The Vicious Empress's Scum Wife (GL) - Chapter 005
Lin Yanran rushed out of the house, heading straight for Liu Zhenzhen’s small courtyard.
It was already the end of the Zi Hour (midnight), and boundless night enveloped the wilderness. The entire Fenghuang Town was deep in slumber.
Her and Liu Zhenzhen’s houses were located on the west side of town, and the surrounding residents lived relatively far away, making the area particularly quiet.
“Pah! Pah!” “Pah! Pah!”
She knocked on the wooden door, making a sharp, sudden sound in the dead of night.
As a doctor, Liu Zhenzhen was used to being called upon for medical emergencies late at night and wasn’t a deep sleeper. She was soon woken up. Lighting a lantern, she opened the door, and seeing Lin Yanran, her willow-like brows immediately furrowed.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
She pushed with her hand, about to close the courtyard door, but Lin Yanran, in a hurry, pressed her palm against the door and unceremoniously squeezed her way inside.
Liu Zhenzhen immediately caught the strong, rich scent emanating from her.
At first, it was a sweet, potent aroma of wine, followed by a fresh, serene scent of wood… deep and subtle, rich and pure, a unique scent she had never encountered before.
Looking at Lin Yanran’s cheeks, they were flushed red. Even from three steps away, she could feel the heat radiating from her.
She blurted out, “Your pheromones have erupted?”
Then, her heart jolted. Lin Yanran’s pheromones erupted, yet she didn’t go to her wife, but ran to knock on her door in the middle of the night?
“What do you want to do?”
“What did you do to Mingyue?”
“I warn you, don’t mess around, or I’ll go straight to the local guard station!”
Lin Yanran hurried into Liu Zhenzhen’s house.
“Doctor Liu, do you have any medicine to suppress my pheromones?”
Liu Zhenzhen ran in front of her, spreading her arms wide.
“Lin Yanran, breaking into a Kunze’s home in the middle of the night is absolutely outrageous! Get out!”
Lin Yanran was forced to stop, her voice hoarse from the burning heat.
“Doctor Liu, please, quickly help me!”
She eagerly stepped forward, impulsively grabbing Liu Zhenzhen’s forearm.
Qianyuan’s strength was naturally greater than Kunze’s. In her current state of pheromone eruption, Lin Yanran’s strength was surprisingly immense. Liu Zhenzhen tried to shake her off several times but couldn’t, and she retreated in fear.
“Lin Yanran, you’re not welcome here!”
“I don’t have the pills you want either!”
“Let go of me!”
How could Lin Yanran let go?
She had thought she was incapable of marking and wouldn’t release pheromones, but a top-tier Kunze’s pheromones were too powerful. She had only bitten her once, but the scent had stimulated her to break through years of a chronic condition, and her pheromones had actually erupted!
This was her first time releasing pheromones. She had no experience whatsoever and didn’t know what consequences it would cause. The only solution she could think of was to seek help from Liu Zhenzhen.
“Doctor Liu, please, you must help me.”
Her voice trembled as she spoke, struggling to suppress the pain of the pheromone eruption.
Liu Zhenzhen knew well that for a Qianyuan, a pheromone eruption was comparable to taking a strong aphrodisiac with amplified effects. Almost no Qianyuan could resist this physical instinct; they would soon become like beasts, doing whatever they pleased and acting violently towards any Kunze they could get their hands on!
She was assaulted by Lin Yanran’s pheromones, making her whole body prickle, and her limbs subtly began to lose strength. She wished she could escape immediately, but Lin Yanran gripped her very tightly.
She quickly pinched the sachet at her waist, and a cool, refreshing scent immediately entered her nose.
Only then did she have the courage to meet Lin Yanran’s eyes. Lin Yanran’s face was flushed crimson, her forehead covered in fine sweat. Her expression was painful but very restrained, and there was no lewdness in her eyes.
“Doctor Liu, I can’t hold on much longer—”
Lin Yanran groaned uncomfortably, a hint of bl00d red appearing in her eyes.
