Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

But no matter how unwilling she was, the scent from her bonding mark kept leaking out. Soon, the fragrance of peach blossoms grew stronger in the cave.

Ye Qing sensed something was wrong and quickly got up from the blanket. After thinking, she said to the little one beside her, “Yangyang, stay put and don’t look at your sister, got it?”

The little one nodded, looking obedient, “Okay.”

Ye Qing pinched the little one’s cheek, “Good girl.”

She thought it was better for the little one not to see. After all, she was too young to understand. Even though the little one had tried to explain earlier, it only made things messier. Besides, although Ye Qing hadn’t done anything, biting a bonding mark wasn’t something a child should see.

Ye Qing stood up, tucked the little one’s blanket around her, and then quickly walked to Jiang Jinhuang’s side. The closer she got, the stronger the peach blossom scent became.

Driven by a Qianyuan’s instincts, Ye Qing had a moment of distraction. Her gaze fell on Jiang Jinhuang’s neck, where the rich peach blossom scent seemed to lure her closer.

But she quickly snapped out of it. To avoid being driven by instinct again, Ye Qing pinched her thigh with one hand and approached Jiang Jinhuang.

She gently nudged Jiang Jinhuang with her other hand, “Jinhuang? How are you feeling?”

Jiang Jinhuang clenched her teeth to keep from making a sound. Her body felt like it was burning, frighteningly hot, with sweat beading on her forehead and an unnatural flush on her cheeks.

Her fingers gripped the blanket so tightly it nearly tore.

Seeing this, Ye Qing quickly turned Jiang Jinhuang’s face to the left, exposing the bonding mark on the right side of her neck.

As expected, the mark was red and swollen, emitting an even stronger peach blossom scent.

Ye Qing looked at Jiang Jinhuang and saw her brow furrowed tightly, as if she were enduring some kind of torture.

A heat period either needed a partner’s scent to get through or medication to suppress it. Otherwise, the person could die. Ye Qing knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Every minute delayed put Jiang Jinhuang in more danger. Besides, with a favorability of -250, things couldn’t get much worse.

With that thought, Ye Qing pinched her thigh harder, a sharp pain clearing her mind. She leaned down, bit the mark, and slowly released the green grape wine scent into Jiang Jinhuang’s body.

It was like cool spring water pouring into boiling lava. The raging heat gradually calmed as the coolness from her neck spread through her body. The sensation was strangely comforting and made her feel an inexplicable attachment.

Her consciousness was already blurry, but her hands instinctively hooked around Ye Qing’s neck, craving more of the scent.

Sweat beaded on Ye Qing’s face and body. Jiang Jinhuang’s scent was too enticing, dangerously attractive to a Qianyuan. If Ye Qing weren’t pinching her thigh, she might have lost control and fully bonded with Jiang Jinhuang.

She couldn’t do that. Taking advantage of a Kunze’s unconscious state to fully bond was shameful. Besides, though Jiang Jinhuang’s favorability was -250 now, two years was enough time to change things. She still had a chance to gain favorability. A full bond would mean certain death in two years.

Ye Qing controlled the pace of transferring her scent to avoid hurting Jiang Jinhuang. Feeling more comfortable, Jiang Jinhuang let out soft, intermittent hums.

“Mmm~ It’s cool…”

Seeing Jiang Jinhuang’s brow relax slightly, Ye Qing continued transferring her scent, wrapping Jiang Jinhuang in it to make her feel better.

Meanwhile, the little one, who had promised not to look, was peeking through her fingers, her hands covering her eyes but with wide gaps. Her bright eyes secretly watched Ye Qing and her sister.

The little one couldn’t understand why Ye Qing bit her sister again, but it looked like her sister felt good being bitten. She even seemed to act cute, hooking her arms around Ye Qing’s neck.

The little one saw everything clearly through her fingers. Her little head was a mess, unable to figure out why her sisters liked biting each other. Didn’t it hurt?

She pouted, continuing to peek and think.

Ye Qing had no idea her actions with Jiang Jinhuang were being watched. She transferred more scent until Jiang Jinhuang’s expression looked less pained, then moved her lips from the bonding mark.

