The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

What Shen Yu said was "cell phone".

It was something he happened to hear from Shen QingRan in his previous life. Apparently it was a communication tool, and everyone in that era owned one. Shen Yu was only testing Shen Yue. He had no idea she'd reveal herself with so little effort.

It saved him a lot of trouble.

"You transmigrated from modern times too?" Shen Yue asked with astonishment.

"Modern times", "transmigration"—it was the same as Shen QingRan!

Shen Yu was delighted. At first he worried he wouldn't find a way to learn more about Shen QingRan's origin, but Shen Yue sent herself to his door. It wasn't much effort at all.

Before asking what he wanted to know, Shen Yu began with a few questions to stabilize her mood. Shen Yue didn't hesitate to tell him everything about the original owner of her body. She didn't care at all about the original owner and openly called her stupid. She had never told anyone about her origin until now.

Shen Yue was shocked to learn there were other transmigrators in this world besides herself. "When did you…"

"Shh—" Shen Yu interrupted, putting a finger to his lips.

Shen Yue hurriedly covered her mouth. When she saw there were no other people around, she relaxed a little, leaned closer to Shen Yu, and said eagerly, "Since we're from the same place, we should be on the same side. Get me out of here fast. I don't want to stay in this hellhole another moment. It's scarier than an imperial edict prison."

Imperial edict prison.

A new term. Shen Yu's eyes narrowed, but he could roughly guess its meaning from Shen Yue's behavior.

Shen Yu didn't have much time. He calmly continued the conversation. "How did you get here?"

"I don't know. I was on my lunch break in the workshop. When I opened my eyes, I was here." Shen Yue had only one thing on her mind, leaving this hellish place quickly. She didn't bother thinking about the deeper meaning of Shen Yu's words.

Shen Yu asked a few more questions, and she answered all of them. He soon understood what kind of era Shen Yue came from.

He established several points. First, transmigration was not under human control, and the reasons for transmigration were currently unknown. Second, Shen Yue, Shen QingRan, and other transmigrators came from an era that must be thousands of years in the future, where every person was equal and there was no royal family. Technology was far more advanced than in Da Huan.

Beyond that, Shen Yue didn't say much, and Shen Yu couldn't ask for too many details in case he made her suspicious.

Shen Yu was extremely interested in the technology of later generations. Unfortunately, Shen Yue's knowledge was only superficial, and he had to give up.

Footsteps came from behind him. Shen Yu understood this was a reminder that time was up.

"Done talking?"

A low voice spoke from behind him. Shen Yu turned back. Sure enough, Shang JunLin, dressed in black, emerged from the darkness.

When she heard Shang JunLin's voice, Shen Yue shivered. The original owner was a palace maid, and Shen Yue had been taken to witness the massacre. How could someone who grew up in a peaceful era and never even killed a chicken endure such a bloody scene?

For the first time, Shen Yue had a profound understanding of the ancient times she now lived in and how cruel life was in this era. For some ancient people, killing was as easy as eating or drinking water.

Ever since that night, the last bit of fantasy she had about the emperor was erased. When she saw the emperor now, she only wanted to find a crack to hide herself in.

Fortunately, Shang JunLin didn't pay much attention to her. Seeing Shen Yu's relaxed attitude around the emperor, Shen Yue's admiration for her "fellow citizen" increased by leaps and bounds.

"The prison is cold and damp. Time to go back."

Shen Yu felt a sudden warmth on his hand. He felt stunned as he met Shang JunLin's slightly concerned eyes. His hands had gotten cold so quickly, and he hadn't noticed.

As the man held his hand, a steady stream of warmth spread from his fingers and pooled in his heart. Shen Yu smiled. "Yes, Your Majesty, let's go back."

"Any results?"

Shen Yu shook his head. "To be honest, I didn't have much hope. After my mother died, I couldn't find anything about her in the Zhenbei Marquis' residence, much less the capital. It's almost like everything about her was erased overnight, and my mother never existed in Da Huan."

When Shen Yu told Shang JunLin he wanted to talk to the palace maid alone, he said it was because he was "looking for clues about his mother". The background of Shen Yu's mother was genuinely strange. Shang JunLin asked the Hidden Dragon Guard to check as well, but unusually, they were unable to find anything useful.

