Chapter 36 (Part 1)

Rong Shang had always known Yu Zhengzheng had thick skin, but even he hadn’t anticipated she’d stoop to peeking at others while they changed.

Earlier, after soaking in the cauldron for so long, not only had his clothes been drenched, but the human-skin mask on his face had started peeling from the steam.

Finding it sticky and uncomfortable, he had removed the mask temporarily, intending to put it back on after changing into dry clothes.

Who could’ve guessed Yu Zhengzheng would be so brazen? Her words about letting the men change first had all been a cover for her shameless plan to spy on him.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, and he saw her small mouth open slightly, her face frozen in shock.

She rubbed her eyes, as if doubting what she saw. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Rong Shang swiftly slapped the human-skin mask back onto his face before she could register it.

His movements were so quick that when Yu Zhengzheng opened her eyes again, her senior brother’s face had already disappeared.

He casually draped his white robe over himself, covering the captivating scene.

Yu Zhengzheng hesitated, wanting to say something, but before she could, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her behind the screen.

She instinctively tried to retreat, but he advanced like a lone wolf stalking its prey, pressing forward until she was cornered against the wall.

Rong Shang’s cold hands gripped her arms, forcing them above her head. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

She tried kicking him, but he bent slightly, using his knee to pin her legs, cutting off her resistance.

His long eyes narrowed, glinting with a dangerous, predatory light. “You’ve got some nerve.”

His voice was low, but it carried a powerful intimidation.

This was a tactic to strike first and suppress her completely, preventing her from questioning him about his face.

Yu Zhengzheng trembled, startled out of her wits. Pale-faced, she stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to…”

Rong Shang nodded slightly. “I know.”

Seeing him so understanding, she was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he added, “You did it on purpose.”

Leaning in closer, the white robe draped lazily over his shoulders slid down slightly, revealing a flat, muscular chest. “Are you so eager to become mine?”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Nonsense! How shameless! Who in their right mind would want to be yours?!

She felt incredibly wronged. She had only wanted to peek at Xiao Yuqing. Even if there wasn’t much to see, she certainly hadn’t come to admire a corgi-shaped rear end!

But clearly, she couldn’t voice such thoughts. After all, she’d already seen more than enough, and saying anything disrespectful now might provoke the Ghost King into chopping her into tiny pieces out of anger.

Still, she couldn’t shake the confusion. Why had she seen her senior brother’s face earlier? Could it have been a trick of her eyes?

Wait… Her senior brother liked wearing white robes. The Ghost King also wore white robes. Both of them were neat freaks and acted aloof.

What exactly was the connection between the Ghost King and her senior brother?

Could it be… the Ghost King was her senior brother?

Rong Shang noted her contemplative expression and felt an inexplicable pang of panic.

He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. After all, everything she had done—cooking, cleaning, serving tea—was voluntary. He had never forced her.

But even so, he couldn’t ignore that moment when she had shielded him from a sword, nearly falling to her death. He had let her fall without a second thought, and she still resented him for it.

If she realized he was her senior brother…

He hesitated, unsure why he was panicking. What did it matter if she found out?

Even in his weakened state, killing her would be as easy as snapping a chicken’s neck. Why should he fear her revenge?

No, she wouldn’t dare seek revenge against him.

Though she was petty by nature, she was also someone who knew how to adapt to circumstances. How could she possibly dare to retaliate? At most, if she discovered the truth, she would simply distance herself from him.

She would avoid him, like someone evading the plague, staying as far away as possible…

A stifling discomfort welled up in Rong Shang’s chest, as if something was blocking it, making it hard for him to breathe.

He lowered his gaze, hiding the emotions in his eyes, his entire figure blending into the shadows, merging seamlessly with the surrounding darkness.

Yu Zhengzheng felt her wrists ache terribly. His cool palm, separated by a thin layer of fabric, pressed against her skin, and the chill seeped into her flesh.

Whatever he was thinking about, his grip on her arms tightened, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes to prevent her arms from being broken.

Tears welled up in Yu Zhengzheng’s eyes. She could hear the faint rustling of clothing from the neighboring screens. Men’s robes were simple to wear, and she had been trapped here for so long that the others had probably already dressed.

