Abused Female Lead And Beautiful Villainess (Quick Transmigration)

“Princess, can you wait here? Judging by the steward’s demeanor, the Prince’s situation seems dire,” Shen Wan said, pressing He Qingning’s hand, her bright eyes conveying that she wouldn’t harm herself.

Naturally, He Qingning couldn’t follow. She was a princess, the Emperor’s most beloved daughter. No matter what she did, Third Brother wouldn’t dare do anything to her.

Shen Wan was the Third Prince Consort, theoretically belonging to Third Brother. From her wedding day, she was destined to be confined in this prince’s mansion for life. Whether she lived or died, it would be here. General Shen was gone, and the Shen family was essentially without support. Even with some cleverness, what could a frail young woman change? Third Brother had many ways to deal with Shen Wan as he pleased.

He Qingning released her hand, watching Shen Wan leave with something resembling a medicine package. She stared at Shen Wan’s retreating figure, lost in thought. As the lofty Princess, she suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness. From despising Shen Wan to becoming curious about her, and now knowing her secret. The other wasn’t as foolish as imagined; on the contrary, she had her own plans, which surprised He Qingning.

So what if she wasn’t so foolish?

She still had to struggle to survive in this quagmire.

What could Shen Wan change, and what could she change?

It was like her father and mother when they were young, truly in love and only having eyes for each other. But they were Emperor and Empress; her mother had to be the model for the nation, and her young father couldn’t withstand the pressure from the previous dynasty, forced to take many consorts. By the time the court stabilized and her father held absolute power, her mother’s broken body could no longer accompany him. If even the Emperor and Empress were so helpless, what of Shen Wan, merely the daughter of a deceased general? The Emperor had good intentions, but he had mismatched the pair.

Shen Wan opened the door to find He Qingning standing inside, lost in thought, surrounded by an aura of sadness. The moment Shen Wan entered, He Qingning’s sorrow dissipated.

She didn’t approach, just glanced at Shen Wan and spoke coldly, “Did you send the medicine?”

“I had someone deliver it,” Shen Wan answered honestly. The Princess seemed displeased.

“Close the door.”

Shen Wan sighed softly and complied. This little princess’s temper was truly something. No matter, she chose to forgive her. A little tantrum could be considered endearing; she would comfort her.

Shen Wan took small steps towards He Qingning. “Princess, you seem unhappy. Who angered you?”

“Third Brother clearly suspects something is wrong with your blood,” He Qingning’s gaze remained fixed on Shen Wan’s face. “They must have noticed earlier, which is why they suddenly asked you to send blood. If you cut yourself, they’ll discover your blood still has medicinal properties. They’ll suspect you and might have someone watch you cut your hand and draw blood every day. Didn’t you say you wanted to live well and not harm yourself for others?”

He Qingning grabbed Shen Wan’s bandaged wrist, looking at the fresh red blood seeping through. “Is this what you call living well and not harming yourself?”

“Princess, I suggest you unwrap it and take a look,” Shen Wan proposed.

This sentence instantly dissipated He Qingning’s anger.

Unwrap and look?

She gently pursed her lips, glancing at the white silk. Her slender fingers touched it, remembering that Shen Wan wasn’t a fool. She gently unwrapped the silk. Apart from some blood stains on the cloth, the wrist was smooth and fair, without the imagined wound. He Qingning’s serious expression began to crumble.

So, she hadn’t cut her hand?

He Qingning gave Shen Wan a deep look, stuffed the silk into her hand, and turned her face away. “Wrap it well. Don’t let anyone discover it.” She didn’t know how Shen Wan had managed it. “You have quite a few little secrets.”

Shen Wan smiled, rewrapping the silk around her wrist and presenting it to He Qingning. “Princess, would you mind tying a knot for me?”

He Qingning didn’t refuse. Her nimble fingers easily tied a beautiful knot on the silk. Shen Wan lowered her sleeve, covering her wrist.

“Given Third Brother’s nature, he’ll likely insist on bringing Shen Shi into the mansion soon. What will you do then?”

A prince taking a concubine—who could interfere? She just felt that He Xiyan’s heart was entirely with Shen Shi, who wasn’t a good person either. Shen Wan’s future days wouldn’t be easy.

“I’ll let them be. They can do as they please.”

“A lifetime is very long,” He Qingning couldn’t help saying. “Third Brother is ambitious. I’m afraid you won’t be able to live the quiet life you want.”

“Princess, do you support the Prince?”

He Qingning was silent for a moment before saying, “That was the plan before.”

Oh… So she no longer wanted to support him?

“Princess, may I set a trap for the Prince?”

