Transmigrated Into A Novel As A Scumbag Princess’ Consort - Chapter 4

4:

“Thank you.” Ye Xuejin didn’t hesitate, accepting the water pouch and taking a sip. The water was crisp and refreshing…

Was river water supposed to taste this good?

Her brows furrowed slightly, her gaze deepening. How was this person so certain her name would be cleared in half a month, and how exactly was she going to help?

Meanwhile, Yun Chi was stunned, her heart racing with joy as familiar glowing text appeared before her eyes.

[Gave purified water. Please choose a reward: storage space or ten thousand taels of gold.]

Good grief, talk about getting exactly what she needed!

No hesitation, she chose storage space.

In an instant, it was as if a new realm opened in her mind. Invisible, intangible, yet undeniably real—she could feel it clearly.

With a thought, the warm cotton shirt in her bosom vanished, and she sensed it was now in that invisible space.

Amazing! Simply incredible. This storage space was phenomenal—she felt ridiculously powerful…

“Yun Chi?” Ye Xuejin held the water pouch out to her, but the woman seemed frozen, unresponsive.

“Oh.” Yun Chi snapped back to reality, suppressing her excitement. “What’s wrong?”

Ye Xuejin pushed the pouch toward her again. Like her, Yun Chi hadn’t drunk water all day.

This meant they’d have to share the same pouch. For some reason, Ye Xuejin felt the pouch grow hot in her hands.

Her thoughts drifted momentarily, but before they could wander far, they were yanked back. Her briefly dazed expression quickly returned to calm, even colder than before.

She tucked away the bottle of wound medicine, placed the water pouch on the ground beside her, and began eating the cornbread bun in small bites, ignoring Yun Chi.

The night breeze blew, bringing a chill.

Yun Chi shivered involuntarily, glancing at the pouch on the ground. She thought of this too but didn’t care much.

Survival was already a struggle, and a full meal or drink was a pipe dream. Who had time to worry about propriety?

So, without a second thought, she picked up the pouch and gulped down several mouthfuls.

She was parched after a whole day without water.

Afterward, she sensed the storage space again, her heart itching with anticipation.

Tonight, she’d find a chance to give Ye Xuejin the cotton shirt to wear—maybe that would trigger another reward from the system.

As she pondered, there was movement from the escorts.

“Men, follow me. Elders, children, and women stay put.”

Yu Lu called out, waving to the three escorts who had been leading the group all day. He headed into the woods, purpose unclear.

Zeng Laosan and the other two escorts stayed behind to guard the remaining prisoners.

Because of this interruption, Yun Chi patiently nibbled on her coarse flatbread, holding off on any plans.

Her intuition told her Zeng Laosan was dangerous.

As if to confirm her gut feeling, the moment Yu Lu and the others were out of sight, Zeng Laosan approached.

Yun Chi’s heart clenched, and she couldn’t stomach another bite of the coarse bread.

“I found something by the river, it looks like it belongs to Princess’ Consort Yun. Want to come check?” Zeng Laosan stopped a few steps away, speaking slowly.

“I didn’t…” Yun Chi started to say she hadn’t lost anything, but seeing him raise his whip, she bit her tongue and changed her tune. “I’ll go.”

Fine, she’d go. Let’s see what this guy was up to.

If the escorts were all in cahoots and meant her harm, she’d be a lamb to the slaughter, powerless to resist.

But if they weren’t all colluding, it might be fine. Judging by how Yu Lu had stopped Zeng Laosan from whipping her earlier, Yun Chi figured it was probably safe to go—mainly because she had no choice.

She set down the water pouch and followed reluctantly.

Nearby, Ye Xuejin kept her head down, focused on eating her cornbread bun, as if she hadn’t heard Zeng Laosan’s voice.

She appeared completely indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with her.

Only after Yun Chi and Zeng Laosan walked away did she suddenly look up, her eyes following them.

After a moment of hesitation, she stood up quietly, picked up the water pouch Yun Chi had left, and headed towards the river.

Not far off, the two escorts glanced at her but looked away. A lean camel is still bigger than a horse—she was the emperor’s sister, after all. She might rise again someday, so they didn’t plan to hassle her too much.

In the darkness, her gray prisoner’s garb blended into the night, especially away from the campfire’s glow. Unless someone was watching closely, she was easily overlooked.

Her steps were light, barely making a sound, so she didn’t alert the people by the river.

