Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 13

Su Muyu, holding onto a sliver of hope, spoke up quickly: “My knees still hurt… I think they’re still swollen.”

“I’ll get the medicine. I’ll help you massage them again.” Shen Xingyue, already done with breakfast, got up and fetched the medicinal wine from the small shelf by the bed.

Su Muyu quietly removed her outer robe and pulled the bed curtains down. Her eyes darkened, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she slipped off her underpants too, leaving only a thin layer of innerwear. Her cheeks flushed a deep red—she never imagined she’d be doing this a second time, and in broad daylight no less.

When Shen Xingyue approached and saw the bed curtains drawn, she was slightly puzzled. Why the curtains just for a knee massage? Then she figured Su Muyu was just feeling shy, and didn’t overthink it. She took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed.

But when she opened the curtains and noticed something was off, her thoughts paused. A simple massage didn’t require taking off one’s underclothes. Why had Su Muyu removed them?

Shen Xingyue quietly unfolded a corner of the blanket and covered Su Muyu’s thighs, reminding gently,
“Careful not to catch a chill—even with the brazier burning, it’s still winter.”

Su Muyu glanced up at her to study her expression. Shen Xingyue’s face remained calm and composed, as if she truly only cared about her health. That made Su Muyu even more anxious. She had done this much—how could Shen Xingyue still not get her meaning?

While Su Muyu’s mind spun, Shen Xingyue had already begun rubbing in the medicinal balm.
“Bear with it. The bruising’s faded quite a bit. One more massage today and it should be nearly gone.”

Su Muyu bit her lip, eyes reddening as she stared at Shen Xingyue’s face. The sound of her soft, rambling tone, the warmth of her hands—all of it made Su Muyu’s heart sink.

She closed her eyes and exhaled shakily, as if steeling herself for something. Then, slowly, she lowered her gaze.

As Shen Xingyue focused on the massage, she suddenly caught a delicate fragrance in the air—the scent of blooming gardenias. It grew stronger, more pervasive, until it felt like the entire room was surrounded by it. Her heart began to race.

“Yu’er, do you smell that? It’s gardenias—so fragrant. It smells like they’re blooming right in our room.”

She looked over at Su Muyu, a bit dazed by the intensity of the scent.

Su Muyu, eyes rimmed in red, stared back at her. She couldn’t believe it. She had released her scented pheromones, her xinxiang—a kunze’s silent invitation to a qianyuan—and Shen Xingyue still didn’t understand?

This wasn’t just ignorance—it was humiliation. Deliberate, cruel humiliation.

Su Muyu’s carefully constructed courage collapsed. All her mental preparation shattered. She had released her xinxiang, made herself utterly vulnerable—and Shen Xingyue was pretending not to notice.

For the first time in seventeen years, Su Muyu had actively, openly made a move toward a qianyuan. She had hoped—naively, desperately—that it would earn her a little kindness, maybe even a promise to send charcoal and clothing to her family.

But now… she just wanted to burn it all down.

Let Shen Xingyue punish her. Let her kneel again in the snow. At least that way, she would suffer alongside her mother and sister—and no longer have to guess at what it would take to win favor.

The sting of betrayal, the shame of rejection, and the helplessness of being unable to help her family all surged inside her.

Tears spilled silently down her cheeks.

She yanked her legs back and pushed Shen Xingyue’s hands away.
“Don’t touch me! Shen Xingyue, all you know how to do is pretend to be kind—just so you can humiliate me. Are you satisfied now?”

Her voice broke as she glared at Shen Xingyue. “You win. I lowered myself. I gave in. Does that make you happy?”

Shen Xingyue froze.
What? I was just massaging her knees—how is this humiliation?!

Before she could explain, Su Muyu’s trembling voice rose again:
“I know you hate me. But I didn’t choose this marriage either—I was forced into it! You hate Su Muqiu for lying to you, so you take it out on me. Do you think I asked for this? Since I came to this manor, have you ever treated me like a person? You’ve insulted me, punished me, threatened to give me away like I’m nothing.”

“Even your servants treat me like I’m beneath them.” Her voice cracked, her breath hitching. “And now… even after I’ve given up my pride, even after I’ve released my xinxiang, you pretend you don’t know what it is. Shen Xingyue—do you think it’s fun? Watching me embarrass myself like this? Is that what you wanted?”

She curled into herself, arms wrapped tightly around her legs, staring at Shen Xingyue with watery eyes. She hadn’t meant to cry—but now the tears wouldn’t stop.

Listening to her, Shen Xingyue suddenly understood.

Though the system had passed along the original host’s memories, this was her first time encountering xinxiang. She hadn’t recognized it. That gardenia scent… so beautiful… it was Su Muyu’s xinxiang.

