Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 9

After lunch, Shen Xingyue gave Yiliu instructions to arrange a shift schedule for Cui Zhu, allowing her to join the rotation of attendants serving in the side hall.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zhou Miao had Wang Qian deliver Su Muyu’s medicine. Shen Xingyue asked Yiliu to prepare some candied fruit and place it beside Su Muyu, then said gently,
“Drink it while it’s still warm. It’ll go down easier. Afterward, have a piece of candied fruit—it’ll help with the bitterness.”

Su Muyu gave a cold laugh inwardly but kept her expression calm. When she was being punished and forced to kneel in the snow, no one thought about how bitter medicine might taste or how injured she’d become. Now Shen Xingyue wanted to act all considerate?

Her gaze landed on the pitch-black medicine in the bowl, but she made no move to drink it.

Seeing this, Shen Xingyue hesitated. Is she still afraid I’ve tampered with it? She had already tasted the bird’s nest soup and even shared the same dishes—did she now have to taste the medicine too?

With a reluctant expression, Shen Xingyue waved for Yiliu and the maids to leave the room. Then she said,
“This came straight from Zhou Miao’s pharmacy. There’s nothing wrong with it. I promised I wouldn’t hurt you anymore.”

Su Muyu only looked at her coldly, saying nothing. But that gaze made Shen Xingyue feel a bit guilty—after all, the one who had done all the damage was the original host.

Left with no choice, Shen Xingyue picked up the bowl herself and brought it to her lips. She scooped half a spoonful, her face already contorting from the smell, but forced herself to drink it. Her expression tightened as the bitter taste hit, and she quickly popped a candied fruit into her mouth to dull the flavor. Only then did she feel halfway human again.

“See? It’s just medicine. Be good and drink it—it’s really bitter,” she said, chasing it with a few big gulps of tea, though the bitterness still lingered.

Su Muyu had only wanted to see how far Shen Xingyue would go. She never imagined Shen Xingyue would even taste the medicine for her. Pushing down the strange feeling rising inside her, she picked up the bowl and began drinking the herbal concoction spoon by spoon. She did her best to ignore the fact that Shen Xingyue had used the same spoon, and forced herself to finish it.

As soon as she set the bowl down, a small porcelain bowl of candied fruit was handed to her.

“That medicine’s way too bitter. Eat one of these—it’ll help.”

Su Muyu glanced at Shen Xingyue, then wordlessly picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. The sweetness spread over her tongue. Her gaze darkened slightly. To her, this was nothing. Someone like her—born low, unloved—didn’t even have the luxury of medicine when sick. What right did she have to complain about the taste?

Only someone from a background like Shen Xingyue’s would think that bitterness was the worst part.

“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s sweet,” Su Muyu said, matching her tone and smiling faintly.

“I’ll have them prepare it daily,” Shen Xingyue replied. “Your knees are still bruised. You should go lie down for a bit.”

Her goal was to help Su Muyu recover first. Building up her strength would take time, and it would have to be done slowly, one meal and one tonic at a time.

“Alright, I’m feeling a bit tired anyway,” Su Muyu replied. Her cold still hadn’t cleared completely, and her legs were still bruised—rest was necessary.

Shen Xingyue picked up a few books on Beichuan’s geography and customs. The memory dump from the system wasn’t nearly enough—after all, the original host hadn’t done anything useful, spending her days causing trouble with other nobles’ children.

Lying in bed with the blanket pulled up, Shen Xingyue flipped through the books idly.

Su Muyu, meanwhile, cracked her eyes open to watch her. The past two days had been strange, and no matter how she tried to rationalize it, something didn’t quite add up. If Shen Xingyue was just pretending to be kind in order to torment her later, it was an awfully elaborate act. And yet, every time she looked into her eyes, they seemed clear and sincere—nothing like the cruel woman she remembered.

Was she really treating her like a stand-in for her older sister? Su Muyu still couldn’t tell for sure.

Noticing her gaze, Shen Xingyue smiled and said,
“Am I flipping pages too loudly? Forget it, I won’t read anymore. I’ll lie down and nap with you.”

She set the book aside and slid under the blanket beside Su Muyu.
“Do you want to lean on me? It’ll be warmer.”

Su Muyu’s hand tightened slightly where it rested at her side. After a moment, she obediently turned over and leaned against Shen Xingyue. Shen Xingyue pulled her closer, adjusted the blanket over both of them, and closed her eyes, thinking,
Surely the affection score must have gone up after all this, right?

Su Muyu’s body was stiff as she leaned against her. It took a long while before she could finally relax. Only when she was certain Shen Xingyue had no ulterior motive—and was genuinely just lying down for a nap—did she loosen up a little. Maybe it was the warmth of the brazier, or maybe it was Shen Xingyue’s embrace, but at some point, Su Muyu drifted off to sleep.

Shen Xingyue, too, slept deeply. She hadn’t done anything physically demanding over the past couple of days, but the constant flow of new information had worn her out.

Half-asleep, Shen Xingyue vaguely heard a commotion outside. The noise was approaching, growing louder and closer—but she was too tired to open her eyes. She simply tightened her arms around the person in her embrace and let herself drift off again.

