The old lady thought he was upset and hurriedly replied, "Tingwei, don't worry, I've already divorced him for you! From now on, you can marry whichever young lady or young master you want! I'll take care of that illegitimate son who caused trouble for you. Just focus on recovering; your health is the most important." [1]
The smile faded from Shen Tingwei's face as he looked at her indifferently. "I can marry whichever young lady or young master I want?"
"Naturally!" Grandma Shen seemed completely oblivious to her grandson's coldness and proudly exclaimed, "You're the grandson of the Shen family, enough to match with the Princess County Lord! Tingwei, rest assured, your grandmother will find someone who matches you in every way!"
"No need to trouble yourself." Shen Tingwei averted his gaze and waved for an elderly maid to come over. "Help the old lady inside; she's tired. She needs to rest quietly for a while and shouldn't see any outsiders."
The elderly maid respectfully approached and assisted the old lady, her grip surprisingly firm. The old lady could only be led into the main house passively, shouting as she went, "What are you, my rebellious servant, trying to do? Let me go! Tingwei, you must capture that Zou Qing and punish him severely!"
Shen Tingwei, who had already taken a few steps away, turned around at her words. He silently repeated Zou Qing's name and replied, "Grandmother, didn't you say I could marry whichever young lady or young master I wanted? Well, Zou Qing is the one I want to marry." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a courtyard full of stunned servants and a dumbfounded old lady.
"Ting..." Grandma Shen was speechless, then furious. "That monster actually cast a spell on Tingwei! Someone! Bring him here! Capture him and burn him alive!"
The servants looked at each other, hesitant, considering what Shen Tingwei had just said. Even though the master and young master were absent for most of the year, they were well aware of who truly ruled the house. Since the young master had made such a statement, they wouldn't dare to act against Zou Qing.
"Madam." The elderly maid supporting her lightly touched her neck, her voice low and soothing. "At your age, it's best to avoid getting too agitated. You should rest now."
Grandma Shen's agitated expression froze for a moment, and she surprisingly calmed down, following the maid into her room. However, her steps seemed somewhat stiff. The observing servants began to have a sense that the weather in the Shen Mansion was about to change.
Returning to the attic via the same route, Ye Zhizhou tossed the divorce letter into his spatial storage and then climbed the ladder to start packing his belongings and the little money the original owner had saved. While opening a chest of clothes in the corner, he suddenly remembered the dowry that Grandma Shen had confiscated under the pretense of "helping manage" it. He rubbed his temples with a headache. He had forgotten about this when he decided to divorce... What should he do now? Should he go back and ask Grandma Shen to return the dowry? But his husband was certainly with that old lady now...
"You lived in a place like this after marrying in?"
The sudden sound behind him startled Ye Zhizhou so much that his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. After catching his breath, he turned around with a scowl and slammed the clothes he was holding directly onto the intruder. "Can't you learn to knock before entering? Oh yes, yes, I've been living in this lovely place since I got married. The Shens have been treating me so well!"
Shen Tingwei removed the clothes that had landed on him and touched them, furrowing his brow. "Do you usually wear this?"
Ye Zhizhou's gaze fell on the clothes in his hands, which were just an ordinary blue robe. He replied in a bewildered tone, "Should I wear something else? Should I go out wearing a bedsheet? Oh, right, I don't need to go out at all. I'm the 'precious' canary you Shens are keeping." With that, he turned away without a trace of goodwill and continued taking clothes out of the chest.
Shen Tingwei surveyed the dimly lit attic, his gaze pausing on the thin bedding on the bed, and then falling on Ye Zhizhou's slender back. He couldn't help but reach out and touch it, asking a personal question, "How do you manage your meals? Do the servants bring them to you?"
Ye Zhizhou rolled his eyes, shook off his hand, and pulled out a piece of cloth to awkwardly pack his belongings, ignoring him.
