Chapter 51 The Gnawing Itch

On the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, the sky was high and the air was crisp.

Three carriages were ready to depart in front of the Chengde Marquis's Mansion.

Shen Yao boarded the first carriage, while Chen Qiurong bustled about, instructing the servants, "Put more cushions on the middle carriage."

"Are the pastries and tea ready? Is Hui'er's favorite Biluochun tea prepared?"

Butler Liu responded in a low voice while carefully inspecting the furnishings inside the carriage.

Shen Linhui is now unable to walk properly, and his whole family takes great care of him. Not only are his food, clothing, and shelter more meticulous than before, but they also have to be careful not to say the wrong thing in front of him.

Only after everything was tidied up did Shen Linhui sit in a wheelchair and be pushed out by his personal servant.

Not long after he came out, Shen You and Shen Xiangning also came down the steps.

The two girls, one after the other, boarded the last carriage together.

Shen Linhui sat in his wheelchair, his gaze fixed on the moon-white figure.

vicious and sinister.

If Shen You hadn't ruined his plans at Liuli Pavilion, how could his debts have been exposed?

Now he can only live in a wheelchair, and Shen You won't have an easy time either.

Oh.

So what if she had a relationship with Chu Xiao? They still broke up now.

He wanted to ensure that they would never have the possibility of reconciliation. Once Chu Xiao was no longer there to protect him, wouldn't Shen You's life be in his hands?

Thinking of this, Shen Linhui's lips curled into a sinister smile.

Seeing his strange expression, the servant cautiously asked, "Young master, would you like to get in the carriage now?"

Shen Linhui's thoughts were interrupted, and he said irritably, "Are you going to stay here in the wind instead of getting in the car?"

"Pig brain."

The servant quickly agreed and, together with the others, helped him onto the carriage.

It takes about half an hour to get from the Chengde Marquis's Mansion to Nian'en Temple.

When Chu Xiao first returned to the capital, Shen You stayed at Nian'en Temple for a few days to avoid him, so she was familiar with this route.

It was early autumn, and many golden leaves had fallen on the country road. The wheels of a car made a soft sound as they rolled over them.

The sunlight in the woods was just right, pouring down and casting dappled silhouettes.

The carriage curtains were lifted, and a gentle breeze blew in.

Shen You tidied up the scriptures he had copied the night before and put them into a wooden box.

The Shen family went to Nian'en Temple to chant sutras for their elders, and she also wanted to add an everlasting lamp for her mother.

The carriage rumbled along until it reached the southern suburbs of Lin'an.

Nestled among a grove of red and green trees, the faint sound of wooden fish drums can be heard from Nian'en Temple.

It wasn't a festival or celebration, so there weren't many worshippers at Nian'en Temple today.

Shen You followed behind Shen Yao, and the whole family entered Nian'en Temple together.

As she stepped onto the stairs, she subconsciously looked up at the sky.

Just moments ago, the autumn sky was clear and cloudless, but now dark clouds have begun to drift in.

It seems that a sudden autumn rain is on the horizon.

The abbot of Nian'en Temple came out of the temple to greet them and led them to the hall to chant sutras.

The chanting of Buddhist scriptures and the rising incense soothe the hearts of ordinary people.

After chanting the sutra, Shen Yao and Chen Qiurong went to draw lots, while Shen You, carrying the copied sutra, was led to another room by the guest monk.

The door opened, and the ever-burning light inside was still on.

Shen Youchao nodded slightly to the monk in charge of receiving guests. After the monk left and the door closed, she placed the scriptures on the incense table, knelt on the prayer mat, and closed her eyes devoutly.

The dark clouds outside gradually gathered, and the sunlight on the window gradually dimmed.

The dim light seemed to stretch the girl's slender and graceful figure even longer, but after a short while, the moon-white figure seemed to have exhausted herself and collapsed directly onto the futon.

On the other side...

After Shen Yao and Chen Qiurong finished drawing lots and came out of the abbot's place, they saw a monk with his head down hurrying over and saying, "My lord, Miss Shen has suddenly decided to stay at the temple for a few days and asked me to inform you."

As soon as he finished speaking, both Shen Yao and Shen Xiangning frowned slightly.

Shen Yao was already in a bad mood because of the unsatisfactory result of the divination. When he heard about this, his voice was tinged with dissatisfaction, "A spur-of-the-moment decision? How reckless!"

"They didn't explain things clearly when they left..."

Shen Xiangning looked up at the sky, a hint of worry in her heart, "Did my elder sister really say that?"

“Of course,” the monk said, his head still slightly bowed, his voice calm, “a monk does not lie.”

"If Miss Shen doesn't believe me, she can go and ask her herself."

“...That’s not what I meant,” Chen Xiangning realized that her words had been somewhat offensive, and nodded slightly to the monk.

"Ning'er, don't be rude."

The clouds are getting thicker, and the weather is getting imminent.

Shen Yao had little patience, and since Shen You had stayed at Nian'en Temple before and there was nothing wrong with it, he decided to leave.

"Alright, let's go back. If she wants to stay for a few days, then let her stay for a few days."

If they don't leave now, they won't be able to leave at all.

Chen Qiurong chimed in, "My lord, let's go."

Shen Linhui has difficulty walking, and if he were to remain at Nian'en Temple in this rain, it would likely cause him many inconveniences.

"Hmm," Shen Yao responded in a deep voice, turned around, flicked his sleeve, and headed towards the carriage.

Chen Qiurong hurriedly had someone carefully push Shen Linhui, and quickly walked a few steps to Shen Yao's side.

