Shen Yu escorted Su Qingyao out of the room, not even sparing Chu Ningwan a glance.
“Madam Shen, now that the Heir Apparent has recovered his memories, it is time for me to leave.”
Before Madam Shen could react, Chu Ningwan spoke first.
The fact that Shen Yu had regained the memories of his previous life actually relieved her. At least in this lifetime, she wanted nothing more to do with him.
Presumably, Shen Yu felt the same.
“Ningwan…”
But Chu Ningwan interrupted her and asked instead, “Madam Shen, Shen Yu truly lost his memory, didn’t he? Today wasn’t about bringing him home—it was you who brought Divine Physician Jiang here and forcibly awakened his memories, wasn’t it?”
A trace of panic flashed across Madam Shen’s face.
“Ningwan, you know Shen Yu is the heir of the Marquis’ household. If word of his amnesia spread, what would people think?”
“Fortunately, he has recovered now. Don’t worry. As for that orphan girl, Shen Yu is only confused for the moment. As long as I’m here, no one can ruin your engagement.”
Just then, an icy voice sounded from behind them.
“Mother, my wife will only ever be Qingyao. There is no room for anyone else.”
As Shen Yu spoke, he shot Chu Ningwan a fierce glare, carrying a silent warning.
Chu Ningwan found it laughable.
Madam Shen feared only that Shen Yu might suffer, yet she cared nothing about whether Chu Ningwan would be hurt.
She had even publicly claimed that Divine Physician Jiang had been invited by Chu Ningwan.
As for Shen Yu’s threat—if this had been her former self, she would have caused a scene. But now she felt strangely calm.
“Madam Shen, please explain the matter concerning Divine Physician Jiang to the Heir Apparent.”
“Ningwan takes her leave.”
She curtsied and turned away.
The sight caused Shen Yu to frown deeply.
He had been prepared for Chu Ningwan to cry and make trouble, yet things were unfolding completely differently from what he had expected.
Chu Ningwan boarded her carriage and headed back home.
“Miss, you and the Heir Apparent have been childhood sweethearts. Even if that orphan enters the household, she could never surpass you.”
“She is Father’s daughter from an extramarital affair.”
Chu Ningwan’s voice was cold as she cut Cui’er off.
In her previous life, after Shen Yu recovered his memories, he secretly investigated Su Qingyao’s background.
The investigation revealed that Su Qingyao was actually the daughter born from her father’s brief affair with another woman.
After the woman died, Su Qingyao had lived alone until she later met Shen Yu.
When her father learned the truth, he blamed Chu Ningwan and implicated her mother as well.
Chu Ningwan could never forget how her father brought a concubine into the household afterward, causing her mother to die in sorrow.
Now that she had been reborn, besides severing all ties with Shen Yu, there was one more thing she had to do:
She would never allow her mother to be harmed again.
Back at the General’s Manor, Chu Ningwan went straight to her mother’s residence.
“Mother!”
She threw herself into the arms of the gentle woman.
Madam Chu embraced her, her eyes filled with concern.
“Wan’er, didn’t you go with Madam Shen to visit the Heir Apparent?”
“That Divine Physician Jiang is highly skilled. He surely would have restored his memories.”
Feeling her mother’s warmth, Chu Ningwan’s heart ached.
“Mother, you knew Shen Yu had lost his memory?”
She was stunned.
Madam Chu nodded.
“Madam Shen sent me a letter and told me everything. She said it wasn’t convenient for you to step forward, so she asked me to invite Divine Physician Jiang in your name.”
“But since you’ve returned, I assume the Heir Apparent is fine now.”
A chill ran through Chu Ningwan.
No wonder, in her previous life, her father had schemed against her, and Shen Yu had even accused her mother of being an accomplice.
There had been another layer to the story all along.
Yet she had remained completely unaware.
“Mother, I don’t want to marry Shen Yu anymore.”
Tears welled in Chu Ningwan’s eyes.
Everyone knew the Chu and Shen families were close, and everyone assumed she and Shen Yu would eventually marry.
Breaking off the engagement would not be easy.
Madam Chu was startled at first, but seeing her daughter cry filled her with heartache.
“If Wan’er doesn’t want to marry him, then you won’t.”