“Princess’ Consort Yun, do you understand? If you want an easier time, you better show some sincerity tonight,” Zeng Laosan’s voice rang out.

Yun Chi stayed silent, as if resisting quietly.

Zeng Laosan’s tone carried undisguised mockery. “I call you Princess’ Consort to give you a face. If you don’t know your place, I’ll show you what’s worse than being a beggar.”

The air grew still. Yun Chi spoke, “What counts as sincerity?”

Zeng Laosan laughed. “That’s more like it. Nothing too extreme, slow cuts are more fun. Start with some insults and a beating. If Sir Yu interferes, you know what to say, right?”

“Got it. I’ll say I’m just frustrated and I’m disciplining my wife, outsiders shouldn’t meddle.”

“Princess’ Consort Yun’s a smart one, haha!”

Footsteps were heard, and the riverbank fell silent.

Ye Xuejin stood dazed, her already pale face growing even whiter under the moonlight, like snow.

She stared at the dark river, gazing for a long time, her feet moving forward unconsciously.

“Ye Xuejin!” Yun Chi grabbed her arm, pulling her back from the river’s edge, still shaken.

When she returned and didn’t see Ye Xuejin or the water pouch, and the escorts showed no reaction, she figured Ye Xuejin had gone to refill it.

Then she saw her stepping towards the water, terrifying!

This woman was really…

Yun Chi opened her mouth to say something, but seeing Ye Xuejin’s blank, soulless expression, she suddenly couldn’t find words.

“Is the water filled? Let’s head back.”

Ye Xuejin stood rooted, unmoving.

In the dark, Yun Chi couldn’t see her expression but somehow sensed her emotions—stubborn and despairing.

Yun Chi’s heart stirred, and she lowered her voice. “You heard everything?”

Ye Xuejin yanked her arm free, saying nothing, her actions speaking volumes.

She had heard it, heard this person agree to harm her under the escort’s pressure.

This person was going to discipline her, beat and insult her… To the former her, such words were unthinkable. She was the Princess of the Dashao Kingdom, she’d rather die than be humiliated.

Seeing her silent acknowledgment, Yun Chi quietly sighed in relief. “Then I’ll keep it brief. That Zeng guy is targeting us. Survival comes first, pride can wait. When the time comes, just play along. I won’t actually hit you hard.”

She’d suspected that even as a fallen princess, Ye Xuejin was once the Princess. How could the original consort, a timid beggar, dare to torment her to death?

It all stemmed from being forced into it.

Zeng Laosan must be acting on someone’s orders, someone who didn’t want Ye Xuejin to have an easy time…

Ye Xuejin was stunned, her eyes flashing with wariness. “What exactly do you want?”

They were practically strangers. Why was this person protecting her? She no longer trusted anyone.

In the dark, Yun Chi couldn’t see her guarded expression but understood the subtext. She deflected with her earlier promise. “I keep my word. Since I vowed not to abandon you on this journey, I’ll share your hardships and never harm you.”

In half a month, this woman could reclaim her former glory, and their journey would end.

Hopefully, they will part on good terms. Maybe Ye Xuejin would even reward her with a few tens of thousands taels of silver, and she could live comfortably ever after.

Yun Chi indulged in the pleasant thought, but Ye Xuejin held no hope for the future. “I won’t live long. Don’t waste your effort.”

Whatever this person wanted, she couldn’t give it—she had nothing left.

“Why wouldn’t you live long?”

Yun Chi was about to continue when she saw Yu Lu returning with his men. She immediately took Ye Xuejin’s hand and walked back, whispering, “Trust me. Tonight, we’ll put on a show to get through this. In at most half a month, you’ll definitely return to the capital.”

After tonight, only fourteen days remained.

Fourteen days from now, the heroine, Ye Xuejin’s close friend, would clear her name.

So how could it be a waste of effort?

As long as they didn’t give up and stayed cautious, they just had to endure these few days.

Ye Xuejin pursed her lips, saying nothing, her eyes still lifeless.

She couldn’t understand where Yun Chi’s confidence came from, just as she didn’t know why Yun Chi showed her kindness or whether it was genuine.

But it didn’t matter.

She wanted to live, but she wouldn’t last long. Her injuries were too severe, untreated, and she faced a 700-li exile. She saw no hope of survival…
(1li = 500 meters)

In a daze, she seemed to see her mother.

“Mother…”

“What did you say?” Yun Chi heard her murmur but couldn’t make out the words. As she turned to ask, the woman beside her collapsed backward.