Accidentally Marking The Vicious Female Lead After Transmigrating Into A Period Novel - Chapter 27

After Lin Yishu closed the door, she walked straight into the kitchen. She took the dirty clothes out of the basin and poured hot water from the thermos into it.

She scooped a bit of cold water with a gourd ladle to adjust the temperature. Once she confirmed it was right, she reached out to lift the clothes. In the process, her finger accidentally brushed against a spot where a faint trace still remained.

Even though it was just a brief touch, Lin Yishu reacted as if she had been burned by fire, throwing the clothes back into the basin instantly.

She scrubbed them haphazardly a few times until she was sure no trace of abnormality could be seen on the wet fabric. Then, she wrung them out and hung them on the line in the courtyard.

Having just been marked, she was stronger than Li Yan and had managed to stay conscious, but she truly had little strength left. If she weren’t afraid of the other woman waking up and seeing the evidence, she wouldn’t have wanted to move at all.

As she turned to walk back into the house after hanging the laundry, she couldn’t help but stomp her foot in annoyance.

It’s all Li Yan’s fault!

Once inside, seeing the person sleeping soundly on the kang bed, a single glare wasn’t enough to satisfy her anger. She walked over, pulled the pillow from under Li Yan’s head, patted it down, and moved it to the other side to lie on it herself.

Hmph. She would never admit it was because the pillow still carried the lingering scent of the Alpha’s pheromones.

She was simply punishing her!

Already exhausted, the act of washing clothes had left her spent. Lin Yishu squinted her eyes and, enveloped by the Alpha’s rich pheromones, quickly drifted into dreamland.

The Dream and the Awakening

Lin Yishu had a dream.

It was the first day of her escape. After leaving several packages at the post office, she boarded a train heading north. The train was packed. Lin Yishu hid herself in the crowd, quietly finding a seat.

The smells on the train were a chaotic mix. Her initial joy of escaping gradually turned into irritability from the pungent odors. She pulled her silk scarf tighter around her neck, covering her nose.

Suddenly, it felt as if someone was pulling the scarf from behind. The air in front of her grew thin. She struggled to pull the scarf down to find fresh air, but she couldn’t break free.

Gasping for breath, she finally woke from the nightmare, staring blankly at the old, grey ceiling beams. Her thoughts were scattered by the fragments of the dream, and she blinked slowly, not yet realizing what was happening.

That was until she felt a warm sensation at her neck again, followed by a strong sense of suffocation.

Lin Yishu looked down.

Li Yan had her eyes tightly shut, currently burying her head into Lin Yishu’s neck and nuzzling hard, while her hands were restlessly fumbling around her shoulders and neck.

No wonder she felt like she couldn’t breathe, this person was pinning her neck with an arm.

Realizing this, Lin Yishu felt both amused and exasperated. She reached out and “slapped” the arm away, stretched her body, and prepared to get up. She didn’t know how long she had slept, she wasn’t particularly tired anymore, but she was hungry.

Just as she sat up, her eyes met three pairs of dark, round eyes.

Lin Yishu’s heart skipped a beat. She tried her best to stay calm and asked the three people sitting by the bed, “Auntie… when did you all come back?”

How had she not noticed at all? When they were sleeping just now… she and Li Yan hadn’t done anything inappropriate, right?

Li Chunmei moved her gaze from the bed to Lin Yishu and smiled. “We haven’t been back long. We saw you both were sleeping, so we didn’t call you. It’s fine, Yishu. If you’re still tired, sleep a bit more. Grandma and I will chat, we’ll keep our voices down so we don’t disturb you.”

Lin Yishu quickly shook her head and waved her hands. “I’m not sleeping anymore, Auntie. I’m not tired now.”

Li Chunmei’s smile grew softer. “Then get up and have something to eat. There’s some stew I made during the day in the basin outside. If you want some, just heat it up.”

Lin Yishu nodded and got off the kang to put on her shoes.

Li Chunmei added, “Go on, A-Can. Weren’t you hungry just now? Go heat it up and eat with Yishu.”

Li Can grinned, showing two tiger teeth, and nimbly put on her shoes to head out.

The Confrontation

Over two hours had passed, and the Omega’s pheromones in the room had almost completely dissipated. This was why Li Yan had unconsciously crowded toward the Omega in her sleep.

The moment the Omega left the room, a massive sense of dread hit Li Yan. She woke up instantly, reaching out her arm to pull the person back.

But the next second, a sharp pain shot through her arm.

“Ow!” Li Yan cried out, clutching her arm and rubbing it. She wanted to complain but looked up to meet the dark, piercing gazes of her mother and grandmother.

“Mom, Grandma, you scared the life out of me!” she grumbled.

Luckily she was brave; otherwise, waking up to four pitch-black eyes staring at her would have been enough to cause a heart attack.

