Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 10

Zhou Yunqing cleared her throat softly. She couldn’t help but notice the way her daughter looked at Su Muyu—far too tender and clingy. Had she changed her preferences? But then again, this might not be such a bad thing. If Su Muyu could hold her daughter’s attention, perhaps she’d stop running around the capital causing trouble with all those spoiled nobles.

“You still have that injury on your head, so you’d best stay in the manor and recover. Don’t go wandering around,” Zhou Yunqing said, glancing at the two nestled together in bed. After a pause, she added a reminder,
“Still… you’re both young. Don’t overdo it and wear yourselves out.”

Shen Xingyue’s ears turned completely red. She and Su Muyu weren’t even on good enough terms to call what they had sisterly affection, let alone something romantic! With an affection score still sitting below -200, she wouldn’t dare try anything even if she had the guts. And besides, she was straight! There was no way she would cross that line with Su Muyu.

“Don’t worry, Mother. We’ll be careful,” Shen Xingyue said quickly.

Su Muyu didn’t say anything, but under the blanket, her hand was clenched into a tight fist. They were already married, so sleeping together was only a matter of time. Even if she had come to terms with that reality, her body still trembled at the thought.

Sensing the subtle shiver, Shen Xingyue lowered her head slightly and asked,
“What’s wrong? Are you cold again?”

Her voice softened without her realizing it. Su Muyu shook her head slightly and replied,
“I’m fine.”

Zhou Yunqing, watching the way her daughter spoke so tenderly to Su Muyu, suddenly felt like an intruder. She shot Shen Xingyue a look and said,
“You two get some rest. Your father needs me for something, so I’ll head back now.”

“We won’t see you out then, Mother,” Shen Xingyue replied, tucking the blanket around Su Muyu a little more snugly.

Zhou Yunqing felt the urge to flee. Even she couldn’t bear her own daughter’s sticky sweetness right now. But in the end, it was still better for her to be “stuck” on Su Muyu than out causing trouble. That thought brought her some comfort. Still, knowing her daughter’s unpredictable temperament, she wasn’t sure how long this fascination with Su Muyu would last.

After Zhou Yunqing left, Shen Xingyue looked down at Su Muyu and asked,
“Do you want to keep sleeping?”

“Mm,” Su Muyu murmured. Her head still felt heavy, and deep down she feared that once she fully recovered, Shen Xingyue might reveal her true intentions. The longer she could delay, the better.

“Alright. Let’s sleep a bit more then,” Shen Xingyue said, pulling the covers up again and lying back beside her. With nothing much to do in ancient times and no entertainment to speak of, she figured that once her forehead healed, she’d go out and explore the capital. After all, she hadn’t really seen what the ancient city looked like yet.

By the time the sun had started to set, Su Muyu finally woke. After resting for the entire afternoon, she felt much more refreshed. Her body felt warm, and when she looked up, she saw Shen Xingyue beside her, still holding her and flipping through a geography book on Beichuan.

Noticing that the person in her arms was awake, Shen Xingyue looked down and asked,
“Feeling better? Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”

“I’m alright now.” Su Muyu’s voice, still soft with sleep, lacked her usual sharp clarity. It sounded gentle and sweet, almost like she was being coy.

“Good. Want to get up and stretch a bit?” Shen Xingyue asked. Now that Su Muyu was awake, she realized how awkward it was to still be holding her like this.

“Alright.” Su Muyu nodded lightly and sat up to put on her outer robe. She walked to the window, pushed it open slightly, and was greeted by a sea of white. Snowflakes fluttered down outside like feathers. Her hand tightened slightly on the window frame. In this cold and relentless snow, how were her mother and sister doing back home?

Shen Xingyue also stood and dressed, walking over to stand behind Su Muyu and look outside. The weather in Beichuan could only be described as harsh. Snowfall lasted nearly nine months of the year, severely affecting agriculture and livestock. No wonder food was scarce, and charcoal was so expensive.

Seeing Su Muyu staring blankly at the snow, Shen Xingyue went to fetch her own fur-lined cloak and draped it over Su Muyu’s shoulders.
“You’ve only just started to recover. Don’t let yourself catch another chill.”

“Thank you,” Su Muyu replied calmly, glancing at her.

“You don’t need to be so formal with me. I told you—I’ll take good care of you from now on.”

“Your Highness is too kind.” Su Muyu replied with surface-level politeness, but her heart remained unmoved. Everything she had suffered couldn’t be undone by a few kind words.

Meanwhile, in another part of the residence, Zhou Yunqing was speaking with Shen Xingyue’s father, Shen Zhengchu.

“Can you guess what our dear daughter has been up to these past few days?” she asked while pouring him tea.

“What else could she be doing?” Shen Zhengchu sighed. “Off stirring up trouble again, no doubt. I’m a prince, but most of my time these days is spent cleaning up after her messes. She’s married now, and still behaves like a wild child.” He shook his head and took a sip of tea, waiting for her to continue.

