ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 136

When Jiang Ziyu was kicked into the water, Lady Jiang’s legs nearly gave out, and she almost fell to the ground. She scrambled forward, half-crawling, shouting, “Ziyu, my child!”

For many years, she had relied on her late husband’s favor to act arrogantly in the Su residence, never imagining that Su Qingshang would actually dare to kick Jiang Ziyu into the water. She was utterly terrified, her heart pounding, and rushed to the edge of the pavilion just in time to see Jiang Ziyu struggling in the water. Bound hand and foot, Ziyu couldn’t even struggle properly, and in the blink of an eye, she sank beneath the surface.

Lady Jiang cried out, “Save her! Someone, save her! Ziyu!”

However, two house servants blocked her from getting closer. Lady Jiang cursed, “Su Qingshang, you heartless beast! You will die a horrible death!”

But Su Qingshang remained calm and said indifferently, “Aunt, don’t worry. Once she dies, I will jump in after her and end my life. That way, we can call it even.”

His voice was so composed that it chilled Lady Jiang to the core, causing her to tremble uncontrollably. She realized that Su Qingshang was serious. He really intended to kill Jiang Ziyu and then die himself. Lady Jiang lost all her defiance and pleaded desperately, “No, no! Aunt begs you, don’t do this. Ziyu is my only daughter, she is my life. Please, spare her this once! We won’t dare to do anything ever again, we swear!”

Even Lady Su and the others were shocked and hurried to try to intervene, but Su Qingshang remained unmoved. Lady Jiang cried and cursed, then knelt before him, begging, “Let her live, and we’ll settle everything! We’ll leave the Su residence right away!”

“This is what Aunt has promised?”

“Yes, yes!” Lady Jiang sobbed. “Good nephew, please save her! Let them save her now!”

Only then did Su Qingshang order the servants to pull Jiang Ziyu from the lake. She had swallowed a stomachful of water and was already unconscious, but fortunately, she was still faintly breathing and hadn’t drowned. Lady Jiang collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, too dazed and weak to stand up.

As Su Qingshang watched the servants carry Jiang Ziyu away, a cold breeze blew past, and he covered his mouth, coughing heavily. Su Tangyu, with reddened eyes, urged, “Second Brother, you should go rest.”

But Su Qingshang looked over at Li Zhizhi and smiled faintly. “Such hysteria today, such a farce. I must have made you laugh, Miss Li.”

Li Zhizhi shook her head gently and said instead, “What you did today, Second Master, was truly satisfying.”

The two exchanged a smile, but Su Qingshang began to cough again. Su Tangyu quickly helped him, rubbing his back to ease his breath. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “The painting I mentioned last time, have you seen it?”

Li Zhizhi, remembering, praised, “As expected of you, Second Master. That painting of the moonlit night is exquisite. I like it very much.”

“I’m glad,” Su Qingshang nodded, a faint smile appearing on his pale, handsome face. “That painting depicts the scene from when we first met.”

Li Zhizhi looked puzzled and said, “But didn’t we meet during the day?”

Su Qingshang seemed to want to explain but was interrupted by another bout of coughing. Li Zhizhi quickly urged, “The weather is cold now. Second Master, you should return to rest before your illness worsens.”

She thoughtfully took her leave, and Su Qingshang turned to Su Tangyu. “See Miss Li out.”

Su Tangyu nodded and personally escorted Li Zhizhi out. As they walked, they talked. Li Zhizhi deliberately said, “Do you know why I suddenly came today?”

Su Tangyu was taken aback and shook her head. Li Zhizhi smiled and said, “It was Young Master Yang who asked me to.”

Upon hearing this, Su Tangyu’s expression showed surprise, and she said with a hint of sadness, “It’s my fault. In his eyes, I must seem like a willful and fickle person, right?”

“Not at all,” Li Zhizhi replied. “Young Master Yang was just worried that something might have happened to you, so he asked me to check on you.” She paused and added, “He also said that if you’ve grown tired of him, he’ll stay far away so as not to trouble you.”

