Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 4

“I didn’t do anything! It was Hexiang who told Hong’er and Greenleaf to drag me into an abandoned room and beat me!” Cui Zhu cried out the moment she heard Hexiang slander her mistress. “Don’t you dare insult my lady!”

“And so what if I did?” Hexiang sneered. “You filthy little maid deserve to be beaten. I was only doing the Princess a favor by disciplining you.”

As she spoke, she even had the audacity to raise her hand again—this time in front of Shen Xingyue herself.

“Stop!” Shen Xingyue shouted sharply, instantly halting Hexiang. She turned to Yiliu and ordered, “Go summon a few palace guards.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Yiliu quickly responded and sent someone to fetch the guards from the estate.

Even now, Hexiang still didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. She scoffed at Cui Zhu and said smugly, “Just wait. The Princess is definitely going to sell you off. You’ll never see your mistress again.”

Shen Xingyue looked at Hexiang with a cold, mocking smile. What kind of person finds joy in someone else’s suffering? Is her happiness really built on cruelty?

Cui Zhu, however, took Hexiang’s words seriously. Her face went pale, and she immediately fell to her knees and kowtowed repeatedly. “Princess, I beg you—please don’t sell me. My lady only has me by her side. I can’t leave her. You can punish me however you want, just… please don’t make me leave her.”

By the time she finished speaking, five or six palace guards had arrived outside.

Worried the noise would disturb Su Muyu’s rest, Shen Xingyue didn’t hesitate. “Remove Hexiang and her two lackeys from the estate. Permanently.”

Hexiang had still been waiting for the guards to haul Cui Zhu away, but now her name was the one being called. She stared at Shen Xingyue in disbelief. “Your Highness… surely you misspoke?”

“Oh? So your power has grown to the point where you’re questioning my orders now?” Shen Xingyue’s voice turned cold. “What are you all waiting for? Do you want to be thrown out with them?”

The guards quickly realized she was serious. Without delay, they seized Hexiang and her two maids. Still, they hesitated slightly, exchanging unsure glances. After all, everyone in the manor knew that Hexiang had always been one of Shen Xingyue’s most trusted attendants.

Their captain, Ziyi—a young female Qianyuan (Alpha) and commander of the guards—stepped forward to clarify, “Your Highness, are you certain you want Hexiang and her girls removed from the estate?”

“What? Are you pleading for her now?” Shen Xingyue asked, her expression cold and unyielding.

“I wouldn’t dare.” Ziyi turned at once. “You three—take them away.”

Truthfully, Ziyi had long been displeased with Hexiang and her behavior. But since she had been protected by the Princess herself, no one had dared touch her—until now. Shen Xingyue’s sudden change of heart was unexpected, but very welcome.

Hexiang was finally realizing this wasn’t a joke. She turned pale and threw herself to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

“Your Highness, I didn’t mean anything by it! I only disciplined Cui Zhu a little. You always allowed us to do this before! Please, don’t drive us out. We meant no harm!”

“You still don’t understand what you’ve done wrong?” Shen Xingyue’s voice cut sharply through the room. “Su Muyu is my wife. You disrespected her, insulted her, and overstepped your rank. Just that is reason enough to be expelled from the estate ten times over.”

She turned to the guards. “What are you waiting for? Remove them.”

Ziyi let out a quiet sigh of relief. She’d been afraid Shen Xingyue might waver after a few tears. But with the Princess’s tone so firm, she didn’t hesitate any longer.

“Take them away,” Ziyi ordered.

The guards obeyed and led Hexiang, Hong’er, and Greenleaf out.

Shen Xingyue’s gaze shifted back to Cui Zhu. Her face was still bruised, her lip bleeding slightly. Her clothes were thin and worn, clearly offering no protection against the cold. Shen Xingyue turned to Yiliu and said, “Take her to change into a clean, warm outfit—and give her a proper pair of shoes. Then check the kitchen and bring her something hot to eat. Make sure she has a room arranged in the courtyard.”

Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Zhou Miao. “Her face is injured. Please have someone bring ointment to treat it.”

Cui Zhu could hardly believe what she was hearing. She felt like she was in a dream. Just moments ago, she’d thought she was the one about to be kicked out of the manor. Her lady only had her—if she had been driven away, she didn’t dare imagine what would’ve happened next.

Overwhelmed, she dropped to her knees again, tears spilling from her eyes as she thanked Shen Xingyue over and over. Shen Xingyue quickly moved forward to help her up.

“Don’t kneel again,” she said softly. Then she turned to Yiliu, “Take her to get changed.”

She looked over at Zhou Miao and her assistants. “You may leave now. Make sure the medicine is delivered on time.”

“Yes, Your Highness. We’ll take our leave,” Zhou Miao said respectfully, then led her people out of the room.

Still sniffling, Cui Zhu was led away by Yiliu. Only then did the room finally quiet down. Shen Xingyue turned back to check on Su Muyu and saw her still trembling beneath the blankets.

She walked over quickly and reached out to touch Su Muyu’s forehead—still burning hot.

