Chapter Eight: Come! Don't Stand on Ceremony!

After all, even the Buddha would refuse to save a paratrooper. The Buddha himself would probably be angered to death by her, wouldn’t he?

But when these words fell into Qin Zhiyi’s ears, her ordinary statement instantly took on a new flavor. What did she mean, someone like her wouldn’t live long? Whenever someone uttered such words, it usually signified that something was about to happen. Qin Zhiyi’s brows knitted tightly—life and death partings were not what he wished to see.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

“Yet you dare to speak so? Aren’t you afraid I’ll send you off with a cup of poisoned wine?” Qin Zhiyi simply couldn’t understand her.

“If you have the guts, then give it to me!” Shen Fuyu stretched out her hand at once.

Go on! Don’t be polite! Kill her!

“You—!”

He wanted to vent the fury in his heart, but when he saw Shen Fuyu’s little hand, earnestly reaching out for the poisoned wine, he hesitated. She was serious.

Perhaps speaking with such barbs was her way of dealing with people. Or perhaps it was her way of protecting herself. Or maybe... she truly suffered from some incurable illness, and would soon leave this world…

Recalling her words—if not for her family, if not for survival, who would care to receive his favor—Qin Zhiyi couldn’t help but clench his fingers. He indeed hadn’t done well enough; besides his status, he had nothing. Shen Fuyu’s words were harsh but not untrue.

Sitting on the throne of supreme power, it’s all too easy to overlook the things that truly deserve one’s effort.

“For the next few days, you’ll follow the matron and learn proper conduct,” he said. Yet he didn’t wish to hear such sharp retorts a second time. “If you don’t learn, you won’t eat!”

“Unjust! Deprived of food! My rights have been trampled!” Shen Fuyu instantly threw a tantrum, rolling on the floor. “You’re trying to drive me to my death!”

Qin Zhiyi cast her a glance, then slammed the door behind him as he left.

If he ever returned to Crescent Moon Palace again, he’d be a dog!

Shen Fuyu howled until Qin Zhiyi was out of earshot, then abruptly fell silent, her tragic expression replaced by a satisfied smile. Not bad, not bad—the anger points she’d reaped this time were substantial!

After dying so many times, her space had only reached level thirty-something. But after becoming Shen Fuyu, she’d advanced two levels in one go; it felt as though reaching level one hundred was suddenly within reach! And this time, fortune truly smiled on her. She’d become Qin Zhiyi’s savior, so no matter what she did, he’d have to protect her. She could defy heaven and earth as she pleased! It was simply too perfect!

As for how others viewed her, it was irrelevant. She had never cared about that, after all.

“Madam! Please, come quickly to see Green Tea—she’s about to be beaten to death!” White Lotus rushed in from outside, falling to her knees before Shen Fuyu, her eyes red. “Madam, Green Tea has always been frail…”

“Perhaps she should exercise more? If she won’t listen, what am I to do?” Shen Fuyu waved her hand dismissively, yet still went with White Lotus to take a look. Even a mosquito’s worth of meat was still meat—she wouldn’t turn down any anger points.

White Lotus dared not say more, following Shen Fuyu to Green Tea’s side.

Because Changfu was angry, the thirty strokes Green Tea endured were not the least bit lenient. Now she was barely clinging to life, lying weak and limp on the ground, struggling to lift her head towards the one approaching.

“Madam…” Green Tea weakly reached out to grasp Shen Fuyu’s skirt. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t seduce the Emperor…”

“I know. You did it on purpose.” Shen Fuyu raised her hand and signaled to two eunuchs nearby. “Bring me a chair.”

Green Tea’s face was deathly pale, her expression unreadable. Only the faint trace of anger revealed her unwillingness. Sitting down, Shen Fuyu brushed her dress and gazed at Green Tea with a half-smile. “Green Tea, do you wish to serve the Emperor?”

Green Tea shuddered. She had failed to climb into the Emperor’s bed and now, beaten and in Shen Fuyu’s hands, this was no longer the Shen family. Who knew if Shen Fuyu would take the chance to finish her off? But Green Tea couldn’t just give up. All those previous times, Shen Fuyu never dared to kill her for real. If she yielded now, there’d surely be another chance!

“You must be joking, Madam… Even if I had a hundred lives… I’d never dare… do such a thing…” The pain was making Green Tea nearly lose consciousness. “How could I dare compete with you, Madam…”

“Madam, Green Tea surely meant no harm. She’s already gravely injured; please forgive her,” White Lotus begged from her knees.

“Then why didn’t you plead for her when she was being beaten?” Shen Fuyu propped her chin in her hand. “White Lotus, could it be you’re thinking that if Green Tea’s gone, your chances will be greater?”

White Lotus’s heart skipped a beat, her expression stiff. She shook her head. “Madam, what do you mean? I don’t understand…”

“Are you a pig? Even a pig would understand; you’re dumber than a pig.” Shen Fuyu shrugged lightly. The two girls by her side were simply too incompetent. She recalled a previous life where she’d known a maid who, outwardly harmless, secretly seduced the master and harmed the mistress, leaving not a trace behind. Even when the mistress was bedridden from illness, she still trusted that maid, and the master was utterly bewitched. In the end, the maid rose to power beautifully.

Though such behavior was deplorable, that woman had both cunning and beauty—she was a force to be reckoned with.

By comparison, White Lotus and Green Tea were completely useless! They couldn’t even succeed at seduction—what kind of “pure White Lotus” or “scheming Green Tea” were they? She’d never met such incompetents!

“Madam…” White Lotus bit her lip in grievance. “I didn’t mean that, please believe me!”

“Do you take me for a fool? Or Green Tea?” Shen Fuyu chuckled, then looked at Green Tea, still sprawled on the floor. Smiling, she said, “Fine. Since White Lotus insists she’s sincere, Green Tea, you may return and recuperate. White Lotus, stay here and kneel; you’ll kneel on Green Tea’s behalf. When I’m in a good mood, you can get up.”

“Madam, spare me! Please, spare White Lotus! If I have to kneel all night, I won’t survive!” Both White Lotus and Green Tea had always been pampered by Shen Fuyu, rarely needing to do chores, living more like young ladies than maids. How could they bear such humiliation? White Lotus panicked, pleading, “If you must punish someone, wait until Green Tea’s wounds have healed!”

“Is that so? Then help Green Tea back to her room. Look how frightened you are—just a joke, and you’re terrified. You really can’t take a scare, can you?” Rising from her chair, Shen Fuyu considered the after-dinner entertainment over. Let those two fools return to their room and fight it out themselves.