Abused Female Lead And Beautiful Villainess (Quick Transmigration)

“Early this morning, I heard the Prince was ill. I was so worried about his health that I rushed over to check on him,” Shen Shi said, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, maintaining a mournful appearance that greatly displeased He Qingning. “I truly just couldn’t help myself from coming due to my concern for the Prince.”

He Qingning scoffed, “Couldn’t help yourself, indeed.” Her voice carried an innate authority that made Shen Shi tremble, nearly falling to her knees. She had no idea Princess Qingning would be here. Had she known, she would have certainly avoided the situation and waited until the Princess left before coming.

He Qingning glanced at Shen Wan, who stood to the side looking honest and straightforward, and felt inexplicably angry. A mere illegitimate daughter from the General’s household, showing up the day after the wedding, speaking ambiguously, and subtly implying that Shen Wan was a husband-killer while hinting at an ambiguous relationship with her Third Brother. And there Shen Wan stood, seemingly oblivious to it all, acting as if it didn’t concern her. Truly a hopeless case.

Shen Wan noticed He Qingning’s gaze towards her, which had softened momentarily, suddenly turn disdainful. She felt puzzled. She hadn’t done anything, so why was she being looked down upon again?

“Third Brother refuses treatment. Shen Shi, is it? I hear you often interact with Third Brother at poetry gatherings, and your relationship seems quite good. The Princess Consort even mentioned that you’ve always seen Third Brother as an elder brother,” He Qingning said. As she spoke, Shen Wan felt a chill run down her spine. Good heavens, it was terrifying. “If that’s the case, why don’t you try persuading Third Brother? When one is ill, they should see a doctor, lest a minor ailment becomes serious. That’s not an outcome I wish to see.”

Shen Shi was dumbfounded.

She had indeed tried to persuade He Xiyan earlier, but he wouldn’t listen and wouldn’t let her open the curtain, only allowing her to sit outside. Now He Qingning was asking her to persuade him—was that something she could do?

Seeing Shen Shi’s stunned expression, He Qingning’s lips curled into a smile. She lazily played with the beautiful jade bracelet on her wrist, raising her eyebrows slightly, her red lips uttering another sentence, “The task of persuading Third Brother to seek medical attention is now yours. You may leave only when Third Brother agrees to see a doctor. If you succeed in getting Third Brother to agree to treatment, I will reward you handsomely—gold, silver, jewels, fine silks, and satins.”

Shen Wan thought: He Xiyan would probably be anxious to death. He’s likely just waiting for everyone to leave so he can secretly go see a doctor. How hilarious.

The Princess is truly a great wingwoman! Awesome.

He Qingning suddenly felt something was off. She turned back to see Shen Wan looking at her with sparkling eyes, which she found strange. Recalling how Shen Wan had remained silent earlier, allowing Shen Shi to prance about in front of her, she forcefully turned her head away, not bothering to hide her expression of disgust.

Shen Wan: Oh, what’s the problem now?

Shen Shi’s mind was in turmoil. She knew He Xiyan; his previous stern refusal clearly indicated his great displeasure. It wasn’t something she could persuade him about. Now Princess Qingning had given her this task—wasn’t that putting her in a difficult position?

However, this could be an opportunity. Even if she couldn’t persuade He Xiyan, she could stay by his side all day. Surely he would be happy about that? His voice earlier didn’t sound too seriously ill; perhaps he simply didn’t want to see a doctor. More likely, he might be pretending to be sick because he didn’t want to see Shen Wan, his Princess Consort, and didn’t want to do anything to wrong her…

Yes, why hadn’t she thought of it? He Xiyan might be feigning illness. Shen Shi considered the situation based on previous events—they hadn’t consummated the marriage last night, and now the Prince was ill. If it were truly a serious illness, shouldn’t the Prince be more concerned about his health? Why would he refuse to see a doctor?

Although she had made up her mind, Shen Shi still hesitated before approaching Shen Wan and saying softly, “Elder Sister, Princess Qingning has instructed me to stay here and persuade the Prince to see a doctor. I cannot disobey the Princess’s orders. Please understand and don’t let this cause any misunderstandings between you and the Prince.”

