53 Ye Cheng Fu

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Ye Cheng Fu

Chapter 53:

When I woke up, I was lying in bed with Shen Cong sitting beside me, checking my pulse.

“You’ve caught a chill. You need to rest and avoid getting cold,” he calmly instructed the maid nearby.

I heard the sound of heavy rain outside and asked in a daze, “Is it raining?”

Shen Cong paused for a moment before replying indifferently, “Yes. It rains a lot after the beginning of summer.”

“What about Shen Ye?”

“He has other matters to attend to,” he evaded. I didn’t respond, so he went about tidying up his medicine kit. I looked around the dark palace and said softly, “A'Cong, stay with me for a while.”

I felt a bit foolish for calling him that, especially since I thought Shen Cong might be furious and do something drastic, but he only hesitated briefly before setting aside the medicine kit.

“I’m afraid of being alone,” I smiled weakly and explained, “Actually, I’ve always been afraid of being alone in a room. When my second sister died, she was alone in the room…”

I recalled the night many years ago when my second sister passed away. She usually slept with me, but that night, she chose to sleep alone. I couldn’t sleep and asked our nurse to help me find her. When I opened the door, no one was in the room. I called out for her, and when I looked up, I saw her hanging from the beam.

Everyone said my second sister had committed suicide by hanging, but I knew it wasn’t true.

“Hmm,” Shen Cong finally responded. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, “My condolences.”

“A'Cong…” I grabbed his collar and pulled him close to me. He stumbled and fell to the ground in front of me. Our faces were mere inches apart. I stared at him intensely, forcing him to meet my gaze. I could feel his breath on my face, and for the first time, I saw him look panicked.

“Tell me, is it the Dark Court?!”

“I don’t know…” He closed his eyes.

I tightened my grip. “Is it?!”

“I don’t know!”

“A'Cong…” I tried to continue, but a harsh voice interrupted us: “What are you two doing!”

© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Shen Cong suddenly came to his senses, quickly pushing me away and falling to the floor.

I turned around, coughing, and saw Shen Ye standing in the doorway. His face showed no sign of emotion—only a cold, indifferent gaze that sent a chill through me.

“Brother…” Shen Cong closed his eyes and spoke softly, “I…”

“Get out.”

Shen Ye’s voice was icy. Shen Cong lowered his head, gathered his medicine kit, and left the room.

After Shen Cong left, Shen Ye did not come in. He remained standing in the doorway, gazing at me from a distance.

“After this is all over, I will marry Qin Yang,” he said coldly.

I clenched the blanket tightly, feeling my heart sink and my breath catch. He turned his head, looking away, and continued, “If Bai Shaotang truly cares for you, he would be with someone who is of no use. Both of you would be content, and I would owe nothing to either of you.”

“What is your relationship with Qin Yang?!” I couldn’t contain my anger any longer, shouting out.

He smiled slightly, his lips curving up. “What do you think?”

“She must be infatuated with you…” I said, my voice already hoarse. He didn’t respond, remaining silent by the door. I couldn’t help but laugh softly, “And you… may not be entirely heartless either.”

If he were truly heartless, why would he marry her?

When the Empress arranged for him to marry me, wasn’t he just using his role as the Phoenix Tower’s master to avoid the marriage?

He did not deny it, which only made me laugh more recklessly. I got out of bed, my bare feet touching the cold floor, which chilled my heart even more: “You’ll treat her better than you did me, be with her, and live a long and happy life together…” I lifted my head to look at him, the taste of blood lingering in my mouth. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” he replied calmly. “Once you’re gone, my life will continue. You were not the first person I liked, and you won’t be the last. Shu Cheng,” he said with a gentle smile, “do I look good?”

That smile was warm and clear, as if it could pierce through the darkness of the night. I found myself momentarily stunned. Yet, he quickly returned to his cold demeanor and continued, “A beauty is like a knife, Shu Cheng. I’ve long mastered this blade.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

I stared at his retreating figure, unable to suppress a bitter laugh.

A beauty as a knife—I already knew he was a blade.

But why did it still hurt so much when he said it so openly?

I lay back down under the covers, burying my face.

I wasn’t the first person he liked, but he was my first love.

I had loved him for so long—from the time we spoke through the screen in the bamboo forest to this moment of despair.

A person I loved so deeply, to the point of being willing to die for him, didn’t care about me.

The saddest part was, even in such dire circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to completely hate him; I still felt a trace of pity for him. My mind was filled with the things he had said to me, and I couldn’t help but resent myself.

I thought about how, when we first met ten years ago, I should have kept him by my side. If I had, I would have had enough time to change him, to protect him from the world’s cruelties, and to keep him from being trapped in the darkness of the past, growing into the person he is today.

If I had taken him with me ten years ago, I would have treated him well.

