Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Spouting Lies

Sheng Zhi Wan looked over.

An Zhi said, “A Young Miss from the Chief Minister’s family fell into the water on a pleasure boat outside the city, and Young Master Shang Er happened to pass by and saved her!”

Ting Lan gasped and cried out, “A Young Miss from the Chief Minister’s family? Could it be the eldest Miss Liu Yan?”

An Zhi shook her head. “I only know it was a Liu Family Young Miss. I don’t know which one.”

Sheng Zhi Wan heard that and picked up a small piece of black rice cake, bringing it to her lips for a bite.

After only one bite, Sheng Zhi Wan put it down again.

Today’s black rice cake seemed to have lost some of its usual sweetness.

Ting Lan called out, “Princess! The Northern Di Envoy is here!”

Only then did Sheng Zhi Wan gather her thoughts and look.

*Inside the carriage, Liu Yan was in a terrible mood.

Liu Yan never expected that damned Liu Xu would be so bold. Liu Xu not only refused to obediently fall into the lake, but even dared to fight back and shoved Liu Yan into the water.

What could Liu Yan do now?

Liu Yan had been rescued in front of everyone. True, the one who saved Liu Yan was not some lowly commoner.

But it was still a playboy.

How much better was a playboy than a lowly commoner?

Liu Yan’s pretty face filled with resentment. If Liu Yan had known the one who saved her was Shang Xing Yu, Liu Yan would rather have drowned in the lake.

But since it had already happened, Liu Yan could only think of a way to patch it up.

Liu Yan suddenly asked the maid beside her, who was trembling, “Bing’er, when you shouted that Miss fell into the water, you didn’t say which Miss, did you?”

Bing’er’s teeth chattered. Bing’er’s clothes had been swapped away, and Bing’er was wearing Liu Yan’s wet clothes. “Y-Yes… This servant only shouted that Miss fell into the water…”

“Good!” Liu Yan’s eyes brightened. Liu Yan quickly found a gauze scarf and wrapped it around the lower half of her face. “Since no one knows it was me, you will insist later that I am the Liu Family Second Miss!”

Since that little bitch Liu Xu dared to push Liu Yan into the water, Liu Xu could marry the playboy herself.

The more Liu Yan thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

Soon, the carriage arrived outside Liu Manor.

Liu Yan had just finished shaping her expression and was about to step out. Liu Yan lifted the curtain with slender fingers and called softly, “Young Master Shang Er…”

Before Liu Yan could finish, the playboy snapped a whip against the horse’s rump.

“Hyah-” The horse bolted and turned away at once.

Liu Yan, still gripping the curtain and still wearing her carefully practiced pitiful look, fell silent. “…”

Bing’er reminded shakily, “Miss, Young Master Shang Er left. We should hurry inside.”

If Bing’er stayed any longer, Bing’er feared Bing’er would freeze to death.

Liu Yan stared at Shang Xing Yu’s retreating back and tightened her grip on the curtain.

Liu Yan despised Shang Xing Yu, but Shang Xing Yu clearly knew Liu Yan was a Liu Family Young Miss and still left without even asking a question. That made Liu Yan feel strangely uncomfortable.

Liu Yan snorted. “Hmph. Fine.”

“No wonder that playboy achieved nothing. He only belongs with lowly courtesans.” Liu Yan’s voice turned harsher. “He couldn’t even seize an opportunity like this. He deserves to be mediocre for life.”

Liu Yan thought, [Liu Xu should marry a useless playboy like that.]

With that, Liu Yan went into the manor.

Shang Xing Yu’s mind was full of that one glance.

Shang Xing Yu regretted acting so fast to save someone.

If Shang Xing Yu had not saved anyone, Shang Xing Yu would have already met the person Shang Xing Yu missed most.

Maybe by now, Shang Xing Yu would be sitting with her in the restaurant, drinking hot tea, eating the cakes she liked, and talking about what they gained in Te Dan.

But now, just because Shang Xing Yu had saved someone, Shang Xing Yu had been delayed for a while longer.

What did it matter whether it was the Zhang Family, the Wang Family, or the Liu Family? If some miss drowned, then she drowned. What did that have to do with Shang Xing Yu?

Shang Xing Yu only moved because at that moment, Shang Xing Yu remembered Sheng Zhi Wan falling into Ice Lake.

