Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess (GL , ABO) - Chapter 25
“I can endure it. No matter how painful it is, I can take it.”
Jiang Si seemed completely provoked by the words “you can’t.” Her voice was loud and firm when she looked up at Lan Shao. Her tone carried absolute conviction.
Lan Shao was stunned for a moment but quickly composed herself and left to make preparations.
That moment of bravery did not last long. Within half a day, Lan Shao returned to the Marquis of Jiajing’s residence with a set of medical tools.
She gave Jiang Si no time to change her mind. The silver needle went straight into the back of her neck.
Jiang Si was lying on her stomach. That one needle almost made her jump off the bed.
The pain was intense, and it brought back memories of the nightmares she used to have, the ones where golden hairpins pierced her skin.
Thankfully, the pain did not last long. Lan Shao soon withdrew the needle.
Jiang Si took a deep breath and looked at her. She raised her hand to ask her to go a little easier, but Lan Shao lifted another needle.
“Just now I was only checking your condition.”
“What?”
Jiang Si felt drained. No wonder Lan Shao said it would be extremely painful. This was just the start, and she was already sweating all over.
She asked sincerely, “Can we take a short break?”
“We can. About fifteen minutes. But after that, we must continue right away.”
“Then let’s do it now. Get it over with,” Jiang Si said after a brief pause. She figured a short rest would not make much difference. It was better to keep going.
She pulled her collar down further, exposing the back of her neck fully so that Lan Shao could work more easily.
Since they were both Qianyuan, their scents naturally clashed. Jiang Si did not feel much discomfort, but Lan Shao had a harder time.
Even though she used a special powder to block the scent, the area of skin exposed was too large, they were too close, and the process was too long.
She covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and continued inserting the needle.
This time, the needle went in much deeper. Jiang Si was not only sweating from the pain, she also had to bite the blanket tightly to stop herself from crying out. Her hands gripped the edge of the bed so hard it seemed like she might leave marks in the wood.
The entire procedure lasted about fifteen minutes. Not only was Jiang Si exhausted, even Lan Shao had a layer of sweat on her forehead from maintaining her posture for so long.
When it was finally over, Jiang Si completely collapsed. She was too weak to say a single word.
She had no idea how much bl00d she had lost. All she knew was that she felt extremely hungry and incredibly tired.
After Lan Shao finished cleaning up and was about to leave, Jiang Si finally managed to ask, “Will the Princess have to go through the same pain?”
“No.”
Before asking, Jiang Si had been worried that Mowan Ci’s body might not be able to handle this kind of pain. But after seeing Lan Shao gently shake her head, she felt a mix of emotions she could not describe.
There was still a bit of concern, but more than that, she felt a sense of being left out. And maybe even a touch of unfairness.
It was a good thing Mowan Ci would not have to go through this, but Jiang Si still felt pitiful.
She even gave Lan Shao a slightly hurt look, then waved her hand.
“You can go…”
“Yes, I will take my leave. Please be careful not to get the wound wet,” Lan Shao said, bowing as she turned to leave.
She had only taken a few steps when Jiang Si called out again.
“Tell the kitchen I’m hungry.”
Lan Shao stopped, turned around, and hesitated before saying, “My Lord, it would be best not to eat tonight. Tomorrow morning, you should only have some light porridge.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to perform another round of acupuncture tomorrow.”
No one could share the pain with her. She could not even eat. Jiang Si curled up on the couch, too weak to make it back to bed.
Thankfully, not long after, Su Xun came to visit, bringing Sang Zhi with her.
“My Lord, Lan Shao said you cannot eat right now, but you should drink more water.” Su Xun handed her a bowl of water.
Jiang Si glanced at the bowl, smacked her lips a little, and reluctantly took it.
She stared at the water for a moment, then tilted her head back and drank it all in one go.
Su Xun handed her a second bowl right away.
Jiang Si drank that one too.
After three bowls, she finally waved for Su Xun and Sang Zhi to leave.
In the middle of the night, she was sleeping deeply when the temperature suddenly dropped. Half-awake, she lifted her head and noticed that snow had started falling outside.
It was not heavy yet. Jiang Si lay there watching it for a while before sitting up.
She had already slept for a long time. Now that she was awake, she felt fully rested and could not fall back asleep. She watched the snow quietly until morning.
Her mind was blank. She had no idea what she was thinking about.
The snow fell harder and did not stop until the sun had fully risen. Jiang Si wrapped herself in a thick cloak and stepped outside into the cold air.
She had wanted to play in the snow, but as soon as she moved, the pain at the back of her neck made her wince. She gave up that idea and decided just to take a walk in the snow.
Perhaps because Mowan Ci was still on her mind, she somehow ended up in the Southern Courtyard.
Unlike the chaos of the day before, everything was now calm and still under a blanket of snow. Even the sound of the servants sweeping the paths seemed softer.
Maybe she had left the Northern Courtyard too early. Along the way, she barely saw anyone and completely forgot that the servants would be out clearing snow.
She looked at the footprints she left behind, then raised her head. The sunlight reflected off the snow, making it hard for her to see clearly.
She heard a familiar voice speak to her.
“My Lord, it is still early. Her Highness is still asleep.”
Only after hearing the voice did Jiang Si realize who it was.
It was Zhi Miao, the one who never liked her.
Thinking back, Zhi Miao’s attitude had already changed a little yesterday.
Before, Jiang Si had accepted that Zhi Miao’s coldness was justified. The original Jiang Si had done many wrong things, and Zhi Miao’s behavior was not personal. So, Jiang Si pretended not to notice.
But now, this slightly softer tone did feel a little comforting.
After all, who would reject being treated with such kindness?
Jiang Si gave a faint smile.
