Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

"After taking the medicine and using the cinnabar, remember to have sex within three days, otherwise the effect will be lost and our store will not provide a refund."

Manager Xu moved the abacus expressionlessly, while Shen Mingshu watched with trepidation. When the manager finally said twelve taels and nine mace, her heart skipped a beat.

"How much?" Shen Mingshu protested. "But when Xiao Cui came, you only charged seven taels!"

Manager Xu lazily raised his eyes, glancing at Shen Mingshu's clear, half-hidden eyes. "She can come three times a month, but can you come again?"

"..."

Shen Mingshu wasn't short of money, but spending so much at once meant she had to put in the effort to explain it to her fiancé.

This is very detrimental to her image as a gentle and domestic woman.

Shen Mingshu sighed and took out some silver from her purse, but when she looked up, her gaze froze instantly!

After three years apart, Wei Ziye's youthful spirit had completely transformed into composure. Dressed in a black robe, he exuded nobility and aloofness.

"Snapped!"

The silver was slammed onto the table, but Shen Mingshu didn't linger; she turned and left.

"Miss, you haven't gotten your medicine yet!"

"..."

Shen Mingshu held her breath and turned around, meeting Wei Ziye's gaze as he looked up.

Their eyes met, but his long, narrow, and indifferent gaze merely swept over her before quickly looking away. He continued listening to the servant's eager introduction and walked upstairs to the private room.

That glance was like lightly brushing away dust, casual and indifferent.

Shen Mingshu's fingertips twitched slightly, but she let out a deep sigh of relief.

For a moment, she actually thought that Wei Ziye could recognize her by her eyes and brows—ha, what a pipe dream, he clearly loathed her so much.

That's normal, though.

When the Shen family fell into ruin, the Lady of the Wei family pitied Shen Mingshu for her talent and learning, which made it a pity that she could not marry a good man. She specially allowed her to enter the Wei family and chose an auspicious day to recognize her as her goddaughter.

But no one expected that Shen Mingshu would actually climb into Wei Ziye's bed, who had obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness.

Later, Shen Mingshu threatened to jump into the river to force Wei Ziye to take responsibility for her.

Upon hearing the servant's report, Wei Ziye, who was training on the drill ground, continued his training without stopping.

His colleagues inquired curiously, but he simply wiped his sweat and said nonchalantly, "I'm just a pretty face, nothing special. Please excuse my poor appearance."

That night, Shen Mingshu fell into the water. The guards searched all night before finally finding her barely alive in a small clinic.

She lay in the clinic for a week, and Wei Ziye didn't come to see her even once.

Later, Shen Mingshu learned that the Wei family had completely severed ties with her this week, avoiding her like the plague, fearing that any delay would tarnish Wei Ziye's reputation.

She was branded as a foolish woman who climbed the social ladder and was willing to ruin her reputation.

Her reputation as a talented woman in the capital was instantly shattered. She was not only kicked out of the Wei family, but also kicked out of the Shen family.

He did not return to the capital for the next three years.

For a moment, Shen Mingshu was dazed when she realized that she had actually done something like jumping into the river to force a marriage.

She walked back: "Manager Xu, you'll keep this confidential for your customers, right?"

Manager Xu nodded businesslike: "Even if you only spent one copper coin, we will keep it a secret."

"That's good."

As the largest pavilion in the Celestial Empire, the Heavenly Pavilion wields immense power in both the imperial court and the martial arts world.

Maintaining secrecy is its most basic rule.

Shen Mingshu immediately felt that the money was well spent.

After leaving the Heavenly Pavilion, one must pass through a maze of deep, narrow alleys to reach the most bustling Vermilion Bird Avenue.

Here, it's a no-man's-land.

Looting and fighting were commonplace, and the wickedness of human nature ran rampant.

This arrangement is clearly the deliberate choice of the Heavenly Pavilion—it wants everyone to know that visiting the Heavenly Pavilion is tantamount to making a deal with the Ghost King.

