Cen Jiashu’s eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze toward Yu Ange held a hint of terror. Though he felt as if he were vomiting blood in his heart, he had no choice but to lower his head. “It was disrespectful of me to conceal the matter from the general and Young Master Yu when I came to break off the engagement. I ask for your forgiveness.”
Yu Ange’s tone was cold and detached. “There is no need for Cen Tanhua to feel guilty. A fortunate woman should not marry an unfortunate man. I should also thank Cen Tanhua on behalf of my sister for shifting your affections elsewhere.”
Repeatedly mocked by Yu Ange, Cen Jiashu could no longer hold back and retorted, “Young Master Yu, although my right hand is injured, I am not a useless person! In the future, I may yet ascend to great heights!”
Yu Ange gradually suppressed her smile, for she knew Cen Jiashu’s capabilities. Even without his right hand, he still possessed a ruthless heart.
In her past life, hadn’t he climbed to great heights by stepping over the corpses of tens of thousands of Shenweijun soldiers?
Yu Ange slowly approached Cen Jiashu, her killing intent fully exposed.
Cen Jiashu instinctively felt an overwhelming pressure enveloping him, rendering him unable to move. Then, he heard Yu Ange whisper in his ear, “Then I will wait and see.”
The voice seemed to emerge from the depths of a sinister hell, indescribably chilling.
Only after Yu Ange left did Cen Jiashu gasp for breath, suddenly realizing that his back was drenched in cold sweat.
Why?
Why did he feel a tremor spreading from the depths of his heart, even though Yu Anhe had done nothing?
Before Cen Jiashu could regain his composure, a series of agonized screams echoed from outside. Immediately after, two minor officials dragged Cen Jiashu’s servant inside.
The servant, who had been bustling about just moments ago, was now howling in pain from the beating.
Cen Jiashu demanded, “What happened?”
The minor officials explained, “Young Master Yu said your servant offended him. This is merely a minor punishment to serve as a warning.”
The servant cried, tears and snot streaming down his face, “Young Master! I’ve been wronged! I didn’t even touch a corner of Young Master Yu’s robe before I was punished!”
Cen Jiashu gritted his teeth in anger. In his agitation, the wound on his right shoulder began to bleed again. “This is too much!”
After delivering the servant, the minor officials clapped their hands and left.
The servant crawled inch by inch toward Cen Jiashu, weeping, “Young Master! Although breaking off the engagement was improper, you only resorted to this because you didn’t want to delay Miss Yu’s marriage.”
“Miss Yu is crude and fierce, and Young Master Yu is cunning and harsh. I can endure a little grievance, but I fear that when you return to Shengjing, you won’t be able to explain this to the old master.”
Hearing these words, Cen Jiashu couldn’t help but feel resentment toward Yu Anhe.
He was a prodigy, a favored son of heaven. How dare a good-for-nothing like Yu Anhe humiliate him like this?
Noticing Cen Jiashu’s expression, the servant continued to fan the flames. “Moreover, look at how protective Young Master Yu is. If she finds out you broke off the engagement for Miss Song’s sake, she will surely make things difficult for Miss Song in every possible way.”
“Young Master, just follow the plan I suggested earlier. Even if you don’t think of yourself, you must think of Miss Song.”
At the mention of Miss Song, Cen Jiashu wavered.
Song Jin’er was merely a concubine-born daughter. At home, she was bullied by the legitimate wife and legitimate daughters of the Song family because of her exceptional talent. If she were to face further harassment from Yu Anhe outside, given the Song family’s snobbish behavior, Song Jin’er’s life would only become more difficult.
Now, the only way to break this deadlock was to tarnish Yu Ange’s reputation and seize the initiative.
But Yu Ange… after all, she was the woman he had held in his heart for so many years.
Cen Jiashu closed his eyes and, after struggling for a long time, finally said, “Go and deliver the message. Do not mention Miss Yu’s lack of moral integrity. Simply say she has a fierce temperament and an unattractive appearance.”
Cen Jiashu felt guilty, but he had only just begun his official career. With his right hand now impaired for writing, if he were to bear the reputation of being ungrateful, his career might end before it even began.
The servant chimed in, “Young Master, your words do not slander Miss Yu in the slightest. The moment she saw you, she drew her sword and hacked at the tables and chairs, and she refused to show her face. If that isn’t a fierce temperament and an unattractive appearance, what is?”
Cen Jiashu closed his eyes again, as if utterly exhausted. “Go.”
The servant bowed his head and left the room, a faint, eerie smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
Over the next few days, everyone rested and recuperated from their injuries, and the prefectural office remained relatively peaceful.
However, Yu Ange was secretly anxious. Although she had deliberately suppressed the news, the commotion caused by the bandit suppression in Qizhou was not insignificant. If her father and brother found out and came looking for her, it would inevitably lead to complications.
On the other hand, Cen Jiashu was equally anxious. First, he felt that his right hand should not be left permanently disabled and wanted to return to the capital quickly to seek out renowned physicians for treatment.
The doctors at the prefectural office seemed to have followed Yu Ange’s instructions, showing little concern for the injury to his right hand. Imperial Physician Liu was also constantly attending to Shang Qingyan and was rarely available.
Second, he felt guilty toward Yu Ange and had developed an inexplicable fear of Yu Anhe, who had humiliated him. Thus, despite his injuries, he insisted on leaving early.
After Cen Jiashu departed, Yu Ange also bid farewell to Prefect Zhang, claiming she needed to hurry to the capital to attend to her grandmother’s illness and would leave ahead of schedule.
But on the very day of her departure, Shang Qingyan’s carriage was parked outside the prefectural office.
Shang Qingyan lifted the curtain, his gaze toward Yu Ange tinged with hidden anger. “Young Master Yu, leaving without a word and abandoning this prince alone in Qizhou—do you have some urgent matter of great importance?”
Yu Ange was baffled. Why was Shang Qingyan reacting as if she were a heartless scoundrel abandoning his wife and children?
Yu Ange replied, “I am concerned about my grandmother’s health, which is why I wished to leave ahead of schedule. I failed to inform Your Highness in time, and for that, I apologize.”
Shang Qingyan snorted coldly. “Young Master Yu is indeed filial.”
Both of them knew perfectly well that Old Madame Yu’s so-called illness was merely an excuse to lure Yu Anhe to the capital as a hostage.
Moreover, that Old Madame Yu was no easy person to deal with. She was not the biological grandmother of the Yu siblings but the second wife of the late Old Master Yu, who later gave birth to the second and third branches of the family.
It could be said that Yu Anhe’s upbringing as a spoiled and useless playboy was largely due to Old Madame Yu’s doting and indulgence.
If the person before him were truly a fool, it would be one thing, but she was exceptionally intelligent—how could she fail to see through Old Madame Yu’s schemes?
Shang Qingyan didn’t know why, but upon hearing that Yu Ange was leaving, a sudden surge of anger rose within him.
After some thought, he realized it might be because he felt he had been outmaneuvered by Yu Ange and knew well that her departure without notice had another purpose. Thus, he was eager to catch her off guard.
So, Shang Qingyan ordered Zhu Ying to quickly pack their belongings, intending to travel with Yu Ange.
Yu Ange knew she couldn’t hide the truth from him but couldn’t understand the source of his temper. She said, “I was also concerned about Your Highness’s health, fearing that the journey might be too taxing, which is why…”
Shang Qingyan knew Yu Ange was lying. He forcefully dropped the curtain and said coldly, “Young Master Yu, don’t forget what you said on the day of the carriage collision.”