Chapter 7 Second Wear

How on earth did things come to this!

Wei Tingchun didn’t even dare to make a sound, afraid that Xue Ying would recognize her voice. She had no choice but to protect Xue Ying’s head with one hand while grimacing as she used her other hand to gather his broken belt and tie it back together.

Back when she transmigrated to one world, the character she possessed there knew how to rock climb. But Wei Tingchun never imagined that the one-handed knot she learned then would one day be used to tie someone’s belt.

One could only say… life is full of surprises.

When she finally finished tying Xue Ying’s belt and held his head to help him sit up, Xue Ying finally stopped his frantic head-butting.

Like a broken puppet that had lost its vitality, he seemed to have had a switch pressed. After the frenzy, the switch was suddenly turned off. He sat there motionless, head bowed and back hunched.

As if waiting to be destroyed or subjected to some other cruel treatment.

This was a posture only those who had experienced abuse would understand – resigned submission, hoping to avoid a few more blows.

Because even when venting anger through violence, people couldn’t derive much pleasure from someone who showed no reaction.

Wei Tingchun shook her hand in pain. Even her plump fingers had scraped skin at the knuckles.

This showed just how much force and determination Xue Ying had put into banging his head against the ground earlier.

When the pain subsided, Wei Tingchun looked at Xue Ying again.

They hadn’t exchanged a single word since last night. Even during Xue Ying’s frenzy just now, she hadn’t attempted to speak, biting her lip hard the entire time without making any sound.

Wei Tingchun looked at his lips – sure enough, he had bitten through in places, with small beads of blood making his lips appear strikingly vivid.

But thinking about the reason for his violent reaction, Wei Tingchun felt so awkward she could have dug through her shoe soles with her toes.

The little guy had misunderstood – it seemed he thought she was trying to take liberties with him…

Heaven as her witness, her intentions were completely pure. She just wanted to apply the Uterus Warming Patch. Xue Ying was only fifteen – she wasn’t some monster.

Besides, counting the eighteen years before her death, Wei Tingchun was twenty-eight now. What kind of thoughts could she possibly have about a teenager? That would be criminal!

Since applying it outside the pants might expose it (the torturing prince would discover it when he came), Wei Tingchun thought to apply it inside. She had felt multiple layers inside, so she planned to attach it to the outer pants layer.

Who could have guessed the kid would wake up right then?

Wei Tingchun rubbed her empty brow. There was simply no way to explain this situation.

She stood up and kicked some snow to cover the traces of their struggle, then silently pulled the cloak out from under Xue Ying and walked away through the snow.

Xue Ying only slowly raised his hand to remove the cloth covering his eyes after the footsteps in the snow had completely faded. He looked at the footprints in the courtyard that hadn’t yet been covered by windblown snow.

Dawn was breaking, and the footprints in the courtyard were small – likely a woman’s.

The overnight snow had accumulated past ankle height. The footprints were solid, indicating the person wasn’t light.

Xue Ying stared blankly at the footprints until they were gradually covered by the morning wind and snow, disappearing completely. From beginning to end, his eyes showed neither sorrow nor joy, his handsome but gaunt face remaining utterly expressionless, like a lifeless statue.

No one could tell what he was thinking.

Wei Tingchun hurried back to her courtyard, but still got caught by the few skinny girls who noticed she’d left early.

They naturally assumed she’d gone out at dawn, which wasn’t unusual. Cuiyun came over to help Wei Tingchun wash up, asking, “Did Madam go early to meet the food-distributing eunuchs?”

Actually, Cuiyun wanted to ask if she’d already eaten.

If she had, then the sisters in the courtyard might get some porridge with actual rice grains. Sometimes when Madam encountered the food distributors, she could use her status to beg for extra portions. Although Chunxi Gonggong deliberately mistreated the Northern Courtyard, the food distributors had received many gifts from Madam, so getting some extra food wasn’t difficult.

Wei Tingchun neither confirmed nor denied this—ambiguity was always the best way to advance the plot.

