Traveling to the Ancient Times to Rely on Love and Marrying a Shadow After O - Chapter 2

Summer mornings dawned early. A young servant in the Fu household, still half-asleep, was shuffling along the path when he suddenly tripped over something and jolted awake. He was about to turn around and curse his bad luck when he caught sight of the slender figure of the family’s eldest young miss and swallowed his words.

He let out a yelp, convincing himself he must still be groggy from waking up too early and seeing things.

Never mind the rumors he’d heard from others about the overwhelming scent of osmanthus that had filled the mansion the night before. Even if the young lady hadn’t gotten married last night, there was no way she’d be up this early!

Rubbing his eyes, he yawned and stood still, relieved that he was just an ordinary Beta. But the more he stared at the person crouched on the ground, curled into a ball, the more awake he became and the more she looked like the young lady.

“Young Miss!” he blurted out, startled. “Why are you crouching on the ground?!”

“…” Fu Yi was roused by his noise, her delicate brows furrowed from a restless night. She lifted her gaze to the servant, fragments of last night’s compromising scenes replaying in her mind.

Fu Yi would describe it as she had lost her mind.

She had actually bitten an innocent woman’s scent gland and then run away!

In the upper realm, she’d be labeled a scoundrel! A rogue Alpha!

In the lower realm, she might be called a heartless cad, a disgrace to womanly virtue!

Fu Yi scratched her head, completely ignoring the person standing beside her. Only when she finally calmed down did she look up and ask, “Who are you?”

“Young Miss! I’m A-Ji! Have you lost your mind?”

“…” Fu Yi stood up and glared at A-Ji, then tilted her head and circled him, scrutinizing him so intently that he grew flustered.

“Young Miss,” A-Ji shielded himself, pleading, “You’ve always had a habit of flirting with sweet Omegas, but surely one conquest last night wasn’t enough, you wouldn’t actually.”

“A-Ji is a Beta!” He took a few steps back. “Young Miss, have your standards really fallen this low?”

“If you’re still unsatisfied, you could ask the master to summon a few more Omegas. After all, it’s common for Alphas to have multiple wives and concubines.”

“Ugh!” Fu Yi couldn’t take it anymore and smacked A-Ji on the shoulder. Even though she held back, the force of an Alpha’s strength sent A-Ji crumpling to the ground in pain. “Young Miss, spare me! A-Ji spoke out of turn!”

“Listen,” Fu Yi crouched in front of A-Ji and pointed at him. “I’m the young miss, and my name is Fu Yi?”

“Y-yes.” A-Ji looked at her as if she were an idiot. “Young Miss, did Ye Xunshu do something to you? Why do you seem genuinely addled?”

Fu Yi raised her hand again, and A-Ji immediately begged for mercy. “From now on, I’ll ask questions, and you’ll answer truthfully,” she ordered.

A-Ji nodded frantically.

After a rapid-fire interrogation, Fu Yi gained a basic understanding of this world and her current identity.

As it turned out, the body she had transmigrated into belonged to someone who shared her name Fu Yi, the only daughter of the Fu family, the wealthiest merchant clan in Yangzhou. The Fu family had doted on this sole heir, spoiling her into a good-for-nothing who did nothing but chase after romantic dalliances.

To make matters worse, this “Fu Yi” was an Alpha. In this world, Alphas seemed to inherently rank above Betas and Omegas in other words, Alphas here could have multiple wives and concubines, even visit pleasure houses for Omegas.

In Yangzhou City, everyone knew what a passionate soul the treasured daughter of the Fu family was. Even those who coveted the Fu family’s wealth didn’t want to sacrifice their own children’s happiness. Thus, although Fu Yi had reached the age suitable for marrying an Omega a year ago, the matter had been delayed until now.

And Ye Xunshu hadn’t willingly married into the Fu family either.

The Ye family dealt in the tea trade, while the Fu family were cloth merchants. With changing consumer preferences, the tea business had become increasingly difficult in recent years. A year ago, when the Ye family faced financial hardship, Ye Xunshu’s father signed a contract with Fu Yi’s father, using his daughter as collateral to borrow a thousand taels of silver from the Fu family.

A year later, a recent drought in Yangzhou pushed the Ye family into bankruptcy. Unable to repay the remaining five hundred taels, they had no choice but to hand over their daughter.

Fu Yi nodded pensively.