She was already attractive, but when she smiled like that, it was like a warm breeze in spring. Zhi Miao was momentarily stunned. It was only when Jiang Si said she was just out for a walk that she came back to her senses. She bowed again and said softly, “The first snowfall brings a chill. It is much warmer inside.”
Jiang Si nodded. Just as she turned to leave, she heard Mowan Ci’s voice from inside the room.
“Zhi Miao, who is outside?”
Jiang Si paused for a brief moment, then walked away from the Southern Courtyard as if nothing had happened.
Zhi Miao had seen her pause and thought she might come back to say something, but after waiting for a moment and seeing no sign of her, she returned to report to Mowan Ci.
“Your Highness, it was the Marquis. She was just out for a morning walk and came this way.”
“I see,” Mowan Ci replied with a simple nod. She then tugged at her blanket and went back to sleep.
When the sun had fully risen, Mowan Ci finally woke again. This time, Lan Shao was already waiting in the sitting hall.
She had mentioned yesterday that she would act quickly, but Mowan Ci had not expected it to be this fast.
As soon as they met, Lan Shao presented a box of medicine.
“This box contains a remedy I finished preparing last night. Your Highness will need to apply it externally. I will bring a second box later tonight.”
“The whole box has to be applied?”
“Yes. The effect only lasts for about one hour. After that, a new layer must be applied. This will need to continue for four hours.”
“I understand. Thank you, Physician Lan,” Mowan Ci said with a nod and instructed Wei Nian to store the medicine carefully.
Since Mowan Ci’s body was still weak, it was not appropriate for Lan Shao to stay long. She left soon after.
In the days that followed, Lan Shao was the busiest, Jiang Si endured the most pain, and Mowan Ci had the easiest time.
After using the medicine, her discomfort gradually faded. By the fifth day, her body felt as normal as ever.
Lan Shao stopped delivering the medicine herself and instead brought Jiang Si over in person.
Inside the hall, Jiang Si and Mowan Ci sat across from each other, neither saying a word.
In the end, it was Lan Shao who broke the silence.
“The first stage of treatment is complete. Now comes the part where Your Highness and the Marquis must work together.”
“Since Your Highness still needs time to fully recover, I have brought the Marquis here.”
“You are to spend a full day together.”
After that final sentence, Jiang Si and Mowan Ci finally looked away from each other and turned to stare at Lan Shao.
Lan Shao smiled and placed a small box on the table.
“This is a special incense I developed. It will help stabilize your bonding scents. With this, you will have nothing to worry about.”
Nothing to worry about?
After Lan Shao left, Zhi Miao and Wei Nian also quietly exited the room. Now, only Jiang Si and Mowan Ci remained in the hall.
Such private moments between them were rare. Jiang Si felt a little uncomfortable.
Mowan Ci kept a calm expression, her face cold and unreadable. In this kind of atmosphere, Jiang Si found it hard to believe they were supposed to feel completely at ease.
More than anything, the silence felt awkward.
“Your Highness, I… we… maybe we should…”
“Maybe we should what?”
Mowan Ci interrupted her, clearly irritated by her hesitation.
She was seated in the main chair, and when she stood up, she seemed even more imposing. Jiang Si instinctively swallowed hard.
Then she realized she was overreacting.
This was just a matter of mutual support. Why was she acting so guilty?
Thinking this way, Jiang Si straightened her back and walked confidently toward Mowan Ci.
It was only at this close distance that Jiang Si noticed Mowan Ci’s hands were slightly trembling.
Lan Shao’s medicine was truly effective. Under the influence of the incense, the pain in Jiang Si’s neck was almost completely gone. A soft amber fragrance now lingered faintly in the air.
Mowan Ci must have noticed it.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her trembling hands gripped the armrest tightly to steady herself.
The scent of snow lotus in the air also became stronger, clearly responding to Jiang Si’s presence.
It was cold, and it was fragrant.
Jiang Si wondered whether Kunze had stronger endurance than Qianyuan in moments like this.
For her, it felt like her entire body was burning from the inside out. Even her eyes were starting to feel warm.
She took another step forward, and Mowan Ci’s trembling hands gripped the chair even more tightly. She instinctively stepped backward.
She had only just stood up, but now it looked as if she was about to fall back into the chair again. Her guard was fully up.
Seeing this, Jiang Si stopped where she was and tried to speak gently.
“Your Highness, are we going to stay in the hall this whole time? Standing like this… feels a little tiring.”
After days of acupuncture, Jiang Si was exhausted and hungry. All she wanted now was a place to lie down and rest, anywhere would do.
That was the only reason she made the suggestion.
But what Mowan Ci heard and felt was something completely different.
The soft scent of amber made her body feel warm and relaxed, but her thoughts were becoming slow and muddled. Jiang Si’s words took on a deeper meaning in her ears, and she tensed immediately.
There was nowhere to move. Behind her was the chair, and her body felt sore and weak. She had no way to avoid the situation, and her voice changed slightly without her realizing it.
“Step back. Do not get so close to me.”
Her tone was soft and sweet, almost charming. Jiang Si was caught off guard. Her expression shifted several times as she looked at Mowan Ci.
She let out a long sigh and quietly stepped back.
But while watching her, Jiang Si noticed something different. Mowan Ci was no longer holding onto the chair tightly. Instead, her body was now leaning slightly forward.
Under the same roof, both of them could feel it. There was something invisible in the air pulling them toward each other.
Neither of them said anything.
They simply took slow, quiet steps forward.
When they stopped, there were only a few inches left between them.
Jiang Si could clearly see the flush on Mowan Ci’s cheeks. Her breathing had become faster and more shallow.
The space between them seemed smaller than ever, and neither of them knew what would happen next.