The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

The King of Yue looked at Shang JunLin and then at Shen Yu, who was in Shang JunLin's arms, half-leaning against him. The expression on the man's face could be described as kaleidoscopic.

Shang JunLin was right. In terms of familial relationships, Shen Yu was the King of Yue's imperial sister-in-law. What did that mean? The first man he'd ever liked was now with the older brother he couldn't stand!

The words "imperial sister-in-law" echoed in the King of Yue's ears, filling his mind with chaos. When he saw the two people standing together so intimately, he fell into a trance.

Then there was the name "Ah Yu". Once exclusively his, it was ruthlessly snatched away when the young man changed his feelings. Now the only person qualified to use it was Shang JunLin.

Endless bitterness flooded through the King of Yue's heart. He twisted the corners of his mouth, and his smile was uglier than if he were crying.

The chill on Shen Yu's face was dispelled by Shang JunLin's words. Shen Yu almost laughed, and when he saw the King of Yue's dazed expression, he felt even happier.

The statement had clearly dealt an enormous blow to the King of Yue. After Shang JunLin said it, it took him a while to recover.

Shang JunLin spoke to Shen Yu in a low voice. Shen Yu listened with a light smile on his face. It was far from his usual ice-cold expression. The more the King of Yue looked at him, the worse he felt. Even so, he refused to avert his eyes. He stared at them like it was a form of self-abuse.

Sensing his gaze, Shang JunLin gave him a seemingly casual glance. The silent warning made the King of Yue tremble. In panic he looked away.

Some people don't learn what regret is until they've lost something.

Shen Yu didn't know or care what the King of Yue was thinking. In his previous life, he severed the thread between them with his own hands. Not to mention that Shang JunLin was now in his life. Even if that wasn't the case, Shen Yu would never return to the King of Yue.

The only thing he'd do was torment this man to death!

The more the King of Yue wanted something, the less Shen Yu would ever let him have it!

Shen Yu restrained the coldness in his eyes, and then he looked down at the King of Yue. "Your Highness, did you ever think about the consequences your actions would have for those young ladies?"

The King of Yue was startled by Shen Yu's sudden question. "What?" Then he reacted and widened his eyes. "Are you complaining because of those women?"

He suddenly burst out laughing. "When it comes to harming those women, don't you think you hurt them far worse than I did?"

Shen Yu lifted his eyebrows. "You're the one who did wrong. Why blame me? It's better to tell them the truth sooner than let you keep them in the dark for the rest of their lives."

"At least I didn't destroy their reputations in public and disgrace their families. Shen Yu ah, Shen Yu. You've always been clever, but did you ever stop to think that when this incident is exposed, the one who will be hurt the most isn't me, but those young women?"

Shen Yu looked at him silently.

The King of Yue knew he was right, and his smile continued to widen. He looked at Shen Yu and made no attempt to conceal the malice in his eyes. "Outside gossip and family oppression will eat those women alive, and the one responsible is you."

Shen Yu wasn't surprised at all by the King of Yue's sudden change in demeanor. He'd seen every side of this man's personality and knew him very well. The King of Yue might talk about loving this person or that person, but the truth was he only loved himself.

Shen Yu had no doubt that even if Shen QingRan hadn't given the King of Yue all those highly useful strategies in his previous life, they might still have gotten together.

When the expression on Shen Yu's face didn't change, the King of Yue's smile gradually tightened.

"So, you knew your actions would harm those women, but you did it anyway for your own selfish desires, isn't that right?" Shen Yu looked at the King of Yue up and down, and the sarcasm in his eyes was clear. "Your Highness the King of Yue is really full of surprises."

The King of Yue automatically wanted to deny it, but Shen Yu didn't give him a chance. Shen Yu continued, "That's why the King of Yue will be the King of Yue for the rest of his life, and His Majesty will always be the emperor of Da Huan."

"You—" Shocked, the King of Yue jumped up regardless of etiquette. "Don't you know that you shouldn't talk nonsense?!"

