The Female Alpha Consort Mistakenly Marks the Empress - TFACMME Chapter 6

Upon hearing those familiar two words, Qi Yingzhu froze. ‘Mu Lanshi—what has she done?’

It wasn’t long, but the memories of two lives collided.

She couldn’t imagine that she would live another life.

She had been reborn on this night, fate had played a trick on her.

The night that determined her fate—though not entirely, perhaps it was the night she decided to squander her fate.

The room still held the lingering fragrance of a blend of several calming scents, making one unknowingly fall into it.

Mu Lanshi seemed to have fallen asleep, her breathing was even and steady, at peace.

Her lips were slightly raised, carrying a sweet serenity; beneath her collarbone, slight undulations were visible, and ambiguous finger marks and scratches remained.

Those were left by Qi Yingzhu on Mu Lanshi’s body the previous night.

Mu Lanshi’s honey-toned skin was young and supple.

It was nothing like the wet, crumpled corpse she had embraced in the heavy rain.

***

That was a night she would remember for eternity:

Pouring heavy rain fell like silver chains. Continuous autumn rain soaked the world, softening everything, drowning them both.

The only warmth in her arms gradually dissipated in the rain.

Qi Yingzhu lowered her head, letting the cold rainwater mix with her warm tears, streaking down her face, repeatedly calling Mu Lanshi’s name.

Until everything before her blurred and faded.

The previous bright scenes; power struggles, bloodlines, and noble families were all washed away by the rain.

In that moment, there were no noble eldest daughters, nor arrogant officials, nor consorts, nor empresses.

There were only the two of them, trapped in the dark, torrential sea of rain, clinging to a broken piece of wood and a bundle of dried grass.

The world was noisy, yet eternally desolate.

While Mu Lanshi was still alive, none of Qi Yingzhu’s identities gave her a reason to embrace her.

After her death, Qi Yingzhu could finally embrace her without restraint.

***

“Mu Lanshi…”

Lan Shi; the orchid season.

Qi Yingzhu pinched herself hard until the pain made her grit her teeth, before finally accepting the truth.

As the first light of morning filtered in, she slowly rose.

The soreness in her body still reminded her of what had happened last night.

The same thing that had happened in her past life—when Mu Lanshi had mistakenly drunk the love wine, and she too had drunk it. An alpha and an omega in one room, the fire ignited, and everything past halfway made any common sense went away.

At that time, how desperate had she gotten? How old was she? She definitely had not wanted to marry that old emperor.

Was it because she had given up? Qi Yingzhu wondered.

Perhaps.

But when she saw that it was Mu Lanshi, she couldn’t help but have some hope.

She was the perfect, legitimate daughter of a prestigious family. If she said she wouldn’t disappoint her, she truly wouldn’t.

Qi Yingzhu had always been a person who strictly followed rules, always moving forward according to her parents’ instructions, for the sake of the family, for the future.

But she too had one act of rebellion in her life:

That night, she cried uncontrollably, drunk, begging the Young Lady of the Mu family to marry her, to let her avoid entering the palace.

But what was the reality?

Mu Lanshi had forgotten her.

She had even gone through great lengths to marry the old emperor’s daughter, with a grand wedding, attended by nobles and royal families, the capital bustling with joy.

And when Qi Yingzhu had entered the palace, the emperor suffered a stroke, unable to move, and no wedding was held.

But she ultimately still experienced a life-altering wedding—just not her own.

Whether it was the dreams of a young girl or the glory of her family, everything was sealed away on the day of that wedding.

Qi Yingzhu hid in the shadows, silently watching the newlywed couple, even graciously suppressing all her hopes, no longer desiring Mu Lanshi’s answer, vaguely wishing her and Meng Yan’s happiness.

Years later, she buried this long-sealed heart next to the ashes of the one who had promised to return and marry her, that king of the alphas.

Mu Lanshi had misidentified the promised person, and Qi Yingzhu had wrongfully given away her life.

Of course, she should never have harbored any delusions toward her. Having lived another life, she would not hold onto false hope again.

Qi Yingzhu reflected as she finished dressing, slowly standing up, but not leaving. In her previous life, when she awoke and saw that it was Mu Lanshi by her side, she panicked and fled, silently hoping that Lady Mu would come to marry her.

But the result was the complete opposite. She still entered the palace in her sister’s place. However, she swore in her heart that she would not give those people the slightest convenience.

In the end, she took revenge on all who deserved it.

The past vividly flashed before her eyes, like a revolving lantern. In this second life, was there anything she wanted to do? …The things that couldn’t be changed after the fact.

Qi Yingzhu lowered her eyes and gazed at the person sleeping soundly on the bed—she suddenly didn’t want to leave.

She stayed a little longer, as a form of atonement. She told herself that.

