The Mad Villain Driven to Death - Chapter 18

Wan Shenghan’s expression shifted abruptly. “The physician said the poison wasn’t potent. How could it injure his eyes?”

He hurried outside, questioning the attendant beside him, “Where is Mr. Zhang?”

“He left this morning, Eldest Young Master. Should I go and call Mr. Zhang back?”

Wan Shenghan had already rushed toward the side courtyard. He initially intended to say yes, but suddenly stopped in his tracks and changed his mind. “No. Just go to the pharmacy and invite the Wan family’s own physician. There’s no need to chase after Mr. Zhang.”

When he reached the side courtyard, it was deathly silent. Shen Zhaoxue’s ears could not endure loud noises, and no one dared to make a commotion there. Only Chun Ya, who was mute, stood outside the room, pacing back and forth with an anxious expression.

Upon seeing Wan Shenghan, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped forward to gesture in sign language.

Wan Shenghan watched for a moment, grasping the gist of what had happened.

Shen Zhaoxue had realized something was wrong with his eyes the moment he woke up. It was only after calling for someone that he realized he could no longer see; his vision was a void of pitch black.

This was somewhat unexpected. Last night, he had listened to the physicians for a long while, and they only said the poison was not potent; they never mentioned it would damage the eyes.

The unforeseen turn of events caused Shen Zhaoxue to feel a surge of panic. He could not see Chun Ya’s hand signs, and there was no one else around him.

After Chun Ya left the room to seek help, he felt lost and helpless. He tried to feel his way off the bed, but his foot caught on something, and he instantly pitched forward.

Shen Zhaoxue instinctively waved his hands, trying to grab onto anything that could steady his body. The back of his hand slammed heavily against the corner of the desk. He let out a muffled groan, thinking to himself that he was bound to take a fall this time.

Fortunately, Wan Shenghan entered the room just then and caught him in his arms, preventing him from actually hitting the floor.

Wan Shenghan let out a sigh of relief. Kneeling on the ground, he reached out to brush away the strands of hair draped over Shen Zhaoxue’s face, carefully examining his eyes.

Those beautiful pupils, which used to be filled with coldness, were now staring blankly into the void. No matter how he tested them, there was no reaction.

Wan Shenghan could not help but feel a twinge of guilt. Shen Zhaoxue was already in this state, yet he had previously suspected him of doing this intentionally.

He reached out to cover Shen Zhaoxue’s eyes and asked softly, “Aside from your eyes, is there anywhere else you feel unwell?”

Shen Zhaoxue opened his mouth, but for a moment, he couldn’t speak.

His throat was dry and parched, carrying a faint scent of blood. Shen Zhaoxue coughed twice, then suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest. He abruptly vomited a large amount of blood.

The arms holding him suddenly stiffened.

Shen Zhaoxue could not stop coughing up blood. The warm, sticky liquid flowed continuously from his mouth, sliding down his cheeks and chin into his collar.

His chest hurt terribly. His body couldn’t stop trembling, and he felt cold all over, wanting nothing more than to curl himself up.

Wan Shenghan held him a little tighter, gently stroking his back.

He wanted to say a few words of comfort, but before he could speak, Shen Zhaoxue said in a hoarse voice, “Tell Wan Jingyao to come see me.”

His tone was calm and steady, as if he weren’t angry at all.

However, the hand gripping Wan Shenghan’s wrist was using all its strength, his nails nearly digging into the skin. It served as a reminder to Wan Shenghan that the person before him was not one to let matters drop easily.

He patted Shen Zhaoxue’s back, lifted him up, and said, “Go lie on the bed first. After the physician sees you, I will have Wan Jingyao come over.”

“Wan Shenghan,” Shen Zhaoxue still did not let go, merely gripping his wrist and looking at him with those vacant eyes. “I will trust you this once. You are not the type to cover up such a thing.”

His voice was soft. Though he spoke of trust, it sounded more like a threat. His eyes curved slightly as he smiled. “I know. You’ve long found Wan Rong’s family of blood-sucking ghouls to be an eyesore.”

“You want to sever them from the main family and draw a clear line between you. So, you used me as your blade,” Shen Zhaoxue’s smile deepened. “If my eyes never see again, then you owe me, Wan Shenghan. Who told you to remain indifferent? Who told you to use me as bait? Since we are both just using each other, it’s only fair that I use you once as well.”

Wan Shenghan remained silent for a long while.