No wonder it had smelled so nice.

“Yu’er, listen to me—this isn’t what you think,” Shen Xingyue said quickly. She wanted to hold Su Muyu, to comfort her, to explain.

“Stay away from me! Don’t pretend to care!” Su Muyu snapped. Her voice was trembling, her eyes glistening.

Then she raised a leg and kicked at Shen Xingyue—desperate to push her away.

Even though Su Muyu kicked out with everything she had, her strength as a kunze was limited—especially with her already weak body. Her foot barely made it halfway before Shen Xingyue reached out and gently caught her ankle, not using much force, just enough to hold her steady.

“Yu’er, don’t be angry. Just let me explain, okay?” Shen Xingyue said softly, afraid of hurting her.

“What’s left to explain, you bastard? Let go of me!” Su Muyu struggled a few times, but her ankle remained firmly in Shen Xingyue’s grasp. She slumped in defeat, trembling. To her, it felt like Shen Xingyue was only humiliating her further.

Seeing her cry like that, Shen Xingyue leaned closer, her voice gentle as she spoke,
“I’m sorry… I didn’t realize that was your xinxiang just now. I swear I wasn’t pretending. I didn’t mean to tease you. And I know—I was wrong about everything before. I shouldn’t have blamed you for Su Muqiu’s lies, shouldn’t have punished you or treated you so harshly. I promise I won’t do that again. Please don’t be angry, alright?”

Su Muyu had been bracing for punishment—expecting to be thrown out into the snow, just like before. Instead, what she got was… an apology. A gentle one, even. She stared at Shen Xingyue in disbelief, blinking away tears as if trying to see whether this was a dream.

“…I meant what I said. Please, don’t cry anymore—your eyes are all red.” Shen Xingyue reached for a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tears from Su Muyu’s face.

Su Muyu remained frozen, unsure how to respond. How could this be real? After everything she’d said—angry, accusing, vulnerable—Shen Xingyue wasn’t furious. She wasn’t lashing out. She was… comforting her?

Sitting there, staring at Shen Xingyue’s face, Su Muyu’s defenses slowly eased. Human hearts are complicated—the courage she’d built up to speak her mind moments ago was already crumbling in the face of unexpected kindness.

She was starting to regret it. She had lost control. She couldn’t be reckless—not when her mother and sister were still depending on her. What if Shen Xingyue changed her mind and punished her anyway? On a day like this, kneeling in the snow again might very well kill her.

Shen Xingyue finished wiping her tears and saw that Su Muyu was still stiff, still wary. With a soft sigh, she gently pulled Su Muyu into her arms.

To her surprise, Su Muyu didn’t resist this time.

She let herself be held, head resting quietly against Shen Xingyue’s chest.

Shen Xingyue wrapped her right arm around her, slowly stroking her back.
“It’s alright to cry. Better to let it out than hold it all in. Don’t be angry anymore, okay? That gardenia scent… it was lovely. I was just slow to react. I promise it won’t happen again.”

In Shen Xingyue’s head, Su Muyu was like a bristling kitten—tail puffed up, claws bared, ready to scratch—but small and helpless all the same. She’d tried to offer a little affection and got swatted with a flurry of kitten punches. And now, her soft paw was still caught in Shen Xingyue’s hand.

Su Muyu pressed her lips together, doing her best to resist the urge to explode again. This scoundrel… how could she call a kunze’s xinxiang “lovely” like she was complimenting a dish? How shameless could she be?!

But after crying so much, her emotions had cooled. Since Shen Xingyue hadn’t gotten angry, Su Muyu decided it was best not to push things further. She wasn’t going to burn this fragile peace.

Still, the heat radiating from her ankle reminded her that her foot was still being held.

Su Muyu gave her ankle another gentle tug. Still held tight.

Her ears flushed red.

She nestled weakly against Shen Xingyue and tugged softly at her robe, voice low:
“…Let go. You’re still holding my ankle.”

“Oh, right.” Shen Xingyue chuckled softly, loosening her grip. Her tone was warm and coaxing, like she was soothing a sulky kitten.
“Don’t be mad anymore, alright? If you want anything—anything at all—just tell me. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

And it wasn’t just because Su Muyu was the heroine. Shen Xingyue thought to herself: such a pretty girl, how could anyone bear to see her cry?

Su Muyu perked up instantly at those words. Her eyes lit up, hope flickering behind them.
“Really? Anything?”

“Of course. I’ll always keep my word with you.” Shen Xingyue smiled.

Su Muyu bit her lip, hesitated, then finally asked:
“What if… I want to give that thing to someone else? Is that okay too?”

“Of course it is. Go ahead, tell me—what do you want?”