The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits-Chapter 192

“I’m not sure either,” Shen Yu said thoughtfully. “It’s been so many years—no one really knows who tried to harm me back then.”

“If I hadn’t killed them on the spot back then…” Shang Junlin muttered.

Shen Yu reached up and covered his mouth. “If Your Majesty hadn’t acted so decisively and frightened them into backing off, we might’ve faced a second or third assassination attempt later. I was lucky to have met you once, but I doubt luck would’ve favored me every time.”

Shang Junlin knew Shen Yu was right. Back then, Shen Yu was too young and had no means to protect himself. If Shang Junlin’s actions hadn’t inadvertently shocked those behind the attempt, Shen Yu might’ve been trapped in a cycle of never-ending assassinations.

Cool fingertips brushed against his lips. Shang Junlin’s lips moved slightly, but Shen Yu quickly pulled his hand back. His fingers, hidden under his sleeves, curled slightly. He looked away. “Didn’t Your Majesty say I could meet the assassin today? When do we go?”

“I already asked Meng Chang to prepare the carriage.”

Since the Emperor would be leaving the palace, Meng -gonggong quickly made arrangements. Without delay, the two of them headed to the secret prison.

Fang Jun, having heard of the Emperor’s visit, arrived early to make all the necessary preparations. When he saw them, he stepped forward and saluted.

“The person His Majesty wants to see is this way. Please follow me.”

Because the assassin was to be brought before the Emperor, she’d been “prepped” beforehand. Two guards escorted her and brought her in front of Shang Junlin and Shen Yu.

Due to the effects of the incense that night, Shen Yu’s memory of the event was hazy. He couldn’t clearly recall the assassin’s appearance. But seeing her now brought many details from that night rushing back.

The assassin’s face was blank, but the moment she saw Shang Junlin, she instinctively flinched and shrank back, the emptiness in her eyes quickly replaced by fear.

Shen Yu raised an eyebrow and leaned close to Shang Junlin to whisper, “What did Your Majesty do to make her this scared of you?”

Shang Junlin’s emotionless gaze swept over the assassin. He gave Shen Yu’s hand a gentle squeeze and brushed off the question. “Ask whatever you want.”

Shen Yu hadn’t really expected an answer and didn’t push further. He shifted his gaze to the assassin kneeling before them.

“Besides you, were there other plans in motion?” Shen Yu asked, half-leaning against Shang Junlin.

“Yes.”

“What kind of plans?”

“I don’t know.”

“Were there other assassins besides you?”

“No.”

“What about inside the palace? Were there others?”

“Yes.”

“Who gave you the incense?”

“My master.”

...

Shen Yu asked question after question, and she answered them all—until he asked the final one, which made her fall silent.

“Why me?”

A long pause passed before she finally answered: “Because my master ordered it.”

It felt like they had gotten some answers—but also like they hadn’t gotten anything at all. Fang Jun, standing to the side, added, “This woman seems to have undergone special training. It took a lot of effort to get her to talk at all.”

As they were leaving the prison, Shen Yu suddenly thought of Zhu Wang, who was also imprisoned there. He tugged on Shang Junlin’s sleeve.

“What is it?”

“Your Majesty, send someone to test Zhu Wang’s attitude. He had bad blood with my mother—there might be a clue there.”

“Alright.”

Shang Junlin summoned a member of the Shadow Guard and gave a few quiet instructions.

By the time they stepped out of the prison, clouds had covered the sun.

“Looks like it’s going to rain,” Shen Yu commented, glancing at the sky.

And sure enough, shortly after their carriage set off, the rain came pouring down.

The downpour only worsened, and the sky darkened. Seeing the rain wouldn’t stop anytime soon, Shang Junlin ordered the driver to find a place to take shelter.

“Just now the sun was still out,” Shen Yu said, lifting the curtain to peek outside. “Now it's pouring.”

Following orders, the carriage turned toward a nearby household to wait out the storm.

The area near the prison was remote, and few important people lived there. Meng Gonggong quickly selected a modest-looking home. The woman inside was kind and welcoming, and when she heard they were caught in the rain, she hurried to invite them in.

Shen Yu and Shang Junlin were dressed in plain clothes, so their identities weren’t obvious. But from their refined mannerisms and high-quality garments, it was clear they weren’t ordinary folk.

Only a woman was home. She explained that her husband was out on business, and she usually stayed at home alone.

“Please have some tea to warm yourselves,” she said, placing steaming cups in front of them.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Shen Yu replied with a gentle smile, taking a small sip.

“This weather changes so quickly,” the woman sighed, looking out at the rain. “It was sunny just now, and now look at it… I hope my husband hasn’t been caught in it.”

Shen Yu noticed unfinished umbrellas in the room and guessed that the woman's business involved making or selling umbrellas.

After a while, Shen Yu began to feel cold. He slowly inched toward Shang Junlin and whispered, “Your Majesty, I’m a little cold.”

Outside the palace, things weren’t as well-heated. When Shen Yu was inside the palace, the floors were always kept warm wherever he went. This humble home had no such luxury, and the rain made the room even chillier.

