Chapter 5: Kissing Pei Dongzhou, Ten Days Only

Shen Shuyi had a very long nightmare.

In the dream, she stood at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by the male leads. With cold expressions, they struck almost simultaneously, pushing her into an endless abyss.

She opened her eyes in a daze, the sensation of falling from a great height still leaving her shaken.

Old Madam Pei sat at the bedside. Seeing her wake up, her eyes turned red. "Poor child."

Struggling to sit up, Shen Shuyi felt a profound weakness throughout her body. "Grandmother, what happened to me?"

"The doctor says your body is frail and requires careful recuperation, otherwise..." Old Madam Pei turned away to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

The estate physician had noted that her pulse was extremely weak—a sign of constitutional frailty, not the constitution of a long life.

Shen Shuyi also felt that something was wrong with her body. Before today, she had been perfectly fine, but suddenly, even breathing felt difficult. This could be a punishment from the system, or perhaps it was simply because she was a disposable supporting character.

If she failed her mission, even if she didn't die at the hands of the male leads within a year, she might succumb to illness.

Realizing this, she felt a sense of resignation. Smiling, she comforted Old Madam Pei, "Grandmother, don't worry. My body is quite resilient. A fortune teller once told me in my childhood that I would live to be a hundred."

Pei Yuexuan, the fourth young lady of the Pei household, muttered from the side, "Cousin spends quite a lot of time with the estate physician; surely he will treat her well."

Her words sounded ordinary, yet they easily invited suspicion, especially since Pei Yuexuan had been close to the original Shen Shuyi before the soul-transmigration.

In the original novel, the person Pei Yuexuan was truly close to was the female lead. The two had joined forces to frame the original Shen Shuyi many times.

Sure enough, Xia Nianchu caught the hint immediately. "Could the physician have misdiagnosed her? I saw Cousin looking so radiant this morning; how could she suddenly..."

In an instant, everyone turned their eyes toward Shen Shuyi.

Inspired by Xia Nianchu’s words, everyone began to suspect that Shen Shuyi had colluded with the physician to fake an illness and win their sympathy.

In the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, Shen Shuyi was a person universally disliked; only Old Madam Pei held her in the palm of her hand.

The Marchioness’s gaze turned sharp as she looked at Shen Shuyi. "Yiyi, how dare you fake an illness?! You have caused such a stir and made your grandmother grieve, all just to win everyone's pity?"

At this moment, Shen Shuyi finally understood how much she was loathed in the Marquis's mansion. With a single casual remark from Xia Nianchu, the Marchioness had already passed judgment on her.

Actually, the Marchioness had reason to dislike her. Pei Dongzhou was her legitimate eldest son, and the original Shen Shuyi, an orphan, had set her sights on the young master. As a mother, how could the Marchioness tolerate her?

Pei Dongzhou, who had been silent on the side, recalled the pale complexion Shen Shuyi had before fainting. Although his cousin had a history of misdeeds, he did not feel she was faking it. His mother’s conclusion was too rash.

"I do not know why I fainted. Since everyone suspects I am faking, why not call another physician to take my pulse? It would clear up the confusion," Shen Shuyi said, hiding in the embrace of Old Madam Pei.

Old Madam Pei had also harbored slight doubts, but seeing the girl's frail state, she darkened her expression. "Since everyone has questions, we might as well find another doctor to examine Yiyi."

Pei Yuexuan volunteered, "I will send someone to fetch a physician."

How could Shen Shuyi trust her? The physician Pei Yuexuan chose might be bought off, creating a perfect loop to confirm the accusation of her faking the illness.

"There is no need to trouble Cousin Yuexuan. She spends much time with me, and I worry..." Shen Shuyi trailed off.

It was Pei Yuexuan who had just claimed Shen Shuyi was close with the estate doctor, leading everyone to suspect collusion. If Pei Yuexuan herself brought the doctor, it wouldn't be convincing either.

Pei Dongzhou stepped in. "Qingzhu, you go and fetch a physician."

Once he spoke, everyone was convinced. The Young Master was known for his fairness and integrity; even if he disliked Shen Shuyi, he wouldn't frame her without cause.

Before long, Qingzhu returned with a doctor. The Great Qi dynasty had an open culture, and the boundaries between men and women were not so strictly enforced. Men and women could sit at the same table, so there was no need to avoid a physician's examination.

The diagnosis confirmed that Shen Shuyi was indeed very weak. With the same pulse findings as the estate physician, she required careful recuperation, or she might not live long.

Old Madam Pei had actually hoped it was a ruse; she felt a heavy heart, her gaze toward Shen Shuyi becoming increasingly tender.

After the doctor left, Shen Shuyi gave a bitter laugh. "It is fortunate that I am truly ill, otherwise Cousin Xia would again think I was faking it for sympathy."

Her skin was naturally fair, and now, without a trace of blood, her large, dark eyes appeared truly pitiful, with tears hovering on the verge of falling. She looked at the Marchioness, her voice raspy. "Does Aunt now believe I am not faking?"

The Marchioness was indeed in the wrong, but without a graceful way to back down, she looked at Xia Nianchu and found an outlet for her frustration. She scolded coldly, "Nian, refrain from sowing discord in the future."

Xia Nianchu was the niece of the second madam, Madame Li. She usually appeared obedient and understanding, and the Marchioness had once held some affection for her. But after this incident, it was clear that Xia Nianchu had intentionally smeared Shen Shuyi.

Xia Nianchu had intended to make Shen Shuyi a target of public criticism. Given Shen Shuyi’s poor reputation in the mansion, a casual accusation could easily cement the charge of fakery and increase everyone's disdain. Because the original Shen Shuyi had been foolish, Xia Nianchu had succeeded many times before, never expecting to stumble this time.

Xia Nianchu shrank back in alarm, her eyes reddening. "I... I was just speaking casually, not sowing discord. Clearly, it was... it was Cousin Yuexuan who mentioned it first..."

Pei Yuexuan had not expected Xia Nianchu to push her out. Were they not friends? They had often worked together to frame Shen Shuyi, and it had always succeeded. Why, after just one failure, was Xia Nianchu so eager to use her as a shield?

She retorted coldly, "Cousin, you are mistaken. I only said she was close to the physician; I meant nothing else. Why does it sound as if I were instigating this in your mouth?"

Seeing these so-called "good sisters" turning on each other, the corners of Shen Shuyi’s mouth curled almost imperceptibly. She considered this a small act of revenge for the original owner.

Seeing the room filled with noise, the Old Madam issued an order to leave. "Everyone leave. Yiyi’s health is poor; she needs to rest."

After everyone dispersed, Old Madam Pei stayed a while longer before saying goodbye.

Once alone, Shen Shuyi eagerly summoned the system. "System, why did my health suddenly deteriorate?"

[Due to the three male leads' favorability toward the host approaching the erasure threshold, the host must be punished. If the host can complete the following impromptu mission, your body will return to normal.]

Shen Shuyi felt a surge of helpless rage. "Then why is there only punishment and no reward?"

[Impromptu mission triggered: Kiss Pei Dongzhou. Time limit: ten days.]