Función clerical

Capítulo 32

Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling?

Before Shen Zhili could react, the woman pushed her towards Su Chenche.

Caught off guard, Shen Zhili stumbled and fell into Su Chenche's arms, where she was embraced tightly.

Struggling free, Shen Zhili angrily shouted, "What are you doing...?"

The woman crossed her arms, her expression even angrier than Shen Zhili's. "I can't stand women like you who throw tantrums just because they're favored by their husbands! With a husband like that, so many men would fight over him, and you don't even appreciate it! Making a grown man follow you to the ends of the earth, don't you have any sense of being a wife?! Are you so proud and smug? Oh, a grown man running around after you every day! Humph! If your husband gets angry one day, or falls for another woman and really leaves you, let's see how smug you'll be then! You really don't know how lucky you are!"

Shen Zhili was stunned by the scolding.

He immediately flew into a rage: "What do you know!"

"I don't know? Don't be angry, let me ask you some questions." The woman pressed down on Shen Zhili's shoulder and pointed at Su Chenche with her chin, saying, "Has he ever hit or scolded you?"

The other person's aura was too strong, and Shen Zhili subconsciously replied, "...Never."

...It should be said that she hit and scolded him more often.

The woman then asked, "Did he ever have three wives and four concubines, indulging in debauchery?"

Shen Zhili: "It seems... I haven't."

...That one at Mingyue Palace...should be considered Su Chenche being a womanizer with multiple wives and concubines...

The woman then asked, "Did he ever misunderstand you, abuse you, give you attitude, or force you to do things you didn't want to do?"

Shen Zhili said grimly, "He dares to..."

Su Chenche shook his head vigorously: "I would never do that!"

The woman slammed her hand on the table: "Then what exactly are you arguing about with your husband!"

Shen Zhili gritted out a few words between her teeth: "...He is not my husband!"

The woman pointed at Shen Zhili, about to spew more words, when Su Chenche suddenly stretched out his arm to block Shen Zhili, and smiled forlornly at the woman, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, young lady. It doesn't matter if my wife doesn't acknowledge me... Sincerity can move mountains, and I believe my wife will forgive me one day."

With a deep sigh, the woman looked at Su Chenche with a gaze filled with sympathy mixed with regret: "A husband as good as you, sir, is truly hard to find even with a lantern. Yet some people still have so many complaints. It's really... Sir, listen to my advice, such a shrewish woman is really not a good match. It would be better to find a gentle and virtuous lady... Alas, but someone of your character, sir, would certainly not easily fall in love with someone else. It's truly lamentable..."

After saying that, the woman slowly walked away.

Shen Zhili turned her head stiffly: "...What exactly did you say to her?"

Su Chenche blinked and lowered his head: "It's...it's nothing."

Shen Zhili suddenly looked at him intently, then sighed, "What exactly do you like about me? I'll change, okay?!"

Su Chenche blinked: "I just like you not liking me, so change it..."

Shen Zhili: "..."

Shen Zhili closed her eyes briefly, then pressed her forehead and said, "Su Chenche, stop pretending... Were you like this with Ye Qianqian before?" She paused, then added, "Petiting and clinging, begging and pleading, showering her with sweet words..."

Su Chenche paused for a moment, his lips moving slightly.

The sun is setting.

The soft orange light reflected off Su Chenche's profile, revealing even his eyelashes, each one clearly defined.

In that instant, Shen Zhili placed her hand on his shoulder: "Don't explain to me anymore, let's really say goodbye. Su Chenche, I'm not right for you, you'll regret it... Tomorrow I'll take a carriage back to Huichun Valley, I don't want to see you riding a horse behind me."

She turned and left, casting a long shadow of Su Chenche, but he didn't chase after her.

******************************************************************************

The next morning, Shen Zhili, holding her newly bought hand warmer, got into the carriage with a sense of loss.

After the carriage had been traveling for a while, the driver suddenly said, "Madam, is that person behind us following us?"

Shen Zhili lifted the curtain and saw that not far from their carriage, a young man in flowing white robes with a ring of snow-white fur around his neck was riding...

Riding on...

A donkey on board!

The donkey's coat was smooth and glossy, its two ears were held high with pride, and it had a majestic and spirited appearance, exuding the charm of a fine horse.

At the same time, the two donkey hooves stomped twice on the horse tethered in front of their carriage, and then neighed, extremely provocatively...

The young man on the donkey smiled brightly at her and waved his hand at her donkey ear as a greeting...

Shen Zhili: "..."

Coachman: "Madam, should we slow down and wait for him?"

Shen Zhili decisively lowered the curtain: "No need, I don't know this guy at all." Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly handed over half a tael of silver, "Can you hurry up and get rid of him? I'll double your fare!"

The lure of money was immense, and soon the carriage, moving at breakneck speed, carried Shen Zhili to the town at the entrance of Huichun Valley.

Feeling completely disoriented from being jostled around, Shen Zhili almost foamed at the mouth as she thought fiercely.

