Chapter 59 Taking revenge on her

Fu Heng knew that although Meng Qingci resented and hated him, she hadn't gone so far as to want to kill him. If she knew that 'planting incense' was using his life to continue her love, with her soft heart, she certainly wouldn't have stood by and watched him die.

However, what he wanted at that time was her heartfelt love, not her pity or charity. Now it seems that compared to losing her, as long as he can keep her, what does pity or charity matter?

Meng Qingci was incredulous, her lips trembling as she asked, "Then why did you do this in the first place? Why... what benefit did you get from it?"

Before she could finish speaking, Fu Heng suddenly grabbed the back of her neck, pressing her against him without giving her a chance to resist. He fiercely seized the soft lips he had longed for day and night, like a storm that had been suppressed for too long suddenly breaking through the dam, wildly and wantonly venting his longing and pain between her lips and teeth.

Like a raging storm, it seemed to devour and destroy everything. The long-lost, familiar scent lingered on her lips and teeth, her heart pounded uncontrollably, and her blood seemed to boil.

Meng Qingci couldn't tell if this uncontrollable trembling was because of 'planting incense', or the habit he had repeatedly etched into her bones, or something else entirely—a reason she herself dared not delve into.

For the past two years, she had lived a life of quiet detachment, but now, a torrent of emotions surged forth without warning, and Meng Qingci pushed hard against his firm chest, trying to break free from this out-of-control vortex.

But Fu Heng held her slender waist tightly, as if he wanted to embed her into his bones and blood, or as if he wanted to drill into her soul.

No matter how angry Ren Mengqingci was, digging her nails deep into the flesh of his nape, Fu Heng remained unmoved, as if he felt no pain. Only when she was exhausted and weak, and even the last bit of her temper had been worn away, did he reluctantly, with lingering satisfaction, slightly loosen his grip.

Meng Qingci's lips were swollen and red, glistening with moisture, imbued with his scent, like a ripe, tempting peach that would burst open at the slightest touch. Fu Heng's eyes were deep, his lips pressed against her forehead, a low, self-deprecating murmur escaping his throat: "Don't you know everything? That's why you despise me so much."

Not only did she despise herself, but he also despised himself. He had known since childhood that he carried his mother's dirty and filthy blood, and that his very existence was a disgrace. Therefore, he despised Wang Shi, and he also despised himself.

Later, his grandmother noticed his unusual behavior and, fearing he might be blinded by a single leaf, told him: He had done nothing wrong. Even without Wang Shi, the Fu family had never been clean. She herself had been forcibly taken by her grandfather, and his father had even forcibly taken another man's wife to have his eldest son, so much so that the eldest son's father's true parentage was unknown. Telling him about the old stories of the Marquis's mansion was to prevent him from becoming overly self-loathing. Even though his grandmother had told him many things, he clearly knew that he carried the same despicable and filthy blood as Fu Shi and Wang Shi in his veins, which disgusted him even more. Therefore, he never approached women and deeply abhorred romantic love.

Until he met Meng Qingci, he fell in love first, but she only wanted to get rid of the Marquis of Anyi's mansion, keeping him at arm's length and treating him as nothing.

Born into the prestigious Fu family, he served as governor of Fujian and Guangdong for many years, wielding immense power. He had always been the one being flattered, never able to refuse anyone, much less dared to. How could she so blatantly disregard and belittle the sincerity he had offered for the first time in his life?

Unable to suppress his despicable nature, he could no longer pretend to be a gentleman in front of her, and all he wanted was for her to focus her attention on him and only look at him.

She grew up in the Fu family just like him. Even as a maid, she had a pair of clean, penetrating eyes and a heart that remained pure despite its surroundings, determined to climb out of the mire.

He felt a redeeming warmth whenever he was near her, as if it could wash away all his filth, making him only want to plunder without restraint. Knowing how much she despised the Marquis of Anyi's mansion and every member of the Fu family, he still wanted to drag her into this quagmire.

