Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 146
Chapter 146 – The Bully
Shen Ruofei was overjoyed as she recommended a small estate on the outskirts of the capital to the Prince Zhenbei. It was not far from the wild cherry blossom grove that Jun Xuanxiao had taken Shen Yu to visit a few days prior.
The Prince ordered his men to buy the estate and had it renovated, furnishing it with everything necessary.
Five days later, Jun Xuanxiao finally packed Shen Yu’s belongings and accompanied him onto the carriage, sending him out of the palace.
Watching the carriage depart, Shen Ruofei was elated and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Hahaha—starting today, I’ll be the only one by the prince’s side!”
She was confident in her beauty and believed that once the prince completely forgot about Shen Yu, no other woman in the world could compete with her for the position of queen.
The countryside estate, Hehuan Valley, was home to a wild cherry blossom grove. With mountains and water nearby, the climate was warm in winter and cool in summer. While spring flowers in other places had already withered, this grove was just beginning to bloom.
Perhaps it was the fact that they had left the solemn palace, or maybe it was because they had arrived in such a picturesque location, but Shen Yu’s mood lightened considerably.
He had thought that Jun Xuanxiao would throw him out of the palace, leaving him to fend for himself. Yet, it was Jun Xuanxiao who arranged his new home, continuing to take care of him.
Shen Yu suddenly realized that although he feared this man, he had also unknowingly come to rely on him. Without Jun Xuanxiao, his life wouldn’t have been easy. In the Shen household, even the lowest servants could bully him and his mother, and they were powerless, forced to hide away in the depths of the mansion…
Could it be that… he couldn’t live without him?
Shen Yu grew increasingly anxious.
“Yu’er, what are you thinking?” Jun Xuanxiao asked, reaching out to help him off the carriage. Shen Yu instinctively extended his hand, not even realizing he had done so. But Jun Xuanxiao’s eyes lit up, his heart leaping with joy as he tightly grasped Shen Yu’s soft hand.
Shen Yu couldn’t help but glance at Jun Xuanxiao. The prince’s expression was relaxed, and his smile was bright and radiant. Strangely, Shen Yu no longer found his face as terrifying as before; instead, it now carried a charm that was hard to look away from…
As they stepped off the carriage, the small estate came into full view. There were only four or five modest wooden houses, arranged in a semi-circle. In front of them flowed a clear stream with a narrow bridge wide enough for four people to walk side by side, though the carriage couldn’t pass.
On the other side of the stream was farmland, though it appeared abandoned and untended, with the waterwheel no longer functioning.
Jun Xuanxiao followed closely behind Shen Yu, walking leisurely across the narrow bridge into the central courtyard. There, in the middle of the courtyard, stood a small thatched pavilion, perfect for taking shelter from the summer heat.
The wooden houses were built on stilts to avoid dampness and pests, and Shen Yu felt his heart flutter as he stepped onto the wooden steps.
“How do you like this peaceful and elegant estate?” Jun Xuanxiao asked, sitting on a lounge chair. “I like it very much.”
Shen Yu tilted his head slightly. He likes it? He spoke as if he had personally picked this place out.
Little did Shen Yu know that Jun Xuanxiao had already taken a liking to this place when he brought Shen Yu here to admire the cherry blossoms. He had just been reluctant to mention it because he didn’t want to part with him.
“Look over there,” Jun Xuanxiao said enthusiastically, pointing to a patch of land. “We can cultivate that field. Whatever you like to eat, we can grow. Oh, and…”
Jun Xuanxiao excitedly pulled Shen Yu through the main hall, pushing open the windows to reveal a flower field behind the house. The garden was untended, allowing the flowers and plants to grow wildly, brimming with life.
After showing Shen Yu around, Jun Xuanxiao ordered his men to bring the luggage into the house.
Shen Yu stood to the side, dumbfounded as he watched the eunuchs and servants come and go. He couldn’t figure it out. His own clothes only filled one or two small bundles, along with a few daily necessities—there wasn’t much at all.
So what were these two entire carriage loads of items?!
Those large chests definitely weren’t his! Sure enough, Jun Xuanxiao’s next words left Shen Yu completely stunned.
“Yu’er, I’m going to live here from now on too!”
……
Wait a minute…
Shen Yu’s mind was in chaos. Wasn’t he supposed to leave the palace alone and be thrown into some remote countryside?
Hadn’t Jun Xuanxiao promised to set him free?
Why had Jun Xuanxiao followed him here? And why had he shed that tear, making Shen Yu’s numb heart ache so much?
It was all a lie…
“Yu’er, I didn’t go back on my word,” Jun Xuanxiao explained. “Didn’t you say you hated the palace? I left with you. From now on, wherever you go or whatever you do, I won’t interfere. But I’m coming with you. I can’t be without you.”
Shen Yu was dumbfounded. It wasn’t just the palace he feared—it was Jun Xuanxiao himself! Now, instead of trembling in fear in one place, he would just be trembling in another…
Still living under Jun Xuanxiao’s oppressive presence…
Shen Yu had completely underestimated Jun Xuanxiao’s persistence—and his shamelessness.
This wasn’t just a villain. This was an unpredictable, bullying rogue!
