Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 29.2

By the time they returned home, night had already fallen. Jing He swiftly prepared dinner.

Because Han Junye had already eaten a bowl of goat milk custard earlier, he only picked at a few of his favorite dishes during dinner.

Perhaps because children get sleepy earlier at night, after eating, the little bun was already dozing off. His head bobbing like a pecking chick. Lin Chu found it both funny and heart-wrenching to watch.

“Sleepy? Auntie will take you to bed, okay?” Lin Chu gently nudged Han Junye, and he instantly woke up.

The little bun stared at Lin Chu in a daze, as if processing where he was. Then, clutching his robe, he let out a couple of sleepy grumbles. His round little face worked hard to maintain a serious expression, which only made him look even more amusing. 

“I need a bath…”

That left Lin Chu a bit embarrassed. They had only just moved in yesterday, and they hadn’t had time to prepare new clothes. But thankfully, it was the dead of winter, and missing a bath for a day wouldn’t hurt. She could only coax him in a soft voice, 

“Little bun, Auntie will take you to buy new clothes tomorrow, and then you can bathe, alright?”

At the mention of “bun,” Han Junye’s brow twitched. He glanced at his own chubby arms, and instantly, his tiny brows knitted together in deep contemplation—he needed to lose weight…

Lin Chu wiped his face with warm water, soaked his feet, and then tucked him into bed.

After pouring out the used water, she was about to head back to her room when she found Yan Mingge standing there like a door guardian.

Seeing his unusually serious expression, she assumed something had happened and asked, 

“What’s wrong?”

Yan Mingge pulled out the pulley system sketches she had drawn earlier that morning, his expression grave. 

“What is this?”

“A pulley system diagram.”

Yan Mingge frowned slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping little bun inside, Lin Chu lowered her voice. 

“The child is sleeping, I’ll explain it to you tomorrow.”

She had originally planned to bring it up with Yan Mingge today. After all, he was a native of this ancient world. Just from seeing that black iron bow of his, she could tell there were some remarkable blacksmiths in this era. If they could craft pulleys, it would be incredibly beneficial.

But after the little bun’s ordeal earlier, the matter had slipped her mind. Now, she was feeling sleepy and figured she’d explain it tomorrow when she had more energy.

Before she could react, Yan Mingge simply lifted her up and carried her straight into the east wing.

Outside, Little Gray was lying by the door. Seeing Lin Chu being carried away by the “bandit,” it raised its front paws and sat up. But realizing that it probably couldn’t defeat the “bandit,” Little Gray huffed in frustration, flopped back down, and resumed gnawing on its bone.

Lin Chu didn’t dare scream, fearing she’d wake the little bun or alert Jing He. Instead, she used all her strength to pinch the soft flesh on Yan Mingge’s arm.

Yet, even after pinching until her own fingers ached, she didn’t hear him let out a single sound of pain. Damn it—his entire body was like solid rock!

Once inside, Yan Mingge still didn’t put her down. His voice took on a slow, dangerous tone. 

“If you don’t let go, I’ll throw you onto the bed.”

The implication in his words was unmistakable.

Lin Chu instantly and sheepishly withdrew her hand.

Spring had yet to arrive, yet somehow, this great villain seemed to be acting a little… off.

Yan Mingge let out an ambiguous chuckle before finally setting her down. He walked over to the table, lit another candle, and spread the diagrams out beneath the light. With a look, he signaled her to come over.

Suppressing a yawn, Lin Chu reluctantly shuffled over.

“What is this used for?” Yan Mingge seemed particularly interested in the pulley system.

Lin Chu thought for a moment and decided a practical example would make things clearer. 

“If you loop a rope over this device, it can reduce the effort needed to pull things up. Like when you all used a hanging basket to get onto the city walls—the soldiers pulling it up would have found it much easier with this. There are many other applications as well.”

Yan Mingge listened, seeming to understand the gist of it. Judging by his expression, he at least recognized the significance of the device.

“If you know any skilled craftsmen, you could ask them to try making one,” Lin Chu suggested.

But suddenly, Yan Mingge lifted his gaze. His stare was sharp, probing, pressing in on her. 

“How do you know all this? Or rather, who exactly are you?”

Lin Chu internally cursed—crap!

Her cover was blown so fast she didn’t even see it coming.

But if she wanted this thing built, she had to rely on Yan Mingge’s help.

Feeling a little intimidated, she was afraid this villain might see her as something he couldn’t control and simply eliminate her. She cautiously studied his expression, but aside from sternness, she couldn’t read anything else. So she muttered under her breath, 

“Relax, of course, I’m human.”

Yan Mingge’s face twitched.

Lin Chu cursed inwardly—Oh, so now you’re suspicious? But you didn’t seem to mind pressing down on me earlier!

