Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Always Waiting

Forget it. In the end, he had been asking for too much.

At the beginning, he only wanted her to know his name.

Later, when she called his name, he started thinking that even one sentence with her would be enough.

Now, without realizing it, what he wanted had already become more.

Since she did not remember, then he would make her remember. Why waste time struggling with it?

Shang Xing Yu’s eyes shifted back and forth. Before Sheng Zhi Wan even noticed, he had already talked himself through it again.

Sheng Zhi Wan still held the posture of seeing him off.

Shang Xing Yu suddenly lowered the window again and stepped back: “Princess, do you remember when you were little and you saved a boy in the moat?”

Sheng Zhi Wan blinked.

With two lifetimes behind her, it had been too long.

She thought for a moment before she remembered. Even so, she looked at Shang Xing Yu with suspicion: “Young Master Shang Er isn’t going to tell me that little chubby kid… was you, is he?!”

Shang Xing Yu stared in disbelief: “…Little chubby kid?”

Shang Xing Yu blurted out, “What chubby kid? Was I fat back then?”

He only remembered that his mother always held him and called him cute. She said he had been fair and soft, and that it meant he had good fortune.

Had he really been that fat?

Was that why Princess had never recognized him?

Sheng Zhi Wan fell silent: “…”

For a moment, Sheng Zhi Wan did not know whether she should lie and comfort him.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked again, eyes wide with rare surprise: “That chubby kid was really you?”

The gap was simply too big.

Back then, that little chubby kid had been a whole bundle of soft fat. He could probably have jumped into the moat and floated.

Other than being the same gender, he was nothing like the Shang Xing Yu in front of her.

No wonder she had not recognized him.

But if Shang Xing Yu really was that boy, Sheng Zhi Wan suddenly felt a little guilty.

She remembered that she had not even been five then. After she struggled to pull him out, she had not only scolded him – she seemed to have hit him too.

Shang Xing Yu said quietly, “To be honest, Princess, I’ve been waiting for the day when I could repay a lifesaving debt by offering myself.”

After Shang Xing Yu said that, he flipped out in one smooth motion.

Sheng Zhi Wan sat there, stunned.

A moment later, Sheng Zhi Wan jumped up from the chair in a panic. Her ears burned so hot they hurt.

That Shang Xing Yu really was a playboy.

He dared to say anything.

He could say anything at all.

Really – really…

Sheng Zhi Wan called out toward the outside: “Liu Shang.”

Liu Shang shouted as she rushed in: “Princess!”

Liu Shang had just bought peach cakes when she heard her Princess call. In the past, Princess never called her like this. Had something dangerous happened?

Liu Shang did not think about anything else. She grabbed the bag of peach cakes and charged straight in.

When Liu Shang saw Sheng Zhi Wan sitting safely inside, Liu Shang froze: “Princess… did a bad person break in?”

What bad person…

Sheng Zhi Wan’s ears turned even redder. She cleared her throat: “Go find out which miss of the Liu Family fell into the water today and was brought ashore by Young Master Shang Er.”

Sheng Zhi Wan added, “Also… find a few people who were there and ask whether Young Master Shang Er used a whip when he saved her.”

She could not let him say whatever he wanted and take it as truth.

Liu Shang answered: “Yes.”

Liu Shang turned to leave, then felt something was off.

Why was Princess asking about this?

And a whip?

How did Princess know about that?

Liu Shang wanted to ask, but she remembered An Zhi Sister’s warning.

No matter what, she only needed to do what Princess ordered. She should not ask too much.

Yes. Just do it. Better not ask.

*Elsewhere, Shang Xing Yu returned straight to the General’s Residence.

Since he was back, he still had to show his face. That way, Shang Tian Hao and Liang Rao would know that this troublemaker was not dead yet.

As soon as Shang Xing Yu arrived at the General’s Residence, he saw a carriage parked outside.

Shang Xing Yu did not care and rode straight in.

This four-courtyard residence had not been a reward from Emperor Chong Sheng. It had been dowry from the Qin Family when Shang Xing Yu’s mother was still alive.

Only the plaque at the entrance that read Fengguo General’s Residence had been earned by Shang Tian Hao.