Liu Zhenzhen felt the hand gripping her wrist growing hotter and hotter. The dense Qianyuan aura was almost suffocating her. Panicked and flustered, she stammered, “Y-y-you let go first, I’ll go get you some medicine.”
Lin Yanran still didn’t let go. She pulled Liu Zhenzhen towards the inner room, only releasing her once they entered the main hall.
Liu Zhenzhen glared at her indignantly.
Seeing Lin Yanran leaning against the door, clearly determined to stay, she had no choice but to turn and get the medicine.
Soon, she came out with a white jade bottle and poured out a red pill.
“This is a Cooling Pill I formulated myself. It can alleviate your symptoms. Take it with water.”
Lin Yanran quickly swallowed it, then poured herself a cup of water and drank it. She immediately felt a coolness slide down her throat into her lungs. The burning sensation in her chest and lungs significantly eased.
Liu Zhenzhen stood across the table, secretly observing her.
She remembered Lin Yanran’s pheromone scent as strong and pungent, like a harsh liquor—wild and repulsive. Moreover, this person was arrogant and rude, her manners crude. But watching her drink water and take medicine just now, there was a hint of… grace?
Was this still Lin Yanran?
Just then, Lin Yanran looked up, her eyes expressing earnestness.
“Doctor Liu, I have one more favor to ask of you. Mingyue is alone at home. Could I trouble you to accompany her for the night? In the future, if Doctor Liu ever needs anything, Yanran will not refuse.”
Liu Zhenzhen’s face suddenly changed: “Did you hurt Mingyue again? You really are a case of a dog that can’t change its…”
She was so angry she swore, only realizing her impoliteness after speaking. She quickly bit her lip, her eyes glaring indignantly at Lin Yanran.
The strange feeling in her heart immediately vanished without a trace. This scumbag really hadn’t changed!
Liu Zhenzhen grabbed her medicine box and walked out. Outside the door, she turned back, her voice impatient: “The Cooling Pill is something I developed for my personal use. It takes a lot of time and effort and I never sell it…”
Lin Yanran immediately understood the implied meaning and quickly said, “Doctor Liu, I will return home at dawn to get the money and pay for the medicine. Thank you for your help, Doctor Liu.”
Liu Zhenzhen, seeing her relatively good attitude, softened her tone slightly: “The Cooling Pill can only temporarily relieve your symptoms, but it cannot completely cure them. You’ll have to get through this yourself… even if it erupts, you must not act out in my house.”
She was a little worried that Lin Yanran wouldn’t be able to hold back and would attract unsavory people. Lin Yanran’s few disreputable friends often brought prostitutes back from the county town, and the Kunze at home were so terrified they dared not control her.
Lin Yanran had no idea she had been classified as an immoral deviant. She quickly asked, “Doctor Liu, isn’t there any specific medicine to suppress pheromone eruptions?”
“No.”
Liu Zhenzhen left decisively. Lin Yanran fell into thought.
In this world, productivity was low, and inhibitors had not yet been invented, but similar things did exist, such as the pills Qin Mingyue carried and Liu Zhenzhen’s Cooling Pill. These were private products, only a few could enjoy them. Most Qianyuan indulged their desires without restraint, and once a Kunze’s pheromones erupted, their only fate was brutal ravage.
After Qin Mingyue was rescued by the original owner, because she refused to share a room with her, she was stimulated and persecuted with drugs by the original owner, so much so that she had to endure the pain of pheromone eruptions periodically. And the original owner, being incapable of marking, not only watched with enjoyment but also furiously humiliated Qin Mingyue with words. Later, she sold Qin Mingyue to a brothel. The madam used the most potent pheromone stimulant pills, causing Qin Mingyue to burn with desire, agonizing to the point of near-death, and she had no choice but to cut out her own gland, piece by piece, leaving her with a lifelong disability.
Excising a gland… Even though Lin Yanran hadn’t experienced it, she knew how painful that must be.
