Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 8

While Shen Xingyue was lost in thought, Su Muyu had already finished the small bowl of bird’s nest soup. Stewed with rock sugar, it was soft and silky, and it warmed her stomach pleasantly. Yet, just as her own condition seemed to be improving a little, Su Muyu’s thoughts turned once again to her mother and younger sister still trapped in the Su family household. Winters in Beichuan were long and bitter—how were they faring now?

Seeing her empty bowl, Shen Xingyue reached over to take it and set it on a wooden stool beside the bed. She asked softly,
“Do you want to rest a bit more? You can have lunch when you wake up, then take your medicine.”

“Mm.” Su Muyu gave a quiet reply, still nestled in Shen Xingyue’s arms. Sleeping was far preferable to talking with her—she wished she could go through life without ever having to speak to Shen Xingyue again.

As Shen Xingyue helped her lie back down, Su Muyu bent her legs, and a sharp pain made her hiss. Shen Xingyue caught it immediately.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Su Muyu gritted her teeth and rubbed her knee lightly. She didn’t want to admit anything—what if saying so made Shen Xingyue angry again? She’d rather just endure it.
“Nothing. I just bumped it by accident.”

But Shen Xingyue could tell she was in pain. Remembering how the original host had often forced Su Muyu to kneel in the snow, she gently shifted Su Muyu back against the headboard and covered her with the quilt. Then she stood up and moved to examine her legs.

She took hold of Su Muyu’s calf and carefully rolled up her trouser leg. Su Muyu’s long, pale leg was soon revealed—but Shen Xingyue’s heart sank when she saw the swelling and bruising around her knee. Her once fair skin was now purplish and inflamed.

Frowning, Shen Xingyue lifted the other pant leg—and saw the same injuries on the other knee.

Her brows knit together tightly. Yesterday, she had been so focused on Su Muyu’s fever and cold that she completely overlooked the fact that she had been kneeling in the snow for hours. Of course her knees would be badly injured. Shen Xingyue gently touched one of them, her heart aching. She might not have known Su Muyu for long—in fact, they had only met properly the day before—but seeing her like this stirred a genuine sense of guilt.

If she hadn’t ended up in this world, would Su Muyu still be suffering just like in the novel? Still tormented by the original Shen Xingyue?

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” Shen Xingyue asked softly, looking up at her.

Su Muyu almost laughed bitterly. Isn’t all of this your fault? she wanted to say. But now you want to play the kind and gentle act? What is this—method acting? Still mistaking her for Su Muqiu, no doubt.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it,” Su Muyu said flatly. It wasn’t a lie. Compared to a fever or an illness that could claim your life, injuries like this were nothing. She had never been favored in her household. Whenever her father was upset—usually after hearing something from one of the concubines—he would punish both her and her mother by making them kneel for hours. After coming to the prince’s manor, it became even more routine. Whether she had done anything wrong or not, Shen Xingyue always found a reason to punish her.

“I’m sorry,” Shen Xingyue said softly, her voice gentler than before. “It was wrong of me before. I won’t do this to you again.”

By right, it was the original Shen Xingyue who had committed all these wrongs, but since she was now in her place, an apology was the least she could offer—especially if she wanted Su Muyu’s favor to increase.

Su Muyu pursed her lips and gave a faint, scornful laugh.
“Do whatever you want. It’s not like anyone can stop you.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized they were a mistake. She’d let her guard down in this moment of comfort and said what she truly felt. Based on what she knew of Shen Xingyue’s character—vengeful and prideful—this was sure to provoke her. Her body had barely begun to recover, and she might be sent back out into the snow to kneel again.

Knowing there was no avoiding the outcome, Su Muyu simply turned her eyes to Shen Xingyue, refusing to flinch, prepared for whatever storm might come.

But to her surprise, the storm never arrived.

Shen Xingyue only gave her a slightly apologetic smile and said gently,
“What happened before really was wrong. I promise, I won’t make you do anything like that again. I’ll have Doctor Zhou come take a look—your knees are too badly hurt to leave untreated.”

She pulled the quilt over Su Muyu’s legs again, tucking it in with care. Then she opened the small side door that connected the room to the adjacent chamber and called for Yiliu. After a few quick words, Yiliu hurried off to fetch Zhou Miao.

Once everything was arranged, Shen Xingyue sat back down beside the bed. Su Muyu was staring at her, eyes sharp and unblinking, as if trying to read the truth behind her every move.

Feeling the pressure of that stare, Shen Xingyue got up, walked over to the desk, and casually picked up a book to read. Given how tense things were between them, she knew Su Muyu didn’t want to talk to her—and she was at least self-aware enough to give her space.

With Su Muyu’s gaze occasionally flicking over to her, Shen Xingyue waited in silence until Zhou Miao finally arrived.

“Come quickly and take a look at her knees,” Shen Xingyue said, rising to make space and gently lifting the quilt from Su Muyu’s legs.

The dark bruises on her knees were fully exposed.

Zhou Miao examined Su Muyu’s knees for a moment, then glanced cautiously at Shen Xingyue. Lowering her head, she asked,
“Your Highness, I need to check if the Consort’s knee injuries have affected the bones, which means I’ll need to touch them directly. May I proceed?”