“Tell Mother what happened today.”
She led Chu Ningwan inside, gently wiping away her tears.
Chu Ningwan recounted everything, including the fact that Su Qingyao was pregnant.
When Madam Chu heard that Su Qingyao resembled her somewhat, her brow furrowed even more deeply.
“Wan’er,” she asked carefully, “other than looking somewhat like me, did you notice anything else unusual?”
“I saw half of a jade pendant on her. The pattern looked very similar to the one in Father’s study.”
“Mother… could that girl have something to do with Father?”
“Wan’er, today’s matter must not be mentioned to anyone, especially your father.”
Madam Chu’s expression turned grave, her grip tightening around her daughter’s hand.
“As for your marriage to the Shen family, no matter what decision you make, Mother will support you.”
After comforting her for a while, Madam Chu finally left.
Chu Ningwan’s emotions were complicated.
She couldn’t directly tell her mother that Su Qingyao was Father’s illegitimate daughter. There were too many things she couldn’t explain.
In her previous life, after her mother discovered the truth, she quarreled fiercely with Father.
Around the same time, her maternal grandfather’s family—the Duke of Zhen State’s household—was falsely accused of treason.
Her mother became implicated, and Father’s arrogance only grew.
Otherwise, given her grandfather’s status, Father would never have dared to bring one concubine after another into the house.
She had once begged Shen Yu and her father for help.
Instead, she accidentally learned that her grandfather’s downfall had been orchestrated by the two of them together.
Even her mother’s death had been caused by them.
Now, however, the Duke’s household had not yet fallen.
Every debt.
Every grievance.
She would make them repay in blood.
“Miss, something terrible has happened!”
Cui’er rushed in, panic written all over her face.
“I just heard that the Heir Apparent plans to marry Miss Su in three days. The whole capital knows about it now.”
“Miss, everyone knows you’re engaged to him. By doing this, he’s deliberately—”
“He’s deliberately humiliating me.”
Chu Ningwan’s expression remained calm, without a trace of sorrow.
Three days.
Shen Yu truly could not wait.
Now that he had been reborn and knew Su Qingyao’s true identity, he would undoubtedly help her “return to her roots.”
Her grandfather and uncles were still stationed in their fiefdom. Even if they learned of the news, they might not arrive in time.
She could not simply sit and wait.
“Cui’er, stay here. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I’m unwell and resting.”
After giving her instructions, Chu Ningwan quietly slipped out through the back gate.
On the way, she entered a shop and bought a veiled hat.
After putting it on, she headed toward the city gates.
A crowd of more than a dozen people had gathered around a notice posted on the city wall.
Whispering among themselves, they pointed at the proclamation.
Chu Ningwan pushed through the crowd and, without hesitation, tore the notice down.
The moment she did, guards immediately approached.
Through the veil, they could not see her face clearly and eyed her suspiciously.
The crowd gasped.
“Miss, do you know what it means to remove that notice?”
“Yes.”
“You must be crazy!”
“The Prince Regent has been unconscious for three months because of an old illness. If the imperial physicians had any solution, His Majesty would never have issued such a proclamation.”
“Whoever can awaken the Prince Regent will receive ten thousand taels of gold and one granted request.”
“But everyone who entered the Prince Regent’s residence so far has never come out alive.”
“This girl must be insane!”
Listening to their remarks, Chu Ningwan remained calm.
The Prince Regent was the Emperor’s younger brother.
They were only about five years apart in age.
In her previous life, she had crossed paths with him once.
Others could not awaken him because they did not know the correct treatment.
But Chu Ningwan possessed a photographic memory.
In her previous life, she had studied medicine for a time under an elderly master and happened to know how to cure his condition.
Merely breaking off her engagement with Shen Yu would not be enough.
The real problem was that her father had once petitioned the Emperor to grant an imperial marriage between her and Shen Yu.
Once Su Qingyao returned to the General’s Manor, the worst-case scenario would be that both she and Su Qingyao would be married to Shen Yu.
Two women sharing one husband.
If she could obtain the reward promised in the proclamation, she would at least have enough influence to stir the waters until her grandfather and uncles returned to the capital.
“Lead the way.”
she said.