Gu Shengsheng stared in shock:
“They actually left…”
In her original family estate, the servants had all been gentle and loyal. She had never seen anyone dare to openly abandon their master. This world really was completely different.
Gu Shengsheng glanced at the unconscious Shen Wang on the bed, then at the mess all over the floor. Grimacing, she started cleaning up.
A maid suddenly appeared from the side:
“Madam, let me do it.”
Gu Shengsheng jumped. There was actually one maid who hadn’t followed Zhou Ma out.
“You are…?”
The maid answered respectfully:
“My surname is Li. Madam can just call me Sister Li.”
Sister Li looked to be in her mid-forties, her face marked by years of hard work. Gu Shengsheng nodded to her:
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“It’s no trouble. It’s what I should do.”
Sister Li worked quickly and efficiently, sweeping up the broken porcelain and wiping the floor clean.
Gu Shengsheng asked her to bring a basin of cold water. She wrung out a wet towel and personally wiped Shen Wang’s forehead and cheeks.
Watching Gu Shengsheng’s somewhat clumsy but very careful movements, Sister Li thought to herself: The rumors among the servants really can’t be fully trusted. This young madam isn’t as terrible as they say. She’s just unlucky — married so young to a cripple.
After changing the cold water twice, Shen Wang was still burning up, and his lips had cracked from the heat.
Sister Li said worriedly:
“Oh dear, if he keeps burning like this he’ll get pneumonia. Should we call an ambulance?”
Gu Shengsheng placed her fingers on Shen Wang’s forehead. His pale cheeks were scorching. The violent yang energy was rampaging wildly inside him — the situation was very bad.
She gritted her teeth and made up her mind:
“Sister Li, you can go downstairs first. I’ll take care of the young master.”
Sister Li hesitated, then said:
“Alright, I’ll go down then. Madam, what would you like to eat? I can make something fresh.”
Gu Shengsheng replied:
“No need. I’ll cook some congee for the young master myself in a bit.”
Sister Li carried the leftover dishes out.
Gu Shengsheng locked the door, walked back to the bed, leaned over Shen Wang, and said:
“Heaven above as my witness — I’m doing this to save your life. This does not mean I agree to dual cultivation with you.”
The man lay among the deep red bedding, his face pale and melancholic like moonlight. He showed no reaction at all to her words.
Gu Shengsheng lifted the blanket, took Shen Wang’s hand, and slowly laced her fingers through his — ten fingers interlocked, palms pressed together.
The violent Flame Yang energy instantly surged toward her. Such a massive, overwhelming spiritual current — even a Golden Core cultivator would probably explode on the spot.
Yet Gu Shengsheng felt almost nothing. She had the Pure Yin Water Constitution — the supreme cauldron born specifically to balance Flame Yang bodies.
Gu Shengsheng closed her eyes. The faint spiritual flow in her body guided the yang energy into a proper cycle. She soothed the explosive, chaotic current like lightning, then slowly sent it back into Shen Wang’s body.
When it was over, her back was drenched in sweat.
Gu Shengsheng opened her eyes and reached out to check Shen Wang’s forehead.
It was no longer scalding. His furrowed brow had relaxed.
Gu Shengsheng let out a long breath of relief — then caught the sour, pungent smell coming from herself.
She ran to the bathroom mirror.
Her face and body were covered in dark, sticky sweat. She wiped hard with a wet towel — and revealed a patch of snow-white skin underneath.
Gu Shengsheng’s eyes widened.
She turned on the faucet and carefully washed her face again. When she looked up, the previous dull, yellowish complexion was gone. The acne scars and spots had disappeared. Her pores looked finer. And — perhaps it was an illusion — the unnaturally high nose bridge and elongated chin seemed slightly less exaggerated.
Heaven above — kindness really is rewarded!
Gu Shengsheng took a proper hot shower. Foam and dirty water swirled down the drain. Hot water revealed smooth, luminous skin.
Spiritual energy in this world was thin, and the air and food were full of impurities. One full cycle of spiritual circulation had expelled most of the toxins from her body. She suddenly felt light, clear-headed, ears sharp and eyes bright.
In the past, Gu Shengsheng had only thought of dual cultivation as something lewd and terrifying. She never knew it could bring such benefits.
