Chapter 26: Which Little Wretch Dares Steal My Hatred!

"You—!"

"Let's get to the point. I’m in a hurry to get back and hold my dog," Shen Fuyu cut him off, unwilling to exchange another word with Shen Shucheng.

He was never cut out to play the benevolent father, so why bother pretending now? Both of them knew the truth perfectly well—yet they still acted as if nothing had happened? Even swallowing a fly wasn’t half as disgusting as this charade.

"As long as I see you well, that suffices," Shen Shucheng replied, his expression souring further. How could he look pleased after being so thoroughly exposed by his own daughter? This wretched girl called him “father” by name, but she clearly held no filial piety in her heart. To her, he was worth less than a dog! "If you ever face difficulties in the palace, just send word. With the Shen family’s influence, we can always smooth things over for you."

"Is there anything else?" Shen Fuyu was already impatient to leave. Seeing her barely restrained eagerness, Shen Shucheng’s anger flared yet again.

"Nothing much… Your stepmother’s health has improved. The Emperor favors you now—if you have the chance, come home and see her. She misses you." Shen Shucheng, however, was not so easily swept away by fury. He quickly regained his composure—after all, what was the loss of one daughter? If she could not bring benefit to the Shen family, she would inevitably be discarded. There would come a time when this girl would come begging him. "Your mother and your eldest sister think of you too, though unfortunately they cannot visit you in the palace."

"Better if they didn’t," Shen Fuyu retorted. "Elder Sister is more than two years older than me. Girls of seventeen in other families are already mothers of two, but she hasn’t even left home yet. Father, perhaps you should advise them to worry less about others and more about themselves." With her tongue unleashed, Shen Fuyu couldn’t resist a jab. "You can’t just let Elder Sister do as she pleases because you favor her. She’s nearly an old maid—if she doesn’t marry soon, she’ll become a laughingstock. And it won’t just be her that’s ridiculed—the jokes will fall on you, Father. Such a grown daughter, still unwed—people might think there’s something wrong with the girls of the Shen family. Eighteen, nineteen, and none married yet. Even I find it embarrassing!"

"Enough! She is your elder sister, not some stranger. This is none of your concern!"

"I’m only showing concern—how is that meddling?" Shen Fuyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "She’s seventeen and doesn’t even have a fiancé. Are we not allowed to talk about it? I have a mouth of my own—who can tell me what I can or cannot say?"

"…" Shen Shucheng closed his eyes, exhaled heavily, and said, "Since you care so much, keep an eye out for her as well. Your elder sister is the legitimate daughter of the Shen family; her marriage cannot be arranged lightly. This is for your sake, too—for the Shen family’s sake. The stronger the Shen family, the better your own life will be."

"Very well. When I have time, I’ll bring Elder Sister into the palace. Who knows, perhaps she’ll catch the eye of a prince and become a princess."

Finding the conversation tedious, Shen Fuyu simply voiced what was really on Shen Shucheng’s mind. All this talk about worrying over marriages and the family was pointless. They’d always intended to send a Shen daughter into the palace, and now that she, Shen Fuyu, was there, they probably thought she’d usurped the position and wanted the rightful heir to take it back.

But that was fine—recently, too many young women had died in the palace. Now, whenever any survivors saw her, they went out of their way to avoid her. There was no one left to spar with. Bringing her elder sister into the palace would enliven things. The place would be bustling in no time.

…

By early morning, the memorials to the throne had already been burned, and by midday, Shen Fuyu had become the so-called “demon consort” on everyone’s lips—a woman to be condemned by all.

Listening to Yinling recount the gossip, Shen Fuyu shrugged lightly. "I quite enjoy how much they dislike me, yet can do nothing about it."

Yinling was speechless—her mistress truly was unique!

"But… aren’t you worried, my lady? If things go on like this, the court is sure to descend into chaos. When that happens, you—" Yinling had replaced Green Tea and White Lotus at Shen Fuyu’s side. She was a simple, honest girl, and though Shen Fuyu often berated her for her “anger value,” overall she served loyally and attentively.

Shen Fuyu was unfazed. "You really are a fool."

"My lady…"

"Do you even know who I am? I hail from the Shen family! Do you know what that means? One of the most powerful noble houses in the entire Great Xun dynasty!" Shen Fuyu truly felt no worry at all. In truth, she had never entirely severed ties with Shen Shucheng. The Shen family, eager to cling to imperial power, would never abandon such a favored consort. Besides, life and death had long ceased to matter much to her, but seeing Yinling’s deep concern, she relented a little. "If anything happens, the Shen family will take care of it. If they can’t, if something happens to me, they’ll be the first to fall as well. If the entire Shen family can’t even protect one of their own, do they deserve to be called a noble house?"

The Shen family were hardly spotless, but neither were any of the other great families. They were all turtles from the same pond—so why pretend otherwise?

"Only women with no backing are branded demon consorts and doomed. I’m different. I have my family behind me."

With such confidence, she could do as she pleased!

She was eating lunch at the center of the lake when Qin Zhiyi, face dark as thunder, arrived by boat with Changfu in tow. Without a word, he sat down beside Shen Fuyu, picked up his chopsticks, and pushed around a few mouthfuls of food, all the while simmering in silence—clearly furious about something.

Shen Fuyu observed him for a long moment.

Then she leaned in and kissed him.

"Get away from me! I’m in no mood!" Qin Zhiyi exploded as if pricked by a needle, shoving Shen Fuyu aside in a fit of near-madness. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with barely contained rage. The same man who had once endured being cuckolded without a word now flew into an uncontrollable fury for reasons unknown.

For a moment, Shen Fuyu was stunned. She lost her balance and, dazed, fell to the ground with a thud. It hurt—she couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp.

Qin Zhiyi was instantly startled. He stood up from his seat, hands and feet awkward, as the realization hit him—he had actually struck a woman...

He hadn’t meant to—

"Your Majesty, who has angered you?" Shen Fuyu came back to her senses, stood up, and grabbed Qin Zhiyi’s hand, gazing at him with burning intensity, as if eager to avenge him on the spot. "Just tell me, who upset you? I’ll go beat them to death!"

Who dared steal her rightful place as the target of his wrath? The Emperor could only be angry with her!

Getting angry at others didn’t yield any anger points!

That brief daze had been for that very reason. She had assumed Qin Zhiyi was, as always, angry with her. Yet, when he shoved her away, her anger points hadn’t budged. Clearly, his fury was for someone else! That was simply unacceptable! She would not allow it!

Qin Zhiyi’s fists tightened. Seeing Shen Fuyu’s fierce determination to take up his cause, he suddenly felt utterly useless. "It’s none of your concern. You needn’t worry about it. It was my fault—I didn’t mean to push you."