“Surprisingly, she hasn’t caused any trouble. She’s been in her courtyard this whole time, keeping Su Muyu company. I went to check on them this afternoon—those two were practically glued together. Do you think our daughter’s finally changing for the better?”

Zhou Yunqing had long been troubled by their eldest daughter’s behavior. More than anything, she hoped Shen Xingyue would grow up and stop acting recklessly.

“Changing? I doubt it,” Shen Zhengchu said dryly. “She’s probably just infatuated with Su Muyu for now. Give it a few days, and she’ll be back out with her little gang, causing chaos. Still… it’s rare for her to be this quiet. I guess I can enjoy a few days of peace while it lasts.”

He sighed again. He no longer expected Shen Xingyue to contribute meaningfully to the empire. At this point, all he wanted was for his daughter to stay out of trouble and avoid bringing shame to the family. If she was calm for a few days, it was already a small victory.

“I suppose we should be grateful for however many quiet days we get.” Zhou Yunqing sighed.

Back in Feixue Courtyard, Shen Xingyue had been inside all day and was starting to feel restless. She glanced at Su Muyu.
“Yu’er, I’m going out for a short walk before it gets dark. Don’t stay by the window too long—it’s cold, and I don’t want you catching another chill.”

Su Muyu was a little surprised. Since when did Shen Xingyue tell her where she was going? Still, she quickly replied,
“Alright, I understand.”

Satisfied with the response, Shen Xingyue put on a vibrant red cloak trimmed in black fur. Once fully dressed, she picked up an umbrella and stepped out into the snow.

Su Muyu sat quietly in the room, watching the flash of red grow smaller as Shen Xingyue walked off into the courtyard. Only after some time did she look away. She was feeling a little thirsty but wasn’t sure if she could command Shen Xingyue’s servants as easily as she did her own.

After some hesitation, she rang the bell beside the bed.

It happened to be Cui Zhu and Yiliu’s turn to serve in the side hall that afternoon. Hearing the bell, both entered the room respectfully.

Seeing her mistress looking much better, Cui Zhu smiled brightly.
“Miss, is there anything you need?”

“Bring me a pot of hot water.”

Cui Zhu was unsure—she was new to serving in Feixue Courtyard and didn’t even know where the water was boiled here.

Yiliu stepped in quickly.
“Forgive my oversight, Your Highness. I’ll go have tea prepared right away. The tea here was just delivered from Southern Qi—fresh and fragrant. I’ll see to it immediately.”

She bowed and exited swiftly.

Once she’d gone, Cui Zhu stepped closer.
“Miss, your color looks much better. If only the Princess would always treat you like this…”

Realizing she may have spoken out of turn, she quickly apologized.
“Forgive me, Miss. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“No need to apologize. You’re right. If Shen Xingyue always treated me like this, I’d feel a little safer.” Su Muyu spoke calmly. With more time to recover, she could better prepare for her mother and sister’s future. Still, she knew that was just wishful thinking. Someone like Shen Xingyue couldn’t truly change. Sooner or later, she’d grow tired of playing nice and revert to her cruel ways. That’s why Su Muyu had to heal quickly—to survive whatever came next.

“But Your Highness seems different lately,” Cui Zhu said carefully. “She kicked Hexiang out, arranged for a physician to treat you, even gave me a proper place to stay. It’s like she’s become a whole new person.”

“What’s different?” Su Muyu said flatly. “She’s just in a good mood these days and using me as entertainment. In a few days, she’ll be back to how she was. Don’t get your hopes up.”

Cui Zhu still wanted to say something, but at that moment, Yiliu returned with two other maids carrying trays.

“Your Highness, this is black tea imported from Northern Qi. Please give it a try. I’ve also brought some pastries to go with it.” Yiliu bowed and placed the teapot and several small dishes on the table.

“Thank you. There’s nothing else for now—you may go and rest.” Su Muyu dismissed them casually.

She poured herself a cup of tea and examined it. The scent rising from the cup was elegant and unfamiliar—it was definitely a fine tea she hadn’t tasted before. Her gaze drifted toward the small plates on the table. Four delicately made pastries sat on porcelain dishes.

Su Muyu let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
No wonder so many kunze of her generation dreamed of marrying into powerful households—luxury and comfort at their fingertips. Still, for her, all this was just an illusion. A fleeting mirage.

Meanwhile, Shen Xingyue wandered aimlessly around the manor, passing several servants busy clearing snow. Eventually, she made her way to the rear garden. Despite being called a “garden,” most flowers here could barely survive for more than three months out of the year due to Beichuan’s harsh climate.

From a distance, she spotted a girl around her age, laughing and playing in the snow with a few maids as they built snowmen and tossed snowballs. The scene was lively and cheerful.

Shen Xingyue walked in that direction while flipping through the information and images provided by the system. Before long, she confirmed the girl in the distance was none other than her younger sister—Shen Taotao.

Apparently noticing her, Shen Taotao’s smile faltered. She stepped back slightly, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes.