Transmigrated as the Doomed Scumbag Alpha of the Eldest Princess - Chapter 87

“How are you feeling?”

“How is the baby?”

Jiang Si ignored the unease in her chest and asked both questions one after the other. But Mowan Ci continued to look at her with the same cold and distant expression.

Jiang Si felt a bit dazed. It was as if the person who had clung to her just half a month ago, asking her to stay until she fell asleep, was not Mowan Ci at all.

It felt like none of that had ever happened.

The discomfort in her heart kept growing.

Mowan Ci said nothing. Jiang Si sat beside her, watching her quietly, waiting for her to respond.

After a long silence, Mowan Ci finally moved her fingers slightly and shifted her gaze away from Jiang Si.

But her expression still did not change.

In a cold voice, she said, “I’m fine. The baby is fine too.”

Jiang Si didn’t know how to respond. She spoke in a flat tone.

“That’s good to hear.”

“Then why did you want to see me?” she asked.

Why?

Mowan Ci tilted her head slightly. That small movement was the first sign of emotion since Jiang Si entered.

But looking at her, Jiang Si still felt uneasy.

She clenched her fists and glanced at Mowan Ci again. Mowan Ci had lowered her eyes and didn’t reply. She looked as if she hadn’t heard the question at all.

Jiang Si opened her mouth again, wanting to say something. More than that, she wanted to reach out and take Mowan Ci’s hand.

But Mowan Ci pulled away quickly, as if by instinct.

Jiang Si froze in place. She realized that Mowan Ci had regained a lot of strength. But what she couldn’t understand was why she was acting this way.

Then Mowan Ci looked past her, toward the table.

The meal Jiang Si had prepared the night before was still there, untouched.

This had never happened before. For the past several days, Mowan Ci had always finished the food Jiang Si sent. Seeing the untouched dishes, Jiang Si didn’t know what to think.

She could have asked why Mowan Ci didn’t eat, but something in her stopped her from doing so.

Because the way Mowan Ci looked at her now made it clear that no answer she gave would bring comfort.

The silence between them dragged on until Jiang Si could no longer sit still. She stood up, looked directly at Mowan Ci, and asked in a trembling voice, “What is going on with you?”

Mowan Ci’s eyes were blank. After a pause, she asked, “What should be going on?”

“You should…”

But Jiang Si couldn’t finish the sentence.

Should she be like Jiang Si, missing her every day they were apart, wanting to say so much now that they were together again?

In that moment, Jiang Si began to understand what Lan Shao meant when she said Mowan Ci had changed.

She was no longer the woman who used to hold her hand and ask her to stay.

Jiang Si stood there, confused and speechless, staring at her without knowing what to say.

Mowan Ci spoke again in a quiet voice.

“Jiang Si, you really are different now.”

Then, without saying anything more, she added, “I’m tired.”

Jiang Si didn’t argue. She turned and walked out.

At the doorway, she saw Wei Nian and Zhi Miao. She wanted to ask what had happened to Mowan Ci, but before she could speak, she heard a voice behind her.

“Zhi Miao, close the door.”

Zhi Miao stepped inside and closed it. Wei Nian stayed at her post, watching as Jiang Si walked unsteadily down the stairs.

Without much thought, Wei Nian followed her down.

“Your Grace,” she called out.

“What is it?” Jiang Si turned around. When she saw it was Wei Nian, she quickly collected herself. Her face looked calm, no different from usual. But everything she felt just moments ago had been clearly seen by Wei Nian.

Wei Nian bowed slightly and said, “Your Grace, Her Highness has been having nightmares these past few days. When she wakes, she just sits in bed, staring blankly.”

“She might still be frightened. That’s probably why she seems this way now. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“I understand,” Jiang Si replied quietly. Then she looked up and asked, “Before she asked to see me today, what was she like?”

“She…”

Wei Nian hesitated. Jiang Si saw her pause, smiled bitterly to herself, and turned to leave without pressing further.

Just as she stepped away, she heard Wei Nian speak softly behind her.