Her heart grew even heavier. The villain now was reborn; she had already experienced all the harm inflicted by the original owner.
She even felt that Qin Mingyue had specifically come back to seek revenge on her!
Lin Yanran forced a wry smile, then her expression suddenly changed. A hot, burning torrent surged through her body, rushing from her lower abdomen to her limbs, then darting around her body like a loach.
She painfully collapsed to the ground, her face alternately burning red and then turning pale from pain.
This Cooling Pill really was a temporary solution, not a cure!
She struggled to get up, stumbled into Liu Zhenzhen’s pharmacy, frantically searching. She was well-versed in countless herbs; perhaps she could find something useful.
••••
Qin Mingyue did not sleep peacefully.
After being temporarily marked, her restless pheromones calmed down, but her body was completely exhausted.
She had been imprisoned for over two months, and subjected to daily insults and torment by that scumbag Lin Yanran. Her health had steadily declined, and she had repeatedly spit bl00d. Coupled with her exhaustion, she felt as if she had suffered a severe illness.
She drifted off to sleep, only to dream of old memories.
Her father was the emperor of Shenyao Country, her mother the empress of Shenyao Country. She was crowned the legitimate eldest princess of Shenyao Country upon birth, of the highest noble bl00d, supreme and revered, with unparalleled glory. Yet, due to corrupt officials and enchantresses corrupting the nation, she was reduced to this state, and her loving mother was confined to the cold palace in utter darkness.
Empress Mother… Empress Mother…
Reborn, the first thing she wanted to do was to see her mother. Her mother was in the cold palace, accompanied by a lone lamp and shadow, and her only daughter could not rescue her from her suffering.
Hatred and pain, like two poisonous snakes, frantically gnawed at her.
Empress Mother—your child is unfilial!
She ceaselessly called out in her dream, tears streaming down her face.
Bitter tears engulfed her, suffocating her until she awoke with a jolt!
Liu Zhenzhen, who was napping at the table, also woke up. Seeing the fine beads of sweat on Qin Mingyue’s forehead, she immediately got up and went to the bedside, asking with concern, “Mingyue, how are you? Did you have a nightmare?”
Qin Mingyue looked at her with deep eyes, hesitatingly asking, “Why are you here?”
Liu Zhenzhen’s face immediately showed indignation.
“It’s all because of your wife, Lin Yanran. She came knocking late at night, her pheromones erupted, begging for my help to suppress them, and then she said you were alone at home, so she pleaded with me to keep you company.”
Her tone softened as she spoke: “I was worried about you, so I rushed over immediately.”
Qin Mingyue’s hand, hidden in the bedding, suddenly gripped the dagger.
“You stayed with me all night?”
So, all the things she mumbled in her nightmare were heard by her?
Her identity absolutely could not be exposed, or it would immediately lead to persecution from that wretch!
Killing intent shone in her eyes. Her body tensed, and her gaze swept over Liu Zhenzhen’s delicate neck.
That was the most vulnerable part of the human body. Just one knife stroke could kill a person without a sound.
Liu Zhenzhen, thinking Qin Mingyue felt guilty, said, “Don’t mind it. I came over to rest anyway.”
Qin Mingyue stared intently into her eyes: “Then did you hear anything? Did I disturb you?”
Liu Zhenzhen quickly replied, “When I came over, you were sound asleep. I then dozed off at the table and didn’t expect to sleep until now… So, while I said I’d keep you company, I didn’t really. Mingyue, you don’t need to take it to heart.”
Liu Zhenzhen was one of the few people who genuinely cared for her. If possible, she didn’t want to kill her.
But if her secret truly was revealed, she would kill her without hesitation.
Her hand beneath the quilt trembled uncontrollably, the chill from the dagger seemingly transmitting to her.
Liu Zhenzhen was completely unaware of this. She helped Qin Mingyue hang up the bed curtains, then walked to the window to check the sky. Turning back, she smiled and said, “Mingyue, I even had a dream last night. I dreamt I was constantly looking for a bed, but couldn’t find one anywhere, Hahaha—I didn’t wake you up, did I?”