But Jiang Jinhuang’s arms were still around her neck, making it hard for Ye Qing to stand.

She sighed and pulled Jiang Jinhuang into her arms. As soon as she was close, Jiang Jinhuang instinctively nuzzled against her. Having formed a temporary bond, Ye Qing’s scent was irresistibly attractive to her. A Kunze in a heat period needed a Qianyuan’s comfort, and even just being held made her feel better.

Ye Qing held Jiang Jinhuang for a while, feeling her temperature gradually stabilize. Her body wasn’t as hot anymore.

As her body cooled, Jiang Jinhuang’s senses slowly returned. After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, she opened her eyes.

Adjusting to her surroundings, Jiang Jinhuang realized she was being held. She turned her head and met Ye Qing’s concerned gaze.

“How are you? Feeling better?” Ye Qing asked softly.

Though her favorability had taken a hit, Ye Qing knew people in a heat period were sensitive and fragile. Since she wasn’t someone Jiang Jinhuang fully trusted, it was natural for her to be upset about being touched. Ye Qing felt a bit down but wasn’t angry.

Jiang Jinhuang felt her body filled with the green grape wine scent again—Ye Qing’s scent. She must have passed out from the burning heat, and Ye Qing had noticed and given her more scent.

Jiang Jinhuang closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and after a moment, gritted her teeth and said to Ye Qing, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just don’t misunderstand,” Ye Qing said, then realized she might have said the wrong thing. “Do you want me to get up, or do you want to stay like this a bit longer?”

Sure enough, Jiang Jinhuang’s face turned cold. She looked at Ye Qing and said icily, “You can let go now.”

“Okay, don’t be mad,” Ye Qing said, quickly releasing Jiang Jinhuang. She helped her sit up and covered her with the blanket.

After that, Ye Qing returned to the fire. The branches burned quickly, so she added more. Thinking it over, she went outside to haul a few large rocks back.

The little one wasn’t sleepy at all. She climbed out of her blanket and followed Ye Qing curiously, “Sister Ye, why are you moving rocks? Are we eating now?”

Ye Qing smiled at her, “Your sister’s all sweaty. I’m heating some water so she can wipe down and feel better.”

“Oh, oh, Sister Ye, you’re so nice to Sister,” the little one said earnestly, standing beside Ye Qing.

Ye Qing laughed, “You’re so little, what do you know about being nice?”

“I know!” the little one protested. Along the way, Sister Ye had clearly been good to her and her sister.

“Alright, alright,” Ye Qing said, humoring the little one while setting up the rocks. She took an iron pot and gourd from the cart, set up the pot, and poured water from the gourd into it.

The water didn’t need to be too hot—warm was enough.

Ye Qing grabbed a wooden basin from the cart. When the water was warm enough, she poured it into the basin, rinsed a face cloth, and brought it to Jiang Jinhuang.

“Want to wipe down? You’re all sweaty,” Ye Qing said, not wanting to wipe Jiang Jinhuang without her permission.

Jiang Jinhuang felt uncomfortable, her neck and face soaked with sweat. Seeing Ye Qing bring the basin, she propped herself up, took the cloth, and said quietly, “Thank you.”

“No problem, as long as it helps.”

Jiang Jinhuang wiped her face and neck with the cloth, feeling a bit better.

Ye Qing took the cloth back, rinsed it again, and dumped the water from the basin.

After all this, the sky was getting dark. Ye Qing glanced at the cave entrance, feeling a bit worried.

With Jiang Jinhuang unwell, they couldn’t take turns keeping watch at night. But Ye Qing couldn’t stay awake forever. It’d be best to block the entrance a bit.

Thinking this, Ye Qing started to get up. Seeing her move, Jiang Jinhuang asked, “Where are you going?”

Ye Qing turned to her and explained, “I’m going to chop some branches to block the entrance a bit. We might be here for three or four days, and I’m worried about safety at night. I’ll prepare now. You rest. Call me if you need anything, and don’t push yourself too hard—it’s not worth harming your health.”

Jiang Jinhuang met Ye Qing’s clear gaze. Her words seemed genuinely sincere, but then she remembered how the old Ye Qing had tricked her with a kind facade, only to turn abusive after marriage.

