Chapter 32

Ning Zhen stayed at home for three days and had mostly recovered her spirits. 

Taking a deep breath, she returned to the Sheng family’s old residence. 

As soon as she arrived, the Old lady called for her. 

“I heard Changyu is sick. Go check on him,” the Old lady said. “Find out what’s going on and report back to me.” 

Ning Zhen: nodded 

Serving was tough, especially when her two superiors didn’t get along, and each had a worse temper than the other. 

The words “get out” from Sheng Changyu still echoed in her ears, as clear as the day he yelled them. 

If she went to check on him, he’d probably get even angrier, making his illness worse. 

“Mother, I know you’re worried about your son. Why don’t you ask the Third Concubine to accompany you to see the governor?” Ning Zhen suggested. 

The Old lady’s face darkened. “Are you arguing with me?” 

Ning Zhen replied, “I’m afraid the governor doesn’t want to see me. He’s sick and in a bad mood. If he gets even more upset, I might not even be able to enter the governor’s mansion in the future.” 

“Why wouldn’t he want to see you?” the Old lady asked. 

Ning Zhen then recounted everything that had happened over the past few days, including how Sheng Changyu had left her stranded on the roadside at dusk. 

She also mentioned how he had told her to get out of the car. 

At the time, Ning Zhen had been so embarrassed that she wanted to cry, but now she spoke of it calmly. 

The Old lady was momentarily speechless. 

She looked at Ning Zhen with frustration. “Why did you bring up Su Qing’er? Are you trying to get yourself killed by poking the tiger?” 

If Ning Zhen succeeded, they wouldn’t praise her for being capable; they’d say Sheng Changyu had developed some filial piety. 

If she failed, they’d blame her for being incompetent. 

Ning Zhen’s parents had never treated her this way; they wouldn’t casually shift the blame onto her for everything. 

“It’s all my fault,” Ning Zhen lowered her gaze. 

The Old lady took several deep breaths and, after a moment of silence, asked Ning Zhen to call Cheng Baisheng. 

Ning Zhen had no choice but to make the call. 

“…Please come over,” Cheng Baisheng said over the phone. “I’ll send a car to pick you up.” 

“Is the governor seriously ill?” 

“Nothing too serious. You’ll see when you arrive,” Cheng Baisheng replied. 

“Madam Sheng is very worried,” Ning Zhen said. 

“Madam Sheng came to the governor’s mansion the other day, but the governor said he was sick and didn’t want to pass his illness to her, so he didn’t see her,” Cheng Baisheng explained. 

Ning Zhen:  

No wonder the Old lady insisted on Ning Zhen going. 

If even his mother was turned away, what chance did Ning Zhen have? 

Cheng Baisheng was probably calling her over just to give Sheng Changyu another outlet for his anger. 

“The governor is feeling better today. It’s a good time for a visit,” Cheng Baisheng added. 

After hanging up, Ning Zhen returned to the Old lady’s courtyard and relayed the message. 

“Then you should go,” the Old lady said. 

Ning Zhen didn’t move. “Mother, perhaps we should prepare some of the governor’s favorite childhood dishes and have the Third Concubine deliver them. I really shouldn’t go. He’s annoyed at me right now.” 

The Old lady replied, “That’s true.” 

“If we upset him too much, he might refuse to see me again in the future. Let the Third Concubine go. She hasn’t angered him lately,” Ning Zhen added. 

The Old lady gave the order, and they prepared a bowl of soup and two types of pastries, asking the Third Concubine, Xu Fangdu, to take them to the governor’s mansion. 

Xu Fangdu changed into a light green, padded cheongsam with a white overcoat and set off with the food box. 

Meanwhile, Cheng Baisheng returned to the study, where Sheng Changyu was reviewing documents. 

“Did you finish your medicine?” Cheng Baisheng asked. 

Sheng Changyu replied, “You’re always hovering. It’s annoying.” 

“I’ve got something less annoying to tell you—someone from the old residence is coming to visit,” Cheng Baisheng said. 

