The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

First Shen Yu felt the heat against his lips, then the bitter and astringent-tasting medicine poured in.

“Mmn…” Shen Yu resisted, pushing at the man who was half on top of him.

Unfortunately, his resistance was in vain.

The tip of the man’s tongue pried the pearl white teeth apart. The man’s purpose was to feed him medicine—he didn’t press deeper. Shen Yu’s hands on the man’s clothes instinctively tightened.

The medicine he couldn’t swallow in time slipped from the corner of his mouth and dampened his collar at the neckline.

Shen Yu couldn’t reject it. On one side was the man’s powerful tongue, and on the other was the medicine that was constantly flowing into his mouth. All he could do was comply with the man’s wishes and swallow the medicine a little at a time.

After finishing the medicine in his mouth, Shen Yu felt something scrape gently against his lower teeth. When he looked up, he saw the man get up like nothing happened. He intended to continue feeding him.

Shen Yu, disregarding all other considerations, snatched up the medicine bowl and gulped it down without hesitation.

He finally understood how Shang JunLin managed to feed him medicine when he was unconscious. Shen Yu thought it would have been better to remain ignorant.

After Shen Yu obediently finished the medicine, a flash of regret crossed Shang JunLin’s eyes. He brought over the candied fruit which had been prepared.

After eating some, Shen Yu finally felt like his mouth wasn’t as bitter. “Will Your Majesty have some?”

Without waiting for an answer, Shen Yu picked up a piece and fed it to Shang JunLin’s mouth. “Anyway, Your Majesty tasted bitterness because you fed me, so Your Majesty should taste the sweetness, too.”

Shang JunLin lowered his eyes and ate the candied fruit from Shen Yu’s hand.

“Is it sweet?” Shen Yu tilted his head and looked at Shang JunLin’s face.

“It’s sweet.” The candied fruit was sweet, but candied fruit fed by Shen Yu was even sweeter.

After taking his medicine, Shen Yu’s clothes were a little stained. He didn’t feel like going back to bed, so it was just as well. He instructed Shang JunLin, “Your Majesty soiled my clothes. Bring over some clean ones.”

Shang JunLin did as Shen Yu wished and brought him something clean to wear.

Shen Yu had soiled his underclothes. Before changing, he glanced at Shang JunLin. “Shouldn’t Your Majesty avoid impropriety?”

He signaled Shang JunLin to hurry up and go.

Shang JunLin was unmoved. “Is there any part of the noble monarch’s body this emperor hasn’t seen?”

Shen Yu just looked at him without speaking. In the end, Shang JunLin was defeated. “What if this emperor turns around and doesn’t look?”

With that, Shang JunLin turned his back.

Seeing that he really had no intention of leaving, Shen Yu quickly changed his clothes, then picked up his outer robe and put it on. “All set.”

Shang JunLin turned back and came over to straighten Shen Yu’s disheveled outer robe.

Their breakfast had been prepared. Knowing that the two masters were already up, Meng Gonggong told the servants to bring in the meal.

Shen Yu sat opposite Shang JunLin and pointed to a few dishes he didn’t recognize. “Is this a new recipe developed by the estate?”

“It’s part of the medicinal diet that was prepared especially for you.”

The medicinal dishes Shen Yu had eaten before, without exception, all had a faint scent of medicine. This time, although the food was directly in front of him, he didn’t smell the slightest trace of medicine.

Shen Yu took his chopsticks and lifted the food to his mouth. The meat was fresh and tender. It was true that it didn’t taste like ordinary food, but it also didn’t taste anything like the medicinal diet Shen Yu expected.

As if sensing Shen Yu’s doubts, Shang JunLin explained, “Since you don’t like the taste of medicine, these dishes were prepared with methods that suppress medicinal flavors.” 

After finishing the meal, Shen Yu thought of the strange man from before. “Has the man in gray been found yet?” 

He was almost certain he didn’t know the man. Why would that person seek him out? To make it even more puzzling, how was he able to trigger Shen Yu’s sickness just by brushing past him?

Shen Yu had been ill since childhood. Every doctor who treated him said his illness was induced in his mother’s womb. Shen Yu had never doubted them, but now it seemed there was a secret behind it.

As they were talking, the commander of the imperial guard arrived outside and requested an audience. The topic was related to Shen Yu. Instead of avoiding anything, Shang JunLin asked the man to come in and speak.

The commander of the imperial guard saluted Shen Yu and Shang JunLin before stating his business.

“This subordinate ordered my men to search the mountain throughout the night. They succeeded in catching several people with evil intentions and sent them to the prison for interrogation. The man Your Majesty spoke of has also been caught, but this subordinate’s men didn’t capture him. He was found by other people.”