“Also, why did you hit me?” she asked piteously while rubbing her arm. “Hiss, that really hurts. You definitely didn’t hold back. With that strength, Mom, it’s a waste you’re not a butcher…”

Li Chunmei kept a stern face and cut her off. “Don’t give me that nonsense. I hit you for a reason! How did I raise you? For you to do that kind of thing to Yishu! I’d be wrong not to hit you!”

Beside her, Xu Xiufen chimed in like a supporting actor in a comedy duo. “Oh my, so bold, so direct. Yanyan, Grandma is embarrassed for you.” She even made a shaming gesture, poking her own cheek with a finger.

“What do you mean ‘that kind of thing’…” Li Yan instinctively started to protest, but as it clicked, she looked over guiltily. “You… you all know?”

This sleep had been refreshing, and it had cleared her head. Recalling the previous scenes now was like playing a recording, perfectly clear. Li Yan felt her face begin to heat up.

But she kept her neck stiff and met their gaze. “I will take responsibility.”

Hearing her say that voluntarily, Li Chunmei’s expression softened significantly. She cut her a look and snorted, “That’s more like it.”

She then remembered something and added, “It wasn’t easy for Yishu to run away all by herself. It’s fate that our family met her. You must treat her well. Don’t bully her just because she has no one here. Otherwise, even if I’m your mother, I’ll be the first one to come after you.”

Li Yan nodded like a chick pecking at grain. “I know, I know. Don’t worry, Mom.”

In her heart, she was already thinking. Yishu came here from such a long way off, does she feel like she belongs? She probably lacks that feeling, right? Even when Li Yan had first transmigrated here, she had a family, yet it still took a long time to feel like she belonged.

She pondered how to help Lin Yishu while following her mother off the kang, all while listening to her mother’s continued nagging.

“And one more thing…” Li Chunmei suddenly stopped.

Li Yan looked at her in confusion. It was rare to see her mother look hesitant. “Mom, what else do you want to say?”

Her mother’s personality was usually direct. What could be so hard to say?

Beside them, Xu Xiufen covered her mouth and giggled. The nearly sixty-year-old lady’s wrinkles were alive with the excitement of watching her granddaughter’s predicament.

Li Chunmei glared at her “disrespectful” mother, turned back, and searched for the words.

“Ahem… next time… next time when you do that, do it when people aren’t around. The house only has this one kang, which is inconvenient, but you can certainly find a time when we aren’t home…” Li Chunmei’s face became increasingly solemn. “In short, be careful. Grandma and I don’t mind much, but after all, A-Can is still in the house.”

Li Yan’s face turned scarlet instantly.

Her eyes darted around, not daring to meet their gaze. Earlier, all her attention had been on Lin Yishu, she truly hadn’t noticed when they returned. By that logic, didn’t they see…?

A wave of delayed shame washed over her. She lowered her head and mumbled, “I understand.”

Seeing her like this, Li Chunmei comforted her, “Mom understands you too. You’re young and vigorous, it’s natural to have these needs…”

Li Yan: “……”

Enough, stop talking. If you say any more, I’m going to find a hole to crawl into.

A person can die, but they shouldn’t die of social embarrassment.

Despite the teasing, Li Chunmei was considering their future. “Tell you what, you’re grown up now, it’s time to build more rooms. After the New Year, Mom will find people and we’ll build a few more. If we work fast, they’ll be done in a month or so.”

Li Yan’s eyes lit up. Building a house was a great idea.

“And let’s build a bathroom too,” she added.

Lin Yishu was delicate and loved cleanliness. Going out to bathe was a hassle and required bath tokens. At home, she was always too shy to bathe until everyone was asleep. Building a proper bathroom would make things much more convenient.

Li Chunmei thought about it and agreed. “Fine, I’ll look into it later.”

The Landlady and the Laborer

After surviving her mother’s lecture, Li Yan walked out into the main room, searching for Lin Yishu. As she reached the kitchen, she heard Li Can’s curious voice from inside.

“Sister Yishu, why did you wash your and my sister’s clothes in the middle of the night? And they’re all pants! If you hang them out overnight, they’ll turn into icicles. Maybe we should bring them inside in a bit.”

Then came Lin Yishu’s flimsy explanation.

“We… we accidentally tripped and fell on the way back. The pants got a bit dirty, so I thought I’d just wash them…”

Li Yan had already figured out what happened, and her face burned hot. She didn’t go in immediately. She brought their clothes back into the house, placed them on a wooden stool, sat down, and downed a mouthful of cold water.

Lin Yishu, you little liar.

With a face that innocent, who would have thought lies came so easily to her? Li Yan remembered the previous times she had been kept in the dark. That “marking” she had been talking nonsense and tricking her all along!

What a big liar!

But then she thought about how difficult it must have been for her to escape all this way, and she felt relieved. It was a good thing she could lie, a good thing she was cautious, and a good thing she knew how to protect herself.

When Lin Yishu and Li Can came out of the kitchen with food, they saw the person sitting at the table in the central room. Their eyes met and quickly looked away. Both were ill at ease.

