Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 72

Mowan Ci never intended to go back on her word. She just hadn’t expected Jiang Si to announce it on such an occasion.

If she had known in advance, she would have worn something more appropriate.

No matter how Jiang Si or the household treated her, she still could not change her status as a concubine. Her appearance and dress always had to reflect that. If she had known what Jiang Si planned, she never would have worn this peach-pink outfit.

Mowan Ci gave Jiang Si a playful, slightly reproachful glance. Jiang Si smiled and quietly reached out to hold her hand.

Thankfully, the crowd was too busy cheering to notice. Mowan Ci relaxed and smiled back at her, but then felt a pair of eyes watching her from afar.

Her distraction didn’t go unnoticed. Jiang Si leaned in and lowered her voice.

“What is it?”

“I just felt like someone was watching me. Maybe it was just my imagination.”

“Watching you?”

That alone shouldn’t have been enough to alarm her, but something in Mowan Ci’s expression made Jiang Si uneasy. She scanned the crowd carefully and finally noticed someone in a black cloak and wide-brimmed hat standing in a far corner.

It was still winter in the north, so the hat itself wasn’t suspicious. What was odd was how tightly the person was covered, and that they had their back turned to the stage.

Even their posture felt strangely familiar.

“Is that…”

“That’s Feng Yao,” Mowan Ci said quietly.

She had followed Jiang Si’s gaze and recognized the figure instantly. She was even more familiar with Feng Yao than Jiang Si was.

And she could clearly see the displeasure in Jiang Si’s face.

Since that incident at the Southern Liang Prince’s residence last year, neither of them had brought up Feng Yao again. Jiang Si had deliberately kept her away from any news related to Feng Yao.

Mowan Ci felt the same. She never cared much about what Feng Yao was doing.

Still, since she had seen her now, Jiang Si decided to speak frankly.

“Six months ago, I drove Feng Yao out of the Jingyuan Army.”

“She didn’t come to the north for any inspection. She’s only here because Mu Zesheng wanted to make things difficult for both of us.”

To Jiang Si, this was nothing more than petty and childish. After dealing with Feng Yao, she had considered something else. If the original Jiang Si were still alive, would it still be considered childish?

Feng Yao might not have survived. Mowan Ci would not have had an easy time either.

Jiang Si hadn’t thought about the original host in a long time. But the memory surfaced suddenly and left her feeling down.

She barely touched her dinner and later returned alone to the study in the North Wing.

Mowan Ci didn’t know what was bothering her. Though she was curious, she knew Jiang Si wouldn’t say unless she wanted to, and she wouldn’t ask.

It had been a long day, and Mowan Ci was exhausted. After her bath, she went to bed early.

She had no idea how long she had been asleep when she felt someone approach the bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jiang Si in a dark robe, her expression clouded.

Without a word, Jiang Si grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her out of bed.

Mowan Ci tried to call out, but no sound came. She could only let Jiang Si drag her down to the floor.

The floor by the bed was always warm, but tonight it felt icy cold. Mowan Ci shivered, and then pain flared across the back of her neck.

Jiang Si had somehow moved behind her and was biting her, hard, without releasing any scent.

There was no sign of bonding. Only the raw pain of biting.

Mowan Ci struggled to break free, but she couldn’t escape her grip. What was worse, Jiang Si wrapped her hand around her neck.

Time passed. Mowan Ci’s eyes welled with tears. Her breath grew shallow. Everything turned black before her eyes, and just before she passed out, she smelled something sharp and metallic.

It made her gag.

She hit Jiang Si’s arm again and again until her vision suddenly brightened.

The person who had been choking her was now sitting beside her, looking concerned.

“Mowan Ci, are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?”

A nightmare?

Mowan Ci wiped her tears slowly and looked carefully at Jiang Si.

Her face was different from the one in the dream. Her expression was gentle and sincere. She wasn’t wearing a dark robe either, but her usual loungewear from the residence.

She was calling her name softly, full of worry.

Mowan Ci’s heart was still pounding. She lowered her head and said quietly, “I’m fine. Just a nightmare.”

“As long as you’re okay,” Jiang Si said, clearly relieved. “I’ll light some calming incense. You should try to sleep again.”

She let go of Mowan Ci’s hand and got out of bed.