She thought happily to herself: Dual cultivation isn’t so scary after all.
Shen Wang slept deeply in a haze.
In his dream, someone held his hand tightly and gently touched his forehead.
That hand was very gentle.
A long-sealed memory cracked open just a little.
“Baby has a fever. Does your head still hurt?”
“I’m so sorry, there’s a last-minute business trip. Mommy promises to come back in time for your birthday, okay?”
“Baby?”
The little boy hid under the blanket and refused to answer, secretly wanting his mother to coax him more.
The woman’s serious voice carried apology:
“Baby, Mommy has to leave for the airport now. Are you really not going to say goodbye to Mommy?”
The little boy clutched the blanket tightly, stubbornly refusing to show his face. He mumbled sulkily:
“I hate Mommy the most…”
The woman sighed helplessly:
“Baby, goodbye.”
Footsteps gradually faded away.
The little boy gripped the award certificate he hadn’t had time to show her, fell back asleep, and thought: I’ll show it to Mommy when she comes back.
Children are innocent and don’t understand that in this world, some goodbyes mean never seeing each other again.
When Shen Wang woke, he felt unbearably hot. He struggled, and the blanket slipped off.
Only then did he breathe easier. Hot sweat trickled down his neck, but his mind was unusually clear — otherwise he wouldn’t have remembered those long-buried memories.
Shen Wang’s mood had sunk to rock bottom. He pressed the bell by the bed, knocked over a cup by accident, and immediately hurled it across the room.
The bathroom door burst open with a bang. A rush of warm, damp fragrance hit him, chasing away the gloom in an instant. A sweet, soft voice rang out:
“What’s wrong? Oh no, the blanket fell on the floor!”
Patter-patter-patter — footsteps hurried to the bedside. Gu Shengsheng scooped up the blanket and tucked it back over him — two thick quilts piled on top. No wonder he felt so hot.
Shen Wang lifted his hand and threw the blanket off again. His strength had returned a little; he could at least raise his arm now.
Gu Shengsheng wasn’t annoyed at all. She sounded delighted:
“Wow, you’ve got some strength back! Has the fever broken?”
A hand still warm from hot water reached over. The rose scent grew stronger.
Shen Wang was momentarily distracted — and she managed to touch his forehead. Her cool, soft palm rested there for a few seconds.
A very, very long time ago, another gentle hand had once rested on his forehead like this.
The dream came back to him again. Shen Wang’s brow twitched. His face darkened like still water:
“Why are you taking a bath in broad daylight?!”
The outburst came out of nowhere. Gu Shengsheng was in an excellent mood and didn’t take offense at a sick person:
“The fever broke! Oh right — why did you ring the bell?”
Shen Wang said:
“I was calling for a servant.”
Gu Shengsheng sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her straight, fair legs. While rubbing lotion into her skin, she said casually:
“I sent them all away.”
Shen Wang’s voice rose slightly:
“All of them?”
Gu Shengsheng answered righteously:
“Yeah! They were lazy and sneaky all day. Should I have kept them around for New Year’s? Oh — there’s still Sister Li. She’s cleaning the living room right now.”
Shen Wang didn’t praise her decisive action. Instead, he turned his snow-pale face toward her and asked:
“You chased away the servants. What are you going to eat?”
Gu Shengsheng declared proudly:
“I’ll cook!”
“You?” Shen Wang let out a single syllable dripping with mockery.
Gu Shengsheng didn’t catch the sarcasm at all. Her tone stayed cheerful:
“By the way, you still haven’t told me — why did you ring the bell? Do you need the bathroom? Sister Li said there’s a chamber pot in your room. You can use that…”
Shen Wang ground his teeth and spoke slowly, word by word:
“Help me up!”
What a bad temper. Gu Shengsheng had no choice but to set the lotion aside and help him to the bathroom. Her hands were slippery and fragrant from the cream. Shen Wang ended up with a palmful of it and frowned deeply:
“What did you rub all over your hands?”
Gu Shengsheng enthusiastically recommended:
“It’s body lotion! It smells so nice and makes your skin super smooth. Your skin looks really dry — after a bath, just put some on and it’ll feel silky.”
