CHAPTER 33 (PART 1)

Faced with the maid’s envious gaze, Shi Li had no words to explain her misery. She could only nod stiffly, feeling as if she had swallowed a fly. Once she was alone, she paced anxiously in her room.

What should she do? What should she do?!

She had only just recovered, and if she had to serve that brute now, she’d probably be bedridden again for days. Worse still, enduring his torment did nothing to lower his hatred value—if anything, it might backfire and increase it, just like last time. That would be the worst possible outcome.

Shi Li sighed repeatedly but couldn’t come up with a solution. Finally, she gritted her teeth and instructed the maid to fetch her a jar of strong liquor.

The maid looked puzzled. “Madam, the lord will be here soon. Why do you need strong liquor?”

Shi Li forced a weak smile. “Oh, nothing… just thought I’d share a drink with him to liven things up.”

In truth, after much thought, she realized that Shen Jingyan had touched her even when she was covered in filth like a soot-covered coal miner. Nothing she did would deter him. Rather than struggle, she might as well drink herself into oblivion—at least that way, she wouldn’t feel the pain.

It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was the only plan she had. Shi Li sighed, feeling utterly weary.

The maid, half understanding, nodded. “Oh, I see. I’ll go get it right away.”

She made her way to the kitchen and approached the steward in charge. “Do you have any wine that can… enhance the mood? Madam sent me to fetch some.”

At first, the steward intended to just hand her a jar from the kitchen, but when he heard the emphasis on “enhance the mood,” a knowing glint flashed in his eyes, and he chuckled. “That kind of wine isn’t stored here in the kitchen—it’s kept in the storeroom.”

“Why is it so troublesome to get?” The maid frowned.

The steward smirked. “You’re just a little maid, so of course, you wouldn’t understand. That wine has special ingredients added to it. This kitchen only handles food—we wouldn’t have something like that here.”

The maid sighed. “I didn’t expect it to be such a hassle. Alright, I’ll go to the storeroom then. Thank you, steward.”

She then headed to the storeroom, where the keeper frowned upon hearing her request. “Madam wants that wine? We do have it here, but it’s quite potent. If she intends to use it on the lord, I can’t just hand it over without his approval. I’ll have to ask him first.”

The maid, who had already been sent running to two different places, was dumbfounded. After a moment, she sighed. “I never expected it to be such a complicated matter.”

The storeroom keeper thought for a moment before saying, “The lord is currently in the front courtyard discussing court affairs. Why don’t you wait here and have some tea? I’ll go ask for his permission. If he agrees, I’ll bring you the wine.”

The maid had no choice but to agree.

Meanwhile, as the storeroom keeper made his way to the front courtyard, he ran into a fellow worker and casually mentioned his errand. The other man’s expression immediately turned incredulous. “Madam is requesting wine to enhance the mood?”

“Yeah,” the storeroom keeper snorted. “Isn’t that just the trick of a seductive vixen? Hardly the behavior of a proper wife.”

The other man gasped and then quickly lowered his voice.

The storeroom keeper sneered. “If she had even the slightest virtue of a proper wife, she wouldn’t have abandoned the lord back then to elope with a mere woodcutter… But enough talk. Walls have ears. The lord is kind-hearted enough to reject the Third Princess and take her back in. Clearly, he still has feelings for her. If our words were overheard, he might punish us.”

The other man nodded in agreement and went on his way. However, he later encountered more acquaintances and couldn’t resist gossiping about the incident, spreading the rumor further.

Meanwhile, the storeroom keeper reached the front courtyard and stood waiting. Before long, Shen Jingyan emerged, accompanied by several high-ranking officials. These men had been sent by the emperor to persuade him to divorce his wife, but after a long discussion, Shen Jingyan still refused to budge.

The storeroom keeper stepped forward and bowed. “Greetings, my lord.”

Shen Jingyan glanced at him. “What is it?”

The storeroom keeper hesitated, glancing at the officials nearby, and cautiously said, “It’s… a private household matter.” He was well aware of how embarrassing this request was and knew it shouldn’t be discussed in front of outsiders.

The officials immediately prepared to take their leave, but Shen Jingyan raised a hand to stop them. His gaze remained calm as he asked, “Did something happen with my wife?”

As soon as they heard that it was Shen Jingyan’s wife—the one who had eloped with another man—everyone’s curiosity was piqued. The Third Princess was known for her virtue, beauty, and grace, one of the most remarkable women in the empire. They were eager to see what kind of woman this “Madam Shen” was, that Shen Jingyan would be so resolute in rejecting the imperial marriage decree for her.

“R-Reporting to my lord, yes, it is regarding Madam,” the steward hesitated, looking even more troubled.

Shen Jingyan’s gaze flickered slightly. After a pause, he said slowly, “What is it?”

“My lord, this…” The steward faltered.

Shen Jingyan lowered his gaze. “Speak.”

The steward hurriedly knelt. Seeing that Shen Jingyan had no intention of changing his mind, he hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and confessing, “M-Madam sent a maid to the storeroom to request an aphrodisiac wine. I thought it over and felt I should inform you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions of Shen Jingyan’s colleagues became rather… interesting.