The two versions of Ye Qing clashed in her mind, giving her a headache. In her heat period, her consciousness swung between clarity and confusion. Not daring to think further, Jiang Jinhuang lay back down in the blanket, propped up by her arms.

Seeing her silent, Ye Qing assumed she was tired and didn’t say more. She grabbed an axe from the cart and went out.

The area was surrounded by woods, so Ye Qing didn’t need to go far. She could chop branches while keeping an eye on the cave entrance.

Ye Qing worked quickly, soon piling up a heap of branches at her feet. She used the axe to cut a long strip of bark as a rope, tied the branches into a bundle, and carried it back to the cave.

Jiang Jinhuang, nestled in her blanket, wasn’t asleep despite her weakness. Hearing movement, she opened her eyes and saw Ye Qing return with a large bundle of branches. Ye Qing stacked them on both sides of the cave entrance, leaving just enough space for a person to pass.

Ye Qing looked at it and felt it wasn’t secure enough. She grabbed a rope from the cart, moved two large rocks to either side of the entrance, and tied the rope to them. That way, if someone or an animal tried to enter at night, she’d hear the noise immediately.

The little one watched Ye Qing work at the entrance, finding it fun, “Sister Ye, what’s this for?”

Ye Qing wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and explained softly, “This is to keep bad people out. If someone touches the rope, it’ll make a noise, and I can catch them and scare them off.”

“Sister Ye, you’re amazing!” the little one said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Ye Qing shook her head with a laugh, “You and your sweet talk.”

“Hehe,” the little one giggled, hopping in place and nuzzling Ye Qing’s arm playfully.

Jiang Jinhuang, lying there, saw everything Ye Qing did. If Ye Qing wanted to take advantage of her, she could have forced a full bond while she was unconscious and then left the sisters to fend for themselves.

Thinking this, Jiang Jinhuang felt uneasy. Had she been too harsh with Ye Qing? She was only trying to help.

Looking around the cave, the cart was brought by Ye Qing, the branches were chopped by Ye Qing, her sister was cared for by Ye Qing, and she even heated water for her to wipe down. Yet Jiang Jinhuang had misunderstood her, thinking she’d done something improper.

Jiang Jinhuang pressed her lips tightly together. The clearer her mind became, the more uneasy she felt. What if Ye Qing got truly angry?

After a while, Jiang Jinhuang looked at Ye Qing and called softly, “Ye Qing.”

Ye Qing was puzzled just then. The system had notified her that the 120 favorability points deducted that afternoon had returned. Jiang Jinhuang’s favorability was back to -130. Though still deeply negative, it was much better than -250.

Ye Qing couldn’t hide her joy. Hearing Jiang Jinhuang call her, with the smile still on her face, she hurried over, “What’s wrong? Feeling unwell again?”

Jiang Jinhuang propped herself up, looking at Ye Qing. Seeing the lingering smile on Ye Qing’s face, she felt even more guilty.

She pursed her lips, her voice barely audible, “I misunderstood you earlier. I’m sorry.”

Ye Qing was stunned. She hadn’t expected an apology from Jiang Jinhuang, but she quickly recovered, her smile widening.

Ye Qing waved it off, her tone light, “It’s fine. As long as the misunderstanding’s cleared, it’s all good. Don’t overthink it. A heat period makes people tense and confused. It’s not your fault.”

Hearing Ye Qing wasn’t angry, Jiang Jinhuang felt a bit relieved but still uneasy.

She looked down at her hands, clasped tightly together, her voice still low, “You’re really not mad?”

Ye Qing smiled, her tone teasing, “Mad? If I got mad that easily, you’d have made me faint by now. Besides, you’re a Kunze. Anyone in your position would’ve misunderstood. I get it.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded, sneaking a glance at Ye Qing. Seeing her calm expression, she felt reassured.

“I’ll be more careful in the future and won’t misunderstand you for no reason,” Jiang Jinhuang said.

Though she still disliked Ye Qing, she didn’t want to keep misunderstanding her.

Ye Qing nodded, “Don’t dwell on it. The heat period is tough to get through. Rest well. I’m going to make dinner.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded, “Thanks for your hard work these days.”