“Who?”

“This subordinate brought them here.”

These new visitors were dressed in identical black clothing. According to the commander of the imperial guard, they had also been roaming Cangqi Mountain. The man in gray almost managed to slip the net. If these people hadn’t found him, he might really have escaped.

The man in gray seemed familiar with the imperial guard’s usual methods. He avoided all of their scouts and made use of certain techniques to evade the Hidden Dragon Guard. After throwing dust in their eyes several times, he escaped the searchers and almost managed to disappear from Cangqi Mountain without a trace.

“Many thanks to both of you. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to mention it,” Shen Yu said.

“We were just following our master’s orders. There’s no need to thank us,” one of the men in black replied.

Shen Yu wasn’t surprised by the answer. The two men appeared to be well-trained dark guards. He just didn’t know what family in the capital was capable of training a team like that.

After the commander and the others left, Shen Yu shared his doubts with Shang JunLin.

Shang JunLin thought for a moment. “As far as this emperor knows, the existing noble families in the capital don’t have the ability to cultivate such a group.”

Shen Yu: “No matter whose people they are, they did us a favor. We should thank them properly.”

Shang JunLin: “What the noble monarch said is right.”

Shen Yu: “Does Your Majesty think these people might be the same ones who were investigating ‘Fei Meng’?”

Shang JunLin: “You mean, they’re Gu Huai’s men?”

Shen Yu nodded. “But I’m not completely sure.”

Shen Yu remembered that in his previous life, Gu Huai had been followed by a group of utterly loyal people. Shen Yu had witnessed their strength. If he was forced to give an opinion, he thought they were probably equal to the men in black he’d just seen.

The man in gray was sent to the dark prison to be interrogated by specialists. Shang JunLin and Shen Yu only had to wait for the results.

Shen Yu noticed that Shang JunLin liked to stick even closer to him now, except for the time he spent approving memorials every day. If not for how incredibly bored Shen Yu got while sitting there, Shang JunLin would have tried to spend that time with him too.

“Your Majesty, you can’t do this.” Shen Yu looked helplessly at Shang JunLin, who’d hooked onto the hem of his clothes. “I’m just going out for a walk.”

Shang JunLin didn’t let go. “The noble monarch can wait until this emperor finishes business.” 

Shen Yu argued: “Your Majesty, we’re separate people and we need space to be apart. Even ordinary couples don’t stick together at all times.”

After a lot of persuading, Shen Yu finally managed to get some private time.

“Noble monarch.”

Shen Yu turned around and saw a young man in a short dark blue top walking towards him.

“Young Master Gu.”

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“I wonder if I can speak to the noble monarch alone?” Gu Huai glanced at Mu Xi, who was beside Shen Yu. He added, “It’s about ‘Fei Meng’.”

“Of course.” Shen Yu turned to Mu Xi. “You can go.”

The fish bit the hook.

Normally, after confirming Shen Yu’s health was no longer in danger, Imperial Physician Gu would have been allowed to go. But Shen Yu wanted to confirm something, so he asked Shang JunLin to keep Imperial Physician Gu around. Gu Huai, who was Imperial Physician Gu’s brother, remained as well.

The next step was to create an opportunity for Gu Huai to meet him alone.

Shen Yu wasn’t worried that Gu Huai would do anything to him. The entire estate was filled with Shen Yu’s people, and there were Hidden Dragon Guards watching from the shadows. As long as Gu Huai was smart, he wouldn’t try to move against Shen Yu in those circumstances. If he really did try something, he would be dealt with immediately, and there was no need to say the rest.

“The noble monarch was expecting me?” Without outsiders present, Gu Huai no longer concealed himself.

His facial features are still immature, but his aura matched the man Shen Yu knew in his previous life, especially his eyes. They were like a bottomless abyss, overflowing with hostility.

“It was only a guess.” Shen Yu slowly poured himself a cup of tea. “Would you like some? It’s good ‘Yuwu silver needle’.”

In the man’s previous life, before going on a mission, he told Shen Yu that if he had the chance, he’d invite Shen Yu to drink “Yuwu silver needle” with him next time. Unfortunately, what came instead was the tragic news that the man had died together with the enemy.

Shen Yu had returned with those memories. In a way, he was fulfilling the appointment he made in his previous life.

Without waiting for Gu Huai to answer, Shen Yu poured him a cup.

“Are you this self-assured with His Majesty too?” Gu Huai picked up the cup and took a sip.

“Children shouldn’t pry into the affairs of adults.” Shen Yu slowly sipped his tea. “You should cherish this opportunity. Next time you want to drink this tea, you’ll have to make it for yourself.”

