Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 91

It clearly hadn’t felt painful yesterday…

Ye Xuejin reached out and touched the red mark on her neck. For a fleeting moment, the scenes from last night flooded back into her mind. Her fingertips twitched; along with a sense of bashfulness, her eyes held a hint of curiosity.

This mirror reflected one’s image with startling clarity. It was the first time she had seen her own features so vividly.

Having heard no movement for a long while, Yun Chi couldn’t help but open her eyes. She saw Ye Xuejin pressing an index finger against the glass, her expression deep, as if she were investigating something entirely alien.

“It’s called glass. It can also be completely transparent. Making it isn’t actually that complicated; the main material is just sand.”

Yun Chi vaguely remembered her middle school teacher explaining the process of making glass, but she had long since forgotten the specific steps and ratios.

Ye Xuejin touched the smooth surface, her eyes wide with astonishment. “Such a divine object is made from sand?”

If the primary ingredient was sand, wouldn’t the cost be incredibly low? If the Kingdom of Dashao could master such a craft—never mind benefiting the common people—the returns from trading with foreign nations would be astronomical. At that point, there would be no need to worry about the national treasury.

Thinking of this, Ye Xuejin stared intensely at the mirror. Her gaze flickered with calculation for a moment, but in the end, she said nothing. She already relied on her deity too much; in some moments, she had to learn to be content.

However, a simple sentence from Yun Chi pulled back the thought she had just suppressed.

“If I remember correctly, it’s mostly sand, and the method isn’t that hard.”

Yun Chi saw that she was moved. She thought that if she wished for the method to manufacture glass from the Golden Finger, she would likely get it. Regardless, she wanted to help Ye Xuejin as much as possible now—as a way of not letting this time together, or their journey, go to waste.

Ye Xuejin clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palm to force herself to change the subject. “The Consort is truly knowledgeable. However, we should discuss going out soon.”

She couldn’t be greedy. She should not demand more of her deity, and she never would.

Yun Chi raised an eyebrow. She’s not interested in glass? And she wants to go out this early? “Going out now? Has the plan changed?”

Ye Xuejin turned her head and smiled slightly. “Has the Consort forgotten? I made an appointment with Shi Niang yesterday.”

Regardless of success or failure, they were to meet in the forest at the same time.

Yun Chi remembered—the night mission to infiltrate the Governor’s manor. They had to go out. She glanced at the mark on Ye Xuejin’s neck. With a sudden thought, she got out of bed and hurried to the Princess.

“For you.”

Ye Xuejin cooperatively took the compressed biscuit handed to her, her attention fixed on the person before her. In the next instant, a snow-white silk scarf appeared out of thin air in Yun Chi’s hand.

“Let me wrap it for you.”

Ye Xuejin lowered her eyes and gave a soft “Mm.”

The scarf was soft and light, feeling like nothing at all, yet it seemed to possess a certain magic that tugged at the heartstrings. Yun Chi looked at the purplish-red mark on that snowy skin, struggling to steady her breath as she focused on her task. Afterward, she guided Ye Xuejin by the shoulders toward the full-length mirror.

“Doesn’t it look good!”

Ye Xuejin gazed at herself in the mirror, then shifted her gaze slightly to meet the clean, clear eyes of the woman behind her. For a moment, she forgot to speak.

As their eyes met, Yun Chi instinctively looked away, but then reconsidered and looked back boldly. “You don’t like it?”

In the mirror, Ye Xuejin watched her fixedly, her tone deep. “This Princess likes it very much.”

Looking at the person in the mirror, Yun Chi suddenly had the strange illusion that Ye Xuejin wasn’t talking about the scarf, but about her. Snapping out of it, she scolded herself inwardly—when had she become so narcissistic?

“As long as you like it.”

Ye Xuejin continued to stare straight at her, her voice slow and sincere. “It is a perfect match.”

Yun Chi’s breath hitched. It’s over; I definitely feel like she’s talking about me now. She must not have gone crazy enough last night; she was still losing it, and her narcissism was getting out of hand.

“I think so too. It suits you perfectly.”

Ye Xuejin suddenly laughed, a gentle sound. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight. “Consort, hurry and dress. Do not catch a cold.”

She also felt that she and the Consort were the perfect match.

Yun Chi nodded. After a quick bite to eat, they headed out toward the meeting point.

“Your subordinates pay respects to Your Highness and the Consort.” Yu Lu and Shi Niang seemed to have been waiting for a long time, standing by the road watching for them. They had been at the city gates since before dawn and had rushed over the moment the gates opened. They had successfully infiltrated the Governor’s manor last night and met with Governor Zhou.

“And?” Ye Xuejin’s face was calm, though she was satisfied. Regardless of success, the fact that these two could appear here unharmed meant the outcome wasn’t bad.

The two subordinates exchanged a look, and Shi Niang silently lowered her head.

Yu Lu thought for a moment and reported in detail: “When I scouted the manor again last night, thanks to Shi Niang’s backup, I was able to see Governor Zhou…”

In truth, Shi Niang had acted willfully and run to the manor alone. But the manor was guarded like an iron bucket and filled with traps; it wasn’t an easy place to enter. Fortunately, he had caught up in time, and through their coordination, they finally managed to see Governor Zhou.

“The manor is heavily guarded, so we couldn’t stay long. Fortunately, Governor Zhou was prepared.” With that, Yu Lu pulled a letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Ye Xuejin took it and opened it. The contents mostly matched what Qi Mingyan had said: Zhu Yan’s identity, his actions, his influence, and the fact that the deaths of the previous two Governors were his handiwork. Finally, Governor Zhou pledged his loyalty and earnestly asked for her help.