Silence could be interpreted in countless ways, leaving others free to speculate.

However, when breakfast arrived, it was the same watery, rice-less porridge as yesterday. The skinny girl dutifully scooped out a bowl for her as usual. At least today it didn’t smell rancid, though it still looked utterly unappetizing.

A few vegetable leaves floated in the oil-less broth—even pigs wouldn’t eat this.

Wei Tingchun hadn’t eaten since last night and was now starving, but faced with such food, she had no appetite whatsoever.

She could, of course, close her door and use system points to exchange for food in her System Space. The cheapest option was odorless instant noodles—just a few points for a cup, with an unimaginable variety of flavors, one of the system’s employee benefits.

But if she ate, what about these skinny girls?

If they didn’t get some proper food soon, they’d really fall seriously ill.

In this world, serious illness meant having one foot in the grave—survival depended on whether they could tough it out.

Wei Tingchun knew she couldn’t change these girls’ fates, but getting them a few decent meals should be possible.

She took Cuiyun aside for a private chat and learned about her current body’s social connections through careful questioning.

She also discovered the Cold Palace was vast—their area was just a small part, the Northern Courtyard that housed only convict slaves, not disgraced concubines.

There were also Southern and Western Courtyards holding some disgraced concubines. Though their lives were hard too, at least they didn’t live in drafty houses and had slightly better food, having once served the emperor.

Who knew—if the emperor suddenly remembered an old flame, some suffering lady might be restored to favor. Thus, even though Cold Palace rations were barely enough to survive, the Southern and Western Courtyards fared slightly better.

Only this Northern Courtyard saw frequent deaths—all convict slaves, lowly in status, with someone deliberately withholding supplies…

It could truly be called being besieged on all sides, with their only acquaintance being an enemy.

No wonder when the princes wanted to torture Xue Ying, no other courtyard supervisors dared take him in—only her current body’s original owner, bold and skilled, would accept.

Mainly because she’d been driven into a corner.

Wei Tingchun didn’t eat, letting the skinny girls divide her portion. Their tearful gratitude made her heart ache.

She went inside and exchanged some items for food, then opened the storyline to review it again.

Usually, the cannon fodder plots in small worlds weren’t set in stone. As long as the major directions were correct—like ensuring the right characters were harmed, the plot didn’t deviate, or the manner of death remained unchanged—the trivial details in between could be manipulated.

In the storyline, the old nanny thought she could turn things around by doing favors for several princes and started throwing her weight around. Not only did she abuse the Eleventh Prince, but she also took many items from those princes.

However, those princes weren’t easy to deal with either. The items given by their servants were all overstepping bounds, and she even used them to bribe others. Originally hoping to leave the Cold Palace sooner, she ended up meeting a fatal end instead.

Moreover, she didn’t just take things from the princes—she also took from the Eleventh Prince.

It was only because the Eleventh Prince went missing while those items were discovered circulating in the palace that the whole matter came to light.

It could be said that her actions were straightforward, crude, and downright idiotic, with no finesse whatsoever.

Wei Tingchun loved playing such roles.

However, the plot point where her crimes were exposed hadn’t arrived yet. Instead, she had learned about an old acquaintance from Cuiyun.

No wonder the name Chunxi had sounded so familiar when she first transmigrated.

After finishing her meal, Wei Tingchun wiped her mouth and went to look for Chunxi—or rather, had someone else look for him.

She asked an old eunuch from the Catering Division who handled meal deliveries. Though he had accepted bribes from her current body in the past and often gave her extra food (otherwise, how could a Cold Palace Convict Slave like her grow so plump?), now that Wei Tingchun’s current body had nothing valuable left to offer, the eunuch wasn’t keen on helping.

When Wei Tingchun asked him to pass a message, he evaded, “Chunxi Gonggong is swamped with work. Lowly folks like us can’t even get a word in. Even if I pass the message, he won’t come this way—it’s bad luck.”