Li Can looked at the clothes on the stool and said curiously, “Eh? How did these clothes grow legs and run inside? I was just telling Sister Yishu…”

Li Yan could only explain, “I saw they weren’t dripping anymore, so I brought them in. I was afraid they’d freeze stiff.”

Lin Yishu’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the hands on the table. Her eyelashes flickered, and she quickly looked away.

On this New Year’s Eve vigil, Li Chunmei was being uncharacteristically generous, letting the lamp stay lit even though it was ten o’clock at night. The room was bright, so the darkness could no longer hide the small thoughts in their hearts.

Li Yan followed her gaze and looked at her own fingers. Her eyes touched and immediately retreated, as a flush like a peach blossom bloomed quietly from her earlobes.

“Sister, do you want to eat some too?” Li Can, who looked up to offer, had sharp eyes and asked directly, “Sister, why are your ears so red? Are you hot?”

Li Yan: “……”

This house would be better if it were darker. It would be better if everyone were blind.

“I’m not, you’re seeing things,” she replied, trying to stay calm and not letting her eyes wander. From now on, she would unconditionally support every decision made by her great mother.

Li Can, dissatisfied with the blatant lie, stood up and circled behind her to check. “You totally are! Look, look, they’re getting redder!”

Li Yan: “……”

“Li Can, if you put this much effort into investigating, ” she smiled, counterattacking, ” and applied it to your studies, that would be great.”

Li Can’s excited face immediately slumped. She turned around and sat back down, burying her head in her food. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. Is this food not delicious enough?

Having successfully countered, Li Yan felt much better and was no longer as uncomfortable. Lin Yishu, chewing her food with her head down, watched the interaction between the sisters, her eyes curving slightly.

Once the two had nearly finished eating, a cough came from the inner room, followed by Li Chunmei’s voice. “A-Can, come in and get ready for bed.”

She was clearly intentionally creating space for the two to be alone. Li Yan couldn’t help but give another mental thumbs-up to the great Ms. Li Chunmei. Such an open minded mother was rare.

However, once Li Can had obediently gone into the inner room, leaving the two of them sitting face to face, the awkwardness returned. Truthfully, Li Yan had many things she wanted to say to Lin Yishu, but for a moment, she didn’t know where to start.

Lin Yishu was waiting for the other person to speak. But the wait went on. She bit her lip and looked over with watery eyes. If she dares not to take responsibility for what happened today, I’ll…

What can I even do? Lin Yishu thought a bit dazed.

In truth, she couldn’t do much. The bowl here belonged to Li Yan, the table belonged to Li Yan, even the stool she sat on belonged to Li Yan. This entire home belonged to her. Lin Yishu was the outsider. Aside from threatening to leave, taking nothing with her, she had no leverage. And if her leaving was exactly what the other person wanted…

For a moment, Lin Yishu felt a surge of panic.

Li Yan looked up only to be met by those watery eyes, filled with a deep, unshakeable sadness that made even the warm yellow lamp light seem desolate. She was stunned and immediately grew anxious, blurting out, “Don’t cry, Lin Yishu! I’ll take responsibility, I’ll take responsibility for you! Please don’t cry, okay?”

Lin Yishu’s eyes were misty. “Are you telling the truth?”

Li Yan was a hair’s breadth away from swearing an oath. “Truth! Truer than gold!”

Lin Yishu broke into a smile. She then naturally extended her arm and complained, “You fainted earlier, so I was the one who washed the clothes.”

Li Yan immediately got the hint. “Then… should I massage it for you?”

Lin Yishu nodded regally.

Li Yan placed both hands on the girl’s slender arm, carefully massaging with light pressure. “Is this strength okay? Too heavy?”

Lin Yishu narrowed her eyes and gave a slight tilt of her chin. “Mhm, it’s fine.”

Li Yan continued the massage, moving upward. Looking at the other woman’s enjoyment, she thought to herself: Does she realize she looks like a little landlady right now? And she, naturally, was the hired laborer of the household.

Well, she was a laborer who was perfectly content and happy with her lot.

As she massaged, Li Yan remembered what happened before and complained in a low voice, “You lied to me. I clearly didn’t do anything to you before.”

Lin Yishu opened her eyes, her gaze rippling over Li Yan like water, looking like a clever little fox. “It’s clearly because you’re stupid.”

Li Yan felt her heart start to act up again. She looked down, avoiding direct eye contact, but her fingers accidentally slipped across the other’s delicate wrist.

Lin Yishu suddenly pulled her hand back.

Li Yan looked up inquiringly.

As if feeling embarrassed, Lin Yishu’s lips parted and closed several times. Finally, she said bluntly, “From now on, you must put oil on your hands every day! Don’t skip a single day! I will supervise you!”

Li Yan’s earlobes turned a fiery red, even more obvious than before. She stammered her reply, “Okay, okay…”