So, in places where civilization was underdeveloped, even marriage wasn’t a matter of personal choice.

She recalled Ye Xunshu’s demeanor last night, as an Omega, not only could she not decide her own marriage, but in that situation, even resistance was forbidden due to her physiology.

Arranged marriages and matchmakers’ words were truly harmful.

At least she hadn’t done anything irreversible.

She had only taken a bite just one bite.

And it was the other party’s own request!

The more Fu Yi thought about it, the more unsettled she felt, her mouth inexplicably drying up as she recalled the faint scent of osmanthus mixed with blood from last night.

Unbeknownst to her, a faint blush crept onto her fair cheeks.

“Miss, could that Ye Xunshu be some kind of enchantress?” Aji blurted out, staring at Fu Yi in disbelief. “You’ve never been like this before. Has she bewitched you or something.”

“Aji, now that she’s married into the Fu family, she’s the young madam,” Fu Yi covered her mouth as she sneezed, feeling dizzy, as if still suffering from last night’s aftereffects.

“Young Madam,” Fu Yi continued. “If you keep disrespectfully calling her an enchantress or using her name, don’t blame me for telling Father to dismiss you. That means firing you, kicking you out of the Fu family.”

Aji didn’t understand the part about “firing,” but he grasped the last sentence and immediately corrected himself. “Last night, the scent of osmanthus was so strong the whole city must’ve known you were getting married. Since you and the young madam are so affectionate, you must’ve overexerted yourself. Miss, you should go inside and rest, don’t catch a cold.”

“Hmm, you make sense.” Fu Yi noticed Aji’s strange expression, as if he was suppressing laughter. But what was there to laugh about? She took a deep breath, realizing that cooling herself in the night breeze last night might have given her a chill.

“Still, you got one thing wrong.” Fu Yi let Aji lead her to the side room next to her bridal chamber to rest. Muttering to herself, she said, “I was outside all night in the wind, I didn’t overexert myself.”

If anything, the only exertion had been that one bite, but that shouldn’t have affected her.

Fu Yi had only managed to suppress her feverish restlessness very late last night and had planned to return to her room to catch up on sleep. Next door was Ye Xunshu’s room last night, the other woman had seemed in worse shape than her and was probably still asleep. There was no rush to see her until she woke.

With that thought, Fu Yi drowsily lay down and fell asleep.

Aji had only taken a few steps away, still mulling over the words his mistress had muttered under her breath. Suddenly, it dawned on him, and he was utterly shocked.

Had the young madam no, the enchantress kicked the miss out of the room?!

An Alpha being driven out by an Omega on their wedding night.

This was definitely not something to spread around.

He was going to tell the master and mistress!

When one’s mind is preoccupied with something, it’s easy to lose control while walking. Ye Xunshu, holding onto the doorframe, had just stepped out when she nearly collided with Aji.

“Young Madam!” Aji stumbled, barely managing to stop himself, breaking out in a cold sweat.

If the young lady found out he had almost run straight into the young madam, wouldn’t he be fired on the spot?

Ye Xunshu had spent the night alone in a room saturated with the scent of AO pheromones, the flush at the corners of her eyes stubbornly refusing to fade. A sleepless night had left her looking utterly frail.

“Fu Yi,” Ye Xunshu spoke softly, asking him, “Where is Sister Fu Yi?”

Aji froze for a moment. “The young lady, she…” He pointed toward the neighboring room.

Ye Xunshu followed his gesture with her gaze, saying nothing. Then, with great difficulty, she steadied herself against the wall and began walking step by step in that direction.

“Ah, Young Madam,” Aji said, seeing how she looked ready to collapse at any moment and fearing an accident. “The young lady is asleep. Perhaps you should freshen up first.”

But Ye Xunshu paid no attention to Aji, swaying as she continued on her own. She was still wearing the wedding dress from the night before.

The dress was heavy, following an ancient traditional design. The night before, under the influence of pheromones, the neckline had been torn open, but now it had been neatly fastened again.

Yet the bright red of the dress only accentuated the pallor of her face, as if she had endured a night of torment, making her all the more pitiable.

Fu Yi, deep in slumber, dreamt of fragments of the past, completely unaware that the door had opened and someone had entered.

Ye Xunshu felt as though her body might fall apart after walking such a short distance. She sat down beside Fu Yi, silently studying the woman before her.

