The Mad Villain Driven to Death - Chapter 14

Shen Zhaoxue struggled, his feet feeling as if they were sinking into a deep abyss of mud, dragging him down. He reached out his hand, desperate to catch a lifesaving straw, and through the veil of his dream, he caught Wan Shenghan’s hand.

This small room, nestled in the back garden of the pharmacy, was narrow and dim, lit only by a single candle. Although Wan Shenghan was lying on the couch, he had no desire to sleep. He merely used the moonlight filling the window to watch Shen Zhaoxue’s face while holding the boy’s hand in silence.

After a moment, his expression shifted. Holding that snow-white hand, he began to knead and toy with it without restraint.

Shen Zhaoxue’s dream changed accordingly. He dreamt he was sitting at a table organizing infant clothing, folding the soft fabrics into a small box. As he retracted his hand, the clothes turned into warm snakes that coiled around his arm and caught his hand. Shen Zhaoxue felt strange and uncomfortable; he struggled, trying to pull his hand back.

Seeing the boy busy in his sleep, Wan Shenghan felt playful. He held tight, prying the fingers straight one by one and then curling them back. Shen Zhaoxue muttered a few muffled, foul curses and suddenly yanked his hand back, turning his back to Wan Shenghan to continue sleeping.

The Captive and the Guard

Shen Zhaoxue had always been in poor health, prone to lethargy and heavy dreaming. Left undisturbed, he slept until noon.

Wan Shenghan had visited the Academy earlier that day. Shanyue Academy wasn’t far; at noon, he asked the teacher for leave and returned to the pharmacy to check on Shen Zhaoxue. The youth lay on the couch, carefree and untroubled for the moment, the quilts piled up to his chin. His scarred face looked much softer in repose. Anyone seeing him would take him for a gentle, refined gentleman—no one would guess his ruthless nature or the biting words he was capable of.

Wan Shenghan grabbed the quilt, intending to pull it back, but Shen Zhaoxue woke up in a haze and gripped the corner of the blanket for dear life.

“Time for a meal, lazybones,” Wan Shenghan said plainly.

“You’re the lazybones,” Shen Zhaoxue replied, turning over and burying his head. “Not hungry.”

The person by the couch went silent. Shen Zhaoxue found it strange; it wasn’t like Wan Shenghan to be this quiet. He thought the man had finally settled down.

Suddenly, a chill touched his ankle, startling him into a sitting position. “What are you doing?”

Wan Shenghan had just washed his hands in well water; his palms were icy. When they struck the skin, it felt like being wrapped in a layer of frost. Shen Zhaoxue shuddered, then realized the man was dragging him downward. Caught off guard, he was successfully yanked to the other side of the couch, where Wan Shenghan lifted his legs and untied his belt.

Shen Zhaoxue realized what was about to happen. Panicked, he nearly shouted a curse, but the man stuffed a square cloth into his mouth and caught both his hands. “Do you not want your ears anymore?” Wan Shenghan asked, his voice calm and rippleless.

The Cage of Humiliation

Using the thin inner robe he had stripped off, Wan Shenghan bound Shen Zhaoxue’s wrists to the head of the bed. He meticulously set “the item” in place and then straightened up. “There is a small test at the Academy today, and the doctor has gone into the mountains to gather herbs. I am not at ease leaving you here alone.”

Shen Zhaoxue’s face was twisted in humiliation. He couldn’t speak, and even struggling felt exhausting. He glared at Wan Shenghan, his face flushed with rage. There were many ways to confine someone, yet this man chose the one most calculated to shame him. Even when he was insulted in the palace in his past life, no one had treated him like this.

His chest heaved rapidly, his breathing turning shallow and quick with fury.

“You needn’t be angry,” Wan Shenghan said, as if reading his mind. “You know well that if I simply locked the door, you would find a way to escape.”

The words hit the mark. Shen Zhaoxue looked away, unable to argue. He had been locked in latrines and “haunted” palaces before; at first, he had waited for rescue, but eventually, he learned that picking a lock was trivial. He just hadn’t expected Wan Shenghan to guess this.

I’ve only been reborn for a month, Shen Zhaoxue thought. I haven’t done anything strange. How did he know?

He couldn’t understand. He had suspected Wan Shenghan was also reborn, but several tests had yielded no results. Or perhaps… Wan Shenghan was pretending.

Yet things didn’t feel right. Given his actions in the past life, Wan Shenghan should hate him to the bone. If they met again, the man should be skinning him alive, not doing this. It wasn’t quite hate, but it wasn’t love either; it was more like deliberate torment.