As Chen Xiangning looked back repeatedly at Nian'en Temple shrouded in dark clouds, and the entire mountain forest behind the magnificent temple buildings, she felt a sense of unease for some reason.

The sound of the wheelchair being pushed stopped ahead of her.

The servant beside Shen Linhui asked in a low voice, "Young Master, the Second Miss..."

Shen Linhui turned to look at Shen Xiangning and asked, "Is the incense in the carriage ready?"

“Ready,” the servant said in an even lower voice. “As soon as the second young lady gets into the carriage, she’ll be sleeping like a log.”

“Hmm,” Shen Linhui’s eyes revealed a hint of smugness, “Let’s go.”

Beside the Shen family's carriage, Chen Qiurong watched as the servants carefully helped Shen Linhui onto the carriage before she felt relieved.

Just as he was about to step onto the horse stool, he saw Chen Xiang Ning lying at the very back.

Unaware of anything amiss, she called out urging, "Ning'er, hurry up and get in the carriage, or the road will become difficult to travel."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yao, who was already sitting in the carriage, lifted the carriage curtain and looked over, calling out in a deep voice, "Ning'er."

The words carried a strong warning tone.

Chen Xiangning finally withdrew her gaze, lifted her skirt, and boarded the carriage.

They came in three cars, and they returned in three cars.

The difference is that one person is missing.

Dark clouds hung low, and rumbling thunder ripped across the sky.

Before long, large raindrops began to fall, enveloping the entire Nian'en Temple in a curtain of rain.

The monks under the eaves quickly went inside to take shelter from the rain.

In a secluded corner of the courtyard, unnoticed by anyone, a man carrying a burlap sack tiptoed through the temple's small gate and into the mountain forest shrouded in torrential rain.

The rain pattered down, the leaves on the branches were blown about, and the rumbling thunder seemed to quietly cover up all the movement in the world.

In a dilapidated wooden hut in the mountains, Shen You's hands and feet were tightly bound. When she was suddenly awakened by a splash of cold water, her beautiful eyes still held a hint of confusion.

However, before she could even get a good look at her surroundings, a lewd voice rang out beside her, "Little beauty."

Shen You felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he dodged in the opposite direction of the sound without thinking.

But someone grabbed his hair and yelled, "Why are you dodging?!"

Only then did she look at the person in front of her.

A middle-aged man with a large belly, dressed in fine clothes, looked like a businessman who was living a comfortable life.

Shen You pursed her lips, the pain in her wrist reminding her of her predicament. Suppressing her fear, she coldly questioned, "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" The man stood up and walked confidently in front of her. "I am your future husband."

He suddenly leaned closer, his face covered in pockmarks and flesh, and grinned lewdly and vulgarly, "After today, you, Miss Shen, will be mine."

Hahahahahaha.

Shen You looked at him coldly, "You kidnapped me from Nian'en Temple. The people of Chengde Marquis's Mansion will find out soon. You can't escape."

“Ha,” he laughed even louder, mockingly, “Why do you think I could take you away from a place like Nian'en Temple without anyone noticing?”

"I'm not a god, how would I know it would rain today?"

This means that the rain was an accident.

Even without this rain, she wouldn't be able to return to the Shen residence today.

"Shen Linhui, is that right?"

Shen You figured it out almost immediately.

"Miss Shen truly lives up to her reputation," he said, crouching down and reaching out to touch her face. "That face, that figure..."

"Tsk tsk tsk," the glint in his eyes was vulgar and lewd, "Shen Linhui said he'd use you to pay off his debt, I think it's a great deal."

"How much money does he owe you?" Shen You suppressed his anger. "I'll pay double."

"Let me go."

"Let you go?" The man scoffed. "Wishful thinking."

He glanced at the furnishings in the wooden house, his words laced with a hint of regret, "It's a bit simple here, but let's just consider it our early wedding night."

"Just thinking about how I've managed to sleep with the legitimate daughter of a marquis in this lifetime makes me feel like I could die without regrets."

Hahahahahaha.

His laughter was wild and vulgar, and his spittle flying everywhere was utterly disgusting.

Shen You forced himself to calm down.

But his hands were tied behind his back and his feet were bound together.

She was unable to move.

She looked up and surveyed her surroundings.

Outside, the wind and rain raged, the leaves rustled as they were battered, and even the wind and rain blew in through the dilapidated windows, carrying leaves with them.

The sky was dark, and the light inside the wooden house was also very dim.

In the mountains and forests, nothing could be seen at all.

Shen You groped around behind her back with both hands, pondering how she could escape.

Before she could think it through, her chin was grabbed viciously.

Immediately afterwards, her mouth was forced open, and a bowl of cooled tea was poured directly into her throat.

"Hmm..."

"Cough cough cough!"

Although the overflowing tea soaked her collar, she still swallowed most of it.

Shen You's fear reached its peak at that moment.

How could she not guess what was in the tea?

"Miss Shen, I promise you'll get what you want later."

Hahahahahaha.

The man smiled and reached out his hand to her, taking steps toward her.

Disgusting, foul-smelling, filthy, and nauseating.

No matter how much she struggled or tried, she couldn't untie the ropes binding her.

A wave of heat surged deep within my body, accompanied by a stinging itch as if ants were gnawing at me.

There is an urgent need for relief.

Shen You's face turned red from the effects of the drug, and with his feet bound, he could only kick wildly based on instinct.

But the next moment, her hair was grabbed and she was dragged to the side of the dilapidated bed by a strong force.