Now there was a woman whose looks were similar to Shen Yu, and she was deliberately placed in the palace. It was normal for Shen Yu to take interest.

For a while Shang JunLin was silent. He didn't ask Shen Yu for details of his conversation with Shen Yue. "Don't be anxious."

"Is Your Majesty comforting me?" Shen Yu said with a smile. "I expected this result, so I'm not too disappointed. I have Your Majesty's company now. I'm no longer the little boy who longed for his mother."

The two walked together through the cold, dark prison, but there was a steady flow of warmth beside him. Shen Yu tilted his head. Shang JunLin's profile was handsome and his facial features were sharp. To think that such a man, who stood at the height of power, would grant his request and show tenderness to him in such small details. It really…

Really made his heart tremble.

"Your Majesty."

Shen Yu stopped. Shang JunLin looked at him doubtfully.

"I…" Shen Yu was about to speak when a sudden movement caught his eye. Two surreptitious figures were passing by not far away. When Shen Yu looked around he saw only a few palace servants far behind them.

Young Master He!

Something in Shen Yu's mind exploded. There was no time to think. He grabbed Shang JunLin and ran after the sneaking figures.

"Your Majesty, is anyone following us secretly?" Shen Yu gasped. He was physically exhausted.

"You mean…"

"The Hidden Dragon Guard." The situation was urgent. Shen Yu wasn't going to stand by and watch Young Master He escape from the emperor under his nose. "I saw some suspicious people just now and suspect they're trying to break someone out of the prison."

Shang JunLin didn't say much. He immediately gave orders to the Hidden Dragon Guard.

Shen Yu tugged at his sleeve. "Your Majesty, about Shen Yue…"

"This emperor will arrange for someone to watch her."

Because of Shen Yu's weak body, they were a step slower than the Hidden Dragon Guard. By the time they arrived, the suspicious people had already been subdued.

Shen Yu stood behind Shang JunLin, half-hidden by his body. The emperor took the sword handed to him by a subordinate and used the point to lift up the chin of one of the criminals.

"Speak, who ordered you to come?"

"You're a tyrant who brutalizes the innocent! Even if you kill me, I won't talk…."

"Oh? Is that so?" When Shang JunLin lowered the sword, a few scarlet beads of blood dripped from the blade. The man who'd just spoken fell to the ground, dead before he could close his eyes.

The jailer and the other people who'd taken bribes were frightened out of their wits. They never expected Shang JunLin to suddenly appear in the dark prison, let alone that the emperor would kill so abruptly.

Shen Yu smelled the heavy odor of blood. He stuck his head out from behind Shang JunLin.

In addition to the man who fell in a pool of blood, there were three other men in the cell. Two were dressed as prison guards and kept their heads lowered. The third was dressed like a prisoner. He was huddled against the wall with his hair over his face, concealing his features.

Shen Yu poked Shang JunLin. The man didn't respond, so Shen Yu cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, please ask someone to check the condition of the prisoner."

"No…" A man dressed like a prison guard instinctively opened his mouth, realized something, and went pale.

Of course, no one present was going to listen to him. The moment Shen Yu's words fell, Shang JunLin made a gesture, and one of the Hidden Dragon Guards walked up to "Young Master He". Despite "Young Master He"‘s struggle, the guardsman roughly pushed aside the hair concealing the man's face.

The moment he saw the face of this "Young Master He", Shang JunLin narrowed his eyes. An amazing aura of cold erupted from his body.

—This was not the real Young Master He.

No matter how similar his body shape was, it couldn't hide the fact he wasn't Young Master He.

"It seems that this emperor has been too lenient with you."

One of the dark prison guards arrived in a hurry after hearing the news. When he heard these words, his legs went weak and he fell to his knees.

"This servant begs Your Majesty's forgiveness for failing in my duty."

Shang JunLin didn't give him a single glance. He walked over to the man dressed as a prisoner, who hadn't spoken throughout, and put the point of his sword at his neck. "Raise your head."

The man didn't move.

