Chapter 56

After finishing breakfast, Ning Zhen got up to take her leave. 

Cheng Baisheng offered to escort her, but Sheng Changyu stopped him. 

Sheng Changyu said, “Go and get rid of that pest for me.” 

Cheng Baisheng replied, “Don’t worry, I didn’t leave any loose ends for him.” 

“I mean, send him back to the Presidential Mansion in North City. He’s been hanging around here for almost four months, like a fly. It’s annoying,” Sheng Changyu said. 

Cheng Baisheng sighed, “And now you’re annoyed? If you had listened to me back then…” 

He trailed off when he noticed Ning Zhen nearby. 

Sighing, Cheng Baisheng said, “Alright, alright, you’re the Governor. You’re the boss. I’ll handle it as soon as possible.” 

Ning Zhen knew they were talking about the explosion on the port-bound ship that had killed a dozen officials sent by the Presidential Mansion in North City. 

Wen Weinian had told her about it. 

She didn’t pry further—whether from Cheng Baisheng or her father—since she didn’t want to get involved in sensitive political matters. She also didn’t want Sheng Changyu to become suspicious of her. 

Any suspicion directed at her could lead to disaster for her family. 

Having finished her meal, Ning Zhen said to Sheng Changyu, “Governor, since you and Baisheng have official matters to attend to, I’ll be heading back.” 

Sheng Changyu nodded. 

Ning Zhen went to the guest room, packed up her belongings, and took the sandalwood box with her. 

She no longer felt any pain, and her spirits had lifted considerably. 

Sheng Changyu escorted her to the front gate, where the car was already prepared. 

Just as she was about to get in, he called out, “Ning Zhen.” 

Whenever he called her name, it felt like a military roll call. 

Ning Zhen instinctively wanted to stand at attention, but she restrained herself. “Governor, is there something else?” 

“When people at the old residence ask about me, don’t say anything unnecessary. As for why you were here, just tell them that Baisheng called you over last minute. You don’t know anything else,” Sheng Changyu instructed. 

Ning Zhen hesitated. She wanted to play dumb, but it was hard to pull off convincingly. 

Her shooting skills were excellent, but her acting skills were terrible. 

“Before I came, I asked A-Yin about your birthday. It’s no secret to the old residence why I was here. A-Yin is the type who can’t keep anything to herself,” Ning Zhen said. 

She glanced at him, watching for his reaction. 

His gaze remained fixed on her face. 

The early winter sunlight streamed into his eyes, casting a piercing glare. 

Ning Zhen stared back, puzzled, but Sheng Changyu politely looked away. 

“Don’t over-explain. The more you say, the more the old residence will rely on you to pass messages to me. If I’m not in the mood and don’t respond kindly, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Sheng Changyu said. 

He was telling her not to think she could play both sides between him and the old residence for her own advantage. 

“I understand, Governor,” Ning Zhen replied. 

She had always known that being a middleman was a difficult role, so she had planned to side with the Old Lady. 

Unfortunately, too many people were already aligned with the Old Lady, leaving no room for her. 

Sheng Changyu wasn’t easy to deal with either—he had a bad temper and many concubines—so there wasn’t much space for Ning Zhen at his side. 

But compared to the Old Lady, he valued the title of “Governor’s Wife” more. None of his concubines or Su Qing’er’s family could outrank his wife. 

Ning Zhen had a vague feeling that there might be a place for her in Sheng Changyu’s camp. 

The “her” in question could be anyone, as long as they held the title of “Governor’s Wife”—it just so happened that it was Ning Zhen at the moment. 

Her ultimate goal was to ease the tension between Sheng Changyu and the Ning family. 

In the past, she sided with the Old Lady because it was the only way to gain a connection to Sheng Changyu; she couldn’t even meet him. But now? 

When walking through life, one can’t always follow a straight path. Sometimes, you have to learn to take a detour, and in times of danger, even backtrack a little to find a new way forward. 

After six months in the Sheng family, Ning Zhen knew she needed to re-evaluate her path. 

The first thing she had to change was her choice of ally. 

She needed to avoid risks and side with Sheng Changyu first. 

If I make the wrong choice and suffer for it, I can always switch sides later. 

“Take care on the road,” Sheng Changyu said, signaling to the adjutant to open the car door. 

The adjutant stepped forward, opened the back door, and said, “Madam, please.” 

Ning Zhen nodded, “Governor, I’ll take my leave.” 

Just as Ning Zhen was about to get into the car, someone rushed out from the Governor’s mansion. 

