Chapter One Hundred and Two: A Change of Heart

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Although they were separated by a folding screen and could not see their hands in the darkness, Shang Wenyi’s heart still raced at being alone in a room with a strange man. She had originally only intended to save Su Bai’s life, yet somehow things had ended up like this.

On the other side, Su Bai was genuinely tired. It was rare to find a place where he could sleep without worry, and he had already drifted into slumber. Still, years of habit kept him from sleeping too deeply; one nerve remained taut at all times.

“Ah…”

Shang Wenyi sighed softly. The main reason she could not sleep was the news Su Bai had brought her.

“Big Brother Qin Feng, it seems you were sent by my brothers as well.”

Su Bai had not said so outright, but Shang Wenyi was perceptive enough to have already discerned Qin Feng’s motives. Combined with Su Bai’s description, she had quickly pieced together most of the truth.

Shang Wenyi took a warm jade pendant from her bosom, its surface still carrying the warmth of its previous owner. Clutching it tightly in her hand, she began to weep.

“Mother, was it really the right thing to do when you told me to take this jade pendant and return to my ancestral family?”

She asked herself whether, after all these years, she had brought considerable profits to the Shang family and done much to repair the reputation outsiders had given them—that they cared only for gain. But what feelings did her father and brothers truly harbor for her?

“Mother, what must I do for them to truly accept me as their younger sister?”

Shang Wenyi murmured to herself, and the sound of her quiet sobs could no longer be restrained.

Without realizing it, she began to recall the circumstances of her first arrival at the Shang family estate. Cao Wu had taken her small hand and led her up one flight of steps after another, into the depths of that grand and imposing residence.

A tall, dignified man had sat upon the seat of honor, looking down at her without concealing his disdain. He had not treated her as his own daughter at all.

“When he first saw me, his face was filled with disgust. Yet just one day later, he began cherishing me as if I were the jewel in his palm, without offering any explanation.”

This had always been the question in Shang Wenyi’s heart. Why had her father’s attitude changed as swiftly as the turning of a page?

She drew a deep breath, temporarily calming the turmoil within her. After wiping away the tears on her face, Shang Wenyi slowly closed her eyes.

Before long, she fell asleep.

While she slept, Su Bai sat cross-legged on the other side of the screen.

“Brother Qu, do you really think being born into a wealthy family brings this many troubles?”

Within the jade pendant, Qu Qiuzhuo glared at him furiously.

“Could you stop giving me such ridiculous nicknames?”

Yet when she saw Su Bai’s troubled expression, Qu Qiuzhuo puffed out her jade-white cheeks, looking just like a little steamed bun fresh from the basket.

“My master took me into the deep mountains to cultivate, so I met very few people. It was only after the Three-Eyed Crow’s divination that I truly entered the world and experienced several decades of life. How should I put it…”

Qu Qiuzhuo tilted her little head and pursed her lips.

“The higher one’s position, the more precious the friends and family at one’s side become. This woman may no longer be young, but she does not understand the treachery of human hearts—or perhaps she simply does not wish to understand it. Unfortunately, even the brightest moon is eventually obscured by dark clouds.”

“But there is always a day when the clouds part and the moon shines again,” Su Bai murmured, gazing toward the place where Shang Wenyi lay.

“Hm?” Qu Qiuzhuo looked at him suspiciously. “You are not thinking of helping her clean up this mess, are you?”

“I am not sure whether I can…”

“Absolutely not!” Before Su Bai could finish, Qu Qiuzhuo cut him off sharply. “Are you not troubled enough already? You have countless matters waiting for you to deal with, and yet you insist on taking more trouble upon yourself.”

Su Bai fell silent. After a long while, he finally forced out a sentence.

“I will stay for two more days. If nothing happens, I will leave this place.”

“Honestly… When did you become so sentimental?” Qu Qiuzhuo said helplessly.

Su Bai slowly turned his head toward Shang Wenyi. Through the folding screen, he seemed to see the pure young woman placing a packet of sweets into his arms.

