The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

24

The King of Yue was already agitated, and when he heard Shen Yu's comment, the blue veins on his temples bulged. It took most of his endurance not to curse.

"You weren't like this before." He was so angry that he lost all discretion and began blurting out his true thoughts. "Do you still blame this king for not finding a way to keep you from entering the palace...?"

"Stop," Shen Yu interrupted. The King of Yue really didn't have much mental fortitude, did he? A few words was all it took to make him reveal so many of his secrets.

In Shen Yu's previous life, the King of Yue was never this honest in front of him. He'd pieced together the King of Yue's identity through clues. Why was he in such a hurry to tell him everything now?

Did Shen Yu's entering the palace really have such a big impact on him?

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Shen Yu's mind, but his face didn't reveal a hint. Pretending to be puzzled, he launched a series of questions at the King of Yue. "What does the King of Yue mean? I don't remember having any contact with His Highness before I entered the palace. How does my entering the palace have anything to do with Your Highness?"

The King of Yue's brain was broiling over with anger, but under the barrage his thoughts finally cleared up a bit. When he realized what he'd just said to Shen Yu, his complexion was so ugly it was difficult to look at.

"This king..."

"Or does the King of Yue mean that he concealed his identity and contacted me? Let me guess, the King of Yue mentioned Zhao Yue a moment ago. Is it possible His Highness is Zhao Yue?" Shen Yu stood on the steps with his arms folded, looking down at the man in the garb of a prince.

The King of Yue didn't think Shen Yu would guess the truth so quickly. He made a flat denial. "This king is not."

"Then you're Young Master Wang? Or Young Master Lin? Or Young Master Xu?"

As each name was listed, the King of Yue's face darkened another shade. He was already at the limit of endurance when he thought he was a substitute. But it turned out he was just one of many substitutes...???

Shen Yu pretended to be distressed. "There are too many possibilities. Your Highness the King of Yue, why don't you just tell me directly? Which one are you?"

"Shen Yu, you're going too far!"

"I'm going too far? Who eavesdropped on me talking to my maid just now? Who followed me here? Who deliberately concealed his identity and approached me under false pretenses? Your Highness, I'd really like to know exactly what you're trying to do." Shen Yu's face was cold.

The King of Yue took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. "This king only came here to give you a reminder. Don't think that just because you have the emperor's favor you can do whatever you like inside the palace. A lot of people are watching the throne. Your swaggering will only make you a thorn in their side and drive them to get rid of you."

"The King of Yue doesn't have to worry about this. I have faith His Majesty will protect me. After all, His Majesty isn't like some people who say with their mouths that they can't live without me, turn a blind eye to my plight a moment later, and then desperately beg to be recognized afterwards."

Shen Yu walked down the stairs, approaching the King of Yue step by step. "King of Yue, are you angry with me because I didn't find a way to avoid entering the palace?"

"... This king is not." The King of Yue instinctively lowered his voice, but that really was how he felt when he first heard the news. Shen Yu's words were like a gust of wind, driving back his self-deceiving camouflage to reveal the selfishness underneath.