Transmigrated into an Ancient M-Preg Novel as the Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 18
Shen Liunian raised her leg and kicked towards Yun Chenghuai. Servants wouldn’t dare to offend; that was a capital crime of insubordination. But she was different. In the past, she never cared about Dog Yun’s reputation, and she still wouldn’t now.
If the original owner would have been angry at such a kick, Yun Chenghuai, however, immediately embraced the other’s leg, smiling obediently, “Madam, don’t be naughty.”
Shen Liunian: “……” She was kicking to kill, not being naughty.
The way Dog Yun put it, it sounded as if they were flirting. She hastily pulled her leg back, which tugged at her injury, making her frown slightly.
Yun Chenghuai ignored the pain in her chest. Noticing Shen Liunian’s frown after just starting to smile, she quickly asked with concern, “Madam, have you applied medicine?”
Shen Liunian was covered with a heavy fur blanket, wearing thin socks, and lay sideways on the chaise lounge.
A phrase emerged in Yun Chenghuai’s mind: Beauty reclining on a beauty’s couch.
Shen Liunian’s appearance was exquisitely beautiful, especially her overall demeanor, which was simply captivating.
Yun Chenghuai, who had never been in a relationship, felt she would succumb with just one more glance.
“Nan Ling will help me apply the medicine.” Shen Liunian was too lazy to bother with her.
“Let me help Madam apply the medicine.”
Yun Chenghuai motioned for Nan Ling to give her the medicine, her clean eyes looking directly at Shen Liunian.
Without a command, how could Nan Ling give her the medicine? Both sides were at a stalemate.
After about ten breaths, Shen Liunian spoke calmly, “Give her the medicine.”
Nan Ling paused, then placed the medicine she had already brought into Yun Chenghuai’s hand.
Yun Chenghuai didn’t feel awkward. She squatted beside Shen Liunian, gently rolling up the other’s pant leg to reveal the injury on her knee.
“It’s this serious!” Her heart clenched.
As a “fragile” college student, although she was self-disciplined, waking up early every day for exercise and often playing ball with classmates, her physical fitness was still decent. However, bumps and bruises were normal, and she often had some inexplicable bruises on her body.
Shen Liunian’s knee was completely bruised, clearly indicating a hematoma. Coupled with her naturally fair and delicate skin, it looked quite alarming.
Yun Chenghuai pursed her lips in distress. The original owner truly was a scoundrel, not cherishing such a beautiful woman at all.
She wasn’t sure if she felt sorry for Shen Liunian, or for such snow-like skin being marred by such an injury.
To make applying the medicine easier, squatting was uncomfortable, so she simply knelt on one knee.
Her action startled everyone nearby. Shen Liunian looked at her in surprise.
A Qian Yuan only knelt before Heaven, Earth, sovereign, parents, and teachers. When meeting superiors on ordinary days, they would only bow. Had Yun Chenghuai just knelt like that?
Although it was only on one knee, she was a Princess, a wife. How could she kneel to her own wife?
Even an ordinary Qian Yuan would never kneel to her wife.
Yun Chenghuai had no such self-awareness. In her mind, there was no distinction between Qian Yuan and Kun Ze; she only knew that kneeling made applying the medicine easier.
She gently scooped a bit of ointment with a jade stick and carefully applied it to Shen Liunian’s knee, then nervously asked, “Does it hurt?”
“Of course it hurts. It’s so serious, how could it not hurt?”
She spoke without waiting for Shen Liunian’s reply.
Shen Liunian’s eyes glinted. She raised a hand, signaling Nan Ling and Bei Zhu to leave.
Her gaze rested on the top of Yun Chenghuai’s head. This person was simply too unusual.
She knelt on one knee, completely disregarding status, and applied the medicine with gentle hands, nothing like an accustomed Princess.
Originally, she had thought to indulge Yun Chenghuai once, let her help apply the medicine, and then keep her.
With Yun Chenghuai present, Li Zhaoxian’s people probably wouldn’t dare to approach her again.
However, the mysteries surrounding Yun Chenghuai were growing.
“Yun Chenghuai.”
“Hmm?”
Shen Liunian’s call was sudden, and Yun Chenghuai’s reply was natural.
She looked up blankly, her eyes as clear as someone not of imperial bl00d. “Madam, are you cold?”
The charcoal fire in the room burned fiercely, making it warm inside. She was only wearing a thin sleeping gown and didn’t feel cold.
But Shen Liunian was different. She had just been injured and was pregnant; her body was probably not as robust as usual.
She helped Shen Liunian spread the medicine evenly, then stood up to find only the two of them left in the room.
“What exactly are you planning?” Shen Liunian finally asked.
She didn’t believe a perfectly fine person could change so drastically. If it was an act, to be able to feign to this extent… if Dog Yun had such deep cunning, she wouldn’t have gone from such a good start to this predicament.
