Chapter 73: She Is Both a Concubine and a Substitute

The visitor was Pei Zhi.

Shen Shuangning startled, not expecting to see him in such a situation, and greeted him.

"When did you return, Young Master Pei?"

"I just returned not long ago, and was about to look for you."

Pei Zhi wore a white robe, his slender figure like a bamboo standing beside the carriage, still gazing at her gently, though his eyes seemed to hide an unspeakable ache.

Shen Shuangning's heart trembled under his gaze, but she had already made up her mind to go to the western city, so she didn't think further and had no time to chat, urging the driver to hurry.

Pei Zhi guessed he couldn't stop her, sighed inwardly, then got into his own carriage and followed her.

At that moment, Zhao Lian'an was being pressed to the ground by two servants of the Duke's Manor, his face full of resentment.

Beside him was a purple-clad woman sobbing, her features beautiful, her figure slender, a peerless beauty.

But upon closer look, her eyebrows and eyes bore an astonishing resemblance to Shen Shuangning's!

Shen Xiuci stared at Zhao Lian'an, shocked and incredulous, hoping he had overthought it.

The woman knelt before Shen Xiuci like a willow in the wind, her plain hand clutching a ramie handkerchief that trembled slightly, she wept: "I truly did not know that Zhao Lang already had a family; when he ransomed me from the Auspicious Workshop, he only said I was poor and pitiful, pitying me. Though I know my status is lowly, a bulrush's beauty unfit for a gentleman, I would never dare dream of a proper title."

Miao Miao wept uncontrollably: "Now knowing that Zhao Lang actually has a household, I feel my heart cut like a knife, shame hard to bear... I originally thought meeting a true confidant could be entrusted for life, but I never expected to become a person who brings disaster to the household!"

Before her words finished, she flung herself to the ground, black hair scattering like ink, her voice trembling: "Young Master, do as you see fit; even if my body is torn to shreds, I will utter no complaint."

Shen Xiuci remained unmoved, his face utterly cold.

Zhao Lian'an, however, felt his heart bleed with pity, unable to hold back: "Miao Miao, don't kneel to him; it's all my fault! I shouldn't have hidden this from you, I'm sorry!"

Miao Miao barely lifted her head, looking at him with pain and disappointment: "Young Master Zhao, how could you drag Miao Miao into injustice..."

Seeing her heartbroken appearance, Zhao Lian'an also burst into tears, choking: "Sorry, I didn't mean to, believe me, I truly like you!"

Saying this, he turned his gaze to Shen Xiuci, his face turning ferocious, as if Shen Xiuci were the villain tearing them apart.

"Shen Xiuci, this has nothing to do with her; if you have any grievances, direct them at me—do not harm her!"

Shen Xiuci said coldly: "You protect her so fiercely, have you considered your wife at home? Miaoyun still carries your child—how could you do such a thing?"

Thinking of Shen Miaoyun, Zhao Lian'an's righteous stance finally eased a little, a hint of guilt appearing.

But when he lifted his head to see Shen Xiuci standing before him, clear wind and bright moon, the guilt on his face vanished, turning into jealousy and hatred: "Shen Xiuci, this is an affair of my Zhao family; what does it have to do with you? You merely look down on me, deliberately coming to grasp my weakness and humiliate me severely, don't you?!"

Shen Xiuci realized for the first time that when someone is extremely angry, they cannot speak, only wanting to laugh.

It was at this moment that Shen Shuangning arrived.

She did not know the exact location; it was Pei Zhi who led the way.

Now she stepped into this moderately sized residence, glanced at the courtyard scene, and immediately guessed what had happened.

Pei Zhi also followed her inside.

Shen Xiuci and Zhao Lian'an never expected Shen Shuangning to appear at this moment, not even noticing Pei Zhi behind her.

Zhao Lian'an's cursing halted; he, who had never felt guilty seeing Shen Xiuci, now panicked, somewhat at a loss.

"Ning, Ningning... how did you come?" Zhao Lian'an stammered.

Shen Shuangning only gave Zhao Lian'an a cold glance, then her gaze fell upon the purple-clad woman with disheveled clothes.

She raised her hand and pointed at her, asking: "Who is she?"

Miao Miao remained kneeling without lifting her head; in her view, Shen Shuangning's exquisite, beautiful embroidered shoes stopped not far ahead.

Miao Miao, seeing the situation, mistakenly thought Shen Shuangning was Zhao Lian'an's principal wife at home, come to catch him in adultery.

Miao Miao quickly turned over, knelt properly, and prostrated herself, admitting her fault:

"Madam, I did not seduce Zhao Lang; I did not know he had a family. I am sorry to you! Please spare me, I am willing to leave forever, sever all ties with Zhao Lang, and never appear before you again!"

She knew that noble clan wives despised concubines intensely; upon learning Zhao Lian'an was the heir of the Marquis, her feeling was less the heartache of being deceived and more fear!!

Shen Shuangning sized up Miao Miao, somewhat unable to tell whether the woman before her was sincerely apologetic or deliberately trying to make Zhao Lian'an feel pity and reluctance.

"You misunderstand; I am not his wife, my elder sister is his wife." Shen Shuangning frowned and spoke coldly.

Miao Miao startled, lifted her head to look at her.

Zhao Lian'an, at this moment, could not even bother to defend Miao Miao, looking panicked at Shen Shuangning: "Ningning, let me explain..."

Had he not been held down by the servants, Zhao Lian'an would likely have risen straight away to shield Miao Miao.

Shen Xiuci, so perceptive, his face darkened instantly, he hurriedly stepped forward, intending to block Shen Shuangning.