The only certainty was that Wan Shenghan knew he was a “sleeve-cutter” (gay), which was why he used these items rather than acting himself.

“The pharmacy is closed today, and no one will come here. You can rest assured,” Wan Shenghan told him. “I am leaving now, but I will be back early.”

The wooden door closed, and the room fell into silence.

The Echoes of the Past

Shen Zhaoxue felt like weeping, but he could only close his eyes and pass the time. Unfortunately, “the little bell” would vibrate and roll whenever it caught heat. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face turned red. When a strange sound escaped his throat, he startled himself, but soon he could no longer suppress his reactions and began to hum softly.

He had intended to plan his next move against Wan Jingyao, but he had lost the ability to think. Once his body was numb with exhaustion, he stared blankly at the bed curtains, thinking of his past life.

He had forgotten much of his later years. He vaguely remembered a time when Wan Shenghan was away for the exams; Wan Jingyao had taken advantage of his cousin’s absence to break Shen Zhaoxue’s finger bones. It was because of that injury that Wan Shenghan, on the day he became the Top Scholar, mentioned Shen Zhaoxue to Emperor Yuanshun, leading the Emperor to discover his existence.

In the past life, Wan Shenghan had sought revenge for him. In this life, he was alone. He couldn’t rely on outsiders. He had to rely on his own abilities to live well in this absurd world.

An Unexpected Visit

Suddenly, his sharp ears caught voices outside. He snapped his eyes open.

Someone was knocking at the pharmacy door. After a long pause with no response, a man said, “The carriage is outside, so the shopkeeper likely isn’t home. Young Master Shen has probably not left yet.”

Then came the voice of Chen E, projected loudly: “Young Master Shen, are you there?”

Shen Zhaoxue began to struggle frantically. He could not be seen like this—especially not by his former best friend. His wrists turned red from the restraints, but he couldn’t loosen the knot. In his panic, he accidentally knocked the wooden pillow to the floor with a loud “Thud.”

Outside, Chen E and Liu Wuyou had been about to leave. Hearing the noise, Chen E paused. “There is someone in the courtyard.”

“If they are there and won’t answer, perhaps they don’t wish to see anyone today,” Liu Wuyou said gently. “Princess, perhaps we should return another day.”

“No. I have spoken with Young Master Shen. Since he sent you a letter and initiated conversation with me, he isn’t the type to hide behind a closed door.” Chen E remembered Wan Shenghan’s grim expression from the other day. “His sister was a consort to the late Emperor. After she died, the Shen family was dismissed and sent home, leaving only a sickly son in the capital. They said he was staying with the Wans, but they essentially sold him. Shen Zhaoxue has sent so many letters that were never answered. He is an orphan relying on the Wans for protection… I suspect Wan Shenghan treats him as his property. No wonder he was so hostile.”

Chen E felt pity for him and worried Liu Wuyou would end up the same way. She decided to help him escape. “Wan Shenghan must have locked him inside. I shall climb in and rescue him.”

“Ah, yes… the Princess is truly merciful,” Liu Wuyou replied.

The Return of the Master

Shen Zhaoxue cursed his sharp hearing. He was terrified that Chen E would see his shameful state. But the more he struggled, the more “the bell” rolled. He was nearly driven mad, whimpering behind the gag.

He heard Chen E scale the wall and land on the grass with a “thump.” She followed the path to the room. “Young Master Shen, are you inside?”

Seeing the lock on the door, she grew certain. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you out.”

She drew her sword, but the gate creaked open. Wan Shenghan had returned, his face dark with fury.

“Is the Princess intending to commit a crime?” Wan Shenghan asked.

Chen E crossed her arms. “I came to see your Young Master Shen. What is the meaning of this locked door?”

“Naturally, I worry that while I am away, someone might break into a private residence, coveting our Young Master Shen’s beauty.”

Shen Zhaoxue exhaled in relief. At least Wan Shenghan wouldn’t let her in.

Chen E sneered, “I think it is the Eldest Young Master Wan who has ill intentions.”

“Whether my intentions are ill, or the Princess’s elder brother’s heart is impure… since the Princess shares his blood, she should know better than I.”

Chen E realized he was referring to her elder brother, Chen Luo, who kidnapped young men. She decided Wan Shenghan’s locking of the door might be justified. But she was still suspicious. “If he is inside, why doesn’t he speak?”

“He is bathing. It is inconvenient.”

“Is that so?” Chen E raised her voice. “Young Master Shen, are you bathing?”