Shen Xingyue looked down at the girl’s pale face, worry flickering in her eyes. Though her current identity was that of a Qianyuan (Alpha), she was a straight woman. She had absolutely no romantic feelings toward the female lead. Her conscience was clear—there was nothing wrong with sleeping in the same bed.

With that thought in mind, Shen Xingyue acted without hesitation. She carefully lifted the outer layer of the blanket and slid in beside Su Muyu. Then, she wrapped the quilt snugly around both of them.

Though Shen Xingyue had only been standing in the room a short while, the heat from the twin braziers had already warmed her up. The moment she lay down, Su Muyu instinctively leaned toward her, seeking warmth.

Shen Xingyue gently pulled her into an embrace. As she tucked the blanket around Su Muyu, her hand brushed against hers—ice cold to the touch.

Even after lying down for a bit herself and starting to sweat from the heat, Su Muyu’s body remained chillingly cold. Her hands were like frost.

Shen Xingyue frowned slightly and pulled her closer, helping her conserve warmth. She cupped Su Muyu’s hands between her own and began rubbing them softly, trying to bring some warmth back into them.

Although Shen Xingyue wasn’t a doctor, she knew the basics—cold hands were usually a sign of weak circulation or poor health. Elderly people often had this issue, but for someone so young, it was rare.

She hadn’t expected Su Muyu’s health to be this fragile. If she wanted to survive in this world, she’d have to take much better care of the female lead. After all, just thinking about the punishment “dismemberment” was enough to make her skin crawl.

As if adjusting to the warmth beside her, Su Muyu gradually relaxed. Her body nestled more deeply into Shen Xingyue’s chest, and her soft, snow-pale feet brushed against Shen Xingyue’s leg before resting there. She gave a small, unconscious rub—clearly soothed by the warmth.

Shen Xingyue stiffened.

First, she wasn’t used to such intimate physical contact, especially with another woman. Second, Su Muyu’s feet were just as cold as her hands, and their sudden touch sent a chill straight up Shen Xingyue’s spine.

But then she thought about her possible fate.

With her life on the line, she gritted her teeth and endured it. If cuddling was what it took to build favor with the female lead, then so be it. She was a straight woman—she had nothing to fear.

As midnight neared, Shen Xingyue was half-asleep with Su Muyu curled against her when a soft knock came at the door.

Her voice was still a little hoarse as she called out, “Come in.”

Lifting one side of the curtain, she saw Yiliu enter with several maids carrying a bowl of medicine. Each of them moved with extreme deference, and even Yiliu avoided meeting her gaze.

Shen Xingyue was too sleepy to notice anything strange about their behavior. She gently patted Su Muyu in her arms and coaxed her in a whisper, “Muyu? Wake up a little—we need to drink the medicine. Just a few sips, and then you can go right back to sleep. Okay?”

“Mmm~” Su Muyu let out a soft, kitten-like hum, but didn’t move. She stayed tightly curled in Shen Xingyue’s arms, clearly unwilling to separate.

Shen Xingyue looked down at her. Maybe it was the medicine starting to work, or maybe Su Muyu was just recovering, but her face looked much better than before—less pale, with a faint flush of warmth. Her expression had softened too, no longer filled with the sharpness left by kneeling in the snow. Now she simply looked delicate and peaceful, like a small sleeping cat.

The sight reminded Shen Xingyue of the stray kitten she used to feed behind her dormitory. That kitten was affectionate—it would nuzzle her hand after eating, even roll over and expose its soft little belly to be petted.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Shen Xingyue chuckled softly. Her gaze toward Su Muyu grew even gentler. Since Su Muyu wouldn’t let go, she carefully lifted her up slightly, supporting her with one arm while reaching for the medicine bowl.

Yiliu, who had kept her head lowered, glanced up just as Shen Xingyue cradled Su Muyu with a look of quiet tenderness and began feeding her the medicine.

A silent alarm rang in Yiliu’s heart. She suddenly understood—things had changed. From now on, they would all have to treat the Princess Consort with the utmost respect. The household’s power dynamic had shifted.

Though Su Muyu refused to sit up or leave Shen Xingyue’s arms, she was very obedient when it came to the medicine. As soon as the spoon touched her lips, she drank it down with quiet acceptance. In just a few spoonfuls, the entire bowl was gone.

This time, Yiliu had thoughtfully prepared some candied fruit in advance. Shen Xingyue handed the empty bowl to one of the maids and took a small piece of preserved fruit from a dish, placing it at Su Muyu’s lips with a soft voice: “There, all done. Let’s sleep again. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“If there’s nothing else, shall we take our leave?” Yiliu asked quietly, lowering her voice.

“Go ahead,” Shen Xingyue replied as she pulled the quilts up again. Su Muyu feared the cold—she needed to be wrapped up well.

Just before leaving, Yiliu risked one more glance toward the bed.

She saw her Princess gently holding the Consort, her eyes full of warmth—completely devoid of the previous coldness or disdain. That moment confirmed it beyond doubt: from this point on, the Consort was not someone they could afford to offend.

The Princess’s moods were unpredictable. Something she favored one moment, she might discard the next. So, this change of heart toward the Princess Consort didn’t seem strange to Yiliu at all.

After all, no one could ever truly predict what the Princess was thinking.