Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 123

Seeing the anticipation in Yun Chi’s eyes, Ye Xuejin asked casually, “Have you met Qianhua before, Consort?”

Yun Chi shook her head instinctively. “No, that’s exactly why I want to see her.”

Ye Xuejin’s expression grew a fraction more serious. She spoke slowly, “Is it that I am so utterly untrustworthy to you, Consort?”

Yun Chi was left completely dazed by the remark. How had the conversation suddenly shifted to a matter of trust? Weren’t they talking about the heroine?

“No, that’s not it.”

Ye Xuejin looked at her deeply. “If I recall correctly, the reason you believed Wu Hu’s dream was that you occasionally see ‘images of the future,’ is that right?”

Yun Chi finally understood the trap. After the realization came a sense of distress; she had been almost entirely transparent with Ye Xuejin, save for one thing: the fact that this was a world inside a novel. Because she hadn’t explained it clearly, loopholes were bound to appear—especially with someone as difficult to fool as Ye Xuejin.

Before Yun Chi could figure out how to patch the story, Ye Xuejin continued, “You needn’t trouble yourself to placate me. Return to your room for now; I wish to see Qianhua alone.”

Her tone was light, as if she were brushing the topic aside effortlessly.

Yun Chi was speechless. So, if I don’t explain myself clearly, I’m just out of the loop? She was essentially getting the same treatment as Zhu Yan—if she wasn’t sincere, she had to be excluded.

She helplessly took Ye Xuejin’s hand. “If I don’t tell you, would you really send me away?”

Ye Xuejin’s eyes flickered, but her expression remained indifferent. “Naturally.”

Yun Chi gripped her hand tighter, finding the situation both frustrating and amusing. “Does Her Highness have to be so cold to me? Even after we just bared our hearts to each other, you treat me the same as Zhu Yan?”

Her words sounded deeply aggrieved, enough to make anyone feel a twinge of guilt.

Ye Xuejin withdrew her hand and turned her head away. “If you wish to stay, then stay. There is no need to mock me so.”

This person truly knew her heart and realized that she wouldn’t actually do anything to her. Ye Xuejin wasn’t necessarily trying to force the truth, but the thought of Yun Chi still hiding things left her feeling uneasy.

Yun Chi took her hand again. “Since I’ve decided to stay, I have no intention of keeping secrets from you. But some things are truly difficult to explain all at once. Grant me some time to think, and when the moment is right, I will tell you everything. What does Her Highness think?”

With that, she gave Ye Xuejin’s hand a little shake and flashed a bright smile.

Ye Xuejin watched her for a moment before finally nodding. “Very well.”

As they sat waiting in the study, Ye Xuejin sighed softly, her eyes fixed on the desk. “I do not distrust you, Consort. Do not overthink it.”

Yun Chi smiled. “I know. You are simply cautious by nature. You shouldn’t overthink it either.”

Their eyes met, and Ye Xuejin felt a faint stir of emotion. Since the exile began, she had grown accustomed to defensive caution. Similarly, she had maintained her habit of self-reflection. Earlier, in the heat of the moment, she hadn’t noticed, but reflecting now, she realized her attitude toward Yun Chi had been a bit improper.

Yun Chi was her Consort, different from everyone else. Since they had decided to spend their lives together, they shouldn’t be guarded against one another.

Before long, Shushi’s voice came from outside. “Your Highness, the Military Strategist and the Imperial Noble Consort have arrived.”

Ye Xuejin gave her orders: “Please invite the Noble Consort in. Mingyan has had an exhausting journey; let her rest in her room for a while and come by later.”

The door opened, and a young “scholar” dressed in a moon-white robe walked in.

“He’an, I trust you have been well?” The youth was very slender, with delicate features. She looked at Ye Xuejin with a smile, a hint of softness in her eyes.

Yun Chi raised an eyebrow. This youth in men’s clothing was undoubtedly the heroine, Tao Qianhua.

Ye Xuejin smiled gently. “Qianhua, I trust you have been well too. Please, sit.”

Tao Qianhua blinked playfully and made a show of smoothing her robes in a stiff, formal manner. “This subject has not yet paid her respects to Your Highness.” Though she said this, her movements were slow, as if testing Ye Xuejin’s reaction.

Ye Xuejin’s gaze paused for a microsecond before she stood up. Tao Qianhua dropped to her knees. “This subject pays her respects to the Eldest Princess.”

The gesture was improper for someone of her current rank, and her words were informal. Ye Xuejin feigned ignorance, stepped forward, and personally helped her up. “Rise quickly. Even if you weren’t one of the four high-ranking consorts now, you wouldn’t need to observe such formalities with me.”

And you certainly shouldn’t be calling yourself ‘this subject,’ Ye Xuejin thought.

To the side, Yun Chi was secretly amazed. This scene didn’t look at all like what Ye Xuejin had described—no “mere social etiquette” or “shallow friendship.” They looked quite devoted to one another.

Tao Qianhua stood up gracefully and sat down. Just as she was about to speak, she looked toward Yun Chi, as if only just noticing another person was in the room.

“Yun Chi, my Princess Consort,” Ye Xuejin introduced. Then, she paused and added, “Qianhua, the Imperial Noble Consort.”

Tao Qianhua studied Yun Chi openly. Her tone was neutral. “So this is Your Highness’s Consort. I have heard much about you.”

Yun Chi nodded. “Noble Consort.”

With the introductions finished, Ye Xuejin looked at Tao Qianhua. “Why are you dressed like this, Qianhua?”

Tao Qianhua retracted her gaze, her voice softening. “Is Your Highness not curious as to why I appeared in the Southern Border?”

The He’an she knew was not such a careless person who only looked at the surface. After being apart for so long, they had indeed grown distant.

Ye Xuejin chuckled. “I am curious, of course. But I thought that since we have plenty of time ahead of us, you would eventually satisfy my curiosity, wouldn’t you?”

If she asked directly, it would seem forced. Deflecting was the appropriate response to such an unexpected arrival.

Tao Qianhua nodded with a smile. “I should indeed explain. Traveling is inconvenient for a woman, hence the disguise.”

Her explanation was just as deflective as the question. Yun Chi listened to them trade pleasantries, their voices growing gentler by the second, but their words were like flying arrows—one wrong move and you’d be hit. It was exhausting!

Finally, Ye Xuejin got to the point. “I heard from Shi Niang that you had entered the Palace. By right, you shouldn’t be in the Southern Border. Did… ‘that person’ do something to displease you?”

Tao Qianhua sighed deeply. “You know I never wanted to enter the Palace; I was forced by circumstance. Now that I’ve had a rare chance to leave, I had to find you to put my mind at ease.”

Ye Xuejin didn’t press further. “You are most kind. I shouldn’t keep you here with small talk after your long journey. Please, go and rest. Treat the manor as your own.”

Once Tao Qianhua left, the smile faded from Ye Xuejin’s lips. “What do you think of her, Consort?”

“The Noble Consort looks delicate and speaks softly,” Yun Chi said plainly, “but she is very cautious. Her guard is high.”

Ye Xuejin knitted her brows. “Indeed. She is far more calculating than she used to be.”

Back then, one was the beloved Eldest Princess and the other was the Prime Minister’s daughter. They talked of poetry and hobbies, never politics. Now, their statuses had shifted drastically, and their attitudes had followed suit.

“Did you manage to glean anything from that testing just now?” Yun Chi asked humbly, having heard nothing but fluff.