Chapter 19: Disdained

After circling about in the late half of the night, with two hours left before dawn, Fang Rui finally evaded the Court of Judicial Review patrols and knocked on Shen Yu’s window.

At the sound, Shen Yu opened the window. By then Fang Rui had already put his mask back on. Injured as he was, he still didn’t forget to hide his identity in front of Shen Yu.

Fang Rui jumped in clutching his chest and said to Shen Yu, “Help me up.”

His voice sounded weak, but whether it was truly that weak or he was just exaggerating, only he himself knew.

When Shen Yu supported Fang Rui’s arm, he let his body lean against her, nearly half his weight pressing onto her. Shen Yu’s mind was entirely on whether the matter had been handled, so without suspicion she helped him toward the bed and asked anxiously, “How did it go? What happened to you?”

Fang Rui sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, looked at Shen Yu and said reassuringly, “It’s all taken care of now. You don’t need to worry.”

Hearing that it was done, Shen Yu still frowned. Her gaze fell on Fang Rui’s hand over his chest and she asked, “Is the wound serious?”

Not hearing Fang Rui answer, Shen Yu looked up at him and saw him leaning against the headboard with his eyes tightly shut. She couldn’t tell if he’d fallen asleep or fainted.

Staring at the silver mask on the man’s face, Shen Yu hesitated, then suddenly reached out. Just as her hand was about to touch the mask, Fang Rui spoke up earnestly, “My family precept says: whether woman or man, if this mask is taken off, they must become a wife of our family.”

Shen Yu’s hand paused, but she still rested it on the mask. In that instant Fang Rui’s breathing had stopped. His heartbeat felt like a bowstring pulled taut to its limit, on the verge of snapping.

Although Shen Yu’s hand was on the mask, she expressionlessly slid it as if to adjust its position, then said, “Put the mask on properly. Don’t end up blaming me if it falls off.”

Fang Rui felt like screaming. S**o what was I panicking about just now!?

He’d already taken a punch from Huyan Suoyun to the chest, and then he had panicked. That was like salt on the wound and it burned fiercely.

Fang Rui clutched his chest. More than the physical pain, his heart ached. Shen Yu was so hard to flirt with. What was he supposed to do?

Seeing Fang Rui clutch his chest with a wound that didn’t seem faked, Shen Yu reached to the buttons of his clothes as if to unfasten them.

“In such a hurry to become a wife of my family?” Fang Rui said, suppressing a smile.

Seeing he could still joke, Shen Yu shot him a glare. “If you die here, I can’t move your corpse alone. If you’re going to die, die somewhere farther away.”

“Heh heh…” Fang Rui laughed and coughed, then immediately covered his mouth with his hand.

Shen Yu watched him with puzzlement, then assumed he had stopped coughing for fear someone outside would hear. She didn’t suspect anything and proceeded to unbutton his clothes.

Watching Shen Yu unfasten his clothes, Fang Rui breathed easier. Hopefully she hadn’t noticed. The voice he’d coughed out earlier was his real voice, but Shen Yu’s attention had been fixed on his wound so she probably hadn’t noticed.

When she unfastened his clothes and saw a broad bruise of black-purple across his chest, Shen Yu’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at Fang Rui. “You really ran into Huyan Suoyun?!”

The bruise on Fang Rui’s chest was a large black-purple blotch. Around it veins of black and red spread out like tree roots.

Fang Rui spoke with effort, “Don’t worry. Even if it was Huyan Suoyun I met, I’ve prepared a perfect contingency. You can be completely at ease.”

“Whatever contingency, we can talk about that later. Sit still, I’ll get you some medicine to remove the bruising and promote blood circulation.” Saying that, Shen Yu rose and rummaged through her luggage for the medicine she’d brought.

Fang Rui glanced down at his wound and remembered the clash with Huyan Suoyun. His chest suddenly ached, a pain like the time the poison had broken out before.

But according to the timeline of his previous life, his poison wouldn’t erupt for another two years. This sudden chest pain was bewilderingly premature.

Could his rebirth have accelerated the poison’s onset?

Memories of his last life, bedridden like a cripple, resurfaced in Fang Rui’s mind and for a moment he panicked. Those who haven’t lain in bed for a year cannot fathom that deadened feeling, as if wind and rain outside the room no longer concern you and all you can do is wait to die on the bed.

While Fang Rui was lost in those memories, a chill spread over his injured chest. The cold jolted him back to his senses and his gaze shifted from Shen Yu’s earnest face to the pale, supple hand resting on his chest…

His heart had almost stopped, but seeing those small hands on his chest made it leap to life. His eyes followed Shen Yu’s hand, and he completely forgot the body’s pain and those memories.

A man’s nature…he was no exception.

Watching for a moment, dry-mouthed and coughing twice, he pulled a nearby blanket over his lower half. Seeing Fang Rui’s movement, Shen Yu looked up suspiciously and asked, “Are you cold?”

