Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 21.1

Shen Xingyue was woken by a series of knocks at the door. Instinctively, she tightened her arms around what she was holding—only to realize her hand had landed on Su Muyu’s lower back. The contact made Su Muyu’s ears flush red, and she scolded in a low voice, “Don’t touch me there… mm~”

Su Muyu quickly grabbed Shen Xingyue’s mischievous right hand with both of her own. Shen Xingyue blinked her eyes open slowly, still groggy, and murmured sleepily, “Good morning, Yu’er.”

Su Muyu stared at her, lips pressed tight. She had a strong suspicion Shen Xingyue was doing it on purpose. That spot on her back was especially sensitive, and Shen Xingyue always liked to touch her there. With a cold snort, Su Muyu pried Shen Xingyue’s arm from around her waist, turned her back to her, and ignored her completely.

Shen Xingyue looked a bit aggrieved. I didn’t even do anything—why is she mad again?

But she didn’t dwell on it. The knocking outside was still continuing, though now it came in short bursts. Shen Xingyue frowned and called out, “Come in! What urgent business do you have so early in the morning?”

Wenyou stepped inside cautiously. Seeing the bed curtains still drawn, he immediately bowed low and kept his eyes fixed on the floor. “Your Ladyship, Second Young Master Li is outside. He showed up early and insisted on seeing you personally. Just as you instructed, I didn’t let the guards admit him. But he’s making a scene at the front gate, saying he wants to be punished by you directly.”

Shen Xingyue leaned back lazily against the headboard and let out a cold laugh. “What nerve. He must be furious he couldn’t stick me with last night’s bill. Good job, Wenyou. You and Ziyi handled that well.”

Wenyou almost broke into a cold sweat. Shen Xingyue’s moods were notoriously unpredictable. He had been afraid that after yesterday’s order to bar Li Minghua, she might change her mind today and reconcile with him—if that happened, he’d be the one in trouble. But now, hearing her words, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“You flatter me, Your Ladyship. It’s our duty and honor to share your burdens.”

“This is how it’ll be from now on,” Shen Xingyue instructed firmly. “Not just Li Minghua, but any of my former useless friends—don’t let them in. The Prince’s Manor isn’t a public courtyard for anyone to stroll through. Throw them out if they come. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Understood, Your Ladyship. But Second Young Master Li is still making a racket at the gate. What do you want us to do about him?” Wenyou asked cautiously.

“Tell Ziyi to take some guards and throw him far away. What does he think this is, his backyard? Coming and going as he pleases?” Shen Xingyue’s voice turned icy. She’d only just returned to the manor, but it was clearly time to clean up the mess left by the original Shen Xingyue.

“Yes, I’ll see to it right away.” Wenyou bowed again, not daring to raise his head.

Shen Xingyue didn’t look at him again. Instead, she turned to Su Muyu and began coaxing her in a soft voice, “Don’t be mad. I really didn’t mean to. I’ve just gotten used to holding you like this, and my hand slipped. I’ll be more careful next time, okay?”

Su Muyu had been listening to their conversation the entire time. Since she never heard the door open, she assumed Wenyou was still in the room. She hadn’t expected Shen Xingyue to start saying such things with someone else still present. Her ears and eyes flushed red—whether from anger or embarrassment, she wasn’t sure.

Su Muyu, usually calm and reserved, completely lost her composure. She normally kept her feelings tightly in check when interacting with Shen Xingyue, but now, acting on instinct, she lashed out with her foot and kicked Shen Xingyue twice. “What nonsense are you saying?! There’s still someone here!”

Shen Xingyue turned her gaze sharply toward Wenyou. Although he couldn’t see through the bed curtains, he felt a wave of cold, biting pressure radiate from the direction of the bed. Terrified, he immediately bowed again and backed away. “I-I’ll go take care of it now. I won’t disturb Your Ladyship and Your Ladyship’s Consort any further.”

With that, he fled the room without daring to look back, practically tripping over himself in his haste, as if worried Shen Xingyue might throw him out of the manor altogether.

As he rushed away, Wenyou couldn’t help but think, Did our Lady actually change? She used to be such a shameless flirt, but now she’s acting like… she’s afraid of her wife?