Shang Junlin immediately pulled him into his arms and held his hands tightly in his own. “Is that better?”

The woman returned just in time to see the tall man embracing the slender youth. Smiling warmly, she laid some food on the table.

“You two seem very close. The rain doesn’t look like it’ll stop soon—if you’re hungry, please help yourselves. I know our home is simple, but I hope you won’t mind.”

The rain didn’t let up. The woman busied herself, and Shen Yu, nestled in Shang Junlin’s arms, started to doze off.

He didn’t know how long he slept. When he woke, he was back in the carriage. Shang Junlin was holding him with one arm and toying with the hair by his face with the other.

“The rain stopped?”

“Mm.”

The carriage swayed gently. Shen Yu, still drowsy, spoke less and less as his eyes drifted shut again.

Back at the woman’s house, her husband returned and saw her staring at a pouch on the table.

“What’s this?” he asked. His clothes were wet from the rain.

She snapped out of her daze. “The two who came to shelter from the rain left it behind.”

“They were here?” he asked.

She nodded and explained what had happened. “I didn’t open it, but I think there’s money inside.”

“You have a kind heart, but when you’re home alone, you should be more careful. What if they were dangerous?”

She smiled and wiped the rain off his clothes. “They had clear, honest eyes. They didn’t seem like bad people. And besides—who would dare cause trouble under the Emperor’s nose?”

The man opened the pouch. His hand froze.

The woman’s eyes widened. It took her a while to find her voice. “This is... too much…”

Frowning, the man said, “Do you remember what they looked like? Next time I’m in town, I’ll try to return it. This is far too much.”

The woman nodded.

Shen Yu had no idea any of this had happened. On the way back to the palace, he fell asleep again—and this time, he slept straight through to the next day’s noon. Shang Junlin was so startled that he summoned the imperial physician in the middle of the night.

When Shen Yu woke up, he found his hand being held. He moved his fingers slightly, which instantly drew the attention of the man nearby, who was reading memorials.

“Ah Yu, you’re awake?”

Shen Yu rubbed his forehead, groggy from the long sleep.

After changing clothes and walking around outside for a bit, he finally felt more alert.

“Why didn’t Your Majesty wake me up?” Shen Yu asked, holding out his palm as Shang Junlin applied medicine.

The wound on his palm had started to scab over after a few days. The cool salve felt soothing against the itchy healing skin.

“I couldn’t wake you,” Shang Junlin said, his brows furrowed. “Physician Gu came to check on you and said you’ve been drained lately. More sleep will help you recover.”

He didn’t mention how panicked he’d been the night before. Shen Yu could guess.

He touched Shang Junlin’s face gently. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

After finishing the treatment, Shang Junlin handed the medicine bottle to Meng Gonggong and smiled. “If Ah Yu gives me a kiss, I won’t feel so tired.”

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“Sure. Come closer,” Shen Yu smirked.

Shang Junlin leaned in.

A soft kiss landed on his lips.

Just as Shen Yu tried to pull away, Shang Junlin caught him and kissed him deeply.

The servants quietly left the room.

Shen Yu tilted his head as Shang Junlin pinned his wrists together with a red ribbon—lightly, not tight, but enough to keep him from pulling away.

The scarlet ribbon on his pale

wrists looked like snow dyed with red—an irresistible canvas.

“Didn’t the physician say Ah Yu shouldn’t use his hands or get them wet?” Shang Junlin’s voice was low and hoarse. “If you can’t bear it, just bite me—don’t use your hands.”

Warm breath brushed against Shen Yu’s ear, making him shiver.

Without strength in his hands, what followed became even harder to endure.

Shen Yu bit down on the man’s shoulder in protest, leaving a deep mark.

The man didn’t seem to feel any pain—on the contrary, the bite seemed to excite him even more.

Later, as Shang Junlin untied the ribbon and held Shen Yu close, only a faint red mark was left behind.

Shen Yu curiously ran his fingers over the crimson silk, wondering what kind of fabric it was—uncommonly soft and smooth to the touch.

"What sort of cloth is this?"

He examined the red silk in his hand. It resembled satin, yet not quite—softer and more supple than ordinary silk, with an exceptionally pleasant texture.

The scarlet fabric draped between his slender fingers, making his hands appear even more pale and delicate. Shang Junlin's gaze darkened as he caught both the silk and Shen Yu's hand in his grasp.

"This was retrieved from the imperial storerooms by Meng Chang," Shang Junlin murmured, stroking the delicate skin of Shen Yu's wrist. "He found several bolts of it. If you like it, I can have him deliver them to Yuzhang Palace."

"Such fine fabric, and Your Majesty uses it to bind my hands?" Shen Yu shot him a sidelong glance.

"Red suits you beautifully," Shang Junlin said, his voice low. "I'll have the Imperial Clothing Department make it into robes for you. Will you wear them for me?"

Just as Shen Yu was about to respond, Shang Junlin leisurely added, "Only for my eyes to see."