The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Snatching Life from the Jaws of Death

Shen Yanchuan averted his gaze and casually placed a stone on the Go board. With a lazy smile, he asked, ”Which one of your eyes saw that I’m fond of her?”

Xie Anbai pointed to his own eyes. ”Both of them saw it, okay! Don’t tell me you’re staying here without having any designs on her!”

Shen Yanchuan tilted his head in thought. ’I’m investigating the relationship between Xu Fengchi and Ye Chutang, so it’s true that I’ve been paying a lot of attention to her.’

But he hadn’t made any progress yet and didn’t want to draw attention to it, so he didn’t mention it. In the end, he just said,

”She’s a good doctor.”

Xie Anbai knew very well that earning such a comment from him was enough to prove Ye Chutang’s abilities.

But he still felt that a man like Shen Yanchuan definitely had ulterior motives.

’At first, when Shen Yanchuan mentioned Doctor Ye, I had pictured a venerable, sage-like old gentleman. Who would have thought she’d turn out to be such a young and beautiful woman!’

Although the woman had been in the courtyard and hadn’t come close, he could still tell how exceptionally lovely and elegant her face was.

Her gentle and pure disposition was in no way inferior to that of the noble ladies in the capital.

Xie Anbai leaned back on the soft couch and scoffed, ”When you left, the hearts of countless women in the Capital City followed you. Who would have thought you’d be here, living such a carefree life.”

Shen Yanchuan’s face was just too captivating. Even though he had rarely shown himself in the capital these past few years, he still effortlessly captured hearts and became the dream man of countless young women.

’Everyone thought he was cold and heartless, but now it seems he just hadn’t met the one who could tame him.’

Shen Yanchuan laughed. Xie Anbai had seen Ye Chutang only once, yet he was already convinced that her beauty had moved him. He didn’t know that this seemingly innocent little flower was, in reality, a black-hearted schemer who could kill without batting an eye.

’Falling for a woman like that would be extremely dangerous.’

But he couldn’t be bothered to explain, especially since he would be staying here for a while longer.

”If all you came here to do today was ask about this, you can leave now.”

Xie Anbai shot upright. ”Hey, hey, hey! Don’t be like that! Let’s chat a little longer! That little girl from before, what’s her relationship to her?”

Shen Yanchuan said, ”Her younger sister.”

Xie Anbai let out a long sigh of relief. ”Oh, good, good!”

’I’d almost thought my brother was about to become an unwitting stepfather.’

Shen Yanchuan naturally understood his friend’s implication. His fingers paused, and then the black stone landed in a different spot.

A single stone fell, sharp as a dagger, instantly tearing through the white stones’ defense!

The once chaotic board was instantly clarified. The black stones had deliberately set a trap, luring the white stones in before encircling and annihilating them from behind!

—To snatch life from the jaws of death!

Xie Anbai was stunned. ”That move was too vicious! Who even plays like that?!”

Shen Yanchuan leaned back. ”Clean up the stones. You can go now.”

Xie Anbai: ”...”

’My earlier worries were indeed for nothing. Who could possibly be a match for a King of Hell like him!’

...

”Xiao Wu, did you have fun at Mr. Shen’s place?” Ye Chutang asked.

The little girl nodded vigorously, then shook her head.

—I was happy! But I’m happiest when I’m with Big Sister!

Ye Chutang was a little surprised.

’Xiao Wu’s personality is different from other children’s. She’s usually very wary of strangers, but she doesn’t seem to mind Shen Yanchuan at all. They even seem to get along remarkably well.’

’That’s very rare.’

Xiao Wu lowered her head, pulled the golden whistle that Xie Anbai had given her from her robes, and held it up for Ye Chutang to see.

—Big Sister, look! Money I earned today!

Ye Chutang took the golden whistle, a brow slightly raised.

”His friend gave you this?”

’In this era, gold is extremely valuable. For someone to be so generous on their first meeting, his status must be extraordinary.’

She pondered for a long time, then let out a soft sigh.

’I regret it. I regret it so much!’

’I charged way too little for his treatment!’

’Judging by the extravagance of Shen Yanchuan’s friend, his family’s fortune must be even greater than I predicted. I saved his life for a paltry sum of silver. What a huge loss!’

Xiao Wu blinked in confusion.

’Why does Big Sister look so unhappy? Does she not like me accepting gifts from strangers?’

Xiao Wu hugged her arm and nuzzled against her leg.

—If Big Sister doesn’t like it, I don’t want it anymore! I’ll go give it back right now!

The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips curved up, and she pinched the little girl’s cheek.

”Mr. Shen will be staying with us for a while longer. Your third and fourth brothers have been busy with their studies lately and don’t have much time to play with you, so if you get bored, feel free to go over to his place.”

’Shen Yanchuan seems to be pretty good with kids.’

’It would be a waste not to take advantage of it.’

...

「The next day was bright and sunny.」

Early in the morning, a large crowd had already gathered at the public market.

Today was the day of Liu Si’s beheading. It had been several years since a heinous crime like this had occurred in Jiangling, so the public execution naturally drew a large crowd of onlookers.

The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder as everyone waited for the government officers to bring Liu Si over. It was extremely noisy.

Time passed, the sun climbed higher, and it gradually approached noon.

Liu Si, bound and shackled, was finally brought over.

”Here comes the murderer!”

Someone in the crowd shouted, and a piece of rotten vegetable was thrown at Liu Si.

As if that had been the signal, the crowd’s anger erupted. Someone spat at him, and a barrage of stones, vegetable leaves, and rotten eggs rained down on Liu Si.

”A life for a life!”

”So scary! I always thought he was an honest man. Who knew he was so brutal!”

”It’s a good thing he was caught! Otherwise, with a murderer like him still in Jiangling, who knows what else he would have done! It’s terrifying!”

Liu Si had already been tortured. His prisoner’s uniform was filthy, and he was now in an even more wretched state.

He kept his head down, not saying a word, his face hidden and unclear beneath his messy hair.

Amidst countless curses, he was escorted onto the execution platform.

In the not-too-distant Cao’s Restaurant, Cao Deping and his son were watching the scene from the second floor.

’Even though there were some twists and turns, thank God the one who’s going to die in the end is still Liu Si!’

”Father, as long as he’s dead, this whole matter will finally be over!” Cao Chengwen couldn’t hide his excitement.

’I’ve been living in constant fear all this time. I’ve finally made it to this day!’

Cao Deping’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he snorted coldly. ”That Ye Chutang actually came too?”

Cao Chengwen followed his father’s gaze and, sure enough, spotted a slender and graceful figure at the back of the crowd.

She stood there quietly, seemingly out of place with her surroundings.

Cao Chengwen sneered. ”It’s good that she came. Let her see with her own eyes that the Cao Family is not someone she can afford to provoke!”

In a private room of a teahouse on the other side of the street, Shen Yanchuan lifted his teacup and took a light sip.

”She’s here.”

Standing behind him, Lian Zhou didn’t quite understand what his master meant.

Just then, Yang Zhen, seated high on the execution platform, threw a token to the ground and shouted in a deep voice:

”Execute him!”

The executioner immediately raised his blade. Liu Si, who had been silent all this time, slowly lifted his head. His bloodshot eyes scanned the crowd, and just as he’d expected, he saw no sign of Mrs. Zhou or his child.

Immense grief and indignation surged in his heart. A look of grim determination flashed in his eyes, and he screamed himself hoarse:

”Your Excellency! I have a report to make! The one who ordered me to kill Cao Chengwu was none other than his own half-brother—Cao Chengwen!”