The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 78

Shijie Arc: Chapter Eight

She’s Actually My Wife (Furious)

Housheng Hall​¹ wasn’t far from the Flower Street Willow Lane​² district.

            

Although Zi Yan was always discreet at the teahouse, keeping to her duties, her striking, delicate features were still familiar to a handful of people. Eventually, they recognized her as the former top-ranked Huakui​³ of Chunfeng Pavilion​⁴.

That said, most customers who came to Housheng Hall for tea didn’t particularly care who the manager was.

But every now and then, some odd characters would show up. They’d wrinkle their noses in disgust as they took the tea brick Zi Yan respectfully offered, or maybe they’d “accidentally” loosen their grip on a teacup, letting the hot liquid splash across her sleeve.

            

Even in the face of such needle-prick contempt, Zi Yan’s expression remained placid. She would simply bow her head and retreat behind the counter to help Cao Yun with the accounts, actively avoiding them.

Quiet. As if she didn’t mind their blatant malice at all.

As if. It only seemed that way.

            

Song Shuqing and Cao Yun saw it all, but they felt utterly helpless against these people’s behavior. Since they were commoners, there was no pretext to grab them by the collar and teach them a lesson, nor could they drag them into an alley for a good beating.

All the two of them could do was their best to shield her, making sure Zi Yan didn’t have to face customers who held such pointless prejudice against her.

Withered leaves fell to the ground. Winter was coming.

            

Perhaps because the weather was growing colder, more and more people chose to stop in for a cup of tea and a pastry, taking a seat in the cozy, charcoal-warmed room. As a result, Housheng Hall became much busier. Even with all three of them working, their movements swift and efficient, they still felt rushed off their feet.

The one-armed shadow guard and Zi Yan greeted customers while Song Shuqing went up to the second-floor storeroom to take inventory and refill the empty tea canisters.

“Young lady, could you wrap up some of the new tea for me?” an old man said, handing copper coins to the woman behind the counter.

            

Zi Yan agreed and turned to pull some hemp rope and oil paper from a drawer. Her slender fingers moved nimbly, sealing the tea brick in a tight wrap before tying a deft knot. Focused on her task, her expression was serene. She wore no complex ornaments in her hair; it was simply tied back with a cord. A few soft, dark strands had escaped, falling beside her cheeks as she looked down.

The waiting grandfather wasn’t a regular, but he’d been in two or three times before. Curious about the unfamiliar face, he called out loudly to Cao Yun, “Cao-xiaodi​⁵, I’ve never seen this pretty young lady before. Is she your wife?”

Cao Yun looked up from his abacus, his expression calm. “No.” His reply was as brief as ever.

            

“Oh, she’s not?”

The customer shrugged, unbothered by Cao Yun’s tendency to cherish words like gold​⁶. He was turning to accept the tea from Zi Yan when a group of men and women at a round table behind him suddenly piped up, “Grandpa, you’re giving her way too much credit.”

The dismissive remark came with exaggerated, poorly hidden snickers. Zi Yan’s outstretched arm froze in mid-air.

            

“After all, she’s a woman who has rolled in the wind and dust​⁷.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Her body isn’t clean anymore.”

“Someone like that could never be Cao-dage’s wife.”

            

At their blunt cruelty, Zi Yan’s hand, still holding the hemp cord, fell limply to her side. She didn’t know if it was from their blatant humiliation or her own self-loathing, but she felt blood rush to her head, which grew hot and heavy. She forced herself to blink her burning eyes. The woman set down the freshly wrapped tea brick, instinctively wanting to retreat behind the cloth curtain.

After all, once people knew who she was, many of them refused to even touch something she had handled…

“Please watch what you say.” Cao Yun, still at the accounts, looked up. He recognized two of the young women at the table—they often came in during his shifts. He frowned, about to intervene, but was cut off by a loud crash.

            

Peng!​⁸

The sound of a wooden crate hitting the floor made everyone in the teahouse jump.

Song Shuqing stood at the landing, having come down from the second floor to restock. She’d just dropped the large crate she was holding, and her face was dark as she glared at the young people at the round table. The lips that usually wore a mischievous smile were now pressed into a tight, thin line. For once, the upward tilt of her eyes and her furrowed brow revealed her true feelings: a mixture of fury and contempt.

            

She strode over to the table and looked down at the clueless group. After four or five silent heartbeats, she finally spoke. “Do you think you’re being funny?”

She sounded genuinely furious. There was no trace of her usual teasing or sarcasm, only stern gravity.

“Spouting irresponsible, self-righteous, hurtful words without a clue what you’re talking about. Thinking you’re so high and mighty that you have the right to judge others…” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zi Yan standing alone in the shadows, head bowed. The sight made her heart ache.

            

Song Shuqing clenched her fists, struggling to stop herself from sending the still-unfazed group in front of her flying.

“…After all that, are you proud of yourselves?”

Before anyone could answer, Song Shuqing slammed her palm onto the round table, leaving an imprint half a knuckle deep in the solid wood. The force of the blow sent a gust of wind across the customers’ faces. They stared at the damaged table, shocked by her strength, and felt a strange pressure settle over them. Their faces went pale.

            

“Shimei​⁹, don’t.”

Cao Yun, who had grown up with her, knew her well. He sensed her rare, surging killing intent and quickly tried to stop her. “Song-shimei! They’re just commoners. You mustn’t.”

Her Shixiong’s​¹⁰ urgent plea seemed to pull her back to her senses. She narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, then suddenly let out a soft laugh.

            

“Ah Yun, don’t be so tense.”

“I’m not going to do anything.”

“Besides, you’re right. These types of people are everywhere, even in the 21st century. Why am I getting so worked up here?”

