Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 21.2

Shen Xingyue, meanwhile, polished off three or four steamed buns and more than half a bowl of porridge before finally feeling full. With nothing else to do, she kept sneaking glances at Su Muyu as she ate, her eyes filled with quiet contentment.

Su Muyu really was the female lead. Even while eating, she was composed and elegant, taking small, graceful bites—not like Shen Xingyue, who ate quickly and carelessly, completely lacking any charm.

Shen Xingyue rested her chin on her hand and admired Su Muyu’s beauty, not even noticing that the tips of Su Muyu’s ears had turned a faint red.

Sure, she was straight. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy looking at a beautiful woman.

Su Muyu was eating quietly when she noticed Shen Xingyue staring at her. At first, she thought Shen Xingyue would just glance and look away, but the gaze didn’t move. Su Muyu felt her face starting to heat up. She gave a light cough, trying to subtly remind Shen Xingyue to stop staring.

“Ahem.” Su Muyu brought a handkerchief to her mouth and coughed twice.

Shen Xingyue snapped out of her daze and immediately leaned closer. “Why are you coughing all of a sudden? Did you catch a chill again? Maybe we should have Doctor Zhou come check on you later. Your health’s always been delicate—you need to take extra care. Maybe you shouldn’t go out today after all.”

Su Muyu didn’t expect her small cough to spark such a big reaction. She quickly replied, “It’s nothing. I just choked a little. I haven’t gone outside in days—I’d really like to take a walk.”

“Alright, then I’ll go with you.” Shen Xingyue smiled and agreed.

After breakfast, the clothes Shen Xingyue had ordered for Su Muyu arrived. Among them were two cloaks—one red and one black—specially prepared for the cold, windy climate of Beichuan. A warm cloak was a necessity here.

Before heading out, Shen Xingyue personally helped Su Muyu put on the red cloak and tied the sash for her—completely taking over Cui Zhu’s job.

Only after dressing Su Muyu did Shen Xingyue put on her own cloak. She opened the door and looked outside. It was a rare sunny day. Though snow still blanketed the ground, at least it wasn’t snowing anymore. The sunlight was bright and crisp—perfect weather for a walk.

“Come on, let’s go to the back garden. Some sun will do you good,” Shen Xingyue said with a smile.

Su Muyu nodded. She hadn’t been outside for several days. Back when Shen Xingyue disliked her, she wasn’t even allowed to leave Tinglan Pavilion without permission. Truthfully, she’d never really explored the manor properly.

The snow-covered paths were slippery, so Shen Xingyue held an arm protectively behind her to keep her steady. Su Muyu noticed the many maids following behind them and didn’t want to make a scene, so she let Shen Xingyue support her as they walked.

“If the weather stays nice, you should come out more often,” Shen Xingyue said as they walked. “Even if I’m not in the manor, Cui Zhu or the others can accompany you.”

Su Muyu was surprised to hear that. She looked up and asked, “Really?”

Shen Xingyue gave a soft laugh and said gently, “Of course. There’s nowhere in this manor you’re not allowed to go. If you want to walk around or even read in my study, you can. You don’t need my permission.”

Su Muyu’s lips pressed into a line, her heart skipping a beat. Was Shen Xingyue serious? Was she really offering her that much freedom?

Shen Xingyue noticed her doubt and laughed again. “I mean it. You can go wherever you like. I’d like to see who in this place dares stop you.”

Su Muyu looked at her silently, not responding, but there was something playful in her eyes.

Sure, the servants wouldn’t dare stop her now—because Shen Xingyue was treating her well these days. But what about later? If Shen Xingyue went back to how she was before, she’d be confined to Tinglan Pavilion again, just like before. Forget it, Su Muyu thought to herself. Better to live in the moment.

Elsewhere in the garden, Shen Taotao came out with a few of her maids to look at the snowman they’d built a few days ago. From a distance, she spotted Shen Xingyue walking side by side with Su Muyu.

Surprised, Shen Taotao asked her maid Lan Hua, “Didn’t my sister hate Sister Su? Why are they out together now?”

Lan Hua, the head maid by Shen Taotao’s side, quickly replied, “You may not have heard, Your Ladyship, but word’s spread throughout the manor. People are saying the Lady and the Lady Consort have made up. The Lady hasn’t left the manor for several days—she’s been with the Consort the whole time.”