He Qingning laughed at this, all her previous heaviness dissipating. “I’ve never seen anyone like you, setting traps so openly. Tell me, how do you plan to trap Third Brother?”

“The Prince isn’t a sentimental person. Apart from those he likes, he cares for no one. Even if you support him to power in the future, you might not have a place. If you don’t have some means to protect yourself, helping him so much as a mere woman will eventually arouse his suspicion. I won’t say more; you should understand, right?”

He Qingning naturally understood. Her choice was also born of helplessness. If her mother had been healthy and given her a younger brother, He Xiyan wouldn’t have had a chance. Although He Xiyan was raised under her mother’s name, from a young age, he was exceptionally cunning—accurately speaking, he hadn’t been truly tamed. Choosing other brothers was even worse; they were all her opponents. If they came to power, her fate might not be good either. When her father passed and a new emperor ascended, she could be married off with a simple imperial grace. As a powerless little princess, how could she resist?

Her current glory only existed while her father was alive. Without him, she would lose all support. Supporting He Xiyan was also because of their relationship. Now it seemed He Xiyan might not give her a way to survive in the future. It was her father’s formidable skill in solely controlling power that kept her clever brothers from stirring trouble, fearing the Emperor’s suspicion. Even Third Brother was cautiously hiding his abilities.

“You’re right.”

He Qingning laughed softly. “This princess might not enjoy glory for many more years.”

“Don’t be discouraged, Princess. When we reach the bridge, we’ll cross it. There’s always a perfect solution. Look at me—the Prince doesn’t like me and wants to drain my blood, nearly taking half my life. Yet haven’t I escaped disaster with my own abilities? After today, the Prince will discover my blood is no longer useful. He’ll be busy detoxifying Second Sister and temporarily forget about me.”

“It’s not as simple as you think.” However, He Qingning took these words to heart. She had always thought about supporting a new heir.

Who doesn’t like power? Who would willingly be controlled by a mere woman? In the end, after a lifetime of hard work, she might just be paving the way for someone else. Mountains may fall, people may leave, but it’s best to rely on oneself. With fate in one’s own hands, not depending on others, there would be no such worries. It’s a pity she wasn’t born male. If she were a man, she wouldn’t be so passive. Not only could she protect herself, but she could also share her aging father’s burdens.

“The Princess is a wise person, no less than any man in this world. You’ll surely think of the best solution.”

“Princess, I’m hungry. Would you like to eat?”

He Qingning was deep in thought about the previous conversation when Shen Wan suddenly announced she was hungry. She didn’t react immediately.

“Princess, let’s eat. It’s noon, and I’m hungry.”

He Qingning thought: Could she finish thinking before eating? This was so out of place. She was considering serious matters, and here was Shen Wan, wanting to eat on schedule, frighteningly punctual.

“Princess, shall we eat?”

“Yes.”

He Qingning found it amusing. It seemed Shen Wan had this magic—her words would make one ponder deeply, creating a sense of heaviness, then with another sentence, she could dispel all worries. Though mired in mud, she could face it with a smile, seemingly fearless.

“How is it going?”

“Prince, this blood has no detoxifying effect. Could it be that you were mistaken, and the Princess Consort’s blood doesn’t actually have that miraculous property?”

He Xiyan could hardly believe it. He questioned the person who had been spying earlier.

“Your Highness, I clearly saw the Princess Consort cut her wrist with a knife. The blood dripped into the bowl drop by drop.”

He Xiyan still trusted his people. Could it be that his information was wrong, and Shen Wan didn’t actually have that mysterious bloodline? The blood couldn’t detoxify.

“How is Shi’er?”

“Not good. The toxins have now invaded her five viscera and six bowels. If the toxins can’t be completely eliminated, she won’t live past twenty,” the doctor said gravely.

Shi’er was sixteen this year.

This meant that if the toxins weren’t cleared soon, Shi’er only had four years left to live.

The thought of this cut He Xiyan like a knife. He slammed his hand down, shattering a teacup. A shard embedded itself in his palm.

The people below panicked. “Your Highness! Doctor, quickly check the Prince!”

The doctor stepped forward to remove the shard from He Xiyan’s palm. He Xiyan didn’t resist. He had just lost control in a moment of urgency. Now, the pain in his palm made him somewhat regretful. As the doctor carefully applied medicine to He Xiyan’s wound, he suddenly paused. He rubbed some blood between his fingers and sniffed it.

He Xiyan found it strange. “What’s wrong?”

“Your… Your Highness.” The doctor’s face was pale with shock, and he fell to his knees. “Your blood…”

He Xiyan sensed something and waved his hand, dismissing everyone before asking seriously, “What about my blood?” Could it be that he was poisoned too? Otherwise, the doctor’s terror was hard to understand.