He hadn't understood his parents' almost pathological madness before, but at that moment he suddenly understood, and strangely, he no longer hated them so much, nor did he feel self-loathing anymore. She was his salvation; what wrong had he done to save himself?

Meng Qingci's chest heaved as she gasped for breath, a suffocating pain in her heart as if it were about to burst. Something seemed about to burst forth uncontrollably, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury: "You said yourself that your advantage isn't something to be taken for granted. I misjudged you, and I admit that mistake; I can afford the price. But you're greedy, wanting to exchange it for my lifelong willingness to be with you. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

She has been here for ten years. The magical world of the Marquis of Anyi's mansion has worn down all her gentleness and expectations. For ten years, she has been walking on thin ice. In this cannibalistic den of demons, if she wants to survive, she has to abandon all her conscience and kindness. All she has left is exploitation, self-interest, and hypocritical performance.

However, on the night they first met, she felt Fu Heng's selfless kindness and feigned ignorance of his 'protection'. It wasn't exactly warm, but it was the only time during her ten years of struggling to survive and being in dire straits that someone reached out and helped her without asking for any so-called 'reward'.

When he took her out of the Grand Princess's residence, she knew he had feelings for her, but at that time she only wanted to leave the suffocating Anyi Marquis's residence as soon as possible and did not want to have any further involvement with anyone from Anyi Marquis's residence. After all, she had been planning and looking forward to this matter for ten years.

Unexpectedly, Fu Heng shattered her last hope for humanity. He killed her by destroying her spirit, and precisely because he did nothing, she was powerless to resist.

She couldn't blame him; in fact, she had to pay a price. After all, without Fu Heng, she would never have been able to leave the Marquis of Anyi's mansion. If she had truly developed feelings for him, it would have been out of hatred and resentment for his betrayal. How could he possibly expect her to still admire him under such circumstances?

Fu Heng gripped her hand, her palm pressed against his chest, where a deep, powerful pulse beat: "Now you know my life is in your hands. You wanted fairness. Now that it's fair, how do you want to negotiate to spare my life?" He said with a hint of sarcasm, "I know you look down on it, but it's still worth something, isn't it?"

He originally thought that her willingness to have her own child meant she had come to terms with it, but he didn't expect that she was just numbing herself, disregarding the danger of destroying the alchemy furnace in order to get rid of him.

For the past two years, he has been trying to figure out what she was thinking. He has recalled countless moments they spent together, trying to find even the slightest trace of her sincerity towards him.

He was certain that on their first meeting that night, she genuinely thanked him for helping her fend off Fu Hongxuan's harassment. At the residence of the Grand Princess of Le'an, she danced for Fu Jingyu and was surrounded by Princess Changning and her men. He helped her escape, and she woke up on her couch in his study. Though frightened, she felt a certain genuine affection for him; she was almost ready to trust him. He had shattered her precious trust and continued to make mistakes.

Fu Heng actually regretted it. If he had chosen to be more patient and less cunning back then, would she have had even a little bit of affection for him? Would things be a thousand times better than they are now?

But there's no going back in this world. With her strong-willed nature, she wouldn't tolerate infidelity even once. Yet he still wanted to try, even if it meant risking his life. Even if she didn't like him, as long as she was willing to stay by his side, that would be enough.

Meng Qingci was stunned for a moment. She never expected that someone as proud and self-respecting as him would belittle himself and talk to her about his life and death from such an unusual perspective. His heart was pounding hot, and she felt an unbearable sense of oppression. She wanted to pull her hand away, but he held it firmly against his chest.

"Let go." Meng Qingci glared at him angrily.

Fu Heng, however, stubbornly stared at her without blinking, not missing a single change in her expression.

We're all smart people; there's no need to spell things out.

This time, when Fu Heng caught her, he was actually willing to give her a way out, which was truly beyond Meng Qingci's expectations.