There's absolutely no way a donkey could catch up!

After getting off the carriage, Shen Zhili was smarter this time. She wore a veil and deliberately slowed down her movements, looking around cautiously before slowly walking forward.

The tavern owner poked his head out and looked at her in surprise: "Valley...former Valley Master...what are you doing?"

Shen Zhili looked at her suspiciously: "You still recognize me?"

Shopkeeper: "...The whole street is staring at you, haha."

Shen Zhili: "..."

Tearing off her veil, Shen Zhili said dejectedly, "Fine, I won't wear it anymore. If I get caught, I get caught. Wait..." She suddenly looked up, "What did you just call me!?"

Shopkeeper: "Previous..." (swallows hard) "Valley Master."

Shen Zhili was heartbroken: "You...you were all bought off by him so quickly? Where is he?"

Before the shopkeeper could answer, Shen Zhili felt herself being hugged again.

This scene looks so familiar...

She turned around stiffly: "Master..."

The person holding her buried their head in her arms: "Miss, waaaaah, Dieyi missed you so much! I thought something terrible had happened to you. Waaaaah..."

As he spoke, he rubbed and rubbed, rubbing hard, getting snot and tears all over Shen Zhili's clothes.

Shen Zhili: "..."

She patted Dieyi's back and sighed, "Alright, Miss is alright, Miss is alright, take me back to the valley."

With Dieyi by my side, the journey went smoothly.

Shen Zhili walked from her courtyard into the grotto, gave Dieyi a few instructions, and went in alone.

Half an hour later, Shen Zhili emerged, pale-faced and leaning against the wall. She sat on the ground for a while before suddenly asking in surprise, "Dieyi, you brought me in here for so long, why didn't Senior Brother notice?"

She had been prepared to be arrested, but now that she hadn't seen Hua Jiuye, she felt inexplicably uneasy.

...Of course, this doesn't mean she's going to offer herself up to Hana Kuya!

Upon hearing this, Dieyi's expression immediately turned sorrowful: "Young Master Hua is injured."

Shen Zhili: "Huh?"

Dieyi bit her handkerchief: "You look so badly injured, and you won't let anyone come near to take care of you. I'm so worried."

Shen Zhili was taken aback: "...Is he dying?"

Dieyi glared at Shen Zhili: "Not yet! Miss, why do you look so happy..."

"How could that be! I'm also very sad that my senior brother is injured, really, very sad..." Shen Zhili suppressed her trembling shoulders, covered her mouth with her hand, and coughed twice: "Then take me to visit my senior brother."

I'm not gloating at all!

Chapter 28

Shen Zhili knew Huichun Valley so well that he could walk through it with his eyes closed.

After walking through the long corridor, Shen Zhili found that Dieyi was leading her to... her former master's room.

Shen Zhili grabbed Dieyi's shoulder: "Why are you here?"

Dieyi explained, "Miss's room was destroyed in the fight that time, and Young Master Hua was too lazy to repair it, so he simply moved to the old Valley Master's room..."

This is outrageous!

She herself rarely dared to go to her master's room in the past, but Hua Jiuye actually moved in there!

Shen Zhili clenched her fists and followed Dieyi inside, her anger barely concealed.

Dieyi pushed open the door, put her finger to her lips, and whispered, "Miss, please don't disturb Young Master Hua's rest. I'll keep watch at the door, and if anyone comes, I'll cough twice..."

Shen Zhili waved her hand: "I understand."

Upon entering, one sees a black-haired boy lying on the couch where his master used to rest.

Hua Jiuye was actually well past the age of a teenager, but her androgynous face made her look no more than fifteen or sixteen years old no matter when she looked at it.

He lay on his side, holding the snake, his back slightly arched, his body tightly curled up. The pure black robe wrapped around his body, which made his demonic face appear even paler and more translucent. The wound that ran from the corner of his eye to his cheekbone looked like a tear, a tear about to fall, if you didn't look closely.

With just this one stroke, the entire face was instantly adorned with an exceptionally desolate expression.

Shen Zhili gripped the silver needle tightly, approached it cautiously, and then quickly stabbed it.

Hana Kuya did not respond.

She breathed a sigh of relief, sat down next to Hua Jiuye, and looked around the room.

The master's room is always cleaned, spotless, and the furnishings are exactly the same as before.

The air around us was still filled with the master's presence, a mix of coolness and medicinal fragrance.

Everything was so familiar that she even had a slight illusion that her master might come in at any moment, a thin smile curving his lips at them. The morning light shone on his profile, still breathtakingly beautiful...

But... Shen Zhili lowered her eyes.

She personally prepared her master's body for burial, so how could this be possible?

Pressing her hand to her chest, Shen Zhili suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Turning her head, she saw Hua Jiuye's sleeping profile, and Shen Zhili took his pulse.

He frowned instantly. What kind of injury did Hua Jiuye suffer?

Shen Zhili laid the snake aside, then spread out Hua Jiuye's clothes and untied the knots in his outer robe.