But I didn’t take him back then, and now there’s no more time to make things right. He has grown into the person I fear, someone who is unkind to me and my family. He’s like a beast dressed in the skin of a beauty, and no matter how beautiful the exterior, it cannot hide the beastly nature within.

In the dark of night, I sketched out his figure in my mind. After a long time, I finally got up, put on my shoes, and hurriedly went out.

I knew he was no good, but tomorrow is the fifteenth.

This is my last chance to be with him.

I rushed out, startling the palace servants. I grabbed them and hurriedly said, “I need to see him... I need to see your master.”

“Don’t worry, Lady Shu!” the servants immediately said. “Your health is important. We’ll take you there right away.”

They quickly helped me with an outer coat and lanterns and led me to Shen Ye’s quarters.

They sent someone inside to inquire, and after a long silence, the door was opened by itself.

He hadn’t yet retired for the night; he had just bathed and was wearing a white robe, standing in the corridor looking at me. His gaze seemed somewhat impatient. I felt a pang of sorrow but forced myself to speak through the pain, saying, “I want to sleep with you. I’m afraid at night.”

He didn’t speak, seemingly seeing through my poor lie. With nothing more to say, I simply stood there, watching him.

The wind blew, and I shivered from the cold. He closed his eyes, sighed, and turned aside, saying, “Come in.”

I couldn’t help but smile and quickly ran to his side, squeezing into the room.

He closed the door, and with the wind cut off, the room was much warmer. I hurriedly took off my robe and outer coat and jumped onto the bed.

I shifted over and patted the space beside me, saying, “Come up.”

The blankets still held his warmth, and he must have been disturbed by me. Without saying a word, he extinguished the light and lay down beside me, closing his eyes.

Curled up next to him, my nose filled with his scent, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, thinking that I might never have the chance to share a bed with him again in this lifetime. Realizing this, tears began to fall uncontrollably.

I thought he was asleep and hadn't noticed, but I felt his body stiffen. After a long while, he slowly placed his hand on me, pulling me into his embrace and patting my back. He said softly, "Sleep now, don’t be afraid. It will be alright. The Empress won’t kill you; as long as you’re alive, everything will be fine. Even though you’re no longer the head of the Shu family, as long as the family stands, you’ll still have a relatively good life. Even if the Shu family falls..." He paused, then continued, "I’ll still be around, and you can come to Phoenix Tower for financial support. You could find a good-looking husband."

His voice was full of sighs. Hearing this, I couldn’t help but sob. His hand paused momentarily but continued to pat my back as he said, “Shu Cheng, you’ll understand in the future that you should never fall for a man like me.”

“I know…” I said hoarsely, weeping, “But I can’t help it. I’ve said more than once that I want to clear the air with you, to separate from you. But I can’t... Shen Ye,” I looked up at him, my eyes full of pain, “Having been loved by you, how could I love someone else? I always imagined our future, having children with you. If you liked, I’d cook soup and meals for you every day. I know you don’t like overly assertive women; I can be gentle. I can’t hurt those around me to please you, but apart from that, whatever you want, I’m willing to give.”

I thought these words would make him happy.

I knew how long he had waited for such words in the past, how much he longed for me to say them.

Yet at this moment, he simply smiled at me and, with a hoarse voice, said slowly, “It’s too sweet.”

“What?” I was stunned.

He looked at me and repeated, “The pear and water chestnut soup you made is too sweet. I never want to drink it again.”

It was a very indirect rejection. He closed his eyes but didn’t let go of me. I stared at him until his breathing became steady, and only then did I come back to my senses.

I dared not close my eyes, watching him in the night. I was afraid that dawn was approaching and that tomorrow would come quickly. I would have to trick him into going to the west gate and then kill him, escaping with Bai Shaotang's people.

If successful, he would die, and I would live; if not, I would die, and he would live.

It was an outcome where only one could survive.

After watching him quietly for a long time, I finally couldn’t resist reaching out to hold his neck and gently kissed his seemingly cool lips.

He furrowed his brows in his sleep.

He kept his eyes closed; maybe he was awake, maybe he wasn’t, but it made no difference to me. I indulged for a long time, finally feeling exhausted, and nestled in his arms, closing my eyes.

After I closed my eyes, he stirred and then lowered his head to kiss the top of my head.

When I woke up the next morning, he had just woken up as well and was quietly watching me. I reached out to embrace him and gently kissed his forehead, saying, “Let’s go for a stroll today, not leaving the palace, just within the palace.”

I thought he would refuse, but he simply stared at me for a moment before nodding.

His easy agreement caught me off guard for a moment, but I quickly recovered and snuggled closer, acting sweet.

He didn’t speak, only watched me for a while before getting up to dress and calling in the maids to help me get dressed.

After washing up, we had a light breakfast together and then went for a walk around the palace.

Bai Shaotang had chosen the west gate because it was closest to the Yangxin Palace. Since I had grown up in the palace and was quite lively as a child, I was very familiar with it. Originally, I was supposed to be accompanied by him around the palace, but it turned into me showing him around.