She thought: Given Fu Heng's temperament, even if he doesn't torture her, he will definitely vent his anger and teach her a lesson, so as to warn her to be honest and obedient.

Meng Qingci also carefully observed Fu Heng's expression. It didn't seem fake. She blinked her beautiful eyes, which were still red at the corners, and nodded decisively, giving Fu Heng the answer he wanted: "One life for another. Zhu Youyi's life for yours, you've gained something."

She didn't care about the underlying principles of "fragrant cultivation"; the outcome was already decided. Fu Heng's intentions shouldn't be too obvious.

If she had kindly helped Zhu Youyi back then, then Zhu Youyi taking her away from Minzhou would have settled things evenly. But in the past two years, Zhu Youyi had willingly risked her life, using her marriage to conceal her identity, entrusting her entire fortune to her, and treating her child as her own. For this kindness and loyalty, Meng Qingci couldn't just ignore it.

With Zhu Youyi's life as collateral, unless Zhu Youyi betrays her one day, this will be a life-or-death pact between the two of them, and Meng Qingci will not gamble with Zhu Youyi's life.

Fu Heng could barely suppress the urge to smile. He tried his best to restrain himself, fearing that if he smiled, she would get angry.

The carriage had already stopped, but no one dared to approach and urge it on. For a moment, apart from the intermittent sound of the waves outside, the carriage was completely silent, and even the breathing of the two people unconsciously became a little lighter.

Meng Qingci could clearly feel that Fu Heng's heartbeat had quickened a few more beats. The thumping vibrations, penetrating her tightly pressed chest, made her heart tingle, and even her fingertips trembled slightly.

His long, dark eyes were now swirling with an undisguised, intense gaze that startled her; his gaze was so possessive that it almost overwhelmed her.

As if afraid of breaking the rare, genuine peace between them, Fu Heng's voice was low and soft, deliberately softened: "Qingci, you're so smart, you know what I want."

Upon hearing this, Meng Qingci's face immediately turned cold. She pressed her hand against Fu Heng's chest and shoved him forcefully: "Bah! That's a different price. Don't act innocent after getting a good deal. If it weren't for me, if you wanted this world, you would have to wade through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Whether you could even emerge from among the heroes is still unknown. The other prefectures are not to be underestimated either. Even if you are lucky, you will only win by a narrow margin, and the price will certainly be heavy. It is uncertain whether you can recover after more than ten years of recuperation."

She scoffed coldly, "You've managed Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang for years. This battle has not only wasted your resources and manpower but also your troops. It has almost exhausted all your efforts over the years. I don't believe you can't do the math. Now that I've developed gunpowder, a weapon of immense power, not only will no one in the Zhaode Dynasty be able to rival you, but even barbarians and foreign lands will fear your might. You'll subdue your enemies without a fight, and it's only a matter of time before all nations pay tribute and the world submits to you. And yet you're still not satisfied."

Fu Heng leaned back on the couch, pulling her onto him. In the dimly lit carriage, he listened to her insightful and penetrating observations on the state of the world, which rivaled those of his strategists. He thought to himself: She had indeed been hiding her true abilities all along.

He gently kissed her hand, then lowered his eyes, concealing a fleeting look of desolation: "What do you want? My life is in your hands, what can't I give you?"

Fu Heng had been thinking about Meng Qingci a lot over the past two years. He would often touch every piece of her jewelry and every dress she had ever worn in their private room late at night. She left without taking anything with her.

He kept thinking about how she had no memory of her past and had worked as a maid in the filthy An Yi Marquis's mansion for ten years without being swayed by worldly desires. After all, Fu Yan'an and Fu Jingyu were more than capable of dealing with a servant.

She spent money like water in Minzhou, living a life of extravagance even surpassing that of noble ladies, yet she had no interest in fine clothes and ornaments. She loved money and had long supported the Song brothers to pave the way for her, but she didn't take a single penny from them, showing no greed whatsoever.