Lately, they had grown close. Mowan Ci had become used to Jiang Si’s casual touches. But just now…

She had felt disgusted. And when Jiang Si finally let go of her hand, she felt a strange sense of relief.

It was confusing. Watching Jiang Si move about and light the incense filled her with warmth. But when Jiang Si came closer again, that sense of fear returned.

Was it just the nightmare, or something more?

Mowan Ci couldn’t explain it. She felt something was wrong, but couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

“The incense is lit. Do you want to bathe before going back to sleep?” Jiang Si asked.

Mowan Ci had broken into a sweat during her dream. Jiang Si worried she might be uncomfortable and offered gently.

But Mowan Ci felt a chill at the back of her neck and looked at her cautiously.

She tried to steady her voice. “Weren’t you staying in the North Wing? Why did you come back so late?”

She meant nothing by the question. She only wanted to start a conversation to calm herself. But Jiang Si misunderstood and thought she was being blamed.

She moved a little closer, trying to explain, but noticed Mowan Ci subtly pulling away.

Jiang Si pressed her lips together, her expression slightly awkward.

She had been remembering many things today and wanted some time to process them alone. She hadn’t stayed long in the North Wing. After that, she went to check on the ship construction progress with Lan Shao, then stopped by the kitchen to make Mowan Ci a late-night snack.

Time passed quickly. When she finally returned, she saw Mowan Ci murmuring in her sleep, caught in a nightmare.

She hadn’t dared to wake her, so she simply held her hand and stayed close by.

Now, she didn’t know what to say. Should she explain the truth or just stay quiet?

After a long pause, Mowan Ci reached out and gently tugged at her hand.

“Is there still hot water?”

“There is.”

“My clothes are soaked with sweat. Come bathe with me.”

Jiang Si had marked her several times recently, so Mowan Ci could clearly recognize the scent of her pheromones. Right now, Jiang Si’s scent was tinged with sorrow.

It was the familiar amber-like warmth that reminded Mowan Ci how foolish she was being.

It had only been a dream. The Jiang Si in front of her had done nothing wrong.

Jiang Si noticed something was off, but chose not to question it. Since Mowan Ci had made the request, she naturally did not refuse.

To her surprise, once they entered the bath, Mowan Ci became incredibly clingy, almost wrapping herself around Jiang Si.

Jiang Si thought at first it might be an invitation, but quickly realized that Mowan Ci was simply drawn to her pheromone scent.

Her intentions were far more innocent than Jiang Si had imagined.

Just like that, the matter passed. The next morning, Jiang Si no longer dwelled on the past and what the original host had done. Mowan Ci, too, seemed to have forgotten that strange dream. Together, they went to the Ling Shang riverside to check on the shipbuilding progress.

Ling Shang City had not yet fully thawed. The river would not be navigable until March, so there were still nearly two months to go. The soldiers of the Jing Engineering Corps were working nonstop to stay on schedule.

Jiang Si had personally stayed up two nights to draw the ship blueprints, carefully balancing design and current technical constraints. Seeing the prototype now, she felt genuinely satisfied.

The large ship stood out visibly. Because of that, Jiang Si decided to take Mowan Ci and leave ahead of the main group, planning to detour through the heart of the Central Plains before heading toward the Eastern Sea. She left instructions with Lan Shao on when to depart.

The reason for this was simple: caution. No one truly knew what the Eastern Sea looked like or what dangers lay ahead.

They set the departure date for the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, right after the Lantern Festival.

Jiang Si made sure to bring Fang Lin with her to assist with logistics, and her personal guard was drawn from the elite Jingwei Battalion.

Mowan Ci’s carriage traveled at the center of the formation, surrounded by over a hundred soldiers from the battalion. Jiang Si rode on horseback at her side.

The journey was long, expected to last a full month. The group moved in stages, sometimes delayed by bad weather and forced to seek shelter, which extended the timeline further.

By the time they reached the Central Plains, both Jiang Si and Mowan Ci finally saw with their own eyes how severe the flooding truly was.

They had brought only a limited supply of food, but still gave as much as they could to the starving refugees they encountered.

After spending so much time together day and night, their interactions had become effortlessly natural. Even so, when Jiang Si distributed aid among the people, Mowan Ci looked at her with a renewed light in her eyes.

