“What… what do you mean by that? Ah Zheng… he’s mad?”
Ziyun was covered in filth, her hair a mess, and she had clearly lost a lot of weight. She looked like she had suffered greatly. When she spoke, her voice trembled.
“That day, when the entire Yongning Marquis manor fled, I was captured by assassins midway. I rolled down a slope by accident—barely survived. Then I ran into Shen Zhengyu.”
At this point, Ziyun’s eyes filled with hatred. “I thought he was there to save me. But instead, he brought me back to this manor, took my pouch, and locked me up here. Aside from some food each day to keep me alive, he’s done nothing!”
Tears streamed down her face. “I’ve been stuck here, surrounded by rats, unable to live like a normal person, with no one to even speak to. It’s been absolute torment.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng’s legs went weak and she stumbled back a step, barely able to believe what she was hearing and seeing.
“So Shen Zhengyu took your pouch, lied to me that you were dead, and goaded me into trying to kill Wen Zheng? How vicious…”
In that moment, the initial joy of seeing Ziyun alive was quickly replaced by waves of fear.
If this was true—how many of Shen Zhengyu’s words could she still believe?
Steadying herself, she rushed back to the window and asked anxiously, “Do you know where Shen Zhengyu took my father and mother?”
Ziyun shook her head, confused. “Miss, you must have been deceived again. It was the Crown Prince himself who led the effort to protect the Yongning Marquis household during the escape. He got badly injured saving the marquis and his wife. Unfortunately, I fell down that hill and got separated. Otherwise, I’d be back in Jinling with them by now.”
For a moment, everything went black before Quan Heng’s eyes.
No wonder Wen Zheng had reeked of blood and was so badly injured when he returned those two days.
It turned out—he was protecting her parents.
And yet, back then, she had fallen completely under Shen Zhengyu’s influence, had lost all reason, and hadn’t wanted to hear a word Wen Zheng said—only wanted to kill him.
Not only had she lashed out with harsh words, telling him to die, she had even stabbed him in the chest with a shard of porcelain.
Thinking back now, every detail from that night came vividly to mind—even the sound of porcelain cutting into flesh.
Her heart twisted in pain.
“I was wrong. I was terribly wrong!”
Looking back now, Wen Zheng must’ve had his own reasons for locking her up. She had simply refused to believe him.
Wiping away her tears, she looked at Ziyun. “Why don’t we escape tonight? Let’s leave this place—no more lies from Shen Zhengyu.”
Ziyun shook her head in shock. “No, we can’t!”
“Miss, this is Shen Zhengyu’s private residence. There are countless maids and servants—and who knows how many hidden guards. How could we possibly escape? Besides, the woodshed door is locked. Without the key, there’s no way out.”
Quan Heng’s eyes turned red as she said hatefully, “Then I’ll just smash it open with an axe. There has to be a way!”
However, things had come to this point. Now that she knew his true nature, she had to start making plans for herself.
Ziyun quickly urged, “You mustn’t! If we really cause such a big commotion, we won’t get far before being caught again. By then, we’ll only be treated even more harshly!”
Quan Heng’s tears fell silently. She knew everything Ziyun said was true.
She had once thought that Shen Zhengyu was the one who treated her best in the world. The two of them had grown up together—he was someone she thought she could trust.
But during those years apart, Ah Zheng had already turned into someone she no longer recognized.
Now that everything had come to light, the shock she felt was no less than when Wen Zheng’s identity had been exposed.
At this moment, Ziyun thought for a while before finally saying, “Miss, you should go back for tonight. At least now we both know the other is here—we can look out for each other. The future is long, we’ll take our time and plan.”
“If you sneak out now, it’s too risky. The people in this courtyard could wake at any time. It’s best not to take the risk.”
Quan Heng had no choice but to nod.
Before she left, she looked at Ziyun with worry. “Following me all your life… you’ve really suffered.”
To her surprise, Ziyun’s eyes were bright. She shook her head and said, “It hasn’t been hard. I believe in you. One day, we’ll definitely escape.”
Quan Heng sighed softly and quietly returned to her room, lying down on her bed.
Staring at the ceiling, her tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
She had once believed that as long as she escaped from Wen Zheng’s grasp, she would be free. But now, it seemed Shen Zhengyu was even more terrifying than Wen Zheng.
She had just gotten out of a tiger’s den only to fall into a wolf’s lair. What would happen next—she truly had no idea.
At that moment, she couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, Wen Zheng’s blood-red eyes would appear before her, piercing her heart like a blade.
Suddenly, she heard the door creak open. Her heart jumped.
Shen Zhengyu, reeking of alcohol, stumbled in, clearly drunk.
Quan Heng said, “Ah Zheng, you’re back? But you’ve come to the wrong room. Yours is next door.”