Back then, Shang Xing Yu had been squeezed out by the crowd and could not reach her in time.

That was why Shang Xing Yu, possessed by impulse, had used a whip to yank the person out of the water.

Soon, the horse stopped outside the restaurant.

Shang Xing Yu did not go through the front door. Shang Xing Yu leapt lightly up to the very window from before.

The cup was still there, still holding warmth.

But the person was gone.

Shang Xing Yu felt annoyed. Before the waiter came in to clean up, Shang Xing Yu slipped back out over the roof.

“Princess, someone is following us,” Liu Shang said in a low voice as Sheng Zhi Wan leaned in the carriage.

Liu Shang tilted her head and half-closed her eyes to listen. “Three, two, one… Here. So fast. It must be a skilled expert.”

An Zhi and Ting Lan tensed at once and instinctively shifted closer, blocking Sheng Zhi Wan.

Liu Shang watched the surroundings warily. After a moment, Liu Shang frowned. “Strange. They left?”

That presence swept past their carriage and rushed forward.

Ting Lan asked, “Could it have been someone passing by?”

“Maybe,” Liu Shang said. Liu Shang still did not relax until they reached the courtyard, and only then let out a full breath.

No one should be bold enough to strike at a Princess inside Duke Manor.

An Zhi pushed the door open, and Sheng Zhi Wan stepped in.

A pink plum blossom petal lay beneath Sheng Zhi Wan’s foot.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s lashes trembled, and Sheng Zhi Wan paused.

An Zhi looked over in confusion. “Princess?”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s hand clenched as Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Liu Shang, I saw peach pastries for sale on the street. Go buy some and share them with the maids and nannies in the courtyard.”

Sheng Zhi Wan added, “An Zhi, Ting Lan, you two step out as well. I will rest for a while.”

Only after everyone had left and the door had closed did Sheng Zhi Wan lift her gaze toward the ceiling.

There was nothing.

Sheng Zhi Wan looked behind the screen. There was still no one.

Sheng Zhi Wan pressed her lips together.

[Was I wrong?]

It was only a plum petal. Ping Lan Residence had plum blossoms too. Maybe the wind blew it in.

Besides, Shang Xing Yu should have been at Liu Manor right now.

Shang Xing Yu saved a Liu Manor Young Miss from the water and even pulled her up from the lake. By the capital’s rules, where noble ladies treated their purity as their life, that Young Miss would likely have to repay him with marriage.

Sheng Zhi Wan wondered if Shang Xing Yu saved Liu Yan or Liu Xu.

But judging by how luxurious that carriage was, it was probably Liu Yan.

Sheng Zhi Wan slowly sat down on the couch, her fingers reaching toward the Talent Cup Token on the table.

In the next instant, Sheng Zhi Wan sprang up.

Before Sheng Zhi Wan could cry out, a warm hand covered Sheng Zhi Wan’s mouth completely.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s soft lips touched that warm palm.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes flew wide open.

Shang Xing Yu also seemed to feel as if his palm had been burned. Shang Xing Yu yanked his hand back at once.

Sheng Zhi Wan started, “You-”

Shang Xing Yu started, “Princess-”

They spoke at the same time and then both stopped.

Shang Xing Yu blinked, looking almost like Shang Xing Yu had been wronged, and said first, “Princess almost exposed me just now.”

Sheng Zhi Wan took a deep breath and asked, “Why did you come again?”

Shang Xing Yu said, “Of course I came to see Princess. The moment I returned, I came to see Princess.”

Shang Xing Yu poured Sheng Zhi Wan a cup of tea and asked, “Does Princess want to drink?”

Sheng Zhi Wan looked at the cup Shang Xing Yu offered. Something in Sheng Zhi Wan’s chest seemed to be smoothed over, yet it also felt like it stirred up even more ripples.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Young Master Shang Er truly spouted lies. Didn’t Young Master Shang Er just save Miss Liu and send Miss Liu back?”

As soon as Sheng Zhi Wan said it, Sheng Zhi Wan felt it sounded strange.

Sheng Zhi Wan lowered her eyes, took the cup, and said coldly, “Don’t blame me for not warning Young Master Shang Er. There is a maid beside me now, and her martial arts are excellent.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “If Young Master Shang Er barges in like this again, don’t blame me for having her beat Young Master Shang Er out!”