Entering this place and completing a transaction is tantamount to passing through the gates of hell.

Despite being penniless, Shen Mingshu found herself quickening her pace unconsciously.

As she approached the exit, Shen Mingshu suddenly noticed something amiss behind her.

A sense of impending danger washed over her, and she couldn't help but start jogging.

He quickly turned a corner and bumped headfirst into a wall of people.

"Ugh—!"

Shen Mingshu covered her nose and looked up, meeting Wei Ziye's sullen expression.

"..." Shen Mingshu composed herself, bowed respectfully, and said, "Cousin."

Wei Ziye stood quietly in front of her, his brows and eyes cold and aloof, like a plum blossom on a cliff, unapproachable and solitary.

But Shen Mingshu knew that this was an illusion.

At this moment, Wei Ziye may have been experiencing turbulent emotions, but he deliberately pretended to be indifferent and aloof.

Or perhaps, filled with resentment and blame, he was about to vent his anger and coldness on her.

To Shen Mingshu's surprise, Wei Ziye's first words were completely devoid of emotion: "Hmm, you're back?"

Such politeness caught Shen Mingshu off guard.

Shen Mingshu's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded gently: "I'm back to take care of some things, and I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

Wei Ziye seemed to frown slightly, or perhaps it was just her imagination: "What business do you have at Tiange?"

Shen Mingshu clenched the package in her hand tightly, lowered her head, and said in a flat voice, "Buying medicine for my fiancé."

"..."

The atmosphere in the entire alleyway fluctuated for a moment.

Shen Mingshu turned around warily to look behind her, but saw no one. When she turned back again, Wei Ziye was already gone, leaving only a cold, indifferent back view.

Shen Mingshu didn't dare delay and immediately followed behind him. Still feeling uneasy, she tentatively asked, "Why did you come to Tiange in person, cousin? Where are your guards?"

Wei Ziye was tall and strong, with his feet two heads taller than Shen Mingshu.

Shen Mingshu turned to look up at him, but he only lowered his eyes slightly, giving her an ambiguous look before striding out of the alley.

"Hey cousin! Could you give me a ride...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the imposing carriage had already departed.

The two were like strangers. Shen Mingshu's hand still retained the slightly cool touch of Wei Ziye's brocade robe.

Indeed, given how much he disliked her, he couldn't accept that she could now find another good match.

Shen Mingshu pouted, her obedient expression vanishing completely: "Stingy..."

She walked back to her rented apartment, took her medicine, felt a little dizzy, and then slept for a while.

When I opened my eyes again, I heard footsteps entering the main hall.

"The temple is small, please don't mind, brother. Please sit for a while, I'll go to the bedroom to get some tea."

Wei Yuan is back.

The Wei family had few heirs, and Wei Yuan had no older brother, so he naturally called out to Wei Ziye, the only son of the matriarch of the Wei family.

"Ming Shu?"

Seeing Shen Mingshu sit up weakly, looking pained, Wei Yuan quickly stepped forward and gently stroked her forehead. "What's wrong? Should we call a doctor?"

Like Wei Ziye, Wei Yuan was the only descendant of the Wei family, but their life trajectories were completely different.

If Wei Ziye is the heart of Cangling, surrounded by stars, then Wei Yuan is a pebble repeatedly molded by the mundane world.

He was the son of his deceased aunt and was neglected from a young age. He was raised outside the estate. The two would occasionally meet and get to know each other when he came to the Wei family to report on his studies.

If Wei Yuan hadn't been sent to his maternal grandfather's house to prepare for the exam, and had been there to comfort Shen Mingshu, her life would have been very different.

A year after leaving the Wei family, Shen Mingshu accepted Wei Yuan's pursuit, but only a month later, she immediately decided to spend her life with him, and the two walked hand in hand to this day.

Besides going to the capital for the imperial examinations, Wei Yuan's other purpose was to propose marriage to Shen Mingshu.