We wandered from Yangxin Palace, through the Imperial Garden, to Weiyang Lake... I told him various stories along the way, but he listened with a detached air, as if he didn’t care much. I thought his lack of interest could jeopardize my plan, so I changed the topic: “What orders did the Empress give you?”

“What?” Shen Ye finally seemed to snap back to attention, furrowing his brows.

We had arrived at the west gate, and he didn’t notice the cold sweat on my back. I maintained a calm facade and asked, “What order made you suddenly distance yourself from me?”

He said nothing, quietly observing me, and after a moment, he smiled and said, “Why do you think it’s distancing rather than me simply being as I should be? If it weren’t for the Empress' orders to get close to you, to marry into the Shu family, to compete against Bai Shaotang for favor, why would I waste such effort?”

“You’re lying,” I said, staring at him intently. “Shen Ye, words can deceive, but the heart cannot.”

I couldn’t actually feel his heart or fully understand his true thoughts at that moment. Hearing my words, he stopped and stared at me for a long time. I continued walking forward without looking back, but he suddenly called my name, so gently, so deeply.

“Shu Cheng.”

I had reached the west gate and thought I wouldn’t turn back, but when he called those two words, I couldn’t help but look back.

He stood in the sunlight, dressed in white, his gaze shifting endlessly.

“I thought…” His voice was carried away by the wind, and I wanted to hear more, but at that moment, an arrow suddenly shot through the heart of the guard at the west gate. Without thinking, I rolled out of the way. Several masked horsemen approached, and as I was about to grab one of them, a small fan whirled through the air, slicing through the hand of one of them right in front of me.

Blood splattered across my face, and Shen Ye had already leapt behind me, grabbing my neck. With my face covered in blood, I threw the pouch of red bean powder I had been carrying.

I had kept it hidden since the day I prepared the sweet soup for him.

I had been waiting for this moment, and the scent of blood filled my nostrils. Despite the courage I had mustered, my hand still trembled as I threw it.

The situation left me little time for anything else. I kicked out, and Shen Ye blocked with his fan. At that moment, he spat out a mouthful of dark blood.

“Missed you…” he murmured in disbelief. I didn’t dare look back. I pushed off the ground and dashed out.

Outside, the guards were already alerted, and Shen Ye had secretly brought many shadow guards. A fierce battle ensued. As I leaped into the air and was about to land on a horse, I was suddenly yanked back by a rope and slammed hard onto the ground.

In just a few exchanges, we had lost the upper hand, and more people kept pouring in. I could only scream, "Go! Don't worry about me, just leave!"

I knew I couldn't escape and hoped that Bai Shaotang wouldn’t fall here as well.

Shen Ye knelt on the ground, gripping a rope tightly and panting heavily. His face had turned a dark purple, looking extremely terrifying. More people gathered around, and a young man silently landed beside Shen Ye, his expression full of concern. “My lord, let me take you back.”

“And her,” Shen Ye said through gritted teeth, his expression filled with agony.

The young man glanced at me and then approached. As he got closer, I kicked out desperately, but he moved faster, and with one strike, he broke my leg bone with a loud "crack." The pain surged from my calf up to my head, and I couldn't help but scream. Before I could react further, he slapped me, and my vision went dark.

As I lost consciousness, I wondered if the hand that was severed in front of me belonged to Bai Shaotang.

When I woke up, was Shen Ye still alive?

And if he was alive, what would I do?

If he was dead… what then?

Perhaps to escape these thoughts, I kept drifting in and out of consciousness until a sharp pain jolted me awake.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself back in the Yangxin Palace's chamber. Shen Cong sat beside me, coldly watching. A silver needle was still embedded in my forehead, and Shen Ye stood with his back to me, while Peony and the young man who had broken my leg were standing beside him.

“Everyone, leave,” Shen Ye said first, his voice full of exhaustion. No one spoke; they simply left quietly and closed the door behind them.

Shen Ye turned around. He had changed into a blue robe, his face as pale as paper, looking extremely weak. I was shocked. “You…”

The deadly poison "Xiangsi"—he had drunk the bowl of water chestnut and pear soup, and I had thrown the trigger, the red bean powder. How could he still be standing here?

My heart was filled with shock and fear, and vaguely, there was a hint of relief. But he said nothing, just stood there. After a long pause, he suddenly asked me, “How much do you hate me?” Before I could answer, he lowered his head and chuckled softly. “No, rather… you never loved me, did you? You were deceiving me…”

He walked slowly to my bedside and sat down, looking at me with the tenderness of a lover. “These past few days… you made soup, you knelt waiting for me, you came to me at night to hold me, you spoke those words to me, kissed me…”

His voice grew increasingly hoarse, and I saw tears welling up in his eyes.

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53 Ye Cheng Fu

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