“Let me believe, just this once, that good people are rewarded.”

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“Do as you please.”

After saying that, Qu Qiuzhuo made no further sound. She was plainly angry with Su Bai.

╯▔皿▔╯

Some twenty yards from the carriage, Qin Feng had been waiting for Su Bai to emerge. Yet despite waiting and waiting, he still saw no sign of him.

A terrifying thought filled his mind, and he instinctively rejected it.

“Impossible! No matter how kind and magnanimous Miss Shang may be, she could never have shared a room with a man so quickly! Absolutely impossible!”

But the thought continued to grow. Shang Wenyi and Su Bai were on the same bed, their bodies rolling over one another, their voices growing clearer by the moment.

Imagining things really was a dangerous habit.

“Ahhh! Damn it!”

If Qin Feng had previously wanted only to kill Su Bai, he now wished he could swallow the man alive and tear him apart with his bare hands.

……

Far away, in the Shang family estate of Chanzhou—

If anyone in the empire controlled the lifeblood of its wealth, then aside from the emperor himself, it could only be the Shang family.

An entire mountain rose from foot to summit, each level representing a different rank of status. The courtyard at the very top belonged to the head of the Shang family.

Outside the courtyard, pinkwashed walls enclosed the grounds, while green willows hung all around them. Three separate gates with hanging floral eaves stood on three sides of the main compound. Paths ran everywhere through the courtyard, and at every intersection stood a pavilion of modest size.

In the open spaces beyond the railings, ornamental rocks, green bamboo, and flowers gathered from every corner of the empire had been transplanted to decorate every part of the estate.

The entire courtyard was splendid and magnificent, luxurious yet dignified. The rear garden was even more breathtaking, overflowing with flowers. An artificial stream wound through the whole compound, twisting and turning before converging four or five yards from the main hall. There, ingenious mechanisms transformed it into a fountain. Any excess water flowed through underground channels and rejoined the stream at its source.

Those entering through the western gate were generally there on important business. A road paved with white stone crossed all the connecting paths and led directly to the main hall.

Moonlight streamed through the openwork redwood panels on all four sides of the room, illuminating carvings of mountains and rivers, figures, birds, flowers, and countless auspicious designs. Every one of them had been sculpted by a master craftsman.

Cabinets stood one atop another, used to store books, display ritual vessels, hold brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, or present flowers and potted plants. Their styles were so varied that they were enough to dazzle the eye.

The walls were covered with all manner of antiques and curios: zithers, swords, jars, hanging vases, and more. For each object, a recess of suitable size had been carved into the wall.

It was practically an ancient otaku’s collection wall.

Just then, an angry roar rang out.

“Did you not say she would face no danger to her life? How could the situation suddenly change?”

The speaker was around forty years old. Although time had left faint traces upon his face, it had done little to diminish his graceful bearing or his handsome, extraordinary features.

He was Shang Xingzhou, the current head of the Shang family.

The man standing before him, however, stooped with age. Wrinkles covered his entire face, his sparse hair was streaked with black and white, and his pupils were unnaturally small. Two protruding front teeth revealed a clearly visible gap between them.

With an exceedingly solemn expression, he calculated with one hand and said, “Someone has interfered with the Sixth Miss’s destiny. I cannot calculate this person’s fate. It seems to be concealed by Heaven’s will, like mist suddenly rising and obscuring every feature.”

Shang Xingzhou’s crescent-shaped brows drew together as he demanded harshly, “You cannot calculate it?”

“Please calm yourself, Family Head. This matter has already exceeded the limits of what this old man can divine. Perhaps only Daoist Daoxuan, the master of the Celestial Pivot Palace, can unravel this situation.”

“That old bastard Daoxuan has not shown himself in the world for how many years? Do you expect me to march all the way to the capital and drag him out myself?”

Shang Xingzhou slammed his right palm down. The wooden stool instantly shattered into pieces, a clear sign of the fury burning in his heart.