"No one takes care of you?" Shen Tingwei didn't seem to care about his indifference. As Ye Zhizhou placed a piece of clothing on the bundle, he picked one up from the bottom, wearing a serious expression as he asked more intimate questions, "So, how do you bathe? Who fetches your bathwater? Who washes your personal clothes?"
He was getting really angry!
"What do you mean by that!" Ye Zhizhou threw his bundle aside, glared at him, and then got even angrier. The height difference between him and his lover was too cruel in this lifetime, making him feel weaker in arguments!
"Are you the 'Ten Thousand Whys' encyclopedia? If you want to know how I usually live, why don't you ask the servants in the Shen Mansion? They probably know it all," Ye Zhizhou complained as he ran a hand through his hair, sat down on a stool, and took a deep breath to suppress his inexplicably explosive temper. He continued seriously, "General Shen, what exactly do you want? Are the Shen family so heartless that they won't even let the divorced bride take her dowry?"
"You should address me as your husband," Shen Tingwei replied, sitting across from him and lifting the teapot from the table. After a pause, he furrowed his brow and put it down. "The servants didn't even prepare tea for you?"
Ye Zhizhou sneered, "Tea? I didn't know the Shen family had something like tea. Isn't it just water? And it's cold." He felt like burning the Shen Mansion to the ground after reading the original owner's memories. The original owner was so naive and easily bullied by the Shen family's master and young master, and after seeing those memories, all he wanted to do was set the Shen Mansion on fire!
Shen Tingwei's face darkened. He stood up again to examine Ye Zhizhou's dowry box and continued asking, "Is this all your dowry? Your family hasn't treated you well?"
It really felt like a never-ending stream of questions!
"I have more dowry items, but unfortunately, they're all being held by your grandmother. As for my family... I was forced to marry into this family, do you understand? Now, I just want to pack my things and go home to settle scores with my family. General Shen, can you please stop causing trouble?" Ye Zhizhou said.
"I'll help you," Shen Tingwei said, turning to look at him, reaching out to touch his hair. "I'll take care of you from now on, don't be afraid."
Ye Zhizhou brushed his hand away, avoiding his gaze. He stood up, walked to the box, and took out a list from the bottom of the dowry box, placing it on the table. "These items on the list, not a single one should be missing, and they all belong to me." He had to secure enough funds for his journey, as he still had to deal with the four male leads after dealing with the Zou family.
Shen Tingwei took the list and without hesitation said, "I'll double it for you."
Ye Zhizhou choked. This guy was surprisingly generous. The dowry from the Zou family was prepared even better than that of the legitimate son, so doubling it would be quite a fortune.
"Now that it's settled, I'll take my leave." Abandoning the clothes taking up space, he carefully packed away the valuable jewelry and silver coins, then walked straight towards the exit. Although he wanted to spend more time with his lover, this world's protagonist was too enigmatic. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease in his heart, so he decided to save the lovey-dovey talk for later. At least now he knew who his lover was, and it would be easier to find him in the future.
Suddenly, Shen Tingwei stood up, embraced him from behind, and his hands began to wander indiscreetly.
The surge of sadness that had arisen from their decision to temporarily part evaporated instantly. Ye Zhizhou was furious; he lifted his foot and kicked him. "Where are you touching? Bastard, let go of me! I can't believe you're like this! I misjudged you!" He had thought the lover in this world was an upright person, but never in a million years did he expect that this guy was still a shameless rogue!
In terms of strength, he couldn't compete with a normal man. His struggles were completely ineffective as Shen Tingwei gently but forcefully held him down and ran his hands all over him, from top to bottom, front to back, until he was left breathless and his cheeks flushed, his body trembling.
His hand paused for a moment at the buttocks before slowly retreating. Shen Tingwei frowned and released him, his gaze falling on the collar of his clothes.
Ye Zhizhou quickly raised his hand to grab his collar and stepped back, feeling both embarrassed and angry. "You, what do you mean by this?" Touching but not retreating, igniting a fire but not extinguishing it, it was just inhumane!
