…
“Since you enjoy smashing shops, then… go ahead and smash.”
Zhao Chengyu looked at her calm profile, his heart trembling slightly.
He suddenly understood.
Shen Miao was not without anger.
She was so furious to the extreme that she became as calm as water.
She was not without retaliation.
She intended to strike a fatal blow, ensuring the other party would never have a chance to recover.
Suppressing his own ferocity, Zhao Chengyu responded in a low voice, “Alright, I’ll follow your lead in everything.”
…
Downstairs.
Su Manrou smashed with increasing enthusiasm and madness.
She personally tore apart one exquisite garment after another.
Kicked over one display shelf after another.
Looking at the mess all over the floor, she felt an immense sense of relief in her heart.
“Let’s see you act arrogant! Let’s see you be proud! Let’s see you look down on everyone!”
“Today, I’ll smash your Nianqing Ge into ruins!”
A maid beside her whispered a reminder, “Miss, that’s enough. If you keep smashing, the Marquis…”
“What’s there to fear!” Su Manrou snapped sharply. “Smash! Keep smashing! I won’t leave until this place is completely destroyed today!”
She had gone completely mad.
Jealousy, resentment, arrogance, and hatred all erupted at once.
She wanted to destroy everything.
Destroy Shen Gongzi’s glory.
Destroy the prestige of Nianqing Ge.
Destroy everything that displeased her.
She smashed for nearly the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Until there was not a single intact garment left in the shop, not one complete display shelf, with the floor covered in a devastating mess.
Only then did Su Manrou stop, panting heavily, her face filled with triumph.
“Hmph.” She clapped her hands lightly, sweeping a contemptuous glance over the ruined shop. “Let’s see how you can still act arrogant now.”
“Let’s go!” She turned around, about to leave with her people.
Right at that moment—
A light, cold, and detached voice slowly drifted down from the second floor, not loud, yet clearly audible throughout the entire shop.
“Miss Su, having finished smashing, you think you can just leave?”
Su Manrou’s steps halted.
She looked up abruptly.
There, under the corridor on the second floor, stood a figure in cyan-green attire.
A silver mask covered the face, the figure slender and upright, with a frosty, aloof demeanor. The gaze fell lightly, devoid of any emotion, yet it made her entire body stiffen.
Was this that Shen Gongzi?
Su Manrou’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to maintain her arrogance, raising her voice, “So what if I smashed it? This shabby shop of yours deserved to be smashed long ago!”
Shen Miao slowly descended the stairs, her steps composed, one by one, until she stood before her.
Though her figure was slimmer and she showed no trace of anger, the oppressive aura emanating from her made Su Manrou instinctively take a step back.
“Shabby shop?” Shen Miao repeated softly, her tone flat. “Miss Su certainly smashed to her heart’s content.”
Her gaze swept over the mess on the floor as she spoke slowly, “Earlier, Liu Rumei wanted to smash the shop, and now you’ve come. You really are family, both so fond of smashing shops.”
Su Manrou’s face changed. “Stop talking nonsense! I am me, my cousin is my cousin!”
“Is that so?” Shen Miao gave a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Even better. New and old accounts can be settled together.”
She raised her hand and lightly clapped.
The next second.
Dozens of Water Transport Guild disciples poured in from outside, quickly surrounding the entire Nianqing Ge, blocking all exits with an intimidating presence.
The onlooking commoners nearby also stepped aside, making way for these Water Transport Guild disciples.
Su Manrou’s face instantly turned deathly pale. “You… what do you want? I am the daughter of Su Shilang in the capital, a person of Jing’an Hou (Marquis of Jing’an). How dare you touch me?”
“Move against you?” A cold glint flashed in Shen Miao’s eyes as she sneered, “I won’t lay a finger on you.”
“But after your little tantrum, smashing up my shop, you’ll have to pay for the damages.”
She raised her gaze to the accountant who had been waiting nearby. “Settle the accounts.”
The accountant immediately stepped forward, holding a thick ledger, and read out clearly:
“Reporting to Gongzi, the shop has lost one hundred twenty-seven pieces of cloud-pattern brocade garments, each valued at one thousand taels, totaling one hundred twenty-seven thousand taels.”
“Eight pieces of double-sided gold-woven haute couture garments destroyed, each valued at eight thousand taels, totaling sixty-four thousand taels.”
“Thirty-two pieces of mermaid silk embroidery destroyed, totaling forty-six thousand taels.”
“Thirty-six pearwood display shelves destroyed, totaling twelve thousand taels.”
“Antique ornaments, porcelain, doors, windows, decorations… destroyed, totaling thirty thousand taels.”
“Additional losses from business suspension, reputational damage, breach of contract compensation… totaling fifty thousand taels.”
“Grand total—three hundred twenty-nine thousand taels of silver.”
As the numbers fell, the entire hall fell dead silent.
Su Manrou was as if struck by lightning, her body stiffening, her face turning as pale as paper. She screamed in disbelief, “How much?! Three hundred twenty thousand taels? Why don’t you just rob me?!”
“Rob?” Shen Miao scoffed lightly, looking at her calmly, her tone even but each word sharp as a blade. “These are clearly marked prices, fair to all.”
“If Miss Su doesn’t believe me, you can ask those who have purchased goods from my Nianqing Ge—is this robbery?”
“Moreover, Miss Su personally smashed my shop and destroyed my goods. Shouldn’t you compensate for that?”
“I won’t pay!” Su Manrou shrieked. “I won’t pay a single tael! This is extortion!”
“Extortion?” Shen Miao chuckled softly, her gaze sweeping toward the door. “Look outside and see what’s there.”
Su Manrou instinctively turned her head.
Outside Nianqing Ge, the common people had already gathered in a dense crowd, packed shoulder to shoulder, completely blocking the way.
Everyone was staring at her, their eyes filled with anger, disdain, and scorn.
“This is too much! How dare she smash Shen Gongzi’s shop!”
“Three hundred twenty thousand taels is too little! These were clothes we had ordered!”
“Shen Gongzi once saved the entire city’s people, and she dares to do this!”
“Pay up! You must pay!”
“If you don’t pay, don’t even think about leaving today!”
The crowd was furious, their shouts shaking the heavens.
Su Manrou trembled in fear.
Only then did she realize the magnitude of the trouble she had caused.
Shen Miao spoke slowly, her voice clear and cold, carrying throughout the hall:
“Miss Su, either produce three hundred twenty-nine thousand taels of silver, and today’s matter will be settled.”
“Or, I will send you straight to the Suzhou Prefecture Magistrate’s office. According to the law, smashing and looting a shop with such massive losses warrants light punishment by caning or severe punishment by imprisonment. You should understand the disgrace this would bring upon the Su family.”
Watching Su Manrou’s panicked expression, Shen Miao sneered inwardly—this was only the beginning!
“Oh, right.”
She paused, her tone light but carrying a fatal blow. “I could also report your actions today, exactly as they happened, to Jing’an Hou! Xiao! Jing! Yuan!”
“Tell me…” Shen Miao looked at her pale face, met her terrified eyes, and curled the corner of her mouth, enunciating each word slowly. “If he knew you sneaked out behind his back to smash a shop and stir up trouble, how do you think he would deal with you?”
As the last words fell, Su Manrou’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Her face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with despair.
It was over.
If she didn’t pay, she would go to prison, and the Su family would lose all face.
If Jingyuan-gege found out about her actions, he would be deeply disappointed.
But…
She nearly had to empty out all of her dowry, risking total ruin to cover the losses.
No matter which path she chose, she would end up utterly defeated.