That thought fired up her temper. Huffing, she said in a muffled voice, 

“If you don’t believe me, just pretend I never said anything.”

How was she supposed to explain to a man from ancient times that she had transmigrated from another era?

She herself had barely come to terms with being in this strange dynasty.

Yan Mingge suddenly leaned in, their noses nearly touching.

Startled, Lin Chu stepped back. “What are you doing?”

Yan Mingge remained serious. “Sniffing to see if you smell like a demon.”

Lin Chu: “……”

If she hadn’t known she was reading an ancient romance novel, she might have actually believed this guy’s nonsense!

A seductive smile suddenly curled at the corners of her lips. Her slender, jade-white fingers traced lightly from Yan Mingge’s jawline upward, finally resting at the corner of his slightly upturned, narrow eyes. If there were a beauty mark here, this wicked man would surely be a calamity to the world.

“Husband, if I were a demon, what would you do?” Lin Chu’s gaze was sultry, her voice teasing.

Yan Mingge squinted at her for a long moment before pressing two fingers against her forehead, gently pushing her face away. 

“Don’t you know that doing this makes your face look big?”

Lin Chu: “……”

She turned to leave, only for a strong arm to loop around her waist, pulling her down onto the hard bed.

Seeing Yan Mingge start to remove his outer robe, Lin Chu instinctively clutched at her own clothes, stammering, 

“W-why are you taking off your clothes?”

Yan Mingge gave her a sidelong glance, as if annoyed she even had to ask. 

“To sleep.”

Lin Chu: “……Then, you rest well. I won’t disturb you!”

She tried to scramble up, but Yan Mingge effortlessly pushed her back down with one hand.

“You were just trying to seduce me earlier, weren’t you?” He looked down at her, eyes filled with amusement.

Lin Chu: “……”

“I was just joking around with my husband,” she said with a sheepish laugh.

Yan Mingge shot her a glance from the corner of his eye, then casually wrapped her in a blanket and pulled her into his arms. With a flick of his wrist, something flew across the room, plunging it into complete darkness.

Lin Chu’s heart pounded like a drum.

Yan Mingge only held her, making no further moves. After a long silence, his voice carried a trace of amusement. 

“Wife, your heart is beating quite fast.”

It was the first time Yan Mingge had called her “wife.” Lin Chu was momentarily stunned, unable to react.

But then she thought about it—hadn’t she also been calling him “husband” all this time? It was just a title. Nothing to dwell on.

Then she heard Yan Mingge say, “I don’t care whether you’re human or demon, Lin Chu. Just remember—this lifetime, you are my wife. As long as I am alive in this world, I will protect you.”

Was this… the villain’s confession?

Lin Chu’s mind felt like fireworks exploding, leaving her completely speechless.

Yan Mingge gently patted her back a few times. “I know you’re smart, but don’t expose yourself so easily in the future. True wisdom lies in appearing foolish.”

Was he saying she shouldn’t have revealed her knowledge to him? Or was he referring to her standing out on the city wall, which later led to Li Jianye’s attempt to take a concubine? Or perhaps… both?

Lin Chu suddenly realized she didn’t understand Yan Mingge at all.

She hesitated before tentatively asking, 

“Then… how do you plan to handle the matter of taking a concubine?”

Though she hadn’t been here long, Lin Chu could tell this era was harsh on women. Society looked down on women who showed their faces in public. That was one of the reasons she admired Madam Qin—raising a child alone and maintaining a tea stand for so many years was no easy feat.

Yan Mingge had claimed the “black-faced woman” was his concubine rather than his wife so that Lin Chu wouldn’t face difficulties among the noblewomen. Publicly, people might praise her for being a strong woman, but behind closed doors, who knew what rumors would spread? This was the tragedy of women in this era.

In the darkness, Yan Mingge’s voice was deep and steady. “These are times of war. No one has the leisure to concern themselves with how many concubines I take.”

Lin Chu thought about it carefully and realized he was right. The city lord of Yao would still rely on Yan Mingge, so he wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

As for that despicable Li Jianye… who knew what tricks he might pull?

Unknowingly, Yan Mingge had already shielded her from many troubles. Lin Chu wondered if there was anything she could remind him about.

The war to drive the barbarians beyond the borders would be a long one. Lin Chu recalled a passage from the original novel—there had been an incident where the barbarians nearly burned the Great Zhao army’s grain supplies. Though the provisions were ultimately saved, a sudden heavy rain had followed. Enraged, the barbarians slashed open the salt sacks in the transport convoy, causing all the salt bound for the border to dissolve into the muddy ground.