“Her Highness cried for a long time.”

Mowan Ci cried?

Earlier, all Jiang Si had seen was her coldness. But now, with Wei Nian’s words in mind, she recalled something.

Mowan Ci’s eyes had looked a little red and swollen.

In that moment, Jiang Si didn’t know what to do at all.

She had heard that during pregnancy, some people experienced extreme emotional swings that they couldn’t control. In more serious cases, it could even lead to symptoms of depression.

Could Mowan Ci be going through something like that?

Her expression shifted slightly from self-mockery to concern as she asked Wei Nian seriously how Mowan Ci had been these past few days.

Although she had received occasional updates from Lan Shao, it was not the same as hearing from someone like Wei Nian or Zhi Miao, who were always by Mowan Ci’s side.

“Her Highness has been sleeping a lot. Most of her day is spent in bed, and when she wakes, her mood tends to be poor. These past two days have been especially difficult. She wakes with red eyes and barely eats.”

“Today, she began crying for no clear reason.”

“I asked her about it, but she didn’t say a single word,” Wei Nian replied, her face filled with worry. As she spoke, she let out several sighs. She had thought that having Jiang Si visit would lift Mowan Ci’s spirits, but instead, it seemed to have made Jiang Si feel worse.

Jiang Si didn’t say anything in response. She went downstairs to find Lan Shao, hoping to speak with her about Mowan Ci’s condition.

But Lan Shao wasn’t on the second floor, so she headed to the deck to look for her.

As soon as she arrived and saw her, before she could speak, Lan Shao said calmly, “Her Highness is carrying a heavy heart. It might be better to give her some time.”

Jiang Si’s words got caught in her throat. She sighed and leaned against the railing beside Lan Shao.

She still didn’t understand why Mowan Ci had called for her today.

Now she didn’t want to stay, but she didn’t feel like leaving either.

By evening, Jiang Si finally had an idea. She asked Lin to fetch a durian from the ship’s storage. She was going to make durian cake for Mowan Ci.

Last time, Mowan Ci hadn’t had a chance to eat it before falling ill. This time, Jiang Si had already checked with Lan Shao, and Mowan Ci’s condition had stabilized. The new suppressant patch she was using was also more effective than before.

It should be enough to let her bring the dessert over again.

But she hesitated.

She went up to the third floor but didn’t enter the room. Instead, she gave the cake to Wei Nian and left quickly.

After that, every few days, she would prepare a dessert or some sweets for Mowan Ci. The main meals were still delivered without fail.

The construction of the new houses was nearly complete. Jiang Si looked over the main residence she had prepared for herself and Mowan Ci and felt satisfied. She began to think that the two-month period was nearly over, and soon, she might invite Mowan Ci to move in.

But at the same time, she felt unsure and uneasy. It had been so long since they last saw each other.

She was afraid that their relationship might grow distant.

She had always believed herself to be someone who, once determined, would move forward without hesitation. Yet now, she found herself avoiding the very person she missed the most.

Late at night, she sat on the roof, staring in the direction of the third floor of the ship where Mowan Ci stayed.

Tomorrow was the day she would set out for Wuzhou Island.

After all this time, Lady Xiao Su of Wuzhou had finally agreed to meet and discuss things in detail.

But she had no idea how long this trip would last.

Though she and Mowan Ci had hardly seen each other lately, she still felt that their distance was not great. At the closest moments, only a door had separated them. But after tomorrow, that door would become a sea.

Wuzhou Island was one of the farthest islands from Luzhou in all of Donghai. Just traveling there and back would take a full day. She was going there to negotiate, and that alone would take several more days.

Her heart felt heavy with reluctance, but she knew this was an important opportunity. If she could win Xiao Su’s support, it would mean more than half of Donghai’s islands would open trade with the mainland. The profits would be immense.

She sighed and decided that, to ease her restless thoughts, she would spend the night watching over Mowan Ci from afar.

It didn’t change anything, but it brought her some peace.

At dawn, she returned to her room to wash and dress. Then she gathered the Jingwei guards and boarded the ship, heading for Wuzhou Island.