How did she manage to be so free of desire? Her composure is such that even royalty would find it difficult to resist the temptations of greed, let alone a servant girl.

Meng Qingci knew what he was asking. In the past, she had only given him perfunctory answers, but now she wanted to see how he would answer. She chuckled and said, "I want half of your empire. I want a world without brothels and without actors being considered lowly. Would you agree?"

She thought: Let's talk about this for now; we can't expect to achieve everything at once. I need to ask him to do something so that I don't feel like I'm being wronged.

Fu Heng tightened his grip on her hand, paused for a moment, and then said, "This is all you want?"

Meng Qingci raised an eyebrow slightly: "What? You can't bear to part with it?"

If we were to talk about what she has learned most from her time in the city over the past two years, it would be her understanding of brothels and entertainment venues. It is said that the third productive force is a considerable source of income, almost a risk-free business with huge profits.

However, most of these people were skilled in singing, dancing and playing musical instruments. She loved dancing as much as her life and was loved by thousands of audiences because of her dancing. This made her feel extremely uncomfortable and even disgusted whenever she saw those practitioners, especially women, being despised, objectified and insulted in brothels and theaters.

Is it because she is kind-hearted? Not necessarily. After all, she spent ten years in the Marquis of Anyi's mansion, and no one saved her. In the end, she saved herself. She just didn't want to give up the true self buried deep in her heart.

"Compared to your sincerity, I've come out on top." Fu Heng kissed her lips tenderly, then asked casually, "Qingci, you really like dancing, don't you?"

Fu Heng didn't miss the moment she danced with her sword in the private room. Unlike every time he had seen her before, her male attire made her more relaxed and natural. Facing the pure amazement and admiration of the crowd, she appeared even more flamboyant and proud.

In that instant, Fu Heng seemed to have glimpsed something he never knew existed, something that brought him very close to her heart. He wanted just a little closer...

This time he won't be impatient, and he won't mess things up again.

For a moment, Meng Qingci seemed to freeze as if struck by a magic acupuncture point. Fu Heng did not wait for her answer, nor did he ask any more questions. He simply picked her up and carried her off the carriage and onto the magnificent and splendid treasure ship.

Yan Jiang watched as Meng Qingci was taken away. He was blocked by the Black Armor Army and was extremely anxious but helpless. He could only brave the rain to drive back to the Cen Mansion to report the news. When he returned to the Cen Mansion, there was only Steward Cen and a group of servants.

Yan Jiang was struck dumb, feeling as if the sky had fallen. He was completely bewildered and had no idea what had happened.

Seeing that he was soaking wet and looked like he'd lost his soul, Steward Cen patted him on the shoulder: "Madam said that you were never born, and now that Master no longer employs servants, if you want to stay, you can go to work in a workshop in Zhaoqing Prefecture. If you don't want to go to the workshop..." Steward Cen took out a thousand-tael silver note and handed it to Yan Jiang: "Madam said that you have served Master diligently these past two years, so this is all a token of her appreciation. Take it and live a good life."

Yan Jiang touched the silver note, his heart feeling like it was being fried in oil.

"You've caught a chill, stay here and rest for a while. If you've made up your mind, you can leave later." Seeing how devastated he was, Steward Cen sighed, turned and left. He needed to calm down too; his internal organs felt displaced today, and he hadn't been so frightened in most of his life.

Two days later, the news of what happened at the theater had spread like wildfire, and Yan Jiang finally learned the gist of it.

From shock to a heavy feeling of unease, the seven-foot-tall man had grown a stubble beard, his eyes were bloodshot and his lips were covered in blisters.

He was framed while escorting goods and made a scapegoat. He thought he was going to die, but he was unexpectedly saved by Jin Yunnian. He wanted to repay her kindness by becoming her servant, but she took him in and didn't ask him to sell himself.

