The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 2

In the depths of the cold palace, within a secluded side chamber.

“Ugh… mm…”

A woman dressed in a moon-white ruqun lay on her side on the bed, emitting muffled sounds.

Her mouth was stuffed with cotton cloth, her alluring eyes slightly misty, her hands tied behind her back, and her ankles firmly bound with ropes.

Bai Zhi stood by the bed, her brows furrowed with worry as she gazed at the woman on the bed—her wife, the fallen princess, Wei Ziwan.

Wei Ziwan had caused quite a stir upon arriving in the capital, attracting the attention of princes and nobles who vied for her hand in marriage. The reason was simple: her beauty.

Unfortunately, before any marriage arrangements could be made, the Western Island Kingdom fell, and the princess sent for a political marriage became a princess of a fallen nation. Wei Ziwan also lost her right to choose.

Later, the Crown Prince intended to take Wei Ziwan into the Eastern Palace, but the Empress intercepted the news and issued a decree, assigning the fallen princess to a eunuch in the cold palace.

Yes, Bai Zhi was that “lucky” eunuch.

At this moment, she felt no joy in having such a beauty bestowed upon her. Instead, her brows were tightly knit.

The beauty on the bed was pitiable, but the fake eunuch dared not approach her.

There were three reasons for this. First, she wasn’t a real eunuch but a woman disguised as one.

The second reason? Well, it was obvious—the Crown Prince still had his eyes on this fallen princess.

As for the third reason, it was because she had been reborn. In her previous life, she had died because of this woman.

Just then, the woman on the bed struggled again, making some noise.

Bai Zhi snapped out of her thoughts and pinched her fingers hard. Ouch, it hurt.

She was really alive again?

And she had returned to a year ago!

To the very day when Wei Ziwan was tied up and thrown onto her bed.

The candlelight flickered as Bai Zhi looked at the woman on the bed with mixed emotions. Memories of her past life flooded her mind, causing her to lose herself in thought.

Wei Ziwan, tied up on the bed, watched Bai Zhi’s indifferent expression. The mist in her eyes condensed into a tear, which rolled down her cheek.

Ever since the news of her kingdom’s fall reached her, she knew her fate would not be kind. But she never imagined she would end up tied up and given to a eunuch.

There was no wedding dress, no grand procession, not even a formal ceremony. She was treated like a commodity that had suddenly lost all value, tossed to a eunuch as a plaything. To be given to a eunuch as a wife—what humiliation, what irony.

To make matters worse, the eunuch merely glanced at her indifferently and left her there, not even uttering a word, let alone untying her.

“Ugh…” Her helplessness and humiliation eventually turned into soft sobs.

Bai Zhi suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the woman on the bed again. A beauty in tears was indeed beautiful, but unfortunately, she was a harbinger of trouble.

In her past life, what had she done when she was awakened by the noise?

Oh, she had pretended not to hear it. It wasn’t until two days later, when the woman was on the verge of death and too weak to cry, that she finally untied her.

As for untying her now? That was out of the question.

If this woman caused any commotion, it would only bring trouble.

Especially in the cold palace, where the deposed concubines would surely swarm to witness the spectacle. If the guards were alerted, her head wouldn’t be safe.

Most importantly, her adoptive father had once said, “Those who are too soft-hearted won’t survive long within these palace walls.” So Bai Zhi never dared to show mercy.

She silently stared at Wei Ziwan, determined to follow the same course as in her past life—to keep her tied up for two more days.

Wei Ziwan cried for a while, but when she saw that the person before her remained silent, she gradually quieted down.

Her anxious heart grew even more nervous. She blinked lightly, and another tear rolled down her cheek, making her look even more pitiful.

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but sigh. “I can remove the cloth from your mouth, but you must not scream. Otherwise, it goes back in.”

Hearing Bai Zhi’s words, Wei Ziwan quickly made a muffled sound of agreement, then nodded vigorously, her expression obedient.

Bai Zhi hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and carefully pulling out the cloth. She remained on guard, ready to stuff it back in if the woman started shouting.

Wei Ziwan took a few deep breaths, feeling her throat relax before she spoke. “Thank you, husband.”

Bai Zhi’s mouth twitched, but this time she wisely chose not to object.

In her past life, the first words out of this woman’s mouth had also been “husband.” When Bai Zhi had objected, she was met with a string of “eunuch” instead.

Compared to that, “husband” sounded much better.

Seeing that Bai Zhi wasn’t responding, Wei Ziwan instinctively frowned, then quickly remembered that this person—no, this eunuch—was now her husband.

Until she found another way out, she would have to play along.

“Could you untie me, husband?”

Bai Zhi didn’t respond. She studied the stunningly beautiful woman before her, thinking to herself how bold she was. But should she untie her?

Wei Ziwan, noticing Bai Zhi’s scrutinizing gaze, grew even more nervous. Was this eunuch planning to do something?

Although her so-called husband was quite handsome, he was still a eunuch. Surely he couldn’t do anything, right? Right?

Wei Ziwan swallowed dryly and tentatively added, “I’ve been tied up for a day. I’d like to… freshen up. Could you untie me, husband?”

After a pause, she added with a flicker in her eyes, “I won’t run away. A woman follows her husband, no matter who he is. From now on, I am yours.”

Her face flushed slightly, her beautiful eyes shy and pleading. After speaking, she swallowed again.

A whole day—she must be thirsty and hungry.

As for the mention of freshening up, and the deliberate display of vulnerability, wasn’t it all to make Bai Zhi think of certain… inconvenient matters?

Bai Zhi looked at the woman, her eyes filled with unease and hope, and suddenly smiled. “So, no matter who the Empress gives you to—even a seventy-year-old man—you’d be willing?”

Wei Ziwan was momentarily stunned, a flicker of panic crossing her heart. This eunuch wasn’t as easy to deal with as she thought.

She bit her lip lightly and said in a pitiful tone, “But you are my husband now, aren’t you? So… I am willing. If you need me to serve you tonight, I can do that. But could you untie me first?”

Serve? Was she implying what Bai Zhi thought she was?

Bai Zhi’s expression turned cold. In her past life, she hadn’t realized how good this woman was at acting.

Oh, that’s right—in her past life, she had treated Wei Ziwan as if she were air, keeping her distance from this troublemaker. Of course, that hadn’t ended well either.

Wei Ziwan’s gaze remained fixed on Bai Zhi’s face. Seeing the cold expression and the lack of intention to untie her, her heart grew even more uneasy.

“Husband?”

Bai Zhi snapped out of her thoughts and said coldly, “Stop making noise. Go to sleep.”

Removing the cloth from her mouth had already been an exception. To show any more mercy would be foolish. And she was not a fool.

——————–

Author’s Note:

Just to clarify: In their past lives, the two treated each other as if they were air, unfamiliar and wary of each other. So there was no emotional foundation between them.