Three months ago, she borrowed money from the largest money exchange in Jiangzhou and was almost raped by Master Zhao. A young man wearing a fake braid broke into the room and saved her.
She noticed his fake braid at the time and even mentioned it to Qi Zhenheng, who said that this kind of attire might indicate that he was a revolutionary.
So the young man who saved her back then was Cheng Zhiwen's subordinate, and like Cheng Zhiwen, he was a traitor, not a revolutionary.
Now, when Shen Qing thinks back, he realizes that even Qi Zhenheng doesn't seem to know Cheng Zhiwen's true identity. Otherwise, how could someone like him, who grew up reading Confucian classics and was wholeheartedly loyal to the Qing court, become friends with Cheng Zhiwen?
The fact that Cheng Zhiwen was on good terms with Qi Zhenheng, a Qing Dynasty official, is also intriguing.
Shen Qing looked at the young man who was choking her: "What's your name?"
"Jiang Shen".
Shen Qing gave a pale smile: "Jiang Shen, thank you for saving me in Jiangzhou, saving me on the way to Tianjin, and helping me out of a predicament when I was boarding the ship."
Jiang Shen looked at her expressionlessly: "It was all Mr. Cheng's idea. Since last winter, He Fei and I have been protecting you in shifts... Several times when that Zhao fellow tried to harm you, He Fei and I stopped him."
Last winter was the first time Shen Qing met Cheng Zhiwen after she transmigrated to this world.
It turns out that he had secretly sent people to protect her back then.
She had previously thought that Master Zhao had killed the second son and Gao Laosan of the Gao family, but he hadn't harmed her and Gao Liushi because they were women.
It turns out that this wasn't the case. Master Zhao had long intended to harm her, but Cheng Zhiwen's men stopped him.
Shen Qing wanted to cry.
She was well aware of Cheng Zhiwen's kindness towards her, but Cheng Zhiwen... he was a traitor...
Shen Qing raised her hand to cover her face and burst into tears.
Seeing this, Jiang Shen withdrew the arm that was controlling her and took a step back.
She covered her face, her body slumped down the wall, and she finally knelt on the ground: "What should I do... what should I do with you!"
As night deepened, Shen Qing hugged her knees, resting one cheek on her knee, and gazed at the vast sea outside the window.
Although Jiang Shenren left the room, he called two other people to guard the door.
She had just wanted to go out onto the deck for some fresh air, but the two guards wouldn't let her go, saying that Cheng Zhiwen had instructed them to do so.
She had no choice but to return to her room and sit there in a daze.
The next day, someone brought her three meals and afternoon tea, with different dishes every day. It seemed that Cheng Zhiwen wanted to keep her under house arrest in her room.
This continued for a week. One night, Shen Qing couldn't sleep, so she lay in bed in one position to try and hypnotize herself.
The door suddenly opened, and a familiar scent of pine filled the room. She knew it was Cheng Zhiwen, but she pretended to be asleep without showing any emotion.
Cheng Zhiwen closed the door, walked to the bedside, and sat down.
In the darkness, he didn't speak. Shen Qing lay on her side with her back to him, and he could hear her even breathing.
He sat by her bedside for a long time, saying nothing and doing nothing, just sitting there. Finally, he tucked her in before closing the door and leaving.
After he left, Shen Qing couldn't fall asleep again and stayed awake until dawn.
I got up early to wash up, and when I opened the door, I saw Cheng Zhiwen sitting on the sofa as usual, casually flipping through the newspaper.
Hearing the door open, he acted as if he hadn't heard it, not even glancing in Shen Qing's direction.
Shen Qing ignored him, went to the bathroom to wash up, went back to her room to change her clothes, and then sat down at the dining table to eat breakfast.
This time, he made a move.
He covered himself with a newspaper and walked towards the dining table.
Shen Qing didn't look at him or speak to him, and he did the same, ignoring her and eating his breakfast by himself.
Half a month passed by uneventfully.
Every night, Cheng Zhiwen would enter her room after she had fallen asleep.
However, he did nothing but sit quietly by her bedside for a while before tucking her in and leaving.
Sometimes when the weather gets cold, he would touch her forehead to see if she had a fever.
In the morning, when she woke up and opened the door, she would see him sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper as if nothing had happened, and having breakfast with her.
He didn't say a word to her, nor did he ask why she tried to assassinate him that day, nor did he offer any explanation for himself.
It seems he just wants to leave her cold and ignored, letting her beg for mercy on her own.
Shen Qing would never beg for mercy from him, but she also wouldn't provoke him at this critical juncture, so she lay down and let the cold take its course, which made her seem quite obedient.
Perhaps it was this obedience that blinded Cheng Zhiwen. On this day, he finally removed the guards at the door and gave Shen Qing her freedom. Shen Qing quickly went up to the deck to breathe some fresh air.
This deck is on the second level of the ship and is reserved for first-class passengers; it is usually not crowded.
But today, as soon as Shen Qing stepped onto the deck, he found it much more lively than usual.
The women in first class almost all gathered on the deck, chatting in twos and threes.
Since Shen Qing didn't know anyone, he walked to the railing alone, enjoying the sea breeze and gazing into the distance.
Not far away, several European ladies were also sunbathing and chatting.
"Have you heard? This ship is almost at the Red Sea, and all the crew members have had their leave canceled and are on standby at any time!"
"The Red Sea?" someone exclaimed. "Isn't that the sea area where pirates live?"
"Yes! This is the most dangerous part of this route! Once we get past it, we'll be safe!"
Red Sea?
pirate?
Shen Qing tensed up and looked towards the northwest.
The Suez Canal route does indeed pass through the Gulf of Aden, which has long been a hotbed of piracy.
These pirates were beyond the reach of even modern governments with their advanced weaponry, let alone in the chaotic late 19th century!
Shen Qing quickly returned to her room.
When pirates board a ship, they usually approach the passenger ship in several small boats, then board with machine guns. Anyone who resists or tries to escape is shot.
Shen Qing felt it was better to stay in her room. In case the pirates boarded the ship, she could find a secluded spot in her room to hide, which would be relatively safer than standing on the deck.
As she opened the door, she bumped right into Cheng Zhiwen, who was about to come out.
She rubbed her temples and said urgently, "I heard the pirates are coming!"
Only after saying that did he realize that his relationship with Cheng Zhiwen had already broken down.
Her face immediately turned cold, and she squeezed into the space he had created to the side, rubbing her temples.
Behind him, Cheng Zhiwen spoke softly.
"Don't worry, even if pirates board the ship, I won't let anything happen to you."
Shen Qing stopped in her tracks, not turning to look at him, and said coldly, "Mind your own business! I don't need your concern!"
After saying that, without waiting for Cheng Zhiwen to speak, he ran into the room and locked the door.
Shen Qing continued her life of "house arrest," but this time it was because she was afraid of pirates and did not want to go out, not because Cheng Zhiwen was holding her captive.
Cheng Zhiwen continued to visit her room every night, sitting on the edge of the bed without doing anything.
Shen Qing already knew his ways, so she didn't bother with him. He could sit wherever he wanted, and she could sleep in her own bed.
But on this day, Cheng Zhiwen kissed her...
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