His most secret thoughts had been said aloud, and the King of Yue was horrified. He knew that Shang JunLin might have realized his malicious intentions, but so what? There was no evidence. With the late emperor's edict still in place, Shang JunLin didn't dare to do anything to him.

No one should know about his plans aside from Shang JunLin and his own closest confidants. When he deliberately approached Shen Yu, he didn't say anything about it. How did Shen Yu know?!!

Shen Yu smiled, but the smile didn't touch his eyes. He leaned intimately against Shang JunLin and stabbed the King of Yue with his ice-like gaze. "Your Majesty, do you think I'm talking nonsense?"

"The King of Yue knows what he has done. Don't treat this emperor as a fool," Shang JunLin replied.

He knew everything.

The King of Yue staggered back. After several blows in succession, his foreboding grew stronger and stronger.

"The King of Yue needn't worry about the young ladies. His Majesty predicted what you said might happen. Without you in their lives, those women will only go on to better things. Instead of worrying about other people, the King of Yue should worry more about yourself. There are certain things you shouldn't dare to think about!"

As he thought about causes and effects, the King of Yue discarded his meek and subservient appearance. "Shang JunLin, you did this on purpose, didn't you? You made use of those women to arrest me. From the beginning, you never intended to release me.

"What a pity that you can't touch me because of Imperial Father's last decree. Shang JunLin, so what if you're currently sitting in that position? You aren't the one Imperial Father chose!"

"What if he wasn't recognized by the previous emperor? That person couldn't even defend his own country," Shen Yu said. "The recognition of the people is the recognition of the entire world. His Majesty has the support of the people. Or do you think you're somehow better than His Majesty?"

When the jailer who was standing to one side heard this, he felt shocked. He looked carefully at Shang JunLin's face and silently sweated for Shen Yu. The late emperor was the late emperor. Even if His Majesty wasn't close to him, he was still the ruler of the nation and His Majesty's father. To imagine Shen Yu would say that about the late emperor…

But when he saw Shang JunLin's face, the jailer couldn't help but feel surprised. Shang JunLin looked calm, not angry at all at what Shen Yu said, and there was even a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Before the jailer had a chance to see more, Shang JunLin glanced over. When he looked at others, his expression was nowhere near as soft as when he looked at Shen Yu. Under that piercing gaze, the jailer quickly averted his eyes and ducked his head.

The man gained a new level of understanding of how much Noble Monarch Shen was favored.

Shen Yu recited a list of questions one by one. "How much territory have you recovered? How many enemies have you defeated? How many lives have you protected? …"

With each question, the King of Yue's face grew more and more unpleasant. He hadn't done any of those things.

After finishing his list, Shen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly. "So, in which aspect does the King of Yue feel he's better than His Majesty?"

The King of Yue was speechless.

"Ah Yu has such a powerful way of speaking." In the carriage as they returned to the palace, Shang JunLin poured a cup of tea and handed it to Shen Yu. "Have a sip to moisten your throat."

After talking a little too much, Shen Yu was genuinely thirsty. He took the cup and drank from it. "I just can't stand him. He concealed who he was to approach me, and he said such disparaging things about Your Majesty. I don't know why he thinks he's worthy."

Shang JunLin was amused by Shen Yu's blunt words. "Ah Yu really thinks this emperor is that good?"

"Your Majesty is naturally the best," Shen Yu said agreeably. "No one is better than Your Majesty."

Shang JunLin's dragon heart was so pleased that he wrapped his arms around Shen Yu and pulled him close. "Ah Yu is also the best."

Shen Yu was already used to Shang JunLin's occasional hugs and kisses. He found a comfortable position and nestled close to him.

After lying there a while, Shen Yu remembered what happened earlier and poked Shang JunLin in the arm. "Why did Your Majesty suddenly tell the King of Yue that I'm his imperial sister-in-law?"

