Chapter 36: Young Lord Shen, Whoever You Marry Has Nothing to Do with Me [Revised]

Jiang Shiyuan appeared suddenly. For a moment, the entire scene fell silent—everyone had seen her.

Someone chuckled and said, “What brings Miss Jiang here? Didn’t the servants tell you? Today’s banquet is for men only—no women allowed.”

The men looked her up and down, eyes full of mockery and disdain.

Jiang Shiyuan ignored them, her gaze fixed on Shen Luchu. “Did you write me this letter?”

Shen Luchu acted as though he hadn’t heard her. He lowered his head and took a sip of wine, asking back, “What letter?”

Jiang Shiyuan’s expression turned frosty. She raised the letter in her hand and asked word by word, “I’m asking you. Did you write this?”

Shen Luchu lazily lifted his head, as if he’d just won some grand competition, completely ignoring the pain surging in her eyes.

“So, what if I did? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see me anymore? Why is it that with just a little gesture from me, you came running? Jiang Shiyuan, where’s your dignity?”

The others, seeing Shen Luchu dismiss her so easily, couldn’t help but burst out laughing as well.

“Jiang Shiyuan clings to the Young Lord of Shen like a dog—what dignity could she possibly have?”

“Dignity? She doesn’t even have self-respect. She’s as low as a stray dog.”

“She was born that way. A brute and a bandit for parents—what good could come from such a background?”

The insults rang out one after another. Shen Luchu found the noise jarring and was just about to put a stop to it when the air suddenly cracked with a loud sound. Jiang Shiyuan’s whip had already lashed out.

Two sharp cracks echoed, slicing through the air, and struck the two most foul-mouthed men directly.

Everyone was stunned. The two men clutched their burning cheeks, ready to explode in anger—until they looked up and saw the terrifying look in her eyes.

“My father was the esteemed General Who Guards the Nation, and my mother was the first female general personally appointed by the Emperor. If any of you dare to speak another word, none of you will walk out of here today.”

Jiang Shiyuan held the whip, eyes sharp as blades—like a completely different person.

No one had ever seen this side of her before, not even Shen Luchu.

To him, Jiang Shiyuan had always been gentle, considerate, always agreeable and accommodating.

The woman before him now felt unfamiliar. So unfamiliar that it unsettled him, filled him with a strange panic—like something was slipping from his grasp.

The entire estate was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Jiang Shiyuan took two steps forward, and her foot happened to land on a sachet that had been discarded on the ground.

“Shen Luchu,” she said, her voice icy, “I thought you’d simply changed your mind. That you regretted your promises from back then. If you didn’t love me, I wouldn’t force it. But I never imagined you’d use the whereabouts of my parents’ remains to toy with me. You said you had news of them…”

Her voice cut off. She clutched the letter in her hand so tightly her nails dug into her flesh.

Shen Luchu not liking her—mocking her feelings—none of that had made her truly angry.

But this—this made her want to skin him alive.

He knew full well that her parents’ death was her deepest wound. He knew that her lifelong wish was to see them once more—even just their bones.

But he had used that hope to lure her here, just to make her submit.

Jiang Shiyuan’s expression darkened like a storm, and her gaze at Shen Luchu was as sharp as a blade, enough to make one’s blood run cold.

Zhou Jingshen looked at Shen Luchu with disbelief.

Was he crazy?

How could he joke about something like that?

Jiang Shiyuan’s parents had died leading enemies away so that civilians could evacuate safely. The couple had gone out separately as bait—and never returned.

Their sacrifice had saved tens of thousands of lives. That kind of righteousness—few in the world could match it.

The more Zhou Jingshen thought about it, the more he felt Shen Luchu had gone too far. So far that, as his friend, he no longer knew how to defend him.

He had no ground to speak, either. In the past, he too had mocked Jiang Shiyuan’s background more than once.

He wasn’t alone. Others around them also looked away in guilt, afraid to make a sound.

Only Shen Luchu sat there in a daze, as if struck by lightning.

He remembered.

Three years ago, during the Double Ninth Festival, Jiang Shiyuan had suddenly come to him and said she couldn’t accompany him anymore.

She told him she was getting married—her family had arranged a match, and she had responsibilities to fulfill.

He panicked.

He didn’t even know why. Maybe because he was used to her always being there, always trailing behind him like a little shadow.

He knew she had feelings for him. So, he grabbed her hand and promised her—

“Jiang Shiyuan, give me three years. After I pass the imperial exams, I’ll convince my mother and marry you.”

He remembered now.

How could he have forgotten?

Staring at Jiang Shiyuan, Shen Luchu said blankly, “Jiang Shiyuan, I forgot. Why didn’t you remind me?”

Jiang Shiyuan laughed.

A laugh full of helplessness and disbelief.

So it wasn’t regret. He just… forgot.

How could he say that so casually?

Remind him? How else could she remind him? For three years, she’d shown up in front of him almost every day.

She had never hated someone this much before—hated them so much that she wished she could erase her own memories.

Shen Luchu’s cruelty made her feel like all the feelings she’d once had for him were pathetic and worthless.

She had nothing left to say. She turned and walked away.

She thought everything was already clear—right and wrong beyond dispute.

But to her surprise, Shen Luchu actually chased after her.

Seeing her turn, he grabbed a wine flask and hurried after her, blocking her way—just like three years ago, here at this very villa.

But what he said was completely different now.

“Jiang Shiyuan, did I say you could leave? You’re not going anywhere!”

“All this fuss just because I forgot that promise?”

“Jiang Shiyuan, the spring exam hasn’t even happened yet. I didn’t break my word. I’ll say it again in front of everyone—once I pass, I’ll marry you. Happy now?”

He tilted his head back and drank from the flask, his tone still as arrogant as ever.

Jiang Shiyuan was speechless again.

She didn’t believe for a second that Shen Luchu didn’t know what she truly wanted.

It had never been about the exams.

She wanted respect. She wanted someone who appreciated her—like how he had looked at her ten years ago, eyes full of awe and wonder.

Shen Luchu was too clever.

He just pretended not to know.

He’d always relied on her love for him to act recklessly, certain that she would always orbit around him.

How laughable.

Jiang Shiyuan scoffed. “Young Lord Shen, whoever you marry has nothing to do with me. I wish you happiness.”

With that, she stepped around him and strode out.

“Jiang Shiyuan! If you walk out that door, don’t ever think of coming back to me!” Shen Luchu roared behind her, furious at her attitude.

Jiang Shiyuan didn’t even turn her head. She ran out of the estate, mounted her horse, and whipped it into a gallop.

Shen Luchu stood frozen, unable to believe what he was seeing—

Jiang Shiyuan had really left. She hadn’t even looked back once.

His blood surged. Rage boiled in his chest. Shen Luchu smashed the wine flask in his hand to the ground.

The fine Ru kiln porcelain shattered into pieces.

“Fine! Jiang Shiyuan, don’t you dare regret this!!”

——

Jiang Shiyuan galloped nonstop back to the city. When she arrived at the Jiang estate, the sky had turned an ominous gray, the low clouds pressing down as if to crush her.

Before the horse had even stopped, Jiang Shiyuan jumped down and rushed inside.

Hong Dou, waiting anxiously at the gate, nearly burst into tears when she saw her. “Miss, where did you go?!”

Jiang Shiyuan had no time to explain. “Where’s Pei Che?”

Seeing that her lady was unharmed, Hong Dou finally breathed a sigh of relief and answered, “Don’t worry, Miss. The Grand Preceptor is fine. His Majesty summoned him urgently to the palace, so the betrothal discussion has been postponed.”