Lately, her dreams had become restless and disturbing. When Jiang Si had not been around, she had slept peacefully. And even when Jiang Si returned, her familiar amber-scented pheromones comforted her. But as time passed, the nightmares returned, and she began to see Jiang Si differently.

“Here, have some hot soup,” Jiang Si said gently.

They had already been traveling for over half a month. Even in the Central Plains, the weather remained cold. Worried that Mowan Ci might catch a chill, Jiang Si had ordered a warming soup to be brought to her.

When Mowan Ci took the bowl, she paused, almost pulling her hands back. Jiang Si caught the hesitation but said nothing. She simply set the soup down in front of her and drank her own portion.

Mowan Ci stayed silent for a long time, then finally lifted the bowl to drink.

That evening, they found lodging in an inn. It was a rare chance to properly wash up, though it wasn’t quite like the baths at home where they could take turns comfortably. Once the hot water was prepared, Jiang Si adjusted the temperature and went to call Mowan Ci.

Mowan Ci nodded quietly, took the towel, and entered the bathing room.

Meanwhile, Jiang Si pulled out a letter sent earlier by Lan Shao from Ling Shang City. It included updates on shipbuilding progress and mentioned that groups of refugees from Yue had begun arriving at the northern border. Just in time for the Jingyuan Army’s recruitment drive, many strong and able young men had joined the Qian Yuan Battalion.

This recruitment had been Jiang Si’s idea. She had intended to enlist locals within the northern territory, but never expected Yue refugees to come forward. Having suffered and endured so much, those who were treated well by the army would surely become loyal soldiers.

With their numbers growing and morale high, Jiang Si felt genuinely pleased.

Mowan Ci could hear her laughter even from the bath.

But the laughter ended abruptly.

Moments later, Mowan Ci heard a muffled groan of pain.

Startled, she quickly grabbed a robe and stepped out without hesitation.

What she saw made her heart stop. Jiang Si was hunched over, one hand gripping the back of her neck tightly.

When she looked up, her face was flushed, and her eyes were red like blood.

“Jiang Si, what’s wrong?” Mowan Ci forgot everything else and rushed to her.

The moment she touched her, she felt a sudden tightness around her waist. Jiang Si had pulled her close and bit down hard on her neck.

The heat of Jiang Si’s body burned against her. Mowan Ci could hardly breathe.

They had been intimate before, but this was different. This Jiang Si felt like a stranger.

The overwhelming amber scent of her pheromones flooded Mowan Ci’s senses, dulling her thoughts and weakening her body. She instinctively clung to Jiang Si, her own vulnerability as a yin-born clearly exposed.

There was fear, but even more than that, she worried about what was happening to Jiang Si.

“My neck… it really hurts…”

The pain twisted Jiang Si’s features. She trembled as she gripped Mowan Ci’s shoulders, struggling to steady herself just enough to speak.

Not since the Seven-Day Bonding had her neck ached like this. Mowan Ci had always indulged her in those moments, letting her do as she pleased. But now, something felt terribly wrong.

It felt like Jiang Si was holding Mowan Ci, yet not truly grasping her at all.

“Mowan Ci, can you come just a little closer?” she asked softly, eyes half-lidded.

But Mowan Ci trembled, her body stiff, showing no sign of moving closer. In fact, she seemed afraid.

Jiang Si’s mind was clouded, unable to make sense of Mowan Ci’s reaction. She simply followed instinct and pulled her into an embrace, her breath warm against Mowan Ci’s ear. The amber scent of her pheromones reached out, trying to draw in Mowan Ci’s snow lotus fragrance.

Again and again, she tried.

But then Jiang Si noticed something.

Mowan Ci had not released her scent at all. Only her own pheromones filled the air, tangled and unreciprocated.

The realization hit her.

Her gaze slowly darkened.

She loosened her arms, letting them fall away. Then she sank down to the floor, sitting motionless, her expression hollow as she looked up at Mowan Ci.

The words that had been buried in her heart for so long finally slipped out.

“What’s been going on with you these days?”

She paused, her voice quiet and uncertain.

“What kind of dream did you have that night… that made you act like this?”

Jiang Si knew exactly when things between them had started to feel wrong. It was that night, after the ceremony.

Mowan Ci looked at her, then lowered her head. A long silence passed before she finally lifted her eyes, as if gathering all her courage.

“Jiang Si,” she said, her voice trembling, “I dreamed… that you were trying to kill me.”

Support