Wen Jinxin remembered when she heard Prince Zhennan’s furious roar. In her previous life, she had encountered this incident shortly after entering the mansion.
It had just been too long, and she hadn’t recalled it immediately.
Shen Jue had secretly taken people to hunt a tiger. They succeeded in killing the tiger, but on the way down the mountain, the young master who had urged them to go hunting fell off his horse and broke his leg.
That young master was named Lu Tao, the brother-in-law of the Guangzhou Prefect Cao, and a spoiled dandy.
Although he had instigated the matter and couldn’t blame anyone else for breaking his leg, Prince Zhennan was a man who cared deeply about face.
Moreover, while Guangzhou Fu was ostensibly under Prefect Cao’s jurisdiction, everyone knew that above the prefect stood Prince Zhennan—Guangzhou was Prince Zhennan’s domain.
Now that Lu Tao had been injured, even if it wasn’t Shen Jue’s fault, Prince Zhennan would have to swallow his pride, apologize, and ensure all formalities were properly observed.
Having lost face and apologized outside, Prince Zhennan naturally returned home to reprimand the culprit. Yet Shen Jue, stubborn as ever, refused to admit any wrongdoing.
In the end, Prince Zhennan invoked the family discipline and had Shen Jue whipped ten lashes.
In her previous life, due to her poor health, she had been taken into the mansion by Mama Du and sent directly to her courtyard to rest.
She didn’t even meet Laotaifei until the following day, and only learned of these events afterward from others.
As a result, she had been deeply fearful of Shen Jue from the moment she entered the mansion, thinking this cousin was too fierce and intimidating, and she always avoided him.
Mama Du sensed something was wrong as soon as she heard the noise. Having served Laotaifei for half her life, she was no fool.
Her first instinct was to prevent Wen Jinxin from witnessing any of this and to hurry her back to the separate courtyard. Unexpectedly, the usually quiet and obedient Wen Jinxin suddenly dashed inside, impossible to stop.
In the courtyard, a tall figure knelt on the ground.
It was April, the weather had just turned warm, and a breeze still carried a chill. Wen Jinxin, still unwell, wore a padded jacket.
But Shen Jue, kneeling on the ground, had his fiery red upper garment pulled down to his waist, baring his upper body and revealing his sturdy back.
Under normal circumstances, Wen Jinxin would have blushed and averted her eyes. But now, two or three thick, horrifying bloodstained welts crisscrossed his back, beads of blood seeping from the wounds.
Not just Wen Jinxin—even the other servants in the courtyard kept their heads bowed, none daring to look. Prince Zhennan was truly angry today.
When he dragged the misbehaving Shen Jue back, he had explicitly forbidden Laotaifei from intervening, threatening that otherwise he would request the family discipline on his son’s behalf.
Both son and grandson were dear to her, and Laotaifei, forced into helplessness, could only watch as Shen Jue received the punishment, weeping uncontrollably into her handkerchief.
“I’ll ask you one more time, do you admit your fault?”
Shen Jue tilted his head slightly upward. Sweat had soaked the hair on his forehead, revealing his sharply defined profile. His eyelids half-lowered, the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking sneer.
In a hoarse voice, he said, “This young master doesn’t even know how to write the word ‘wrong’.”
Even while being whipped, he remained like a proud tiger, bowing to no one.
The whip sliced through the air and landed cleanly, adding another bloody, mangled welt to his back. The surrounding servants couldn’t help but gasp.
In truth, Prince Zhennan also cherished his son. If only Shen Jue would soften and admit his mistake, this matter could be put to rest.
Yet Shen Jue did not utter a single cry of pain, stubbornly clenching his teeth, not even swaying in his stance.
Recalling all the trouble Shen Jue had stirred up over the years, Prince Zhennan’s own stubborn temper flared. He refused to listen to anyone’s pleas, and the force of his blows grew heavier.
“Fine, fine, fine! You’re the one with backbone. Let’s see how long that stubborn mouth of yours can hold out.”
With that, Prince Zhennan hardened his heart, raising the whip high once more. With a sharp crack through the air, he swung it down swiftly.
Shen Jue stared expressionlessly straight ahead, bracing for the whip’s descent.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, he was enveloped in a soft embrace, holding him tightly.
A faint, delicate fragrance instantly filled his senses.
Before he could react, he heard a soft, gentle voice whisper in his ear, “Cousin.”
Prince Zhennan, driven by momentum, could not halt the whip’s descent in time. It landed with full force, and only when he heard a muffled groan from a young woman did he realize something was amiss.
Looking down, he saw a young girl in a plain white padded jacket who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, shielding Shen Jue and taking the blow for him.
“Miss Wen!” Mama Du, who had rushed in close behind, was stunned, exclaiming in shock.
Good heavens! The young miss, who had been ill and could barely walk moments ago, had actually taken a whip for Shiziye. This was beyond belief.
Laotaifei had been wiping away tears, too afraid to watch or listen, counting the lashes as she waited for the right moment to rush out and save her precious grandson.
Startled by Mama Du’s cry, she glanced over and was equally stunned.
It took her a moment to grasp what had happened before she leaped to her feet and rushed over.
“My darling!”
Wen Jinxin felt only pain—not just her own, but also for Shen Jue.
Even through her thick clothing, the pain felt like being torn apart. And Shen Jue, who had endured several lashes without flinching—how much pain must he be in?
That was her only thought before darkness claimed her vision, and she lost consciousness.
Shen Jue’s body stiffened instantly, his mind blank. All he wanted to do was curse.