“My sister? Stayed home for days?” Shen Taotao was clearly skeptical. Her pale cheeks were flushed red from the cold, making her look like a little peach kissed with pink.

“It’s true,” Lan Hua said with a smile. “They say Second Young Master Li came looking for the Lady and got thrown out into the street.”

“Serves him right. He’s no good and was leading my sister astray. So… my sister really has changed?” Shen Taotao said quietly. “I thought she seemed different that day we were building snowmen.”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but the unspoken part lingered. Shen Xingyue had never said it out loud, but Shen Taotao had known from a young age—her sister didn’t like Kunze. She never liked being around them.

As a child, Shen Taotao had tried to get close to her sister and play together, but Shen Xingyue was always cold toward her—even during the holidays, she barely gave her a smile. Shen Taotao clutched her sleeves, glancing at Su Muyu in the distance with a faint look of envy.

Now, her sister seemed to treat Su Muyu differently.

As Shen Xingyue and Su Muyu strolled through the garden, Wenyou rushed over, holding a letter.

He took a moment to catch his breath before bowing respectfully to both of them. “My Lady, Lady Consort—this is an invitation from the Fifth Princess. The plum blossoms in the orchard on her estate outside the capital are in full bloom. She’s inviting young ladies and gentlemen from noble families to gather and admire the blossoms. The event is set for tomorrow morning. Here is the letter.”

The moment Shen Xingyue heard “Fifth Princess,” she felt a sudden jolt of alarm.

She reached out to take the letter, but her eyes remained fixed on Su Muyu—as if searching her expression for some clue.

Shen Yijia. In the original story, she was Su Muyu’s destined match.

Shen Xingyue didn’t know why, but the very thought made her uneasy. The novel had never explained exactly when Su Muyu and Shen Yijia first became close, but somehow, they ended up together in the end.

Shen Xingyue studied Su Muyu’s face closely.

So… at this point in time, have they already met?

Su Muyu’s expression remained the same as before—calm on the surface. She gazed absently at the snow-covered rockery in the distance, but her heartbeat was picking up speed.

Back at the Su family estate, she rarely had the chance to attend gatherings with noble ladies. She had only met the Fifth Princess, Shen Yijia, twice. Still, Shen Yijia was the only noble person Su Muyu could even remotely call an acquaintance. If she ever wanted to escape the Ankang Prince’s Manor, she’d need help from someone outside.

But… would Shen Yijia really help her? And what leverage did she even have?

Shen Xingyue, seeing that Su Muyu didn’t react much, finally withdrew her gaze. She opened the invitation and skimmed the contents—it was a general invite for a day of plum blossom viewing tomorrow at the Fifth Princess’s manor outside the capital. She closed the letter and casually handed it to Su Muyu.

“Do you want to go, Yu’er?” she asked, her eyes lowered.

Su Muyu took the letter and read through it, then looked up and asked calmly, “Can I go? Ever since arriving at the manor, I haven’t been allowed to leave.”

She kept her tone as even as possible, not wanting Shen Xingyue to sense anything beneath the surface.

Shen Xingyue glanced at her, lips slightly pursed, and nodded. “You’re right. It has been a while. I’ll have them prepare the carriage—we’ll go together tomorrow.”

Even though she knew from the original story that Su Muyu and Shen Yijia would eventually cross paths, Shen Xingyue still felt uneasy. Maybe it was because Su Muyu was the one she’d spent the most time with since arriving in this world. Somewhere along the way, she’d already started seeing Su Muyu as a close friend.

Now her friend was about to meet someone new. Shen Xingyue couldn’t help feeling a little possessive. Was this what they called… friendship jealousy?

The next morning, Wenyou and Ziyi had already prepared the carriage outside the manor gates. The exterior was wrapped in beige silk, and the interior was spacious enough to comfortably seat four or five people.

Shen Xingyue glanced over the arrangements. As usual, Wenyou had everything in order. In addition to her personal maids, Yiliu and Cui Zhu, they were accompanied by three more maids and ten guards—already lined up and ready outside.

She stepped up first, placing her foot on the wooden step and then into the carriage. But before entering fully, she turned and extended a hand toward Su Muyu.