Su Tangyu hurriedly said, “I never thought that!”

“Oh?” Li Zhizhi drawled, stopping in her tracks and tilting her head to look at her mischievously. “It seems someone has some good news coming soon.”

Su Tangyu blushed deeply and stammered, “Nothing is certain yet… It’s too early to say anything like that.”

Though she said this, Li Zhizhi could tell that she was happy. Her almond-shaped eyes held a hint of shyness and joy, a picture of a young woman in love, completely different from her earlier sickly appearance. Li Zhizhi genuinely felt happy for her.

“By the way,” Su Tangyu suddenly asked, “what about you?”

Li Zhizhi was confused. “Me?”

Su Tangyu asked, “Do you have someone you like?”

Li Zhizhi froze instantly. Strangely, in that moment, random images flashed through her mind—like that dark robe under the moonlight, ink-black turning to white, and those phoenix eyes tinged with a hint of red…

Seeing her silence, Su Tangyu was first surprised but then realized what was going on, her face lighting up with understanding. “You really do?”

Li Zhizhi instinctively denied it, “No.”

“Liar!” Su Tangyu, excited, said, “Don’t I know you well? You hesitated just now.”

She eagerly pressed on, “Who is it? Do I know him?”

Li Zhizhi covered her ears and shook her head. “No, no.”

The two started laughing and teasing each other. Then, a thought flashed in Su Tangyu’s mind, and she half-jokingly, half-curiously guessed, “Could it be Young Master Pei?”

Li Zhizhi was greatly surprised and denied it, “No.”

Su Tangyu breathed a sigh of relief, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming as she teasingly but tentatively guessed, “Could it be my second brother?”

Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Stop with the wild guesses. No.”

Her denial was so quick and firm that Su Tangyu felt a bit disappointed but didn’t want to give up. When they reached the front gate, she still tried to persuade her, “My second brother is really a good person. If you married him, we’d be family, wouldn’t that be great?”

Just as she finished speaking, a deep voice suddenly came from the side, “What’s better?”

The sudden sound startled Su Tangyu, and she and Li Zhizhi both turned towards the source. By the carriage in front of the mansion’s gate stood a man, leaning casually. He wore a black brocade robe, tall and slender, with handsome and unparalleled features—it was none other than the Crown Prince. For some reason, he seemed to be in a bad mood, his expression cold and distant like a frost-covered mountain. Just one glance from him was enough to instill fear.

Su Tangyu instinctively shrank her neck and moved closer to Li Zhizhi, nervously bowing to him, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that the Crown Prince, Xiao Yan, was looking at her with hostility. But when he turned his gaze to Li Zhizhi, that feeling completely disappeared. The sudden change in his demeanor was astonishing.

Li Zhizhi looked slightly surprised and said, “Why are you here, Crown Prince?”

“There’s something I want to discuss with you,” Xiao Yan paused, glanced again at Su Tangyu, and added, “Am I interrupting?”

His tone carried an odd mix of deference and perhaps a hint of jealousy. Su Tangyu felt a jolt in her heart. Next to her, Li Zhizhi raised her eyebrows slightly and then suddenly smiled, “A bit, yes. Tangyu and I still have things to talk about.”

The comment was clearly intentional, and Su Tangyu couldn’t help but look at her friend in surprise. Ever since she had known Li Zhizhi, the latter had always been gentle and considerate, never speaking out of turn unless provoked. But her expression now showed no sign of irritation.

Confused, Su Tangyu watched as Li Zhizhi bid her farewell and walked towards the carriage. She stopped momentarily, exchanged a glance with Xiao Yan, and just as the maid was about to lift the curtain for her, Xiao Yan beat her to it, personally raising the curtain himself.

Li Zhizhi smiled brightly, “Thank you, Brother Crown Prince.”

She then stepped on the footstool, slightly bending over as she entered the carriage. Xiao Yan followed closely behind. When he lifted his head, he met Su Tangyu’s shocked gaze. His expression had reverted to cold indifference, and soon after, the curtain dropped, blocking her view of the scene inside.

