more than eight hours of extreme commuting!

Who could endure that?!

If she couldn’t endure it, she’d have to live there.

That would mean seeing Ruan Zhi only once every ten days.

No, no, no—she refused!

Gu Qingci rushed off to find Ruan Zhi.

On the other side, Ruan Zhi was busy in the shop when she caught sight of Gu Qingci’s figure.

Dressed in a light red-armored guard uniform, she looked dashing and heroic, walking with such vigor that she stood out strikingly.

Ruan Zhi was puzzled, wondering why Gu Qingci had come outside of her usual working hours. As Gu Qingci approached, Ruan Zhi noticed her expression was off, which only deepened her confusion.

After being pulled into a private room by Gu Qingci, Ruan Zhi found herself suddenly embraced.

She could tell something was seriously wrong. Cupping Gu Qingci’s face, she turned her head to get a better look.

Gu Qingci’s eyes were rimmed red, her lips downturned, clearly upset and distressed.

“What’s wrong?” Ruan Zhi asked, her hand gently stroking Gu Qingci’s cheek.

“Sister, His Majesty has ordered…” Gu Qingci explained the situation.

Ruan Zhi was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Emperor Changping to create a special position just for Gu Qingci!

Gu Qingci, however, seemed completely unaware of the emperor’s “favor.”

All she cared about was being with Ruan Zhi every day, unwilling to be separated.

She… was truly pitiful.

“Wuwuwu, madam, why is my life so bitter?! How can I get His Majesty to take back his decree? Madam, help me think of a way.” Gu Qingci whined.

Ruan Zhi found it somewhat amusing. What others would consider an honor beyond reach was, in Gu Qingci’s eyes, a stroke of misfortune.

Seeing her expression, Ruan Zhi gently patted Gu Qingci’s head.

“The emperor’s command cannot be defied. You should go. The men selected specifically for you to train will become your soldiers, a part of your own forces. Moreover, cavalry is a configuration the daheng has never had before. Mounted archery has always been our weakness—that’s why the Hu people have held the advantage for so long. If my wife can lead and train a cavalry unit, history books will record your achievements.”

Ruan Zhi spoke earnestly.

As for Emperor Changping’s arrangement, Ruan Zhi supported it.

Now that Gu Qingci was part of her future, the threats of rebel uprisings and internal strife would require Gu Qingci to have the power to protect herself.

The forces Ruan Zhi had Min Guiyi train were still far too weak on their own.

“Sister, I don’t care about achievements—I just want to be with you every day.” Gu Qingci pouted, on the verge of tears.

She understood the reasoning.

But she truly couldn’t bear to be apart from Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi kissed Gu Qingci’s lips, which were curved downward in a woeful half-circle.

“A Ci, you cannot move, but I can. How many days until you leave? I’ll look around for a house nearby. If I have time, I’ll go stay there. If you miss me, you can come see me without having to travel too far.” Ruan Zhi said to Gu Qingci.

When Gu Qingci heard this, her low spirits instantly soared again.

“I’m so silly—why didn’t I think of that! You’re the smartest, Sister!” Gu Qingci laughed.

“Don’t flatter me. Since His Majesty has asked you to prepare, you should focus on that. Don’t worry about clothes or food. If you’re riding and practicing archery every day, Chi Huo alone won’t be enough—you’ll need to prepare more horses. Go pick them out later. Also, you mentioned His Majesty granted you five slots—think about who you’ll choose. Master Min has a few good candidates; go test them out… You can also ask Wen Renyi if she’d be interested in joining. If there’s an opportunity, she could be promoted as your deputy. And also…”

“You’ll need to be even more careful and low-key from now on. Avoid conflicts with others. If I can think of these things, so can others. His Majesty’s favor toward you will surely stir jealousy in some.”

As Ruan Zhi spoke, she began planning for Gu Qingci.

Gu Qingci obediently agreed to everything.

Out of a hundred people, the others would be selected by Emperor Changping. But these five slots were a chance for Gu Qingci to choose her own close aides.

When Ruan Zhi mentioned finding a house nearby to move closer, Gu Qingci finally felt a little better.

Daily training wasn’t something she disliked.

Leading and training others would be manageable too.

She just hoped she wouldn’t run into any troublemakers.

After chatting with Ruan Zhi for a while, Gu Qingci went to see Wen Renyi and explained the situation to her.

“Of course I’ll go! This is perfect! I’ve been worrying about when there’d be an opening for a military officer in the capital.” Wen Renyi said without hesitation, not even minding starting as a foot soldier and training alongside the others.

With Wen Renyi as an assistant, who also understood medicine, Gu Qingci felt at ease.

“Lady Wen Ren, do you see any changes in me compared to a few days ago?” Gu Qingci recalled that Wen Renyi had some knowledge about alpha and omega matters, so she casually asked to see if she could discern the progress between her and Ruan Zhi.