Sheng Changyu paused. 

“She called me specifically to ask. I told her you were fine and invited her over,” Cheng Baisheng continued. “Do me a favor and don’t leave her standing outside.” 

“What does that have to do with you?” Sheng Changyu glanced at him. 

“She called me, too scared to ask you. Sounded pitiful. I can’t stand seeing people in such a state; my sympathy kicked in. I promised her she’d get to see you. You wouldn’t want me to go back on my word, right?” Cheng Baisheng replied. 

Sheng Changyu scowled, “Why so much chatter?” 

Then he added, “When have I ever refused to see people from the old residence? When the Old lady came, I was too sick and didn’t want her to worry.” 

During his recent inspection tour, Sheng Changyu had pushed himself too hard and was exhausted. On top of that, the sudden shift in the late autumn weather—cold one moment, warm the next—didn’t help. He even ended up riding a horse. 

That day, when Yao Wenluo called him, he was already feeling unwell and smoked constantly to suppress it. By the time he went to Meng’s company to confront some people, he was already running a low fever. 

He wasn’t sure why he had gotten so angry. He thought he’d return right after, but for some reason, he didn’t get home until after 9 p.m. 

By the time he reached the governor’s residence, his lips were pale, but he still insisted he was fine. 

Later that night, his fever spiked. 

It was rare for him to get this sick, and the military hospital staff had to come. 

The next morning, the Old lady happened to visit unexpectedly, and the military doctors were still around. 

Sheng Changyu was so sick that he could barely speak, but with what little consciousness he had left, he instructed them to send the Old lady home. 

The doctors gave him a shot of Western medicine to bring down the fever. 

After a day and a night, the fever finally subsided. He ate a little and started to regain his strength. 

At his age—twenty-something, in the prime of his life—he had looked as though he was on the verge of death when the fever was high, but as soon as it broke, he was full of energy again, and no one would have guessed he had just been seriously ill. 

In his mind, it was simply a matter of avoiding his mother while he was severely ill. But from the Old lady’s perspective, it was the first time she had come to visit since moving out of the governor’s residence, and her son had turned her away at the door. 

The Old lady’s unease and frustration were understandable. 

People from the old residence had to be seen. 

Even if Cheng Baisheng hadn’t pushed for it, Sheng Changyu wouldn’t have refused them again. 

Soon, the adjutant came in to report that someone from the Old lady’s residence had arrived, bringing soup and pastries. 

Cheng Baisheng, always considerate, said, “Take your time. I won’t disturb you.” 

He then left. 

Sheng Changyu leaned back in the armchair, feeling the urge to smoke. 

The doctor had advised him to cut back for a few days, and though he hadn’t touched his cigarette pack all morning, the craving hit him hard now. 

Just as he lit one up, the sound of high heels echoed from outside. 

Sheng Changyu took a deep drag, the warm smoke filling his lungs, providing some comfort. 

“Brother Yu.” 

The study door opened. 

Maybe he had inhaled too deeply; the warmth in his lungs quickly turned into a burning sensation, irritating him. 

His temper flared faster than the smoke could dissipate. 

Meanwhile, Cheng Baisheng was in the government meeting room, handling some minor military matters for Sheng Changyu. After working for two hours and noticing it was almost mealtime, he hurried back to the study. 

When he reached the courtyard gate, he saw the adjutant standing guard outside. Cheng Baisheng asked, “What about the person from the old residence? Have they left?” 

“They haven’t left. The governor is having her stay for a few days. She’s been taken to the guest room,” the adjutant replied. 

Cheng Baisheng was surprised. “The governor arranged that?” 

“Yes. She cried so much that I guess the governor was moved by her tears. Anyway, he made arrangements for her to stay,” the adjutant explained. 

Cheng Baisheng was puzzled and asked, “Who came from the old residence?” 

Ning Zhen didn’t seem like the type to cry in front of the governor. 

“The third concubine.” 

Cheng Baisheng: confused  

The phone call was from the wife, but they sent the third concubine instead—wasn’t that cutting corners?