Su Muyu wanted to refuse, but with so many servants around, she didn’t want to embarrass Shen Xingyue. So, after a slight pause, she offered her right hand into Shen Xingyue’s palm.

Shen Xingyue smiled and carefully helped her into the carriage. Inside, benches lined the sides and back, and a charcoal brazier was already lit in the center, keeping the space comfortably warm.

They sat down beside each other. Shen Xingyue reached out and took Su Muyu’s hands again, rubbing them between her own.

“Your hands are still freezing,” she muttered. “You really need to take better care of yourself. Why are they always this cold?”

Su Muyu’s ears flushed pink. She could still clearly hear the guards talking outside, yet her hand was being held—and warmed—by Shen Xingyue inside the carriage. Was she really worried… or just taking liberties again?

But if Shen Xingyue really meant to cross the line—well, hadn’t she already rejected Su Muyu that night when Su offered herself?

This woman was so hard to read.

Su Muyu didn’t know if it was because she was heading out today, possibly hoping to connect with Shen Yijia, but she felt a little uneasy. And maybe that’s why she didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she let Shen Xingyue continue warming it. Her hands had always been cold, but in Shen Xingyue’s warm grasp, the chill slowly faded.

The carriage started to move, making its way out of the manor and toward the outskirts of the capital. Su Muyu lifted the curtain and looked out the window.

She hadn’t left the house much even when she lived with the Su family. Now, traveling through the countryside—even in winter—she found the bare trees oddly charming.

Shen Xingyue noticed and smiled. “If you like it, we can come out more often. Our family has an estate here in the suburbs. When there’s time, we’ll stay there for a few days. Once spring comes and the snow melts, we can have a bonfire and barbecue.”

Su Muyu turned to look at her. Shen Xingyue’s eyes were curved into a soft smile, full of unguarded gentleness. Su Muyu stared for a second, then looked away.

It was just small talk. Girls like Shen Xingyue—born into nobility—would never take these casual words seriously. She was probably just saying this because she found Su Muyu amusing lately. Su Muyu reminded herself not to read too much into a few days of kindness.

With that thought, the scenery outside no longer seemed quite so captivating. She gave a quiet response: “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say.”

“What do you mean you’ll do whatever I say? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Shen Xingyue replied with a chuckle, clearly oblivious to what Su Muyu had just been thinking.

The carriage rolled smoothly down the dirt path. Before long, a large manor gate came into view. Outside stood more than twenty attendants, ready to welcome the Fifth Princess’s guests.

As soon as Shen Xingyue lifted the carriage curtain, a blast of cold wind rushed in. She stepped down onto the small wooden stool Yiliu had placed, but paused on the ground, standing still.

Su Muyu followed her out and saw Shen Xingyue waiting. Just as she was about to ask why, Shen Xingyue turned to her and extended a hand. “It’s a little slippery. Let me help you down.”

Su Muyu didn’t want to embarrass her in front of the servants, so she silently placed her hand into Shen Xingyue’s palm.

Shen Xingyue smiled gently and carefully helped her down. “It’s colder than I thought. Come on, let’s head in.”

She looped a protective arm loosely around Su Muyu’s waist. Even though the path had been cleared, patches of ice still remained. Not trusting the surface, Shen Xingyue decided to stay close and support her.

“Your Ladyship—wait for me!”

They had barely taken a few steps when a voice called out from behind. Shen Xingyue and Su Muyu both turned around to see Li Minghua running toward them with two attendants in tow.

Shen Xingyue’s expression immediately darkened. She shot a glance at Ziyi, who understood at once and stepped forward with several guards to block the path.

Li Minghua saw the guards, but still grinned sycophantically and bowed toward Shen Xingyue. “Your Ladyship, you’re not easy to find these days. We haven’t seen you in so long—we all missed you! Are you still mad about the horse incident? I really know I was wrong. Thank you again for helping smooth things over. Why don’t we go to Spring Breeze Pavilion together sometime? I’ll treat!”

“Hmph. So now you remember you killed someone? You think that’s something to boast about?” Shen Xingyue’s tone turned icy. “No remorse at all.”

“Don’t be mad, Your Ladyship,” Li Minghua pleaded with a forced smile. “Didn’t you already toss me out to vent your anger? If that wasn’t enough, you can throw me out again. I won’t complain.”

