Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 31

Su Muyu blushed and shook her head. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Shen Xingyue that her legs were too weak to stand. Shen Xingyue propped herself up with one hand and sat upright, gently placing her other hand around Su Muyu’s waist for support. Seeing the flush rising up Su Muyu’s neck, Shen Xingyue realized she was shy again and coaxed her softly.

“It’s alright. You’ve already seen it—why be so formal? Hold on, I’ll help you up first.”

As she spoke, Shen Xingyue wrapped her arm around Su Muyu’s waist and carried her back to the bed. Su Muyu quickly rolled over with the last of her strength, pulled the quilt over herself, and hid inside, refusing to come out.

Knowing she was embarrassed, Shen Xingyue said nothing more.

Elsewhere in the palace, Niu Er quickly went to find Steward Li and informed him that the princess wanted to build a cowshed in the side yard. Steward Li was stunned into silence. What was Her Highness up to now? Although the princess hadn’t stirred up trouble recently, what was the purpose of raising cattle? The people of Beichuan didn’t drink cow’s milk—that was something only the northern Hu tribes did.

Steward Li sighed. “Understood. I’ll have someone construct the cowshed first, then visit a few farms to select cattle for the princess.”

“Steward Li, I’ll be heading back. I still need to prepare dinner for Her Highness and her consort,” Niu Er said, relaying all the instructions given to him by the princess before leaving.

Later that night, before going to bed, Shen Xingyue summoned the system again. Although the system had given her a second chance at life, so far, its only function was to report the heroine’s favorability rating—which was practically useless.

“System,” Shen Xingyue complained mentally, “is reporting numbers all you can do? Other systems are practically omnipotent, but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much from you. You probably can’t even produce seeds, right? Don’t tell me that’s beyond your abilities too.”

Her dissatisfaction with the system’s daily idleness was evident in her tone.

“Don’t be upset, dear Host,” came the system’s metallic voice, oddly tinged with a cutesy tone. “This is a merit-based system, after all. It’s perfectly normal not to have the items you desire. However, in light of your excellent performance recently—not only has the heroine’s favorability toward you greatly improved, but even those around you have started to see you in a different light—you’re now eligible for some benefits.”

The system’s voice gave Shen Xingyue goosebumps, but the mention of free rewards immediately made her eyes, which had been closed, snap open.

“What kind of benefits?” she asked eagerly.

“You have three chances to draw from a blind box. The items are randomly selected and won’t be too extravagant, so choose wisely.”

In the next moment, ten white blind boxes appeared in a neat row within Shen Xingyue’s mind. The system continued, “Please select three of the boxes. The next reward opportunity has yet to be determined.”

After thinking for a moment, Shen Xingyue chose boxes numbered 3, 5, and 9. As each was selected, a soft light emitted from the boxes, and her heart began to race in anticipation.

When the glow faded, only three of the original ten boxes remained. Shen Xingyue looked at the box labeled “3.” Inside was a crossbow, complete with a bucket of specialized bolts.

Flipping through the original host’s memories, Shen Xingyue confirmed that the most advanced long-range weapon in this world was the bow and arrow—crossbows hadn’t yet been invented. Her eyes gleamed. Crossbows were far more lethal, delivering two to three times the force of a bow. If this weapon could be mass-produced, Beichuan would gain a significant military advantage.

What’s more, crossbows required far less training and strength to operate. After being loaded, they didn’t require manual re-drawing of the bowstring, making them light and efficient. Though reloading them took time, they were still highly effective overall.

Shen Xingyue hadn’t expected to get something so useful right away. She quickly turned to the second box, number 5, and found it held a large bag of red chili peppers. The sight nearly brought tears to her eyes—she had missed the spicy flavor so much. Beichuan was bitterly cold; a daily dose of chili would make life so much more bearable.

“System, you finally did something right,” Shen Xingyue praised sincerely in her mind.

“See? Host 01, I am useful after all. Don’t worry about the peppers going bad. Just take them from the system space whenever you need. It’s a vacuum-sealed space that keeps food fresh indefinitely,” the system replied proudly.

Lastly, Shen Xingyue looked at the ninth box. Unlike the previous surprises, this one was empty. She sighed. She had been unlucky in her past life, and it seemed that hadn’t changed even after entering a novel world. Still, receiving those two items was already more than she’d expected.

As a result, the Prince of Ankang’s residence had become unusually lively in recent days. Some were building the cowshed, others were selecting dairy cows—everyone was bustling about, thoroughly engaged in their tasks.

Within a few days, news of Shen Xingyue raising cows in the royal residence spread throughout the capital. After all, there are no secrets in this world. Many people thought she had gone mad—a noble princess raising cattle like a commoner?

Inside Wangchun Pavilion, a popular gathering spot in the capital, people gossiped animatedly about Shen Xingyue’s recent behavior.