It was already the hottest month of August. Complaining of cold at night? How could he be cold?

Fang Rui averted his eyes. His voice was three degrees huskier than usual as he said, “Just wanted to cover up a bit.”

Shen Yu capped the medicine bottle and murmured, “What a strange person.”

She put the bottle on the bedside and said, “Remember to rub it on again in the morning when you get up.”

Having said that, she stood from the chair and turned to leave. Fang Rui asked, “Where are you going?”

Shen Yu looked back at him. “You’ve taken my bed, so of course I’ll find another place to sleep for a while.”

At that, Fang Rui scooted inward, patted the empty space on the bed and cheekily said, “The bed’s big enough. I don’t mind two people sleeping together.”

Hearing him, Shen Yu sneered. “You don’t mind but I mind.” With that she ignored him, sat at the round table and lay her head on it.

The candle hadn’t gone out. Fang Rui watched Shen Yu lying face-down on the table with her back to him, and the corner of his mouth slowly curved up.

No matter what happened in his previous life, it was over. This life was what’s important. He was very glad his rebirth allowed him to meet Shen Yu again.

He looked down at his chest, pulled a packet of powdered medicine from his sleeve, opened it, tilted his hand slightly and sprinkled the powder onto the injured spot on his chest. After sprinkling, he tucked the paper back into his sleeve, leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes.

Even breathing came from behind him. Shen Yu, lying on the table, opened her eyes and thought of how close she’d been to removing the mask. There was always a little doubt in her heart. She felt like she’d seen this person before, but she couldn’t match him to anyone she’d known.

Where had she seen him? Without seeing his face or eyes, it was really hard to tell.

She sighed softly. Whether she’d seen him before was no longer important. What mattered was what to do next: he had leverage over her, but she didn’t want to be manipulated by him for the rest of her life, living in constant fear.

Dawn had broken and noise from outside the room woke Shen Yu. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, disoriented for a moment. When she came to, she shot upright, checked her clothes for signs of disturbance and only relaxed when she saw none. Then her nerves tightened again and she stiffly looked down at the bed she had been lying on…

Normally calm and unhurried, Shen Yu sprang from the bed in a flash and grabbed at her clothes with disdain as if she’d been thrown into a trash bin. She looked thoroughly put off.

Watching Shen Yu leap from the bed, Fang Rui suddenly recalled how she had refused to go to bed last night. He’d thought she couldn’t sleep because she was uneasy, but judging by her actions just now, it seemed more like she had contempt for him?

Not just like it, it was definitely the case. He had actually been despised…

Shen Yu whipped her head toward Fang Rui, face mixing warmth and anger, and scolded, “Who allowed you to carry me onto the bed?!”

There were only two people in the room, her and that half-dead man. She had clearly been lying on the table last night, so how could she have woken up in bed?!

Fang Rui raised a hand to touch his mask, his mood unusually complicated. Shen Yu actually despised him…

“That’s not important.”

Hearing that casual tone, Shen Yu’s anger flared, “I should’ve stabbed you to death with one stroke last night.”

Fang Rui whimpered inwardly.

How much did Shen Yu despise him to get so furious?

No sooner had Shen Yu finished scolding than someone knocked at the door.

“Lord Shen, you’re awake?”

Shen Yu glanced at Fang Rui with a puzzled look and replied, “I’m awake. What’s the matter?”

The person outside answered, “Last night a thief broke into the Court of Judicial Review. Not only was Lord Cui’s official seal stolen, the plaque on the main hall was torn down, split in two and thrown on the floor.”

Hearing that, Shen Yu’s gaze landed on Fang Rui.

Keeping her eyes on Fang Rui, she asked the person outside, “Who had the nerve to do that? Have they been caught?”

“They haven’t been caught yet, but last night prison warden Huyan clashed with them. Lord Cui requests Lord Shen to come to the main hall now.”

“Understood. I’ll wash up briefly and head over.”

“Understood, Lord Shen.”

After the person left, Shen Yu glared at Fang Rui and lowered her voice, “Come here.”

Fang Rui obediently came to stand before Shen Yu. With a stern face she said, “Is this the countermeasure you spoke of?”

Fang Rui shrugged. “What else could I do? Even if I’m brilliant, I’d still have to use diversion to get into the jail. At least they won’t suspect someone broke into the jail.”

Shen Yu pondered and thought he might be right.

“I just hope they really won’t suspect the prisoner inside was swapped.” She turned to go wash up but suddenly turned back, looked at Fang Rui’s injured chest and asked, “How’s your wound?”

“You’re showing concern for me?” Fang Rui’s tone held a hint of delight.

Shen Yu withdrew her gaze. “Just don’t die at the Court of Judicial Review.”

Indeed, she couldn’t afford to be even a little soft on this man.