Shen Xingyue was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected Zhou Miao to ask that. This world’s gender dynamics were complicated, and she felt it best to respect Su Muyu’s own wishes. Turning to her, Shen Xingyue asked gently,
“Is that alright with you?”

Su Muyu couldn’t make sense of Shen Xingyue’s thoughts. Was she planning to humiliate her after having Zhou Miao examine her? Or was there some hidden agenda behind it all? After a moment’s pause, she replied stiffly,
“Whatever Your Highness decides.”

“Alright, then go ahead. Her health is what matters most.” Shen Xingyue looked down at the bruises again, feeling a tightness in her chest. Su Muyu was only seventeen—a girl who had been tricked by her sister and father into a forced marriage. None of this suffering was her fault.

“Yes, forgive me,” Zhou Miao said, sweat breaking out on her forehead. Though she knew the Princess hadn’t cared for Su Muyu before, her attitude in the past day or two had clearly changed. If she said or did the wrong thing and got thrown out of the manor, she’d have nowhere to defend herself.

Zhou Miao gently pressed around Su Muyu’s knees. After a few careful touches and confirming there was no bone injury, she withdrew her hands and bowed respectfully to both women.
“The Consort’s injuries haven’t reached the bone. It’s mostly bruising and inflammation. Applying medicinal wine daily and massaging the area should help. However…”

“However what?” Shen Xingyue asked, noticing her hesitation.

“It’s just… massaging the injuries is a rather… intimate task,” Zhou Miao said carefully, not elaborating further. But Shen Xingyue understood. As a neutral-status medical officer, Zhou Miao probably felt it wasn’t appropriate for her to continue the treatment.

“That’s fine. I’ll do it myself. Just teach me how.” Shen Xingyue knelt at the bedside, ready to learn.

Both Zhou Miao and Su Muyu were caught off guard. Su Muyu had thought Shen Xingyue would call Cui Zhu to do it—never that she’d do it herself.

Shen Xingyue poured the medicinal wine into her palms and rubbed it between her hands. Following Zhou Miao’s instructions, she began gently massaging the bruised areas of Su Muyu’s knees.
“This might hurt a bit. I need to use some pressure, otherwise it won’t be effective. Just bear with it a little—it’ll feel better once the bl00d starts circulating.”

“Okay.” Su Muyu gritted her teeth and stayed silent. She didn’t want to show weakness in front of Shen Xingyue.

Zhou Miao, sensing she was only getting in the way, quickly bowed again and slipped out of the room.

Once they were alone, Shen Xingyue continued massaging the swollen joints. Glancing up at Su Muyu’s face, she said,
“It hurts, doesn’t it? The others are gone—you don’t have to hold back. If you need to cry out, just do it.”

Su Muyu looked at her but said nothing, jaw clenched.

Seeing she still insisted on enduring it, Shen Xingyue silently focused on her work. By the time she finished both knees, sweat had formed along her forehead and neck.

“Alright, we’ll do this again tomorrow and see how it improves,” Shen Xingyue said softly. She blew gently on both bruised knees, then carefully pulled down Su Muyu’s pant legs and tucked the quilt around her. After that, she stood and returned the medicinal wine to the cabinet, washing her hands in the copper basin nearby.

Su Muyu’s gaze lingered on her the entire time. She didn’t look away until Shen Xingyue had turned around. Her fingers gripped the edge of the quilt tightly, unsure what to make of any of this. If this was all just an act… did Shen Xingyue really need to put in this much effort?

But she quickly forced those thoughts out of her mind. No matter what Shen Xingyue did, it wouldn’t be out of genuine care. At best, she still only saw her as a stand-in for her sister. At worst, this was just a brief moment of kindness before casting her into an even deeper pit. Either way, she told herself: Don’t be moved. Just wait and see.

The morning passed in a blur, and before long, it was time for lunch.

Yiliu arrived with a few young maidservants, each carrying dishes. One by one, they arranged more than a dozen beautifully plated dishes on the table. Shen Xingyue and Su Muyu sat facing each other as the meal began.

Shen Xingyue had eaten quite a bit earlier in the morning, so she wasn’t particularly hungry. Still, the cook from Feixue Courtyard was quite skilled, and she found herself sampling several dishes anyway.

Su Muyu was the same. Even though she’d had breakfast and a bowl of bird’s nest soup, she found herself feeling hungry again. She noticed Shen Xingyue casually tasting a bit of almost every dish, and only then did she relax and begin eating as well.

After a while, Su Muyu glanced at Shen Xingyue’s expression. Seeing that she was still in a relatively good mood, she pressed her lips together and hesitantly spoke.
“I was wondering… how is Cui Zhu doing? We’ve been together since we were little. Could she come serve me here in the side hall?”

“Of course. If you want her here, I’ll have Yiliu bring her over shortly,” Shen Xingyue replied with a smile. She understood—Su Muyu was alone in the prince’s manor, with no one on her side. Wanting her personal maid close was only natural.

“Thank you,” Su Muyu said, but the words felt strange on her tongue.

She quickly realized how out of place it was to be thanking Shen Xingyue. There was no way this woman was suddenly being kind without a reason. And yet, here she was, thanking her.