Transmigrated as the Villain: Punching the Protagonist Group and Stepping on the Domestic Abuser - Chapter 13

Inside the private pavilion, Duke Huan and his son lost all face and hurriedly departed. Before leaving, Liang Shenyu chuckled softly, “My cousin’s future can afford to wait, but I am afraid your uncle’s creditors are pressing rather urgently.”

The coldness and malice in his eyes were completely unmasked.

Yan Wanze perceived something from that gaze. Suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat, his fear far outweighed his anger as his teeth chattered, “It was you. You instructed them.”

Liang Shenyu remained composed, merely smiling, “The gambling den is not property of the Marquis’s estate, nor did this Marquis force you to gamble. Uncle, you have no one else to blame.”

Only belatedly did Yan Wanze realize that Liang Shenyu had so readily agreed to today’s invitation not out of any lingering old affections, but simply to come and watch him make a fool of himself!

Yan Shuning’s expression also showed shock due to this turn of events, knowing full well that they had been played like monkeys today. Aside from burning with anger, he had nothing to say and could only leave hastily alongside the dazed Yan Wanze.

A moment later, Song Yan entered the room with a dazed expression. “My Lord, it smells so good! I thought this Number One Restaurant under Heaven was all empty reputation, but I never expected the chef who calls himself Floating Life to actually have some real skills. I miscalculated, I really miscalculated!”

Liang Shenyu tasted a bite of the tender, fresh steamed fish, lowering his gaze with an unfathomable expression.

Song Yan eagerly said, “This subordinate asked around. Floating Life only prepares five tables of dishes every day, leaving as soon as he is done. Wanting to eat a meal cooked by him is truly not easy.”

Liang Shenyu looked at him. “Then what do you propose?”

Song Yan probed, “Why not invite him to the estate to cook a meal?”

Liang Shenyu burst out laughing. “Don’t bother. You won’t be able to invite him. Go speak with the proprietor and convey my thanks to this Master Floating Life on my behalf.”

Song Yan was left completely baffled.

Thanks?

In the back kitchen, Rong Se had just finished his work. As he was washing his hands, he heard Lan Ying mention the Marquis of Dingbei’s expression of gratitude. She lowered her voice and asked, “Master, why did you have to meddle in this affair? What does the family business of the Marquis of Dingbei’s estate have to do with us? If not for him, you wouldn’t need to be subjected to so many constraints.”

Rong Se dried his hands and smiled, “Doing him a favor does not hurt.”

That was merely one of the reasons.

Rong Jing’s character setup differed from the original novel, but Liang Shenyu had truly spent fourteen years amid armor and horses, guarding the borders and protecting the country. Setting aside the grievances between him and the original owner, Rong Se could hardly imagine how a thirteen-year-old youth had managed to prop up a declining Marquis’s estate. The Yan Wanze family was truly sickening; since it was a mere flick of his finger for him to disgust them back, it could also be considered a form of solace for that youth who had gritted his teeth and stood strong through past years.

And by the way, forcefully shoving a favor onto him, Rong Se would sooner or later have a showdown with Rong Jing, so he only hoped Liang Shenyu would spare some leniency for the sake of these two dishes today.

Lan Ying sighed, muttering unhappily, “Since when did you become so soft-hearted?”

Rong Se paused slightly, turned to look at her, and smiled, “Is that bad?”

Catching this smile, Lan Ying suddenly choked up, cold sweat breaking out across her body.

She used to fear this Ninth Prince, but recently, perhaps because the master had appeared too approachable, she had failed to rein in her tongue and immediately declared, “This subordinate knows her crime!”

A brief silence ensued.

Rong Se’s features were largely concealed behind his mask, making both coldness and gentleness exceedingly indistinct, yet his voice remained warm: “What are you afraid of?”

Not daring to speak further, Lan Ying lowered her gaze and acted submissively.

“People who are born bad are sick; living one’s life should be a bit more casual, and everything should strive for a clear conscience,” Rong Se said. “One cannot simply live clinging to hatred, Lan Ying. You understand this best. I haven’t grown soft-hearted; I simply refuse to make things difficult for myself anymore.”

To live meant looking forward; constantly reviewing the past through sorrow made for a poor existence. Rong Se himself understood this deeply, and he believed Lan Ying understood it too.

He shared an identical past with this young woman.

Showing a look of shock, Lan Ying parted her lips slightly before finally speaking after a long moment: “What do you mean by this?”

Rong Se smiled and asked, “Why do you think I want to contend with Rong Jing for supremacy?”

Hesitating, Lan Ying guessed, “For the great enterprise?”

Rong Se shook his head and said softly, “For a sense of justice, and to survive.”

For the original owner’s justice. The events in the original novel had not yet happened; he still had a chance to correct the mess left behind by the original owner, and a chance to make those who drove the original owner into a desperate corner pay the price.

Remembering the rumors surrounding His Lordship’s body, Lan Ying wanted to speak, but the words hung on her lips.

Rong Se calmly stated, “Those who think themselves noble arbitrarily control my fate. They hold the power of life and death simply because they stand on high, much like your father. Instead of using the power in their hands to shoulder responsibilities, they instead use their strength to bully the weak. Empress Dowager Cao, Rong Jing, Rong Xu, they are no different from that gambler father of yours who killed his wife and sold his daughter. Lan Ying, you and I are the same. Fate is unfair, but I will never yield to a manipulated destiny.”

Completely dumbfounded by these words, Lan Ying stared with wide, bewildered eyes.

Rong Se looked at her sincerely, his tone earnest: “No one is born an evil person. Today’s matter regarding the Marquis of Dingbei can simply be considered as stepping in when witnessing injustice on the road.”

The impact on Lan Ying was not insignificant, and she nodded in a daze.

That winter in Jinjing had been bitterly cold. A woman’s weeping, begging, and the sounds of beatings blended together, miserable and desperate. She had been tied up tightly outside the courtyard, her fingers red and swollen from the frost, unable to do a thing.

The man was still cursing, every sentence carrying contempt and disgusting phrasing. He shouted, “What use is it for me to raise you lot? The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion wants her, and that’s her good fortune! I gave birth to and raised her, so what if I sell her for a bit of money?”

And you, stop putting on airs of lofty purity and sell yourself properly for your old man!

Gradually, the woman’s voice grew fainter until it vanished completely, leaving only his unbridled curses.

That midwinter had truly been so cold.

Even now, whenever she thought of it, Lan Ying still felt a bone-chilling cold throughout her body. Hatred and disgust were carved into her bones, and every time she recalled it, she felt that that man had died far too easily back then.

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Lan Ying remembered the master’s bumpy background, which she knew of. She suddenly remembered that all these years she had only ever seen the master calmly laying out schemes and utilizing everything, never once witnessing him display a weak or sorrowful appearance. Because of that, she had actually forgotten that the Regent, whom the censors criticized and impeached, was not merely a cold blade that only took lives.

He was a human being.

With a melancholic frown, Lan Ying felt a trace of shame.

Observing her expression without a trace of movement, Rong Se lowered his eyes and secretly breathed a sigh of relief while mentally giving himself a thumbs-up.

Dropping chicken soup for the soul at every opportunity truly suited him!

Reversing his image started with the people around him; at least he needed to win over the three future-rebelling confidants the original owner had left him.

Lan Ying was undoubtedly the easiest target among them. She was still young, and having been doted on by the Yun brothers, she had developed a chivalrous and righteous temperament. Now that he had vaguely implied through every word that they were the same and absolutely not enemies, it would easily shake Lan Ying’s ingrained impression of the original owner.

To put it colloquially, this was called whitewashing.