Chapter 4: Resisting Temptation

“Do you believe it? Even if you beat me to death, Sheng Li will never come back.”

Sheng Mingyue slightly tilted her head back, tears slipping down from the corners of her eyes.

Her unyielding spirit shook Liu Cuixi, causing her grip on Sheng Mingyue’s collar to loosen slightly.

“You…” Liu Cuixi snapped back to her senses, her anger and shame boiling over, her eyes filled with unhidden resentment. “How dare you threaten me?”

“Yun Lai.”

A man’s voice came from inside the carriage. In the next moment, Liu Cuixi’s side was fiercely kicked, her body thrown into the air before crashing heavily to the ground with a scream.

Yun Lai withdrew his foot and snorted coldly. “I never bully women, but you clearly can’t tell right from wrong, causing trouble in our Jing’an Prince’s mansion—you’re asking for a beating!”

Liu Cuixi clutched her hip, the pain radiating from her waist turning her face pale as she wailed.

The carriage curtain was lifted by a slender, fair hand. Rong Zhao glanced at the woman, then walked to Sheng Mingyue’s side to help her up, speaking in a low voice, “I cannot meddle in the affairs of those who saved me, but this woman causing trouble at my manor’s gate must be punished severely, lest it bring shame upon me.”

Sheng Mingyue lowered her head, her expression unreadable, her body trembling violently. “Prince, it’s up to you…”

Hearing the title “Prince,” panic flashed visibly across Liu Cuixi’s face. Ignoring her pain, she quickly flipped over to lie face down on the ground. “Your Highness, please calm your anger! Please!”

She had only been told to take that wretched girl Sheng Mingyue away; there was no mention of the Prince being present…

Otherwise, even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn’t have dared to act so brazenly.

Rong Zhao lowered his eyes, sneering at Liu Cuixi’s pitiful state, and quietly said, “Yun Lai, drag her to the magistrate’s office and tell them to whip her fifty strokes on my orders.”

“Fifty…” Liu Cuixi was stunned, her face turning deathly pale. She quickly turned her head to look behind her and shouted hoarsely, “Sheng Qiming, are you dead? Watching me get beaten without saying a word?”

Sheng Mingyue’s gaze flickered, following Liu Cuixi’s line of sight to see the man standing helplessly across the street.

The man wore only a thin shirt, his shoes worn through. The wind lifted the edges of his clothes, but he seemed unfazed by the cold, staring blankly at Sheng Mingyue’s delicate face.

“Sheng Qiming!”

Liu Cuixi’s sharp voice pierced the air, harsh and grating.

Sheng Qiming blinked, hastily averting his eyes from his daughter’s face and hurriedly knelt before Rong Zhao. “My wife is coarse and rude; it was her fault to offend Your Highness. I beg Your Highness for mercy and forgiveness this once.”

Rong Zhao’s eyelids drooped slightly, his gaze falling on Sheng Qiming’s relatively handsome face. Noticing the purplish bruises under his eyes and then glancing at the crazed Liu Cuixi, his brow furrowed. He called softly, “The benefactor.”

He was asking Sheng Mingyue for her opinion.

Sheng Mingyue’s long lashes trembled; she bit her lower lip tightly. “Your Highness…”

Before she could finish, her vision darkened, and she could no longer hold on. She fainted entirely.

Rong Zhao’s frown deepened, instinctively catching her as she slipped down. “Benefactor?”

[Already fainted? Is the little cannon fodder really this fragile?]

[She came to the banquet injured and has been tormented for so long; it’s no surprise she fainted!]

[Am I the only one concerned about what happens next? In the original story, Rong Zhao remained chaste for Yun Shengsheng, not even touching a cat, so how is he now holding a cannon fodder?]

[No need to worry. Yun Shengsheng is a beauty unmatched; a soon-to-be-exit cannon fodder can’t compete with her.]

[Besides, who could resist a delicate, beautiful young flower who once shielded you from harm falling into your arms?]

[… Damn!]

“Mingyue…” Sheng Qiming’s expression changed drastically. Kneeling, he took a few steps forward, trying to reach out to help his daughter but was firmly held back by Liu Cuixi, unable to move.

The fabric over Sheng Mingyue’s chest was stained with blood, like a blooming flower. Paired with her bloodless face, she looked especially pitiful.

Rong Zhao’s brows tightened, a sudden fire rising in his chest. After coughing a few times, he said, “Get lost. You are never to appear before her again!”

“Thank you, Your Highness… Thank you!” Liu Cuixi hurriedly expressed her gratitude, grabbing Sheng Qiming and preparing to leave.

Watching the man carry his fainted daughter into the prince’s mansion, Sheng Qiming’s eyes grew slightly moist but was forcefully pulled away by Liu Cuixi.

They entered a narrow alley where Liu Cuixi stopped abruptly and slapped Sheng Qiming’s face hard, cursing under her breath, “Useless! How did I end up married to such a worthless man? Our son’s life hangs in the balance, and yet you still have time to ogle that wretched girl!”

Sheng Qiming’s face twisted from the blow. After a long silence, he quietly said, “Sending Mingyue to the palace was to spare her the suffering she’s endured all these years. We owe her that much. We mustn’t trouble her anymore…”

“Bah!” Liu Cuixi, like a cat with its tail stepped on, exploded in fury and began hitting him again without restraint. “I gave birth to her, raised her, and yet we owe her? Without me, she would have died long ago! What’s wrong with sending her to the palace to exchange for silver to marry off Li’er?”

Sheng Qiming wrapped his hands around his head, dodging repeatedly, not daring to utter a word.

“I’m telling you, if Li’er doesn’t come back, I’ll fight you all to the death!” Liu Cuixi finally stopped, glaring at the man before her, teeth clenched. “If I find out you sneak information to that wretched girl, you’re dead meat!”

Sheng Qiming kept his head lowered, silent.

—

Jing’an Prince’s Mansion

Sunlight streamed through the half-open window, casting light into the room. The bed curtains hung down, faintly revealing a young woman lying on the couch.

Sheng Mingyue struggled to open her eyes, staring at the beams above, feeling dazed.

“You’re finally awake, Miss.”

A delicate voice came from outside. Sheng Mingyue blinked and turned her head toward the table. Accidentally moving, she tugged at the wound on her body and gasped sharply.

“Please don’t move, Miss!” A young maid rushed to the bedside and tucked in the blanket. “The Prince left word for you to rest well and recuperate. You won’t need to serve anyone for now.”

Sheng Mingyue lifted her eyes, seeing the unfamiliar face, and quietly asked, “Who are you?”

The young maid sat by the bed, smiling brightly, her tone cheerful. “I’m Song Guo, a young medic from Qingfeng Medical Hall. By the Prince’s order, I’m here to care for you until you recover.”

“No need to trouble Miss Song,” Sheng Mingyue said coldly, turning her face away. “I’m just a maid myself; I don’t need anyone to serve me.”

“The Prince said you saved his life, so I must take good care of you,” Song Guo said patiently as she brought over a cup of warm tea. “Just rest obediently and heal properly. Once the Prince repays his debt, he’ll feel at ease.”

Sheng Mingyue lowered her eyelashes, about to take the cup, when suddenly a chaotic noise came from outside.

“Song Guo, go check next door! The Prince suddenly coughed up blood and fainted!”

At these words, Sheng Mingyue’s fingers trembled, causing the cup to slip and shatter on the floor with a clear crack.