He followed her around on business every day, and when there were banquets, he often stayed by her side, almost longer than when she was with her wife. With such close companionship every day, and being no naive young man, how could he not discover her secrets?

Yan Jiang thought that for a woman to go to such lengths to conceal her identity, she must have some great reason to do so. She had saved his life, and he wouldn't betray her. He would simply pretend not to know anything. Seeing her growing fame, he couldn't help but admire her skill and intelligence. Yan Jiang never dreamed that she was actually the wife of the Governor of Fujian and Guangdong.

Fu Heng carried Meng Qingci into the ship's bedroom, sat on the bed, and held her on his lap.

Feeling the ship slowly start moving, Meng Qingci was anxious to see Zhu Youyi and her son, and tried to break free from him: "I want to see my son. Where have you arranged for him?"

Fu Heng wouldn't let her leave: "He's my son too. How could I mistreat him?"

Meng Qingci patted his shoulder: "He's too young, he's never been far from home, and he'll definitely be shy without someone he knows to take care of him. I'm afraid I'll scare him."

"Don't worry, Zhu Youyi is with him." Fu Heng pinched her chin, forcing her to look at him. Only when he saw that her dark eyes reflected only his image did he feel slightly satisfied: "Qingci, in these past two years, have you really not missed me at all?"

Meng Qingci thought: Of course I miss him. Every time I think of him, I feel resentful and it makes my teeth itch with hatred.

Fortunately, Fu Heng didn't necessarily need her to answer. He was no longer arrogantly deceiving himself, nor did he covet her feigned gentleness. He said generously, "I think of you all the time, to the point that my internal organs ache. So please, have some pity on me."

Meng Qingci couldn't believe he could utter such shameless and cheesy words, so she pulled him into her arms and kissed him. His eagerness in the carriage was different now; this kiss seemed to truly express his longing over the past two years, so tender and passionate that it almost drowned her in its intensity.

"Qingci." He called her name softly, as if that would confirm that she was truly in his arms at that moment.

Meng Qingci thought that the 'fragrance' must be influencing her again, otherwise why could she feel his sincerity that was different from before? She didn't believe that someone as cunning as Fu Heng could have much sincerity.

"Qingci, I've repented, but you have to make it up to me." Fu Heng's breathing was a little unsteady. Even after two years, he was still fully aware of all her sensitivities.

Fu Heng pressed her back against the wall from behind, kissing the back of her neck. His hot breath was on her ear, and his long, slender fingers, which had been holding a pen to review official documents, were washed clean in an instant.

She was utterly powerless, unable to break free, in a state of extreme humiliation, with only one point of leverage: the balance she could find between him and the wall.

Fu Heng, still shameless, said, "The first time I saw you dance, I thought you were so flexible. Guess what I was thinking then?"

Meng Qingci felt a rush of blood to her head, her face flushed with shame, and she struggled to curse him: "You shameless bastard, how could you do this to me?" Her voice trembled with tears at the end.

Fu Heng kissed away the tears falling from the corners of her eyes, his voice low and husky with desire: "Qingci, have you thought of me even for a moment these past two years?" He pinched one of her ankles and pressed it against the wall, then pinched her waist.

Meng Qingci felt that Fu Heng was taking revenge on her at this moment. She had told him that he was not a magnanimous person. It was all her fault. She couldn't outsmart this old fox.

Fu Heng didn't urge her, and the two seemed to be silently competing, until Meng Qingci almost cried out, "No, no... I can't..."

"Qingci, it misses you so much." Fu Heng wouldn't let her off easily, soothingly nuzzling her delicate, snow-white neck, his voice like he was coaxing her: "Don't be afraid, have you forgotten? You could do it before."

Meng Qingci couldn't persuade him. The two of them had never been compatible in this matter, and she had been celibate for two years. How could she withstand his recklessness? She wisely said, "I was wrong. Please forgive me this time."

