Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Bittersweet and Reckless

In her previous life, Sheng Zhi Wan encountered a band of ruthless bandits during her pilgrimage to pray for a child.

Those cruel men murdered her servants without mercy, and only she, Huan Zhu, and Ting Lan narrowly escaped due to their gender.

Amid the chaos, Sheng Zhi Wan ordered her two maids to hide separately. That night, she alone hid within a muddy pit deep in the mountain forest, remaining there until Qi Shu Xian himself led soldiers to suppress the bandits the next day.

Yet, even though she survived, rumors swiftly spread through the city. What good was it for her to insist that the bandits had never found her?

Soon, everyone whispered she had suffered disgrace at the hands of those villains, turning her into a pitiable woman. Qi Shu Xian grew distant and cold because of these rumors.

In anger, Qi Shu Xian slaughtered every bandit. It was only later she learned that among those bandits was a man named Zhang Da Hu, once saved by Meng Yang. He targeted Sheng Zhi Wan to avenge Meng Yang’s premature childbirth.

Sheng Zhi Wan had always wondered—how had Meng Yang, confined within the residence, communicated with such bandits?

But now, she knew.

Jiang Mang.

This man, who had risen alongside Qi Shu Xian, eventually becoming his most trusted aide when Qi Shu Xian was promoted to Right Prime Minister, had been behind it all.

No wonder Jiang Mang had visited her once when she lay dying, uttering a meaningless apology. But what was the use of his “sorry”?

Could it bring back those who had died protecting her?

Could it erase the stain on her reputation?

Sheng Zhi Wan placed down her brush, as if its weight had grown unbearable, and called out, “Ting Lan, bring me men’s clothing!”

At Gathering Worthies Teahouse.

Once more dressed as a man, Sheng Zhi Wan returned to the Heaven Class Suite alone.

Again, it was Mo Qing who greeted her.

“Does the honored guest wish to taste our tea today?” Mo Qing bowed slightly.

Sheng Zhi Wan fixed him with a steady gaze. “I wish to see Shang Hang Yu.”

Mo Qing stiffened briefly but quickly concealed it with feigned confusion. “Forgive me, honored guest, but I don’t understand your request.”

If before she had only been guessing, now Sheng Zhi Wan was certain.

Shang Hang Yu truly was the master behind Gathering Worthies Teahouse.

Given this second life, Sheng Zhi Wan wished for more than just revenge and freedom from Qi Shu Xian. She refused to watch Sheng Kingdom descend once more into chaos, its people living daily in fear.

Thus, before Shang Hang Yu openly rebelled as Prince Qin Yu, she had to meet him. Even if she could not win him over, she would show him the royal family’s goodwill.

Her mind raced, thinking how best to secure his cooperation.

In her past life, Shang Hang Yu’s first demands as Prince Qin Yu had been General Shang and Madam Shang. Sheng Zhi Wan doubted these demands sprang from familial love.

Shang Hang Yu’s birth mother, Qin Meng Cen, had come from the wealthy Qin family before marrying General Shang. Yet, she died when Shang Hang Yu was just four. Only half a year later, General Shang married his concubine, Liang Rao, promoting her to wife.

Rumors said Shang Xiu Yuan, the eldest son, was a skilled warrior and scholar. Compared to Shang Hang Yu, he seemed far more suited to inherit their father’s legacy.

Shang Hang Yu had always pretended to be a frivolous rake—precisely because this facade allowed him to survive. As long as he posed no threat to Shang Xiu Yuan, he could quietly exist in the Shang household’s shadow.

Thus…

Sheng Zhi Wan’s fingers tapped thoughtfully upon the table, preparing to speak when two sharp knocks echoed from outside.

Then the door opened.

Amid the bustle downstairs, illuminated faintly by moonlight, a figure in black robes and a ghost mask stepped into the room.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s fingers paused, instantly recognizing him despite his entirely changed appearance.

Tall and elegant, his dark hair fell loosely behind him. Beneath the eerie mask, a pair of calm yet profound eyes gazed back at her.

“Master,” Mo Qing immediately knelt down.

With a gentle wave from the masked man, Mo Qing vanished silently, closing the door and leaving behind nothing but silence.

She felt his gaze settle upon her, meeting it unflinchingly. In the quiet room, their eyes locked in a fierce, wordless clash that gradually softened into mutual amusement.

His masked eyes curved slightly, returning instantly to the frivolous young master she knew. Removing his mask, Shang Hang Yu sat opposite her, smiling mischievously.

“Princess, you wished to see me?”

His voice, lightly teasing, held a reckless yet strangely tender note.

Sheng Zhi Wan gathered herself from the unexpected emotions swirling within. “Second Young Master Shang, shall we make a deal?”

Shang Hang Yu poured tea into her cup, asking casually, “How did the Princess learn I am the master behind Gathering Worthies Teahouse?”

“Wasn’t it you who deliberately revealed it to me?” Sheng Zhi Wan took a gentle sip.

From their very first encounter, when Shang Hang Yu openly defended her, to the recent incident with Bai Xiao Xiao’s sudden bleeding at the Teahouse, he had never tried to hide his true identity from her.

In fact, Sheng Zhi Wan suspected he’d intentionally led her to this discovery.

Yet why?

The glistening tea moistened her crimson lips, evoking a sudden impulse to touch their softness.

Shang Hang Yu averted his eyes slightly, his throat moving subtly as he spoke again, “Princess, you’re indeed clever. So, what trade do you wish to propose?”

…

An hour later, Sheng Zhi Wan departed from Gathering Worthies Teahouse.

“Master,” Mo Qing appeared beside Shang Hang Yu.

The ghost mask had returned to Shang Hang Yu’s face. “Escort her safely back to Duke Qi’s residence—ensure she doesn’t notice.”

Mo Qing hesitated momentarily, yet obeyed without question, swiftly melting into the night.

Only then did Shang Hang Yu’s gaze return to Sheng Zhi Wan’s teacup. His fingertip lightly traced its rim, and suddenly, a quiet laugh slipped from beneath his mask.

He raised the cup to his lips, tilting his head back, draining the remaining tea in a single reckless swallow.