But now, there was not even a trace of his mother left in this place.

Even the courtyard his mother used to live in had been left empty.

Shang Xing Yu’s horse galloped from the front gate all the way inside.

Several household guards chased after him in a panic.

One shouted, “Second Young Master?!”

Another shouted, “Second Young Master! You can’t ride a horse inside the residence!”

Someone ran up ahead to block him.

Shang Xing Yu flicked his whip once.

That person fell backward onto the ground and could only watch as the horse’s hooves thundered over his head.

Inside the reception hall of the General’s Residence, Liang Rao listened to First Madam Liu’s purpose for coming, and the smile on Liang Rao’s face stiffened.

First Madam Liu sighed: “In any case, today’s matter was all thanks to Young Master Shang Er. No one expected such an accident to happen out of nowhere.”

First Madam Liu added, “Perhaps this is simply fate between the two children.”

Liang Rao clutched her handkerchief and forced a smile: “First Madam Liu, did you hear wrong? My Yu’er behaves badly, and he hasn’t been in capital city for months. How could it be so coincidental that Yu’er saved Miss Liu the Eldest?”

Miss Liu the Eldest was Liu Yan.

She was both talented and beautiful, one of the capital city’s Four Beauties.

Even Liang Rao’s Yuan’er would have trouble marrying a woman like that.

How could Liu Yan be matched to Shang Xing Yu, a useless playboy?

First Madam Liu coughed: “Madam Shang misunderstood. The second young master saved our second miss, Liu Xu.”

Liang Rao’s fingers froze on her handkerchief.

Liu Xu?

Liang Rao had to think before she remembered.

That was the second miss who was rumored to have brought death to her birth mother the moment she was born. Liu Xu had been sent to an estate outside capital city to be raised for over ten years, and she had only been brought back at the beginning of last year.

She was said to be quiet, dull, and ill-tempered.

There were even rumors that Liu Xu had a sweetheart back at the estate…

The more Liang Rao thought about it, the more suitable it seemed.

Qin Meng Cen had stolen the position of Principal Wife for so many years. Qin Meng Cen was dead now, so Qin Meng Cen’s son should pay that debt for her.

A woman like Liu Xu was exactly the kind who should be married to Shang Xing Yu.

Liang Rao smiled: “First Madam Liu is right. Since my second son ruined Miss Liu the Second’s chastity, then it’s only right that he takes responsibility for her…”

A sharp crack cut through the air.

A pebble shot in and suddenly punched a hole through the teapot on the table.

Tea poured out in a steady stream and, in the blink of an eye, dripped onto the floor.

A cold voice asked, “Who did Madam say ruined whose chastity?”

Shang Xing Yu had not expected to arrive at such a perfect time.

If he had come any later, he might have gained a completely random fiancée.

Liang Rao’s eyes flickered: “Yu’er, don’t make trouble.”

Liang Rao continued, “You came back at the right time. First Madam Liu said Miss Liu the Second fell into the water and you saved her. Since you saved her, then naturally you must take responsibility for Miss Liu the Second.”

First Madam Liu lifted her teacup and stayed silent.

First Madam Liu’s gaze only skimmed over Shang Xing Yu once, and she did not look closely.

A playboy like this.

Marrying a concubine-born daughter from Liu Manor to him was already a huge favor. He had better recognize his own place.

Shang Xing Yu did not look at First Madam Liu at all.

What Liu Family?

Shang Xing Yu said flatly, “If I’d known saving someone could get me pinned down like this, I wouldn’t have saved her.”

Shang Xing Yu added, “It has nothing to do with me. If Madam agrees, then let Elder Brother marry her.”

Shang Xing Yu went on, “If that won’t work, then let Father marry her too. Madam can just treat it as gaining a sister.”

After Shang Xing Yu said that, he curled his lip and walked away.

He still had serious business to handle.

Ye Rong and the others were useless. They had been blinded by the shining silver, switching boats all day and lying around on piles of silver. They insisted on guarding the silver all the way back.

By the calendar, they should reach Qing Zhou Pier tomorrow or the day after.

Shang Xing Yu still needed to contact Qin Trading House and arrange transport in batches.

And the matter of training troops…

He also needed to move people over from Shuozhou.