Transmigrating to Woo the Villainous Young Lady - Chapter 37
Finding bandits to do business with wasn’t easy; you needed connections. But Xu Wenqing was no ordinary person.
As one of Fu Guiyi’s most trusted confidantes, she knew many people. The caravan had only been traveling for a day or two and was still within Cloudsea City’s sphere of influence.
Therefore, contacting someone who could reach the bandits wasn’t difficult.
Xu Wenqing never showed her face. She simply wrote a letter, enclosed a dozen silver ingots, and tossed it to a messenger.
Immediately afterward, Xu Wenqing hurried back to the post station without stopping.
By the time she returned, the caravan was about to depart. Fu Guiyi had already boarded her carriage, completely unaware of Xu Wenqing’s activities.
Did the Young Mistress ask about me?
Despite this, Xu Wenqing still feared Fu Guiyi might notice something amiss. After all, the Young Mistress was remarkably perceptive when it came to even the slightest discrepancies.
No, she didn’t, the Black Armor Army soldier beside her replied, shaking his head. He then asked, with a hint of confusion, Steward Xu, has the Young Mistress truly fallen for that maid? If so, what about Li Huaifeng?
A mere servant girl can’t compare to Commander Li’s only son.
Xu Wenqing tightened his grip on the reins, scoffing at the Black Armor Army’s questions.
Soon enough, that fox spirit Shen Li won’t be able to stir up any trouble or cause any mischief.
Meanwhile, Shen Li remained completely unaware of the events unfolding outside. She felt an itch in her nose and immediately covered her mouth.
Achoo!
Despite her efforts, she couldn’t suppress the sneeze.
You’ve really caught a cold?
Hearing the sneeze, Fu Guiyi grew concerned. She reached out, her palm as cold as a water snake, and pressed it against Shen Li’s forehead.
The temperature felt normal, not excessively hot.
Looks like she hasn’t caught a cold yet.
I have this feeling someone’s talking behind my back, Shen Li said, wiping her nose with a handkerchief. An inexplicable unease washed over her.
Impossible. If I found out, I’d tear out their tongue.
While rumors might be silenced by the wise, in reality, killing one to warn a hundred—slaughtering the chicken to scare the monkey—remained the most effective strategy.
Miss, isn’t that a bit extreme?
That’s far too bloody and cruel.
If we don’t do this, they’ll never learn their lesson.
To maintain control over hundreds of thousands of troops, a ruthless hand was essential. Mere benevolence would only erode the commander’s authority.
Despite her harsh words, Fu Guiyi opened the chest and pulled out a deerskin blanket, which was exceptionally warm when draped over someone.
These don’t work for me anyway. You might as well have them.
Her cold constitution stemmed from her bone marrow. No matter how many layers of clothing she wore—ten or twenty—it made no difference.
The soft deer fur wrapped around her instantly brought warmth, especially with the charcoal fire burning in the carriage.
The high-quality charcoal burned steadily and emitted a faint woody fragrance, thanks to the aromatic wood used in its production. There was no acrid smoke, only a subtle, pleasant scent.
The glowing embers could be seen through the gilded copper brazier, flickering like stars. Despite the bumpy ride, the coals remained securely within the brazier.
The carriage was as warm as a heated room, yet Fu Guiyi remained cold.
Shen Li leaned closer, about to help Fu Guiyi undress, when she accidentally twisted her waist. She bit back a groan, hissing through gritted teeth.
Hiss
What’s wrong? Fu Guiyi asked, puzzled. But when she saw the maid pressing her waist, she understood and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Don’t move. I’ll apply the ointment for you.
Fu Guiyi turned and opened her trunk, retrieving the medicinal cream she had brought.
Young Mistress, there’s no need. I can do it myself, Shen Li insisted, her ears burning crimson. Heat flushed across her cheeks; she was sure her face was bright red.
That shade of red was no different from a cooked hairy crab.
By yourself?
That would be inconvenient.
Fu Guiyi was a forceful woman. Once she decided to apply the medicine, not even ten Shen Lis could stop her. Shen Li could only submit to her will.
The icy ointment and Fu Guiyi’s cold fingertips were almost unbearable.
Shen Li’s rounded shoulders trembled slightly, but she pressed her lips together, making no sound.
It would be too strange to make noises over something as simple as applying medicine.
The process was agonizing. Shen Li’s lips turned white from being pressed so tightly together before Fu Guiyi finally wiped her fingers with a handkerchief.
Why are you so shy?
Fu Guiyi found it amusing. Most maids who climbed into bed with their mistresses were typically wanton. Having known many noble families, she had witnessed her share of scandalous dramas in their secluded mansions.
But Shen Li was different.
She brought warmth to Fu Guiyi’s life and had even saved her life in times of crisis.
This servant has already said she would do it herself. How could I possibly allow the Young Mistress to lower herself to tend to this lowly…
The last few words were cut off as Fu Guiyi’s lips pressed urgently and tenderly against hers.
Those soft, yielding lips were almost intoxicating.
Don’t speak of yourself like that.
There’s no master-servant distinction between us in private, Fu Guiyi said.
Even at her most willful, Fu Guiyi would never openly defy the established hierarchy. If she truly acted so recklessly, her mother, let alone Xu Wenqing, would likely sell Shen Li. It was precisely because she cherished Shen Li that she sought to protect her.
Gazing at Shen Li’s dewy, rosy lips, Fu Guiyi ultimately restrained her urge to tease the little maid. Shen Li had just applied medicine; today wasn’t the day for the same intensity as yesterday. Besides, the carriage’s jolting ride was hard on the back.
Instead, Fu Guiyi simply pulled Shen Li into her arms, and they lay together beneath the tiger-skin blanket.
Though Fu Guiyi claimed there was no master-servant distinction, Shen Li dared not believe it.
Who was this woman before her?
The main villain of the entire novel, someone who would hold grudges for ages over a single misspoken word.
To abandon her cautious, servant-like behavior would be utter folly. Moreover, her conquest points weren’t yet high enough.
Even if Fu Guiyi wanted to stop liking her, she could withdraw at any moment.
Therefore, Shen Li had to make the Young Mistress fall hopelessly, irrevocably in love with her.
Finally, Shen Li harbored such ambition. If the System could eavesdrop on her thoughts, it would surely praise her: As expected of my chosen Host! That’s the ambition I’m talking about!
Late at night, they watched the encampment from a distance.
Several bandits sat astride their tall warhorses, their eyes gleaming with sinister intent. Though clad in coarse linen, their bodies were knotted with muscle and crisscrossed with scars—men who were clearly ruthless and not to be trifled with.
Boss, taking on this job will get our brothers killed! one of them whispered.
The Black Armor Army—the Black Armor Army! Their name shook the Great Zhou. The elite of the regular army, how could they, mere shrimp and crabs, possibly compare?
Relax, the bandit leader said, his voice steady. We’re just dealing with a bewitching b1tch who’s been seducing the lord.
Our client is in the caravan. She’ll lure the target to a secluded spot. We just need to snatch her.
But if someone goes missing, the Black Armor Army will search for her, won’t they? The other bandits remained skeptical, hesitant to kidnap the woman outright.
She’s just a maidservant. The Black Armor Army is focused on their march; they won’t care.
These were hard times for bandits.
A dozen silver ingots would feed an entire mountain stronghold for months, but they’d only received two as a down payment. To claim the full reward, they had to complete the job.
Money makes the world go round. Even the Black Armor Army couldn’t deter these starving bandits, their eyes burning with greed. They were beyond caring.