They had long heard that Madam Shen was morally lacking, but they hadn’t expected her to be so… brazen? What did she need that kind of wine for? Was she trying to seduce Shen Jingyan? But she was a noblewoman, not some brothel courtesan—why resort to such a lowly trick?

The steward, now lying prostrate on the ground, dared not move, inwardly cursing himself for lacking tact. What if his lord found this matter embarrassing and decided to make an example of him?

Just as he was anxiously worrying, Shen Jingyan’s calm voice sounded: “Give it to her. If we don’t have any at home, buy some.”

His colleagues’ expressions became even more incredulous. They had not expected Shen Jingyan to be so utterly indulgent toward this woman.

The steward was momentarily stunned. “What?”

“From now on, whatever Madam wants, give it to her. There is no need to seek my approval.” Shen Jingyan’s tone remained even.

The steward swallowed hard and quickly scurried away after acknowledging the order. Shen Jingyan, unbothered as if nothing had happened, resumed seeing off his guests.

One of his colleagues, unable to hold back, finally spoke up, “Shen, I know you are a man of deep feelings, but spoiling your wife like this… isn’t it a bit much?”

“In my early years, I lived in hardship. It was my wife who took care of me, and I owe her a great debt. Now, I simply wish to make amends as best as I can,” Shen Jingyan replied. Seeing that the other man still wanted to argue, he cut him off, “It’s getting late. You should all return. I won’t see you out.”

The man opened his mouth but, in the end, could only sigh and leave with the others. However, instead of returning home, they headed straight for the palace and reported everything they had seen and heard to the Emperor.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor completely gave up on the idea of having Shen Jingyan marry the Third Princess. This man, who had once seemed upright and reliable, was so indulgent toward his wife that even if he were forced to divorce her, the Third Princess would not have a good life with him.

Meanwhile, in the Shen residence, rumors about Madam Shen requesting wine continued to spread. The colleagues who had witnessed Shen Jingyan’s indulgence told their families about it, and soon, all of the capital was abuzz with gossip: Madam Shen was shameless, while Lord Shen was deeply devoted and suffering for it.

Unaware that her reputation had worsened yet again, Shi Li sat in her room, drinking alone. After dismissing everyone, she downed cup after cup of wine.

Before long, she had emptied more than half the jar. She hiccuped, feeling lightheaded. Whether it was because she had drunk too fast or because the wine was too strong, she suddenly felt… hot?

Shi Li slipped off her outer robe, revealing her slender shoulders, and stared in confusion at the wine jar. Then she realized—

The heat was getting worse.

What was happening?

Shi Li rubbed her temples, her mind growing fuzzier. The more she tried to think, the more muddled she became. Eventually, she gave up thinking altogether, staggering onto the bed and loosening her clothing for some relief.

But the heat inside her only grew stronger, like a fire burning through her veins. She groaned in discomfort, twisting on the bed.

Meanwhile, after finishing his meal, Shen Jingyan bathed and changed into fresh clothes before leisurely making his way to the rear courtyard. Upon reaching the bedroom, he saw the maid drowsing outside the door.

She startled awake and quickly saluted him. “My lord.”

Shen Jingyan glanced at her and asked slowly, “You were the one who fetched the wine for Madam?”

“Yes.” The maid was bewildered by his question and answered blankly.

Shen Jingyan lowered his gaze. “Tell me exactly what Madam said to you—word for word, without altering a single one.”

The maid trembled and, frightened, recounted the entire conversation. Shen Jingyan listened expressionlessly, then stepped into the bedroom.

The room was filled with the thick scent of alcohol. The wine jar on the table was nearly empty, and on the bed lay a disheveled woman, her fair skin glistening with sweat.

When she saw Shen Jingyan, her misted eyes trembled slightly. After a moment, she weakly reached out toward him, as if beckoning him closer.

Shen Jingyan obliged, walking up to her without expression. He studied her for a moment before a hint of mockery flickered in his eyes.

“Wasn’t Madam planning to drink with me? Why did you start without me?”

Though her body was burning, Shi Li’s mind was still somewhat intact. She had already realized that the wine she drank wasn’t ordinary. Upon hearing his words, she opened her mouth to explain, but the only sound that escaped was a soft, breathy moan.

Her face flushed with shame, and she clamped her mouth shut.

As if he hadn’t heard anything, Shen Jingyan sat on the edge of the bed, idly twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. He lifted it to his nose, inhaled the lingering scent of osmanthus, and then let it fall away.

“Madam must have heard I was coming tonight and didn’t want to face me sober, so you decided to get yourself drunk in advance?” He lifted her chin. “A clever plan—if only the servant you sent wasn’t so incompetent. Now, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

Shi Li was too overwhelmed by the heat to fully process his words. She only half-heard them before instinctively biting down on his finger, her misty gaze locked onto him.

She was breathtaking. Even in a city filled with beauties, there was no one more stunning than her.

When a woman like this looked up at a man with such helplessness, no matter how ruthless he was, he wouldn’t be able to resist.