Shaking the thought from his head, Wenyou reminded himself to mind his own business. Whatever was going on with Shen Xingyue wasn’t for someone like him to question. His priority was to get Li Minghua away from the manor gates—fast.

Wasting no time, he ran to find Ziyi, the captain of the manor’s guards, and brought a dozen of the guards with him to the entrance.

Outside, Li Minghua was still cursing loudly with his two personal servants standing beside him. He had assumed, like always, that he’d be brought inside for tea and pleasantries while waiting. To his surprise, the Prince’s Manor had done something unprecedented—he wasn’t even allowed through the gate.

When Wenyou and Ziyi arrived, Li Minghua was in the middle of a tirade.

“You dogs must be blind—what kind of lowly servants are you, thinking you can block me?” he bellowed, pointing at the six guards stationed at the manor gate.

Then, spotting Wenyou, his eyes lit up. Puffing up his chest, he pointed at him and said loudly to the guards, “See that? The Lady sent Wenyou to invite me in! And you idiots still dare stop me? Just wait until she hears about this—I’ll make sure she punishes every last one of you!”

He looked up at Wenyou with smug superiority, gave him a mocking smile, and stepped forward, ready to walk up the manor steps. Still muttering, he added, “Come on, lead the way. She didn’t see me yesterday, but today she’s clearly come to her senses and sent for me.”

Just as Li Minghua’s right foot was about to land on the manor steps, Wenyou shouted sharply, “By order of the Lady—this manor is not a place for just any stray dog to enter as they please. Remove Second Young Master Li immediately.”

“Yes, sir!” The dozen palace guards responded in unison. In a flash, they surrounded Li Minghua and his two servants. Working in teams of two or three, they lifted the three men off the ground without ceremony.

Li Minghua thrashed and shouted, arms and legs flailing as he was held by three guards. “You damn dogs! I’m a close friend of the Lady! How dare you treat me like this? When I see her, I’ll have her punish every last one of you—ahh!”

His cries ended in a loud yelp as he and his servants were hurled several meters out into the street.

It wasn’t a quiet street either. Earlier, Li Minghua’s loud argument with the gate guards had already drawn curious bystanders. Now, with him being thrown out so violently, the gathered crowd couldn’t help but laugh.

“Isn’t that Li Minghua? That scoundrel’s finally getting what he deserves. Bullying people all the time… never thought I’d see the day.”

“Who would’ve guessed? The Lady of the Ankang Prince’s Manor actually did something decent for once.”

“Hmph, ‘decent’? More like one corrupt noble kicking out another. Just a dogfight, that’s all.”

“Keep your voice down. Just watch the show—don’t go inviting trouble.”

Li Minghua’s face darkened as he heard the murmurs around him. His servants helped him up while he barked at the crowd, “What are you looking at? I may not touch Shen Xingyue, but don’t think I won’t deal with the rest of you!”

And then, like a madman, he charged at the onlookers. Frightened, the crowd scattered in every direction.

Li Minghua stood there, teeth clenched, hatred etched into every feature. He turned to glare at the Ankang Prince’s Manor with eyes full of venom. Spitting toward the gates, he growled under his breath, “Shen Xingyue… you useless b1tch. Just wait.”

Inside the Prince’s Manor, Shen Zhengchu sat in the study sipping tea with his wife, Zhou Yunqing. A servant had tried to report the commotion outside, but his personal guard, Yang Qi, stopped him to get the details himself. Only after confirming the situation did he knock gently on the study door.

Shen Zhengchu set down his book with a sigh. “Come in. The court’s quiet for once, and I was finally enjoying a peaceful day. Let me guess—what kind of trouble has the eldest caused now?”

Yang Qi entered with a bow. “My lord, it’s about Second Young Master Li Minghua—the son of the Assistant Minister of Revenue. He came by earlier today.”

“Him?” Shen Zhengchu snorted. “He’s always hanging around with Yu’er. Isn’t that pretty normal?”

He and Zhou Yunqing had two daughters—one Qianyuan, one Kunze. Both were the apples of their eyes, but he had always spoiled his elder daughter, Shen Xingyue, far more. Over time, her behavior had become increasingly outrageous. In contrast, the younger one had always been well-mannered and never gave them any trouble.

Yang Qi nodded and continued, “But this time, the Lady refused to let him enter. She even had Wenyou and the guards throw him out into the street.”

