Chapter 63 Why don't you just smell me to see if there's anything else on me...?
The man's expression was one of barely concealed rage. His eyes were narrowed and filled with a malevolent aura, displaying his fury with an unbridled ferocity, as if he were about to explode at any moment.
Jiang Shuifu glanced at him briefly before looking away, then grabbed her sister and prepared to leave. She had no doubt that, in his anger, he would lock up the entire Tianfu Restaurant and settle accounts with her slowly.
She's used to it, but how scared her little sister is.
Even though He Beiqing's expression was complicated, he never neglected the proper etiquette and bowed to him, as if it were an action etched into his very bones.
But as soon as she opened the door to the house, a thick and strong wall of people blocked her way. Shen Jizhao had come over!
Jiang Shuifu lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. There was nothing to say to this kind of person; whatever he wanted to do, he would just vent his anger.
Shen Jizhao desperately tried to control his anger, to control the shock and fury he felt when he heard the little brat call He Beiqing "brother-in-law," and to control the various doubts and confusions that had followed:
What exactly happened between them during the time he was away and during the time he had He Beiqing monitor her?
He could make children who were afraid of him, disgusted by him, and avoid him at all costs treat him differently! They even affectionately called He Beiqing the title of "brother-in-law," a title that only he could bear!
He couldn't even bear to think about it. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He wished he could immediately lock He Beiqing up and torture him severely. It seemed that the punishment last time was too lenient!
Although Shen Jizhao tried his best to control himself, a hint of anger still flickered in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, wanting to question her about the meaning of those two words, whether she taught them to the child, and whether her silence meant tacit approval.
He was nearly driven mad, his mind racing. He absolutely could not tolerate this, but in the end, he swallowed his anger, though what he said inevitably carried a hint of barbs:
"May I come in?"
His words were extremely sarcastic and mocking, as if the two people inside were having some shady dealings.
Jiang Shuifu scoffed, "You still care about that? Didn't you break into the Jiang residence multiple times as if it were empty? You don't actually think you're a righteous and honorable gentleman, do you?"
Shen Jizhao's face grew even uglier. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, trying to gain some sense of security by getting close to her and tell her that he was overthinking everything.
However, the person who was just a step away from him kept retreating until they went inside the house, and his hand could never touch her at all.
Just as he was about to walk up to her and cover her small body, He Beiqing suddenly stepped forward and bowed to him.
"It's all my fault. I didn't know Your Highness was coming and failed to greet you properly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me! I apologize to you!"
Although He Beiqing said this, he didn't move an inch, as if he was guarding against him and protecting the woman inside.
Sometimes, men don't even need to look at each other. Shen Jizhao could tell that he was being sent away, not letting him take another step forward.
His eyes were like a knife, sharp and piercing, carving away at the male animal in front of him, piece by piece!
He then discovered that He Beiqing was not only the same height as him, but also quite good-looking, deserving the title of "good-looking"!
Beautiful?! The phrase popped into his mind again: You are so beautiful, we are a perfect match!
Hmph! He glanced back at Jiang Shuifu, this time observing her carefully to see if she was swayed by his beauty.
His demeanor had a hint of catching someone in the act, as if he were the wife, scrutinizing his woman to see if she was seeing someone else.
Jiang Shuifu scoffed, "Such brothel behavior! Why don't you just smell me to see if I smell like any other men!"
Hearing her sarcasm, Shen Jizhao knew it hadn't come to that. He relaxed and sat down. There were all sorts of drinks on the table, and it was clear they were enjoying themselves.
This realization made him very unhappy.
He picked up the wooden skewer on the table; it was clearly for skewering candied hawthorns. He didn't want the one He Beiqing offered, but he enjoyed the one He Beiqing gave him.
He brought the wooden stick closer to smell it, but it didn't smell as good as the one he had given him. How could the child like it?
He fiddled with the wooden skewer in his hand, pondering what the difference was, and after drawing a conclusion, he flicked it, shattering the skewer into pieces.
"I instructed General He to keep an eye on her and watch her every move. I didn't expect you to be so attentive, even coming all the way here. You are truly loyal. I am very pleased!"
