Chapter 28: Astonishment

Seeing Shen Tang’s astonished expression, the man chuckled, “You’re surprised to see me?”

Shen Tang couldn’t help but be surprised. She blurted out, “You’re not dead?”

The man was momentarily taken aback. “Who told you I was dead? Weren’t you looking for me yesterday?”

No one had told her he was dead.

She had only seen him a few times; she didn’t even know what his face looked like beneath the mask. In her previous life, after the Lantern Festival, she hadn’t seen him again until she was strangled to death in the woodshed of Prince Jingyang’s’s Manor by Shen Juan’s people.

She had suspected something had happened to him when he went missing while investigating the corruption case of the Changping Marquis’s household.

Thinking of this, Shen Tang felt a surge of anger for her past self. This scoundrel had teased her at the Lantern Festival, saying he would marry her and then sent someone to propose. She had taken him seriously. Little did she know that days later, when the people from Prince Jingyang’s’s Manor came to propose to her, it was actually for her elder sister, not for her.

The thought of having taken his joking words seriously and holding onto that hope for so long made her feel utterly embarrassed.

And what did he mean by “looking for him” yesterday?

She had thought he was dead. How could she look for him?

“I wasn’t looking for you.”

The man sounded a bit displeased. “You weren’t looking for me? Then what were you doing yesterday at the Spring Banquet feast, sizing up all the young masters?”

Shen Tang had indeed looked over those young masters several times yesterday in hopes of finding her Big Brother, but—

How did he know about that?

Shen Tang looked at him, surprised. “You were also at the Shouwang’s Manor yesterday?”

Of course, someone bold enough to investigate the Changping Marquis and kick its heir wouldn’t have a low status. Such a person would undoubtedly have received an invitation to the Spring Banquet feast, as long as they were not yet betrothed.

The thought of having scrutinized him multiple times yesterday made Shen Tang even more curious about what lay beneath his mask.

Shen Tang asked, “Who exactly are you?”

She reached out to remove his mask, but he caught her hand.

His palm was warm, and Shen Tang felt a heat spreading from her hand to her face, making her cheeks flush. She tried to pull her hand back, but no matter how hard she struggled, he didn’t let go. Shen Tang huffed, “If you won’t let me see, then just let go of me!”

This scoundrel didn’t understand the concept of propriety between men and women. Did he think it was acceptable for a man to hold a lady’s hand so casually?!

She didn’t even need to see his face; she just wanted to resolve the regret from her previous life.

In her past, she had genuinely believed his playful words about marriage. At that time, she had truly wanted to marry him. But later, she was schemed into becoming Shen Juan’s substitute bride for Prince Jingyang’s, and after he vanished from her sight, she thought he was dead. All this time, she regretted not insisting he take off his mask at the Lantern Festival, never knowing what the man she once liked looked like.

As she struggled to free herself, her anger flared. She glared at him, and he helplessly replied, “I’m not refusing to let you see; I’m just afraid it might scare you.”

Just say it plainly instead of making excuses! Shen Tang snorted, “I’m not that easily frightened.”

The man gazed into Shen Tang’s clear eyes and said, “Indeed, there’s no one in the entire capital who has the courage to let the flower palanquin from Prince Jingyang’s’s Manor return empty.”

After a pause, he added, “The Prince Jingyang’s’s Manor is powerful, and no one can compare to the heir’s looks. Why don’t you want to marry him?”

This question ignited a wave of anger within Shen Tang, as if she were expected to marry Prince Jingyang’s.

She prided herself on her patience, but at this moment, she could barely hold it back. Her frustration surged to her face, but it twisted into a smile. “I’m still waiting for you to marry me! Since I’m going to marry you, how can I marry Prince Jingyang’s son?”

The man seemed to take delight in her response, his lips curling into a smile. “Didn’t you think I was dead?”

Shen Tang was momentarily speechless.

This guy had an exceptional memory; she had mentioned it only a moment ago, and he still remembered.

Knowing he was not easily fooled, Shen Tang didn’t want to confess the truth. “I absolutely detest two types of people: those who are too good-looking and men who lie.”

The word “liar” was emphasized heavily.

The man could tell that Shen Tang’s words were directed at him. However, having just saved her from the heir of Changping Marquis, he didn’t want to sever ties right away and spoke very tactfully.

Shen Tang looked at him. “How long are you going to hold my hand?”

He finally released her.

Shen Tang gently rubbed her wrist and said, “Thank you for saving me just now.”

She bowed slightly and turned to leave, heading back to find Yin Xing.

When she returned, she found Yin Xing still lying on the ground. Shen Tang pinched her acupoint and her wrist, and only then did Yin Xing wake up.

Yin Xing opened her eyes to see Shen Tang and called out, “Miss…”

Shen Tang asked, “What happened?”

Yin Xing replied, “I went back to get your cloak. On the way back, a young maid told me you had come over here, so I followed. I was walking just fine when suddenly my neck hurt, and I passed out.”

Her neck still hurt terribly, feeling as if it had been struck by something.

Shen Tang knew that Yin Xing had been knocked unconscious. She helped her up, and as she turned back, she saw that the man was already gone.

The two of them walked back, passing by the rockery, when they spotted the gold hairpin that had been thrown to the ground next to a jade pendant lying quietly there.

The sight of the jade pendant startled Shen Tang.

It was the man’s pendant.

The slope here wasn’t steep, and the heir of Changping Marquis wouldn’t die from falling, but after being kicked, there was no doubt he would investigate who had done it. If the pendant were found by someone from the Changping Marquis’s household, it would lead them back to the man.

He had kicked the heir of Changping Marquis for her; she couldn’t leave such obvious evidence behind for the Changping Marquis’s household to discover.

But to take it back to the manor…

Thinking of how the man had previously come to the marquis’s household to retrieve something and the awkward situation that ensued, Shen Tang hesitated for a moment, feeling her steps grow heavy.

She didn’t want to pick up the pendant.

After an internal struggle, Shen Tang finally walked over and picked up both the jade pendant and the gold hairpin.

As she rounded the rockery, she saw the young servant who had blocked her path earlier lying on the ground. Yin Xing was startled and said, “Miss, we should hurry and leave.”

The two of them hurried back to the market, where the lively sounds reassured them.

Just as they felt relieved, they spotted Shen Juan and the others walking toward them.

Seeing Shen Tang appear unscathed, Shen Juan silently cursed the heir of Changping Marquis for being useless. She had sent him to deal with her, and yet he couldn’t even manage it.

Shen Juan’s disappointment was evident, and Shen Tang didn’t miss it. Heaven knows how hard she had to suppress the urge to slap Shen Juan in the face.

To strike would certainly relieve her anger, but she was dealing with a group of people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Until she had the ability to protect herself, she couldn’t afford to completely sever ties.

She remembered today’s grievances.

One day, she would return the favor tenfold!