The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

19

Shang JunLin's visit to the Zhenbei Marquis' residence was a secret, and the Zhenbei Marquis knew the emperor didn't want his presence announced. The lord marquis didn't dare tell the rest of the mansion about His Majesty's arrival.

The only thing Shen QingRan and his mother knew was that Shen Yu had returned home with little pomp or ceremony. They never would have guessed the emperor himself had accompanied Shen Yu back to his birthplace.

Aside from the Zhenbei Marquis, not many people in the marquis' residence knew what the emperor looked like. Aunt Ru wasn't qualified to enter the palace. She'd never laid eyes on the emperor.

This was Shang JunLin's first visit to the marquis' residence, and the servants there didn't know him either. When they heard Shen QingRan's question, they couldn't help staring at this unfamiliar man.

Shen QingRan had blurted his words out of anger. After speaking, he knew what he said was inappropriate. But what stunned him was that Shen Yu's actions became even more brazen.

Under the amazed eyes of everyone present, Shen Yu draped himself against Shang JunLin, who automatically reached out to steady his body.

"Shen Yu, how can you be so shameless?" Aunt Ru put on the airs of an elder. "Now that you're in the palace, you belong to His Majesty. How dare you use your return to the marquis' residence as a smokescreen to meet with another man? Even if you're not afraid for yourself, think about the marquis' family! Do you want to take down the entire marquis' residence with you when His Majesty finds out?"

It might sound like she was instructing the younger generation, but in fact every word dripped with malice.

The reason Aunt Ru dared to speak this way was because she, like Shen QingRan, knew Shen Yu had a "close friend" before entering the palace. And it was because of him that Shen Yu initially refused to enter the harem.

They were aware of Shen Yu's determined resistance, and they had no doubt Shen Yu was capable of arranging a meeting with his paramour. Maybe that was his plan from the start. Otherwise, what could explain Shen Yu's sudden obedience and willingness to enter the palace?

Thinking she'd found a reasonable explanation, Aunt Ru's attitude hardened.

"Shen Yu, it's not that your aunt wants to say this, but..."

"Ah, then you do know you're just an aunt," said Shen Yu in a different tone. "That means you're aware of your status. Otherwise, I was wondering exactly when you, Aunt Ru, became the Zhenbei Marquis' official wife?"

Shen Yu emphasized the word "aunt" with a heavy dose of sarcasm. When Aunt Ru heard it, her eyes reddened and her chest heaved with anger.

Shen Yu keenly enjoyed her angry expression for a while, then his head nudged Shang JunLin's shoulder. "I'm His Majesty's noble monarch, but even if I wasn't, I'm still the di son of the Zhenbei Marquis. How is it possible for an aunt to call me by my personal name? Ah Lin, don't you think so?"

Ah Lin.

It was the first time Shang JunLin heard Shen Yu call him by such an intimate name, and his heart suddenly trembled. He lowered his eyes, and long, feather-like eyelashes concealed his gaze. "Yes, she should treat you with respect." His voice was low and gentle.

Seeing the two people behave so intimately with each other, as if no one else was around, Shen QingRan felt extremely irritated. He grabbed his quilt and sat up. "Did you come here just to laugh at me?! Look at you running around with His Majesty's favor, doing whatever you want! I can't wait to see what happens when His Majesty finds out what you're doing!"

"You don't need to worry about me. If I really provoke His Majesty's anger, I'm certain everyone in the marquis' family will suffer along with me. Instead of worrying about me, you'd do well to worry about yourself."