The Mad Villain Driven to Death - Chapter 37

It was a mere shallow taste, serving as a small reward for Wan Shenghan or perhaps a punishment.

Wan Shenghan watched the other’s receding back in a daze, thinking that perhaps it truly was a punishment. It left him with a lingering, insatiable craving.

Shen Zhaoxue did not know his inner thoughts, but he could guess them well enough.

Recently, the Eldest Young Master Wan had once again given him the illusion that he could be seen through, very much like the man who had once been in love with him.

Shen Zhaoxue knew what he wanted. Using a stick followed by a sweet date was the best way to tame a dog.

However, whether Wan Shenghan was a hound or a wolf was something he couldn’t quite say for sure yet. In this life, many things had already shifted, and he did not dare to make assumptions lightly.

Shen Zhaoxue took a deep breath to calm his emotions and headed toward Wan Jingyao’s courtyard. He walked slowly, wearing earmuffs.

The winter chill had begun to bite into his bones and blood. His health had always been poor; whenever the weather changed, he perceived it far more acutely than ordinary people. Because of this, his legs and feet often felt aching and cold, so he couldn’t walk very fast anyway.

Thus, he merely observed the surrounding trees and flowers that had begun to wither, strolling leisurely into Wan Jingyao’s courtyard.

Before stepping over the threshold, he unconsciously raised his hand to touch his lips.

Kissing Wan Shenghan was, in truth, not an unpleasant experience. He still loved everything about Wan Shenghan just as he had before, but the more this was the case, the more he remained calm.

To tame Wan Shenghan required ample patience; otherwise, one could easily be devoured by the backlash.

At this thought, Shen Zhaoxue’s eyes curved into a smile, and he continued forward. He crossed the corridor and pushed open the door to Wan Jingyao’s room.

His footsteps were always so light. Since their last encounter, Wan Jingyao had been thinking of Shen Zhaoxue every night, wondering when he would return. He remembered the sound of Shen Zhaoxue’s footsteps so clearly that he sensed him even before the door was pushed open. He hurriedly got off the bed and walked toward the door.

The moment the door opened, the person standing outside was indeed that gentle and beautiful youth.

Wan Jingyao felt fortunate that he had bathed and changed into clean clothes this morning. Otherwise, if he were dirty or smelly, Shen Zhaoxue might have looked upon him with disgust.

Wan Jingyao looked at Shen Zhaoxue nervously, stammering, “You… you’ve come.”

Shen Zhaoxue smiled. “Yes. I had nothing to do today, so I came to visit the Second Young Master. I wonder if your health has improved?”

“Much better, much better,” Wan Jingyao welcomed him into the room, pulling out a chair for him. He stood before him, rubbing his hands anxiously. “Please, sit. There is no hot tea in my courtyard, so I cannot offer you—”

“I didn’t come here to scrounge for food and drink,” Shen Zhaoxue said with a smile. “Though the weather has turned much colder recently, it’s a rare sunny day today. You’ve been back at the manor for some time now, Second Young Master, yet you are always cooped up in this courtyard with no one to keep you company. It must be quite lonely.”

Shen Zhaoxue lowered his head to adjust his sleeves. His expression was soft, yet it carried an invisible allure. “How about I take the Second Young Master out to have some fun?”

“I know a friend who is quite interesting. If the Second Young Master comes with me, I’m sure you’ll like him too.”

Shen Zhaoxue raised his eyes slightly, staring into the other man’s eyes, and asked softly, “Will you go? Second Young Master?”

For a moment, Wan Jingyao was in a trance.

In the past, he had looked down on Shen Zhaoxue. He felt that since Shen Zhaoxue was an outcast discarded by the Shen family and sent to the Wan Manor, he was nothing more than a servant for people to play with—someone without father or mother. He had felt this way right up until he was imprisoned.

In his eyes, Shen Zhaoxue had merely caught his cousin’s eye and climbed the branches to become a phoenix, even having the nerve to act superior in front of him.

At that time, he had constantly thought that he should have poisoned Shen Zhaoxue to death. Perhaps because he had been too lonely and terrified in prison, when he saw Shen Zhaoxue appear before him saying he would take him away, he suddenly developed a sense of dependency toward him.

This feeling had grown deeper during these recent, brief periods of companionship.

He desperately wanted to snatch Shen Zhaoxue away from his cousin and keep him by his side forever, caring for him and thinking of him like this.

No wonder his cousin had treated Shen Zhaoxue that way later on.

It was his cousin who had caused him to misunderstand Shen Zhaoxue before. His cousin had intentionally misled him, making him believe he looked down on Shen Zhaoxue just so he could monopolize him.

At this moment, Wan Jingyao’s respect for his elder brother collapsed entirely.

When Shen Zhaoxue received no response for a long while, a trace of coldness flickered in the depths of his eyes, only to be instantly concealed. He reminded him warmly, “Second Young Master?”

Wan Jingyao suddenly snapped out of it and responded repeatedly, “Yes, good. I will go with you.”

Shen Zhaoxue’s lips curled into a smile.

Chen Luo had previously given Shen Zhaoxue a pass to the places he frequented. Chen E had mentioned that the hunt had ended several days ago; only a few princes and princesses remained there, while the rest had already returned to the capital.