“No trouble. Just lie down and rest,” Ye Qing said, thrilled about the recovered favorability.

She sat by the fire, checking her supplies. She had eight bowls of rice left from two previous exchanges, seven eggs, three pounds of pork belly, fifty cabbages planted in her space, and fifteen carp in her spiritual spring.

She hadn’t yet checked the supplies from the five bandit soldiers’ horses. With nothing else to do, Ye Qing started going through the five packs.

The first pack had a small bag of beef jerky, a leather wine flask, and five thick, hard flatbreads. The second pack had a small bag of sugar cubes, a packet of oil-paper-wrapped pastries, and another bag of jerky.

The third pack had eight oil pouches and another flask of strong liquor. The fourth pack had dried bacon and sausages, plus five dry noodle cakes.

The last pack had pickled duck eggs and a packet of millet wrapped in oil paper.

Besides these, one horse had a smaller pack with medicines and bandages, clearly for emergencies.

Ye Qing inspected it and found several bottles of wound salve, packets of hemostatic powder, pills for colds, and rolls of bandages.

After checking everything, Ye Qing felt more confident. The flatbreads and oil pouches could last a while, not to mention the jerky, bacon, and duck eggs. The medicines were a bonus, especially since they were fleeing famine and medicine was hard to come by.

Since she’d inventoried the packs, Ye Qing also checked the money pouches taken from the bandits. They held 158 taels of silver, two ten-tael gold ingots, and 2,533 copper coins.

Ye Qing figured the bandits had stolen the money. She already had 13 taels of silver and 1,172 copper coins in her space. Adding the bandits’ haul, she now had 20 taels of gold, 171 taels of silver, and 3,705 copper coins.

The money wasn’t useful now, but it would be in the south. For now, she’d keep it.

After inventorying, Ye Qing decided to make bacon-soaked flatbread.

She pretended to take a piece of bacon from the cart, along with two large dry noodle cakes, all from the bandits.

Seeing the meat, the little one’s eyes lit up. She ran to Ye Qing’s side, “Sister Ye, what are we eating tonight?”

Ye Qing smiled at the little glutton, “Bacon-soaked flatbread. Hungry?”

The little one nodded eagerly, “Yeah, a little.”

“Wait patiently. It’ll be ready soon,” Ye Qing said, taking a knife and cutting board from the cart. She diced the bacon and cut the noodle cakes into pieces, setting them aside.

The cakes were hard and tough to chew dry, so soaking them in broth was best.

Ye Qing poured oil into the iron pot, stir-fried the bacon until its aroma filled the air, added seasonings and soy sauce, then poured in spiritual spring water. Once it boiled, she added the noodle cake pieces, cooked them briefly, and removed the pot from the fire.

The little one stared at the pot, her eyes wide, practically drooling.

Ye Qing, seeing her excitement, said softly, “I’ll serve you now.”

She grabbed the little one’s special bowl, filled it with bacon-soaked flatbread, and placed it on a nearby wooden stump, “The bowl’s hot, so eat it here. Blow on it first, or it’ll burn you.”

“Okay!” The little one, halfway through, reached for the spoon. Ye Qing, amused by the little glutton, handed it over.

The little one scooped up some flatbread, blew on it several times to cool it, and carefully ate. She chewed happily, the bacon’s flavor blending with the starchy broth. She bounced with joy, “So yummy.”

Ye Qing, seeing her enjoy it, smiled, “Take your time. There’s more in the pot. I’ll serve you again if you finish.”

“Okay,” the little one replied eagerly, scooping more.

Ye Qing served another bowl, placed a porcelain spoon in it, and brought it to Jiang Jinhuang.

Her gaze fell on Jiang Jinhuang’s pale face, “Eat first. You need food during your heat period to regain strength. I’ll help you sit up.”

Ye Qing set the bowl aside, helped Jiang Jinhuang sit, and handed her the bowl, “Can you eat on your own?”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded, “Yeah.”

Seeing she could hold the bowl, Ye Qing returned to the fire and served herself a bowl.

She was exhausted—carrying Jiang Jinhuang so far, transferring scent, chopping branches, and preparing dinner. Her clothes were soaked and dried, soaked and dried again.