The Mad Villain Driven to Death - Chapter 9

The Wan family possessed deep roots; they owned a countryside manor with conditions no less comfortable than the city residence.

In his past life, Wan Shenghan had considered discussing with his father the possibility of sending Shen Zhaoxue to the countryside to recover from his illness. However, Shen Zhaoxue, fearing the loneliness, refused to go alone. He only wished to stay by Wan Shenghan’s side and accompany him through his arduous years of study. After many failed attempts at persuasion, Wan Shenghan had simply let him be.

In this life, Wan Shenghan had his own plans. It was even more inconvenient for him to leave the capital for the countryside.

Shen Zhaoxue lowered his eyes, pulling out paper and ink. He focused on his own tasks, saying absentmindedly, “If I were to go to the countryside, my parents wouldn’t have bothered sending me to the Wan residence in the first place.”

Shen Zhaoxue knew in his heart that his parents had simply discarded him because he was a hindrance. He only learned the truth of this matter much later, by chance, from a fellow villager.

By then, he no longer had the chance to question them. Shortly after sending him to the Wan residence, they had been killed on their journey away from the capital. Thus, no matter how many letters he sent to them back then, they all vanished like stones dropped into the ocean.

Shen Zhaoxue put brush to paper, pretending to be ignorant as he continued writing a letter to his parents. “Back then, my parents sent many gifts to the Wan residence. Though the Wan family might not have deemed them precious, they were accepted nonetheless. Surely they wouldn’t go back on their word now?”

Wan Shenghan merely watched the ink strokes falling on the paper. After a moment, he lifted his eyes slightly and stared at Shen Zhaoxue for a while.

Shen Zhaoxue met his gaze with a composed expression.

Wan Shenghan suddenly laughed. “You simply feel that since I am not your father or mother, I cannot control you.”

“You believe you are merely a guest staying temporarily in the Wan family. Even if I become the head of the household, I still have no right to restrain you.”

He rose to his feet. Shen Zhaoxue tilted his chin up to look at him. Watching the man’s somewhat cold expression as he looked down from above, Shen Zhaoxue felt a sudden sense of déjà vu.

Shen Zhaoxue dazed for a moment, his mind wandering. By the time he snapped back, Wan Shenghan had already left the side courtyard.

The Secret Letter

Shen Zhaoxue’s hearing was exceptional. He heard the sound of the courtyard gate being locked. His hand tightened around the brush, causing the ink to streak across the paper in an abrupt, ugly mark.

A servant entered the room quietly, cleared the dishes from the table, wiped the surface clean, and left just as silently.

Shen Zhaoxue sat at the desk beneath the window. The summer breeze squeezed through the gaps in the window frame, lifting a corner of the paper on the desk. A strand of hair by his cheek swayed gently.

His long lashes trembled. Soon, he lowered his eyes, tucked the stray lock of hair behind his ear, and continued writing his “yearning for his parents” on the now-smudged stationery.

In his current state, he did not yet know that the Shen family had been wiped out. He was still waiting for his parents to fulfill their promise and pick him up in three years.

He folded the paper, placed it in an envelope, and called Chunya inside. “Go send the letter.”

This was a habit he had maintained for years—having Chunya send letters to his parents every so often. While Wan Shenghan used his weak health as an excuse to stop him from going out, there was no reason to block Chunya.

As he handed the letter to Chunya, his fingertip shifted slightly beneath his sleeve, revealing another small slip of paper hidden underneath. He handed both to her.

Chunya gestured in sign language: Young Master, the Master and Madam have never replied in all these years. Do you really want to send another?

Shen Zhaoxue’s hand paused. Then, he curved his lips and said warmly, “As their child, how can I cut off contact simply because they do not respond?”

A servant walked past the window. Shen Zhaoxue narrowed his eyes and mouthed silently: [Send that slip of paper to the Liu family.]

Chunya nodded and exited the room. Shen Zhaoxue watched as she pushed open the courtyard gate, gestured to the guards to show the letter, and successfully left the side courtyard.

He lifted his tea cup to his lips, the rising steam blurring his features.

The Commotion Next Door

After a few more idle days, Shen Zhaoxue’s fever finally cleared, and he no longer needed to drink medicine.

The midsummer weather grew increasingly stifling. He sat in a grand armchair on the veranda for an hour, watering the wilted plants in the courtyard out of boredom. As he straightened up, holding his sleeves back, his sharp ears caught a commotion coming from the neighboring courtyard.

Since his rebirth, Shen Zhaoxue hadn’t walked around the Wan residence much. After ten years, he couldn’t quite remember who lived next door. Feeling both annoyed by the noise and curious to see the excitement, he sent Chunya out to take a look.

Chunya was gone for nearly an hour, and the neighboring courtyard remained noisy for just as long. It wasn’t until Shen Zhaoxue felt dizzy from the heat and returned to his room that Chunya finally returned with a basin of ice.

Shen Zhaoxue raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I asked you to see what happened next door. Where did this ice come from?”

Chunya gestured: The Eldest Young Master had it sent over. A few days ago, the Second Young Master was sent to the countryside. Today, his parents came to the residence demanding the Eldest Young Master bring him back.