To that, Shen Zhengyu sneered.
“Heng’er, I didn’t go to the wrong place. I came here on purpose.”
At these words, Quan Heng’s heart leapt to her throat. “What do you mean by that?”
The next moment, Shen Zhengyu stripped off his outer robe, leaving only a thin white undergarment, and walked toward her.
Fear and alarm surged through Quan Heng as she kept backing away, trembling. “Ah Zheng, you’re drunk—don’t come any closer!”
Shen Zhengyu laughed, ignoring her fear. He lunged at her, grabbing both her wrists and pinning her to the bed.
“Heng’er, I’ve looked for you for so many years. I love you so much. I beg you—just love me a little, won’t you?”
Terrified, Quan Heng somehow found strength to break free from his grip and slapped him hard across the face.
“Shen Zhengyu! Get a hold of yourself!”
But Shen Zhengyu only clutched his cheek and laughed maniacally.
“My Heng’er has really grown up—she even dares to hit people now. But that’s not right, you know.”
He gave a cold laugh, then pressed her down beneath him and leaned in for her lips.
“Heng’er, just give yourself to me, okay? I swear I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life and never let you down.”
Feeling his breath so close, Quan Heng was filled with revulsion—she even felt the urge to vomit.
In the next second, she pulled out the hairpin from her head and stabbed it deep into Shen Zhengyu’s shoulder. Blood immediately flowed, staining the front of her clothes.
“Shen Zhengyu! You’re disgusting!”
He cried out in pain and finally loosened his grip. But when he heard her words, his eyes turned red, filled with hatred.
Instinctively, he raised his hand to slap her—but froze when he saw her tear-filled eyes.
Moments later, any trace of pity in his heart vanished, replaced entirely by rage.
He reached out and grabbed Quan Heng’s neck, squeezing harder and harder, not letting go even when her face turned red. Through clenched teeth, he growled: “Heng’er, I’ve given you patience, I’ve given you chances. Why won’t you love me?”
“What’s so good about Wen Zheng? Why is your heart always with him? Why won’t you ever look at me?”
“He killed your maid, tried to destroy your whole family, and you still don’t hate him. You couldn’t bring yourself to kill him. But I only wanted to be close to you, and you go for the kill? Why?!”
At that moment, Quan Heng felt herself suffocating. She could even hear her bones creaking under the pressure.
Still, the man didn’t let go—he only tightened his grip, speaking with gritted teeth: “Heng’er, since you don’t love me, then I’ll lock you away forever and kill everyone connected to you. One day, you’ll truly belong to me, and no one will ever be able to take you away!”
In the past, Shen Zhengyu had always been gentle. But now, he looked like a completely different person—his face twisted, his expression insane.
He was losing his mind.
If no one stopped him now, she really would die by his hands.
At death’s door, the first person Quan Heng thought of was still Wen Zheng.
Tears—this time from physical pain—spilled from her eyes. Everything was a blur. She could no longer see her path forward. The only thing that kept her going was her desire to survive as she pushed against Shen Zhengyu’s shoulders with all her strength.
Her face flushed bright red, she couldn’t form a complete sentence. Only a few broken words came out of her throat.
“Ah… Zheng, let… go…”
The next moment, the man above her suddenly went limp and collapsed to the floor.
He began snoring faintly—it seemed the alcohol had finally knocked him out cold.
Fortunately, the force on her neck eased. Quan Heng’s heart settled slightly. She coughed violently, then covered her mouth, afraid of making any noise.
Everyone in this courtyard was loyal to Shen Zhengyu. If they found out she’d hurt him, it would be trouble.
At this point, she could only leave it to fate.
After all, this wasn’t her place. She really couldn’t kill him and make it look like nothing happened.
If Shen Zhengyu woke up tomorrow and came to settle accounts, if he wanted her dead—she would have to accept it.
Moving carefully, Quan Heng opened the door and dragged him with all her strength back to his room, covering him with a blanket.
Then she returned to her own room, filled with anxiety. She stared at the ceiling, not daring to close her eyes.
Soon, dawn broke, and there was movement in the courtyard. The maids and older servants had woken and begun their chores.
The longer the wait, the more tortured Quan Heng felt. She didn’t know what kind of hell she would be facing once he woke.
Not long after, Luyi pushed open the door. Quan Heng immediately shut her eyes, pretending to still be asleep. Seeing this, Luyi quietly withdrew and reported in the next room.
“Young Master, she’s already awake.”
The two rooms were only separated by a wall. Quan Heng could clearly hear everything.
Shen Zhengyu seemed to have already awakened. Upon hearing Luyi’s report, he responded, “Then go prepare breakfast. When Heng’er wakes, we’ll eat together.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng’s heart tightened.