Shen Tingwei's gaze shifted to his flushed cheeks again. His eyes flickered as he approached, embracing Ye Zhizhou once more and leaned down to blow air into his ear and eyes. "Zou Qing, you don't really dislike my touch, do you?"
Ye Zhizhou's body trembled sensitively, and he struggled with embarrassment. In this world, men could indeed become pregnant, so he absolutely couldn't compromise! He couldn't do it, even if he found the touch incredibly pleasurable! The hand that had been placed on his back began to move restlessly, and the initially cold and stiff voice softened and became strangely sensual. Warm breath blew on his earlobe and neck, causing a tingling sensation and making his legs go weak.
His body seemed quite sensitive... His resistance weakened, his face blushing, and he lowered his head to press against his lover's shoulder. His hands weakly grabbed onto his lover's collar. If, if it was absolutely necessary...
Apparently, his lover was very satisfied with his reaction. Shen Tingwei's tone became even more low and gentle. He gently stroked his back and whispered softly in his ear, "Zou Qing, tell me, where did you hide the divorce letter?"
"Divorce letter?" Ye Zhizhou was momentarily stunned, and his struggles came to a complete halt.
Shen Tingwei kissed his petite earlobe, a hint of dark desire flashing in his eyes, as he continued to coax him, "Yes, the divorce letter. Where did you put it?"
"It's, it's in..."
"Yes?"
"In a place where you'll never find it!" Ye Zhizhou pushed him away angrily, glared at him, and then turned and ran. Despicable! He actually used his charm on him! So, the reason he had followed him all this time was to retrieve the divorce letter? And that session of inappropriate touching... damn it! Not a single divorce letter had any charm left!
Shen Tingwei's face, which had been halfway into a "devilish smile," froze. His expression returned to cold, and he moved forward to block Ye Zhizhou.
"Don't come any closer! Otherwise, I'll jump off the platform!" Ye Zhizhou, who had misunderstood the situation, was overwhelmed by a mix of anger and embarrassment. He intentionally stood at the edge of the attic's platform, angrily pointed, and continued, "You don't even know my real name, yet you dare to ask me where the divorce letter is? You're the Little Qing here, and your whole family is Little Qing!" After saying that, he climbed down the ladder in a few quick steps, rushed out of the attic door, and was gone.
Shen Tingwei was startled by Ye Zhizhou's series of actions, and his body tensed up. He wanted to rush forward to protect him but was stopped by a sudden, intense pain in his abdomen. A hint of a bloody taste rose in his throat. He frowned deeply, hesitated for a moment, and gave up on pursuing Ye Zhizhou further. He recalled the words Ye Zhizhou had said, whistled to call his own guards, gave them a few instructions, and leaned against the wall. He waited for the pain to subside before jumping down from the attic and heading towards the courtyard of the old lady.
Ye Zhizhou, with an angry huff, left the Shen residence through a side door and headed towards the Zou residence. The two family estates were quite far apart, and he walked aggressively, taking nearly half an hour to reach his destination. However, when he stood in front of the Zou residence's gate, he suddenly became calm. The protagonist should still be living a carefree life in the countryside under the identity of Zou Qing. If he wanted to expose his impostor status, the best point of entry would be through Yuan Hui. However, because of the proxy marriage issue, Zou Qing had placed Yuan Hui under house arrest. If he were to visit now, he might be kicked out by Zou Qing and Tao Dong, just like in the original plot, without even seeing Yuan Hui.
...Maybe he had been too impulsive.
Putting down his hand that was ready to knock on the door, he ignored the curious glances of passersby and turned into a small alley next to the Zou residence. He leaned against the wall and frowned, contemplating what to do next. How should he proceed now? Should he sneak into the Zou residence to meet Yuan Hui after dark? But with his current frail body and the high courtyard walls of ancient times... it seemed he would have to use his mental powers to coax his way in again.
Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of him, and he had a sense of what was happening. He raised his head and indeed saw Shen Tingwei's handsome, cold face.
