Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 17
Zhi Miao looked at Mowan Ci with hesitation, unsure whether she should take the roast chicken from Jiang Si. She was still waiting for her mistress to say something.
Mowan Ci opened her eyes slowly, as if she had already heard everything. She sat up slightly and said in a calm voice, “Bring it in.”
Zhi Miao left the carriage and returned shortly after with the roasted chicken, still warm and fragrant. The scent filled the small space.
Mowan Ci glanced at the food but did not move. Zhi Miao tried to coax her, “Your Highness, you have not eaten much all day. At least take a bite.”
Mowan Ci nodded faintly, took a small piece, and chewed slowly. Her appetite was not strong, but the food was well cooked and helped ease the empty feeling in her stomach.
Outside the carriage, Jiang Si remained by the fire with the soldiers. She did not return to the carriage, nor did she come back to ask how the food was received.
Zhi Miao glanced through the curtain and sighed in relief. “At least she still knows how to care for people. I suppose she’s not completely heartless.”
Mowan Ci gave no reply. She was looking down at the half-eaten piece of chicken in her hand, her thoughts far away.
The wind outside had picked up slightly, whistling past the trees and making the flames flicker.
Zhi Miao busied herself cleaning up the carriage space, occasionally stealing glances at Mowan Ci. But the long princess said nothing more. After a while, she simply leaned back and closed her eyes again.
That night, the camp settled into a strange calm. The soldiers took turns keeping watch. The fires burned low but steady. Jiang Si remained seated by one of them, sharpening a small dagger with slow, deliberate movements.
She looked up at the stars, her expression unreadable.
In the carriage, Mowan Ci slept lightly, her dreams filled with unclear images. In one moment she was back in the palace with her brother, hearing him call her “Royal Sister” with forced affection. In the next, she was standing alone in a snow-covered courtyard, surrounded by silence and shadows.
When dawn broke, the camp came alive again. Soldiers moved swiftly to pack up supplies and prepare for the road.
Zhi Miao carefully helped Mowan Ci wash and dress inside the carriage, all the while reminding her to eat something before they set off.
Outside, Jiang Si had already mounted her horse, giving quiet instructions to a few officers. When she looked toward the carriage, her eyes paused for a second, as if checking whether Mowan Ci was awake.
She did not approach.
Instead, she turned her horse toward the road ahead, her posture straight, her eyes fixed forward.
The journey to the northern border had only just begun, but the distance between the two women already seemed harder to measure.
When she recalled what Jiang Si had said in the carriage about “peaceful coexistence” at the start of the journey, Mowan Ci finally nodded.
Zhi Miao immediately burst into a smile, pulled open the curtain, and took the roast chicken. In a rare moment of sweetness, she said, “Thank you for your trouble, Marquis of Jiajing.”
Through the small opening in the curtain, Mowan Ci and Jiang Si met each other’s eyes.
Jiang Si’s face was a bit smudged from the roast chicken. When she smiled, she looked a little silly.
Mowan Ci could not help but curve her lips slightly. Fortunately, Jiang Si had not noticed Zhi Miao’s gaze. She quickly let the curtain fall.
The roast chicken was wrapped in oiled paper. When opened, it revealed only a few chicken legs and wings, with none of the messy leftover parts.
Mowan Ci never had a large appetite. She could not finish an entire chicken on her own, and even if she could, she disliked eating the scraps. She only liked drumsticks and wings.
Jiang Si had brought exactly what she preferred.
Still, a slight uneasiness lingered in her heart. Jiang Si was slowly straying from the impression Mowan Ci had once held of her.
After half a month of travel, they finally arrived in the northern territory. Jiang Si could finally breathe a little easier. She handed over Mowan Ci and the convoy to the governor of Xiangcheng, a trusted aide of Su Xun. Before Su Xun’s departure, the two had already agreed that once they reached Xiangcheng, Jiang Si would immediately rush back to Lingshang City with an urgent dispatch.
Worried that Mowan Ci might fall ill or be uncomfortable, she deliberately left Lan Shao behind.
Lan Shao was known as a military doctor, though she was more accurately the personal physician of Jiang Si and her close companions. She did not complain about being asked to stay. Since she had a good relationship with the governor, she decided to remain in the city for a few days.
This also gave Mowan Ci and Zhi Miao a chance to bathe and rest.
“Your Highness, you and Miss Zhi Miao should rest here for a few days. There is no need to rush. You may return when the border is more secure.”
Now that they had reached the northern region, Jiang Si finally felt more at ease. Even her voice sounded more relaxed.
Over the past days, she and Mowan Ci had not spent much time together, but the moments they did share were rather peaceful. During their journey, even their nightly stops were rushed for fear of losing time.
However, when it came to meals, Jiang Si did not want to shortchange herself or Mowan Ci. Every day, she personally delivered roast drumsticks and wings.
To win someone over, one must begin with the heart through the stomach. Jiang Si hoped Mowan Ci would sense her goodwill.
Mowan Ci no longer treated her with such coldness. With a slight smile, she said, “Very well. May the marquis return victorious.”
They stood at the entrance, speaking as Jiang Si prepared to set off. Mowan Ci happened to be there to see her off. Just as Jiang Si mounted her horse, a voice suddenly called out from nearby.
The voice was sweet and overly affectionate. “Is the marquis here? I wish to see the marquis just once.”
Startled by the voice, Jiang Si nearly fell off her horse.
Ever since the incident with Quan Fang, she had become especially sensitive to these matters. The original Jiang Si had not been a disciplined person. She had undoubtedly left flirtations behind wherever she went. But she had never expected someone to appear here in Xiangcheng as well.
She turned her head and saw a person whose clothing and makeup closely resembled Xiang Ning’s.
The look was bold and overly glamorous, clearly not someone of respectable standing.
The shouting was loud. Although the guards blocked the person from getting closer, they continued to yell, “Marquis, I am Liu’er. You promised to take me to Lingshang City.”
Many passersby on the street began to take notice of the scene. Among them was Mowan Ci.
Jiang Si’s heart sank. All the goodwill she had built up over the past two weeks was likely ruined by this Liu’er. Worse still, Mowan Ci might now see her as completely fake and lacking in integrity.
To make matters worse, this Liu’er was not even a female kunze like Xiang Ning. Liu’er was a male kunze.