Gu Huai was speechless. After a long time, he said, “You’re not that much older than me.”

“True,” Shen Yu admitted, “but I’m married. Haven’t you heard? After you get married, you’re an adult.”

Gu Huai took a deep breath and decided to get down to business. “I want to know if the palace was involved in the ‘Fei Meng’ incident.”

According to the clues he found, the palace was inextricably linked with “Fei Meng”.

Shen Yu’s face turned serious. “I can’t make promises for others, but I’m certain His Majesty has never been involved with it. I’m the one who asked him to investigate.” 

“I believe you.” Gu Huai gave Shen Yu a deep look. He took a confidential letter from his sleeve and pushed it over to Shen Yu. “These are the clues my people found. You might already know some of it.”

Instead of taking the letter, Shen Yu asked about something else. “Was it your people who caught the man in gray?” 

Gu Huai: “Yes. Before attempting to cooperate, I thought I should show you a little sincerity. I also arranged for the person who shouted out the name of the King of Yue in public.”

Shen Yu: “What do you want?”

“I want to find the person who created ‘Fei Meng’ and avenge the death of my family!” Gu Huai didn’t speak in circles. When he said these words, his tone was eerily cold.

“Before the matter of ‘Fei Meng’ is completely resolved, that’s all I can say.” Gu Huai relaxed his clenched fists. “If something happens, I hope the noble monarch will protect my gege. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Imperial Physician Gu certainly wouldn’t agree to that.” Shen Yu shook his head. In his previous life, Imperial Physician Gu was involved in such a major case, yet Gu Huai survived. If not for Imperial Physician Gu, how could that have happened?

It was in his previous life and it was impossible to verify. Fortunately, he’d already changed Imperial Physician Gu’s fate.

When Shang JunLin finished his official business and returned, Gu Huai had already left. Shen Yu was staring at an empty cup.

“What did Gu Huai say to you?”

Shen Yu wasn’t surprised that Shang JunLin knew he met Gu Huai in private. He’d spoken to Shang JunLin before. He handed the unopened letter to him. “He talked about ‘Fei Meng’.”

Shang JunLin accepted the confidential letter and put it aside, apparently thoughtful. “Why didn’t Gu Huai come to this emperor directly?”

“If he really is the surviving child of his family, maybe there’s a knot in his heart.” If Shen Yu was in the same position, and believed his family had died as a result of the imperial family’s weakness and incompetence, he wouldn’t have looked kindly on them either.

Assuming, of course, that his whole family wasn’t like the Zhenbei Marquis.

Otherwise he was better off without them.

After returning to the room, Shen Yu noticed the man hadn’t opened the confidential letter. “Your Majesty, aren’t you going to read what’s inside?” 

“Noble monarch, come and look at it with this emperor.”

Shen Yu walked over and was caught off-guard. The man pulled him into his lap and tightly wrapped his arms around Shen Yu’s waist.

Shen Yu struggled, but the man didn’t move. This position was too dangerous. Shen Yu didn’t dare to squirm too much, so he accepted his fate and snuggled into the man’s arms.

Shang JunLin opened the secret letter, and Shen Yu looked over.

It was true, as Gu Huai said, that they already knew some of the things in the letter, but there were also many things they hadn’t found. For example, “Fei Meng” wasn’t originally from Da Huan. Rather, it was brought to Da Huan by a woman offered as tribute by a foreign vassal.

Shen Yu didn’t understand. “Why didn’t the palace record something so important?” 

“Someone must have deliberately erased it.”

After reading the confidential letter, Shen Yu planned to get up. “Now that we’ve read it, Your Majesty should let me go….”

Shen Yu suddenly shut his mouth and turned to look at Shang JunLin.

“Today the noble monarch neglected this emperor for the sake of someone else. Shouldn’t you compensate me a little?” The man murmured unhappily, “The noble monarch even poured him tea….”

TL Notes:

Mmn – 唔 – wú – My least favorite nonverbal. idk how to make it not sound weird in English. Woo? Ooh? Uh? (✿ ≖ ˆ ≖) I picture more of a nasal sound in this case

avoid impropriety – 非礼勿视 – look at nothing that is not consistent with propriety; not to look at things which do not conform to the rites; see no evil

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short (dark blue) top – 短衫 – duǎn shān – short Chinese-style unlined garment; short gown

Yuwu silver needle – 雨雾银针 – rain and mist silver needle – Presumably a fancy kind of tea. There’s a RL variety of actual white tea called “yunwu” – 云雾 – “clouds and mist”

a knot in his heart – 心结 – heart knot – a matter that gnaws at one’s mind / preoccupation / sore point / rancor