Shen Zhengchu paused, clearly surprised. Yu’er actually kicked him out?

He’d tried many times to stop her from associating with those untrustworthy types, but Yu’er had nearly broken ties with him over it. In the end, he had no choice but to turn a blind eye.

“That doesn’t sound like her. Yu’er has always been close with him. Are you sure the servant who reported this wasn’t mistaken?” he asked, frowning.

“I’m sure, my lord. There’s more. Yesterday, the Lady sent Wenyou and Ziyi all over the capital—”

Before Yang Qi could finish, Shen Zhengchu cut him off with a cold snort. “Let me guess. She had them scope out all the entertainment venues so she and her shady friends could have fun again?”

Zhou Yunqing’s face darkened as well. “Unbelievable. She actually used the manor’s guards to help with that? She needs to be grounded for a few days at least.”

Yang Qi quickly clarified, “No, that’s not it at all. Please allow me to finish. The Lady sent them out to inform every tavern and entertainment house: from now on, no one is allowed to charge anything under the Ankang Prince’s Manor. We won’t be covering anyone’s debts anymore.”

Shen Zhengchu was taken aback. He turned to look at Zhou Yunqing, who also appeared stunned. The two exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting such a move.

“You’re saying… Yu’er told them to stop letting others use our name for credit?” Shen Zhengchu asked, not quite convinced.

“Yes, my lord. Word’s already spread through the capital. Last night, a bunch of rich young men tried to charge their expenses to our name, but every place turned them down. They had to pay out of pocket in the end,” Yang Qi said with a smile. Just thinking about those pampered brats pulling out their own silver made him feel more than a little pleased.

The Ankang Prince’s Manor had been bled dry like this for years. Yu’er loved saving face—if someone called themselves her “friend,” she’d cover any bill, no matter how outrageous. As the only Qianyuan daughter and the future heir to the manor, Shen Zhengchu and Zhou Yunqing had always let her have her way, afraid of alienating her.

But now, a smile crept across Shen Zhengchu’s face. “Well, I never thought Yu’er would actually do something right for once.”

Zhou Yunqing shot Shen Zhengchu a look and smiled. “What are you saying? Yu’er only made mistakes before because she was still young. Earlier this year, even right after she got married, she hadn’t really settled down. But over the last few days, she’s clearly grown more mature.”

Then she turned to Yang Qi. “Right, Yang Qi—go call Wenyou here. He’s always been running around with Yu’er. I want to ask him personally what she’s been up to lately.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship.” Yang Qi bowed and went off to carry out the order. Not long after, he returned with Wenyou.

Wenyou bowed deeply, feeling uneasy. He knew the Prince and Princess Consort had never liked him. After all, he’d spent years following Shen Xingyue around, helping her with her schemes. Now that he’d been summoned, was this finally the day they’d kick him out of the manor?

“Your Highnesses… is there something you need from me?” Wenyou asked with a nervous smile.

Shen Zhengchu looked up. “What has the Lady been doing these past few days? Tell me everything—don’t leave out a single detail.”

Wenyou immediately bowed and replied respectfully. He recounted how the Lady had ordered them to throw out Li Minghua, and how she’d had him and Ziyi deliver notices to taverns across the capital, forbidding anyone from putting expenses on the Prince’s Manor’s tab. When he was finished, he hesitated for a second, then cautiously added, “The Lady has mostly been spending time with the Lady Consort these past few days. Just earlier… I even saw…”

“Saw what?” Shen Zhengchu frowned. “Speak clearly.”

“Well… I didn’t really see anything directly,” Wenyou said awkwardly. “I only caught a glimpse through the bed curtains. When the Lady told me to throw Li Minghua out, she was coaxing the Lady Consort at the time. I didn’t dare listen too closely—I just took the order and left.”

Shen Zhengchu coughed lightly. “Alright. You can go. And in the future, advise the Lady when you can. Tell her not to fall back into her old habits.”

“Yes, yes. Understood. I’ll take my leave.” Wenyou finally relaxed and backed out of the study.

Once he was gone, Shen Zhengchu turned to his wife with a low cough and said, “It seems like Yu’er’s really focused on Su Muyu lately. Didn’t you say the two of them were practically glued together?”