            

Song Shuqing scratched her chin and tilted her head, slipping back into her usual devil-may-care attitude. Leaning one hand on the table, she scanned the group that had spoken up. “Zi Yan… is not Cao Yun’s wife, that’s true,” she said.

She heaved a heavy, theatrical sigh, her face a mask of feigned helplessness. “To be perfectly honest, Zi Yan is…”

She paused, then threw her hands up as if she had no other choice and loudly proclaimed: “She’s actually my wife.”

            

Paying no mind to the crowd’s incredulous stares and gaping mouths, she closed her eyes, clasped her hands over her heart, and continued with a dead-serious expression, “She is my true love, my precious, precious wife​¹¹, the one I’m afraid will melt in my mouth or break if I hold her in my hands.”

“So, for customers like you, who are not only rude to our staff but also to their family members, I’m sorry…” She opened her eyes, gave a bow so perfunctory it was an insult, and then crossed her hands to make a big ‘NO.’ “But this establishment will no longer be serving you.”

She grabbed the collars of the two ringleaders. Her arms, which she always claimed were weak, suddenly found an impossible strength. With a single kick, she sent the sliding door open and half-pushed, half-dragged the people in her grasp outside, tossing them out. Then she turned back, beaming at the remaining two. “So… are you going to walk out on your own, or do I have to throw you?” Her tone left no room for negotiation.

            

Song Shuqing watched them scurry away in terror, then turned around with her hands on her hips, not forgetting to kick the door shut.

“Song-shimei.” Cao Yun sighed from his abacus and pointed at the table she had ruined. “You know, rosewood is very expensive these days…”

“You shut up.” Song Shuqing rolled her eyes. She snatched a brush and paper from beside Cao Yun and began to scribble furiously, all while lecturing her Shixiong. “Those little fans​¹² of yours come in here every day, order one cup of tea, and sit for half the day. That’s bad enough, but now they dare to bully Zi Yan right in front of me, and you don’t even do anything about it.”

            

Tilting his head, the completely oblivious Cao Yun asked in confusion, “What are little fans?”

“Never mind.” Song Shuqing held up the paper she’d been writing on, blew on the ink to dry it, and handed it to Cao Yun. “Here. Post this on the door for me later.”

Dogs​13 and people who disrespect our staff's families are not allowed inside

            

The man frowned at Song Shuqing’s sloppy, crooked characters. “Song-shimei, your brushwork is as unsightly as ever…”

“You. Shut. Up.” She threw a mock punch in the air, glaring at the Shixiong who was the same age as her. “I am in a super bad mood right now. You’d better not hop on dynamite​¹⁴! Otherwise, don’t blame me if I dump well water on you while you’re sleeping tonight.”

While the two former shadow guards were bickering—or maybe just bantering—Zi Yan stood frozen behind the counter. Her mind felt overloaded, making her head feel swollen. After hearing the woman she admired make a declaration that sounded so much like a lover’s confession, Zi Yan didn’t know how to react, even though she knew Song Shuqing was only trying to protect her.

            

What virtue, what ability?​¹⁵

“Miss! Miss!”

The old man at the counter was calling to the dazed woman. He said with a cheerful grin, “Miss, you haven’t given me my tea yet.” His expression was kind, seemingly unaffected by the earlier commotion.

            

Snapping back to reality, Zi Yan was mortified. She quickly handed over the tea brick she had set down. “I’m so sorry…”

“No need to apologize.” He waved his hand dismissively and looked at the oil-paper-and-hemp-rope package. “You’re meticulous and deft,” he said with a smile. “You wrap this far better than Cao-xiaodi or Miss Song. It won’t get damp in this winter weather.”

“I’ll be counting on you next time, little lady.” He gave Zi Yan a playful wink, then left with his tea, strolling away with his hands clasped behind his back.

            

Just then, Song Shuqing, finished with Cao Yun, hopped over the counter and came to Zi Yan’s side. “Hey, Zi Yan,” she asked with concern, “are you okay?”

When the woman only stared back at her blankly, Song Shuqing grew worried. “You should go upstairs and rest. We’re about to close up anyway.”

“…No, it’s fine. I’m okay.”

            

An indescribable feeling still lingered in her heart. Hearing Song Shuqing’s concern, Zi Yan shook her head, refusing the offer. But as she did, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and her body swayed to one side.

“Whoa, whoa.”

“You can’t even stand straight. Go on, get upstairs and rest.” Song Shuqing reached out and steadied her by the shoulders. “I insist,” she said. “If you really collapse, Cao Yun only has one arm, and I’m so frail. We’d never be able to carry you up to the 3rd floor.”

            

She lifted the cloth curtain for Zi Yan with one hand and gave her a gentle, silent push on the back, urging her forward. The warmth of her palm was distinct even through the fabric. Zi Yan turned her head and met the shadow guard’s worried gaze. Her mind felt foggy, and she couldn’t manage another ‘no.’ Under Song Shuqing’s gentle urging, she obediently started up the stairs.

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The author has something to say:

Shijie​¹⁶ got angry, how rare~

            

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By the way, if the cp​¹⁷ description for Ming Qin and Murong Yan is: Younger-in-age​¹⁸ shadow guard (clueless about love/straightforward/loyal mad dog​¹⁹) V.S. Older-in-age​²⁰ Commandery Princess​²¹ (super double standards​²²/obsessive/unhinged beauty​²³)

What do you think the cp description for Song Shuqing and Zi Yan should be?

            

(I feel like Shijie’s character design is hard to explain in just a sentence or two to people who haven’t read this story)

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LP: Re-translated on January 04, 2026

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