The truth was, ever since he’d been cut off from using the Prince’s Manor’s name, he had to scrimp and save. He couldn’t afford to lose this “generous idiot” of a noble friend.

“Throw you out?” Shen Xingyue’s voice was frigid. “I don’t want our guards to dirty their hands. Stay away from me. If I catch you using the manor’s name to cheat people again, I’ll personally drag you to the Capital Prefect’s office.”

Her glare was like frost, colder than the winter air around them.

“Your Ladyship, please—let’s not blow this out of proportion,” Li Minghua begged. “I swear I’ll never harm anyone again.”

He tried to move closer, but Shen Xingyue gave Wenyou a subtle signal. Wenyou immediately nodded and gestured for several guards to block his path.

“Second Young Master Li, I believe you heard the Lady’s instructions. Please don’t take another step forward. If you do, we’ll have to follow orders.”

Wenyou bowed politely, but his words held clear warning.

Li Minghua, already once tossed into the street by the manor’s guards, didn’t dare push his luck. He sneered and flung his sleeves. “Hmph! Just a bunch of bootlicking dogs. I’m a guest of the Fifth Princess too. What, are you going to stop me from entering her estate?”

“You’re free to go in, Second Young Master,” Wenyou replied with another bow. “The Lady only told us not to let you near anyone from our manor. As for the rest, do as you please.”

With that, he motioned the guards to follow Shen Xingyue into the estate.

Shen Xingyue had been observing the exchange. She had to admit—Wenyou was tactful and quick-witted. No wonder the original Shen Xingyue had liked to take him along when carousing. Sometimes, it really did help to have someone who knew how to handle situations with grace.

Turning her attention back to Su Muyu, Shen Xingyue softened her tone. “Come on, let’s warm up in the front hall first, have some tea. We’ll go look at the plum blossoms after.”

Su Muyu nodded faintly but glanced back at Li Minghua. She hadn’t expected Shen Xingyue to treat him that coldly.

Though the commotion hadn’t been loud, it still drew attention from the surrounding nobles.

“Wasn’t that Li Minghua, Shen Xingyue’s little sidekick? What happened? Did they fall out?”

“I heard they were close. Just a while ago, he ran someone over in the city, and it was the Lady who helped cover it up.”

“Really? Guess she’s loyal to her friends.”

“Loyal? Please. That woman’s a tyrant. Her reputation is already in the gutter. Didn’t you know? She was supposed to marry the legitimate daughter of Su Changyuan, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. But on the wedding day, it was a concubine-born daughter that showed up.”

“Exactly. Su Changyuan may only hold a fifth-rank title, but who would willingly send their legitimate daughter into that mess? Honestly, offending the Prince’s Manor was the right move. At least he protected his real daughter.”

“Yeah, protected her—but what good did it do? Just look at Su Muqiu. She’s almost eighteen, and still no engagement. Anyone who dares marry her would be offending Shen Xingyue.”

At that moment, Su Muqiu and Su Muxue had also just stepped down from their carriage. Compared to the vehicles of noble houses, theirs was plain and modest. Each sister had only brought one maid, one older servant, and two carriage drivers—though drivers weren’t allowed inside the estate.

As they arrived, they couldn’t help but overhear the gossip surrounding the Su family.

Su Muxue saw her elder sister’s face cloud and quickly said, “Don’t listen to them, Sister. They’re just jealous you caught the Lady’s eye. Talking trash to make themselves feel better—so disgusting.”

Su Muqiu paused for a moment, then gave a small nod.

It was true that no one had dared propose to her in the past year or two. The only ones who had shown interest were from minor official families outside the capital—but she had no desire to leave the city.

Beichuan was already lacking in resources. The capital was the most prosperous region. She had grown up here—how could she give that up for some remote countryside?

Thanks to Shen Xingyue’s attention, she had gained some reputation in the city. Otherwise, with her father’s low rank, she’d be lucky to marry someone of equal status. But now, things were different. Ordinary suitors didn’t dare approach her for fear of offending the Prince’s Manor.

But what about royalty? If she could become the consort of a prince or princess…

Su Muqiu lowered her gaze and quietly reminded Su Muxue, “Ignore them. This outing is a rare opportunity. Make the most of it.”

“Don’t worry, Sister. I understand,” Su Muxue replied with a bright smile.