“Your Highness, your blood actually has detoxifying properties. I just smelled it and sensed a special quality in the blood. So if I’m not mistaken…” It was truly so—the Prince’s blood could cure all poisons.

“Are you certain?”

The doctor tested again and believed his guess was correct. He suggested He Xiyan try feeding some blood to Shen Shi to prove whether he was right or wrong.

At that moment, He Xiyan didn’t think too much. He was surprised how his blood had suddenly gained the ability to cure all poisons. But thinking of Shen Shi’s toxins, he followed the doctor’s advice and drew half a bowl of blood to feed to Shen Shi.

Shen Shi had been conscious all along. A few days ago, she had learned she was drinking Shen Wan’s blood. While frowning as she swallowed, she was actually overjoyed inside. The Prince had made Shen Wan cut her wrist and bleed for her sake, showing how much he valued her. And that Shen Wan clearly wasn’t liked by the Prince; her life meant nothing in his eyes.

Earlier, when she heard Shen Wan’s blood couldn’t detoxify anymore, she had been disappointed. Now, in an unexpected turn, the Prince’s blood was the true cure-all, and he immediately drew blood for her to drink. Her heart was sweetly satisfied.

After drinking the blood, Shen Shi looked at He Xiyan’s wrist and said weakly, “Your Highness, was it your blood I’ve been drinking all these days?”

He Xiyan clearly hadn’t expected Shen Shi to misunderstand. She must have just seen him drawing blood. He felt somewhat annoyed but still said, “Shi’er, don’t think too much. As long as you get better, that’s all I hope for.”

“Your Highness, won’t this harm you? Shi’er doesn’t want you to hurt yourself for my sake.”

“It won’t,” He Xiyan said confidently. Drawing a little blood daily wouldn’t affect a strong man like him. He’d have the doctor prepare some nourishing medicines. The priority was to cleanse the toxins from Shi’er’s body.

However, the fact that his blood could detoxify couldn’t be known. He was puzzled about why his blood had become like this. Observing Shen Shi’s face, he saw that her complexion had indeed improved noticeably. He quickly had the doctor check, and after taking her pulse, the doctor exclaimed happily, “Your Highness, the toxins in Miss Shen Shi’s body have indeed decreased!”

As soon as the doctor finished speaking, he felt He Xiyan’s gaze on him was strange. His heart sank. How could the Prince let a third person know such an important secret? He feared for his life.

“Doctor Liu, stay in the mansion for now to care for Shi’er constantly, and prepare some nourishing medicines for me as well. Don’t worry about your family; I’ll send people to look after them. You can stay in the prince’s mansion without concern.”

What could Doctor Liu do? He cursed his momentary impulsiveness. When he discovered the Prince’s blood was unusual, he shouldn’t have said anything.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After Shen Shi fell asleep, He Xiyan questioned Doctor Liu again. He was certain his blood didn’t have detoxifying properties before. Just as he asked, he remembered drinking a bowl of Shen Wan’s blood earlier. Now Shen Wan’s blood had lost its detoxifying effect, but he had gained it. Could there be a reason for this?

After listening, Doctor Liu hesitated before saying, “People with this kind of blood are already extremely special and miraculous. Perhaps on certain specific days, the blood drawn contains all the medicinal properties. It just happened to be that day, and Your Highness accidentally drank it, resulting in this situation.”

Besides this reason, He Xiyan couldn’t think of any other explanation. Shen Wan’s blood no longer had special properties and was useless to him. He didn’t need to bother with her anymore. He could save Shi’er himself now. As for Doctor Liu, he would stay in the prince’s mansion forever.

He Qingning got into her palanquin to return to the palace. As she entered, her personal maid handed her a note. Only when the palanquin was lifted did she unfold and read it. After reading the contents, her beautiful eyes sparkled with amusement and curiosity.

“Third Brother’s blood…” He Qingning murmured softly. “To think it gained such properties. Why? I don’t believe Doctor Liu’s explanation.”

So, where did the problem lie?

Was it her? Shen Wan, was all this part of her plan? How did she manage it? A clever mind, feigning foolishness, without a trace of infatuation for Third Brother in her eyes, completely different from before. Can someone who was once so in love truly forget a person in such a short time?

He Qingning rested her head on her hand and laughed. “You have so many little secrets. It makes one want to uncover them all.”

[188: “Wan Wan, what do you plan to do next? He Xiyan’s genes have been modified, and now he’ll save Shen Shi himself. You don’t have any troubles for the time being.”]

What he really wanted to ask was, with the little princess in the palace, how would their relationship develop?