"Ahem." Shang JunLin coughed once or twice. Where Shen Yu couldn't see, his earlobes flushed scarlet. He replied in as normal a tone as possible, "He's my half-brother, and he's younger than me, and you're my wife. Naturally he should call you ‘imperial sister-in-law'."

"Really?" Shen Yu turned in Shang JunLin's arms, coming face-to-face with him and looking into his eyes.

Shang JunLin's gaze flickered slightly. "Really."

"Oh—" Shen Yu deliberately trailed off. "I thought perhaps Your Majesty was jealous and wanted to declare his sovereignty before the King of Yue. It seems that I was flattering myself about Your Majesty's feelings."

With that, Shen Yu was about to move away, but Shang JunLin caught Shen Yu in his arms. His lips moved, and his voice was almost too low to hear.

"Ah Yu isn't wrong. This emperor was jealous."

"Hahaha." Shen Yu was so delighted that he fell against Shang JunLin, laughing. "Your Majesty, you're so cute."

Shang JunLin corrected him. "Not cute."

His hands were gentle, surrounding Shen Yu and preventing from falling.

His Majesty was also cute when he was serious.

Shen Yu rested his forehead on Shang JunLin's shoulder. His laughter slowed and he gradually calmed down.

The carriage swayed, knocking Shen Yu against Shang JunLin several times. Given their close contact, it was natural to have a reaction. Shen Yu had to sit up straight and move back.

"Why is this road so bad all of a sudden?" Shen Yu remembered the last time they left the palace. The road wasn't nearly this bumpy.

"Meng Chang."

Meng Gonggong heard the conversation inside the carriage and explained, "This slave doesn't know why, but someone dug a lot of holes in the road. There are also some stones in the way, which makes it difficult to travel."

Curious, Shen Yu opened the curtain. The road outside had a lot of potholes.

"Not many people use this road. Who would dig it up?"

The road from the palace to the dark prison wasn't considered a major thoroughfare. Shen Yu and Shang JunLin hadn't encountered any people on it the other times they'd traveled this way. Obviously, the damage was man-made.

Just then, they heard the sound of an argument ahead. Shen Yu poked Shang JunLin's shoulder. After a pause, Shang JunLin ordered, "Meng Chang, go have a look."

"Yes."

Meng Gonggong got down from the carriage. In a short while he returned.

"The two carriages ahead of us collided," Meng Gonggong said with a troubled face. "The road is blocked. Your Majesty and the noble monarch may have to wait for a while."

"No matter." Shen Yu turned to look at Shang JunLin. "Your Majesty, shall we go take a look?"

"Yes."

The two got out of the carriage. Meng Gonggong led them over to the source of the noise.

The owners of the other carriages looked over when they saw more people coming.

One of the parties was none other than Minister Fang and his family.

When Minister Fang saw Shang JunLin and Shen Yu, he automatically began to salute. But when he saw that they, Meng Gonggong included, were dressed in nondescript clothes, he hesitated.

After a moment, the other carriage owner walked up to Shen Yu and Shang JunLin.

"My apologies, but there's something wrong with my carriage. Please wait a little longer. I'll do my best to make it up to you later. I wonder what the two of you are called?"

The man who spoke had a face like jade, and he was gentle and courteous. When he saw Shen Yu, his eyes lit up.

Shang JunLin wrapped his arm around Shen Yu's waist. "My surname is Lin, and this is my wife."

TL Notes:

kaleidoscopic – 精彩纷呈 – unusually brilliant — with high lights; hundreds of high lights; brilliant and varied

dragon heart – 龙心 – Alternatively: imperial heart/mind

flattering myself about Your Majesty's feelings – 自作多情 – to imagine that one's love is reciprocated / to shower affection on an uninterested party; imagine oneself as the favourite of one of the opposite sex; be under the hallucination that the other party is willing; self-sentimental; make a fool of oneself

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

(surname is) Lin – 林

Imperial Father – 父皇 – fù huáng – Alternatively: Father Emperor

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