Shang JunLin's hand was steady. The edge of the blade pierced the man's skin little by little, and blood trickled slowly out.

The man panicked. He could feel Shang JunLin's killing intent. If he didn't raise his head, no matter whether he was Young Master He or not, he would die!

Shen Yu was still standing safely behind the emperor, with two Hidden Dragon Guards at his side. He watched the man slowly lift his head, revealing a face that showed the vicissitudes of life.

It wasn't Young Master He.

In the end, Shang JunLin didn't kill the man. He tossed away the sword, took a handkerchief offered by a subordinate, and wiped his hands. In a cold voice he said, "Go and check."

The moment Shen Yu had said something was wrong, the Hidden Dragon Guard took control of the entire dark prison. In a little while, someone brought in a young man whose body was completely limp.

He was also dressed as a prison guard. After he was thrown into the cell, his body kept shaking.

Shen Yu gazed at Young Master He, the person who would bring about so much bloodshed in the future. He could still be considered young and handsome, but his expression was so frightened that it damaged his looks.

After the man was found, Shang JunLin didn't bother to stay much longer. He immediately replaced most of the dark prison guards.

Shen Yu didn't care what happened to the previous guards. He was escorted back to Yuzhang Palace by Shang JunLin, covertly followed by several Hidden Dragon Guards.

Shen Yu knew that his actions today were far too conspicuous. It was normal for Shang JunLin to take precautions against him.

Young Master He was being detained in secret. It was something Shen Yu should know nothing about. After entering the palace, Shen Yu tried to think of ways to warn Shang JunLin that someone wanted to secretly take Young Master He away, but before he found an excuse, he went to the dark prison to speak to Shen Yue and happened to encounter the scene of the jailbreak.

He didn't know if Shang JunLin would believe his explanation.

The conspirators did everything quietly. They bought off the jailers in the dark prison and replaced the real Young Master He with a fake. They also arranged for several people to meet them outside. If Shen Yu hadn't persuaded Shang JunLin to go to the dark prison today, this group might have stolen away the real Young Master He before anyone noticed.

One day passed. Shen Yu didn't have to wait for Shang JunLin to "call him to account". His movements weren't restricted and he didn't feel watched. It wasn't so much that people were sent to monitor him, but to protect him.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Shen Yu stood up so quickly he knocked over the teacup on the table.

"In such a hurry?" As soon as Shang JunLin walked in, he saw Shen Yu fumbling to pick up the cup.

"I was just thinking about Your Majesty, and Your Majesty arrived. Doesn't that mean my heart is connected to Your Majesty?" In a flash, Shen Yu's panic vanished. He composed himself.

"Don't you have something to say to this emperor?" Shang JunLin said with cool emphasis.

—

The author has something to say:

Today is another chance for Little Cat Shen to frantically dance on the edge of the cliff

TL Notes:

imperial edict prison – 诏狱 – A royal prison in ancient China. Most of the prisoners were high-ranking officials jailed personally by the emperor (Wikipedia) The prison was under the direct control of the emperor, outside the normal legal system, and was considered prone to abuses (Baidu)

heart tremble – 心动 – heartbeat / heart rate / One's mind is perturbed. or One's desire, enthusiasm or interest is aroused / (fig.) emotionally affected / aroused (of desire, emotion, interest etc)

dead before he could close his eyes – 死不瞑目 – die without closing one's eyes [with grudge unsatisfied]; He can't close his eyes at the hour of death.; His eyes can't be closed in death; turn in one's grave; cannot die in peace; die dissatisfied; die with everlasting regret; die with injustice unredressed;

the vicissitudes of life – 沧桑 – from 沧海桑田 – from seas into mulberry fields and from mulberry fields into seas—time brings great changes to the world – Another way of saying a person has rugged features or looks a little older

so much bloodshed – 腥风血雨 – a foul wind and a rain of blood — reign of terror; winds carrying an offensive smell of blood; sanguinary slaughter; great blood-shed

Transliterated names, places, and titles—new in this chapter:

Little Cat Shen – 沈猫猫 – Shěn māo māo

[ Project Page | Ko-Fi ✿ | Other translations by Confectioner ]