“Second Sister, I understand,” Shen Wan said, grasping Shen Shi’s hand, coincidentally gripping her handkerchief. Oh, it was quite dry. Earlier, when she was squeezing out tears, Shen Wan had thought she was a little cry-baby. It turned out she was just a red-eyed rabbit—red eyes but no tears, her eye-wiping act quite convincing. “Second Sister, please do your best to persuade the Prince. He usually admires your talents so much. Perhaps you could recite some poetry or play the zither for him later. It might improve his mood and make him willing to see a doctor.”

Shen Shi was secretly delighted but nodded seriously on the surface. “If Elder Sister says so, I’m reassured. I’ll do my utmost to persuade the Prince to see a doctor soon.”

The Prince must be pretending to be ill for her sake. If he kept up this act, she could come to keep him company every day. It’s a pity her background would never allow her to be the Prince’s official wife.

He Xiyan, hiding behind the bed curtain, heard the two women’s not-so-quiet whispering and nearly fainted from anger. He was just waiting for everyone to leave so he could secretly go see a doctor. With one command, he could order everyone not to disturb him, and no one would dare enter. Earlier, after Shen Wan and He Qingning left, he was about to do just that when Shen Shi unexpectedly arrived.

He didn’t blame Shen Shi, believing all these troubles stemmed from Shen Wan. If not for Shen Wan’s brutal treatment last night, would he be suffering like this today? Shi’er was just too concerned about him, unable to resist coming. Naturally, she would agree to Princess Qingning’s instructions. He certainly couldn’t tell Shen Shi about this—it would damage his dignity. Moreover, his plan from yesterday absolutely couldn’t be known by anyone else. If Shi’er, being so pure and kind-hearted, knew what he had done for her sake, she would surely feel sad and guilty.

“Second Sister, I’ll leave the Prince in your care then.”

“Elder Sister, don’t worry. I’ll do my best to persuade the Prince.”

He Qingning watched the two sisters’ polite exchange with great displeasure and turned to leave. Shen Wan quickly followed behind. Thinking about how He Xiyan would endure pain while engaging in romantic poetry with Shen Shi, she could barely contain her laughter and had to lower her head.

He Qingning suddenly stopped and turned around, intending to say some disdainful words. Unexpectedly, she saw Shen Wan with her head lowered, shoulders shaking slightly as if crying. Looking at this frail woman who only began to cry after leaving the room, she swallowed her harsh words.

“You are the legitimate daughter of the General’s house.”

“Even though General Shen has passed, you are still the legitimate daughter of the General’s house, and now you’re the Third Princess Consort. Your status is noble. How can a mere illegitimate daughter bully you?”

Shen Wan: What does she mean?

Shen Wan didn’t raise her head, unable to stop her suppressed laughter. Hearing He Qingning’s words, she felt puzzled.

“Today is only the second day of your marriage, yet Shen Shi openly comes to the Prince’s mansion to see Third Brother. Even if your mind is muddled, you should understand something, right? Earlier, you acted like good sisters with Shen Shi, truly angering me. What is she in front of you?”

Shen Wan: “…” She… she didn’t understand.

“Since you’ve become the Third Princess Consort, you should naturally carry yourself with the dignity of that position. How can you let an illegitimate daughter overshadow you?”

Seeing that Shen Wan still wouldn’t raise her head, He Qingning called out sternly, “Lift your head! Keeping it lowered all day, you’re not a servant. How is this the behavior of a Princess Consort?”

Shen Wan thought: Don’t be so fierce. It’s good that we’re in my courtyard and no one’s around. Doesn’t she care about saving face?

He Qingning fell silent, clearly waiting for Shen Wan to lift her head.

Left with no choice, Shen Wan had to look up. She had used great effort to hold back her laughter, causing her face to turn red. Laughing had brought tears to her eyes. She had no idea that to He Qingning, she appeared red-faced with tear-filled eyes.

Seeing Shen Wan’s reddened eyes brimming with tears, looking at her pitifully, He Qingning found herself unable to continue with her harsh words. She took out a handkerchief and held it out to Shen Wan. “Here, wipe your face.”

Shen Wan looked at the delicate jade hand offering the handkerchief and took it without hesitation. Though she didn’t know what He Qingning wanted her to wipe, the handkerchief was a gift from the Princess. She couldn’t refuse it.

“I have to return to the palace now, but I’ll be coming over for the next few days. If you’re wronged or bullied, you must tell me.” General Shen had only this one legitimate daughter, so she should look after her. Shen Wan’s mother had died early, and General Shen had sacrificed himself for the country two years ago. Now only an old lady was supporting the General’s household. This Shen Wan was indeed pitiful.