“Did you hear? Princess Shen Xingyue from the Ankang Residence has started raising dairy cows!”

“Dairy cows? Aren’t cows usually used for plowing fields? These nobles sure have strange hobbies.”

“What’s the point of raising those things? Isn’t that the kind of work usually done by the servants on country estates? Why would she keep them in the residence?”

“I heard cow’s milk smells fishy. It’s something those northern Hu tribes drink. What would a noble princess want with that?”

“No idea. But to be fair, Shen Xingyue hasn’t caused any real trouble in the capital lately. Some people think she’s turned over a new leaf. It’s just that her gang of disreputable friends still hasn’t learned to behave.”

While others were busy gossiping, Shen Xingyue was already up early, heading to the cowshed with Wenyou and a few clever young servants and maids. The shed had been built in the side courtyard, not far from the stables. Steward Li had already arranged for proper staff to manage the animals.

Shen Xingyue inspected the three dairy cows. Seeing that they were in good health, she nodded in satisfaction and instructed the maids responsible for their care to milk a full bucket.

The maids exchanged glances but followed her instructions respectfully, unsure of what she intended. Soon, a bucket of fresh milk was ready. Wenyou carried it, and the group made their way toward the small kitchen in Feixue Courtyard.

As he walked, Wenyou glanced into the wooden bucket, curiosity getting the better of him. “Princess, what are we going to do with this milk?”

“Just making a dessert,” Shen Xingyue replied with a smile. “It’s very nutritious. Drinking it daily will be good for Yu’er’s health.”

Wenyou nodded, already used to this. These days, three out of every ten sentences from their princess had something to do with her consort.

Once they reached the kitchen, Shen Xingyue borrowed a small pot from Niu Er. She poured some milk into the pot and began to heat it. To reduce the smell, she added a few tea leaves, then stirred in some sugar. When the milk was done, she poured herself a bowl and took a sip.

The taste was much richer than the milk she remembered from her previous life. It was genuine, fresh cow’s milk—undiluted and all-natural. Thanks to the tea leaves, it didn’t have any unpleasant odor. Instead, the aroma of milk was pleasantly strong.

Shen Xingyue nodded in satisfaction. She poured the rest into two small bowls and let them cool. A skin of milk formed on the surface. She carefully poured out some of the liquid from each bowl, leaving just enough behind to prevent the skin from sticking.

Next, she had someone crack a few eggs. She separated the yolks into one bowl and mixed the egg whites with the milk she had set aside earlier. She then carefully poured this mixture along the edges of the two bowls, returning it to the original containers. The final step was steaming them for about ten minutes.

That was how Shen Xingyue planned to make double-skin milk.

Niu Er watched Shen Xingyue bustling about but didn’t dare ask questions. He quietly memorized each step. If the princess were to cook like this every day, his job might not last long.

Ten minutes later, Shen Xingyue estimated that the dessert was ready and asked Niu Er to take the bowls out of the steamer.

“Did you remember all the steps I just showed you?” she asked.

“I memorized everything, Your Highness. In the future, if you’d like to eat it again, just give the word. You don’t need to trouble yourself personally,” Niu Er quickly responded.

“Good. This dessert is called double-skin milk. It’s best served cool. Make a few more bowls later following my steps. Also, when boiling milk in the future, remember to add a bit of tea—it removes the gaminess. As for the sugar, it can be added when serving,” she instructed.

She had the finished dessert carried back to her room. When Shen Xingyue returned, Su Muyu was reclining on a couch beside the brazier, reading a book. Seeing Shen Xingyue enter, she finally looked up from the pages.

Su Muyu pressed her lips together, ultimately deciding not to ask anything. These past few days, Shen Xingyue often left for half an hour to an hour or more. Since she never explained, Su Muyu didn’t feel she had the right to ask. After all, they weren’t truly a married couple, and she had no place questioning Shen Xingyue’s whereabouts.

But every time she thought about Shen Xingyue’s old habits—frequenting brothels in the capital—a sour feeling rose in her chest. Had Shen Xingyue grown tired of her?

Shen Xingyue noticed Su Muyu’s gaze and smiled as she explained, “The cowshed is finally set up. I was in the kitchen earlier making a dessert. Once it cools, try it and see if you like it.”

“You made it?” Su Muyu looked at her in disbelief. A noble princess, cooking? Unless this wasn’t the real Shen Xingyue…

But then she quickly dismissed the thought. Shen Xingyue was Shen Xingyue—no one had replaced her.

“Yes,” Shen Xingyue replied. “I used fresh milk. Tonight, I’ll have them bring more over. We’ll each have a bowl. But first, let’s see if you’re lactose intolerant.”

She took off her cloak and sat beside Su Muyu, warming her hands on the edge of the couch.