If things don’t get sweet soon, the readers will grow impatient.

“I can’t enter the palace, so I can only wait for the little princess to come find me. Don’t worry, she’s very curious about me now. She won’t give up coming to see me.”

188 thought: Logically, knowing Shen Wan’s abnormality, He Qingning, as a native, should have her arrested and burned as a witch, given how strangely his host had behaved in front of He Qingning. Yet oddly enough, He Qingning had no such thoughts. Instead, she was falling step by step into his host’s trap.

[188: “Wan Wan, for safety’s sake, you can take the remaining gene modifier now. Then no one will covet your panda blood anymore.”]

“In a while. I’m too busy right now.”

188 thought: The high-level space product only takes a moment. What does she need to be free for? Does she really think he’s a fool, so easy to deceive?

[188: “Wan Wan, where did all our earned money go? Even after buying many props and paying off the installment debt, you should have saved quite a bit, right?”]

Shen Wan mumbled vaguely, “It went towards big plans. That’s my secret. Don’t ask; I won’t tell even if you do.”

188 knew this would be the result. Frustratingly, when they returned to reality and left the Time-Space Department, Shen Wan would block him out. Who knows what she did with all that money?

From that day on, He Xiyan rarely took the initiative to see Shen Wan and openly kept Shen Shi in his courtyard to recover. The entire prince’s mansion knew that Shen Shi was the one their prince truly liked. In their hearts, they gradually looked down on Shen Wan. However, since He Qingning came every day to see Shen Wan, the servants didn’t dare to truly neglect her.

He Qingning now controlled the movements within the prince’s mansion. Knowing He Xiyan’s actions, she wasn’t as angry as before. Seeing that Shen Wan seemed unconcerned, leisurely living her small life, He Qingning couldn’t bring herself to be angry either.

“In a while, Third Brother will likely make Shen Shi his secondary consort. Don’t you feel any sense of crisis?”

Shen Wan slowly raised her head. “What can I do?” Her face full of helplessness left He Qingning speechless. Indeed, what could she do? Compete? Third Brother’s heart wasn’t with her; how could she compete? Deep down, He Qingning didn’t want Shen Wan to continue throwing herself at He Xiyan either.

“Do you still have any lingering feelings for Third Brother?”

Shen Wan lazily raised her eyelids. “I’ve long since given up. Princess, my heart is already dead.”

He Qingning felt somewhat angry. What dead heart? For that man? What’s so worthy about him?

He Qingning suddenly took out a book from her sleeve and handed it to Shen Wan. Sitting beside her, she said softly, “I’ve been reading a book recently and gained some insights. I’ve also figured out how to proceed in the future.”

Shen Wan took the book and flipped through it. Soon, she was so shocked she fell onto her backside. Her bright eyes looked at He Qingning, who was smiling. He Qingning bent down slightly, held Shen Wan’s hand to help her up, and whispered in her ear, “Shen Wan, this Princess also wants to sit in the highest position. I don’t want to become a duckweed drifting with the current, unable to control my own fate. Relying on anyone else won’t do; only what’s in one’s own hands is best.”

“Princess, I’m a coward,” Shen Wan quickly stuffed the book back into He Qingning’s hands and covered her eyes. “Princess, my eyes aren’t working well today. I didn’t see anything. I didn’t see anything in the book about a glorious female emperor controlling great power and keeping handsome male concubines, nor did I understand your intention to become a female emperor.”

“A coward?” He Qingning laughed coldly and leaned close to Shen Wan’s ear, whispering, “Then who was it that, instead of sleeping at night, nimbly climbed over walls? And who was it that could shatter stones with a single punch? Shen Wan, you’ve acquired quite a few shops in the imperial city recently. Stop pretending. This Princess has long held all your little secrets in the palm of her hand. Is this what you call living a quiet life behind closed doors?”

Shen Wan thought: Is that so? Has the little princess finally uncovered the secret I’ve hidden for so long?

“You’re not an ordinary woman. Are you content to be trapped in this prince’s mansion courtyard for life, wasting away? Shen Wan, you’re a clever person. You shouldn’t be buried here.” Such a person should stand in a brighter place, showing her brilliance.

Shen Wan said softly, “Princess, to be honest, I’m a person who doesn’t care for fame or fortune.” Seeing the disappointment in He Qingning’s eyes as she slowly began to release her hand, Shen Wan continued, “But the Princess’s words have stirred my blood. Plus, you hold my little secrets. So, Princess, tell me, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to use my little fists to punch your particularly competitive brothers to death?”

He Qingning: “…” Some indifference to fame and fortune, counting money every day until her mouth won’t close.