Qin Mingyue’s heart eased slightly, and she slowly released her grip on the dagger’s hilt.
Just then, the main door creaked open. Liu Zhenzhen glanced through the window crack, immediately composed her smile, and looked back at Qin Mingyue with a complex expression: “Mingyue, Lin Yanran is back. Do you want me to help with anything?”
Qin Mingyue’s face was calm: “I’m fine.”
Liu Zhenzhen looked at her pale, weary face. This face was excessively pale, yet it did not diminish its beauty in the slightest. Instead, the sickly pallor added a sense of decay and fragility to this beauty, making Liu Zhenzhen feel immense heartache.
She couldn’t help but think, Lin Yanran is truly a scumbag. How could she bear to lay a hand on such a peerless beauty?
“Don’t worry, I’ll set off tomorrow. I’ll definitely deliver that letter for you,” she said as if making a promise.
As she spoke, Lin Yanran had already reached the main room. She didn’t enter immediately, nor did she make a sound.
Liu Zhenzhen lifted the door curtain and walked out.
Their eyes met. Lin Yanran immediately pressed a finger to her lips: “Shhh.”
“Doctor Liu, has my wife woken up?” She deliberately lowered her voice.
Liu Zhenzhen felt an intense strangeness. Lin Yanran’s gentle and considerate demeanor was completely unlike the person she remembered.
But her sympathy for Qin Mingyue’s plight meant she had no pleasant expression for Lin Yanran.
“She’s awake. Go see her. Goodbye.”
Lin Yanran quickly said, “Doctor Liu, thank you for your help last night, and for guarding my wife. I specifically bought some food from the market. Please join me, Doctor Liu.”
As she spoke, she raised the lotus leaf-wrapped package she was holding.
Liu Zhenzhen felt even more peculiar. She glanced at Lin Yanran again and said, “Zhang Zhen and the others drank too much and are still unconscious. I was asked to go examine them first thing in the morning, and I can’t delay. Goodbye.”
Lin Yanran secretly thought, estimating the time, these three good-for-nothings should be waking up today. So, she didn’t try to keep her.
She was extremely confident in her pharmacological control and had no worries whatsoever.
Arriving at the bedroom door, she was about to lift the curtain when she paused, asking inwards, “Is it convenient for me to enter now?”
Silence for a long moment, until she was about to speak again, when a low “Mhm” came from inside.
She walked in. Qin Mingyue had her back to her, standing by the window. Her tall figure, outlined by the long dress, appeared slender and very solitary.
This dress was not only crudely made but also ill-fitting. Yet, even so, when worn by her, it was transformed into a noble and dignified palace garment.
“Should I bring the food in, or will you come out to eat?”
Qin Mingyue suddenly turned around, her calm, deep eyes fixed on Lin Yanran’s face.
Lin Yanran’s heart involuntarily quickened under that sharp gaze. Those eyes were truly too penetrating. Even though she had achieved fame at a young age, experienced countless national occasions, and even attended international conferences as a national representative, she still felt a compelling pressure under such a gaze.
However, she showed no fear, looking back at her openly and frankly.
After all, those things were done by the original owner; she was also a victim.
“Then I’ll bring it in.”
She decisively made her decision, turned to fetch the food, arranged it on the table in the room, then called out, “Mingyue, come quickly and eat while it’s hot.”
Qin Mingyue’s brows suddenly furrowed. She found this scumbag utterly disgusting; even being called by her name felt humiliating!
“You are not allowed to call me that.”
Lin Yanran, compliant as ever, changed her address: “Wife, please come and eat.”
Qin Mingyue’s brows furrowed even tighter, and her voice was stern: “Shut up.”
She wasn’t allowed to call her by name, nor “wife.” Should she call her “sweetheart”?
Lin Yanran thought, with a grim humor, but only thought it. Speaking it aloud would probably get her stabbed immediately.