“Any changes? Not really.” Wen Renyi examined Gu Qingci and replied, somewhat puzzled.

Hearing Wen Renyi’s response, Gu Qingci understood—there had indeed been no breakthrough progress yet, and physically speaking, there were no changes.

Wen Renyi’s research wasn’t that miraculous after all.

Since Wen Renyi didn’t know, Gu Qingci naturally didn’t discuss it further with her.

After bidding farewell to Wen Renyi, Gu Qingci went to find Min Guiyi.

There were still a few spots left, and Gu Qingci selected several people trusted by Ruan Zhi.

“My lord, are you sure you want to choose Wu Duo?” Min Guiyi asked. Among the selections, one was Min Guiyi’s adopted son.

The young man had no parents and a pitiable background, but his physique and comprehension were excellent. Min Guiyi had not only taken him in as a foster son but also intended to betroth his daughter to him.

Unfortunately, Min Yuan’er didn’t like him much at the moment.

“Of course. Wu Duo’s martial skills are good, and his character has been vouched for by Master Min—naturally, he’s a good choice.” Gu Qingci said.

Min Guiyi’s gratitude toward Gu Qingci deepened.

Being taken into the cavalry by Gu Qingci would lead to a promising future.

After finalizing the list of people to bring to the Imperial Hunting Grounds and selecting the horses, the rest of the preparations were handled by Ruan Zhi.

The area near the Imperial Hunting Grounds was somewhat desolate, with no approved residential buildings in the suburbs. The nearest one required half an hour’s travel.

Compared to previous arrangements, Gu Qingci felt this was still acceptable.

News quickly spread that Gu Qingci had been appointed as a “miscellaneous” general tasked with training a cavalry unit.

The censors could no longer find fault.

This “miscellaneous” general title was merely an informal designation by Emperor Changping, with no official rank, and her command was limited to a hundred men. Given her status, this was insignificant.

However, as Ruan Zhi had said, what she could discern, others could see as well—perhaps even more deeply.

For instance, the Third Prince’s faction, which viewed Gu Qingci as a thorn in their side.

The third prince, upon hearing this news, was already so furious that his already frail body nearly vomited bl00d.

With Gu Qingci being “favored” by Emperor Changping, sooner or later, she would become their greatest threat. By then, they wouldn’t even have the ability to deal with her.

The third prince immediately wrote a letter to inform his uncle, determined to eliminate Gu Qingci, this obstacle, as quickly as possible.

Three days later, Gu Qingci set off for the imperial hunting grounds with her belongings.

Gu Qingci’s official appointment had been finalized. Emperor Changping had prepared the remaining personnel for her and arranged provisions for food, lodging, and other necessities after their deployment.

Among the people Emperor Changping assigned were some Imperial Guards, a few scholars awaiting vacancies, and some family members of neutral officials. Their physical conditions were mixed, to say the least.

Emperor Changping wanted her to train a group of “special forces.”

Since Gu Qingci had accepted the task, she intended to do it well. Before setting off, she racked her brains to devise a training plan.

She incorporated her own methods of training muscles, strength, balance, and core stability into the daily regimen, essentially taking on the role of a fitness coach.

As for archery, Gu Qingci had also summarized some techniques, which she taught to the recruits.

At first, there were some who were unconvinced, but after witnessing Gu Qingci’s skills, they were all thoroughly impressed.

For many days in a row, Gu Qingci trained during the day and returned to the new residence Ruan Zhi had arranged in the evening, living a rather comfortable life.

That day, the sky had been overcast since morning, and in the afternoon, a series of low thunderclaps suddenly rumbled.

As soon as Gu Qingci heard the thunder, she grew restless.

Ruan Zhi was afraid of thunder.

Although Gu Qingci had already asked the seamstress to prepare earplugs and larger earmuffs to block out the noise, she was still worried about Ruan Zhi.

So the moment the thunder sounded, she informed Wen Renyi, arranged the training tasks, and rode off.

When Gu Qingci arrived at the new residence and went to look for Ruan Zhi, the steward informed her that Ruan Zhi had gone to the estate in the suburbs early that morning to attend to some matters—the same estate that housed many disabled soldiers.

The journey there would take about three hours, and even with Chi Huo’s speed, it would still take nearly two hours.

As the thunder continued to rumble, Gu Qingci gritted her teeth and urged her horse toward the suburban estate.

Not long after setting off, Gu Qingci’s danger sense suddenly kicked in, and she abruptly reined in her horse.

As she stopped, she spotted a thin tripwire stretched across the road ahead. Her alarm bells rang loudly.

Before she could survey her surroundings, over a dozen tall alpha wearing ghost masks surrounded her.

Xiao Gu: Got it, my wife likes the cowgirl position ≥﹏≤

For now, it’s just pure cuddling—Xiao Ruan needs to break through the final barrier.