“You’re so nervous, it means you like it too.” Only at this moment did Fu Heng truly feel his heart come back to life, and he was not about to let her go: “It was my fault before. You used to think I was boring, but I’ve changed now.”

Meng Qingci was terrified upon hearing this. How dare this lecherous old man say he missed her? She had no idea where he had learned such despicable tricks.

For a fleeting moment, Meng Qingci felt that she could neither pray to God nor die, and that she would have to go through heaven and hell.

Fu Heng nibbled on the soft flesh of her earlobe and whispered in her ear, "Qingci drowned."

Meng Qingci felt so ashamed, indignant, and furious that she burst into tears, still unable to accept the fact.

Fu Heng then let her go, holding her in his arms and gently stroking her back with great patience: "Good girl, you just like it."

Meng Qingci cried uncontrollably, feeling utterly wronged, like a broken rag doll: "You're bullying me! How could you bully me like this? Fu Heng... you can't bully me like this! You can't..."

Fu Heng's satisfaction was tinged with a hint of pitifulness: "I just wanted to be closer to your heart."

Meng Qingci was stunned by his words and forgot to cry. She hiccuped, and even though her hands and feet were weak, she couldn't help but kick and punch Fu Heng with both hands and feet, and couldn't help but curse him: "I hate you, I hate you, you dog, you dog, are you close enough?"

Meng Qingci had been mentally and physically exhausted today, and the fright she had suffered had already drained her energy. After crying like this, she soon fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.

Fu Heng carefully washed her, treating her with almost reverence. He then changed her into her nightgown, carried her to the bed, covered her with the quilt, and lowered the curtains.

Fu Heng then tidied himself up, stepped out of the room, and said to the maid at the door, "Don't disturb her. If she wakes up, come and report back."

"Yes." The maid's face was blank, but her tall and straight figure clearly indicated that she was a trained martial artist.

Inside the cabin, Cen Yichu was somewhat excited. Although he had been on ships before, he had never been on such a large one, yet he still didn't run around. The little guy could sense his mother's unease; he was a man and should stay by her side. However, he couldn't help but ask, "Mother, where are we going? What about Father?"

Zhu Youyi had been holding her son the whole way without letting go. Now that her son had been on her lap for so long, her legs were numb, but she still didn't put him down. She pursed her lips and said, "Your father is a little busy right now. He'll come to see you when he's done."

She stroked the little one's soft, fine hair and asked gently, "Do you remember what your mother told you?"

Cen Yichu grabbed the index finger of one of her hands and said proudly, "Of course, I remember everything Mother said."

Zhu Youyi couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat. She forced herself to hold it in and praised with a smile, "Our Yichu is the best. Now that you remember, I can rest assured."

Cen Yichu frowned: "If I forget, Mother will remind me. Mother, where are you going? Why aren't you taking Yichu with you?"

Zhu Youyi turned her face away. She didn't expect her son to be so intelligent. She had only said a few words, yet he had noticed.

Just then, Fu Heng strode in. His gaze immediately fell on his young son's furrowed brows, and then his sharp eyes swept over Zhu Youyi. His icy gaze seemed to be questioning, or perhaps warning.

Zhu You observed his imposing demeanor and, although he had never met the governor before, he already understood most of the situation. He quickly composed himself, gently set Cen Yichu down, straightened his clothes, and then softly guided him, speaking with the usual loving tone: "Yichu, this is your father. Go and pay your respects to your father."

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Author's Note: Meng Qingci: Old Rogue

Fu Heng: I have been a vegetarian for two years, please forgive me.

Author's note: In this part, the two have to some extent opened up to each other. Forced possession is just the beginning; developing love is a process. The main plot now revolves around the male protagonist facing a love rival, the couple's internal conflicts, and their constant bickering with outsiders.

If I'm in the mood, I might improvise an "what if" scenario. Possible scenarios: 1. The male lead is reborn; 2. The female lead meets the modern male lead. Feel free to vote!