It wasn’t until the sound of the physician’s footsteps approached the room that he finally spoke: “As you wish.”

“The residual poison hasn’t been fully cleared, which will cause some damage to the heart vessels. Combined with the irritation and anger, vomiting blood is quite normal.”

The physician took Shen Zhaoxue’s pulse and examined his eyes, but his subsequent words became hesitant. “As for the eyes, I truly cannot tell why this is happening. The toxin should not damage the meridians. Unless there is some other hidden ailment in the body that was triggered by the poison that would be a possibility.”

After examining him for a long time without being able to give a definitive answer, Shen Zhaoxue felt agitated and restless.

He had originally intended to use Wan Jingyao’s poisoning attempt to make that family lose their standing. He hadn’t expected that a moment of soft-heartedness not using the little parrot to test the poison would actually result in his own blindness.

Shen Zhaoxue blamed himself for being foolish. The hatred in his heart grew even stronger, and his hands gripped the bedding so tightly they trembled.

If he could never see again, everything he had done before would be in vain.

How far could a blind man go in this vast Imperial City?

Shen Zhaoxue’s chest rose and fell violently; it felt painful and stifling.

The scent of blood began to rise in his throat again, but he forced himself to endure it, swallowing the metallic taste down.

Wan Shenghan had already stood up to see the guest out. The physician left two medicinal prescriptions, saying only that they should be tried, but might not necessarily be effective for the eyes.

Wan Shenghan gave a lukewarm “Mhm,” closed the door, and returned to Shen Zhaoxue’s bedside.

Shen Zhaoxue heard him rustling about doing something unknown. After another moment, the other man left the room again and spoke to an attendant outside the door: “Bring Wan Jingyao here.”

Shen Zhaoxue gave a cold sneer and turned his head away, pulling the quilt up to cover his head.

How could Wan Jingyao possibly listen to those words? If Wan Shenghan maintained this attitude and Wan Jingyao faced no real restraint, the matter would soon be suppressed, and his eyes would have been sacrificed for nothing.

He should have known Wan Shenghan was this kind of person. He shouldn’t have stayed in the Wan Estate or accepted his management.

Sure enough, a short while later, the attendant returned to the side courtyard alone and told Wan Shenghan, “Master Rong is outside the Second Young Master’s courtyard. He said he is supervising the Second Young Master’s reflection and told the Eldest Young Master not to worry about it.”

Wan Shenghan sneered. “He nearly took a living person’s life. Can ‘reflection’ offset such a crime?”

He set off with a cold face. “I will personally go and invite him.”

“Wan Shenghan,” Shen Zhaoxue’s voice rang out airily. “Tell him that if he doesn’t appear before me within three days, don’t blame me for taking this to the authorities.”

“Lord Xu, who currently oversees the Court of State Ceremonies (Dali Si), is not a pushover who is easily placated. If Wan Jingyao thinks he can emerge from a Dali Si interrogation in one piece, he is welcome to continue hiding behind his parents for protection.”

Having said his piece, he didn’t feel like saying more and turned his back in silence.

Wan Shenghan stood at the door, silently watching the person on the bed.

After a moment, Shen Zhaoxue heard his footsteps move as he gradually walked away.

Wan Shenghan understood Shen Zhaoxue’s thoughts. Wan Rong’s family were all scoundrels and ruffians. Because his father was always soft-hearted and unwilling to make enemies, Wan Rong had always been overbearing within the Wan family.

It was only in recent years that Shenghan had begun to take power. In his youth, Wan Rong had almost pushed his father aside to interfere in family management.

Wan Shenghan had only managed to make him restrain himself after a period of reorganization. Now, with his father’s backing, Wan Rong likely intended to stall Shen Zhaoxue’s matter until it faded away.

Shen Zhaoxue spoke of going to the officials, but that was no easy feat. Wan Rong only needed to use the Wan family’s influence to intercept the matter; the legal petition would never even reach the Dali Si.

He stood outside Wan Jingyao’s courtyard for a while, ignoring Wan Rong’s nagging. His mind was occupied by Shen Zhaoxue’s blind eyes, and he felt a headache coming on.

Wan Rong was still trying to persuade him to let the matter go.

In the eyes of many in the Wan family, Shen Zhaoxue was merely an abandoned child discarded by his parents and kin. The Shen family had already fallen. Even if he had parents to protect him, he would be nothing more than a speck of dust. Before the great and wealthy Wan family, he should have been unable to even lift his head. Even if he died in the Wan Estate, no one would care.