"Ningning, I will handle this here; you go out first."

But it was already too late.

Shen Shuangning had already seen Miao Miao's features clearly; she shoved aside the approaching Shen Xiuci, her gaze fixed on the purple-clad woman's face.

Miao Miao also stared blankly at Shen Shuangning: "Your face... looks very much like mine."

Women constantly face the mirror, intimately familiar with their own appearance; thus, when they see someone resembling them, that sense of familiarity is hard to ignore.

In an instant, a "boom" rang in Shen Shuangning's mind.

All questions, accusations, condemnations, and humiliating words vanished completely upon seeing Miao Miao's face, which was seventy percent like her own.

Her mind went blank.

Immediately after, a strong nausea surged up her throat, making her involuntarily stagger backward, covering her mouth as she wanted to vomit.

Pei Zhi, quick-eyed and quick-handed, steadied her.

As his fingers touched her wrist, he felt her skin astonishingly cold, involuntarily furrowing his brows, his heart aching deeply.

Zhao Lian'an stood stiffly in place.

She had discovered it, she had seen it out, she knew everything.

For a moment, all the explanations he had prepared choked in his throat; he felt as if stripped naked before everyone, his petty, shameful thoughts laid bare—worse than keeping a concubine, more hateful and disgusting, was his lust for his wife's younger sister.

Moreover, he had even found a substitute, indulging in rain-and-cloud intimacy with her, committing all sorts of shameful acts.

Zhao Lian'an saw Shen Shuangning's deathly pale face, instinctively stepped forward two paces, but was frightened by her eyes, clear as sweet spring water, and dared not advance further.

She surely hates him to the extreme.

Shen Shuangning not only hates Zhao Lian'an, she even despises herself.

She finally understood why a woman as strong-willed as her cousin would collapse from her husband's betrayal, even to the point of miscarrying and losing her child.

And after that, why did her cousin avoid mentioning it entirely, grow distant from her, and rarely visit the Prince Yan's Manor to see herself?

Before coming here, she had also considered the reason.

She thought her cousin wanted to preserve Zhao Lian'an's dignity, or didn't want others to know her marriage was unhappy and become a laughingstock.

It turned out the crux of everything lay with her.

And her cousin managed to conceal it so well also for her sake.

Shen Shuangning seemed to see her past elder sister standing here just like that, seeing a woman so similar to her sister standing beside her husband, feeling shocked, angry, and grieved.....

Shen Shuangning clutched her chest, as if she could feel her cousin's pain at that moment; asking herself, if it were her, she too could not bear such pain.

Her eyes red, she looked at the flustered Zhao Lian'an and, doing her best to keep her voice steady, said: "Give her some silver, let her leave the capital forever, never to appear before me and my elder sister again."

Zhao Lian'an readily agreed, speaking in a soothing tone: "Okay, okay, I'll have her leave right away!"

"And you, go back and take good care of my elder sister; don't let me know you go to the Auspicious Workshop again, or if anything happens to my elder sister, I will never forgive you." Shen Shuangning said this, then turned her face away and closed her eyes, not looking at him.

Zhao Lian'an felt utterly ashamed, lowering his head and saying: "...... I won't go again, you can rest assured."

Miao Miao obviously also realized what had happened; she looked at Zhao Lian'an in disbelief, her heart utterly broken.

It turned out the so-called confidants were all deceiving her; she was merely a substitute.

"Zhao Lang...... it turns out what you painted was not me at all."

Miao Miao closed her eyes, and two lines of tears flowed down.

Shen Shuangning did not want to stay another moment; she left immediately.

Shen Xiuci glanced disgustedly at the defeated, dispirited Zhao Lian'an, not wanting to say another word to him, snorted coldly, and flicked his sleeves as he walked away.

Shen Shuangning did not take a carriage; she walked all the way back, and although Aheng wanted to follow, she refused.

"Aheng, let me be alone for a while."

Aheng could only follow from a distance.

Thunder rumbled, and suddenly a torrential downpour fell from the sky; Shen Shuangning was quickly soaked through.

Yet she seemed unaware, still walking slowly along the riverbank.

In this life she learned the truth of her elder sister's miscarriage and even prevented the tragedy, yet she could not feel happy at all.

She did not know how things had come to this, nor did she know how to face her elder sister in the future.

That courtesan must certainly be kept away from the capital, for with a face so like her own, she cannot be left there, or she will surely bring about other disaster.

But what about Zhao Lian'an?

What if he is not honest and has done some shameful thing that her elder sister discovers?

Shen Shuangning walked through the rain curtain, her skirt hem already soaked through, weighing down heavily, letting the cold raindrops roll down her cheeks.

She had never felt her heart so cold at any moment.

Suddenly, her vision dimmed slightly, as if the rain were being blocked by something.

Shen Shuangning stared blankly, lifted her gaze, and saw a green umbrella held over her head.

Pei Zhi looked at her with heartache, raised his hand and used a handkerchief to wipe her face.

As if seeing her self-blame, he spoke gently: "It's not your fault; don't always take others' mistakes upon yourself, okay."

Shen Shuangning's eyelashes were wet and stuck together, her vision somewhat blurred; the man before her seemed to stand in a mist, his gaze toward her distant yet weighty.

Shen Shuangning stared at him and said: "Did you already know all along? That's why you stopped me, not letting me go?"

Pei Zhi's pale lips lightly pressed together as he silently gazed back at her, saying nothing.

"You know me so well, you know my affairs so well, yet you are clearly not here, yet it feels as if you are always watching me."

Shen Shuangning stepped forward, stared intently into his eyes, and insisted: "Pei Sanlang, just who are you? I really want to know."