Ye Xuejin closed the letter and looked at Yu Lu and Shi Niang. “Return to the city immediately. Shi Niang and Shi Lan will stay in the city to continue gathering news. Yu Lu, bring everyone else who can fight to me.”

“Yes!” Yu Lu couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. People who can fight! That meant another big battle. The fight at the city gates had been so satisfying; he hadn’t had his fill yet.

As he rose, Shi Niang did not follow. Ye Xuejin looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Does Shi Niang have an objection?”

Shi Niang kept her head low and said muffledly, “I wouldn’t dare. I know I was wrong.” She didn’t know why Yu Lu had covered for her, but if she was wrong, she was wrong. She admitted it.

Ye Xuejin glanced at Yu Lu and asked coolly, “Oh? What did Shi Niang do wrong?”

Yu Lu felt guilty and sheepishly turned his head away. He just felt they would have to work together in the future, so he had tried to smooth things over.

Shi Niang prostrated herself in a deep bow. “I should not have been arrogant and underestimated the enemy. I should not have acted impulsively. Had Master Yu not arrived in time, I might have alerted the enemy.” She might have even been trapped in the manor. Thinking of last night, her voice grew more solemn. “I know my mistake. I beg Your Highness for punishment.”

Shi Niang sensed that even if she didn’t say it, the Princess had seen through everything—otherwise, why leave only her and Shi Lan in the city? Shi Lan was scholarly and couldn’t keep up in a fight, so staying behind made sense, but Shi Niang had always been a strong fighter.

Ye Xuejin accepted the bow without expression and didn’t tell her to rise immediately. After a moment of silence, she said, “Since you know your mistake, you must correct it. I do not wish for you to make the same error again.”

Her words carried a double meaning, hinting that she should stop her wandering thoughts and stay obediently in the city. Shi Niang understood, knocked her head against the ground, and said “Yes,” not daring to say more.

Only then did Ye Xuejin allow her to rise. She looked at Yu Lu. “Remember, go and return quickly. Bring the men directly to me.”

“Understood!” Yu Lu answered loudly. At the thought of what was coming, he was impatient. He had been looking forward to another round; this time, he would fight to his heart’s content.

Watching them leave, Ye Xuejin turned to Yun Chi and handed over Governor Zhou’s letter. “What does the Consort think of this Governor Zhou?”

Yun Chi read it and handed it back. “If nothing else, this Governor Zhou is very patient.” To have his power stripped shortly after arriving in Yangzhou and to endure for years while uncovering all of Zhu Yan’s secrets—he was quite the character.

Ye Xuejin curled her lips. “He can adapt to circumstances. Though he is timid, his loyalty remains. He can be used.” Governor Zhou was clearly someone who knew how to read the situation; otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived this long. He could likely be turned to her service.

Yun Chi nodded. “Shall we head back then?”

Ye Xuejin shook her head slightly. “Let’s go to the mine.” Qi Mingyan and Zhou Qiyue should have just arrived there. No matter the situation, no backup was as reliable as she and the Consort going personally.

“I’ll follow your lead.” Yun Chi started walking forward, looking straight ahead. Her hand swayed slightly as she tried to casually grab Ye Xuejin’s hand. But the moment she touched her, her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively pulled away.

Ye Xuejin stopped, her lashes fluttering. “Consort.”

“Hmm? What is it?” Yun Chi acted confused, though she was panicking inside. They were already used to holding hands and hugging, but for some reason, after last night, any physical contact with Ye Xuejin made her incredibly nervous in a way she couldn’t describe.

Ye Xuejin said nothing. She watched her for a moment, then slowly extended her hand.

Yun Chi’s heart pounded. Dazed, she raised her hand and interlaced their fingers. Subconsciously, she pulled, bringing the Princess into a hug.

Ye Xuejin was startled and quickly turned her head away. “Consort, business comes first.”

Yun Chi’s face flushed. She awkwardly released the hug, only holding her hand. The atmosphere went quiet as neither spoke while they walked toward the mine.

After a while, Yun Chi calmed down and tried to break the silence. “I know business comes first. I wasn’t… thinking about that just now.” Her reputation couldn’t be ruined further.

Ye Xuejin let out a light laugh. “Very well. The Consort wasn’t thinking about it.”

That laugh made Yun Chi’s face turn even redder. In a moment of lightheadedness, she blurted out, “I really wasn’t thinking about it at first, but you kept looking at me, and that look made me…” Her heart was a mess, her brain wasn’t working, and she had only one thought: I want to kiss her.

Now, Ye Xuejin’s face turned red too. She pursed her lips, unconsciously tightening her grip on Yun Chi’s fingers, and asked in a low, slow voice, “The look made the Consort do what?”

Since they had come this far, Yun Chi decided to just give up on her dignity. “Fine, I admit I’ve been thinking about it since I woke up. The moment I saw you, I wanted to kiss you again.” Reputations be damned—could she kiss them? She was giving up.

Ye Xuejin’s footsteps faltered. She suddenly pulled her hand back and strode forward. “Scoundrel.” Shameless.

Those three words, filled with a mix of annoyance and playfulness, hung in the air, making one’s heart itch. Yun Chi instinctively clutched her chest, where her heart was thumping like a drum. She smiled unknowingly and quickly chased after her.

A gentle breeze blew, stirring the ends of Ye Xuejin’s hair. It fluttered in the wind, swaying right into the heart of the person following behind.