Chapter 116: He Loves to Do As He Pleases.

Shen Nanyuan looked at Meng Chuyue’s worried expression and couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Really, she didn’t bully me at all. Not only didn’t she bully me, she even cried.”

It seemed Lin Yan truly couldn’t let go of Jun Ci, and she was indeed unwilling. How many girls had Jun Ci harmed after all?

If the original owner were still there, she might still have forgiven Jun Ci, but she wouldn’t.

Whether it was Jun Ci’s nature or Lin Yan’s, or how they would fare after diverging from the original novel’s plot, it would all depend on their own choices. If Lin Yan were smarter, she could have escaped Jun Ci’s shadow sooner. Who knew, she might even meet her true love one day.

As for Jun Ci… he could do as he pleased.

Shen Nanyuan didn’t want to dwell on this further. She smiled and gently took Meng Chuyue’s arm. “It’s getting late. Let’s head to Mingyue Restaurant. I haven’t been there in ages.”

Meng Chuyue nodded. “All right.”

The carriage was still crowded, but Shen Nanyuan and Meng Chuyue took one. The road was uneven, so Shen Nanyuan lifted the curtain slightly and looked out.

Qing Kui spoke softly. “Miss, we’re taking the other path. The main road has many carriages coming and going, so it’s crowded. We chose this quieter side road instead.”

Shen Nanyuan gave a slight nod. “I understand.”

This time, the guards from the Duke of Zhen Guo’s mansion had accompanied them, so she felt no fear of danger.

With the arrival of autumn, many grasses and trees had already withered, presenting a desolate appearance.

Without realizing it, she had been living here for a full year.

A year ago, she couldn’t have imagined what her life would be like now. She had been consumed by fear of death, constantly worrying about how to survive alongside the Duke of Zhen Guo’s mansion. Fortunately, while some unexpected events had occurred this year, all outcomes had been favorable.

Yet now, she realized she hadn’t truly been treating Xiao Yan with sincerity at any point. Back then, it had been to erase his hatred for the Duke of Zhen Guo’s mansion. Now, it was to help her break off her engagement to the second prince.

She pursed her lips and let out a soft sigh.

But she had no choice.

Shen Nanyuan lifted her gaze slightly and looked ahead. Suddenly, a patch of red caught her eye in the midst of the withered scenery, vivid and striking. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Chuyue, look—there’s a patch of flowers over there.”

It was somewhat distant, and the large crimson blooms had an eerie quality.

Meng Chuyue glanced in the indicated direction. “Those are rose of Sharon flowers. They bloom white or light red in the morning, turning deep red by noon and afternoon. I’ve never seen such a vivid red before.”

They resembled fresh blood.

Especially in this desolate, withered landscape, the sudden appearance of such bright red was unsettling.

She suggested, “Let’s go take a look.”

Dozens of rose of Sharon flowers clustered tightly together, every stalk blooming in a brilliant crimson. Yet they were a bit far from the small path. Shen Nanyuan, supported carefully by Qing Kui, navigated through the tangled undergrowth and finally stopped before the cluster. She frowned abruptly.

“Do these flowers smell bad?”

The odor was indescribable—stinking, nauseating.

“Not at all,” Meng Chuyue replied. “Rose of Sharon flowers have no fragrance, or if they do, it’s faint. Nothing like this stench.”

She covered her nose and mouth, stepping back several paces and unable to tolerate the smell any longer. “Nanyuan, let’s go.”

Shen Nanyuan agreed, and they turned back the way they had come. Suddenly, they saw several people approaching from the opposite direction, seemingly drawn to the same flowers.

“I never expected to find such scenery here.”

“This path is rarely used. It’s bumpy and narrow. With so many people at the Paper Kite Festival today, no one else would come, but we stumbled upon these unexpected flowers.”

“We’ve seen this spot before during outings. The view was pleasant, but we never noticed these flowers back then.”

Shen Nanyuan thought that once they drew closer, the stench would be unbearable, and they would immediately turn around.

The group appeared to be scholars—refined and cultured. Yet the moment they spotted her and Meng Chuyue, they froze, swiftly averting their gazes with stunned expressions. The sight made Shen Nanyuan curve her lips in amusement.

She slowed her pace, and soon overheard their conversation.

“What kind of smell is this? It’s awful!”

“Is this the natural fragrance of these flowers?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen such blooms before.”

Shen Nanyuan and Meng Chuyue had already walked far enough that the odor was no longer noticeable, yet they could still imagine the foulness from the scholars’ words.

Just as they approached the carriage, she glanced back slightly and saw one of the men squatting beside the rose of Sharon flowers, seemingly examining something.

Qing Kui reached out. “Miss, please walk more slowly.”

Shen Nanyuan nodded in response. As she turned to take Qing Kui’s hand, a sharp cry suddenly rang out from behind.

“Someone! There’s a dead body buried here!”

“It’s a corpse! A dead man!”

“Help! Someone come quickly!”

Shen Nanyuan whipped her head around. The man who had been squatting there jumped up in fright and fell to the ground. After scrambling to his feet, he ran toward them in panic, face ashen with terror, breathing ragged.

The guards from the Duke of Zhen Guo’s mansion immediately stepped forward to shield Shen Nanyuan and Meng Chuyue. “What happened?”

The scholars looked utterly helpless. Seeing the guards, they seemed to find a lifeline, their hands trembling violently as they pointed toward the patch of flowers. Their voices shook with shock and fear, bodies quaking, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

“There… over there. Under those flowers is a buried corpse.”

Shen Nanyuan’s expression turned grave. Meng Chuyue’s tone carried disbelief. “A dead body?”

“Yes. The soil there feels wrong. I squatted down and inspected it closely. It’s a hand—already rotten down to the bones!”

“That’s why it smells so bad. There’s a corpse buried underneath!”

“What should we do now? Report it to the authorities?”

The scholars were flustered, but Shen Nanyuan couldn’t help staring at the blood-red rose of Sharon flowers. Goosebumps rose across her skin, a chill spreading through her that made her shiver involuntarily.

“Miss…” one of the guards said quietly, “You and Miss Meng should return to the mansion first. We’ll handle the rest.”