Yun Chenghuai’s behavior today, along with several details, was completely unlike before.
Shen Liunian didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, and even less in Yun Chenghuai being so deeply scheming.
Could Yun Chenghuai be receiving guidance from someone behind the scenes? But no matter how powerful the person behind her, if she herself was incapable, it would be useless.
Dog Yun’s own performance was by no means that simple.
Shen Liunian thought long and hard, her mind becoming increasingly muddled. Thinking about her strained relationship with Yun Chenghuai, she decided it was better to just ask directly.
Anyway, their relationship was already so strained; a little more wouldn’t matter.
Yun Chenghuai placed the ointment aside, deliberating how to answer.
Could she say she wasn’t the original owner? Would they burn her as a freak then?
Should she trust Shen Liunian, or continue to fight alone?
Honestly, she didn’t have absolute confidence in changing her situation. She was facing imperial princesses who had been scheming against each other since childhood, and many other deeply cunning individuals.
She was only twenty years old; she might have matured earlier than her peers, but not necessarily earlier than people in ancient times.
Regardless of whether it was due to TV dramas or the original owner’s memories, how many truly good people could there be who had survived in the imperial palace since childhood?
Furthermore, the current Emperor’s harem was not peaceful. How many fools could there be among the imperial princesses who survived safely to adulthood?
Oh, the original owner, protected too well in childhood and with a noble status, was one of those fools who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.
She thought for a long time. Shen Liunian covered her legs with the blanket again, sipping her tea without urging her.
Yun Chenghuai tentatively said, “What if I said, the former me was just an act?”
“Pretending to be a good-for-nothing?” Shen Liunian’s words were too blunt, leaving her speechless for a moment.
“Pretending to be a dissolute Princess, not participating in the succession struggle, I might believe you. If you truly wanted to pretend, why participate in the succession struggle?”
Other imperial princesses hid their ambition for succession deep within their hearts. No matter how much they did in secret, they still appeared as loyal subjects and dutiful daughters on the surface. Yet, Princess Chuxiang’s intentions were almost common knowledge.
If she wanted to remain uninvolved, being dissolute was the most direct path. Why bother with the succession struggle? Did she think Shen Liunian was a fool to be deceived?
Yun Chenghuai was speechless. The original owner, that idiot, had gone too far, leaving her with no plausible reason for her pretense.
Her flaws today were too numerous. There was nothing she could do; after all, she was an entirely new person. Besides, the original owner’s actions were too illogical; no normal person could have done what she did.
It was clear that even Shen Liunian wasn’t convinced. What would happen when she left the manor later, entered the palace, or met her Crown Princess sister? What kind of scenes would unfold with so many people who might know her well?
She absolutely had to find a reason for her change, just as she had originally thought: because she was about to become a mother, she had matured.
Yun Chenghuai lightly cleared her throat and sat on the small couch opposite Shen Liunian, feigning a serious demeanor. “My Imperial Mother still has no imperial grandchildren. The throne of my Great Qin must be inherited by a Qian Yuan. Among the imperial grandchildren, there are countless county princesses, only a few county princesses, and not a single imperial grandchildren.”
Among the children born to the imperial princesses, a Qian Yuan was an imperial grandchildren. The legitimate eldest could be enfeoffed as a princess of a county. The legitimate eldest Kun Ze would be a county princess. The rest would be demoted in rank and title according to whether they were legitimate or illegitimate. Those without ability could only be idle imperial clan members.
“Eighth Imperial Princess, Princess Xunyang, has a Qian Yuan,” Shen Liunian reminded her unhappily.
“So what? The eighth princess comes from humble origins. Her mother committed a capital crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations. It’s good enough that Imperial Mother didn’t implicate her. Her family’s Qian Yuan is as good as none.”
Yun Chenghuai mimicked the original owner’s tone. “This Princess is different. This Princess is of noble birth, a legitimate imperial princess. If I have a Qian Yuan, that would be our dynasty’s legitimate eldest imperial grandchildren.”
Her meaning was clear by now.
Shen Liunian pursed her lips and said nothing. It was indeed as she had guessed: Dog Yun wanted to use the child to turn her fortunes around.
But she hadn’t even decided whether to have the child or not. Dog Yun was thinking too far ahead.
Yun Chenghuai secretly glanced at Shen Liunian, unsure if the other person believed her. She, at least, believed it; this was the reason she had pondered for a long time.
Instead of saying she had improved, it was more accurate to say she had to change for her own benefit.
“Madam, you and I are one body. Now that you’ve rendered great service, I naturally must treat you well.” Yun Chenghuai spoke sincerely, making it somewhat believable.
Shen Liunian’s gaze was profound; it was unclear whether she believed her words or not.
After a moment of silence, she said mockingly, “How do you know I’m willing to bear this child, willing to be one with you?”
Yun Chenghuai: “……” Great! It backfired indeed.