Chapter 187: Folk Remedy
The original host was inexperienced in the world and deeply trapped in Zhong Chenghong’s sweet words. If she had truly gotten pregnant with Zhong Chenghong’s child, given the original host’s personality, she should have told Zhong Chenghong about it in one of their few communications.
This world places great importance on heirs and bloodlines. The original host wholeheartedly hoped Zhong Chenghong would pass the imperial exam and come marry her, and the child would be a significant bargaining chip.
Lovestruck fool plus desperate to get married, she didn’t believe the original host could hold back from telling Zhong Chenghong.
But Zhong Chenghong’s reaction was off.
From Zhong Chenghong’s earlier behavior, it was clear he was jealous of Lu Chengjing and even proud of putting a green hat on Lu Chengjing.
If he knew the original host had once carried his child, he shouldn’t have failed to mention even a word about it—after all, no man could tolerate “the child in his wife’s belly is the product of a green hat.”
Such a prime opportunity to provoke Lu Chengjing was right in front of Zhong Chenghong—why didn’t he use it?
Shang Wan instinctively felt something was up.
“Of course.” Zhong Chenghong’s eyes flickered slightly, his lips pressing together lightly.
Shang Wan snorted coldly, “Someone capable of premarital trysts must have been lying when you just defended the Earl’s Mansion Miss.”
Zhong Chenghong: “…”
The tryst involved two people, yet she lumped herself in too—this woman’s brain must be sick?
He glanced at the coldly indifferent Lu Chengjing, suddenly struck by an idea, and looked at Shang Wan with those affectionate eyes again. “That day you came to find me first, saying emotions were hard to control, so I just…”
His words trailed off, leaving endless space for imagination.
Shang Wan lifted her hand with a cold face and slapped him. “Try acting again!”
Isn’t this disgusting enough already?
Zhong Chenghong: “…”
He adjusted his expression. “I…”
Slap!
“You…”
Slap!
“…”
Slap slap!
Zhong Chenghong, with nosebleed gushing from the slaps: “…”
Whether he spoke or not, he got slapped—where could he go to reason?
Wasn’t this woman always gentle and kind, unwilling to even step on an ant? How did she become so vicious after just a few months?
Shang Wan looked coldly at the pig-headed face in front of her. “Guess if I can drown you in the river and fake it as an accidental fall in?”
Zhong Chenghong: !!!
The youth’s back broke out in cold sweat. On this scorching hot day, he shuddered violently, his hands and feet turning ice-cold.
He suddenly realized Shang Wan really wanted to kill him, not just empty threats.
Shang Wan: “Last time I’m asking: did it happen or not?”
“Yes…” The icy killing intent hit his back, and Zhong Chenghong’s words swerved in fright. He urgently said, “No!”
Shang Wan slapped him again. “Did it or not?”
“No!” Zhong Chenghong wanted to cry but had no tears, collapsing as he said, “Really no!”
Shang Wan sized him up and probed, “Then why do I remember having marital relations with you and giving birth to a child?”
“Huh?” Zhong Chenghong was dumbfounded. “What child?”
“Pretending what?” Shang Wan didn’t miss the evasion in his eyes. She raised her hand, the slap about to fall, and Zhong Chenghong shut his eyes in fear. “Don’t hit! I’ll talk, I’ll tell everything!”
Shang Wan’s hand gently landed on his head, patting it like a dog. “You’re just like a spinning top, needing a beating.”
Zhong Chenghong: “…”
Waaah~ He relied on his face for a living—what kind of King of Hell was this!
The youth sniffled. “I didn’t have marital relations with you, much less a child.”
Shang Wan raised a brow, listening as he continued.
Zhong Chenghong: “My mom consulted a master fortune-teller who said I’d become a high official. You killed your parents and have no family assets—you’re not worthy of me. She wouldn’t let me touch you, to avoid leaving a handle for later.”
“But you were the easiest to fool. I worried that after you married, you wouldn’t give me silver anymore. My mom used to be a maid and had a secret recipe. Women who drink it show fake pregnancy symptoms—even old doctors can’t tell. It’s specially used in inner residences to harm people.”
“Before you got married, I invited you home for a meal. The tonic my mom coaxed you into drinking was that recipe. You know what happened after. I drugged the wine, timed it, and lay with you, tricking you into thinking we’d had marital relations.”
Shang Wan listened with twitching lips, thinking this was the harm of no sex education.
The original host, that silly sweet innocent, probably thought taking off clothes meant they’d slept together. On their wedding night, she made a three-chapter agreement with Lu Chengjing—they didn’t truly consummate, so naturally she had no way to compare truth from fake.
“That medicine needs to be taken for seven days straight to work, so my mom brewed it daily and sent it to you, watching you finish it.”
Shang Wan’s eyes darkened.
After her parents died, the original host received very little care and deeply craved affection from others.
Zhong’s mother was so “caring” toward the original host, personally brewing tonics and delivering them—how could a simple, love-starved young lady not fully believe it? That probably explained why she gave money so readily later.
Relevant memory fragments flashed in Shang Wan’s mind. Seeing her own face smiling so silly-sweet at the person harming her, Shang Wan felt somewhat unable to look straight.
She shook her head, shaking away those memories.
—Silly girl, next life grow a brain—don’t mistake poison for tonic again.
Now an important question was in front of her: since it was fake pregnancy, why did the original host really give birth to a child?
She remembered Lu Chengjing telling her the original host’s child died less than two months after birth. Worried Madam Lu would find out and punish them, making life even harder, Lu Chengjing picked a child from the refugee pile to raise for the original host.
Fake pregnancy turning into a real birth midway—what kind of fantasy story was this?
She turned to Lu Chengjing, smiling without reaching her eyes. “I think I need an explanation.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Lying feels good for a moment, but covering lies leads to the crematorium.
He decisively said, “Niangzi, I was wrong.”
Shang Wan: “…”
This fox was getting more skilled at admitting fault.
Zhong Chenghong looked at Lu Chengjing, then at Shang Wan, silently hoping they’d fight.
Fight… impossible to fight.
Lu Chengjing hadn’t deliberately hidden it from Shang Wan. Actually, at the time he was still doubting her identity, suspecting she was sent by those people, so in the testing phase, his words inevitably mixed truth and lies.
The truth was the original host miscarried at two months from the fake pregnancy drug, suffered a big shock, cried all day, and stayed in her room without going out.
The third branch wasn’t watched in the mansion. After Lu Chengjing arranged things, he quietly covered up the original host’s miscarriage.
For certain purposes, Lu Chengjing had the original host continue faking pregnancy, then brought a baby girl back on the due date, passing her off as the original host’s.
What Lu Chengjing told Shang Wan—giving birth was fake, the child dying at two months was fake. Only bringing a child from outside was true.
He and Shang Wan had always treated Yuan Yuan as their own child. Lu Chengjing had forgotten this matter. If Shang Wan hadn’t asked today, he wouldn’t have known this unexploded mine was buried here.
After hearing Lu Chengjing’s explanation, Shang Wan: “…”
—Dog of a man! His lies were seamless!