He had originally been unwilling to acknowledge this daughter. But at the time, the old man had insisted with absolute certainty that the Shang family would suffer a calamity within twenty years, and that only this girl could preserve the family’s lifeline.

Upon hearing that, Shang Xingzhou had undergone a complete reversal in attitude. He had welcomed Shang Wenyi with open arms, protected her in every way over the following years, found the best teachers for her, and trained her in every aspect of commerce.

To his surprise, Shang Wenyi possessed an extraordinary talent for business. With only the slightest guidance, she could infer ten things from one. Shang Xingzhou had even considered passing the position of family head to her a century later.

But how could anyone in this world be perfect? Shang Wenyi’s habit of treating others with kindness, along with her delicate and yielding nature, had revealed itself time and again during her commercial travels.

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Shang Xingzhou had originally believed that, under his strict supervision, she would be able to rid herself of this “bad habit.” Yet he had never expected this daughter to repeatedly oppose him. Although she never earned a single coin less, sooner or later such a temperament would cause her to suffer a tremendous loss in business.

To become head of the Shang family required balancing the interests of many parties. If Shang Wenyi continued to conduct herself in that manner, the consequences would be unimaginable.

From that moment onward, Shang Xingzhou’s thinking began to change.

It seemed he would still have to choose the best candidate from among his five sons.

Yet after prolonged deliberation, he could not find a single perfect successor. Twenty years was far too short. How could he possibly produce a suitable heir out of thin air?

Moreover, over the years he had grown far more protective of Shang Wenyi than of his other sons. This had stripped them of their motivation to strive. Instead, they had done nothing but indulge in jealousy and place obstacles in one another’s paths, displaying not the slightest ambition.

That was why he had gradually allowed the struggles between them to continue while placing his own people at their sides. In this way, he would certainly discover it if any of them tried to kill Shang Wenyi.

At last, after watching them slowly recover over the past few years, Shang Xingzhou had settled on the final heir: his fifth son, Shang Lanzé.

The reason his maternal uncle, Li Jingwei, had been willing to reveal so many secrets to him was that Shang Xingzhou had silently permitted it.

This arrangement would protect Shang Wenyi while also providing his fifth son with a capable subordinate. Once the matter was over, he would not only reprimand Shang Wenyi and confine her to reflect upon her mistakes, but also give the other young masters a severe beating.

As long as everything continued along this path, all would unfold exactly as he had envisioned.

His fifth son would become the new master of the Shang family and make the major decisions, while Shang Wenyi would help him manage the family affairs. In their hands, the Shang family could grow even more powerful over the course of a century.

But now he had heard such news. The stable situation he had painstakingly created was about to be shattered. How could Shang Xingzhou possibly let the matter rest?

He squeezed his eyes shut. Only after a long while did he regain his composure and speak in a muffled voice.

“Go to Yanze Hall at once. Tell Yan Qing to lead the Eighteen Guards and set out immediately for Qingzhou. No matter the cost, they must ensure the safety of the Sixth Miss!”

“Yes!”

The ugly old man bowed deeply, then staggered out through the main door.

“Damn it all!”

Shang Xingzhou ground his teeth as he cursed.

In all these years, nothing had ever made him lose his composure so completely. This matter concerned the very survival of the Shang family; not the slightest mistake could be allowed.

“Which blind bastard is behind this? I will flay you, tear out your bones, and grind your body into pieces!”

……

Early the next morning, Su Bai folded the bedding and placed it before the screen. Then he bowed toward Shang Wenyi’s side before quietly opening the door and slipping out.

Fortunately, he knew the art of concealing his breath. Otherwise, this task would have been truly difficult.

Yet Shang Wenyi, still inside the carriage, had opened her eyes at some unknown point. Her fluttering lashes trembled.

“Good people are rewarded?”

She had heard those words countless times. The poor families she had aided with food and alms had all spoken of her that way. But among people of her own social standing, how many truly believed in their hearts that what she did was right?

She raised both arms, placing her ten fingers before her eyes, and whispered softly:

“Thank you…”