Arranged marriages by parental decree and matchmakers often paired Alphas and Omegas who had never met before. Fu Yi, however, was notorious for idling about and stirring up trouble all over town her face was likely known to everyone in Yangzhou.

And naturally, Ye Xunshu had seen her before.

In contrast, as a sheltered Omega, she rarely went out, so Fu Yi might not have ever laid eyes on her.

Ye Xunshu propped her chin on her hand, not waking Fu Yi, but instead tilting her head to observe quietly.

The Alpha before her was in the prime of her youth, her features fully matured sharp and delicate, free of cosmetics, her lovely face pure and unadorned. She lacked the usual sternness expected of an Alpha, instead exuding a gentleness unique to a young woman.

This face matched the rumors perfectly.

The night before, Ye Xunshu had been driven to delirium by Fu Yi’s teasing. As for what kind of person Fu Yi truly was, she had only heard the rumors.

But judging by how Fu Yi had drugged her and then withheld the antidote, the rumors weren’t far off.

Not the kind of Alpha who knew how to cherish someone.

Perhaps due to a woman’s sixth sense, Fu Yi suddenly grew restless in her sleep, her brows furrowing slightly before she awoke.

The first thing she saw was the other woman’s skin, pale as winter snow like a touch of white amidst a bed of roses, the most striking highlight in the room.

For a moment, Fu Yi thought she was still dreaming and reached out to grasp that hint of white.

Ye Xunshu shivered, wanting to pull her hand back but not daring to. Instead, she murmured softly, “Sister Fu Yi.”

“…!”

The words “Sister Fu Yi” sent a shudder through Fu Yi, the events of the previous night flooding her mind. She sat bolt upright, fully awake now.

“You!” Before Fu Yi could react, she saw the other woman’s almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears, her rims red. The words she had been about to say stuck in her throat, and she instead asked, “Why are you suddenly crying?”

“I didn’t do anything to you last night. Your virtue is still intact.”

Fu Yi waited for a moment, but Ye Xunshu kept wiping her tears. At a loss, Fu Yi assumed the other woman was unhappy with the forced marriage and began to console her:

“I understand the drawbacks of feudal marriages in ancient times. You don’t like me, and rest assured, I don’t like you either. If there’s someone you love, just tell me, and we can divorce.”

Before she could finish, Ye Xunshu suddenly pulled her hand back and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Fu Yi was stunned. The servants working outside, unaware of what was happening inside, gathered around. Aji shooed them away and poked his head in. “Miss?”

Fu Yi shot him a cold glare that clearly said, “One more word and you’re fired,” and replied flatly, “Close the door.”

Aji acted swiftly, shutting the door with a loud “bang.”

The room darkened. Fu Yi tentatively asked, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Last night, you refused to touch me, and today you want a divorce.” Ye Xunshu cried loudly. “Do you know how divorced Omegas are suspected of having loose morals? Who would dare marry me after that? Xunshu has no home now, where do you expect me to go?”

Fu Yi rubbed her temples, genuinely unaware that ancient times had such absurd customs.

Did Omegas have no rights at all?

“What you’re doing is no different from ruining me.” An Omega’s skin was naturally delicate, and Ye Xunshu, born into a wealthy family, had rubbed her eyes raw from crying, the corners now flushed a deep red.

In her emotional state, her pheromones inevitably leaked past her suppressant patch. As an Alpha, Fu Yi was acutely sensitive to this. Catching a whiff of osmanthus in the air, she didn’t even notice her own breathing grow heavier.

“Xunshu knows she is unworthy. When I learned I was to marry you, I understood you would inevitably take other wives and concubines. All I hoped was that you would share your affection equally and not neglect me. But I never imagined you would despise me to this extent. If that’s the case.”

Her sobs became so violent she started coughing. A sense of foreboding struck Fu Yi, who quickly stood to stop her from continuing.

“You might as well let Xunshu die.”

Fu Yi tripped over a stool leg. She had only meant to cover the other’s mouth, but instead, she ended up falling onto her. Their heads collided hard. Dazed, Fu Yi pulled back and saw Ye Xunshu’s tears had grown larger from the pain. She reached out to rub the spot gently.

Ye Xunshu murmured, “Sister Fu Yi.”

Fu Yi pressed a finger to her lips.

Her warm breath brushed against Ye Xunshu’s ear as she softened her tone, like a gentle sea breeze.

“Don’t speak of death so lightly. I don’t hate you.”

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