Chapter 27: I Shall Pretend I Never Heard It

"Yun Zhaozhao, who are you calling a loser!"

Yun Zhaozhao cast a sidelong glance at the person who was stomping his feet in fury but dared not step forward, and said lazily, "Whoever is barking senselessly, that’s who."

Sheng Xingye was so angry he felt as if his lungs were about to explode. Just as he was about to roll up his sleeves and dive in, a heavy blow from Jin Chui sent Chang Ying staggering, causing him to collapse halfway to the ground.

"Chang Ying, hold on!" Chang Sheng shouted from the sidelines, cheering anxiously. "Quick, get up! Hit her back!"

How could Jin Chui possibly give him a chance to retaliate? She immediately pressed her advantage, pinning him to the ground with one hand across his chest, and grinned, "I win."

Chang Ying looked dazed. He had never expected that he would be unable to best even an unremarkable maidservant by the Madam's side.

"Hey, hurry up, hand over the silver notes, don't dawdle."

Chang Ying looked toward Sheng Xingye. Sheng Xingye glared bitterly at Yun Zhaozhao.

Yun Zhaozhao smiled faintly. "A bet is a bet."

"Give it to her, give it all to her!" Sheng Xingye declared before turning on his heel and storming off, his sleeves fluttering in anger. *Damn woman, I actually intended to consummate our marriage tonight. Tomorrow, just wait and enjoy all those strange looks from everyone, hmph!*

After receiving the silver notes, Jin Chui presented them to Yun Zhaozhao as if expecting praise. "Miss, here you go."

Yun Zhaozhao took the money and said sternly, "Your striking speed was nearly ten percent slower than your peak performance. Starting tomorrow, you must increase your training; you cannot afford to be lazy for even a single day."

"Yes, Miss, Jin Chui understands," she replied, bowing her head in shame.

After addressing Jin Chui, Yun Zhaozhao turned her gaze to Chang Ying. He was agile and his strikes were sharp; he was clearly a martial arts prodigy. If he could receive guidance from a master and learn techniques better suited to him, he would surely become a top-tier fighter in time.

"Your skills are impressive. It's a waste to just be a manservant by Sheng Xingye's side. Would you consider joining the army at the frontier to make a name for yourself?"

Chang Ying bowed deeply. "I am grateful for your recognition, Sixth Madam, but Chang Ying has no desire to be anywhere other than by the Sixth Master's side."

Appreciating his talent, Yun Zhaozhao tried to persuade him again. "Are you sure? I hold your deed of servitude; I can return it to you, and I can even help you speak to Sheng Xingye about it."

"There is no need. Chang Ying lives as the Sixth Master's man and will die as his ghost," Chang Ying stated firmly. If the Sixth Master hadn't pulled him back from the gates of hell back then, he would no longer exist in this world.

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhaozhao felt a chill run down her spine. Just as some forbidden imagery began to surface in her mind, Chang Ying added, "The Sixth Master saved my life, and I have sworn eternal loyalty to him. I ask the Sixth Madam for her understanding."

"Oh, I see. Very well, you may go. I simply appreciate talent, but if you aren't interested, so be it."

Chang Ying bowed and took his leave. "Thank you, Sixth Madam."

"Wait. I noticed your movements were quite good and your techniques sharp. Did you learn them in the past?"

Chang Ying lowered his eyes. "I learned them when I was young."

Once Chang Ying had left, Yun Zhaozhao looked at the silver notes in her hand. There were 3,000 taels again. Where did Sheng Xingye get so much money? It seemed her "cheap" husband had secrets of his own.

Yun Zhaozhao did not know that at this very moment, her cheap husband was sitting in his study, beating his chest in regret. "How could I have forgotten? That crazy woman loves looting silver notes the most! If I had known, I should have hidden the money before returning to the manor. Ugh, she's going to be the death of me!"

As he spoke, he gave Chang Sheng a not-so-gentle kick. "You useless servant, I didn't remember, so why didn't you remind me?"

"Master, it is Chang Ying's incompetence. Please punish me," Chang Ying said, kneeling at his feet.

Sheng Xingye waved his hand irritably. "Enough, you did your best. That crazy woman and her equally crazy maid aren't normal people; it's natural that you couldn't beat them."

"Regardless, being inferior in skill is this servant's fault."

"What else would it be? Are you saying it's my fault?" Sheng Xingye snapped. "Enough of this gloomy talk. Why did it take you so long to return this time?"

"Master, while tracking the Kong family, I accidentally leaked my presence and was fiercely pursued by them, which is why I was delayed."

"With your ability to escape, to still be pursued so relentlessly—what kind of dangerous secret did you uncover that nearly got you killed?" Sheng Xingye asked seriously.

Chang Ying came from an organization that specialized in training assassins or secret guards. He had fled the organization, only to be controlled by toxins that drove him to self-mutilation. He had resisted returning until he was on the verge of death, at which point Sheng Xingye saved him. Since then, he had stayed by Sheng Xingye's side. Because of his skills, he often helped gather private information on the capital's elites, gradually building his own intelligence network.

Chang Ying stood up and whispered into Sheng Xingye's ear.

"What?!" Sheng Xingye's face turned pale.

He had inadvertently discovered irregularities in the financial records of the Ruyi Workshop and had sent Chang Ying to investigate, hoping to find more leverage against that mad dog, Kong Wenjun. The list of crimes he had presented against Kong Wenjun last time had not been baseless. But he never imagined that the Ruyi Workshop would actually... How dared they!

After a moment of silence, Sheng Xingye said with a grave expression, "Chang Ying, bury this matter deep in your stomach. As far as I'm concerned, I never heard it." He had no desire to get caught up in the struggle for the succession and end up broken and bloodied. Wasn't it better to just be a hedonistic playboy, eating, drinking, and having fun?

Soon, however, Sheng Xingye realized things were not going well. "You have some nerve! Is this what you're feeding me for breakfast?"

Today was the first day the Kuang Garden kitchen had been fired up, and breakfast consisted only of vegetable porridge, small steamed buns, and steamed eggs. Such humble fare—did they think the Duke's estate was so poor it couldn't afford a meal?

The servant delivering the food shrunk back and hurriedly said, "Sixth Master, it was the Sixth Madam's order. From now on, Kuang Garden will implement a simple diet."

"Fine, Yun Zhaozhao! You've taken so much of my money, and this is all you give me to eat!" Sheng Xingye stormed into the dining hall, just as Yun Zhaozhao was beginning her meal. Glancing at the identical meal on her table, his anger subsided by half. "Yun Zhaozhao, are we unable to put food on the table? As the Sixth Master of the Sheng family, must I eat so meagerly?"

Yun Zhaozhao rolled her eyes. How was this meager? It was nutritionally balanced with carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins—well-matched and delicious.

"Waste is shameful."

"How am I wasting anything? Didn't the servants eat all the leftovers?" Sheng Xingye retorted.

"If you can't manage this household, don't force it. We could just go back to the old ways."

"Xiaodao, give the account book to your Master."

"Account book? What account book?"

When he saw the ledger Xiaodao handed over, Sheng Xingye's expression changed. So, this woman recorded every time she robbed him.

"Now that Kuang Garden has become independent, we must be responsible for our own profits and losses, and as the head of the household, you are naturally responsible. With the little money currently in the accounts, even if we pinch pennies, we can only last two years at most."

"Wait, what is this gibberish you've drawn on here?"

Yun Zhaozhao then remembered that the detailed entries were recorded in Arabic numerals, with only the totals written in formal Chinese characters.