When they saw her stepping out from behind the Ghost King’s screen, who knew what kind of wild assumptions they would make about what had transpired?

She felt like a piece of dough being stretched thin at a hotpot restaurant, her tiptoes barely relieving the pain in her arms. It was as if her soul was being dragged out of her body.

Tears sparkled in her eyes, and a single crystal-clear drop slid down her cheek. She whimpered, “It hurts…”

Her soft, tearful voice was sticky and sweet, and that one word snapped Rong Shang out of his thoughts.

His grip loosened slightly, allowing her feet to touch the ground again.

Abruptly, he leaned closer, leaving barely an inch between their lips. “What did you see?”

His warm breath brushed against her face, enveloping her entirely. Yu Zhengzheng’s knees nearly gave out, and she almost collapsed.

What had she seen?

Her mind went blank, and she blurted out instinctively, “A butt… round and perky…”

Rong Shang: “…”

His dangerous eyes narrowed as he pressed his arm against her throat. “What else?”

Yu Zhengzheng struggled to breathe, coughing violently as though she were about to cough up a lung. Her senses began to return. “Nothing! Nothing! I won’t dare do it again…”

How could she ever have mistaken him for Senior Brother?

Aside from their shared preference for white clothing, the two couldn’t be more different. Senior Brother was at worst a manipulative scoundrel, but the Ghost King was a cold-blooded killer.

Her face turned purple as she gasped for air, involuntarily rolling her eyes at him—a bold act of defiance born purely from instinct.

Rong Shang was momentarily stunned and reflexively released her.

Her balance had been entirely dependent on him. Who would have thought he’d suddenly let go? Her legs buckled, and she fell backward.

Tears welled up in Yu Zhengzheng’s eyes. If her head hit the ground first, would she get a concussion and lose her memory?

She flailed her arms wildly, hoping to grab onto something—anything—but it seemed like her grasp landed nowhere.

Closing her eyes tightly, she braced herself for the inevitable pain. Yet after a long moment, no pain came.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she cautiously opened her eyes.

The screen had been knocked over in her fall, leaving her fully exposed. The commotion she caused drew everyone’s attention, and all eyes were now on her.

When Yu Zhengzheng saw what she was holding, she wished she could vanish into thin air.

Acting on instinct, she had grabbed onto something during her fall.

She thought she had grabbed nothing. But in reality, her hands had latched onto two… beans?

No—more precisely, she had yanked them.

Yu Zhengzheng’s back stiffened. She didn’t even have the courage to lift her head. Just looking at the reddened skin she had tugged at made her feel like he could crush her to death a hundred times over.

Let alone the fact that everyone in the room was now sharing this spectacle with her.

In the suffocating silence, the faint creak of Rong Shang’s clenched fist could be heard.

He struggled to maintain his composure, but the sting on his chest and the intense gazes of those around him were rapidly eroding his sanity.

He wanted to chop off her hands—those hands that had already done far too many disrespectful things to him.

But he couldn’t.

To him, the most valuable part of her was those hands.

Without her fingers, what was he supposed to do—have her paint medicine on him with her toes?

“Look again, and I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

“Let go.”

The first sentence was a warning to the crowd; the second was a gritted-teeth order to Yu Zhengzheng.

The onlookers quickly averted their gazes, each pretending to find something fascinating on the ceiling.

Yu Zhengzheng steadied herself, releasing him immediately. She retreated several steps, desperate to put as much distance as possible between herself and him—preferably 800 meters.

Rong Shang pulled his robe shut, reset the screen, and stepped behind it to adjust his clothing.

When he emerged, his expression was calm and unbothered, as though nothing had happened.

Yu Zhengzheng, on the other hand, was mortified. Her embarrassment was so acute she felt like she was digging a three-room apartment with her toes, wishing she could bury herself in it.

An Ning’s voice carried a note of concern, but also curiosity. “Miss Yu, why were you over there?”

Before she could respond, Xiang Feng sneered, “Naturally, she had ulterior motives.”

The phrase “ulterior motives” made her expression falter slightly.

Xiang Feng was mocking her supposed intentions toward the Ghost King, but in the ears of others, it might mean something entirely different.

Whether the puppet master was Hengwu Xianjun or Xiao Yuqing, neither of them were fools.