In all his years, he had never been protected by a woman, and to make matters worse, this woman had taken a whip for him.
What was this supposed to mean? The little tyrant of Guangzhou Fu, needing a woman to shield him from a whip? If word got out, he’d be laughed to death.
But before he could utter a single curse, as he straightened his back, he felt the weight leaning against him slowly slipping downward.
Realizing what was happening, his body reacted instinctively. He turned and caught the person behind him.
Only then did Shen Jue get a clear look at her face. His breath hitched, and he felt a surge of blood rushing to his head. Damn, she was beautiful.
Her delicate, palm-sized face was exquisitely flawless. Even all the words he had ever learned in his life could not adequately describe her features.
Prince Zhennan’s strike had been heavy. Even through the padded jacket, the fabric had torn, and blood instantly soaked through her inner garment, revealing a long, stark red mark. Against her petite frame, it looked especially gruesome and terrifying.
She resembled a delicate flower battered by wind and rain, on the brink of withering away.
Shen Jue felt even more damnably humiliated. Not only had he been protected by a woman, but by such a delicate young girl. His reputation as the unrivaled troublemaker of Guangzhou Fu was truly gone.
Laotaifei had already rushed over with support, and upon seeing Shen Jue’s wounds and the unconscious Wen Jinxin up close, she covered her mouth and began to cry.
“You won’t be satisfied until you beat your son to death, will you? My precious, my Jinxin, hurry and fetch a doctor, quickly!”
Laotaifei could no longer care why Wen Jinxin had suddenly jumped out to block the whip. All she knew was that both of her precious grandchildren had been beaten.
Furious, she raised her cane and began striking Prince Zhennan wildly.
Prince Zhennan was in a difficult position, unable to explain himself. He was also deeply aggrieved—he had only intended to discipline his son properly. Who could have expected that his delicate niece would suddenly run out?
If he had known earlier, he would have rather whipped himself than strike his niece.
Mama Du and Lan Hui rushed over. Their first priority was to separate Wen Jinxin and Shen Jue, quickly carrying the little ancestor away to see a doctor.
But Wen Jinxin, at some point, had grabbed hold of Shen Jue’s clothes. Even unconscious, her hand remained tightly clenched, refusing to let go. Lan Hui dared not ask Shen Jue to remove his clothes, so she could only try to pry Wen Jinxin’s fingers open.
Lan Hui was afraid of hurting Wen Jinxin, and being so close to Shen Jue, she felt his fierce glare fixed on her. Anxious and flustered, cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
“Stop pulling! Don’t pull anymore. Take them both to my courtyard and let the doctor examine them.”
It was only after Laotaifei spoke that the matter was settled.
As Shen Jue stood up, he brushed against the wounds on his back. He raised an eyebrow at his father, bared his teeth, and then swaggered away.
Prince Zhennan was furious. “You little brat, I haven’t finished with the family discipline yet. Who said you could leave?”
Before he could finish speaking, Laotaifei’s cane came down again. “It was this old woman who allowed it. Shen Jianqing, who are you calling a little brat?”
Prince Zhennan dared not dodge and could only continue to endure the cane strikes. Laotaifei, thinking of the injuries on the two younger ones, felt that beating him was still not enough to vent her anger and continued her scolding.
“Without my permission, you are not allowed to go anywhere today. Stay here and reflect on your mistakes properly.”
By the time they reached Laotaifei’s Fuxi Hall, the doctor was already waiting.
Shen Jue had wounds on his back, and his clothes were tightly gripped by Wen Jinxin, making it difficult to remove them. In the end, they had to be cut open.
To save the doctor from running between two rooms, Shen Jue did not avoid impropriety by changing rooms. After curtains were hung around Wen Jinxin’s bed, he sat down boldly in the room.
As soon as Shen Jue sat down, blood began to flow down his spine. The doctor quickly picked up his medicine box to stop the bleeding and apply medicine.
Even if his injuries weren’t more severe, as the Shiziye, the doctor would have attended to him first.
But Shen Jue frowned fiercely and glared at the doctor. “What do you mean? Do you think I, your young master, am weaker than a little girl? See to her first.”
Upon hearing this, Mama Du breathed a sigh of relief. Although the young lady had only taken one whip, she was already weak and not fully recovered from her illness. Seeing her like this, anyone would feel heartbroken.
Originally, she had intended to have the doctor examine Wen Jinxin first but was afraid the little tyrant would get angry. Shen Jue, with his fearless temper, probably only listened to Laotaifei in the entire world.
Lan Hui tore open the clothes on Wen Jinxin’s back, revealing the bloody mark.
Even though she was prepared, Lan Hui still gasped in shock. Even through the clothing, the wound was deep.
The physician dared not delay, promptly stopping her bleeding and applying medicine. During this time, Shen Jue sat in the outer chamber, his expression inscrutable as he stared toward the inner room.
A curtain hung before the bed, and there was a partition in between, so in principle, nothing should have been visible.
Yet somehow, Shen Jue could sense the movements inside. Even in her unconscious state, the young girl winced in pain, accompanied by soft, low sobs.
Each sound grated on his nerves, unsettling his mind and disturbing his breath.
Shen Jue seemed to still feel the softness of her entire body, trembling as she used it to shield herself. With every breath, it was as if her natural fragrance filled his nostrils.
And then there was that soft, tender voice by his ear, “Cousin.”
He abruptly stood up from the stool, and before anyone could react, he had already rushed out of the room.
Damn! She’s really too delicate.