Wan Rong was still talking to Wan Shenghan about the ties of blood, but Shenghan listened absentmindedly, staring coldly at the trembling Wan Jingyao inside the room.

He said, “Thinking this matter can be settled privately is sheer nonsense. I advise you not to underestimate Shen Zhaoxue’s capabilities.”

Just as he finished speaking, an attendant suddenly entered from outside and whispered into Wan Shenghan’s ear, “Young Master Shen has left the estate.”

Wan Shenghan’s expression went blank for a second. “He is blind. Where could he go?”

“I’m not sure,” the attendant said anxiously. “When the kitchen went to deliver the medicine, the room was empty. Young Master Shen might have been unable to see the way; he fell and hit something, leaving bloodstains. It was only by following the traces that we realized he had gone out.”

Wan Shenghan thought to himself that this person was truly a handful. He hurried out, saying as he walked, “Have people been sent to pursue him?”

“They have already gone.”

The sky over the capital was covered in dark clouds. This summer had been plagued by incessant wind and rain. It looked like it was about to pour again; even the horizon echoed with the faint sound of thunder.

Shen Zhaoxue leaned against the wall blankly, groping his way forward. He whispered to Chun Ya, who was supporting him, “Be careful. The Eldest Young Master might be catching up soon.”

Chun Ya knew that the Young Master couldn’t see her nodding or shaking her head now. She could only grit her teeth and continue leading him toward the direction of the brothel district.

She didn’t understand why the Young Master wanted to go to a brothel at a time like this. But Shen Zhaoxue’s expression had been too solemn; he surely had his own plans. So, she followed his lead and took him out of the Wan Estate.

Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a long, low rumble of thunder.

Chun Ya helped Shen Zhaoxue to the entrance of the brothel. Customers were coming and going. She didn’t step further forward, only hearing Shen Zhaoxue say, “Keep a lookout. That man wears brocade clothes and a jade crown, and has a mole on his chin. If you see him come out, alert me.”

He had asked the time on the way here. According to routine, it was already time for Chen Luo to come out.

He felt anxious, yet he couldn’t see, having to rely entirely on Chun Ya while also staying alert for Wan Shenghan’s pursuit.

Shen Zhaoxue’s breathing was a bit ragged. He carefully hid in the shadows. He wasn’t wearing his ear warmers, and the surroundings were incredibly noisy. His ears were starting to suffer, but he could only endure it, trying to identify voices in the crowd.

After a moment, he suddenly heard someone in the distance say, “Eldest Young Master, someone said they saw Young Master Shen here.”

Shen Zhaoxue’s breath hitched. He instinctively took a step back, trying to hide himself further.

Wan Shenghan’s voice grew closer. “Which way did he go?”

Panic intensified in his heart. Shen Zhaoxue’s fingers began to tremble. As he heard the other man’s voice getting nearer, Chun Ya suddenly gripped his arm tightly.

Shen Zhaoxue was stunned for only an instant before he snapped back to his senses. He abruptly broke away from Chun Ya’s support and lunged forward, crashing into the arms of Chen Luo, who was just coming out of the brothel.

Chen Luo and his friends were startled. Just as he was about to push the person away, he saw the person in his arms lift his head, revealing a beautiful face that was sickly yet pitiably lovely.

Chen Luo froze. “It’s you.”

After they had parted that day, he had sent someone to check the Wan Estate. Wan Shenghan had no distant relative named Li at all. This fragile beauty was actually the discarded child of the Shen family—the sickly Shen Zhaoxue who was being raised at the Wan Estate.

No wonder he always felt the boy looked familiar. A nephew resembles his maternal uncle; his Imperial Brother, Chen Shi, actually looked quite like his uncle, Shen Zhaoxue.

Since that first meeting, Chen Luo had frequently recalled Shen Zhaoxue, unable to forget his countenance.

Now that they met again, that hidden desire from before surged once more. He couldn’t help but soften his tone and ask, “What happened?”

Shen Zhaoxue’s eyelashes fluttered. He lifted his eyes, revealing those beautiful but vacant pupils.

Suddenly meeting his gaze, Chen Luo’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he even forgot to breathe.

In that brief moment of daze, he suddenly saw large tears well up in those eyes, rolling down the boy’s cheeks in succession.