Post-Marital Singlism

Hu Shaoyou, who had been thrown out the door, was undergoing interrogation by Zhang Shi when he accidentally overheard those words. He nearly choked on his breath.

After struggling to catch his breath, he spat out a torrent of blood.

"Wanqing, you..."

"Slap!"

A slap landed: "Speak of your own matters!"

"Where's that bastard Xu Shang?"

"And the money you've embezzled—where is it all hidden?"

"I advise you to confess willingly and end this cleanly. Otherwise... hah, you've seen my methods."

Hu Shaoyou shuddered. Facing a ruthless man like Zhang Shi, he dared not resist and obediently confessed. Then Zhang Shi dragged him aside to prevent him from overhearing Wanqing’s words inside and colluding with her.

Inside the room, Gu Qing’s face was as cold as ice.

Wanqing’s words were like a slap, viciously striking her face, reminding her of the kind of man she had chosen in this life!

Her hands trembled!

She wished she could cut Wanqing in two on the spot. Yet a shred of reason remained within her. She knew clearly that Su Jin offering her the sword was not merely to help her take revenge but, more importantly, to test her performance.

Thus, she steadied her hands as best she could and coldly cursed.

"You seduced another’s husband and cheated during your marriage—how dare you call yourself a 'victim'?!"

Gu Qing had said this offhandedly, intending to pave the way for questioning about the money. But the moment her words fell, Wanqing stood up excitedly.

"What are you babbling about?!"

"What do you mean 'seduced'? I was pursuing love. In the Cloud Capital, pursuing love is no crime!"

"And I haven't cheated at all. Let me make a solemn statement here: I am a post-marital singleist."

"Do you understand?"

Boom!

It was as if thunder had struck.

Everyone inside and outside the house froze simultaneously, turning their heads to stare at Wanqing, the words echoing in their minds.

"Post-marital singleist!"

Married?

Singleist?

How could these two terms be used together?

Gu Qing, however, had returned to calm after her fury.

The Wind Valley was so close to the Cloud Capital that the winds from the capital had indeed blown into the valley.

A lost enchantress like Wanqing could no longer be swayed by words. The only thing that could move her was the sword in hand.

So, the blade trembled like a viper’s tongue, dancing across Wanqing’s delicate skin.

As the cold gleam of steel threatened her, Gu Qing’s voice was icy.

"Whatever kind of person you are is none of my concern. Others will deal with you. For now, I ask—where did you and Hu Shaoyou hide the money you stole?!"

At that moment, Gu Qing exuded an overwhelming authority and deadly intent. Though Wanqing clung to her beliefs, the looming threat to her life left her no room for hesitation.

She said, "That money... it was intended to be divided with the Lovesick Pavilion after this matter concluded and then transported out of the city. Now..."

"It’s hidden in the warehouse that Hu Shaoyou built!"

Outside, Zhang Shi reported to Ren Tianye: "Your Lordship, Hu Shaoyou has revealed the whereabouts of the money and grain. The warehouse address matches Wanqing’s account. It seems to be genuine."

Ren Tianye nodded.

"Go retrieve it!"

Not long after, Zhang Shi returned to report: "Your Lordship, the money and grain have been found. The warehouse is full. After verification, it amounts to over four million silver taels."

"It’s all there, nothing lost."

"And..."

"We unexpectedly caught the owner of the Lovesick Pavilion!"

Ren Tianye’s spirits lifted.

"Let’s go!"

Accompanied by Zhang Shi and his men, he hurried to the warehouse and saw a merchant-like figure kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy under the watch of numerous soldiers.

"Your Lordship, this is the owner of the Lovesick Pavilion. According to him, he is also its largest shareholder."

Ren Tianye looked at the man—a short, stout, middle-aged man dressed in fine silks and satins, with a face that was hardly pleasant.

Walking over, he said calmly, "Keeping guard here? Did you make a good profit this time?"

The owner of the Lovesick Pavilion, already terrified and broken, immediately knelt and pleaded, "Your Lordship, spare me! What Lovesick Pavilion does is permitted by the Cloud Capital. We run a legitimate business!"

"Really?" Ren Tianye said flatly. "Is it also legitimate to have Liu Aijiu in the city of Huai’an preach the gospel of love above all, swear to protect the Red Luan Literary Pavilion, stage operas, and slander me?"

These words struck the owner’s heart. His already pallid face drained of all color in an instant. Trembling, he dared not utter another word.

But even with his pitiful state, Ren Tianye had no intention of letting him off. He said coldly, "Speak. Besides the opera staged in Huai’an, what other operas have you created to slander me?"

Under immense pressure, the owner stammered out an answer, unable to articulate it clearly. Finally, he pulled out a scriptbook containing all the plays the Lovesick Pavilion planned to perform across the Cloud Capital.

Ren Tianye took it and read through it one by one.

Most were unrelated to him—plays about domineering princes and their sweethearts, or princesses running away with a baby.

But the final few pages were markedly different, all marked in red.

They were entirely fabricated to slander Ren Tianye!

He read them all. There were five scripts in total. Apart from the one about him and his ex-girlfriend that had already been performed in Huai’an, the rest also revolved around romance.

And all these romantic tales... were about Ren Tianye’s experiences, including his three former lovers from his past life.

The scripts weren’t entirely accurate, but the general framework was correct.

It was as if someone had spied on his life and recorded it from memory.

Ren Tianye’s face remained expressionless. He closed the scriptbook and asked calmly, "Where did these scripts come from?"

...