Shen Zhaoxue toyed with a grape and smiled. “No matter how mature and sensible the Eldest Young Master is, he isn’t the head of the household yet. What use is there in begging him?”

Chunya’s expression turned strange. She looked at her master in shock for a long while before hesitantly gesturing: Young Master, has the fever muddled your mind? Two years ago, when we first arrived, Master Wan already handed most of the household affairs to the Eldest Young Master to handle.

Shen Zhaoxue nearly choked on his grape, coughing for a long time. Chunya frantically patted his back.

He truly hadn’t expected the discrepancy between this life and the last to be so great. If he had arrived a year or two later, he might not have ended up in the palace at all. He felt a sense of oddity in his heart, though he couldn’t put his finger on what was strange.

In his past life, Wan Shenghan had no desire to take over the family business; he only wanted to study the classics and become a righteous official. His father had tried several times to discuss the succession, not wanting to leave the business to his nephews, but Wan Shenghan had always refused, leading to many arguments.

Shen Zhaoxue began to suspect whether Wan Shenghan’s changes were for the same reasons as his own. Otherwise, why would he frequently act in ways that felt so foreign?

He frowned slightly and made a quick decision. “I’m going to the courtyard next door,” he told Chunya. Then he asked softly, “Whose courtyard is that again?”

Chunya grew even more worried: It belongs to the Eldest Young Master. Young Master, are you really alright?

Shen Zhaoxue’s movements stiffened. He quickly regained his composure. “I’ve slept too much lately, so my thoughts are cluttered. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

The Confrontation

He changed the subject and walked to the gate, telling the guards, “I heard the Second Young Master’s parents are looking for the Eldest Young Master for an explanation?”

The servants nodded. “They are still arguing.”

“The Second Young Master being sent away started because of me. Please let me see them so I can share the Eldest Young Master’s burden.”

The guards hesitated, looking at each other. Shen Zhaoxue added, “His courtyard is right next door, just a few steps away. Nothing will happen. If he blames anyone, I will take the fall for you. How about it?”

After much persuasion, he finally left the side courtyard and hurried toward Wan Shenghan’s quarters. He had found it strange that Wan Shenghan, despite being busy with exams, always reached his courtyard so quickly. It turned out the man lived right next door.

Shen Zhaoxue’s mind wandered as he walked. He remembered that Wan Shenghan’s previous courtyard wasn’t here. Was my memory failing me because of the time?

As he entered the courtyard and saw the scenery, his memory gradually returned. It seemed no different from his blurred impression. Perhaps he had remembered it wrong. Those ten years in the palace truly had eroded his memories to the point where he couldn’t even recall Wan Shenghan’s face clearly toward the end.

Shen Zhaoxue slowed his pace and walked through the corridor into the main room.

Just as he stepped inside, a teacup was hurled from the front. It narrowly brushed past his face and shattered against the doorframe with a sharp clank.

The piercing sound felt like a thousand needles stabbing into Shen Zhaoxue’s ears. He let out a muffled groan, tilting his head and covering his ears. A high-pitched ringing filled his head, making it impossible to hear anything else for a moment.

Wan Shenghan’s expressionless face suddenly changed. He pushed past his aunt and uncle, who were standing in his way, and grabbed Shen Zhaoxue’s shoulders. “What’s wrong? Can you still hear me?” his voice asked in a low tone.

The voice was muffled, as if filtered through water. It took Shen Zhaoxue a long time to decipher the words. He slowly shook his head.

Wan Shenghan hadn’t intended to lose his temper today. His aunt and uncle had sent Wan Jingyao here to study for the exams under his guidance, and he knew their hidden motives well. They wanted Wan Shenghan to look after their incompetent son once he became an official.

But his patience had reached its limit. “I am only handling household affairs on my father’s behalf,” he said coldly. “The decision to send Wan Jingyao to the countryside for reflection was not mine. If you have any objections, wait for my father to return.”

“Your father wasn’t even in the residence when you sent him away!”

“My father had this intention long ago.” Wan Shenghan produced a letter and handed it over, his voice laced with chill. “Shen Zhaoxue is a guest in my home. Wan Jingyao conspired with other brothers to bully and humiliate him repeatedly. If word of this spreads, it will tarnish the Wan family’s reputation.”

Wan Shenghan shielded Shen Zhaoxue behind him, looking entirely out of patience. “If you still wish for the main branch’s protection, then do not disturb me at such a critical time while I am preparing for my exams.”

Knowing he couldn’t reason with them, he said no more. He grabbed Shen Zhaoxue’s wrist and pulled him out.

The ringing in Shen Zhaoxue’s ears was making him dizzy. It only began to fade after they had walked quite a distance. He heard Wan Shenghan ask, “What did you run over here for?”

Shen Zhaoxue took a breath and said slowly, “To see the excitement.”

“What is there to see? Do you have to go deaf to be satisfied?”

The corners of Shen Zhaoxue’s lips tilted up, and his eyes curved into a smile. “What if I go deaf or mute? A person lives by their wits and methods. Silence is often the easiest way to lead someone to their death.”

“The Eldest Young Master is a man of learning and foresight; surely you understand such a truth.”

He scanned Wan Shenghan’s face, but the man showed no reaction. Shen Zhaoxue let out a silent sigh of relief.