His words were blatantly provocative, directly reminding Jiang Shuifu that the handsome man in front of her was not sincere towards her, but rather had a purpose in approaching her and spying on her.
He knew her personality; she wouldn't accept betrayal.
They will not tolerate being monitored by others.
As expected, Jiang Shuifu gave He Beiqing a sharp look when she heard this. He Beiqing couldn't deny it, even though he hadn't come to see her for such a shameful purpose.
The reason Shen Jizhao stirred up trouble was because of that wooden stick.
That wooden stick confirmed to him that there was a secret between He Beiqing and his Crown Princess, and perhaps some affection that he could not know about.
"Bad guy! Big bad guy! Don't you dare bully my sister! We're not afraid of you anymore, we have our brother-in-law..."
Suddenly, Mei Bao's childish yet angry voice rang out. She puffed out her small mouth, which could hold a kettle, and stared angrily at Shen Ji Zhao.
Shen Jizhao didn't bother arguing with a little brat. Apart from his face darkening a bit, he didn't react much. How did he bully her? Wasn't it enough that he couldn't bear to touch her?
When she blurted out those two words again, he suddenly sat up straight, leaning towards them. In a flash, He Beiqing quickly covered Mei Bao's mouth to stop her from saying anything more.
Mei Bao's mouth was covered, but she didn't make a fuss. She obediently walked to his side, holding Jiang Shui Fu's hand while reaching for his robe with her little hand, showing complete trust.
In an instant, a man and a woman with a little girl in between looked like a perfect couple, a loving pair!
In the entire room, he was the outsider!
Shen Jizhao almost lost his balance and was about to get up, but he managed to control himself. He glanced down at the drinks and pastries on the table and scoffed.
"These are all foods I love to eat. Water lily, why not call me 'I'?"
Shen Jizhao accidentally dropped the pastry in his hand, and it rolled all the way to He Beiqing's feet. He Beiqing knew that this was a way of showing him his power.
Shen Jizhao suddenly looked at Meibao, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "I love sweet, cuddly kids the most, I wish I could hug and kiss them a few times!"
Upon hearing his words, Mei Bao immediately lowered her head and sniffed. The smell made her frown in confusion. She smelled like sugar water, which he would surely love. What if he tried to hug and kiss her? She didn't want that!
She was so frightened that she quickly hid behind Jiang Shuifu, not daring to look at him again.
He had achieved his goal, and continued to scrutinize the staggering man with arrogant, disdainful, and condescending eyes, as if looking at a dog that dared to disobey its master.
His punishment began.
He deliberately picked up a pot of freshly boiled, steaming tea, and then slowly smashed it on the ground, instantly wetting a large area and causing small bubbles to appear from the heat.
He Beiqing knew what he was up to as soon as he saw him. He could only endure the pain, bend down to pick up the pastries from the ground, and then, step by step, kneeling with his bloodied and mangled knees amidst a large amount of hot tea, he raised his hands to offer them to His Highness the Crown Prince: "Your Highness!"
He Beiqing knelt upright, his fresh, bleeding wound soaking in the scalding water. His skin and flesh separated once again, sticking stickily to his trousers. Even the most patient person couldn't help but frown.
Shen Jizhao was still not satisfied. "Come forward!"
He Beiqing had no choice but to obey, moving knee by knee in a kneeling position until he reached the very center of the tea.
Beneath his knees lay shattered pieces of a teapot, sharp and jagged, piercing his flesh and blood. The man above him seemed to hear the grinding of his bones.
He raised his head high, then bowed in submission:
"Your Highness, please!"
Shen Jizhao then accepted it with satisfaction:
"If something I like falls to the ground, someone will eagerly pick it up and reverently bring it back to me. If I'm pushed too far, I'll devour it immediately!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the broken and stained pastry and swallowed it in one gulp.
This is an extremely domineering declaration of sovereignty and ownership.
It was also a reminder to them that this could only happen once; he could not covet his woman, and she could not fall into someone else's arms.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even have the patience to continue dealing with her; he would just devour her whole.
This is his bottom line that cannot be crossed! Not even a tiny bit!
"If someone covets it..."