Wei Tingchun immediately knew the eunuch wasn’t willing, especially when his eyes kept darting to her sleeves, waiting for her to slip him something.

But Wei Tingchun had nothing left. She had turned her living quarters upside down, and they were now cleaner than her face.

Still, she remained unshaken. Wei Tingchun might not have many strengths in life, but her mental fortitude was exceptional—strong enough to dig her own grave calmly if Mount Tai collapsed before her.

She rested her hands on the meal cart and scoffed, “Learned a couple of fancy words and now you’re throwing them around? ‘Swamped with work’ is used to describe His Majesty. Chunxi’s just a rootless eunuch—how dare he claim to be ‘swamped’?”

The old eunuch’s expression changed at her words.

Wei Tingchun pressed on, “I used to serve by Consort Qing’s side. Who do you think you’re fooling here? Just based on what you said, if word got out, neither you nor Chunxi would escape punishment!”

“What crime would fit, I wonder?” Wei Tingchun mused. “Disrespect might not be enough…”

Watching the eunuch’s shifting expression, she added, “Using words meant for His Majesty to describe Chunxi—that’s disloyalty. Having disloyal thoughts makes you rebels, doesn’t it?”

The old eunuch was a coward at heart. If he weren’t, after spending nearly a lifetime in the palace, he wouldn’t have been stuck with the unlucky job of delivering meals to the Cold Palace.

Frightened by Wei Tingchun’s bluff, he nearly slid off the cart in terror. Naturally, when she demanded he pass the message again, he nodded like a pestle pounding garlic and agreed.

Wei Tingchun wanted to meet Chunxi. As for what she’d do afterward—well, she had plenty of ideas.

At the very least, while she was here, she had to make sure those poor little twigs got enough decent food to eat.

After scaring the eunuchs, she returned to find Cuiyun and the others had finished eating.

They were waiting for her in the courtyard, and Wei Tingchun’s heart suddenly sank.

It was time to follow the script.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Tingchun led the group to Chan Wu Courtyard.

The plot had to unfold as written, with no room for leniency. If they went easy on him, how would the wolfish princes vent their anger? Who knew what further torment Xue Ying would suffer then?

So Wei Tingchun led them in, standing to the side to deliver the scripted humiliations with dramatic flair.

Then Cuiyun and the other twigs took action.

Though they looked scrawny, their hands were ruthless. After all, they were all Convict Slaves—people who had committed serious crimes to end up here. Each had once served noble households and knew all manner of cruel methods. None were pushovers.

Unable to bear watching, Wei Tingchun turned toward the window, pretending to brood while reciting her vicious lines.

When it was finally over, Xue Ying lay on the ground, his deep purple robe covered in footprints.

His long hair was even more disheveled, like a tangle of weeds, and there seemed to be blood streaking his cheek.

Wei Tingchun’s brow twitched. She nearly stepped forward but caught herself just in time.

She couldn’t ruin everything now!

If Wei Tingchun didn’t know Xue Ying was a native of this world and not a transmigrator, she might have suspected he had pain suppression activated.

From start to finish, he hadn’t made a single sound—not even a grunt.

If he had cried out, Wei Tingchun would have called it off immediately. But his silence twisted her heart into knots.

Ugh, this was unbearable. She needed this world to end as soon as possible!

Following the script, as they left, Wei Tingchun’s group splashed Xue Ying with cold water.

In the dead of winter, his soaked clothes clung to him as he lay in the snow, his pallor blending with the whiteness around him. His breathing seemed to stop—as if he were already dead. That was the original description.

Gritting her teeth, Wei Tingchun handed the task to Cuiyun and stepped out into the courtyard first.

No sooner had they finished than two figures approached from the opposite side.

They were eunuchs in indigo robes, the embroidery on their chests marking their high status. With their gauze hats and black boots, their dignified attire made it clear they held important positions in the palace.

Wei Tingchun hurried forward with a smile, bending so low she nearly touched the ground. She recognized them—the attendants of the Ninth Prince from the plot.