When the imperial court learned of the salt shortage, the incompetent emperor dismissed it, saying, “It’s not as if they’re starving. Why should they be unable to fight without salt?” That battle had been particularly brutal.

But for now, it was still before the New Year. The heavy rains wouldn’t come until spring. Even if Lin Chu wanted to warn him, it was too early.

She thought of the Sixth Prince, who was stationed at the border. Should she suggest that Yan Mingge get closer to him? After all, he was the future emperor.

But just as quickly, she dismissed the idea. Yan Mingge was not an ordinary man. She’d be better off not trying to influence his decisions.

“You’d better sleep soon, or I’ll have to find something else to do,” Yan Mingge’s deep, teasing voice suddenly murmured in her ear.

Lin Chu’s eyes widened in shock. 

“How do you even know I’m still awake?!”

Yan Mingge let out a light chuckle. “Your eyes keep darting around like crazy. Does that look like someone who’s asleep?”

Fine, fine. So he had good night vision. Amazing.

“I’m sleeping, I’m sleeping.” She shut her eyes, trying to fall asleep, but suddenly realized—there was only one thin blanket in the room, and he had wrapped it entirely around her. What was he using to cover himself?

Feeling a pang of guilt, Lin Chu glanced at Yan Mingge again.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You don’t have a blanket. Won’t you catch a cold at night?”

Yan Mingge didn’t respond for a long moment. Just when Lin Chu thought he wouldn’t answer, he suddenly spoke in a teasing tone, 

“Are you inviting me to share a blanket with you?”

Lin Chu: “…No, no. I think you’d better just freeze.”

Yan Mingge: “My dear wife’s warm invitation—how could I refuse?”

Moments later, Lin Chu exploded. “Get your hands off me!”

“If my dear wife doesn’t want me to hold her through the clothes, then take them off and let me hold you properly.” His slow, deliberate tone was insufferably smug.

“Yan Mingge, you bastard!”

At the relay station.

The Sixth Prince, who had been injured and slept for an entire day, wasn’t very sleepy at the moment. He leaned against the bed, holding a book, but he hadn’t turned a single page for quite some time.

The ordeal in Qiang City seemed to have made him mature overnight. He was still the same young man, but there was something different in his expression, a certain weight between his brows.

Someone pushed the door open and placed a bowl of porridge on the low table beside him.

The Sixth Prince reached out for it, only to realize it was slightly out of reach. His brows furrowed, and he had to lean forward to pick up the bowl. But the moment he did, the heat scalded his fingers, and he accidentally spilled it.

Nie Yun, witnessing the scene, hurriedly knelt down. 

“Your Highness, please forgive me. It was my negligence!”

The Sixth Prince waved his hand impatiently. 

“I’m not blaming you.”

Nie Yun rose to his feet, but the room quickly fell into silence again.

In the past, serving porridge and tending to the Sixth Prince had always been the responsibility of Eunuch Bai. But now, Eunuch Bai was gone…

The Sixth Prince sat in silence by the bed for a while before suddenly flinging the book in his hands. It struck the opposite wall, knocking over a vase on the table, sending shards crashing to the floor.

Nie Yun lowered his head, not daring to speak.

“Nie Yun,” the Sixth Prince’s voice was hoarse, “in the letter to my mother, tell her I am safe.”

“This…” Nie Yun hesitated. As the Sixth Prince’s personal guard, he had already failed in his duty by allowing him to get injured during the trip to the northwest. If he also lied about the injury, he feared the prince’s mother would be furious when they returned to the palace.

“Just do as I say. I’m not in the capital right now. My mother will be overwhelmed with worry. Once news of Qiang City’s massacre reaches her, do you think she’ll have any peace of mind? And if she learns I’ve been wounded, I fear she’ll be provoked by Concubine Ming’s faction and end up in direct conflict with my second brother’s camp. Then we’d be nothing more than a weapon in Concubine Ming’s hands.” The Sixth Prince sounded utterly exhausted.

Concubine Ming was the birth mother of the Third Prince.

Nie Yun finally grasped the core issue. Cold sweat broke out on his back. The imperial court was indeed treacherous. Even a simple letter of reassurance was entangled in such political maneuvers.

“I understand.” He bowed deeply.

Only then did the Sixth Prince nod. He asked, “Did Yan Heng make it back alive?”

After taking medicine for his injuries, he had been unconscious for an entire day. Now, he was finally catching up on everything.

“Those scattered soldiers had some real skills. Most of them survived, and Yan Heng, along with his men, has been incorporated into Lord Yao’s command. Yan Heng has now been granted the title of Battalion Commander.” Nie Yun continued, “This afternoon, Lord Yao sent people to visit Your Highness, bringing many gifts. But since Your Highness was still resting, I didn’t let them disturb you.”