Shen Jizhao suddenly laughed, and after a long while, he stopped his mockery and gave a contemptuous scoff:
"Overestimating himself, utterly despicable. Is he going to gamble away his already finite future, or risk the fate of his entire clan to seize it? What do you say, Lord He?"
He Beiqing knew he was being threatened, and for a long time he did not give a reply, but silently endured the humiliation.
Jiang Shuifu witnessed his obsession and madness. At this moment, he had lost even half of his image as a virtuous crown prince who cared for the country and its people. He was extremely disdainful, disdainful that anyone would dare to take someone away from him. Deep down, he also did not believe that he was too arrogant. The title of crown prince had elevated him too much. He did not believe that anyone would really dare to oppose him!
She knew that these words were not only for He Beiqing's ears, but also a warning to her. She could make a scene, she could get angry, but she could not leave him, and she certainly could not run away with someone else!
He was acting unusually crazy today! It was the first time she had ever seen him like this!
This time, Shen Jizhao truly stood up, put his hands behind his back, slightly raised his head, and walked over the kneeling man to Jiang Shuifu. Regardless of whether she had any intentions, he wanted to extinguish them and asked her:
"Would he dare to answer those two words?"
Indeed, He Beiqing dared not accept the title of "brother-in-law".
Jiang Shuifu looked at the man in front of her, who was unfamiliar and frightening to her. At this moment, her desire to escape reached its peak.
When encountering a strange madman, people will choose to run away because they have no idea what he might do.
Shen Jizhao's anger subsided. Looking at the pale-faced woman in front of him, he realized that he had gone too far, as she had witnessed such a bloody scene.
However, he needed to remind her that no man in the world could compare to him, and that his power could easily crush anyone who tried to compete with him.
He finally regained some of his tenderness:
"Is your menstrual cycle better? Is your stomach still hurting? Did you drink the soup I gave you? Don't act rashly and take your health for granted!"
These intimate words of advice not only made Jiang Shuifu even more frightened, but also served as a subtle warning to He Beiqing that only he could do such intimate things with her.
She felt that he was unfathomably cunning and mentally unstable, and that his sudden change of attitude towards her only made her more certain of her thoughts.
Shen Ji's last words as he walked out of the house were a warning to He Beiqing:
"I'm giving you one last chance. You need to recognize your place. I can elevate you to your current position, but I can also replace you with an obedient dog. You've done something wrong, and from this day forward, you'll have to accept my punishment!"
Isn't this a warning to her? Otherwise, she wouldn't have heard it!
.
Shen Jizhao kept his word. He Beiqing's condition has been very bad recently. The physical punishment is a minor issue, but the change in his official position is a major one.
Although Shen Jizhao was thousands of miles away from the capital, he had many informants and advisors. With just one carrier pigeon, the emperor received a memorial impeaching He Beiqing. Not only was he impeached, but the He family was also not spared.
In an instant, the He family's situation changed. It wasn't that they were punished too severely, but that they lost the Crown Prince's favor. People in officialdom are all shrewd, so how could they not see the mastermind behind the He family's demotion?
Just a few months ago, the He family was on the verge of great success, but now they've fallen from grace. There are plenty of onlookers, and it's common for people to praise the powerful and criticize the weak.
Su Yang's power was significantly diminished by He Beiqing's influence, and Shen Jizhao stopped assigning him tasks. With many people below him wanting to move up, he was quickly sidelined within days.
He had already experienced the ups and downs of officialdom, but what really gave him a headache was being framed.
He was falsely accused of being corrupt, secretly accepting bribes, and being unfair in his dealings with others; there were even accusations that he had sexually assaulted and killed a young woman! Such accusations were rampant.
He's been to jail several times already, and his body has many marks on it.
Jiang Shuifu had also heard about it, and she knew that Shen Jizhao's words were not empty talk.
In this situation, does He Beiqing's promise still stand?
She didn't care anymore; he had no obligation to help her, and he couldn't afford the consequences.
To her surprise, she received a note from him:
"See you at Wangxinpo outside the forest three days later."
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Author's Note: Almost there, almost there! We're about to reach the part I've been most looking forward to—a plot full of intense conflict.
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