The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

50

"Of course..." Shen Yu paused deliberately. "He wished Your Majesty and I a hundred years of happy marriage. What did Your Majesty think it could be?"

Shen Yu's voice was full of teasing. When Shang JunLin heard it, he immediately felt the tip of his teeth itch.

The wound on Shen Yu's neck wasn't healed. Shang JunLin just rubbed it gently.

"The noble monarch says such nice things."

"Oh, right, there was something else too. He wanted to apologize to me," Shen Yu added.

"Apologize? Did Jiang HuaiQing offend Ah Yu?"

Shang JunLin put his head on Shen Yu's shoulder. As he spoke, his warm breath caressed Shen Yu's neck.

"It was for what happened last time. Or did Your Majesty forget about that secluded alley..."

"This emperor remembers," Shang JunLin interrupted. When he thought of what happened that day, a light flush appeared on his face. "It's fitting that he apologized."

"It only happened because Your Majesty disregarded the proper time and place.... Why should someone else apologize for that?"

"Because he interrupted this emperor's private time with the noble monarch," Shang JunLin said in a low voice.

Shen Yu turned around in Shang JunLin's arms, coming face-to-face with him. His index finger nudged the man's shoulder. "Your Majesty doesn't think you crossed the line?"

Shang JunLin frowned. "How so?"

"Doesn't Your Majesty care a little too much about my affairs?" Shen Yu clarified.

Shang JunLin tightened his arm around Shen Yu's waist. "Ah Yu is this emperor's noble monarch. We have a marriage contract. What's wrong with this emperor caring about Ah Yu?"

Shen Yu was speechless.

At first glance, there was nothing wrong with anything Shang JunLin said, but when Shen Yu thought about it more carefully, it wasn't quite right.

Shang JunLin didn't give Shen Yu more time to ponder. "Or does the noble monarch think what this emperor said is wrong?"

Shen Yu opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, and finally gave up. "There's nothing wrong with what Your Majesty said."

Shang JunLin knew to quit when he was ahead. After getting the answer he wanted, he changed the subject. "Minister Fang made some progress. Would the noble monarch like to see it?"

Shen Yu was surprised. "Minister Fang moved already?"

It had only been a few days since Shang JunLin handed over the King of Yue's case to Minister Fang. Obviously the man really loved his daughter.

"It's not only Minister Fang. The families of the other ladies intervened as well." Shang JunLin lifted Shen Yu into his arms.

Shen Yu's feet were off the ground. "Your Majesty—" he exclaimed.

"Don't worry. This emperor won't let you fall." Shang JunLin carried Shen Yu to the soft couch and set him down.

"Next time can Your Majesty tell me when you're going to do that?"

"This emperor will try." Shang JunLin sat down beside Shen Yu.

Shen Yu crossed his legs and leaned against Shang JunLin's shoulder. "Your Majesty said some of the other families intervened. What happened? Which families?"

"Aristocratic families attach great importance to face. In doing what he did, the King of Yue violated their cardinal rules. They'll spare no effort to move against him, whether it's for the sake of their family's reputation or to show their loyalty to this emperor." Shang JunLin adjusted his posture to make Shen Yu more comfortable.