The man had an extraordinarily handsome face, with eyes that were distant and cold, yet filled with rage. His skin was pale, but unlike Cheng Baisheng’s cold pallor, his was pale with lips naturally red, giving him a striking and almost seductive appearance beneath his stern demeanor. 

His presence was overwhelming. 

“Sheng Changyu, do you still recognize the rule of law?” The man, tall and imposing, stood before Sheng Changyu, his eyes blazing with anger. 

He wasn’t any shorter than Sheng Changyu, though his shoulders were slightly narrower, lending him a more refined and scholarly appearance. 

Sheng Changyu stood casually, his posture naturally upright, his expression lazy and indifferent. “What rule of law? My word is the law,” he replied. 

“You should know the place you’re standing on belongs to the democratic government, not your personal domain. Your men, abusing their official authority to openly commit robbery, is a mockery of the law,” Wen Weinian said. 

“Go ahead and report me to the military tribunal,” Sheng Changyu said flatly. 

“You’re outrageous! Sheng Changyu, you’ve been a local tyrant for so long you’ve forgotten your limits!” 

“Oh, I know them well. The sky above me is my limit. It’s you, Crown Prince, who doesn’t understand,” Sheng Changyu replied. 

He didn’t get angry, nor did he change his expression. Yet, in his words, there was a deep arrogance, a sense of superiority. Even the way he said “Crown Prince” dripped with sarcasm. 

There was an innate arrogance in him, a sense that he was the embodiment of divine law. He didn’t need to say it; it was evident in the way he looked at others. Everyone had to submit. 

Anyone who didn’t submit, who dared to challenge or lecture him, would eventually face destruction. 

Wen Weinian’s fury reached its peak, and he suddenly drew his gun. 

Instinctively, Ning Zhen pulled out her own weapon, chambered a round, and aimed it right at Wen Weinian’s forehead with fluid precision. 

Wen Weinian froze, his gaze shifting towards her. His gun had only just been drawn, and the safety wasn’t even off yet, while Ning Zhen’s gun was already trained on him. 

Her movements had been swift. 

Even Sheng Changyu turned his head slightly. 

“Mr. Wen, please put away your gun. This is a provocation against the Governor!” Ning Zhen said. 

Wen Weinian sneered, “What, you dare shoot me?” 

“Mr. Wen, look around you. Even if you were shot dead, the Governor could easily explain it to the Presidential Mansion. You were the one who attempted an assassination first,” Ning Zhen replied calmly. 

Wen Weinian’s face turned ashen, his jaw clenched tightly, and he ground out each word through gritted teeth: “Ning Zhen, you’ve got your gun aimed at me?” 

Sheng Changyu stepped forward, his face darkening. “Is Ning Zhen a name you’re allowed to use?” 

Wen Weinian suddenly laughed coldly. “Why can’t I call her that? First come, first served. She’s my woman—I can call her name whenever I want.” 

Ning Zhen’s grip tightened on her gun, nearly firing it by accident in her rage. 

Cheng Baisheng, who had followed them out, looked on, speechless. 

Sheng Changyu’s eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing as if he was ready to strike. 

Seeing this, Cheng Baisheng quickly stepped between them, placing himself between Sheng Changyu and Wen Weinian. “Changyu, Changyu!” he called twice, trying to calm him down. “Take a deep breath, relax!” 

He then turned to Wen Weinian. “Crown Prince, no matter how strong a dragon is, it doesn’t crush the local snake. Don’t act so rashly. You may not be afraid, but your attendants are already trembling in fear. This is the Governor’s mansion.” 

He continued, “If something really happens, it’s not the Governor who’ll lose face, but your father. You’re representing the President on official business, so think carefully. Put your gun away.” 

Wen Weinian stared coldly at him. 

After a few seconds of tense silence, Wen Weinian lowered his gun. 

Cheng Baisheng gave Ning Zhen a glance, signaling her to lower her weapon as well. 

In an instant, Wen Weinian suddenly spun around. No one saw him release the safety, but in a flash, he fired three rapid shots at the plaque above the mansion’s entrance. 

The gunshots echoed loudly. All the adjutants at the entrance, as well as the soldiers in the watchtower nearby, raised their guns, aiming them at Wen Weinian. 

After firing, Wen Weinian casually tossed his gun away, letting it clatter to the ground. 

With a cold sneer, he turned and walked away. 

Behind him, the grand plaque at the entrance of the Governor’s mansion fell with a loud crash. The marble plaque shattered into pieces on the ground. 

Wen Weinian got into his car and left. 

Sheng Changyu said nothing. 

The usually good-natured Cheng Baisheng stared at the shattered plaque, his face dark with anger. “That son of a…!” he cursed under his breath. 

Ning Zhen stood there silently.