Chapter 8: The True Battlefield

“Yes.” Mama Liu hurried away.

Upon receiving Mama Liu’s message, Shen Shilang stood up. As he did, he heard her say coldly, “Young Master Shen, please return to your room to rest. Do not disturb the General and his wife. I assume you won’t be calling for a doctor?”

“What if I do?” Shen Shilang replied coldly.

Wei Jianming had grown into a wastrel, largely due to Madam Wei’s influence.

Shen Shilang didn’t intend to let Wei Zhaoxian know about his troubles in the Mansion, but Madam Wei must be quite anxious now.

Under Mama Liu’s barely concealed panicked gaze, Shen Shilang left the front courtyard, frowning in pain.

After walking some distance, he weakly leaned against a rock in the garden.

By now, he could barely endure the pain from his reopened wound. His face had turned pale, and he was breaking out in a cold sweat.

He stumbled back to the small courtyard in the most remote corner of the Wei mansion.

Su Jinshi observed all of this.

As soon as Shen Shilang entered the room, Su Jinshi began to remove his clothes.

Shen Shilang: “……”

“Jinshi, now isn’t convenient……” Shen Shilang’s pale face finally showed a hint of redness.

This woman, always thinking about touching him!

“Bah!” Su Jinshi exclaimed angrily, “I’m not trying to touch you, I’m treating your wounds!”

Unable to speak to Shen Shilang directly, she could only clean his wound and apply medicine from her game inventory.

Seeing his wound cleaned and treated, with the burning pain temporarily soothed by the cool ointment, Shen Shilang realized he had misunderstood Su Jinshi. His handsome face grew even redder.

Su Jinshi irritably tossed his clothes back to him, telling him to dress himself to avoid thinking she was a lecher.

Shen Shilang put on his clothes, somewhat embarrassed.

[System: Shen Shilang’s Favorability +1]

Su Jinshi laughed coldly, thinking he finally understood he had misjudged her.

And his favorability had even increased.

“Indeed, even paper characters shouldn’t be spoiled too much,” Su Jinshi grumbled. “I should teach him a lesson.”

Su Jinshi opened the game store and saw that the cooldown for the communication box had ended. She quickly bought another one.

“Shen Shilang,” Su Jinshi called.

Hearing Su Jinshi’s voice again, Shen Shilang couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re finally willing to speak to me,” Shen Shilang said. “Why weren’t you talking to me before?”

“Ahem, I have limited time and chances to communicate each day,” Su Jinshi explained.

Shen Shilang understood, “It must be because your spiritual power is insufficient. If you practice diligently, you’ll be able to speak more.”

He felt sorry for Su Jinshi, being alone with no one to talk to.

Having only a short time each day to speak, having to hold back even when she wanted to say something.

Su Jinshi grumbled under her breath, “It’s because you’re so stingy with favorability points. If you gave more, I could talk longer.”

“What did you say?” Shen Shilang didn’t catch what Su Jinshi muttered.

“Nothing,” Su Jinshi changed the subject. “Why didn’t you tell Wei Zhaoxian about being bullied in his household? He risked so much to save you, surely not just for you to be mistreated in his home?”

Shen Shilang’s expression suddenly turned serious. “You know about my situation?”

Su Jinshi paused, then said, “Didn’t Wei Zhaoxian just mention it? He talked about your revenge and how your father was known as the ‘Jade of the Shen Family’ in the capital. How could I not guess who you are? Besides, I have spiritual powers. I not only know about your family’s injustice but also that Wei Zhaoxian risked his life to bring you to the Wei family.”

“If others found out he saved you, the entire Wei mansion would be finished,” Su Jinshi continued. “I know General Wei is an upright and righteous man. So why don’t you tell him what’s happening?”

Through the screen, Su Jinshi saw Shen Shilang looking directly at her, the severity in his gaze gradually softening until it became calm.

Su Jinshi sighed in relief, only then realizing that under Shen Shilang’s sudden stern gaze, she had tensed up.

Even though it was just through a screen and Shen Shilang was only a game character who couldn’t actually do anything to her, his severe look had made her nervous.

Su Jinshi frowned slightly, a thought occurring to her: Could a game really be this realistic?

At that moment, she heard Shen Shilang say, “Indeed, given the situation of the Shen family back then, no one dared to take me in. Only General Wei risked his life to shelter me.”

“General Wei already faces the Emperor’s suspicion for commanding a large army. If it were known that he dared to shelter me, his life would be in danger,” Shen Shilang said softly. “Precisely because he saved me at such risk, I don’t want to cause discord in his household or between him and his wife.”

Besides, he wouldn’t be staying in the Wei mansion for much longer.

Why add to Wei Zhaoxian’s troubles?

Shen Shilang lowered his head and said, “Without me, General Wei would never have to face these domestic problems.”

“So you’d rather suffer mistreatment than tell him?” Su Jinshi felt a dull ache in her heart. “Are you planning to endure this forever?”

Su Jinshi paused, then suddenly asked, “When you performed poorly in your studies earlier, were you pretending?”

Shen Shilang didn’t respond, but Su Jinshi caught a fleeting smile at the corner of his mouth.

If she hadn’t been staring at the screen, she would have missed it.

“You really were pretending?” Su Jinshi immediately asked. “To keep a low profile and avoid surpassing Wei Jianming, so he wouldn’t cause trouble for you?”

Perhaps because he hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time, or because he felt he could be more open with Su Jinshi as a spirit, Shen Shilang opened up:

“Why would I care about Wei Jianming’s moods? Even if I keep a low profile, would he trouble me any less?” Shen Shilang said. “Before the provincial exams, I don’t plan to stand out too much. Exceptional results would draw attention too early.”

“As for Madam Wei…” Shen Shilang’s face showed a complex expression, “If I outshine Wei Jianming too much, she would create obstacles for me. Things might not go as smoothly as they are now.”

“Having the title of a scholar and being able to participate in the provincial exams smoothly is enough for now,” Shen Shilang said. “The provincial exams will be the start of my real battlefield.”

The provincial exams, metropolitan exams, and imperial exams – performing well in all of these would allow him to gain the Emperor’s attention and increase his chances of being entrusted with important roles.

Su Jinshi realized that Shen Shilang had planned everything step by step, far in advance.

She wondered how young he was when he started laying out the path he would walk.

Year after year, he had been lying low, enduring, and preparing for his future plans.

Seeing his situation in the Wei Mansion, with Wei Zhaoxian rarely at home and Shen Shilang never complaining to him, Su Jinshi understood the depth of his determination.