“An Dingyuan is a loyal minister. It’s no surprise that Yan Mingge ended up under his command. Alright, tomorrow, pick out some gifts and send them to Yan Heng’s residence.” The Sixth Prince rubbed his temples, his voice carrying his exhaustion. 

Out of habit, he called out, “Xizi, come massage my temples.”

The moment the name left his lips, silence enveloped the room.

Bai Xi—that was Eunuch Bai’s name.

But the plump eunuch who had been with him for years would never return from the road to Yao City.

That cowardly man, who had always been afraid of death, had shielded him every single time danger struck…

For as long as he could remember, that fat eunuch had always been by his side.

What were his last words to him?

“Your Highness, this old servant… won’t have the fortune to serve you any longer. Please… please… take good care of yourself…”

The Sixth Prince’s hand, which had been rubbing his temples, slowly lowered to cover his eyes. His voice sounded even hoarser than before. 

“Nie Yun, is it still snowing in Qiang City?”

“Yes, it is,” Nie Yun replied.

The Sixth Prince murmured, “It must be so cold. Take some men and bring Eunuch Bai back. He spent his whole life in the capital, saw all its grandeur. How could we leave him in some barren wasteland?”

Nie Yun, who had worked alongside Eunuch Bai for many years, felt his eyes sting at the words.

He bowed deeply to the Sixth Prince. 

“Rest assured, Your Highness. I will bring him back.”

As he left, he closed the door behind him. Only when the room was completely empty did the Sixth Prince allow himself to curl up slightly, giving in to a fleeting moment of vulnerability.

He couldn’t afford to stop. The position of Crown Prince—he had once been indifferent to it, but now, he had no choice but to fight for it. If either his Second or Third Brother took the throne, life for him and his mother would be unbearable. And his maternal family—if he didn’t want the Gao Clan to end up like the Yan Clan, he had to take that seat.

A suffocating pressure bore down on him, making it hard to breathe. How many people in this world could truly live freely?

He had hidden his ambitions for so long, but in the end, he was still just a pawn in his brothers’ struggle for the throne.

So-called imperial family bonds—truly the most laughable thing in the world.

The next morning, when Lin Chu woke up, Yan Mingge was already gone.

She let out a sigh of relief. At least she was spared the awkwardness.

But because the wooden bed was too hard, she woke up feeling like every bone in her body was protesting, aching all over.

As she hobbled out of the room in a stiff, awkward posture, she saw Han Junye’s little bun already up, playing with Little Gray in the courtyard.

Noticing her peculiar walk, Jing He stifled a laugh, but even Han Junye’s little face looked somewhat odd.

Lin Chu seriously doubted herself—could a little kid really understand anything?

And besides, this was just the aftereffect of sleeping on a hard bed. Where was Jing He’s mind wandering off to?!

At breakfast, she noticed that Han Junye’s appetite had shrunk—he left half his bowl of goat’s milk porridge uneaten.

Thinking he might not be feeling well, she asked him a few times.

But the little bun was too busy playing with Little Gray to bother answering her, so Lin Chu figured he was just being a playful kid and didn’t think much of it.

Worried he might get hungry later, she had Jing He make another bowl and keep it warm on the stove.

She thought it would be another uneventful day, but before long, unexpected guests arrived.

Yan Mingge had given her a pouch of silver, but she had only used a tiny bit of it. The house had been a reward from the general, but even so, running such a large household required expenses. Over the past few days, all the household purchases had been handled by Jing He, so Lin Chu hadn’t given much thought to the matter of money.

Taking advantage of the opportunity while organizing the gifts sent by the Sixth Prince, Lin Chu asked a few questions about the household expenses. Jing He was sharp and immediately understood what Lin Chu was getting at. She promptly brought over the account book for Lin Chu to see.

Looking at the black and red marks covering the pages, Lin Chu belatedly realized that this was Jing He’s unique way of bookkeeping—since she was illiterate.

Lin Chu randomly pointed at one of the marks, and Jing He was able to explain it right away. But aside from her, no one else would be able to make sense of the account book.

Since the records had only been kept for a few days, Lin Chu decided to transcribe them herself for convenience. She asked Jing He to read them aloud while she copied them neatly into a proper ledger.

When Jing He found out that Lin Chu could write, she was quite surprised. As a martial servant, she had never been taught to read or write.

Only the young ladies of wealthy households had tutors to teach them literacy. If a servant girl was also literate, it meant she was highly valued by her master.

Jing He dutifully ground the ink for Lin Chu. However, when she saw the first character Lin Chu wrote, her expression turned a bit odd.

Nearby, Han Junye, who had been playing with Little Gray, tiptoed over to glance at the writing. A moment later, his face was filled with pure disdain.