“What has the Princess been up to lately? I heard she’s been quietly staying in Feixue Courtyard these past couple of days?”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Yiliu replied quickly, startled by the Princess Consort’s sudden arrival. “The Princess has been resting in the manor, recovering from illness. She hasn’t left the residence.”

“She’s really stayed in the manor to recover? And you dare lie to me!” Zhou Yunqing snapped sharply. She knew her daughter far too well—Shen Xingyue wasn’t the type to stay still for long. Sure enough, after lunch today, she had taken a stroll through the rear garden of the estate and overheard some servants whispering that Shen Xingyue had brought a kunze back from outside, and had been staying with him for the past couple of days.

Just the thought of it had Zhou Yunqing fuming. Shen Xingyue’s usual mischief was one thing, and her visits to the pleasure houses in the capital were barely tolerated—but bringing someone like that into the manor? That crossed a line. As members of the royal family, even if distant, there was still dignity to uphold.

She hadn’t imagined her daughter could be so reckless—bringing home someone so improper? Furious, Zhou Yunqing demanded,
“Where is she? Where’s the kunze she brought back?”

Yiliu dropped to her knees, confused and flustered. She had no idea what kunze Zhou Yunqing was talking about.
“Your Grace, the Princess hasn’t brought anyone back. She’s been with the Consort these past few days, and no one else.”

“Hah! Still lying to me?” Zhou Yunqing sneered. “Everyone in this estate knows how much she dislikes Su Muyu. Why would she be spending time with her? Are you all trying to cover for her now? You’ll be thrown out with that kunze she brought in!”

“Yes, Your Grace!” the guards behind her answered immediately, ready to act on command.

“Please, Your Grace, I swear I’m telling the truth. The Princess has truly been with the Consort all this time. If you don’t believe me, you can see for yourself—I can go announce your arrival.” Yiliu stood and offered to go ahead.

“No need to announce anything. I’ll see for myself just how bewitched she’s become.” Zhou Yunqing stormed off toward Shen Xingyue’s courtyard, followed by a group of maids and guards. She didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone, so she told them all to wait outside the room—then pushed the door open herself.

The loud bang startled Shen Xingyue awake. A cold gust swept in with the door, and she instinctively tightened her hold around the person in her arms. Still half-asleep, she stared blankly at the sudden crowd of people now inside her room.

“…Mother?” she called, confused and uncomfortable.

“You still remember to call me Mother?” Zhou Yunqing barked. “It’s one thing to fool around, but how dare you bring someone into the prince’s manor? You’re royalty! Do you care nothing for our family’s dignity?”

Shen Xingyue was stunned. She’d spent the last two days focused entirely on helping the heroine recover—how had she managed to stir up enough drama to summon the original host’s mother?

“Mother, what are you talking about?” she asked, dazed. The sharp voice had also roused Su Muyu, who slowly opened her eyes. Through the sheer bed curtain, she couldn’t quite make out who was yelling.

“What am I talking about?” Zhou Yunqing snapped. “Where did you pick up that kunze? Get him out of here now! You might not care about your reputation, but your father and I do!”

Zhou Yunqing’s anger grew as she spoke. She and her husband had two daughters—Shen Xingyue, the heir to the prince’s title, and their younger daughter, Shen Taotao, a kunze herself. But while Taotao was sweet and obedient, Shen Xingyue had always been wild and uncontrollable.

“What kunze?” Shen Xingyue blinked. “You’ve misunderstood, Mother. I’ve been with Yu’er these past few days. I haven’t left the manor once.”

That made it click. Zhou Yunqing had clearly misunderstood—she thought Shen Xingyue had brought some lowly kunze into the house.

“Still trying to deny it? I’ll see for myself what kind of charm this kunze has to make you lose your senses!” Zhou Yunqing growled and marched forward, yanking aside the bed curtain.

Sure enough, her daughter was cradling someone in her arms—a kunze, no less. But as Zhou Yunqing looked closer, she paused. Something about that face looked familiar…

“She’s not just anyone,” Shen Xingyue said, a bit helplessly. “This is Yu’er—my consort.” She pulled Su Muyu closer protectively. Her mother hadn’t closed the door, and the wind was blowing in strong. Shen Xingyue was worried Su Muyu might get cold—right now, the heroine’s health was her number one priority.

Zhou Yunqing hadn’t expected this. She’d almost forgotten about the arranged marriage. Because Shen Xingyue had always disliked Su Muyu, the girl had been left to live in the remote Tinglan Pavilion. Zhou Yunqing had only seen her once—on the wedding day. But hearing her daughter now and taking a better look, she realized: yes, that really was Su Muyu.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Zhou Yunqing cleared her throat and turned to close the door. The marriage with the Su family had always been unpleasant—after all, Su Muyu was a concubine’s daughter—but at least she had a clean background. If the young couple was finally growing close, perhaps she shouldn’t interfere.

“So this is what everyone was gossiping about,” Zhou Yunqing muttered. “Fine, I’ll go deal with those idle gossips in the manor. But listen to me—if you ever do bring someone improper into this house, your father and I will not let it go.”

“Of course not, Mother,” Shen Xingyue said with a smile, glancing at the person in her arms. “I already have Yu’er. I’d never bring anyone else in.”