“Safe journey, Princess.”

“I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Currently, she didn’t know her Third Brother’s attitude, and that Shen Shi clearly wasn’t a good sort. Even in her presence, Shen Shi had said ambiguous things, obviously trying to upset Shen Wan. While she disliked Shen Wan for being useless, she hated Shen Shi even more for her facade of a fragile white lotus hiding a black heart.

Shen Wan waved the small handkerchief, gazing longingly at He Qingning’s retreating figure.

[188: “Alright, Wan Wan, stop waving the handkerchief. She’s gone far away, and she’s coming back tomorrow. You’ll have plenty of chances to be together. No need to rush. Now you should think about what you’re going to do in the future.”] Indeed, shouldn’t she be thinking about it? How could a Princess Consort and a Princess be openly together? It was giving this system a headache.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

He Qingning currently held her in disdain. Whether they’d succeed was still unknown. The main focus now should be dealing with He Xiyan. With He Qingning coming every day, she could facilitate some things. Once He Xiyan recovered, he’d likely try to draw her blood.

Let her recall how the original owner’s blood was drawn… Oh… The day after her purity was tarnished, the whole city learned that the new Princess Consort had been molested by a flower thief because the Prince was drunk. Prince Yan was merciful and didn’t divorce the new Princess Consort, instead allowing her to stay in the Prince’s mansion. The original owner, humiliated by the flower thief, had her heart shattered. She felt unclean and unworthy of He Xiyan.

Even when Shen Shi seized the opportunity, she couldn’t stop it. She could only grit her teeth and swallow her pain, maintaining a smile on the surface. When He Xiyan stated he needed her blood, she pitifully thought she could finally do something for him. Despite the pain in her heart, she willingly gave half a bowl of blood daily. Later, learning it was for Shen Shi, she was overwhelmed with sadness. From Shen Shi’s mouth, she learned the two had long been in love, leaving her numb and desperate.

“Love truly makes people humble,” Shen Wan mused. “What’s the point of such a humiliating, undignified love? If you like someone, it should be mutual, bringing joy to both parties. Love that only brings harm—anyone who wholeheartedly pursues it must have had their brain squeezed by a door.”

[188 couldn’t help but interject, “Then what about you, Wan Wan? Don’t your actions resemble a moth flying into a flame?”] He had long wanted to inquire about certain secrets.

“That’s different,” Shen Wan snapped back to reality. “188, shut up! Stop trying to pry into my little secrets. My love is only sweet, without any of those heart-wrenching behaviors. How can it be the same?”

In the afternoon, Shen Wan went to check on Shen Shi and found her truly playing the zither for He Xiyan. She nearly laughed herself to death.

Even without seeing He Xiyan’s expression, she could imagine his gritted teeth.

Afterward, she returned to her room and slept the entire afternoon, only waking up when it was almost dark. Hong Zhu didn’t understand and asked if Shen Wan was feeling unwell. Shen Wan merely said she hadn’t rested well and felt drowsy.

After dinner, she went to He Xiyan’s room. “Second Sister, you can return home now.”

“Yes, Shi’er, you should go back. No need to come tomorrow. I’m fine,” He Xiyan finally felt Shen Wan was somewhat agreeable.

Otherwise, given Shi’er’s concern for him, she would surely stay to watch over him. Once Shi’er left, in the quiet of the night, he could disguise himself and go find a doctor.

Shen Shi knew she couldn’t stay and reluctantly left, wiping away tears.

Just as He Xiyan breathed a sigh of relief, Shen Wan said with a smile, “Tonight, I’ll keep watch outside Your Highness’s room. Whenever you’re willing to see a doctor, just call out. I’ll hear you.”

“I’m truly worried about Your Highness’s health, so I have no choice but to keep constant watch. Fearing you might grow weary of me, I’ll just stay outside the room.”

He Xiyan: “…” Infuriating!

Then, Shen Wan really had someone bring a chair and sat outside He Xiyan’s room. Having slept all afternoon, she had no problem staying up all night. He Xiyan, on the other hand, might have a rather uncomfortable night.

He Xiyan fumed all night long!

In the morning, when He Qingning arrived at the Prince’s mansion, she entered to find Shen Wan sitting outside He Xiyan’s room, yawning continuously. Her expression slightly changed.