The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: What Kind of Man Could Stand Her

Cao Deping clasped his hands behind his back and snorted. ”Either way, after this trip to the government office, even if she doesn’t die, she’ll be put through the wringer!”

Cao Chengwen was pleased at first, but then he asked with some concern, ”But those people didn’t actually die. At most, she’ll be accused of malpractice. They’ll lock her up for a few days and then let her out. Won’t she just...”

”Idiot!” Cao Deping couldn’t resist kicking him. ”Four people have died in just a few days! If we cause another commotion now, how are we supposed to answer to the county magistrate!”

You have to know when to stop!

The county magistrate is willing to turn a blind eye and help us now, firstly, for the sake of his wife—my cousin—and secondly, because he wants to close the case as soon as possible and suppress the whole affair.

If more people die and it causes widespread panic, someone is bound to accuse the county magistrate of incompetence for being unable to govern a small place like Jiangling.

”The county magistrate’s term is about to end, and I hear he’s on track for a promotion. That’s why nothing can go wrong during this time!”

Once he gets promoted, won’t we get to ride his coattails? At that point, what’s a small place like Jiangling to us!

Cao Chengwen’s eyes lit up instantly. ”Really!?”

Cao Deping stroked his beard, a smug look on his face. ”Your aunt told me this herself. Could it be false? But you must not leak this news to anyone, you hear me!”

”I’m not a fool! I know that much!” Cao Chengwen quickly slapped his chest in assurance.

But then, the scene of his confrontation with Ye Chutang at the government office gate flashed before his eyes. For some reason, his heart began to pound with an inexplicable anxiety.

”Still, Father, I think that Ye Chutang is quite resourceful. We should be on our guard. Even if we can’t crush her completely, we absolutely cannot give her another chance to make a comeback!”

”Pathetic!” Cao Deping sneered. ”She’s just a woman. What can she possibly do? This trip to the government office is probably enough to scare her half to death! Right now, none of the major pharmacies in Jiangling will do business with her, several more ’accidents’ have occurred, and her clinic has been shut down. Even if she gets out, she won’t be able to stay in Jiangling. A comeback? In her dreams!”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but criticize Cao Chengwen again.

”You’ve been like this since you were a child. All cowardice and no courage, always scared of your own shadow! You’re nothing like Chengwu—”

At this, his voice broke off. He swallowed the rest of his words, snorted coldly, and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Only after he left did Cao Chengwen slowly raise his head, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness as he watched his father go.

’For so many years, he and Chengwu had constantly been compared. It was always Chengwu who received the praise, as if I was inferior to him in every way!’

’But Chengwu is dead now! And Father still—’

Cao Chengwen slowly pushed himself to his feet and couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

’That’s right. Chengwu is dead, so there’s no one left to compete with me anymore.’

’Even if Father knew I did all this, wouldn’t he still have to protect me?’

’All I have to do now is wait patiently for the results.’

’Ye Chutang...’

He recalled the light spring rain that day, the woman holding an oil-paper umbrella, and the sliver of her delicate, pale wrist that was revealed—so incredibly eye-catching.

Cao Chengwen narrowed his eyes slightly, a heat stirring in his chest.

’There’s no other woman in all of Jiangling with such beauty and grace. If only—’

...

”So, you’re really not leaving today?”

Ye Chutang asked again, standing before the steps.

Lian Zhou nodded firmly. ”That’s right.”

’The Master has made up his mind to investigate the matter here, so of course, we can’t leave.’

Ye Chutang glanced inside the house.

She couldn’t see the person, only a faint glimpse of the corner of a moon-white brocade robe.

’Looks like they really aren’t planning to leave.’

’In my two lifetimes, this is the first time I’ve ever met someone like this.’

’Instead of avoiding trouble, he’s determined to charge straight into it.’

’Fine.’

Ye Chutang didn’t dwell on it for long and gave a slight nod.

”In that case, you can wait until Mr. Shen’s injury has healed before you leave. However, I might not be able to continue with his treatment for the time being.”

Lian Zhou said immediately, ”Don’t worry, Doctor Ye, we understand. Please, go attend to your business. I will take care of our master.”

’According to her, he only needed the medicine for a little while longer anyway. I can handle those tasks myself.’

Ye Chutang gave a faint smile. ”In that case, I’ll have to trouble you for the lodging and meal fees.”

...

”She’s actually charging us more money?!”

Lian Zhou’s face was a mask of disbelief.

”The consultation fees we’ve paid her these past few days are enough to buy another courtyard!”

Shen Yanchuan, lounging lazily in the wooden rattan chair, merely curled his lips into a smile at these words, as if he wasn’t the least bit surprised. ”When the clinic closed, she asked us to leave. That was her way of settling the bill with us. If we insist on staying, of course she’s going to charge us again.”

Lian Zhou was even more shocked. ”That’s exactly what she said! How did you know?!”

’Is there any need to guess? It was a given.’

Ever since that night at the Spring Lantern Festival, Shen Yanchuan felt that nothing she did could surprise him anymore.

”Just give it to her.”

Since the master had given the order, Lian Zhou naturally had to obey.

’It’s not that we’re short on money, but... watching it flow away, payment after payment, like water down the drain—who could stand it!’

Lian Zhou couldn’t help but complain, ”I don’t know what kind of man could ever put up with a woman like her!”

Shen Yanchuan’s brow twitched. He suddenly looked up and asked, ”Go and investigate when she came to Jiangling, and who her former husband was.”

To find out her relationship with Xu Fengchi, he first had to understand her identity and her background.

The fastest way, naturally, was to start with the people around her.

...

After arranging matters at home, Ye Chutang accompanied Wu Xu and his men to the government office.

On the way, Ye Chutang suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, ”By the way, what was the outcome of Liu Si’s case?”

Wu Xu was a little surprised. ’Shouldn’t most people be worried about their own situation at a time like this? Why is she asking about someone else’s case?’

On second thought, he figured Ye Chutang might still be worried about Ye Yunfeng being implicated, so he reassured her, ”Don’t worry, Doctor Ye. Liu Si has already confessed. He said he was the one who killed Cao Chengwu and that it had nothing to do with anyone else. Going after Ye Yunfeng before was purely a mistake.”

”Oh?” Ye Chutang seemed a little surprised. ”But didn’t Mrs. Zhou publicly testify that Cao Chengwen was the one who ordered it?”

Wu Xu explained with a hint of resignation, ”That’s true, but the key is, she has no proof! So after all the interrogations, they had to let Cao Chengwen go.”

Ye Chutang lowered her gaze slightly.

’Cao Chengwen must have been preparing for this for a long time, making every step with extreme caution. Although we have Mrs. Zhou’s testimony, without evidence, there’s ultimately no way to convict him.’

’And Liu Si, on the other hand, is doomed to die.’

They soon arrived at the entrance of the government office. Wu Xu said in a low voice, ”Doctor Ye, it’s just a routine inquiry. Don’t be nervous.”

Ye Chutang looked up, just in time to see the figure of a woman flash past behind the gate.

She was dressed in fine clothes and expensive jewelry, with a rather graceful air about her.

It was none other than the current County Magistrate’s Wife, Cao Deping’s cousin, Liu Yiyi.