“I’m not the only one who said it,” Zhou Yunqing replied with a soft laugh. “Wenyou just confirmed it too. Yu’er really likes sticking close to Su Muyu—but that’s not a bad thing. She’s her consort now. If she wants to spend her days with her, let her. At most, we’ll just end up with a few more granddaughters to spoil.”

Shen Zhengchu chuckled. “That’s true. More granddaughters is better than more trouble. Our manor can afford it.”

Then, after a moment’s thought, he looked at Zhou Yunqing and said, “Why don’t we send something over to Su Muyu? It’ll be a show of goodwill. After all, she suffered a lot because of that substitution in the marriage.”

“You’re right. She’s Yu’er’s consort now, and we can’t let the servants or guards treat her with disrespect like they did before,” Zhou Yunqing sighed. “That child really has been through a lot. Our daughter’s reputation was too poor—imagine, a noble Lady of the Prince’s Manor couldn’t even marry the legitimate daughter of a fifth-rank official. It’s shameful, really.”

Elsewhere, in the bedroom, the two kicks Su Muyu had given Shen Xingyue had both landed on her shins. But Su Muyu didn’t have much strength, and to Shen Xingyue, it felt like nothing more than a gentle nudge.

She had no idea her parents already knew about her throwing Li Minghua out. Still lying beside Su Muyu, Shen Xingyue reached out and gently grabbed the ankle of the foot that had just kicked her. Her thumb stroked the delicate skin at Su Muyu’s ankle—and immediately, Su Muyu’s whole body flinched.

A second later, her other foot kicked out again—twice.

“Don’t touch me there. Let go,” Su Muyu said, immediately regretting how soft her voice had sounded. As a Kunze, her body was sensitive by nature, and her ankles were especially private. Normally, no one would even see them, let alone touch them. And now Shen Xingyue was holding hers in her hand, making her feel entirely exposed.

Shen Xingyue just laughed softly at the light kicks. Afraid of really upsetting her, she let go and said gently, “Alright, I’m letting go. Don’t be mad, Yu’er. The weather looks good today—after breakfast, I’ll take you for a walk in the back garden. Staying in bed all day isn’t good for your health.”

Seeing she had crossed the line, Shen Xingyue quickly got out of bed to wash up, planning to coax her properly afterward. Just to be sure, she opened the system to check Su Muyu’s affection level again.

Displayed clearly above Su Muyu’s head: -150.

Shen Xingyue’s eyes lit up. Finally! All that effort is paying off. Her favorability is starting to rise!

As she got dressed, she considered what had caused the improvement. Probably the gifts I sent to her mother and sister. Though I wonder if teasing her just now dropped any points…

Su Muyu stayed curled up for a while, trying to steady herself. Her legs were still weak. Shen Xingyue is just like those indecent books she reads—completely shameless! she thought angrily. Especially earlier—Wenyou was still in the room, and she still dared to say such things… outrageous!

She felt annoyed at how sensitive her body was, but also worried. Did I go too far kicking her like that? If it were before, she might’ve already been punished—kneeling in the snowy courtyard, perhaps.

Su Muyu dressed quietly, but her mind kept drifting back to what had just happened. She looked up, trying to see if Shen Xingyue was angry—only to find her standing right there, smiling brightly at her.

Seeing her look over, Shen Xingyue hurried to take a hand towel from Cui Zhu. She dipped it into a nearby basin of warm water, wrung it out, and handed it to Su Muyu with both hands. Her voice was soft and careful: “Don’t be mad. I won’t tease you in front of anyone else again, alright?”

Su Muyu glared at her, but didn’t say anything. After a brief pause, she reached out and took the towel, dabbing her face. Shen Xingyue only relaxed once she saw that.

Standing nearby, Cui Zhu couldn’t help but smile. She could tell—this version of the Lady truly seemed different. These days, she did nothing but spoil and comfort her mistress. The fierce, domineering Lady from before seemed to be gone.

Cui Zhu remembered what Su Muyu had said before and sighed quietly. I hope the Lady really has changed… but Miss also said, maybe she’ll turn back into her old self before long.

Once Su Muyu was done getting ready, Shen Xingyue called for Yiliu to bring breakfast. Su Muyu, no longer hungry or cold like she used to be, had regained a bit of strength these days. Her appetite had improved too. She now sat quietly at the table, sipping a warm bowl of pork rib congee.