Calculating the time, Shen Zhaoxue figured Chen Luo must have arrived back at the Prince’s Manor. He mentally checked the places the Prince usually visited. At this hour, he would likely be at home.

Shen Zhaoxue took Wan Jingyao into a carriage, traveled all the way to the Prince’s Manor, and knocked on the main gate.

Long ago, Chen Luo had instructed his servants that if Shen Zhaoxue came, he was to be let in directly.

Shen Zhaoxue knew this was another mistake men often made—feeling that Shen Zhaoxue was physically weak and lacked power or status, they viewed him as a mere ant or speck of dust, and thus rarely guarded against him.

He knew this clearly in his heart, yet he showed nothing on his face. He merely looked back at Wan Jingyao and silently gestured for him to follow.

The guards at the gate had already reported to Chen Luo. Shen Zhaoxue followed a guard toward Chen Luo’s study. As they walked, he heard the man say, “His Highness has been thinking of Young Master Shen these past few days. Had His Majesty not ordered His Highness to stay indoors and reflect on his mistakes, His Highness would have sought out Young Master Shen to catch up long ago.”

Shen Zhaoxue gave a soft “mm” and asked, “What did His Highness do? Why the sudden order for reflection?”

“I am not clear on the details, Young Master Shen. You may ask His Highness yourself.”

Shen Zhaoxue thanked him. In a blink, he was up the steps, knocking gently on the study door.

Chen Luo’s voice came from inside: “Enter.”

The servant stepped forward to open the door and let Shen Zhaoxue into the study.

Chen Luo hadn’t seen Shen Zhaoxue for several months and had been missing him intensely. However, the Wan family gate had remained tightly shut. He couldn’t see Shen Zhaoxue, and having heard he was seriously ill, it wasn’t appropriate to force his way in and disturb his peace, so he had given up.

Later, he remembered Liu Wuyou, who was studying at the academy. He went to see him a few times, but Chen E’s hidden guards were always watching over the youth, making it impossible to get close.

Chen Luo had been feeling stifled for days until that coward, Chen Shi, suddenly volunteered to go to the disaster area for relief work. Although he returned to the capital a bit late, he still received praise from the Emperor.

Their father had even scolded Chen Luo as well, saying he spent his days idling and was unlearned. Since returning from the hunt, he had been confined to the manor to read and reflect.

But Chen Luo couldn’t focus on anything. The thought of Chen Shi’s secretly smug face made him feel sick.

It just so happened that Chen Shi and Shen Zhaoxue were uncle and nephew and looked very much alike. Whenever he saw Chen Shi, he couldn’t help but think of Shen Zhaoxue. How could the Shen family produce someone as loathsome as Chen Shi, yet also someone like Shen Zhaoxue?

Chen Luo walked quickly toward him, wanting to grab Shen Zhaoxue’s hands, but the other took a sharp step back, avoiding his touch.

After all this time, Shen Zhaoxue was still so “shy.”

Chen Luo enjoyed the beauty’s bashfulness and caution. He reached out once more and grabbed his hand, brooking no refusal.

Shen Zhaoxue’s body began to tremble slightly and his frame stiffened, but he did not pull his hand away.

Chen Luo said, “Young Master Shen, it has been a long time. I have missed you dearly.”

He paused, about to say more, when he suddenly noticed someone following behind Shen Zhaoxue.

The smile on Chen Luo’s face vanished instantly. “And this is?”

“Your Highness, this is the Second Young Master of the Wan family, Jingyao. Recently, the Second Young Master has had no company at the manor, so I thought to bring him along. It would be good to make a friend.”

But Chen Luo had no desire to befriend Wan Jingyao. He looked down on people like him the most. It was only because Shen Zhaoxue was so kind-hearted that he had actually redeemed the man from prison and even set aside past grievances to bring him out.

Chen Luo curled his lip, about to say something else, but Shen Zhaoxue interrupted: “I have some private matters to discuss with Your Highness. Second Young Master…”

He turned slightly toward Wan Jingyao and smiled faintly. “Would the Second Young Master mind waiting outside for a moment?”

Wan Jingyao agreed immediately.

It was only upon arriving here that he realized the friend Shen Zhaoxue wanted to see was the Fifth Prince, Chen Luo. This was someone he could never have hoped to associate with before, yet Shen Zhaoxue actually wanted them to become friends.

How could he refuse such a good thing?

Wan Jingyao hurried out of the study, and the servants closed the door.

Shen Zhaoxue unobtrusively pulled his hand out of Chen Luo’s palm. As the door closed, the light was blocked out, and the room instantly grew dim.

The gentle smile on his face vanished completely along with the light.

Chen Luo thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw the other’s indifferent side, but in the next second, he saw Shen Zhaoxue wearing a light, graceful smile again.

He whispered, “I have a matter I would like to trouble Your Highness with. I wonder if Your Highness would grant it?”

Although Chen Luo liked Shen Zhaoxue, he was a prince who had grown up amidst the intrigues of the palace. Out of habit, he remained wary and asked first, “What is it?”

Shen Zhaoxue knew this man would be much harder to deal with than the foolish Wan Jingyao. He said, “I would like to ask Your Highness for a favor take Wan Jingyao to the gambling dens under your name. Let him win a few times, then lose a few times. Once he has tasted the sweetness, he will naturally become addicted.”