Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After Lu Zijin finished drawing pheromones, she saw Wei Lan nearly asleep. She tapped Wei Lan’s nose lightly with her fingertip. When Wei Lan opened her eyes, Lu Zijin brushed the hair from her right neck. “Bite,” she said.

Wei Lan propped herself up, tiredly moved her lips to Lu Zijin’s neck, and transferred her pheromones. After a while, she stopped.

“Is that enough?” Wei Lan asked, her tone soft.

Lu Zijin saw Wei Lan’s eyes barely open from exhaustion and found her rather cute. She reached to pinch Wei Lan’s face, teasing her, but heard Wei Lan’s words.

“Can you get off me now? I’m going back to sleep. I’m too tired,” Wei Lan said, showing no desire to linger.

Lu Zijin’s face grew cold, her voice icy. “Fine, go.”

Lu Zijin got off Wei Lan. Wei Lan didn’t glance at her, put on her shoes, and donned her outer dress.

Without looking back, Wei Lan yawned. “I’m going to sleep. Do as you please, Madam.”

Wei Lan squinted, walking out. Her pheromones were drained, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

Fortunately, maids accompanied her. Back at Fuqu Pavilion, Wei Lan entered her bedroom, shed her outer dress, and collapsed into sleep. She woke in the evening.

She sat up, took a moment to recall she was in ancient times, and called out for maids to light lamps. Soon, maids brought dinner. Wei Lan ate heartily but still felt exhausted.

Something felt off. After eating, she took out a book on this world’s Qianyuan and Kunze knowledge and studied it. She learned that during the rain dew period, Qianyuan and Kunze should exchange pheromones to avoid fatigue and soothe emotions. But now, she was drained one-sidedly; Lu Zijin hadn’t shared her pheromones.

Wei Lan thought Lu Zijin might be unwilling. As a kept woman, she endured being drained for days each month to earn her fifty taels of silver.

She sighed, prepared to sleep more to recover, knowing Lu Zijin’s rain dew period lasted three to four days. She might be drained again tomorrow and needed to prepare.

Wei Lan slept until nearly noon the next day. Feeling better, she had food brought, ate, and planned to rest more. Carving jade might strain her body.

She slept until the Shen hour, woken by a knock. Her voice was hoarse. “Who is it?”

“Lord, it’s this servant. The lady sent me to summon you,” Qing Zhi’s voice came from outside.

Wei Lan yawned, feeling listless, and propped herself up. She had water prepared, washed briefly, changed into clean inner and outer garments, and got up to leave. Lu Zijin liked cleanliness, and Wei Lan didn’t want to be criticized for wearing dirty clothes.

This comfortable life was tough, she thought. She stepped out, glanced at Qing Zhi, and said, “Let’s go.”

Qing Zhi noticed Wei Lan’s poor complexion and asked, “Lord, are you unwell?”

“No, just tired. Let’s go. After this, I’ll sleep,” Wei Lan said, walking forward.

“Yes,” Qing Zhi replied, leading maids behind Wei Lan.

On the way to Jingchen Courtyard, Wei Lan met the Lu Mansion’s guard captain, unaware of who she was.

The guard captain looked at Wei Lan coldly, then said perfunctorily, “Lord.”

Before Wei Lan could speak, the captain smiled at Qing Zhi, as if Qing Zhi outranked her. “Is Miss Qing Zhi well? Did the lady send you on an errand?” Cao Qiushuang asked.

Qing Zhi glanced at Wei Lan, then nodded. “Yes, the lady summoned the lord.”

Cao Qiushuang’s smile faded. She eyed Wei Lan disdainfully. “Then the lord should hurry. We have work to do.”

Wei Lan noticed Cao Qiushuang’s hostility and said bluntly, “What? Do you have a problem with me? I’m the lord of this mansion. I’m standing here, yet you chat with others. Is that appropriate?”

Cao Qiushuang, tall at about 185 cm, with seven or eight guards behind her, looked down at Wei Lan and laughed. “Lord, you may fool others, but don’t fool yourself. We have work and no time to chat with you.”

Cao Qiushuang ignored Wei Lan, telling her guards, “Let’s go.”

The guards followed, none taking Wei Lan seriously.

Wei Lan laughed in anger. Was her status in the Lu Mansion lower than a servant’s? She cooperated with Lu Zijin for silver, but she wouldn’t tolerate others’ disrespect.

“Stop,” Wei Lan said coldly.

Cao Qiushuang didn’t look back, waving dismissively. “Sorry, Lord. We have mansion business, not as idle as you.”

“Fine, you don’t take me seriously at all,” Wei Lan said, glaring at Cao Qiushuang’s group.

Qing Zhi interjected, “Captain Cao is like this. Raised in the mansion, she’s arrogant. When the lady recovers, I’ll report this to her.”

Wei Lan, already unwell, felt worse after Cao Qiushuang’s disrespect but gritted her teeth. “Let’s go. I’m not feeling well.”

They were near Jingchen Courtyard, and Wei Lan didn’t want to delay.

“Yes,” Qing Zhi said quickly.

After a while, they reached Jingchen Courtyard. Qing Zhi knocked on the door.

“Let her in,” Lu Zijin’s voice came.

“Yes, Miss,” Qing Zhi replied, letting Wei Lan enter.

Drained of pheromones too often, without immediate rest and a half-hour walk back, Wei Lan’s body struggled, even after sleeping.

She lacked energy to speak, mechanically walked to the clothes rack, removed her outer dress, and lifted the bed curtain.

Lu Zijin lay waiting. Seeing Wei Lan’s face, she frowned. “Why’s your face so pale? Are you sick?”

Wei Lan shook her head. “Not sick, just exhausted. Hurry and finish so I can sleep.” She lay down obediently, closed her eyes, and lacked energy to talk.

Lu Zijin found Wei Lan’s complexion off. She sighed, touched Wei Lan’s cheek, and found her feverish.

Lu Zijin looked at Wei Lan and called out, “Fetch Deng Jin.”

“Yes,” a maid outside said, rushing to get her.

“You’re burning up. You might have a fever. I’m having a doctor check your pulse,” Lu Zijin said, pulling off the patch on Wei Lan’s right neck. A faint fresh snow scent emerged, easing Lu Zijin slightly.

She touched Wei Lan’s forehead, also hot, and said to the maids, “Prepare a basin of cool water and a damp cloth.”

“Yes, Miss,” Yun Xiang replied, sending a maid to bring a basin. She soaked a cloth in cool water and stood respectfully by the bed.

Lu Zijin said, “Lift the bed curtains first.”

“Yes,” a young maid said, raising the curtains and tying them with silk sashes.

Yun Xiang looked up, seeing Wei Lan lying on the bed’s outer side, eyes closed. She glared at Wei Lan, unable to understand why the lady let this useless person lie in her bed for pheromone exchange.

“Give me the cloth,” Lu Zijin said.

Yun Xiang handed her the cloth, standing with two other maids. She watched Lu Zijin wipe Wei Lan’s forehead with it.

Yun Xiang couldn’t hold back. “Miss, let this servant do it. You’re not used to such rough tasks.”

Lu Zijin didn’t look at her, touched Wei Lan’s cheek—still hot—and frowned. Her Qianyuan was good in many ways, but her health seemed poor, unable to handle the third day of her rain dew period.

Lu Zijin thought Wei Lan needed better nourishment. Her courtyard servants, unaware of her fever, clearly neglected her. They needed discipline.

While thinking, Lu Zijin wiped Wei Lan to cool her down. Yun Xiang clenched her fists, wanting to throw Wei Lan out but, recalling her last reprimand, held back.