But just then, Mu Lanshi suddenly opened her eyes, her long lashes fluttering on her radiant phoenix eyes.

“Lady Qi,” Mu Lanshi quickly sat up, nervously looking at her, casually adjusting her undergarment to cover the red marks and bruises on her skin.

Qi Yingzhu was at a loss for words.

There were regrets, of course, but how could she have no grievances?

At the same time, she wanted to hope, even though Mu Lanshi had never shown her any affection—wasn’t that exactly what happened in her past life?

Most of the time, she would toss and turn in the quiet of the night, again and again.

Countless times, she would fall into fantasies, recalling and savoring the past.

What would this lady from a noble family have to say to her today?

The matter between her and Mu Lanshi was not something that could be simply erased with a turn of the head.

“The events of last night were quite a disturbance,” Mu Lanshi explained, while picking up the light blue robe from the floor. “But please, don’t worry.”

Qi Yingzhu glanced at her indifferently, “Is there anything else you wish to say? I’m an omega, and you’re an alpha.”

As she spoke, she turned her gaze away.

The reason was simple: it had been so long since she had seen her, the living, breathing Mu Lanshi, and some emotions unconsciously spilled out of her eyes.

How much better it would have been if she had never held onto any hopes or illusions from the beginning.

Seeing Qi Yingzhu seem reluctant to stay, Mu Lanshi’s heart suddenly raced, and she took the initiative to step forward and grasp Qi Yingzhu’s hand. “I will marry you.”

Qi Yingzhu froze for a moment.

Was it because she had fled hastily and clumsily that she ended up with a tragic past life?

Mu Lanshi took a deep breath, smiling awkwardly before continuing, “I promised last night. I, Mu Lanshi, am a person who keeps promises.”

A person who keeps promises?

Qi Yingzhu stared into those pitch-black phoenix eyes, trying to discern any hint of false sentiment meant to merely appease her.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t see through it. So, she simply said, “Alpha, your intention is already good enough. But my family has already said I must enter the palace. I will not marry you.”

Qi Yingzhu seemed completely indifferent, but Mu Lanshi became panicked.

She didn’t even bother to put her clothes on properly and instead wrapped herself around Qi Yingzhu’s arm, burying her face into her neck—this was a bold and invasive move, but she didn’t care anymore.

A sweet, cool fragrance still lingered in the air.

“Last night, I mistakenly marked you,” Mu Lanshi explained, tightening her grip as she threaded her fingers through Qi Yingzhu’s dark hair. “But trust me.”

Mu Lanshi, being tall, stood out in any crowd. Holding her in place, Qi Yingzhu couldn’t move.

Qi Yingzhu disliked Mu Lanshi calling her “you.” In her previous life, she had done the same, addressing her with “you” in court, but everything she did was to undermine her, to oppose her for someone else.

“I’m leaving,” Qi Yingzhu said, shaking her off. “My family is probably still looking for me. Alpha, please forget about what happened last night.”

With that, Qi Yingzhu turned her back and walked out of the room, leaving Mu Lanshi standing there in a daze.

Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, yet there was a sense of clarity as though the clouds had parted.

She clearly remembered that Meng Yan also had a mark similar to Qi Yingzhu’s.

Back then, after drinking the love wine, her memories were almost completely erased, but she distinctly remembered a flower-shaped mark on the woman she had bonded with.

Meng Yan had a flower mark, too.

And there was something strange about it. Meng Yan had never allowed her to mark her permanently.

First, she said that the night they spent together was only a temporary bond to solve the immediate issue, and later, when she no longer needed her, she criticized her for being useless.

Did she only like temporary marks, or was it because Mu Lanshi was incapable of marking permanently?

Or could it be that the person who appeared in her room that night wasn’t Meng Yan?

A vague answer had already formed in Mu Lanshi’s heart.

…Other than in the previous life when she had mistakenly drunk the love wine, she had remained sober throughout last night. Her interactions with Qi Yingzhu had always been normal.

It was just that she had seen her widowed, and later, she became the lonely empress in the palace.

After that, they had no further contact.

This empress hadn’t been a fool. She wouldn’t have mourned for her without reason, especially not beyond the etiquette of a ruler.

With these thoughts settled, Mu Lanshi slowly opened her eyes again, greeted by the dazzling light of spring in March.

She was a person who kept promises.

In this life, starting anew, she would not miss a single thing she needed to do.

If she owed someone, she would repay them.

Even if Qi Yingzhu was currently rejecting her, it didn’t matter.

…What noble lady, after realizing she had spent a wild night with someone, would still be in a good mood?

Mu Lanshi had tasted the bitterness of life at its end. This small setback was nothing in comparison.

Especially when it came to someone she truly loved.