"Why did you come here?" He lowered his head dejectedly, digging out a small mirror from his pocket.
"I'm accompanying you back to your parents' house," Shen Tingwei said as he saw Ye Zhizhou's softened demeanor. He walked up, held him, and pulled him into a carriage parked at the mouth of the alley. Shen Tingwei handed him a set of clothes and then retrieved a dressing case. Opening it, he took out a blood coral hairpin and gestured towards Ye Zhizhou's head. "This is my father's favorite set of jewelry, it suits you well."
Ye Zhizhou, somewhat touched, mumbled while turning his head away, "I don't want you to accompany me. After all, you divorced me." Yes, he wanted to be melodramatic! His lover was right in front of him, and not being melodramatic would be a waste!
Shen Tingwei, who had failed to retrieve the divorce letter, fell silent for a moment. He put down the hairpin and embraced Ye Zhizhou, stroking his messy hair. Then, he combed it neatly with a brush and secured it with a hairpin. When he pulled his hand back, he casually touched Ye Zhizhou's earlobe and praised him in a seemingly cold tone, "No matter how you dress, you look good."
Despite his plain and ordinary face, he looked good indeed... Although Ye Zhizhou's expression seemed disgusted, his heart was secretly delighted. Ye Zhizhou let out a small hum and then boldly removed his outer robe and inner shirt, changing clothes directly. He completely disregarded the fact that in this world, as a young man, he was different from the men in his previous world.
Shen Tingwei silently withdrew his right leg, which he had raised to disembark from the carriage. Then, he skillfully suppressed his breath and reduced his presence. He fixed his deep gaze on Ye Zhizhou, who was changing clothes. His fingers unconsciously rubbed together, seemingly wanting to help.
Five minutes later, the disheveled husband transformed into a refined young gentleman. Shen Tingwei took out a jade pendant and hung it around Ye Zhizhou's neck, finally feeling satisfied. Ignoring Ye Zhizhou's resistance, he hugged him and leaped down from the carriage.
The gate of the Zou residence had been opened at some point, and Zou Qing, along with Tao Dong, was waiting at the entrance. When they saw Shen Tingwei descending from the Shen family's carriage, Zou Qing hesitated, his face growing more serious. He approached and greeted him with a demeanor that said, "We're ready to accompany you if you want to cause trouble."
Shen Tingwei's attitude wasn't warm either. He raised his hand in a gesture of junior respect and addressed him as "Father-in-law."
Zou Qing's expression froze, and Tao Dong, pretending to be a wallflower, was stunned. The servants had thought that the Shen family had come to make more trouble when they saw their carriage parked at the entrance. But now...
Ye Zhizhou, who was completely ignored by them, cleared his throat and took a step forward. He first greeted Zou Qing with a bow and addressed him as "Father." Then, he glanced at Tao Dong, nodded as a form of greeting, but didn't address her.
Only then did Zou Qing notice him. He took a moment to recognize him, his shock evident. "Qing'er, how did you..."
"Qing'er? Are you Zou Qing?" Tao Dong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Seeing Zou Qing's furrowed brow, she quickly put on an expression of heartache and concern, taking two steps forward to reach out and touch his face. She said with sadness, "Qing'er, how did you become so thin..." Then, she glanced at Shen Tingwei, her eyes flashing with something, and continued, "And how did you end up with General Shen..."
"Aunt Tao." Shen Tingwei stepped forward and separated her hand from Ye Zhizhou's face. His eyes turned cold as he said, "Your nails are too long; you might hurt him." Afterward, he looked at Zou Qing with displeasure. "Father-in-law, how could you welcome guests with a concubine? It's very disrespectful."
Zou Qing was caught off guard by the question, and Tao Dong's face turned cold, a hint of resentment in her eyes.
Ye Zhizhou tilted his head to give Shen Tingwei a deep look and silently gave him a thumbs-up in his heart, then clapped his hands with force. The ability to stir up resentment was indeed impressive!