“Honored sirs, what brings you here in person?”

Despite her obsequious greeting, the two ignored her entirely, shoving her aside as if she were an obstacle. She fell into a snowdrift with a yelp.

“Oof!” She clutched her belly.

Heartless bastards! Even pushing a pregnant woman! If she went into labor from this, she’d strangle them with the umbilical cord!

She had checked many times—it wasn’t just fat. But if she really was pregnant, why hadn’t she felt any kicks?

Now, after the fall, there were no signs of labor pains either.

Brushing herself off, she stood up and headed toward the main hall of Chan Wu Courtyard.

Just then, one of the two eunuchs spoke to Xue Ying, who lay on the ground like a corpse: “The Ninth Prince says that a man should know his place. The Qing family stands alone in court now, with no support. The Ninth Prince cares for his younger brothers—if the Eleventh Prince would just nod his agreement, with the Noble Consort’s backing, who would dare not treat Your Highness with respect?”

“Even if the Eleventh Prince misses his mother, the Noble Consort could speak to His Majesty about taking you under her wing…”

Wei Tingchun paused mid-step and stopped outside the hall.

She began to understand—Xue Ying’s current plight wasn’t just because he had made himself a target. Among the princes, someone was clearly trying to force him to take sides.

Even as an overlooked prince who had lost his mother and lacked factional support, finding a patron shouldn’t be too difficult if he were willing to agree.

After all, his status as a prince alone was enough to be exploited. Though the emperor despised Xue Ying, he hadn’t actually executed or stripped him of his title, had he? He was still permitted to remain in the palace, to study and participate in court affairs normally.

But after the eunuch finished speaking, Wei Tingchun saw from a distance that Xue Ying showed no reaction—not even a twitch. His breathing seemed to have stopped entirely; from her angle, she couldn’t even see his chest rise and fall.

The two eunuchs waited briefly, then lost patience and left the hall with grim expressions.

Now they finally acknowledged Wei Tingchun, pressing a jade pendant into her hand. “You know what to do, right, Madam?”

For a moment, Wei Tingchun felt the term “Madam” sounded less like an address to a palace matron and more like that for a brothel keeper.

Wasn’t this exactly the conversation between a madam and her clients? They were bribing her to “force virtue into prostitution.”

The thought made Wei Tingchun’s lips twitch. She nodded repeatedly, carefully tucking away the jade pendant.

“Leave it to me!” she assured them.

Though the eunuchs looked down on her, they wouldn’t lay hands on Xue Ying themselves. Seeing her compliance, they left without another word.

Once they were gone, the few scrawny servants hiding in corners of Wei Tingchun’s courtyard emerged.

Wei Tingchun didn’t dare look at Xue Ying. She returned to her own quarters and waited for nightfall.

When darkness fell, she ordered the servants to sleep early and not guard the courtyard. The children found this strange but obeyed.

Huddled under their blankets, they whispered, “Has Madam changed these past few days?”

“Yes,” someone answered.

But they couldn’t tell if this change was good or bad. With no future to speak of, they lived day by day in this place, never knowing when death might come. They cared only about filling their bellies today, not whether there would be food tomorrow.

Wei Tingchun waited until they were all asleep before bundling up the cotton cloak from yesterday and heading out.

After a moment’s thought, she turned back to grab the lone teapot from the table, tucking a teacup into the folds of the cloak.

She carried no lantern—the Cold Palace received no candle rations. Instead, she summoned her system panel for light as she made her way through the darkness to Chan Wu Courtyard.

The night was starless and moonless. Fresh snow had buried the path again, and the howling wind stung her face.

She hurried to the courtyard, shutting the dilapidated gate behind her.

Inside the main hall, Xue Ying lay exactly as described in the book—pale and lifeless in the snow.

Wei Tingchun didn’t have time to start a fire. She draped the cloak over him, then moved behind him to lift his upper body and cradle him in her arms, using her own body heat to warm him first.

Her poor little kitten…