But the strange feeling in her heart wouldn’t go away. The more Su Tangyu thought about it, the more uncertain she felt. Unable to shake her doubts, she decided to head to Su Qingshang’s courtyard.

Before she even entered, she could hear the sound of coughing from within, along with a servant’s faint words of advice. Su Tangyu entered the room to see Su Qingshang sitting by the bed, while a maid stood nearby, holding a bowl of medicine with a troubled expression.

“Second Brother.”

When Su Qingshang saw her, he waved a hand, signaling to the maid, “Leave the medicine here and you may go.”

The maid complied and respectfully withdrew. The room quieted, with only the sound of Su Qingshang’s m.u.f.fled coughs breaking the silence. Perhaps because of today’s rain, even though it was only September, the brazier was already lit in the room.

Noticing that her brother looked unwell, Su Tangyu asked worriedly, “Should we call another doctor and get a different prescription?”

“No need,” Su Qingshang smiled faintly and then asked, “She’s gone?”

“Mm.” Su Tangyu sat down next to him, carefully watching his expression, hesitant to speak. Being as perceptive as he was, Su Qingshang quickly picked up on her unease and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“Second Brother,” Su Tangyu hesitated, “Why don’t you tell Zhizhi?”

“Tell her what?”

Seeing his nonchalant manner, Su Tangyu became anxious. “Tell her you like her! If you don’t say it soon, it’ll be too late!”

Hearing this, Su Qingshang was slightly startled and asked in return, “Who came by just now?”

Su Tangyu hadn’t expected him to be so sharp and was momentarily stunned. Before she could respond, Su Qingshang continued, “It certainly wasn’t Pei Yanchuan, so it must have been the Crown Prince. Did he come to take Miss Li away?”

Su Tangyu: …

Seeing his sister’s bewildered expression, Su Qingshang instead laughed. But while laughing, he couldn’t help but start coughing. Su Tangyu hurriedly patted his back to ease his breathing, scolding, “You can still laugh? Zhizhi is about to leave, and yet you, who normally recite poetry and paint with such elegance, are being so foolish now!”

But Su Qingshang suddenly said, “I’ve already told her.”

Su Tangyu froze, her mouth slightly open. “Huh? When?”

Su Qingshang replied, “When I sent her the painting.”

Su Tangyu thought for a long time, frowning. “But it seems like Zhizhi doesn’t know.”

“Back then, I thought…” Su Qingshang paused for a moment before saying, “Forget it. Maybe it’s better that she doesn’t know. You shouldn’t bring it up in the future either.”

“Why?”

Su Qingshang looked at her and said calmly, “In a few years, when I die from this illness, she won’t hear about it and pity me.”

He recalled when he first met Li Zhizhi. She had stood under the corridor, shielding the Seventh Princess behind her, confronting Jiang Ziyu with playful scorn. Her expressions were vivid and lively, her every movement as beautiful as a painting.

Su Qingshang had never painted people because, in his eyes, everyone could be likened to objects. For example, his sister Su Tangyu was lively like a peach blossom, and the Jiang family women were greedy like tigers and wolves. But Li Zhizhi, she was like the bright moon.

When I see you, it’s like seeing the moon.

The monarch shines for thousands of autumns, but who can live a hundred years?

…

In the carriage.

Li Zhizhi asked Xiao Yan, “What business does Crown Prince Brother really have?”

Xiao Yan looked at her and asked, “Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”

Li Zhizhi replied, “The truth.”

Xiao Yan said slowly, “Naturally, because I wanted to see you.”

Li Zhizhi was stunned. After a moment, she reacted and immediately changed her answer, “I want to hear a lie.”

“Xu Tingfeng found something, something about Liu Man.”

“Wait,” Li Zhizhi, feeling a bit confused, asked, “Is what you just said true or false?”

“The words are true, but they’re just an excuse,” Xiao Yan paused, then continued, “The only truth is that I wanted to see you.”

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