Wuzhou Island was heavily guarded, completely different from how they had arrived at Luzhou Island. Xiao Qin handled most of the communication.

During the half month Lan Shao had spent with her and Xiao Gu, something must have been agreed upon. Xiao Qin now fully trusted her. It was thanks to Xiao Qin that contact with Wuzhou had been possible at all.

Xiao Qin could move freely within the island, but for Jiang Si and the other Qianyuan, things were much more difficult than expected.

It felt as if all the rules were designed to restrict Qianyuan.

Inside the borders of Wuzhou, Xiao Qin gave Jiang Si a small apologetic smile.

“Lan Shao asked me to do everything I could to help you, and I intend to keep that promise. But once we are here, the rules must still be followed.”

“Any Qianyuan entering or exiting must be covered with special suppressant powder. Not even the faintest trace of pheromones is allowed.”

As soon as she finished speaking, several Qianyuan guards of Wuzhou Island stepped forward and began sprinkling the powder around them. Xiao Qin stood nearby and explained, “This powder will only temporarily prevent you from using your pheromones.”

“It won’t harm you in any way.”

Jiang Si did not want to go along with it. Besides the few soldiers who couldn’t avoid being dusted, Wu Tai and Lin had quickly stepped back and now stood beside Jiang Si.

Lan Shao had told her before departure that Xiao Qin could be trusted. Even so, Jiang Si felt something was wrong.

She was just about to tell Fang Lin and Wu Tai to stay outside when a commotion rose behind them.

The palace steps of Wuzhou Island were tall, and they had climbed them on foot. But the group approaching from behind seemed to be arriving in a soft sedan chair.

As the group drew nearer, Jiang Si could see clearly.

Someone really was being carried up in a soft sedan.

When she looked over again, she immediately recognized the people around the sedan chair.

Zhi Miao, Wei Nian, and several of Mowan Ci’s personal guards.

She didn’t even need to guess. The person inside that sedan had to be Mowan Ci, who was supposed to still be on Luzhou Island.

Jiang Si’s eyes widened in shock. She instinctively grabbed Wu Tai’s shoulder. He flinched from the pain and turned to look at her. Following her gaze, he also stared at the approaching group.

“Your Grace, why is Her Highness here?” Wu Tai asked, clearly confused.

Jiang Si didn’t have an answer either.

Looking more closely, she noticed that only a few people surrounded Mowan Ci. Just her trusted guards, along with Zhi Miao and Wei Nian.

There was no sign of heavy protection, no extra escort. It felt completely unguarded.

A wave of anxiety rose in Jiang Si’s chest. She didn’t understand why Mowan Ci had come here without warning. She stepped around Wu Tai and Lin and quickly walked over. Lifting the curtain of the sedan, she saw her.

Mowan Ci wore a deep red ruqun that made her skin look even more delicate and soft. Compared to the last time Jiang Si had seen her, her complexion was much better.

It had been nearly a month since they last met. Though filled with questions, Jiang Si was mostly overcome with joy. She immediately grabbed Mowan Ci’s hand, unable to hide her smile.

“Wanci, why did you suddenly come here?”

“I…” Mowan Ci began, but before she could say more, a sharp voice interrupted.

“Let go.”

The harsh tone made Jiang Si freeze. Only then did she really look at Mowan Ci’s face.

Her expression was blank. Her eyes were completely cold.

Jiang Si felt as if she had fallen into ice water. She took a few steps back.

Last time, she had tried to convince herself that Mowan Ci was just in a bad mood.

This time, there was no fooling herself.

Because the look in Mowan Ci’s eyes was filled with hostility.

The curtain dropped.

Jiang Si watched the sedan pass right by her, completely unbothered, and then proceed into the Wuzhou Palace without any resistance.

She stood there, humiliated in front of Wuzhou Island’s guards, like a fool.

But she couldn’t care about that now. Her mind was spinning, filled with emotion and confusion. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand Mowan Ci.

Why had she come?

Why was she looking at her like that?

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