Shen Wang declined politely — by grabbing a wet wipe and scrubbing his hand vigorously, as if the slightest trace would rob “little Shen” of its masculinity and vigor forever.
Gu Shengsheng pouted, but she had to admit: even though Shen Wang’s skin was pale, it was flawlessly smooth. She sighed inwardly at the unfairness of heaven.
After Shen Wang washed his hands and face, Gu Shengsheng once again carried him back to bed like a snail hauling its shell — huffing and puffing the whole way.
The girl’s breaths were sweet and soft. Shen Wang’s long brows knitted together. The moment he lay down, he immediately crossed the bridge and burned it:
“I’m going to sleep. Get out.”
Gu Shengsheng was in an exceptionally good mood right now:
“Okay! I’ll go make you some congee. If you need anything, just call me.”
She sounded completely serious — as if she really was going to the kitchen.
Shen Wang thought darkly: She probably still wants to be a widow. Maybe she’ll cook a bowl of arsenic and send me on my way.
Gu Shengsheng didn’t hear his inner sarcasm. She skipped lightly down the stairs.
In daylight, the full view of the villa came into sight — grand, elegant, and dignified in a way Gu Shengsheng had never seen before, yet it also felt cold and empty.
Through the large glass windows, evergreen leaves outside glistened with rolling water droplets like countless diamonds. A carved iron gate stood half-closed. Beyond it lay the free world.
But Gu Shengsheng knew: many bodyguards were stationed outside. The original owner had tried to escape — openly and secretly — many times, and never succeeded once. The Shen family was a commercial empire. They never made losing deals. They would never let a good-luck bride run away and leave them empty-handed.
======
In the kitchen, Sister Li was packing leftovers into plastic bags. These were all good dishes — perfect to take home for her kids to enjoy.
Then Gu Shengsheng walked in.
Sister Li had never been caught doing this before. She panicked:
“Madam, I… I thought it would be a waste to throw them away, so I…”
Gu Shengsheng smiled:
“It’s fine. I haven’t touched any of this food. It’s clean.”
Her features were bold and vivid, the traces of plastic surgery obvious, usually giving her an unapproachable air. But this smile was pure, childish, and adorably innocent. It made people sink involuntarily into the autumn-water glow of her eyes.
Sister Li’s embarrassment faded with that smile:
“Thank you, Madam.”
Gu Shengsheng didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, so she said nothing more and began exploring the kitchen. As a “cultivation chef,” Gu Shengsheng had a natural passion and curiosity for kitchens.
The Gu family kitchen had been bright and spotless, full of strange and wonderful tools that gleamed with metal shine. She opened the refrigerator — inside were fresh vegetables, meats, fruits, and seafood from all over the world.
Gu Shengsheng’s eyes widened in delight:
“What kind of fish is this? Such huge crabs! Cherries in this season?! And this is Hami melon!”
Hami melon in winter — in the cultivation world, that would cost ten superior spirit stones!
Sister Li glanced sideways in surprise. Even if this madam came from a small family, she couldn’t possibly have never eaten cherries or Hami melon before.
Though puzzled, Sister Li patiently answered every question. She even washed a plate of cherries and brought them to Gu Shengsheng.
The Chilean air-freighted cherries were blood-red, stems slender and green, glistening with crystal droplets. One gentle bite — the flesh burst with crisp sweetness and tart juice. Gu Shengsheng’s almond eyes widened. These were so much richer than ordinary cherries.
She sat on a tall stool, slender legs swinging, popping cherries into her mouth one after another while casually chatting with Sister Li and piecing together information.
The Shen family was a large clan. Old Master Shen Huaishan was in poor health and retired in the old home in Jiangnan. The current head, Shen Hongcai, had two wives. The first (deceased) gave birth to the eldest son, Shen Wang. The second wife, Zhu Ping, gave birth to the second son, Shen Tingchen.
Sister Li adopted the same tone as the other servants and sighed:
“The eldest young master used to be so dazzling. He was in the news and magazines all the time. So many families practically broke down doors trying to arrange a marriage with him. One magazine cover had his photo — the Huangfu family’s daughter sent people to buy up every copy on the market. What a pity that later…”